Lexware Office vs Pennylane Comparison
Compare Lexware Office vs Pennylane features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
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.
Pennylane
6.4/10
French accounting, invoicing, cash management and business account platform for freelancers, small businesses, SMEs and the accounting firms that serve them.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.7/10 | 6.4/10 |
| Scalability | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | €8/mo S | €7/mo Starter (freelancer) |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €8/mo S | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Financial Reporting | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Online Payments | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Accounts Payable | Not listed | |
| Budgeting and Forecasting | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Inventory Accounting | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Multi-entity Consolidation | Not listed | |
Lexware Office vs Pennylane cost by team size
Pennylane costs less at 1 user.
| Team size | Lexware Office | Pennylane |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | €8/moS | €7/moStarter (freelancer) |
| 5 users | €8/moS | Contact for pricing |
| 10 users | €8/moS | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | €8/moS | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | €8/moS | Contact for pricing |
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 Lexware Office
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Security score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Includes Payroll, which Pennylane lacks
Why choose Pennylane
- Higher Scalability score (6/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Analytics score (6/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for accountants and bookkeepers (9/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
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.
Pennylane
Pros
- Accountants and clients work in the same shared space, which reviewers call its main strength.
- Bank transactions are categorised and reconciled automatically, based on past categorisations.
- A business account with an IBAN and employee cards is included even on the entry plan.
- It is approved for French e-invoicing, and Premium adds electronic filing of VAT and tax returns.
- A 15-day free trial and cancel-anytime billing mean there is no long-term commitment.
Cons
- Reviewers consider it fairly expensive, and there is no free plan.
- Full accounting reports and tax filing are limited to Premium.
- No payroll or CRM of its own; it relies on Payfit, Silae and CRM integrations.
- Users report slow support on complex issues, occasional bugs, and a multi-currency feature that still needs work.
- Pricing for companies with employees is quote-based on the vendor site.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Lexware Office scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.7/10 against 6.4/10 for Pennylane. The largest gap is in Cost: 8/10 for Lexware Office and 5/10 for Pennylane.
No, neither Lexware Office nor Pennylane lists a free plan.
Pennylane is the better fit for accountants and bookkeepers: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 6/10 for Lexware Office.
Lexware Office has Payroll, which Pennylane lacks.
