Lexware lexoffice E-Invoicing Review 2025: Best for German Freelancers?

Lexware is a brand that's been in German business software since 1989, and the Haufe Group behind it is one of the most recognized names in German accounting. Their cloud product, lexoffice, is the modern successor — and it's where e-invoicing compliance lives.

We tested lexoffice for 30 days (they have the longest free trial of any tool we compared), focusing on XRechnung and ZUGFeRD compliance, the German tax features that freelancers care about, and whether the "all-in-one" promise holds up.

Disclosure: This review is editorially independent. If Lexware/lexoffice offers an affiliate program and we join it, links may be updated to include tracking. This does not influence our ratings or conclusions. See our editorial policy.

At a Glance

Feature	Details
Product	lexoffice (Lexware Cloud)
Website	lexoffice.de
Parent Company	Haufe Group (est. 1934)
Target Users	Freelancers (Freiberufler), self-employed, small businesses
Starting Price	€5.99/month
Free Trial	30 days (all features, no credit card)
XRechnung Support	✅ Native, version 3.0
ZUGFeRD Support	✅ Native, version 2.3 (EN 16931 profile)
Peppol Support	❌ Planned (no ETA published)
DATEV Export	✅ Full support (Haufe-DATEV partnership)
Our Rating	4.2 / 5.0

Lexware vs. lexoffice: Which Is Which?

This is genuinely confusing, so let's clarify:

• Lexware = the legacy desktop software line (Lexware buchhalter, Lexware faktura+auftrag, etc.). Still sold but being phased out in favor of cloud.
• lexoffice = the modern cloud product. This is what we're reviewing. It runs in the browser, has mobile apps, and receives regular updates.
• Haufe Group = the parent company that owns both brands.

When people say "Lexware" for cloud invoicing, they almost always mean lexoffice. We use "lexoffice" throughout this review to be precise.

Why Freelancers Love lexoffice

Before we get into e-invoicing specifics, here's why lexoffice has a strong following among German freelancers and Selbständige:

EÜR (Einnahmenüberschussrechnung)

The income surplus calculation (EÜR) is the standard tax report for German freelancers and businesses below €600,000 revenue. lexoffice generates the EÜR automatically from your bookings — no manual calculation needed.

We tested this by entering a month's worth of sample transactions and generating the EÜR. The categorization was correct, and the output matched the official Anlage EÜR format that the Finanzamt expects.

ELSTER Integration

lexoffice can submit your UStVA (Umsatzsteuervoranmeldung — VAT advance return) directly to ELSTER, the German tax authority's electronic filing system. We tested the submission flow:

1. Navigate to "Steuern" → "Umsatzsteuervoranmeldung"
2. lexoffice pre-fills the form based on your booked invoices and expenses
3. Review the amounts, click "An ELSTER senden"
4. Confirmation received within a few minutes

This is a genuine time-saver. Without this, freelancers must manually calculate VAT amounts and enter them into the ELSTER portal or their Steuerberater's tool.

Kleinunternehmer Support

If you're under the Kleinunternehmerregelung (§19 UStG — small business exemption, up to €22,000 revenue), lexoffice correctly omits VAT from invoices and adds the required legal notice ("Kein Ausweis der Umsatzsteuer aufgrund der Anwendung der Kleinunternehmerregelung gemäß § 19 UStG").

E-Invoicing Testing

XRechnung Generation

Creating an XRechnung in lexoffice:

1. Go to "Belege" → "Rechnung erstellen"
2. Add the customer (with Leitweg-ID for B2G)
3. Fill in line items, tax rates, descriptions
4. Choose "XRechnung" as the output format
5. Generate — lexoffice produces a valid XRechnung XML file

Validation result: ✅ The XRechnung XML passed KoSIT validation without errors. Schema compliance with XRechnung 3.0 confirmed.

ZUGFeRD Generation

ZUGFeRD export is available for all invoice types:

1. Create an invoice normally
2. Export as ZUGFeRD (PDF/A-3 with embedded XML)
3. The PDF looks like a normal invoice; the XML data is embedded

Critical detail we verified: lexoffice defaults to the "EN 16931" profile in ZUGFeRD 2.3. This is the correct profile for mandate compliance. Some tools default to "Minimum" or "Basic" profiles, which do NOT satisfy the German B2B e-invoicing requirement.

Validation result: ✅ ZUGFeRD 2.3 output validated correctly. PDF/A-3 conformance confirmed.

What's Missing: Peppol

lexoffice does not support Peppol. Their roadmap mentions it as "planned" but provides no timeline. If you need to send invoices via the Peppol network (primarily for B2G invoices to public sector clients), lexoffice cannot do this today.

Workaround: You can export an XRechnung XML from lexoffice and upload it to a separate Peppol access point (e.g., a dedicated Peppol service provider). This adds a manual step but makes it technically possible.

DATEV Connection

The Haufe-DATEV partnership means lexoffice has one of the tightest DATEV integrations available:

• DATEV Buchungsdatenservice: Export bookings for your Steuerberater in the correct format
• DATEV Rechnungsdatenservice: Export invoice data with structured fields
• DATEV Unternehmen Online: Real-time sync (requires your Steuerberater to activate)

We tested the DATEV Buchungsdatenservice export. The file was correctly formatted and included all required fields (Kontonummer, Gegenkonto, Buchungstext, Belegdatum, Betrag).

Our observation: If you work with a Steuerberater, the collaboration workflow in lexoffice is the smoothest of any tool we tested. The accountant can access a limited view of your lexoffice account directly, reducing the back-and-forth of file exports.

Pricing Breakdown (April 2026)

Plan	Monthly Price	Key Features
S (Rechnung & Finanzen)	€5.99	Invoicing, quotes, XRechnung/ZUGFeRD, basic reports
M (Buchhaltung & Finanzen)	€10.90	+ Banking, receipt scanning, EÜR, DATEV
L (Buchhaltung & Berichte)	€16.90	+ BWA, Gewinn-/Verlustrechnung, advanced reporting
XL	€24.90	+ Payroll, Lohnabrechnung

The 30-day trial includes all features of the XL plan. After the trial, you choose your plan — no automatic charge.

Value assessment: The M plan at €10.90/mo is the sweet spot for most freelancers. The S plan is too limited (no banking, no EÜR), and the L plan is only necessary if you need advanced financial reporting.

Pros and Cons

What We Liked

• 30-day free trial: Longest in the market, enough to genuinely evaluate the tool
• Deep German tax compliance: EÜR, UStVA, ELSTER — no other tool does this as well
• Strong DATEV partnership: Best Steuerberater collaboration workflow
• Correct ZUGFeRD profile: Defaults to EN 16931, not Minimum/Basic
• Trusted brand: Haufe Group has been in German business software for decades
• Kleinunternehmer handling: Correct §19 UStG notice on invoices

What Could Be Better

• Complex onboarding: The setup wizard asks about SKR03 vs SKR04, Soll- vs Istversteuerung, and other accounting details that can overwhelm non-accountants
• No Peppol support: Significant gap for businesses with B2G clients
• Confusing product lineup: "Lexware" vs "lexoffice" vs "Lexware buchhaltung" causes confusion during purchase decisions
• Mobile app is basic: Receipt scanning exists but the app lacks full invoicing capability
• Pricing tiers feel limiting: Critical features (banking, EÜR) only available from M plan

Comparison With Competitors

Feature	lexoffice	sevDesk	easybill
E-invoicing	✅ XRechnung + ZUGFeRD	✅ XRechnung + ZUGFeRD	✅ XRechnung + ZUGFeRD + Peppol
Accounting	✅ Full (EÜR, BWA)	✅ Full	❌ Invoicing only
ELSTER	✅ Direct submission	❌ Via DATEV	❌ No
DATEV	✅ Deep integration	✅ Good	✅ Standard export
Peppol	❌ Planned	❌ Planned	✅ Native
Free tier	❌ No	❌ No	✅ 20 docs/year
Trial length	30 days	14 days	7 days
Starting price	€5.99/mo	€8.90/mo	€6/mo

Who Should Use lexoffice?

Good fit:

• German freelancers (Freiberufler) who need EÜR and ELSTER in the same tool as invoicing
• Self-employed professionals under Kleinunternehmerregelung
• Anyone who works closely with a Steuerberater and values smooth DATEV collaboration
• Users who want a long trial period to evaluate thoroughly

Not a good fit:

• Businesses needing Peppol access (use easybill)
• Users who want a simpler, less accounting-heavy tool (use sevDesk or FastBill)
• E-commerce sellers needing platform integrations (use easybill)
• Developers needing API access (easybill and Billomat are better choices)

Our Verdict

lexoffice is the best choice for German freelancers who want e-invoicing compliance integrated with their tax workflow. The EÜR, ELSTER, and DATEV features are unmatched, and the Haufe Group brand carries real trust in the German market.

The missing Peppol support and complex onboarding are real downsides. But for a solo Freiberufler or Selbständiger focused on domestic German business, lexoffice handles both compliance and taxation better than any competitor.

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

Category	Score
Ease of Use	4.3
Compliance Coverage	4.5
Support Quality	4.2
Value for Money	4.0
Overall	4.2

How to Get Started

1. Visit lexoffice.de and start the 30-day free trial
2. Complete the setup wizard — choose your Kontenrahmen (SKR03 is standard for most freelancers) and tax settings
3. Create a test invoice in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung format
4. If you have a Steuerberater, set up the DATEV connection during the trial

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This review was last updated April 2026. See our full software comparison for how lexoffice compares to all alternatives. Review methodology described in our editorial policy.