Accountable is a mobile-first tax app built for freelancers in Germany, with a built-in tax guarantee. It walks you through your tax return and works well if you want a guided, mobile-first experience.
Norman is the better pick if you want to pay less and get more automation. Full accounting — bank import, AI categorisation, receipts and e-invoicing — is free. Tax filing starts at €12/month instead of €19.90.
Feature overview
Both tools are aimed at self-employed people and freelancers in Germany — but with very different approaches.
Entry price
Free (full accounting)
From €12/month for tax filing
Free (5 receipts/month only)
From €19.90/month for tax filing
E-invoicing
✅
✅
Bank connection
✅ Free
✅ From €9.90/month
AI categorization
✅ Automatic, trained on German tax law
❌ Manual + AI chatbot (5 queries/month)
Receipt capture
✅ AI matching, unlimited
✅ only 5 for free, unlimited from €9.90/month
Tax optimization tips
✅
❌
VAT return
✅ From Pro plan, €24
✅ From Taxes plan, €29.90
EÜR
✅ From Klein plan, €12
✅ From Accounting plan, €19.90
Trade tax
✅ Included in Klein
✅ From Accounting plan, €19.90
Income tax
✅ Included in Klein
✅ From Accounting plan, €19.90
DATEV export
✅
✅
Kleinunternehmer support
✅ Own plan
✅
Mobile App
✅ iOS + Android
✅ iOS + Android
Bank account
❌
✅
MCP
✅
❌
*As of March 2026. Prices excl. VAT. Norman prices on annual billing, Accountable prices on annual billing. Promotional prices not included.
What do you actually pay?
Accountable is more expensive every step of the way. Plus 90 cents.
Just accounting
€0
€19.90 /month
bank, receipts, categorization, e-invoices
Free — no expense limit
Accounting plan
Kleinunternehmer
€12 /month
€19.90 /month
EÜR + income tax + trade tax
Klein plan · ZM + income tax included
Accounting plan
Full tax filing
€24 /month
€29.90 /month
VAT returns + EÜR + income tax + trade tax
Pro plan · All tax types + AI insights
Taxes plan
To sum it up:
Norman's full accounting is free — bank import, AI categorisation, receipts, e-invoicing. Tax filing starts at €12/month.
Accountable charges €29.90/month for comparable tax features — nearly three times as much. For the price of Accountable's Max plan (€59.90), you could get Norman's Pro plan with all tax types and save over €400 per year.
No credit card required. You only pay when you file tax returns or use advanced features.
What are the differences?
Tax filing
Both tools can file VAT returns, the EÜR and income tax. But the scope and price differ significantly.
VAT return, EÜR, income tax, and trade tax — all filed directly with the tax office, no ELSTER needed. The AI continuously calculates your tax liability and shows you in real time what you'll likely owe. From €12/month.
VAT return, EÜR, income tax, and trade tax — from €29.90/month. No dedicated Kleinunternehmer plan.
AI and Automation
Both tools mention AI — but the approach couldn't be more different.
Norman is built around AI from the ground up. The AI is specifically trained on German tax law and automatically categorises transactions, detects write-offs, matches receipts and provides personalised tax-saving tips. During tax filing, an AI assistant fills out and submits the forms with you.
Accountable offers an AI chatbot that can answer tax questions — limited to 5 queries per month. Transactions are not automatically categorised. When scanning receipts, there are deductibility suggestions, but the actual categorisation remains manual.
Value for money
The price difference is substantial — especially for tax features.
Full accounting free (bank, receipts, AI, e-invoicing). Tax filing from €12/month. Pro plan with UStVA, tax advisor portal, recurring invoices, automatic payment reminders, and BWA: €24/month.
The free version includes only invoices and 5 receipts per month. For accounting, you need the Accounting from €19.90/month or the Taxes plan from €29.90/month. The Max plan with a personal tax coach costs €59.90/month.
Languages and support
Available in 7 languages — including German, English, Polish, Italian, Turkish and more. The interface, support, all tax forms and documentation. You can switch languages at any time. Ideal for expats and international freelancers in Germany.
Available in German and English. Good for English-speaking freelancers dealing with German taxes. Tax coaches are included in a Max plan from €59,90/month.
Which tool suits you best?
Choose Norman if you...
Want to pay significantly less (€12 instead of €19.90)
Need real AI automation, not just a chatbot
Need support in more than 2 languages (7 available)
Choose Accountable if you...
Work primarily on mobile and want a mobile-first app
Need a bank account with your tax app
Ready to pay less for more?
Switching from Accountable is effortless: Norman imports your transactions, clients, invoices, and documents automatically.
No credit card required. You only pay when you file tax returns or use advanced features.