Pennylane vs Sevdesk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sevdesk grades higher than Pennylane: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sevdesk grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Pennylane
French accounting, invoicing and business account in one app
Sevdesk
German online accounting and e-invoicing with a free plan
Which one is for you
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
Pick Sevdesk if
- Fits if you're a German freelancer who must send e-invoices
- Works for small businesses that share books with a tax adviser through DATEV
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're on Free: 3 invoices a month
- Not for you if you're outside Germany and Austria, since it's built around German tax rules
- Pricey if you want bookkeeping and bank connection: Accounting is €25.90 a month, Accounting Pro €34.90
- Watch out: marketplace integrations may carry partner fees outside the plan price
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAPennylaneFair | 2.2GPASevdeskFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D€7 for Starter, which needs the Pro account active, and €24 for Essentiel. The accounting module and tax filing sit on Premium at €79 a month, about three times this category's middle. | C€12.90 a month for Invoicing and €25.90 for Accounting, excluding VAT, billed monthly. Around the middle of the category, with 12 and 24-month terms cutting it 25% to 50%. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 15-day free trial with no commitment. No free plan. | CA free plan of 3 invoices or e-invoices a month, and a 14-day trial with no credit card on paid plans. |
| Features | CInvoicing, e-invoicing, a Pro account with cards, expense reports and cash forecast. Full accounting needs Premium, and the pages are aimed at French companies. | CE-invoices, receipt capture, advance VAT returns, bank connection and tax adviser access. Bookkeeping starts at Accounting, and included features vary by country. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It's a suite with a bank account to open, and the pages are in French. | CNo store rating on record. You connect a bank and set up receipts and tax details first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Qonto, GoCardless, Silae and HubSpot, and an API from Essentiel. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with DATEV, ADDISON and ELSTER. |
| Best for | French accounting and a business account in one app | German online accounting and e-invoicing |
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: Pennylane and Sevdesk. How we grade
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. Sevdesk starts at about $14.41 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Pennylane starts $6.59 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 4 score higher than Pennylane for less, and 6 score higher than Sevdesk for less.
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
Where they differ
- Pennylane also covers bill pay and company cards.
- Sevdesk also covers quotes and estimates.
At a glance
| Pennylane | Sevdesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | €7 per month, excluding VAT (Starter, 1 user) | €12.90 per month, billed monthly, excl. VAT |
| Free plan | None | Up to 3 invoices or e-invoices a month, with unlimited contacts and products. |
| Free trial | 15-day free trial, no commitment | 14 days free, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Pennylane | sevdesk |
| Price read from | pennylane.com | sevdesk.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Sevdesk
- Built around German tax rules; the page says included features vary by country, with versions for Germany and Austria.
- The Free plan stops at 3 invoices or e-invoices a month.
- Prices shown are monthly-billed and exclude VAT; 12 and 24-month terms are offered at 25% and 50% off.
- Marketplace integrations may carry partner fees that are not part of the plan price.
Key features
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.
Sevdesk
- E-invoices and quotes
- Create invoices, quotes and delivery notes in your own layout, with ZUGFeRD and XRechnung e-invoice formats from the Free plan.
- Receipt capture
- Scan receipts with the mobile app or upload them; the system suggests a booking category and matches them to bank transactions.
- Advance VAT returns
- Prepare the advance VAT return and send it to the tax office through the ELSTER interface from the Accounting plan.
- Bank connection
- Connect online banking, which the page says supports more than 4,000 banks, and match payments to invoices.
- Tax adviser access
- A DATEV and ADDISON interface and direct account access let a tax adviser work on the data.
- Reminders and dunning
- Send payment reminders from the Invoicing plan and run multi-level dunning notices from the Accounting plan.
Plans
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.
Sevdesk
Free€0.00
Up to 3 invoices or e-invoices a month in ZUGFeRD and XRechnung formats, unlimited contacts.
Invoicing€12.90
per month, billed monthly, excl. VAT
Unlimited invoices and quotes, payment reminders, DATEV interface, tax adviser access and support.
Accounting€25.90
per month, billed monthly, excl. VAT
Adds bookkeeping, AI receipt capture, bank connection, advance VAT returns, EÃœR and trial balance.
Accounting Pro€34.90
per month, billed monthly, excl. VAT
For automating bookkeeping and watching the business in real time; extends the Accounting plan.
Ways to pay less
Pennylane
- Other savings
Capital deposit for €1
A Pennylane subscription from €7 excluding VAT lowers the online capital deposit fee to €1 from €69.
Sevdesk
- Annual discount
25% off a 12-month term, 50% off 24 months
The pricing section offers 12-month and 24-month terms marked as 25% and 50% cheaper than paying month to month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pennylane or Sevdesk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pennylane is cheaper to start with: about $7.82 a month, against about $14.41 a month for Sevdesk. Pennylane starts at €7 per month, excluding VAT (Starter, 1 user), and Sevdesk starts at €12.90 per month, billed monthly, excl. VAT.
Which has a free plan, Pennylane or Sevdesk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Sevdesk has a free plan. Pennylane does not, though it has a free trial.
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.