easybill alternatives

The 5 best easybill alternatives in 2026

The short answer: people leave easybill for one of two reasons — either the tier gating (recurring invoices only from Professional at €25, automatic dunning only in Premium at €37) or because they are service businesses that never needed the marketplace strengths in the first place. In both cases Backbone (from €19/month incl. VAT) is our pick: recurring invoices, dunning with interest, time tracking and receipts in every plan, plus an AI assistant. Backbone is our own product — where it does not win, we say so just as plainly below.

To be fair: easybill’s permanently free plan (50 documents/month, e-invoicing included) is the most generous in the field. If it covers your needs, staying is legitimate. This roundup covers all five serious alternatives — with verified pricing (as of July 2026) and honest weaknesses.

All alternatives at a glance

The 5 best easybill alternatives in 2026
BackbonesevDeskLexware OfficeFastBillOdoo
Best forHours, invoices, dunning & receipts; your tax advisor does the booksFull bookkeeping (EÜR, VAT filing) with invoicingFull bookkeeping with ELSTER, Germany onlyVAT returns straight from the tool, deep template designGrowing companies with ERP needs (inventory, CRM, manufacturing)
Document limitMonthly allowance per plan; numbers not published yetFree: 3 invoices/month; paid unlimitedNo limit stated (fair use per T&Cs)No invoice limit statedNo limit — even on "One App Free"
Pricefrom €19 / month incl. VAT (Solo)Free (3 invoices/month); from €12.90 / monthfrom €12.90 / month (plan M)from €9 / month (Solo)"One App Free"; then per user/month
Invoice from AI promptYesassistant Billy, asks before sendingNoNoNoNo
All features via AI assistantYesnearly everything; also from Claude/ChatGPT (MCP)Nosuggestions only (receipts, bookings)Nosuggestions you must acceptNoOCR; receipts checked manuallyNoAI in places (documents)
Professional templatesPartially2 templates (Basic, Minimal), logo + accent colorYes11 layouts, 6 of them PremiumPartially5 base layoutsPartiallyeditor with own fonts; Solo: 1 templatePartiallyconfigurable layouts
Live previewYesyou write on the page itself–Nopreview is a separate stepYes–
Recurring invoicesYesevery planYesYesseries invoicesPartiallyPro (€27) and upYes
Automatic email sendingYesinvoices by email; reminders on schedule from StudioPartiallyseries invoices optionally automatic; dunning manualPartiallyseries invoices optionally automatic; no automatic dunningPartiallydunning as a paid add-onPartiallyfollow-up reminders automatic once configured
BookkeepingNono EÜR/VAT filing; export for your tax advisorYesin the accounting planYesplan L and upPartiallyVAT filing yes, EÜR noYesaccounting module
E-invoicingPartiallyZUGFeRD; XRechnung coming soonYeseven in the free tierPartiallysending from plan MYesin every planYes

Competitor pricing and feature claims per the vendors, verified on August 2, 2026, prices net. Backbone details per back-bone.io as of October 9, 2026, prices incl. VAT. Subject to change.

#1

Backbone

The back office with an AI assistant

Backbone is the alternative for service businesses and freelancers who would have to climb to easybill’s Premium plan (€37) for automatic dunning and to Professional (€25) for recurring invoices. At Backbone, recurring invoices, dunning with interest (scheduled from Studio), time tracking and receipts are in every plan, and the AI assistant drafts invoices from one sentence — sent after your OK.

Full transparency, since Backbone is our product: it has no marketplace import, no free plan and is deliberately NOT accounting software. If you bill Amazon and eBay orders automatically, easybill remains the better home.

Strengths

  • An AI assistant that drafts invoices from one sentence — none of the other tools here can (as of July 2026, per their own sites)
  • Dunning with interest and the €40 fee, scheduled automatically from Studio
  • Time tracking, receipts with AI matching and bank-statement upload in every plan
  • Germany AND Austria in one interface (§14 UStG / §11 öUStG), ZUGFeRD e-invoices
  • ZIP export or a free login for your tax advisor; cancel monthly

Weaknesses

  • No bookkeeping: EÜR, VAT filing and DATEV export are absent
  • XRechnung for public-sector clients only coming soon (ZUGFeRD today)
  • No free plan (7-day trial with a card on file)
  • Web app rather than a native mobile app
Price: from €19 / month incl. VAT (Solo)PricingInvoicesDunningReceiptsBookkeeper export
#2

sevDesk

The all-in-one accounting solution

sevDesk is the easybill alternative for anyone missing the bookkeeping: EÜR, VAT filing and receipt management — things easybill offers on no plan. Add 11 invoice layouts (6 of them Premium), native iOS and Android apps and e-invoicing even in the free tier. For Austria there is a separate offering (sevdesk.at).

On dunning, though, you only trade one limitation for another: instead of easybill’s Premium gating, sevDesk sends reminders manually per invoice, with dunning levels only in the accounting plan. And its free tier allows just 3 invoices per month — far less than easybill’s 50 documents.

Strengths

  • Mature bookkeeping: EÜR and VAT filing in the accounting plan
  • E-invoicing (XRechnung/ZUGFeRD) even in the free tier
  • 11 invoice layouts, 6 of them Premium
  • Native iOS and Android apps
  • Austria via a separate offering (sevdesk.at)

Weaknesses

  • Dunning is manual per invoice; dunning levels need the accounting plan
  • Free tier limited to 3 invoices/month (easybill Free: 50 docs)
  • Colors from a palette only; custom layout only as a paid service
  • No AI that creates documents — receipt capture and a support chatbot only
Price: Free (3 invoices/month); from €12.90 / monthBackbone vs. sevDesk in detail
#3

Lexware Office

The accounting classic (formerly lexoffice)

Lexware Office is the most established easybill alternative for anyone who wants accounting and invoicing in one tool: EÜR, VAT filing via ELSTER and payroll add-ons included. Note that the cheapest plan S cannot write invoices — realistically you start at €12.90 on plan M, and there is no annual discount.

Two things worth knowing: per its own help center it has no automatic dunning function (it points to a paid third-party extension) — so if you are leaving easybill over the dunning gating, you gain nothing here. And it is suitable for Germany only.

Strengths

  • Mature bookkeeping: EÜR, VAT filing via ELSTER (from plan L)
  • Over 230,000 customers, very approachable interface
  • Native iOS and Android apps
  • E-invoicing: receiving on all plans, sending from M

Weaknesses

  • No automatic dunning — per the vendor itself
  • Germany only; Austria explicitly not supported
  • Plan S (€7.90) cannot write invoices
  • Only 5 base layouts, no freely placed text fields
Price: from €12.90 / month (plan M)Backbone vs. Lexware Office in detail
#4

FastBill

Invoicing plus VAT filing

FastBill is easybill’s closest match on price (both from €9) and scores with what easybill lacks: the VAT pre-registration files via ELSTER in every plan. Add a real template editor with custom fonts and millimetre-precise positioning, plus a live preview while you type — though an official EÜR is missing.

FastBill knows tier gating too, however: automatic dunning is a paid add-on, recurring invoices need the Pro plan (€27), and the Solo plan allows just one template. There is no permanently free plan like easybill’s.

Strengths

  • VAT filing via ELSTER in every plan
  • Template editor with custom fonts and mm-precise positioning
  • Live preview while editing
  • E-invoicing (XRechnung/ZUGFeRD) in all plans

Weaknesses

  • Automatic dunning only as a paid add-on
  • Recurring invoices only from Pro (€27)
  • Solo plan: 1 template; the app only scans receipts
  • Germany only, no official EÜR, no free plan
Price: from €9 / month (Solo)Backbone vs. FastBill in detail
#5

Odoo

The open-source ERP suite

Odoo is the right easybill alternative when your shop business outgrows plain billing: the modular suite covers CRM, inventory, manufacturing and projects, and a single app is permanently free. Austria is supported via localization.

The price is complexity: setup takes time (or an implementation partner), billing is per user per month with prices that vary by country, and dunning consists of follow-up rules you configure yourself.

Strengths

  • "One App Free": one app permanently free, unlimited users
  • Grows with you: CRM, inventory, manufacturing, projects in one suite
  • Germany and Austria via localization
  • E-invoicing and an accounting module available

Weaknesses

  • Setup takes time or a partner — no minutes-to-start
  • Per user/month, prices vary by country
  • Dunning only as self-configured follow-up rules
  • Heavily oversized for pure invoice senders
Price: "One App Free"; then per user/monthBackbone vs. Odoo in detail

How we evaluated

All pricing and feature claims come from the vendors’ own pricing and help pages, last verified on 31 July 2026 — including the inconvenient details like tier gating and dunning limitations. Where a vendor does not document something, we do not claim it. Backbone is our own product (details per back-bone.io as of 9 October 2026): we rank it #1 for the use case it is built for, and we state its weaknesses as plainly as everyone else’s.

Do not choose Backbone if …

Backbone is ranked first on this page, and this page belongs to Backbone (formerly Billy). So that you can weigh that: here are the cases where another tool is the better choice.

  • You already invoice public-sector clients (XRechnung)Backbone produces ZUGFeRD e-invoices, but XRechnung (and Austria’s ebInterface) is only coming soon. sevDesk, easybill and FastBill ship XRechnung in their cheapest tier, and in Austria FreeFinance creates ebInterface and XRechnung. If you must bill public-sector clients today, choose one of those.
  • You want to do your bookkeeping inside the toolBackbone collects receipts, matches them to payments and takes bank statements, but deliberately does no bookkeeping: no EÜR, no P&L, no VAT return via ELSTER or FinanzOnline. Your tax advisor does the books from the export. If you want everything from one tool, take sevDesk, Lexware Office, or FreeFinance in Austria.
  • Your tax advisor insists on a DATEV or BMD exportBackbone has none. It delivers a named ZIP of receipts, sent invoices, bank statements and a CSV report — or a free bookkeeper login. Any accountant can open that, but it is not a DATEV interface. If your accountant insists on one, that rules Backbone out — sevDesk and Lexware Office are built for it.
  • You want a native mobile appBackbone is a web app: it runs in your phone’s browser and you can upload receipt photos with it — but there is no native app in the store (a Mac app for the timer is coming soon). sevDesk, Lexware Office, FreshBooks, Wave, Zoho and Square all ship one.
  • You never want to payBackbone has no free plan: after a 7-day trial (card on file at Stripe, €0.00 due today) it costs from €19 a month incl. VAT. easybill (50 documents a month) and sevDesk (3 invoices a month) have permanently free tiers, and in the US so do Wave and Zoho Invoice.
  • Your business is based in the USBackbone is built for Germany and Austria. It invoices in English and in USD, GBP or CHF too — for a German or Austrian business billing clients abroad. It does not handle US sales tax. For a US-based business, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave, Zoho Invoice or Square are the better-fitting tools.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best easybill alternative?
For service businesses focused on invoicing, dunning and receipts: Backbone (from €19/month incl. VAT, dunning with interest, Germany and Austria). For full bookkeeping: sevDesk or Lexware Office. For VAT filing from the tool: FastBill. For ERP needs: Odoo.
What is the cheapest easybill alternative?
Honest answer: if 50 documents per month are enough and you need neither recurring invoices nor automatic dunning, the cheapest option is simply staying on easybill Free — with e-invoicing included, it is the most generous free plan in the field. Otherwise Odoo’s "One App Free" is free, among paid tools FastBill starts at €9 net, sevDesk at €12.90 (as of August 2026), Backbone at €19 incl. VAT.
Which easybill alternative has the best AI?
Backbone — the only tool in this comparison whose assistant drafts invoices and reminders from a natural-language sentence, in the app or via Claude and ChatGPT. At sevDesk, Lexware Office and FastBill, "AI" means receipt recognition, booking suggestions or chatbots per their own pages — not an assistant that creates documents (as of July 2026).
Which easybill alternative works in Austria?
Backbone (built for Germany and Austria, §11 öUStG mandatory details checked while you write) and Odoo (via localization). sevDesk has a separate Austrian offering (sevdesk.at). Lexware Office and FastBill are limited to Germany — easybill itself offers no Austrian version either.
Can I take my data with me from easybill?
Client and invoice data can be exported from easybill as CSV and imported into most tools. Additionally archive closed financial years as PDFs before cancelling — GoBD retention obligations apply regardless of the tool switch.

For invoices you write — not import

Try Backbone for 7 days: €0.00 due today, card on file at Stripe, cancel monthly.

Legal notice: general information, not legal or tax advice within the meaning of the German StBerG or RDG; no client relationship arises. No warranty as to accuracy, completeness or currency. Liability is excluded to the extent permitted by law; intent, gross negligence and injury to life, body or health remain unaffected. For your own case, your tax adviser or lawyer governs.