DATEV vs Zellis (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DATEV and Zellis share a 1.8 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick DATEV if
- Fits if your tax advisor already works in DATEV
- Works for German employers paying staff under German rules
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not read German, as the site is German
- Not for you if you pay staff outside Germany
- Watch out: sign-in now requires a SmartCard, mIDentity or SmartLogin
- Watch out: no prices were found, and it is aimed first at tax, audit and legal professions
Pick Zellis if
- Fits if you run payroll for a large or complex UK or Irish workforce
- Works for organisations that want payroll, HR and scheduling from one supplier
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price first, because none is published
- Skip it if you are a small business, as the vendor says it is configured for large, high-volume workforces
- Skip it if you employ in the US, since the pages cover the UK and Ireland
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 1.8GPADATEVWeak | 1.8GPAZellisWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price was found; it is sold through a shop and tax advisors, so it sits in the middle of payroll tools. | CNo price is published and buyers are invited to request a demo, so it sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial on the pages read. | FNothing is free: no free plan and no trial are listed, so the way in is paying. |
| Features | BPayroll, cloud or on-premises, shared work with the tax firm, HR modules and an employee portal. The listing names no gap in the job. | BA real-time payroll engine, anomaly flags, payslips, workforce management, HR and talent. The listing shows no gap in the core job, though only for UK and Ireland. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Sign-in needs a SmartCard, mIDentity or SmartLogin, which is extra setup. | CNo store rating is on record, and software for large, complex workforces comes with a set-up project. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb on the listing, with no mobile app or integrations list. | CWeb only on the listing, with no apps and no integrations named. |
| Best for | German payroll through your tax advisor | payroll for large UK and Irish workforces |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: DATEV and Zellis. How we grade
Where they differ
- DATEV also covers reports, expense tracking and time clock.
- Zellis also covers shift scheduling and time off.
In commonWebPayrollEmployee records
At a glance
| DATEV | Zellis | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | DATEV eG | Zellis |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
DATEV
- No prices were found on the pages read, so pricing is unverified; it is sold through a shop and through tax advisors.
- Built for German payroll rules, and the site is in German.
- The company describes itself as serving tax, audit and legal professions first, with companies as a second audience.
- Sign-in now requires a DATEV SmartCard, mIDentity or SmartLogin, per a notice on the home page.
Zellis
- No prices are published; buyers are invited to request a demo.
- Pages describe UK and Ireland customers; it does not present itself as a US payroll option.
- The vendor says its payroll is configurable for large, high-volume workforces, so it may be more than a small business needs.
Key features
DATEV
- Payroll software
- Lohn- und Gehaltsabrechnung programs, with versions for social institutions and the public sector. The site says about 14.5 million employees are paid with them each month.
- Cloud or on-premises
- Companies can choose a cloud solution or an on-premises one, and combine modules as needed.
- Shared work with the tax firm
- The payroll pages describe exchanging data with the company's tax firm, for example when it prepares the payroll.
- HR modules
- Related solutions cover recruiting, personnel management, time recording, HR controlling, staff development and travel expenses.
- Employee portal
- DATEV Arbeitnehmer online is listed as a way for employees to get their payroll documents.
Zellis
- Real-time payroll engine
- Processes payroll continuously across the cycle rather than only at cut-off.
- AI anomaly detection
- Flags errors, missing data and compliance risks as they appear.
- Intelligent payslips
- Payslips explain each payroll change in plain terms.
- Workforce management
- Demand forecasting and automated scheduling across sites and shifts, with time feeding directly into pay.
- HR and talent
- Employee data, joiner-mover-leaver workflows, a 24/7 AI assistant for HR questions, and talent management.
Plans
DATEV
Pricing could not be confirmed. See datev.de.
Zellis
Pricing could not be confirmed. See zellis.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DATEV or Zellis?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DATEV has no price we could confirm, and Zellis has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, DATEV or Zellis?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither DATEV nor Zellis has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.