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Accounting · head to head

DATEV vs Invoice2go

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
Invoice2go logo

Invoice2go

Accounting

Mobile-first invoicing app for small businesses and freelancers

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.; Invoice2go starter plan caps invoices at just 30 per year, forcing an upgrade for most active businesses.
  • They diverge on capability: DATEV covers Unternehmen online, Invoice2go covers Invoice creation and customization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DATEV and Invoice2go actually diverge.

Attributes where DATEV and Invoice2go differ
AttributeDATEVInvoice2go
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Webweb, ios, android

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

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 Invoice2go

  • Invoice creation and customization
  • Estimates and projects
  • In-app payments
  • Automated reminders
  • Accounting integrations
  • Team member access

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 Invoice2go
  • A payroll department that must file social insurance and wage tax returns to German statutory deadlines without an external bureaunot Invoice2go
  • An SME preparing an e-Bilanz and audit-ready GoBD document archivenot Invoice2go
  • A tax firm standardising dozens of client engagements on one chart of accounts and one document workflownot Invoice2go

Invoice2go

  • Freelancers invoicing clients from a mobile devicenot DATEV
  • Small service businesses tracking estimates and projectsnot DATEV
  • Businesses wanting integrated card and ACH paymentsnot DATEV
  • Businesses syncing invoices with QuickBooks or Xeronot 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.

Invoice2go

  • Starter plan caps invoices at just 30 per year, forcing an upgrade for most active businesses.
  • Card processing fees are higher than some dedicated payment processors.
  • Accounting integrations are limited to QuickBooks and Xero, excluding other platforms.
  • Premium plan requires roughly $100k+/year revenue to be cost-effective, per its own positioning.

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

Invoice2go

On request
  • Starter$undefined/month
    • 30 invoices/year
    • 3.5% card payment fee
    • Free ACH bank transfers
  • Professional$undefined/month
    • 100 invoices/year
    • 3% card payment fee
    • QuickBooks/Xero integration
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Unlimited invoices
    • 2.9% card payment fee
    • Recurring invoices

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 Invoice2go if

  • You need invoice creation and customization.
  • You work on web, ios, android.
  • You also want estimates and projects.
Invoice2go review

Questions people ask

Is DATEV or Invoice2go better?
Neither clearly leads. DATEV starts at On request and Invoice2go at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DATEV or Invoice2go?
DATEV starts at On request and Invoice2go at On request.
Does DATEV or Invoice2go run on more platforms?
DATEV runs on Windows, Web. Invoice2go runs on web, ios, android.
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 Invoice2go is typically brought in for.
What can DATEV do that Invoice2go cannot?
DATEV covers Unternehmen online, Lohn und Gehalt, Rechnungswesen, Jahresabschluss. Invoice2go covers Invoice creation and customization, Estimates and projects, In-app payments, Automated reminders.

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.

Invoice2go: What does Invoice2go cost?

Invoice2go offers three tiers - Starter (30 invoices/year), Professional (100 invoices/year), and Premium (unlimited invoices) - distinguished by invoice volume and card processing fees from 3.5% down to 2.9%.

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.

Invoice2go: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Invoice2go offers a 30-day free trial that requires a credit card but includes a 100% money-back guarantee if canceled within 30 days.

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.

Invoice2go: Does Invoice2go integrate with accounting software?

Yes, the Professional and Premium plans include integration with QuickBooks and Xero.

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.

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