Softwr

Accounting · head to head

DATEV vs TallyPrime

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
T

TallyPrime

ERP

Accounting and inventory software for Indian businesses

From
$200/month
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.; TallyPrime multi user access requires the Gold licence at Rs 67,500 plus 18 percent GST, three times the Rs 22,500 Silver single user licence
  • They diverge on capability: DATEV covers Unternehmen online, TallyPrime covers Accounting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DATEV and TallyPrime actually diverge.

Attributes where DATEV and TallyPrime differ
AttributeDATEVTallyPrime
Starting priceOn request$200/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, WebDesktop, Cloud, Web
CategoryAccountingERP
FoundedUnknown1988

Identical on both: 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 TallyPrime

  • Accounting
  • Inventory
  • GST compliance
  • Invoicing
  • Financial reporting
  • Local tax systems
  • REST APIs
  • Banking

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

TallyPrime

  • Accounting, invoicing and inventory for small and medium Indian businessesnot DATEV
  • GST compliance and e-invoicing filingnot DATEV
  • Multi user accounting across a local area networknot 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.

TallyPrime

  • Multi user access requires the Gold licence at Rs 67,500 plus 18 percent GST, three times the Rs 22,500 Silver single user licence
  • The Silver lifetime licence covers a single user only
  • Connected services and product upgrades depend on a Tally Software Services subscription renewed separately; the 2 year Silver renewal is Rs 8,100 and the 2 year Gold renewal Rs 24,300, both plus 18 percent GST
  • Gold multi user operation is over a local area network rather than over the internet
  • All published prices exclude 18 percent GST

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

TallyPrime

$200/month
  • Starter$200/month
    • Basic accounting
    • Invoicing
    • GST compliance
  • Premium$500/month
    • All features
    • Advanced analytics
    • Priority support

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 TallyPrime if

  • You need accounting.
  • You work on Desktop, Cloud, Web.
  • You also want inventory.
TallyPrime review

Questions people ask

Is DATEV or TallyPrime better?
Neither clearly leads. DATEV starts at On request and TallyPrime at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DATEV or TallyPrime?
DATEV starts at On request and TallyPrime at $200/month.
Does DATEV or TallyPrime run on more platforms?
DATEV runs on Windows, Web. TallyPrime runs on Desktop, Cloud, Web.
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 TallyPrime is typically brought in for.
What can DATEV do that TallyPrime cannot?
DATEV covers Unternehmen online, Lohn und Gehalt, Rechnungswesen, Jahresabschluss. TallyPrime covers Accounting, Inventory, GST compliance, Invoicing.

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.

TallyPrime: What does TallyPrime cost per month?

TallyPrime Monthly Subscription starts at ₹750 plus 18% GST (₹135), totaling approximately ₹885 per month in India. Other subscription options like Rental and Lifetime License are also available through their Customer Hub.

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.

TallyPrime: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, TallyPrime offers a 7-day free trial. Users can access the full product features during this trial period before committing to a paid subscription.

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.

TallyPrime: What subscription models does TallyPrime offer?

TallyPrime provides multiple subscription types including Monthly Subscription, Rental, Lifetime License, Cloud Access, Tally Software Services (TSS), and WhatsApp integration options. Each can be managed through their Subscriptions portal for renewal or upgrades.

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.

TallyPrime: Does TallyPrime pricing include taxes?

Yes, TallyPrime pricing includes 18% GST (Goods and Services Tax). The displayed price of ₹750 plus 18% GST reflects the total billing amount customers will pay in India.

Source
TallyPrime: What access options are available with TallyPrime?

TallyPrime can be accessed via desktop application, cloud-based platform, and through WhatsApp integration, depending on which subscription option is chosen.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on DATEV

More on TallyPrime

Keep looking

Other head to heads