Kontist vs Lexware Office Comparison
Compare Kontist vs Lexware Office features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Kontist
6.1/10
Kontist is a German mobile business account for freelancers and small companies, with automatic tax set-asides, invoicing, receipt management and bundled sevdesk accounting.
Lexware Office
6.7/10
A German cloud tool for bookkeeping, invoicing, receipt capture, VAT filing and optional payroll, made for freelancers and small businesses.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.1/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Scalability | 3/10 | 4/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | €11/mo Start | €8/mo S |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free | €8/mo S |
| Features | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Accountant Access | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| General Ledger | Not listed | |
| Inventory Accounting | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Multi-entity Consolidation | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
Kontist vs Lexware Office cost by team size
Kontist costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Kontist | Lexware Office |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | €8/moS |
| 5 users | FreeFree | €8/moS |
| 10 users | FreeFree | €8/moS |
| 25 users | FreeFree | €8/moS |
| 50 users | FreeFree | €8/moS |
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 Kontist
- Has a free plan (Lexware Office does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs €8/mo
- Higher Analytics score (5/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Lexware Office
- Higher Integration score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Support score (6/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
Kontist
Pros
- Automatic real-time tax and VAT set-asides, which Trustpilot reviewers repeatedly praise
- Free plan with no monthly fee, a German IBAN and a Visa debit card
- Every plan includes a free period of sevdesk accounting, up to a full year on Plus
- Deposits are held at BaFin-licensed Solaris SE and protected up to 100,000 euros
- The app is available in both English and German, which helps expat freelancers
Cons
- Only available to people who live in and pay tax in Germany
- Reviewers report slow, mostly email-based support that has to be chased repeatedly
- Free tier includes only 5 SEPA transactions a month, and extra transactions cost a fee
- No full double-entry ledger, so proper bookkeeping depends on sevdesk or another tool
- Past complaints include account closures and the handling of unauthorized payments
Lexware Office
Pros
- Users on OMR Reviews and testers on Experte.de describe receipt scanning and bank matching as fast and easy to set up.
- Creates ZUGFeRD and XRechnung e-invoices and files VAT returns directly to ELSTER.
- Every plan can be cancelled monthly, and users are unlimited according to Für-Gründer.
- Tax advisor access and DATEV export make it easy to hand the books to an accountant.
- An optional payroll add-on handles social security and tax filings for up to 50 employees.
Cons
- Invoices can only be issued in euros.
- Cannot manage several companies, and has no approval workflow and no cost-centre reporting.
- Bookkeeping and VAT returns need the L plan, and recurring features need higher tiers.
- Users report bank connections that drop and support that is hard to reach by phone.
- There is no postal invoice sending and no built-in time tracking.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Lexware Office scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.7/10 against 6.1/10 for Kontist. The largest gap is in Integration: 5/10 for Kontist and 7/10 for Lexware Office.
Kontist costs less for 10 users: free on its Free plan, against about €8/mo on its S plan for Lexware Office, billed monthly.
Kontist has a free plan; Lexware Office does not list one.
