Comparison
Free e-invoice tools: what is missing
Since Jan. 1, 2025, every business in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices; issuing them becomes mandatory step by step from Jan. 1, 2027. Free portals and online converters create individual e-invoices and can be enough for a single invoice. If you write and receive invoices regularly, you usually need more: saved customers, understandable check results and one place for incoming invoices. Companies with their own software also face the question of whether to implement the standard themselves.
The options at a glance
| Criterion | Free portals and online converters | Implementing it yourself | E-Rechnungsfreund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valid e-invoice (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung) | Depending on the offer, ZUGFeRD, XRechnung or both. | Only once you have implemented the EN 16931 standard and the formats yourself. | Yes. You get a ZUGFeRD PDF (a PDF with embedded invoice data) or an XRechnung (a pure XML file), both according to the European standard EN 16931 and checked before download. |
| Saving invoices | Often not. Depending on the offer, you only download the result and file it yourself. | You implement it yourself. | Your invoices stay in your account. You download created invoices as PDF and XML, all at once as a ZIP file if you like. It is not an audit-proof archive under the GoBD. |
| Templates for sender and customers | Often none. You enter sender and customer data again for every invoice. | You implement it yourself. | You save your sender details and customers as templates. How many depends on the plan. |
| Check with understandable messages | Depending on the offer. Messages are often technical rule texts without explanation. | You integrate checking tools yourself and keep the rules up to date. | Checked against the official rules of KoSIT, the publisher of the XRechnung standard, supplemented by Mustang and, depending on the format, the EN 16931 rules. Messages with a rule ID lead to a page that shows the rule and explains it where available. Checking also works without an account. |
| Receiving and reading e-invoices | Depending on the offer, display only; invoices usually cannot be filed. | You develop yourself how incoming XML files and ZUGFeRD PDFs are read. | You upload a received e-invoice (XML file or ZUGFeRD PDF), have it checked and read its content as a clear summary. With an account, you file it as an incoming invoice and record status and payments. |
| API for your own software | Usually not. | Your own development. | A programming interface (REST API) with documentation, so your own software can create e-invoices – in plans with API access. |
| Price | Free. | Development effort and ongoing maintenance when standards and rules change. | A free plan to get started. Paid plans offer more volume and, depending on the plan, API access. |
The information on the alternatives describes typical cases; individual offers may differ.
Frequently asked questions
Can I create e-invoices for free?
Yes. There are free portals and online converters, and E-Rechnungsfreund also has a free plan. The difference lies in everything around the invoice: whether invoices are saved, whether there are templates, whether check results are understandable and whether you can also file incoming invoices.
What do free e-invoice tools typically lack?
That depends on the offer. Often invoices are not saved, there are no templates for sender and customers, and check results appear as technical rule texts. Incoming e-invoices can often only be displayed, not filed.
Does a successful check mean that my invoice is correct?
Not entirely. The check shows whether the file complies with the rules of the format and the standard. Whether the content is right, for example the service or the VAT rate, you still check yourself.
Should we implement e-invoicing ourselves?
That is possible. You then implement the standard, the check and the PDF/A format (a PDF suitable for archiving) yourself and keep everything up to date when rules change. Alternatively, your software sends the invoice data to the E-Rechnungsfreund API and receives a checked e-invoice – in plans with API access.
Can I check an e-invoice without an account?
Yes. Upload the XML file or the ZUGFeRD PDF in the validator. You see the messages of the check and the content of the invoice as a readable overview. Without an account, the number of checks per day is limited.
Start for free with your next invoice
With E-Rechnungsfreund you create valid e-invoices and save sender and customers as templates.
Every invoice is checked before you send it; messages lead to a page with the rule and, where available, an explanation. Created and received invoices are in one place.
See also: E-invoices without accounting software