# sevdesk vs Lexware Office (formerly lexoffice): the country question

> Both are bookkeeping solutions with an invoicing module, and their invoicing plans cost €11.90 (sevdesk) and €12.90 (Lexware Office) a month, net — so price settles little here. The line that actually matters is country: Lexware Office is built for Germany, while sevdesk covers Germany and Austria.

Source: https://back-bone.io/en/compare/sevdesk-vs-lexware-office  
Published: 2026-09-03 · Updated: 2026-10-22  
Category: Comparisons

**In short:** If you also invoice in Austria, only sevdesk is left; Lexware Office is built for Germany only, says the vendor. In Germany both fit, and with bookkeeping Lexware Office costs less (plan L €21.90 vs €25.90 net a month). Both send reminders only by click, and time tracking costs extra: a €4.90 add-on at sevdesk, partner tools at Lexware Office.

## First things first: lexoffice is now Lexware Office

If you searched for “sevdesk vs lexoffice” — same product. lexoffice was renamed **Lexware Office** and folded under the Lexware brand. The rename changes nothing about the features.

## At a glance

|  | sevdesk | Lexware Office |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Invoices and quotes | ✓ plan Rechnung | ✓ plan M and up |
| E-invoices | ✓ even in the free tier | ✓ sending from plan M |
| Payment reminders | ✓ levels from plan Buchhaltung | ✓ plan M and up |
| Reminders that go out on their own | not listed | via partner autoMahntion |
| Invoice layouts | Add-on 6 premium layouts, €3.90 / month | ✓ layout designer |
| Time tracking | Add-on €4.90 / month | partner extensions |
| Bookkeeping in the tool (EÜR, VAT return) | ✓ plan Buchhaltung | ✓ plan L |
| Austria | ✓ own Austrian site | — Germany only, says its help center |
| An assistant that does the work for you | help agent Sevi answers questions | not listed |

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

## In detail

|  | sevdesk | Lexware Office |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Invoicing plan (net, monthly) | €11.90 / month, plan Rechnung | €12.90 / month, plan M |
| Free plan | 3 invoices / month | none; 30-day free trial |
| Document limit | paid unlimited | no limit stated (fair use per T&Cs) |
| Austria | yes, own Austrian site | no — Germany only, says its help center |
| Bookkeeping | plan Buchhaltung, €25.90 | plan L, €21.90 |
| E-invoicing | even in the free tier | sending from plan M |
| Templates | standard layouts; 6 Premium for €3.90 / month | base layouts and a layout designer |
| Payment reminders | reminders from Rechnung, levels from Buchhaltung | from plan M; automatic only via partner autoMahntion |

Prices are net, plus VAT, without time-limited discounts. Checked on 8 October 2026 at sevdesk.de/preise, sevdesk.at/preise, sevdesk.de/rechnungsprogramm, sevdesk.de/addons-premiumlayout, lexware.de/preise, lexware.de/funktionen/layout-designer, lexware.de/funktionen/mahnung-schreiben and the Lexware help center on Austria.

## The decision that overrides everything else

If you issue Austrian invoices, the comparison ends right here. Lexware Office is built around German tax law, ELSTER connection for VAT returns included. It does not cover Austria.

That is not a detail: Austrian invoices follow § 11 öUStG rather than § 14 UStG, have a different small-amount threshold, and above a certain total require the recipient's VAT ID — a duty Germany does not have at all. What else differs is in the [post on Austrian mandatory invoice details](https://back-bone.io/en/blog/pflichtangaben-rechnung-oesterreich).

## Which one fits you?

Both are classic bookkeeping suites. Which one suits you depends on where and how you work:

- **sevdesk fits** if you want a traditional bookkeeping program for Germany and Austria, with receipts, EÜR and VAT return in one place, and you're fine adding modules such as time tracking or premium layouts as paid add-ons.
- **Lexware Office fits** if you work in Germany only and like the classic set-up: each step unlocked plan by plan, from invoices (M) to bookkeeping (L) to XL, with extras such as time tracking from partner extensions.
- You invoice in Austria, or in both countries → sevdesk; Lexware Office is out
- You want reminders to go out on their own → both send them only by click; Lexware Office dunns automatically only via a partner tool

## What the workflow looks like

**Create an invoice · Lexware Office:** Backbone: the week's hours go onto the invoice as line items in one click, then create and send. Lexware Office: the “Rechnung erstellen” form, header with client, address, invoice number and date. (Source: Lexware help center, “Rechnung oder Teilrechnung erstellen – Schritt für Schritt”, as of 28.10.2026)

**Dunning · sevdesk:** Backbone: set up the reminder and two dunning levels once. The fee and the statutory interest rate are already stored. sevdesk: the “Mahnung bearbeiten” form, one form per invoice and dunning level. (Source: sevdesk help center, “Mahnungen”, as of 23.10.2026)

## Backbone, the modern alternative

Backbone is the agentic back office for teams and agents. Backbone is not a bookkeeping suite, and it doesn't try to be. If you'd rather run your back office from your AI chat, take a look at Backbone. Ready in minutes, no accounting knowledge needed.

You don't climb through plans or menus. You ask: “Send Kinetik the September invoice.” “Which receipts are still missing?” The [Backbone assistant](https://back-bone.io/en/features/backbone-ai) does it, in the app or right inside ChatGPT, Claude or other AI apps with MCP support through the [connector](https://back-bone.io/en/features/ai-connector). Nothing goes out without your OK.

- **Say it instead of clicking.** Backbone works out amounts, VAT and the e-invoice. [Time tracking](https://back-bone.io/en/features/time-tracking), [invoices](https://back-bone.io/en/features/invoices) and [payment reminders](https://back-bone.io/en/features/payment-reminders) are in every plan, no partner extensions, no add-ons.
- **Germany and Austria, without thinking about it.** Your invoices carry the mandatory details of both countries, ZUGFeRD and XRechnung included.
- **Chasing payment stops being your job.** Reminders go out on the days you choose, with statutory interest where the law allows.
- **A clean month end.** Receipts [find their payments](https://back-bone.io/en/features/receipts), and your bookkeeper gets [one ZIP](https://back-bone.io/en/features/bookkeeper-export). The books stay with them, so your time stays with your work.

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.

> My goal is to optimise and automate back-office tasks so that we founders can focus on what matters most.
>
> Automating back-office work with AI agents and AI integrations is the future – that's why I built Backbone!

## How Backbone does it

Invoices done right. In the app, or in a chat with ChatGPT, Claude and many more.

1. **Create the invoice** Say what goes on it. You approve.
2. **Bill your hours** What you tracked goes on the invoice.
3. **Switch on dunning** Set it once. Runs by itself.
4. **Receipts matched automatically** Upload the statement. Clear matches assign themselves.
5. **Off to your bookkeeper** Month complete. One link, done.
6. **E-invoices per client** Pick the format once. Every invoice follows.
7. **Track your time** One sentence in the chat. The hours are in your week.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is lexoffice now called Lexware Office?

Yes. lexoffice was renamed Lexware Office — same product, new name. If you search for "lexoffice" or read older comparisons, Lexware Office is what is meant.

### Which is better, sevdesk or Lexware Office?

The invoicing plans are close in price (€11.90 and €12.90 a month, net), so price decides little. The hardest dividing line is country: Lexware Office is built for Germany and files via ELSTER, while sevdesk covers Germany and Austria. After that comes the plan that unlocks bookkeeping — L for Lexware Office (€21.90), Buchhaltung for sevdesk (€25.90).

### Can I issue Austrian invoices with Lexware Office?

Lexware Office is built around German tax law including the ELSTER connection; Austria is not covered. If you issue Austrian invoices under § 11 öUStG, or serve both countries, you need a tool that supports it explicitly.

### Do sevdesk or Lexware Office automate dunning?

sevdesk offers payment reminders from plan Rechnung and dunning levels from Buchhaltung. Lexware Office creates reminders in a few clicks; fully automatic dunning runs through its partner autoMahntion, a separate account.

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General information, not legal or tax advice and no review of your case. Details on providers and laws can change. For your case, follow your tax adviser.

Checked on 08/10/2026

Sources: sevdesk.de · sevdesk.at · lexware.de · Lexware help center