Comparison
Finovo vs sevDesk
sevDesk is a popular choice for German startups and freelancers — clean UX, solid ELSTER integration. Here’s the full comparison with Finovo.
| Feature | Finovo | sevDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | £15/mo (≈ €18/mo) | €8.90/mo (invoicing) · €16.90/mo (accounting) |
| German VAT (ELSTER / UStVA) | Included — ERIC API direct submission | Yes — ELSTER direct submission |
| Annual tax return (EÜR) | Yes — EÜR for Freiberufler and small businesses | Yes — EÜR via ELSTER |
| UK VAT (HMRC MTD) | Included — direct MTD submission | Not supported |
| French TVA (DGFiP) | Included — direct API submission | Not supported |
| German Payroll | DATEV export, Lohnsteuer Anmeldung | Not native — integration with payroll tools required |
| UK Payroll (PAYE/RTI) | From Professional plan | Not supported |
| French Payroll (DSN/URSSAF) | From Professional plan | Not supported |
| Open banking | 2,400+ UK & EU banks — daily sync | German banks via FinTS/HBCI — daily sync |
| SEPA payments | Yes — pain.001 XML batch export | Yes — SEPA export |
| Multi-currency invoicing | 50+ currencies with live ECB/BoE rates | Yes — limited currency support |
| Receipt capture (OCR) | AI OCR — mobile + web upload | Yes — Belegerfassung via app |
| GoBD compliance | Yes — audit trail, immutable records | Yes — GoBD compliant |
| DATEV export | Yes — accounting and payroll handoff | Yes — DATEV export available |
| E-invoicing (ZUGFeRD / XRechnung) | XRechnung support | Yes — ZUGFeRD and XRechnung |
| Client portal | Yes — branded portal, online payment | Limited — invoice sharing link |
| English / French UI | EN / FR / DE — full translations | German only |
| Free trial | 30 days — no card required | 14 days — no card required |
Our honest take
sevDesk is a solid choice for German-only freelancers and small businesses. Its UI is modern, ELSTER integration works well, and at €8.90/mo for invoicing it’s among the most affordable options in the market.
Where sevDesk falls short: payroll is not native (you need a separate tool), there’s no UK or French tax filing, and the UI is German-only. For businesses with international ambitions or international teams, these gaps matter.
Finovo also gives you a longer free trial — 30 days vs sevDesk’s 14 — and includes a full branded client portal for invoice viewing and online payment, which sevDesk’s basic sharing link doesn’t replicate.
Try Finovo free for 30 days
No card required. Import from sevDesk via CSV export in minutes.