Alternatives · Accounting
Pennylane alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Pennylane alternative for most people is Zoho Books (3.4 GPA), first in our ranking of accounting and invoicing tools. It's also the best free one.
Pennylane compared with 10 alternatives: Holded, Xero, Dext, Zoho Books, Sevdesk and 5 more.
Pennylane is a paid product with a free trial, starting at €7 per month, excluding VAT (Starter, 1 user). 5 of the 10 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 5 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Pennylane sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| PennylaneThis tool | Free trial · from €7/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Holded | Free plan · from €19/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Xero | Free trial · from $27/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Dext | Free trial · from $25.21/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| Zoho Books | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Sevdesk | Free plan · from €12.90/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Billy | Free plan | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Digits | Free trial · from $65/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS |
| Indy | Free plan · from €9/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Moneybird | Free trial · from €3/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Puzzle | Free trial · from $25/mo | Trial only | Web |
Price against what you get
Pennylane starts at about $7.82 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 1 of the 9 alternatives on this chart scores higher and starts lower: Moneybird.
Xero, Dext, Zoho Books and Digits score higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Pennylane
Holded
Cloud business management with invoicing, accounting and inventory
- Holded starts at €19 per month, excluding VAT.
- Holded has a free plan, which Pennylane lacks.
- Holded also covers sales pipeline and inventory.
- Holded does not cover reports, bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Small companies in Spain that file Spanish VAT and income tax returns
Xero
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users
- Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Xero also covers payroll.
- Xero does not cover bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Small businesses that want every staff member and adviser in the books at no extra cost
Dext
Receipt and invoice capture that codes documents for your ledger
- Dext starts at $25.21 per month for up to 250 documents, billed annually ($31.50 billed monthly).
- Dext also lists a browser extension.
- Dext does not cover invoicing, reports, bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Small businesses that want receipts and bills coded before they reach the books
Zoho Books
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers
- Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Zoho Books has a free plan, which Pennylane lacks.
- Zoho Books also lists a Windows app.
- Zoho Books does not cover bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Very small businesses that want a free plan with real double-entry books
Sevdesk
German online accounting and e-invoicing with a free plan
- Sevdesk starts at €12.90 per month, billed monthly, excl. VAT.
- Sevdesk has a free plan, which Pennylane lacks.
- Sevdesk also covers quotes and estimates.
- Sevdesk does not cover bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: German freelancers and small firms that must issue e-invoices
Billy
Danish bookkeeping and invoicing with a free plan
- Billy starts at 160 kr. per month, excl. VAT.
- Billy has a free plan, which Pennylane lacks.
- Billy also covers payroll and quotes and estimates.
- Billy does not cover reports, bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Danish sole traders who need invoicing and VAT filing at no cost
Digits
AI-native general ledger with bookkeeping, bill pay and invoicing
- Digits starts at $65 per month.
- Digits lists no Android app, which Pennylane has.
- Digits also covers dashboards.
- Digits does not cover expense tracking and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Startups that want AI coding of transactions without per-seat fees
Indy
French bookkeeping and tax filing for freelancers and small firms
- Indy starts at €9 per month excl. VAT, billed annually (€12 billed monthly).
- Indy has a free plan, which Pennylane lacks.
- Indy does not cover reports, bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Micro-entrepreneurs and freelancers in France
Moneybird
Online accounting for freelancers and small businesses in Europe
- Moneybird starts at €3 per month, billed yearly (€4 billed monthly).
- Moneybird also covers time tracking and quotes and estimates.
- Moneybird does not cover reports, bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Freelancers and small companies in the Netherlands and Belgium
Puzzle
AI-driven accounting software for startups and small businesses
- Puzzle starts at $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
- Puzzle lists no iOS and Android apps, which Pennylane has.
- Puzzle does not cover bill pay and company cards, which Pennylane does.
Suits: Startups that want runway and burn figures from their books
Limits worth knowing in Pennylane
- Pages and plans are in French, priced in euros before VAT, and aimed at French companies.
- Each plan covers up to 1,200 invoices a year; Custom has unlimited sales invoices.
- Starter requires activating the Pennylane Pro account; the paid plans are sold by company size and user count.
- Capital deposit costs €1 instead of €69 excluding VAT with a Pennylane subscription.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Pennylane?
The alternatives to Pennylane in this directory are Holded, Xero, Dext, Zoho Books, Sevdesk, Billy, Digits, Indy, Moneybird and Puzzle. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Pennylane.
Is there a free alternative to Pennylane?
Yes. Holded, Zoho Books, Sevdesk, Billy and Indy have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Pennylane alternatives work on Windows?
The Pennylane listing does not include a Windows app. Zoho Books lists one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.