Small budget, few receipts
With very few receipts and a tight budget, the pure software fee of roughly €10 to €40 per month is the cheapest option, as long as you can spare the time for self-posting and enjoy it.
Bookkeeping cost guide
What does it cost to outsource your bookkeeping? An honest cost comparison of the options
For your ongoing bookkeeping you essentially have three paths: you do it yourself with bookkeeping software, you hand it to your tax advisor, or you use a bookkeeping service like Buchführungsheld. Each path has a different cost mechanism: a plain software fee plus your own time, an ongoing fee based on the German tax-advisor fee schedule (StBVV), or a predictable fixed price. Here we compare the typical monthly costs transparently, with approximate ranges and a note to verify.
Updated: July 2026. Prices of other providers are non-binding and subject to change.
Buchführungsheld
April done
- Receipts uploaded12 receipts, April
- Booked by prosgeprüft und kontiert
- USt-Voranmeldung300 €, vom Finanzamt eingezogen
Umsatz24.500 €
Gewinn6.200 €
Bookkeeping software, tax advisor, and Buchführungsheld in a cost comparison
The three paths for your ongoing bookkeeping side by side. The Buchführungsheld column is highlighted, and the values are deliberately kept honest.
| Criterion | Other ways | Buchführungsheld |
|---|---|---|
| Core principle | Do your own bookkeeping with software or ongoing bookkeeping with a tax advisor | Full service, certified bookkeepers post for you |
| Cost mechanism | Software fee plus your own time, or fees per StBVV | predictable fixed price per month |
| Typical monthly costs | Software approx. €10 to €40, tax advisor ongoing and variable per StBVV | from €49 (full service including booking) |
| Time spent per month | Software several hours, tax advisor little (just supply receipts) | about 15 to 30 minutes, uploading receipts |
| Receipt capture | with software done yourself, with a tax advisor done by the firm | you upload, the team posts |
| Invoice creation (invoicing) | included in many software solutions | in preparation, available soon |
| Preliminary VAT return | with software done yourself via ELSTER, with a tax advisor included | prepared and filed for you |
| Ongoing posting | with software done manually by you, with a tax advisor done by the firm | by certified bookkeepers |
| Error risk and liability | with software it's on you, with a tax advisor it's their professional responsibility | Bookings by professionals, a verified process |
| DATEV compatibility | Software usually with DATEV export, tax advisor works natively in DATEV | DATEV-compatible collaboration and export |
| Predictable costs | Software easy to budget for, tax advisor fee often only known once the invoice arrives | the same fixed price per month, known in advance |
| Contract commitment | varies depending on the software or engagement agreement | cancelable monthly |
As of July 2026. Software costs of approx. 10 to 40 euros per month are a realistic market range and vary by provider and plan, please check with the respective provider. Ongoing bookkeeping through a tax advisor is billed under the German tax advisor fee schedule (StBVV) and varies depending on, among other things, the object value and effort involved, so a flat figure can't seriously be given, so it's best to get an individual quote from your firm. Buchführungsheld prices are plus 19 percent VAT and are intended exclusively for businesses. As of July 2026, please check with the provider.
Sample calculation: typical total cost per month for each path
Example: a solo self-employed person with around 25 receipts per month and an assumed entrepreneur's hourly rate of €80. The tax advisor route can only be quantified individually under the StBVV and is therefore not assumed as a flat rate in the sample calculation.
Bookkeeping software do it yourself
- Bookkeeping software (approx. range 10 to 40 €)approx. 25 €
- your own time approx. 3.5 hrs x €80280 €
Total per monthapprox. 305 €
Mit Buchführungsheld
- Buchführungsheld Starter, 25 receipts included49 €
- your own time approx. 0.5 hrs x €8040 €
Total per month89 €
Calculated savings compared with doing your own bookkeeping: around €215 per month, mainly from the time you save.
Sample calculation with assumed time values. Software costs are an approximate market range of €10 to €40 per month and should be checked with the provider. Ongoing bookkeeping through the tax advisor is variable under the StBVV and cannot be quantified as a flat rate. As of July 2026, please check with the provider. The actual time required depends on the number of receipts and your routine.
When a different path suits you better
Honestly, there are cases where software or a tax advisor is the more suitable choice.
You want everything from a single source at the tax advisor
If you want to bundle ongoing bookkeeping, annual financial statements and tax returns entirely in one firm and you have complex tax questions, the tax advisor is the right point of contact. They complement a bookkeeping service and are needed for the closing anyway.
You want to write invoices yourself right away
Many software solutions already offer quotes, invoices and dunning today. At Buchführungsheld, invoicing is in the works and coming soon. If you need billing in the same tool right away, software is currently ahead here.
Get to a fixed-price bookkeeping service in three steps
The switch is straightforward, your data won't be lost.
1
Initial consultation and clarifying costs
In a short, free call, we take a look at your current bookkeeping and clarify which fixed-price plan fits your number of receipts.
2
Export data (DATEV or CSV)
You export your previous entries and receipts from your software or get them from your tax advisor, for example as a DATEV or CSV file. We take over the ongoing bookkeeping seamlessly.
3
Upload receipts, we post them
From now on, you upload receipts via app or browser. Your accountants book everything, prepare the VAT return, and deliver monthly reports at a fixed price.
More comparisons
See how Buchführungsheld stacks up against other providers and approaches.
FAQ: Other paths and Buchführungsheld
Answers about costs, options, data migration, and cancellation.
What does external bookkeeping really cost?
It depends on the path. Bookkeeping software costs roughly 10 to 40 euros per month as an approximate range, plus your own time. Ongoing bookkeeping through a tax advisor is billed variably according to the StBVV and is usually the most expensive path; a flat figure wouldn't be honest here. A bookkeeping service like Buchführungsheld starts at a fixed price from 49 euros per month, including the booking work. As of July 2026, please verify the specific prices with the provider.
Is a bookkeeping service cheaper than a tax advisor?
For pure ongoing bookkeeping, a fixed-price service is often more predictable than the variable fee under the German tax-advisor fee schedule (StBVV). But the tax advisor remains responsible for the annual financial statements and tax return; here a bookkeeping service doesn't replace them, it complements them. An individual quote from your firm brings clarity about your actual costs.
Can I bring over my data from software or from my tax firm?
Yes. You export your entries and receipts from your software or have your tax advisor provide them, for example as a DATEV or CSV file. Buchführungsheld takes over the ongoing bookkeeping and continues to work in a DATEV-compatible way.
How long am I committed to Buchführungsheld?
Buchführungsheld can be cancelled monthly. Software or a tax advisor engagement agreement may have different notice periods, which you should check directly with them.
Can I also write invoices with Buchführungsheld?
Invoicing is in preparation at Buchführungsheld and coming soon. Today the focus is on complete bookkeeping: you upload receipts and outgoing invoices, and the team posts everything. If you want to write invoices in the same tool right away, invoicing software is currently the faster choice.
Do I still need a tax advisor as well?
For the annual financial statements and tax return, you continue working with your tax advisor. Buchführungsheld delivers the continuously categorized data in DATEV-compatible form, so your tax advisor can jump right in. The service handles the ongoing bookkeeping but doesn't replace the tax advisor.
Is my bookkeeping GDPR- and GoBD-compliant?
Yes. Buchführungsheld processes all data in a GDPR- and GoBD-compliant way in data centers in Germany.
Hand off your bookkeeping
Hand off your bookkeeping instead of posting it yourself
Upload your receipts, and certified bookkeepers take care of the rest. At a flat rate from 49 euros per month, cancelable monthly. Try it free for 7 days.