DATEV
Unclaimed verified 14 jul 2026Führend in Software, Service & Wissen.
TL;DR
DATEV is a comprehensive German SaaS suite for accounting, tax compliance, payroll, and invoicing targeted at tax advisors, auditors, and SMEs. It stands out as the long-standing industry standard with deep regulatory integration and high security standards. Key differentiator is its cooperative ownership model ensuring alignment with professional users.
What Users Actually Pay
No user-reported pricing yet.
Our Take
DATEV holds a dominant position in the German professional services software market, serving as the de facto standard for tax consulting firms and businesses requiring strict compliance with national tax and accounting regulations. Its value proposition centers on reliability, extensive integrations, and support for complex workflows like payroll and financial reporting that are tightly coupled to German legal frameworks. Strengths include robust automation of compliance tasks, real-time data synchronization, and a vast ecosystem of over 200 specialized modules, making it highly scalable for established practices. The cooperative structure (eG) fosters trust and long-term stability without external investor pressure. Limitations arise from its complexity: the user interface can feel outdated or cluttered, the product portfolio is vast and sometimes confusing for newcomers, and costs are perceived as high. It may not suit very small or highly agile international teams seeking simpler, more flexible tools. Best suited for mid-to-large tax advisory firms, German SMEs, and public sector entities prioritizing regulatory accuracy and integration over ease of use or rapid deployment.
Pros
- + Excellent tax compliance and automated VAT/invoicing features that reduce errors and ensure regulatory adherence
- + Strong security standards and data protection tailored to sensitive financial information
- + Broad functionality covering accounting, payroll, and reporting with numerous interfaces and integrations
- + High reliability and standardization trusted by tens of thousands of professional users
- + Real-time data syncing and cloud access improving collaboration between advisors and clients
Cons
- - Steep learning curve and complex, sometimes confusing product landscape with many modules
- - User interface criticized as outdated or below modern standards in login/redirection flows
- - High cost factor that may not justify for smaller or less complex operations
- - Limited flexibility for non-standard or highly customized international workflows
- - Sparse public English-language reviews; feedback often highlights German-specific strengths over broad accessibility
[ features ]
Geostrategic Position
Information on which part of the world this product / vendor belongs to, i.e. the country of their headquarters primarily, but also their hosting options etc.
Find which geostrategic world region the headquarter is located in. Relevant for compliance questions (e.g., CLOUD Act) or risk of cut-off in case of conflicts. For example, some EU companies are worried about the US and would definitely not host their customer with Chinese or Russian companies.
The hosting provider that is used to host this product, if any.
The available hosting locations, if you can choose
Compliance & Security
Security certifications, compliance features, and access control capabilities.
SOC 2 Type I or Type II certification.
ISO 27001 information security certification.
Built-in tools for GDPR compliance (data export, deletion, consent).
Complete audit log of all data changes.
Granular permissions based on user roles.
Single Sign-On integration support.
Developer Experience
Tools and abstractions easing agent development and iteration.
No-code/low-code UI for designing agent workflows.
OpenAI API-compatible endpoints or SDKs.
Available as open-source with community contributions.
Programming languages with official SDK support.
Ready-to-use, customizable UI elements for auth flows.
Self-service admin dashboard for customers to manage users/orgs.
Supported frontend frameworks with dedicated guides/components.
Pricing & Plans
Pricing structure, tiers, and value propositions.
Offers a usable free plan or tier.
One-time payment for perpetual access.
Use existing servers/infra without lock-in.
No limits on number of sites/apps/projects.
Availability of a free plan or trial with usable outputs.
Entry-level price for basic generation package.
Whether usage is limited by credits rather than unlimited in plans.
Discounted or bulk options for teams/enterprises.
Offers a permanent free plan with usable limits
Maximum invoices allowed per month on free plan
Lowest annual subscription price in EUR
Invoicing & Billing
Core invoicing features including automation, templates, and payment handling
Supports automatic generation and sending of recurring invoices
Automated payment reminders and dunning processes
One-click conversion from quotes/offers to invoices
Includes GiroCode or EPC QR codes for easy bank transfers
Accounting Integrations
Connections to banking, tax systems, and export formats
Supports direct export to DATEV accounting software
Automatic matching of bank transactions with bookkeeping
Direct connection for VAT pre-registration and tax filings
Receipt & Document Management
Features for capturing, digitizing, and organizing receipts and documents
AI-powered OCR for scanning and extracting receipt data
Mobile app with camera-based receipt upload and processing
Automatically suggests accounts and categories for receipts
Compare With
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to review DATEV!