Holded vs Pennylane (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Holded if

• Fits if you're a Spanish freelancer who needs invoicing with Verifactu
• Makes sense if you want inventory and a CRM next to your books

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you stay on the free plan: 20 invoices and 50 scanned expenses a year
• Watch out: Basic allows 2 users and Standard 4, and extra users cost €12 a month each
• Watch out: Inventory starts at €25 a month and HR is €3 per employee, both as add-ons
• Not for you if you're outside Spain, unless you've checked the tax forms for your country
• Pricey if you need full accounting: that starts at Standard, €69 a month

Pick Pennylane if

• Fits if you run a French company and want invoicing and your business account together
• Makes sense if your accountant will work inside the same app

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you're outside France, as the pages and plans are French and in euros
• Pricey if you want real accounting: the module is Premium at €79 a month, €149 for 2 users
• Watch out: Starter needs the Pennylane Pro account activated
• Watch out: each plan covers up to 1,200 invoices a year

Holded

• Prices are in euros, exclude VAT, and the page does not say whether the figures assume monthly or annual billing.
• Each plan caps users (2 on Basic, 4 on Standard); extra users cost €12 a month each.
• Inventory starts at €25 a month and the HR module is €3 per employee a month, both as add-on Gems.
• Tax forms and e-invoicing features listed on the page are Spanish; check coverage for other countries.

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.

Holded

Invoicing and quotes

Unlimited invoices on paid plans, with quotes, proformas, recurring invoices, a client portal, multi-currency and Verifactu.

Accounting

Standard and above add automatic journal entries, analytical accounting and annual accounts that an accountant can work from.

Bank connections and Wallet

Connect bank accounts to match transactions with invoices and expenses; Holded Wallet adds supplier payments and team cards.

Expense scanner

Scans receipts and extracts their data, with a fair-use limit tied to the plan's AI usage.

Spanish tax forms

Lists VAT models 303, 347, 349, 369 and 390 and IRPF models, with corporate tax forms 200 and 202 from Standard.

Inventory, CRM and projects

Inventory and HR are paid Gems; the CRM and project profitability tracking are part of the plans.

Pennylane

Invoicing and e-invoicing

Create and receive invoices in line with French e-invoicing rules; the pages state that every plan is compliant.

Pro account and cards

A business account with virtual, physical and one-time cards, supplier payments and automatic reconciliation of transactions.

Accounting module

The Premium plan adds accounting reports, automated entry rules, VAT and tax-return filing by EDI, and month-end closing.

Expense reports

From Essentiel, the plans handle expense claims and mileage allowances, with automatic categorization and analytical reports.

Cash forecast

Essentiel and above include a cash forecast, based on the pricing page's feature list.

Accountant access

Plans give your accountant access, and a separate offer exists for accounting firms.

Holded

• Light€0

  Free invoicing with Verifactu for 1 user, limited to 20 invoices and 50 scanned expenses a year.

• Starter€19

  per month, excluding VAT

  1 user with unlimited invoices and expense scanning, 1 connected bank, VAT and income tax returns and a sales funnel.

• Basic€34

  per month, excluding VAT

  2 users, 5 connected banks, cash flow, 10 recurring invoices, recurring purchases and 1 free point-of-sale store.

• Standard€69

  per month, excluding VAT

  4 users, full accounting, unlimited banks, SEPA remittances, corporate tax forms and user roles.

• Advanced€115

  per month, excluding VAT

  7 users, custom roles and fields, payment reminders, cash flow scenarios and priority support.

• Premium€229

  per month, excluding VAT

  15 users, unlimited recurring invoices, multi-country VAT and 100,000 API calls a month.

Pennylane

• Starter€7

  per month, excluding VAT, 1 user

  For independents: invoicing, Pro account with cards, supplier payments in one click, bank sync; needs the Pro account active.

• Basique€14

  per month, excluding VAT, 1 user

  Adds deposits and partial invoices, delivery and purchase orders and built-in supplier payment; €29 for a 2-user company.

• Essentiel€24

  per month, excluding VAT, 1 user

  Adds automated reminders, quote signing, recurring invoices, expense reports, cash forecast and API; €49 for 2 users.

• Premium€79

  per month, excluding VAT, 1 user

  Adds the accounting module: tax filing by EDI, month-end and annual closing, annual accounts; €149 for 2 users.

• CustomCustom

  For multi-entity or complex companies: unlimited users, multi-level approvals and EBICS T payments; quote only.

Holded

• Other savings

  50% off the first 3 months

  New customers get 50% off paid plans for their first 3 months, then the regular price applies, per the pricing page.

• Other savings

  Black Friday: 70% off for 3 months

  For new customers until 30 November 2026, every paid plan is 70% off for the first 3 months, in place of the usual 50%.

Pennylane

• Other savings

  Capital deposit for €1

  A Pennylane subscription from €7 excluding VAT lowers the online capital deposit fee to €1 from €69.