Clear Books vs DATEV Comparison
Compare Clear Books vs DATEV features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Clear Books
5.9/10
UK cloud accounting software for sole traders, landlords, small companies and accountants, with HMRC Making Tax Digital filing, bank feeds, invoicing and payroll.
DATEV
6.3/10
German cooperative's accounting, payroll and tax software, built around shared bookkeeping between businesses and their DATEV-member tax advisors.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.9/10 | 6.3/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 3/10 |
| Integration | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 3/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | £5/mo Property | €12/mo DATEV Unternehmen online |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Property Free | €12/mo DATEV Unternehmen online |
| Features | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Accounts Payable | ||
| Audit Trail | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Financial Reporting | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Budgeting and Forecasting | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
Clear Books vs DATEV cost by team size
| Team size | Clear Books | DATEV |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeProperty Free | €12/moDATEV Unternehmen online |
| 5 users | FreeProperty Free | €12/moDATEV Unternehmen online |
| 10 users | FreeProperty Free | €12/moDATEV Unternehmen online |
| 25 users | FreeProperty Free | €12/moDATEV Unternehmen online |
| 50 users | FreeProperty Free | €12/moDATEV Unternehmen online |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Clear Books
- Has a free plan (DATEV does not)
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose DATEV
- Higher Scalability score (7/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Integration score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for accountants and bookkeepers (10/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
Clear Books
Pros
- Free MTD Income Tax plans for sole traders and landlords have no transaction limits.
- It is on HMRC's list of MTD-compatible software for both VAT and Income Tax Self Assessment.
- CIS reporting is built in, which suits UK construction contractors and subcontractors.
- Company plans cost £16 to £44 a month, with up to 20% off for two-year billing and no setup or per-invoice fees.
- Trustpilot reviewers rate it 4.3 out of 5 from 477 reviews and often praise quick, friendly support.
Cons
- It follows UK tax rules only, so it does not suit businesses outside the UK.
- Multi-currency, expense claims and project accounting require the top £44 Large plan.
- Users report that editing or deleting entries is awkward and that voiding is the workaround.
- Its integration ecosystem is small compared with Xero or QuickBooks.
- Some reviewers say email support replies can be slow.
DATEV
Pros
- Records cannot be altered after posting, which reviewers say helps with GoBD rules and tax audits
- Direct link to the tax advisor's DATEV system removes manual handover of receipts and reports
- Supports e-invoice processing under EN 16931 and bank access via EBICS or PIN/TAN
- Data centre certified to ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701
- Low base licence price compared with full ERP suites
Cons
- Reviewers describe the interface as dated and hard to learn
- Many services are charged separately, such as storage, receipts and the liquidity module
- Users report slow support and unannounced maintenance windows
- Cannot be bought without a DATEV-member advisor, and the product is focused on Germany
- Some reviewers miss recurring invoices and real-time reporting
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
DATEV scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.3/10 against 5.9/10 for Clear Books. The largest gap is in Ease of Use: 7/10 for Clear Books and 3/10 for DATEV.
Clear Books has a free plan; DATEV does not list one.
DATEV is the better fit for accountants and bookkeepers: we rate it 10/10 for them, against 6/10 for Clear Books.
