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Pick your legal form, for a UG or GmbH with SKR03 or SKR04. Invoicing and bookkeeping are free from day one.
vs.
The sevDesk alternative with annual accounts for UG and GmbH
Norman books receipts and bank activity automatically and handles VAT returns, annual accounts with E-Bilanz, corporate and trade tax. With sevDesk, the tax firm does that.
Norman or sevDesk: which is right for you?
sevDesk is an established accounting tool with strong invoicing, recurring invoices, a cash book, optional inventory management, and a DATEV interface. The right choice if you need that feature scope and accept a monthly subscription plus a tax firm for the annual accounts.
Norman is the better choice if you want less manual work. The AI reads receipts, matches bank activity automatically, and submits tax returns directly to the tax office, and the entire accounting process (bank import, AI receipt capture, EÜR, and e-invoices) is free. For a UG or GmbH, Norman also builds the annual accounts, E-Bilanz, corporate and trade tax, which the tax firm does with sevDesk.
Features at a glance
Price, features, and automation in direct comparison. sevDesk prices net, billed yearly, as of October 2026.
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free (complete bookkeeping); tax returns from €9/mo | Free tier (3 invoices/mo); EÜR + VAT return from €22.90/mo |
| Annual accounts with E-Bilanz | ||
| Corporate tax return | ||
| Double-entry bookkeeping | From the Bookkeeping plan (€22.90) | |
| E-invoicing | Free, unlimited | 3/mo free, unlimited from €9.90 |
| Bank connection | With AI categorization | From the Bookkeeping plan (€22.90) |
| AI categorization | Automatic, trained on German tax law | Suggestions, manual confirmation |
| Receipt capture | AI matching, scanner + archive | Receipt recognition from the Bookkeeping plan |
| Tax optimization tips | Personalized saving tips | |
| VAT return | From the Klein plan (€9) | From the Bookkeeping plan (€22.90) |
| Payroll | ||
| EÜR | From the Klein plan (€9) | From the Bookkeeping plan (€22.90) |
| Trade tax | Included in Klein | |
| Income tax | Included in Klein | Separate software or tax advisor |
| DATEV integration | Full integration incl. booking data | DATEV and tax-advisor interface |
| Inventory management | Add-on from €19.90 | |
| REST API | Available incl. integrations | From Bookkeeping Pro (€30.90) |
| Mobile app | iOS + Android | iOS + Android |
| Languages | 7 languages available | German only |
What are you actually paying?
The initial price only tells half the story. Here you can see what you actually pay at each stage and what you get for it. sevDesk prices net, billed yearly, as of October 2026.
| What you need | | |
|---|---|---|
Just invoicing Invoices, quotes, e-invoicing | €0 Free, no time limit | €9.90/mo From 4 invoices/month; no bookkeeping, EÜR, or banking |
Just accounting Bank, receipts, EÜR, online banking | €0 Free: AI receipt capture + bank matching | €22.90/mo Buchhaltung tier: EÜR, VAT returns, and banking only here |
Full tax filing VAT + EÜR + income tax + trade tax | from €9/mo Klein and Pro: all tax types + AI categorization | €22.90/mo Buchhaltung tier: income tax usually via a tax advisor |
UG or GmbH with year-end Annual accounts, E-Bilanz, CIT, trade tax | €39/mo Max plan: everything in one app | €22.90/mo + tax firm Year-end, E-Bilanz, CIT and trade tax via the tax firm |
What are the differences?
Annual accounts for UG and GmbH
This is where the comparison is decided for corporations.
Norman keeps the double-entry books and builds the annual accounts with E-Bilanz, corporate tax, trade tax and the annual VAT return from them. You file everything with the tax office straight from the app, on the Max plan for €39/month.
With sevDesk, the software stops at the bookkeeping. The tax firm does the annual accounts, E-Bilanz, corporate and trade tax from the DATEV export, and you pay it on top of the subscription.
Price and tiers
Both cover invoicing and bookkeeping, but the pricing model is fundamentally different.
Invoicing and full bookkeeping (receipt capture, bank matching, EÜR, and VAT-return prep) are free for good, with no tier. The only paid part is the finished tax return: the Klein plan from €9/month, the Pro plan with VAT returns from €21/month (billed yearly). A UG or GmbH gets the annual accounts, E-Bilanz and all tax returns on the Max plan for €39/month.
sevDesk is free only up to 3 invoices per month, with no bookkeeping. The Rechnung tier costs €9.90, real bookkeeping with EÜR, VAT returns, and online banking starts only at the Buchhaltung tier for €22.90, and advanced reports plus the REST API at Buchhaltung Pro for €30.90. All prices net, billed yearly, as of October 2026.
AI and Automation
This is the biggest difference between the two tools.
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.
sevDesk offers solid receipt recognition that suggests amounts and suppliers from uploaded documents, plus automatic bank matching. But you review and confirm the categorization and assignment yourself: it isn't the end-to-end AI tax logic Norman has.
Feature scope and ecosystem
Bank connection, AI receipt capture, e-invoicing, and a full DATEV integration including booking data: Norman covers the core, including an API and integrations like Stripe and Shopify. The ecosystem is deliberately leaner and focused on automation; there's no inventory management. For a GmbH or UG, a cash book and payroll are included.
sevDesk is an established product with a broad feature set: recurring invoices, a cash book, optional inventory management (Inventar add-on from €19.90/month), a DATEV and tax-advisor interface, a REST API (Buchhaltung Pro), and many partner integrations. If you need inventory management or keep a cash book as a sole trader, sevDesk has the edge.
Language and support
Available in 7 languages: including German and English. The interface, support, and all tax forms are fully available, and you can switch between languages at any time. Ideal for expats and international self-employed people in Germany.
sevDesk is built for the German market; the interface, support, and documentation are in German. For teams that would rather not work in German, that's a clear point for Norman.
Norman or sevDesk: which fits you?
Choose Norman if you …
Run a UG or GmbH and no longer want to hand the annual accounts to a tax firm
Want invoicing and clean books without a monthly subscription
Want to do as little manual labor as possible
Want AI receipt capture and automatic bank matching
Want to file your own tax return, including income and trade tax
Need a multilingual interface (German, English, and more)
Choose sevDesk if you …
Write many invoices with individual templates and recurring invoices
Need inventory management or a cash book as a sole trader
Already have an established setup with your tax advisor via DATEV
Need a REST API for your own integrations
Prefer an established product with a broad feature set
Built for anyone looking for a sevDesk 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.
Bank feedSynced
Automated bank categorization (SKR03/04)
Norman continuously assigns bank movements to the right accounts and suggests matching SKR03/04 postings.
Receipt
Team lunch · 84.20 €
IMG_2841.jpeg
Matched
Transaction
Oberholz
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 insights
Deduction foundHome-office allowance
UnusualDuplicate payment to vendor
AI-powered insights
Norman identifies savings opportunities, flags unusual bookings, and gives you actionable recommendations.
Hear from entrepreneurs
8,000+ entrepreneurs use Norman
How to switch from sevDesk to Norman
Bring your sevDesk data
In the migration portal, pick sevDesk and enter your API token. Norman brings over customers, invoices, receipts and receipt files, no export needed.
Bring your opening balances
For a UG or GmbH, upload the balance carryforward and DATEV booking batches. Norman takes over your opening balances, and you keep booking from the cut-off date.
Connect the bank, the AI books
Norman assigns every bank transaction to an account and matches receipts. You only review what is left open.
File the year-end
Norman builds the annual accounts, E-Bilanz, corporate and trade tax from the same figures, and you file everything with the tax office straight from the app.
Switch from sevDesk to Norman
Bring your data over with an API token, keep the books running automatically and file the annual accounts from the same app.
Start the switchFAQ
What is the best alternative to sevDesk?
It depends on what you need: the market includes lexoffice, Accountable, and Norman, among others. For anyone who mainly sends invoices and wants to keep clean books, Norman is the most obvious pick: invoicing and bookkeeping are free for good, the AI captures receipts and matches bank activity automatically, and you can file your own tax return directly. sevDesk, by contrast, bills monthly from its very first tier: with Norman, you only pay for the finished tax return. For a UG or GmbH, the annual accounts come on top: Norman builds them with E-Bilanz, corporate and trade tax in the app, while with sevDesk the tax firm does it.
Does sevDesk do the annual accounts for a GmbH?
No. With sevDesk, the tax firm does the annual accounts with E-Bilanz and the corporate and trade tax returns, and you pay it on top of the subscription. Norman builds all of it in the app on the Max plan for €39/month, and you file it directly with the tax office.
How much does Norman cost compared to sevDesk?
Norman is free for invoicing and bookkeeping. The Klein plan starts at €9/month, the Pro plan with VAT returns at €21/month, and the Max plan with the annual accounts and all taxes for a UG or GmbH at €39/month (billed yearly). sevDesk's free tier is capped at 3 invoices per month with no bookkeeping, then from €9.90 on the Invoice plan, real bookkeeping with EÜR and VAT returns only from the Bookkeeping plan (€22.90), advanced reports plus the REST API from Bookkeeping Pro (€30.90), and you pay the tax firm separately for the annual accounts. All sevDesk prices are net, billed yearly, as of October 2026.
Is there a permanently free alternative to sevDesk?
Yes: Norman. Invoicing, quotes, and full bookkeeping (receipt capture, bank matching, and EÜR) are free for good with no pricing tier; there is no time limit and no trial that expires. sevDesk does have a free tier, but it is capped at 3 invoices per month and includes neither bookkeeping nor a bank connection. The only paid part in Norman is the finished tax return, from the Klein plan (from €9/month).
Does sevDesk have AI accounting?
sevDesk offers solid receipt recognition that suggests amounts and suppliers from uploaded documents, plus automatic bank matching, but you still confirm most of the categorization yourself. Norman is built around AI from the ground up: the AI reads receipts, suggests the booking and tax rate, matches bank activity automatically, and keeps EÜR and VAT returns continuously up to date. If minimal manual bookkeeping matters to you, that's the core difference.
Can I run a holding and a GmbH in one Norman account?
Yes. With Multi Company you run several companies with one login, for example a holding and an operating GmbH, or your freelance business and your GmbH, and switch between them in one click. Books, receipts and tax reports stay cleanly separated per company.
Does Norman support e-invoices (ZUGFeRD/XRechnung) like sevDesk?
Yes. Norman creates and receives structured e-invoices in the ZUGFeRD and XRechnung formats, in every plan and at no extra cost, in line with the B2B e-invoicing mandate. sevDesk can also create e-invoices, up to 3 per month on the free tier and without a limit from the Rechnung tier (€9.90 net, billed yearly, as of October 2026), so, unlike Norman, only inside a paid subscription. If e-invoices are standard for you, you get them in Norman without a monthly pricing tier.
Can I switch from sevDesk to Norman and bring my data?
Yes. In the Norman migration portal you enter your sevDesk API token, and Norman brings over customers, invoices, receipts and receipt files, with no export needed. For a UG or GmbH, you bring the balance carryforward and DATEV booking batches under Opening & migration, and the books carry on in Norman right away.
Norman or sevDesk: which is better for me?
It depends on your setup. Norman is the better choice if you want to run invoicing and bookkeeping without a monthly subscription, use AI receipt capture, and file your own tax return, and if you need a multilingual interface. sevDesk plays to its strengths if you need inventory management, a cash book, recurring invoices, or a REST API. DATEV isn't a reason to pick sevDesk here: both work with DATEV, and Norman even offers a full DATEV integration including booking data. For many freelancers, Kleinunternehmer, and small UGs/GmbHs, Norman's free feature set is enough. If you run a UG or GmbH, add the annual accounts with E-Bilanz: Norman builds them in the app, sevDesk leaves them to the tax firm.
Is Norman available in English?
Norman is available in German, English, and more: you can switch the interface, which is especially helpful for international founders in Germany. sevDesk is built for the German market and in German. If you or your team would rather not work in German, that's a clear point for Norman.