Accounting · head to head
DATEV vs Stampli
DATEV
Accounting
German accounting, payroll and tax software built around the tax adviser rather than the business
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.; Stampli no transparent pricing published; quote-based model required
- They diverge on capability: DATEV covers Unternehmen online, Stampli covers AI invoice processing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which DATEV and Stampli actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Stampli
- AI invoice processing
- Approval workflows
- Vendor management
- Payment processing
- Audit trails
- NetSuite
- Sage Intacct
- QuickBooks
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 Stampli
- A payroll department that must file social insurance and wage tax returns to German statutory deadlines without an external bureaunot Stampli
- An SME preparing an e-Bilanz and audit-ready GoBD document archivenot Stampli
- A tax firm standardising dozens of client engagements on one chart of accounts and one document workflownot Stampli
Stampli
- Accounts payable automationnot DATEV
- Invoice processing and capturenot DATEV
- Vendor managementnot DATEV
- Expense management and procurementnot 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.
Stampli
- No transparent pricing published; quote-based model required
- Specific pricing for individual modules or add-ons not available on pricing page
- Cost varies based on invoice volume, complexity, and customization needs
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
Stampli
$29/month- Essential$undefined/month
- Invoice processing
- Basic approvals
- Email notifications
- Professional$undefined/month
- AI-powered coding
- Advanced workflows
- ERP integrations
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Custom workflows
- API access
- Dedicated support
Which should you pick?
Choose DATEV if
- You need unternehmen online.
- You work on Windows, Web.
- You also want lohn und gehalt.
Choose Stampli if
- You need ai invoice processing.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want approval workflows.
Questions people ask
- Is DATEV or Stampli better?
- Neither clearly leads. DATEV starts at On request and Stampli at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, DATEV or Stampli?
- DATEV starts at On request and Stampli at $29/month.
- Does DATEV or Stampli run on more platforms?
- DATEV runs on Windows, Web. Stampli 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 Stampli is typically brought in for.
- What can DATEV do that Stampli cannot?
- DATEV covers Unternehmen online, Lohn und Gehalt, Rechnungswesen, Jahresabschluss. Stampli covers AI invoice processing, Approval workflows, Vendor management, Payment processing.
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.
Stampli: What does Stampli cost?
Stampli does not publish fixed pricing. The company uses a custom quote-based model. Visitors are directed to 'Request a Quote' and meet with an AP expert to discuss pricing based on their specific invoice volume and requirements.
SourceDATEV: 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.
Stampli: What is included in Stampli's standard offering?
Stampli's core accounts payable solution includes unlimited invoice capture, entities/locations, vendors, and PO matching; automated processing via Stampli Cognitive AI; 12 pre-built reports; interactive dashboards; a dedicated Customer Success Manager; and support with under 90-second response time.
SourceDATEV: 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.
Stampli: How long does it take to implement Stampli?
Stampli uses a 'fulfillment-first' implementation approach and deploys in weeks versus competitors requiring months or longer.
SourceDATEV: 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.
Stampli: What add-on modules are available with Stampli?
Optional modules include Procurement, Direct Pay functionality, credit card programs, advanced vendor management, and expense management. Pricing for add-ons requires requesting a custom quote.
SourceRelated pages
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- Stampli vs Lago
- Stampli vs Metronome
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