Papierkram vs Starling Comparison
Compare Papierkram vs Starling features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Papierkram
5.6/10
German cloud bookkeeping software for freelancers and small firms that do cash-basis accounting. It combines invoicing, time tracking, receipts, bank sync, EÜR and VAT returns.
Starling
6.6/10
A UK digital bank business account with built-in invoicing, bookkeeping, and Making Tax Digital tax tools for sole traders and small limited companies.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.6/10 | 6.6/10 |
| Scalability | 3/10 | 3/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 3/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | €16/mo S | £7/mo Accounting Plus |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €60/mo L | Free Business Account + Accounting Essentials |
| Features | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Online Payments | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Inventory Accounting | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
Papierkram vs Starling cost by team size
| Team size | Papierkram | Starling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 5 users | €30/moM | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 10 users | €60/moL | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 25 users | €60/moL | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 50 users | €60/moL | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
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 Papierkram
- Higher Customization score (5/10 vs 3/10)
Why choose Starling
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Integration score (6/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
Papierkram
Pros
- Independent testers rate its time tracking with project assignment and invoicing from tracked hours as best in class among German freelancer tools.
- A permanent Free plan covers basic invoicing, receipts and time tracking. Experte.de found it was the only free tier in its test.
- From the S tier it handles German compliance: Elster VAT pre-returns, EÜR, GoBD attestation, XRechnung and ZUGFeRD e-invoices, and DATEV export.
- Reviewers rate the clean interface and quick setup highly, with a setup score of 1.3 on Experte.de.
Cons
- Independent reviews report no balance sheet or P&L, so companies that must produce balance sheets need a tax advisor or another tool.
- Experte.de reports that invoices can only be issued in euros.
- Reviewers say MagicSuggest receipt recognition often needs manual correction and the mobile app is weak.
- Support is by email or contact form only, with no phone or live chat.
- There are few integrations and no e-commerce shop connectors, and the API is in beta and only on M and L.
Starling
Pros
- The business account has no monthly fee, and UK transfers, invoicing, and up to five expense cards are free.
- The free Essentials tier includes MTD for Income Tax submissions, which helps sole traders and landlords facing the April 2026 rules.
- VAT returns can be filed to HMRC from inside the banking app for £7 a month until April 2027.
- Bank feeds connect to Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent.
- UK-based support is available 24/7 in the app, and Finder ranked it highly for customer satisfaction in 2026.
Cons
- It is not a full accounting system: there is no general ledger, payroll, or multi-entity support.
- Accountants only get view-only access.
- Only GBP and EUR accounts are available, and new USD account applications are paused.
- Eligibility is strict: directors and people with significant control must be UK residents.
- Overdrafts and loans are not available to new business customers, and there are no branches.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Starling scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.6/10 against 5.6/10 for Papierkram. The largest gap is in Security: 5/10 for Papierkram and 8/10 for Starling.
Yes, both Papierkram and Starling have a free plan.
Starling is the better fit for small business: we rate it 8/10 for them, against 6/10 for Papierkram.
