Papierkram alternative
Papierkram is cloud software with bookkeeping, invoicing, plus project and time tracking that you use to do your own bookkeeping. Buchführungsheld takes a different route: you upload your receipts, certified bookkeepers post everything, prepare the advance VAT return, and deliver finished reports. Here you'll see when switching pays off.
Updated: July 2026. Prices of other providers are non-binding and subject to change.
Software for doing your own bookkeeping versus full-service bookkeeping. The Buchführungsheld column is highlighted, and the values are deliberately kept honest.
| Criterion | Papierkram | Buchführungsheld |
|---|---|---|
| Core principle | Software, you post yourself | Full service, bookkeepers post for you |
| Time spent per month | several hours for capturing and coding | about 15 to 30 minutes, uploading receipts |
| Receipt capture | you enter and code the accounts yourself, with receipt scanning | you upload, the team posts |
| Invoice creation (invoicing) | yes, quotes, invoices, dunning | in preparation, available soon |
| Project and time tracking | yes, integrated, a core feature | not the focus, bookkeeping is the priority |
| Preliminary VAT return | you create and submit it yourself via ELSTER | prepared and filed for you |
| Ongoing posting | manually by you | by certified bookkeepers |
| Error risk and liability | up to you, since you do the posting yourself | Bookings by professionals, a verified process |
| DATEV compatibility | DATEV export available | DATEV-compatible collaboration and export |
| Price per month | free entry point, plans approx. €9.90 to €39.90 (plus VAT) | from €49 (full service including booking) |
| Support | Software support, help center | personal bookkeepers, support based in Germany |
| Contract commitment | monthly or annually, annual plan cheaper | cancelable monthly |
As of July 2026. Papierkram prices per the provider: a free plan plus paid plans roughly from approx. 9.90 euros (S) through approx. 19.90 euros (M) to approx. 39.90 euros per month (L), each plus VAT. The prices given are for annual billing; with monthly billing they're higher. As of July 2026, please check with the provider. Buchführungsheld from 49 euros per month plus 19 percent VAT, for businesses only.
Example: a solo self-employed person with around 25 receipts per month and an assumed entrepreneur's hourly rate of €80.
Calculated savings: around 211 euros per month, mostly from the time you no longer spend yourself.
Sample calculation with assumed time values. It assumes Papierkram plan M at approx. €19.90 per month plus VAT. As of July 2026, please check with the provider. The actual time required depends on the number of receipts and your routine.
Honestly, there are cases where software like Papierkram is a better fit for you.
Papierkram combines bookkeeping, invoicing, plus project and time tracking in one tool. If you log time to projects and turn it straight into invoices, this integrated approach is a real advantage that a pure bookkeeping service can't offer.
Papierkram already offers quotes, invoices, and dunning today. With Buchführungsheld, invoice creation is in the works and coming soon. If you need invoicing right away in the same tool, Papierkram currently has the edge here.
With its free entry option and low-cost plans, Papierkram's pure monthly price can come in below full service, as long as you put in the time to do your own bookkeeping and have few receipts.
The switch is straightforward and your data won't be lost.
In a short, free call, we take a look at your current bookkeeping, clarify your receipt volume and legal form, and tell you which plan fits you. No obligation, no pressure.
You export your previous entries and receipts from Papierkram as a DATEV or CSV file. We'll show you where to find it and import the values for a clean start.
From now on, you simply upload your receipts via app or browser. Certified accountants book everything, prepare the VAT return, and deliver finished reports.
See how Buchführungsheld stacks up against other providers and approaches.
Answers on switching, data migration, costs, and cancellation.
Yes, but with a different model. Papierkram is software you use to book yourself. Buchführungsheld is a full-service offering where certified bookkeepers take over your bookkeeping. If you'd rather hand your bookkeeping off than do it yourself, Buchführungsheld is the right alternative.
Yes. Papierkram offers a DATEV export, and many values can also be output as CSV. We take over this data for a clean transition, so your bookkeeping continues seamlessly.
As pure software, Papierkram is cheaper per month: there's a free entry level and plans roughly from about €9.90 to €39.90 per month plus VAT (as of July 2026, please verify with the provider). Buchführungsheld starts at €49 per month plus 19 percent VAT, but certified bookkeepers do the work you'd handle yourself in Papierkram. What pays off for you depends mainly on how much time you spend.
You cancel your Papierkram subscription directly with the provider under the terms that apply there. Buchführungsheld itself can be canceled monthly, so you don't commit to a long-term contract.
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 or log time to projects, software like Papierkram is currently the faster choice.
For the annual financial statements and tax return, you continue working with your tax advisor. Buchführungsheld handles the ongoing bookkeeping and the VAT return and delivers categorized, reconciled DATEV data, so your tax advisor can jump right in.
Yes. Buchführungsheld processes all data in a GDPR- and GoBD-compliant way in data centers in Germany. So your data is processed securely and in accordance with applicable requirements.
Hand off your bookkeeping
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.
