vs.
The Accountable alternative without the subscription trap
Price, features, and automation in direct comparison — so you can make the right decision.
In short
Accountable is a mobile-first tax app for solo self-employed people: it guides you through EÜR, VAT returns, and income tax from your phone and has a free entry tier. The right choice if you want to handle your taxes step by step and on your own from an app.
Norman is the better choice if you want more than just a tax app. Invoicing and full bookkeeping are free — AI receipt capture, automatic bank matching, and EÜR with no receipt cap, on desktop and mobile. You only pay when you file tax returns, and you can stay on board even as a small UG or GmbH.
Features at a glance
Price, features, and automation in direct comparison. Accountable prices incl. VAT, billed yearly, as of June 2026.
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free (complete bookkeeping); tax returns from €9/mo | Free tier (5 expenses/mo); EÜR from €19.90/mo |
| E-invoicing | Free, unlimited | Free, unlimited |
| Bank connection | With AI categorization | 1 account on Free, more from Buchhaltung |
| AI categorization | Automatic, trained on German tax law | Guided entry + AI tax assistant |
| Receipt capture | AI matching, scanner + archive | Receipt scan, 5/month on Free |
| Tax optimization tips | Personalized saving tips | AI tax assistant + tax coach (higher tiers) |
| VAT return | From the Pro plan (€21) | From the Steuern tier (€29.90) |
| EÜR | From the Klein plan (€9) | From the Buchhaltung tier (€19.90) |
| Income tax | Included in Klein | From the Buchhaltung tier (€19.90) |
| Tax guarantee | From the Steuern tier (up to €500) | |
| DATEV integration | Full integration incl. booking data | Built for self-filing without a tax advisor |
| REST API | Available incl. integrations | |
| Web and desktop app | Fully usable on desktop | Mobile-first, web as a supplement |
| Mobile app | iOS + Android | iOS + Android |
| Languages | 7 languages available | German and English |
What are you actually paying?
Both have a free entry tier — the difference is what's included and when bookkeeping starts costing money. Accountable prices incl. VAT, billed yearly, as of June 2026.
What you need
Just invoicing
Invoices, quotes, e-invoicing
€0
Free — full bookkeeping included
€0
Free tier — but only 5 expenses/month, no EÜR
Just accounting
Bank, receipts, EÜR without a limit
€0
Free — AI receipt capture + bank matching
€19.90/mo
Buchhaltung tier — EÜR and unlimited receipts only here
Full tax filing
VAT + EÜR + income tax
€21/mo
Pro plan — all tax types + AI categorization
€29.90/mo
Steuern tier — VAT returns only from this tier
What are the differences?
Bookkeeping and feature scope
Both cover invoicing and taxes for the self-employed — but how deep the bookkeeping goes differs.
Invoicing, quotes, and full bookkeeping — AI receipt capture, automatic bank matching, EÜR, and VAT-return prep — are free for good with no receipt cap. Norman is as at home on web and desktop as on mobile, and fits everyone from sole traders to a small UG or GmbH.
Accountable is a mobile-first tax app for solo self-employed people: it walks you step by step through EÜR, VAT returns, and income tax from your phone. The free tier allows only 5 expenses per month and one bank connection; full bookkeeping starts only at the Buchhaltung tier. Accountable isn't built for more complex cases or incorporated companies.
AI and Automation
Both use AI — but in different places.
Norman is built from the ground up around AI. The AI is trained specifically for German tax law, reads receipts, suggests the booking and tax rate, matches bank activity automatically, and gives you personalized tax-saving tips. EÜR and VAT returns stay continuously up to date from that, and an AI assistant fills out the tax form with you when you file.
Accountable combines its guided tax app with an AI tax assistant that answers tax questions — capped at 5 questions per month on the free tier, with more on higher tiers. The top tiers add a tax guarantee and a personal tax coach. The focus is on guided tax filing rather than end-to-end automated bookkeeping.
DATEV and tax advisors
Norman offers a full DATEV integration including booking data — structured receipts, payments, and bookings go cleanly to the firm when you want to involve one. On top of that there's a REST API and integrations like Stripe and Shopify. You handle the day-to-day yourself and hand the tax advisor only what they really need.
Accountable is designed for you to file your own taxes without a tax advisor — the app submits to the tax office directly. A classic DATEV workflow for collaborating with a tax firm is less of a focus; Accountable targets solo self-employed people who do everything on their own.
Language and platform
Available in 7 languages — including German and English — and fully on web, desktop, and mobile. The interface, support, and all tax forms are available, and you can switch languages at any time. Ideal for expats and international self-employed people in Germany who don't only work from their phone.
Accountable is also available in German and English, which makes it a good fit for expats. The emphasis is on the mobile app, though; if you prefer working on the desktop with larger volumes of data, you'll hit limits sooner than with a web-first tool like Norman.
Norman or Accountable — which fits you?
Choose Norman if you …
Want free invoicing and full bookkeeping without a subscription
Want AI receipt capture and automatic bank matching with no receipt cap
Want to file your own tax return — including income tax
Need a full DATEV integration incl. booking data and a REST API
Prefer working on the desktop and want to stay on board as a UG or GmbH
Choose Accountable if you …
Work mainly on mobile, from your phone
Want to be guided step by step through your taxes as a solo self-employed person
Want to file EÜR, VAT returns, and income tax yourself without a tax advisor
Get by with a manageable volume of receipts
Want a tax guarantee and a personal tax coach
Built for anyone looking for an Accountable alternative without a monthly subscription
Invoicing, quotes, receipt capture, bank matching, and EÜR/VAT-return prep run in Norman without a pricing tier — bookkeeping and invoicing are free, and only the finished tax return is paid.
Automated bank categorization (SKR03/04)
Norman continuously assigns bank movements to the right accounts and suggests matching SKR03/04 postings.
Bank feedSynced
Receipt
Team lunch · 84.20 €
IMG_2841.jpeg
Transaction
Oberholz · Jul 1, 2026
Card payment
Smart receipt matching
Forward receipts via app or email. Norman extracts the data and matches them with transactions.
Real-time expense tracking
All expenses broken down by category, automatically updated, and available at any time.
InsightsActive 24/7
Profit margin is down 6%
Financial overview at a glance
Revenue, expenses, and open items in one dashboard that updates with every booking.
AI-powered insights
Norman identifies savings opportunities, flags unusual bookings, and gives you actionable recommendations.
Hear from entrepreneurs using Norman
Start Accountable alternative with Norman
Start for free and bring invoices, receipts, bookkeeping, and taxes into one workflow.
Start for free