Softwr

Accounting · head to head

DATEV vs DonorPerfect

DATEV logo

DATEV

Accounting

German accounting, payroll and tax software built around the tax adviser rather than the business

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DonorPerfect logo

DonorPerfect

Nonprofits

Comprehensive donor management software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DATEV dATEV does not publish transparent per-customer pricing the way a SaaS vendor does; your real cost is buried in your tax adviser's fee note, so comparing it against Lexware or sevdesk on price is genuinely hard.; DonorPerfect the pricing page publishes only a 'starting at $99/month' figure and asks for a custom quote for the Core, Plus and Pro tiers
  • They diverge on capability: DATEV covers Unternehmen online, DonorPerfect covers Donor database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DATEV and DonorPerfect actually diverge.

Attributes where DATEV and DonorPerfect differ
AttributeDATEVDonorPerfect
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, WebWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategoryAccountingNonprofits
FoundedUnknown1995

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in DATEV

  • Unternehmen online
  • Lohn und Gehalt
  • Rechnungswesen
  • Jahresabschluss
  • DATEV DMS
  • Meine Steuern
  • DATEV-Schnittstelle

Only in DonorPerfect

  • Donor database
  • Campaign management
  • Event management
  • Grant tracking
  • Financial reporting
  • QuickBooks
  • Salesforce
  • Constant Contact

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DATEV

  • A German GmbH that wants its Steuerberater to keep doing the books but wants receipts to stop travelling in a shoeboxnot DonorPerfect
  • A payroll department that must file social insurance and wage tax returns to German statutory deadlines without an external bureaunot DonorPerfect
  • An SME preparing an e-Bilanz and audit-ready GoBD document archivenot DonorPerfect
  • A tax firm standardising dozens of client engagements on one chart of accounts and one document workflownot DonorPerfect

DonorPerfect

  • Donor management and gift tracking for small and mid sized nonprofitsnot DATEV
  • Running online donation, event and membership forms tied to a donor databasenot DATEV

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DATEV

  • DATEV does not publish transparent per-customer pricing the way a SaaS vendor does; your real cost is buried in your tax adviser's fee note, so comparing it against Lexware or sevdesk on price is genuinely hard.
  • The board has decided to wind down the Austria-specific portfolio: existing products remain usable to 31 December 2028, are free of charge during 2029, and cannot be used after 31 December 2029, so any Austrian entity on DATEV has a forced migration dated in advance.
  • It is built for German statutory practice, so a group with subsidiaries outside the DACH region will run DATEV for Germany and something else everywhere else, with a consolidation step in between.
  • Large parts of the suite are still Windows desktop software installed on a workstation or terminal server, which means IT overhead most companies no longer budget for when they think they are buying cloud accounting.
  • The lock-in is social as well as technical: because your adviser holds the installation and the history, changing accounting software usually forces you to change or retrain your adviser, which is a far bigger decision than a software migration.

DonorPerfect

  • The pricing page publishes only a 'starting at $99/month' figure and asks for a custom quote for the Core, Plus and Pro tiers
  • QuickBooks integration, crowdfunding, moves management, batch gift entry and ReadySetAuction are all withheld from the entry Core tier
  • Custom API access is available only on the top Pro tier
  • Enterprise direct mail segmentation and enterprise reports and graphs are Pro tier only
  • Scheduled reports are capped at 5 on Plus and 100 on Pro, and are unavailable on Core
  • Phone support is Pro tier only; Core and Plus get chat support
  • The bundled Constant Contact account is the Lite version on Core

Pricing, plan by plan

DATEV

On request
  • DATEV Unternehmen online$undefined/month
    • Receipt and bank data exchange with your tax adviser
    • Cash book and master data modules
    • Ordered and usually rebilled through the adviser
  • DATEV Mittelstand$undefined/month
    • In-house financial accounting and invoicing
    • Payroll modules licensed separately
    • Per-workplace licensing
  • Lohn und Gehalt$undefined/month
    • German payroll runs and statutory electronic filings
    • Priced by number of payslips
    • Typically operated by the adviser on the client's behalf

DonorPerfect

On request
  • Express$80/month
    • Donor database
    • Gift tracking
  • Professional$175/month
    • Campaign management
    • Grant tracking
    • Prospect research

Which should you pick?

Choose DATEV if

  • You need unternehmen online.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want lohn und gehalt.
DATEV review

Choose DonorPerfect if

  • You need donor database.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want campaign management.
DonorPerfect review

Questions people ask

Is DATEV or DonorPerfect better?
Neither clearly leads. DATEV starts at On request and DonorPerfect at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DATEV or DonorPerfect?
DATEV starts at On request and DonorPerfect at On request.
Does DATEV or DonorPerfect run on more platforms?
DATEV runs on Windows, Web. DonorPerfect runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
What is DATEV best used for?
DATEV is most often used for a german gmbh that wants its steuerberater to keep doing the books but wants receipts to stop travelling in a shoebox, a payroll department that must file social insurance and wage tax returns to german statutory deadlines without an external bureau, an sme preparing an e-bilanz and audit-ready gobd document archive, a tax firm standardising dozens of client engagements on one chart of accounts and one document workflow. Of those, a german gmbh that wants its steuerberater to keep doing the books but wants receipts to stop travelling in a shoebox and a payroll department that must file social insurance and wage tax returns to german statutory deadlines without an external bureau are not what DonorPerfect is typically brought in for.
What can DATEV do that DonorPerfect cannot?
DATEV covers Unternehmen online, Lohn und Gehalt, Rechnungswesen, Jahresabschluss. DonorPerfect covers Donor database, Campaign management, Event management, Grant tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DATEV: Can I buy DATEV directly without a tax adviser?

In practice, no for most of the range. Membership of the cooperative is restricted to the tax and legal professions, and companies get access through their adviser or as a client of one.

DonorPerfect: What is the minimum monthly cost to use DonorPerfect?

The Core plan starts at $99/month and includes basic donor management, outreach, and stewardship features. Constant Contact digital marketing is included in every plan.

Source
DATEV: Is DATEV usable outside Germany?

It operates in Austria, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary, but the depth is German. The Austrian product line is being discontinued with a hard end date of 31 December 2029.

DonorPerfect: What features distinguish the Plus and Pro tiers?

Plus tier adds QuickBooks integration, auction management, crowdfunding, moves management, batch gift entry, and 5 scheduled reports. Pro tier includes enterprise direct mail segmentation, unlimited scheduled reports (100), and custom API access. Exact pricing requires a custom quote.

Source
DATEV: What is the DATEV-Schnittstelle everyone mentions?

It is the standard export format German invoicing and ERP tools produce so bookkeeping data can be handed to a DATEV-based adviser. Supporting it is effectively a requirement to sell accounting-adjacent software in Germany.

DonorPerfect: Is there a free trial, and what does it include?

DonorPerfect offers a free practice trial with AI for Plus and Pro tiers. Free data transfers are also available from most CRM systems mentioned.

Source
DATEV: Does DATEV handle e-invoicing under the German B2B mandate?

Yes, the accounting and invoicing modules were extended for the XRechnung and ZUGFeRD formats that the German B2B e-invoicing rules require.

DonorPerfect: Is data migration from another CRM included?

Yes, free data transfers from most CRMs are included. Expert onboarding support is available to help with setup and training.

Source
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