Indy vs Lexware Office Comparison

Why choose Indy

• 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)
• Higher Support score (7/10 vs 6/10)

Why choose Lexware Office

• Higher Integration score (7/10 vs 3/10)
• Higher Scalability score (4/10 vs 3/10)
• Includes Payroll, which Indy lacks

Indy

Pros

• The free plan includes unlimited invoicing, e-invoicing, bank sync, and a business account with a card.
• It pre-fills and e-files French tax returns such as VAT, 2035, CFE, and the liasse fiscale.
• Higher tiers add chartered accountant review, so you can upgrade without changing tools.
• It is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from more than 7,000 reviews, according to Legalstart.

Cons

• It does not run payroll or manage employees.
• It has very few third-party integrations.
• Lower tiers have no phone support; phone access starts with Sérénité.
• It is limited to French legal statuses, and complex bookkeeping such as fixed assets or provisions is poorly handled.
• The business account accepts no cash or cheque deposits.

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.