# sevDesk vs Papierkram: hours or books?

> These two get compared constantly although they solve different problems. Papierkram is project- and time-oriented — time tracking and projects are in every plan, including the free one. sevDesk is bookkeeping-oriented and has an Austrian edition. Price barely settles it: billed monthly, the entry plans cost €11.90 (sevDesk) and €15.90 (Papierkram), net.

Source: https://back-bone.io/en/blog/sevdesk-vs-papierkram  
Published: 2026-09-03 · Updated: 2026-10-07  
Category: Comparisons

## The real difference: hours or books

Comparing these two on price and feature lists misses the one decision that actually matters: **do you bill by time spent?**

Papierkram includes time tracking and project management in every plan, including the free one. That is not a side feature — it is why the product exists: tracked hours flow into the invoice. For agencies, developers and consultants who think in projects and hourly rates, that is the whole difference.

sevDesk starts somewhere else. It is built as a bookkeeping solution — receipts, EÜR, advance VAT returns — with invoicing as one part of it. Time tracking is a paid add-on at sevDesk (€4.90 a month); projects are not listed in its plan overview.

## At a glance

|  | Papierkram | sevDesk | Backbone |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Invoices and e-invoices | ✓ every plan | ✓ even in the free tier | ✓ ZUGFeRD |
| Time tracking | ✓ every plan | Add-on €4.90 / month | ✓ every plan |
| Projects | ✓ every plan | not stated | ✓ |
| Dunning | ✓ plan S and up | ✓ levels from plan Buchhaltung | ✓ on a schedule, with statutory interest |
| Recurring invoices | ✓ plan S and up | ✓ plan Buchhaltung | ✓ every plan |
| Receipts | ✓ every plan | ✓ AI capture from plan Buchhaltung | ✓ matched to their payments |
| Bookkeeping in the tool (EÜR, VAT return) | ✓ plan S and up | ✓ plan Buchhaltung | — your bookkeeper keeps the books |
| Germany and Austria | partly: VAT return and EÜR follow German rules | ✓ own Austrian site | ✓ § 14 UStG and § 11 UStG |
| An assistant that does the work for you | not listed | help agent Sevi answers questions | ✓ in plain words |
| Works inside Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok | not listed | not listed | ✓ |

“Not stated” and “not listed” mean the vendor's own pages say nothing about it; we do not guess. Plans and prices are in the detail table below.

## In detail

|  | Papierkram | sevDesk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Entry price (net, billed monthly) | €15.90 / month, plan S (€12.90 billed annually) | €11.90 / month, plan Rechnung (€9.90 on 12 months) |
| Free plan | €0 — invoices, quotes, receipts, time tracking, projects | 3 invoices / month; 14-day trial |
| Time tracking | every plan, including free | add-on, €4.90 / month |
| Projects | every plan, including free | not stated |
| Bookkeeping (EÜR) | plan S and up | plan Buchhaltung (€25.90 / month) |
| ELSTER / VAT return | plan S and up | plan Buchhaltung |
| Dunning | plan S and up, one click per notice | reminders in every paid plan, dunning levels from Buchhaltung; automatic, says sevDesk |
| Recurring invoices | plan S and up | plan Buchhaltung, optionally automatic |
| E-invoicing | every plan | even in the free tier |
| Austria | usable, but VAT return and EÜR follow German rules | yes, own Austrian site |

Prices are net, plus VAT, without time-limited discounts. Checked on 6 October 2026 at papierkram.de/preise, sevdesk.de/preise, sevdesk.at/preise and sevdesk.de/rechnungsprogramm.

## Which one fits you?

Both are classic bookkeeping programs. Which one suits you depends on how you like to work:

- **Papierkram fits** if you want one traditional program that does it all in-house, from project hours to the EÜR and the VAT return via ELSTER, and you like working through its menus and forms yourself. Best if you invoice in Germany only: its VAT return and EÜR follow German rules.
- **sevDesk fits** if you want a full bookkeeping suite for Germany or Austria, with receipts, EÜR and VAT return in one place, and you don't mind adding modules such as time tracking as separate paid add-ons.
- **Neither is built for you** if you mainly want to send good invoices, get paid and hand the books to your tax adviser.

That last point is why we build Backbone.

> It took me a while to notice that “which tool is better” is almost never the right question. As a designer and developer I wanted an invoice that looked good — and kept comparing tools that were both built to solve something else entirely.
>
> So there is no verdict here, just a difference: hours or books. If neither describes your problem, that is not on you.

## Where Backbone fits

Backbone is not bookkeeping software, and it doesn't try to be. It is for the part of your week you would rather not spend in software at all.

You don't learn menus. You say what you need: “Invoice Kinetik for September's hours.” “Who still owes me money?” The [Backbone assistant](https://back-bone.io/en/features/backbone-ai) does it, in the app or right inside Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok through the [connector](https://back-bone.io/en/features/ai-connector). Nothing goes out without your OK.

- **One calm place instead of a toolbox.** [Hours](https://back-bone.io/en/features/time-tracking), [invoices](https://back-bone.io/en/features/invoices), [reminders](https://back-bone.io/en/features/dunning) and [receipts](https://back-bone.io/en/features/receipts) live together. No modules to add, no add-ons to price.
- **Simple from the first click.** No accounting vocabulary, no setup project. Germany and Austria are both built in.
- **The admin runs in the background.** Reminders go out on the days you choose. Receipts find their payments. At month end your bookkeeper gets [one ZIP](https://back-bone.io/en/features/bookkeeper-export).
- **More time for the actual work.** The books stay with your bookkeeper, on purpose. You keep the hours for the work you're paid for.

Coming soon: automatic bank connections, the API, the CLI, a Mac app and [Automations](https://back-bone.io/en/features/automations) for your own scheduled tasks.

Last updated 7 October 2026. Papierkram and sevDesk plans, prices and features checked on 6 October 2026 on the vendors' own pages named above. Prices and feature scope can change at any time — the vendor's own website always governs.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the main difference between sevDesk and Papierkram?

Papierkram is project- and time-oriented: time tracking and projects are in every plan, including the free one. sevDesk is bookkeeping-oriented and has an Austrian edition. If you bill by the hour, Papierkram fits; if you want to do the bookkeeping in the tool or issue Austrian invoices, sevDesk does.

### How do sevDesk and Papierkram compare on price?

Billed monthly, sevDesk's invoicing plan Rechnung costs €11.90 and Papierkram S €15.90; on a 12-month term, €9.90 and €12.90. Above them: Papierkram M at €29.90 (€24.90 on 12 months) and L at €59.90 (€49.90); sevDesk Buchhaltung at €25.90 (€22.90) and Buchhaltung Pro at €34.90 (€30.90). All net, as of 6 October 2026.

### Does Papierkram have a free plan?

Yes, permanently free. It includes invoices, quotes, receipts, time tracking and projects with 100 MB of storage. It excludes bookkeeping (EÜR), ELSTER, recurring invoices and dunning, which start with plan S. Papierkram does not state a numeric invoice cap for the free plan on its website.

### Does Papierkram work for Austria?

Partly. Papierkram says many features suit Austria, but its advance VAT return and EÜR follow German rules and are not (yet) suitable for Austria. sevDesk runs its own Austrian site. If you invoice in both countries, confirm this with the vendor before subscribing.