sevdesk Review: German Accounting Software for Freelancers Assessed

What is sevdesk?

sevdesk is a cloud tool for invoicing and bookkeeping from Offenburg, Germany. It targets freelancers, sole traders and small businesses subject to German tax rules. Its core is a workflow from quote to invoice to the German VAT pre-return. Receipt capture, banking and reports complete the package. It runs in the browser and as a mobile app.

How we rate

We score five criteria from 0 to 10 and weight them: features 30 percent, data protection and security 20 percent, pricing model 20 percent, integrations and interfaces 15 percent, onboarding and support 15 percent. The sub-scores 8.0, 6.5, 8.5, 8.0 and 7.5 add up to an overall score of 7.7. Our methodology explains the approach.

Features

According to its product pages, sevdesk covers the typical tasks of a small German business:

• quotes, orders and invoices, including partial and final invoices

• e-invoices in ZUGFeRD and XRechnung formats

• AI-assisted receipt capture by upload, app or email

• banking with automatic payment matching

• VAT pre-return filed directly with the tax office, without a separate ELSTER certificate

• cash-basis profit calculation (EÜR), P&L, management reports and trial balance

• cost centres and contact management

There is one important limitation for e-invoicing. You can create e-invoices on the free plan. Uploading and processing incoming e-invoices requires the Buchhaltung plan, according to the help centre. sevdesk then shows the PDF of a ZUGFeRD file and renders a readable view of pure XML invoices. Since 2025, every business in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices, as explained in our article on e-invoicing in Germany.

The pricing page does not mention balance sheet accounting. Companies that must prepare a balance sheet work with their tax adviser or choose another tool, which costs points on features.

Data protection and server location

sevdesk states that it deliberately chose Germany as its server location. Its security page names Amazon Web Services (AWS) as hosting provider. Users can enable multi-factor authentication. The privacy page lists the data processing agreement, technical and organisational measures and the list of sub-processors.

sevdesk does not state a certification such as ISO 27001 or an audit report on its pages. Competitors such as Lexware Office point to certified data centres and an external audit, so we award 6.5 points here. Review the agreement before you start, and see our guide to data processing agreements. Archiving must follow the GoBD.

Pricing model

sevdesk uses a subscription model. A permanently free plan allows three invoices or e-invoices per month. Above it sit the Rechnung, Buchhaltung and Buchhaltung Pro plans. New users can test all features for 14 days without a credit card, after which the account falls back to the free plan.

Each plan includes one user, and additional users cost a monthly fee. The price level is low, with discounts for longer terms. We do not quote exact prices because they change frequently.

Integrations and support

sevdesk lists more than 60 integrations and offers a REST API. For tax advisers there are DATEV and ADDISON exports, the DATEV invoice data service and an adviser portal. Support is available Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm (German time), according to the website. Sessions with bookkeeping experts cost extra.

sevdesk and the e-invoicing mandate

sevdesk is prepared for German e-invoicing, but not on every plan. The free plan covers issuing, not receiving. If you want to book and archive incoming XRechnung files, you need at least the Buchhaltung plan. An email inbox meets the legal duty to receive e-invoices, but an XML invoice only becomes readable and bookable with suitable software. Use the trial to upload a real supplier XRechnung and check the view, payment matching and export to your tax adviser.

Who is sevdesk for?

• Suitable for freelancers and small firms using cash-basis accounting in Germany who want to do their own books.

• Suitable for founders who want to start invoicing for free and upgrade later.

• Less suitable for companies that must prepare a balance sheet or require documented security certifications.

Alternatives

sevdesk is not the only option for small businesses in Germany. Three alternatives set different priorities:

• Lexware Office provides more hosting evidence, such as ISO 27001 certified data centres near Frankfurt, and optional payroll.

• BuchhaltungsButler supports balance sheets and automates the matching of receipts and payments further, at a higher price level.

• FastBill fits if your tax adviser handles bookkeeping and you mainly write invoices.

We compare all four in our accounting software comparison.