sevDesk vs easybill: Which Is Better for German E-Invoicing in 2025?
A direct comparison of sevDesk and easybill for XRechnung and ZUGFeRD invoicing in Germany. Pricing, features, DATEV integration, and who should choose which.
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sevDesk vs easybill: Which Is Better for German E-Invoicing in 2025?
Both sevdesk.de and easybill.de support XRechnung and ZUGFeRD, both work for German SMBs and freelancers, and both have been updated to handle the 2025 mandatory e-invoicing requirements. So which one do you actually use?
The honest answer: it depends on what you primarily need software to do. sevDesk is full-stack cloud accounting. easybill is purpose-built invoicing with excellent automation. They overlap heavily but have real differences in depth, UX, and pricing that will matter to different types of users.
This comparison covers every axis that matters for German e-invoicing compliance.
At a Glance
| sevDesk | easybill | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Full accounting + invoicing | Invoicing-first |
| XRechnung | ✅ Full support | ✅ Full support |
| ZUGFeRD | ✅ EN 16931 + XRECHNUNG | ✅ EN 16931 + XRECHNUNG |
| Receive e-invoices | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| DATEV export | ✅ Native | ✅ CSV / DATEV format |
| Bank reconciliation | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| VAT returns | ✅ Yes (UStVA) | ❌ No |
| Free plan | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (12 docs/year) |
| Entry price | €13.90/month | €9/month |
| Mobile app | ✅ iOS + Android | ✅ iOS + Android |
XRechnung Support
XRechnung is the German national standard for e-invoices — a pure XML format derived from the European EN 16931 standard. It's mandatory for invoices to federal public authorities and increasingly required by large private-sector clients.
sevDesk: Generates XRechnung directly from any invoice. You select the output format at the point of sending — the underlying invoice data is the same regardless of whether you output ZUGFeRD or XRechnung. sevDesk validates against the current XRechnung specification before export, which catches common errors before they become your client's problem.
easybill: Also generates XRechnung natively. easybill's implementation is notably clean — you get explicit format selection in the invoice creation workflow, and it supports routing via the Peppol network (PINT DE profile) if your client requires that delivery method. easybill also allows you to define per-client default formats, so repeat invoices automatically use the right format.
Edge: easybill for the per-client format memory and Peppol routing. sevDesk is equally valid from a compliance standpoint but slightly less granular in configuration.
ZUGFeRD Profile Support
ZUGFeRD embeds machine-readable XML inside a human-readable PDF — a "hybrid invoice" that satisfies both finance teams who want a PDF and systems that need XML. The profile determines how much data is included.
sevDesk: Supports ZUGFeRD 2.x with the EN 16931 profile as default (also labelled "Comfort" in older documentation). This is the correct profile for standard B2B invoices. sevDesk does not currently offer the EXTENDED profile, which is rarely needed for SMB use cases. The PDF output is clean and professional, with the XML attachment embedded correctly per the ZUGFeRD specification.
easybill: Supports ZUGFeRD 2.x with EN 16931 and also allows MINIMUM and BASIC profiles if you have a specific reason to downgrade. Practically, you'll always use EN 16931. easybill explicitly labels the profile in the download filename, which is a small but useful QA touch. It also generates Factur-X (the French equivalent of ZUGFeRD) for clients in France.
Edge: easybill for Factur-X support and profile transparency. Negligible difference for most users.
Pricing Comparison
sevDesk
| Plan | Price (monthly, billed monthly) | Documents/month | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | €13.90 | 15 | Invoicing, expense tracking, e-invoicing |
| M | €22.90 | 60 | + DATEV export, UStVA |
| L | €44.90 | Unlimited | + time tracking, multi-user |
Annual billing reduces prices by roughly 17%. No free plan; 14-day free trial.
easybill
| Plan | Price (monthly, billed monthly) | Documents/year | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | 12 | E-invoicing, basic features |
| S | €9.00 | 60 | Recurring, email tracking |
| M | €19.00 | 300 | Customer portal, batch processing |
| L | €39.00 | Unlimited | + API access, priority support |
Annual billing saves ~20%. The free plan is genuine — no credit card required, and you get full XRechnung/ZUGFeRD support on it.
Price verdict: easybill wins at entry level. For a freelancer issuing fewer than 60 invoices per year, easybill S at €9/month versus sevDesk S at €13.90/month is a meaningful difference. At higher volumes, the gap narrows and the accounting features of sevDesk begin to justify the cost.
Ease of Use
sevDesk has improved its UX significantly since 2022. The dashboard is clean, onboarding is guided, and the invoice creation workflow is straightforward. The added accounting features (bank sync, VAT returns, expense management) do add visual complexity — there are more menu items and settings to navigate than easybill. First-time users typically take a week to feel fully at home.
easybill is genuinely fast to use for someone who just needs to create and send invoices. The interface is stripped down by design: you click "New Invoice," fill in the fields, and send. The recurring invoice scheduler is particularly well-designed — you set the interval once and easybill handles drafts, approvals, and dispatch automatically. New users are typically productive on day one.
Edge: easybill for pure invoicing speed. If you need to manage your full accounting in the same tool, sevDesk's added complexity is justified and not excessive.
DATEV Integration
Both tools offer DATEV connectivity, but it works differently.
sevDesk has a direct live integration with DATEV Unternehmen online. Your tax advisor can be granted access to your sevDesk data, and transactions sync in near real-time. DATEV export in the EXTF format is available on the M plan and above (from €22.90/month). If your Steuerberater is on DATEV, this is seamless.
easybill exports to DATEV's EXTF format as a file download. There's no live sync — you periodically export a file and either upload it yourself to DATEV Unternehmen online or send it to your tax advisor. This works fine for most freelancers who reconcile with their advisor monthly or quarterly. It's one more manual step compared to sevDesk.
Edge: sevDesk for DATEV integration depth. If your tax advisor workflow is tightly integrated with DATEV and you want minimum friction, sevDesk's direct connection is materially better.
Receiving Incoming E-Invoices
Since 1 January 2025, every German B2B business must be capable of receiving ZUGFeRD and XRechnung invoices. Both tools handle this, but in different ways.
sevDesk: Incoming e-invoices can be forwarded to a dedicated sevDesk email inbox (or uploaded manually). The tool parses the XML, extracts supplier, date, amount, and tax data, and creates a draft expense entry. GoBD-compliant archiving of the original XML is automatic.
easybill: Focuses primarily on outgoing invoices. It can display received ZUGFeRD files if you import them, but it does not have the automated inbox parsing that sevDesk offers. For most freelancers who receive occasional supplier invoices, this is fine — you can open received files in a free viewer and archive them separately. For businesses with significant incoming invoice volumes, the lack of auto-parse is a gap.
Edge: sevDesk for incoming e-invoice processing. Not relevant if you only need to issue invoices.
E-Invoice Delivery Options
sevDesk: Sends invoices by email (with configurable templates), allows PDF download, and generates XRechnung/ZUGFeRD for direct download or portal upload. No native Peppol delivery.
easybill: Email delivery, PDF/XRechnung download, and — importantly — Peppol network delivery on M plan and above. If you have clients who want invoices delivered via the Peppol network (common in public sector procurement), easybill handles this directly. sevDesk requires a separate Peppol access point or middleware.
Edge: easybill for Peppol delivery capability.
Who Should Choose sevDesk?
Choose sevDesk if:
- You want one tool for invoicing and accounting (bank sync, VAT returns, expense management)
- Your tax advisor uses DATEV and you want a live sync, not periodic file exports
- You receive a meaningful number of incoming supplier invoices that need to be parsed and archived automatically
- You have employees or contractors and need multi-user access with role permissions
- You're willing to pay slightly more for a more complete platform
Who Should Choose easybill?
Choose easybill if:
- Your primary need is sending invoices, not full accounting
- You want a lower entry price — especially if the free plan or €9/month S plan fits your volume
- You generate recurring invoices (subscriptions, retainers, monthly services) and want best-in-class automation
- You need Peppol network delivery without third-party middleware
- You want the simplest possible interface and don't need bank reconciliation or VAT return preparation built in
Side-by-Side Decision Table
| Need | Recommended tool |
|---|---|
| Just invoicing, low volume | easybill (Free or S plan) |
| Full accounting + invoicing | sevDesk |
| DATEV live sync | sevDesk M+ |
| Peppol delivery | easybill M+ |
| Recurring invoices automation | easybill |
| Incoming e-invoice auto-parsing | sevDesk |
| Lowest possible cost | easybill |
| Public sector XRechnung invoicing | Either (both compliant) |
| Freelancer, no DATEV advisor | easybill |
| Freelancer with DATEV advisor | sevDesk or easybill (depends on DATEV need) |
Verdict
sevDesk is the better choice if you need a complete accounting platform. The DATEV live integration, incoming e-invoice parsing, VAT return support, and bank reconciliation make it a genuine all-in-one solution for German freelancers and SMBs who want to consolidate their financial operations. The e-invoicing functionality is fully compliant and works well — it's just one feature among many.
easybill is the better choice if invoicing is your priority. The interface is faster, the free plan is genuinely useful, the Peppol delivery is a differentiator, and the recurring invoice automation is best-in-class for the price point. If you manage your accounting separately (in DATEV, in a spreadsheet, or via a Steuerberater who handles everything), easybill does what you need at lower cost.
For the majority of German freelancers who want to get e-invoicing compliant without over-building their toolstack: start with easybill. If you find you need bank sync, VAT filing support, or tighter DATEV integration six months later, switch to sevDesk — the migration is straightforward since both tools export to standard formats.
Either way, both tools will have you compliant with Germany's 2025 receiving obligation today, and ready for the 2028 sending mandate well in advance.