#Scribo vs sevDesk
sevDesk is a full German accounting suite you pay for monthly; Scribo is a free, focused generator that produces the same EN 16931-compliant XRechnung and ZUGFeRD files — pick sevDesk if you need bookkeeping, Scribo if you just need a compliant invoice (and want it free, or generated from an AI assistant). They overlap on compliant invoicing but serve different jobs.
Factual comparison only — not tax or legal advice. Competitor details are as of June 2026; check sevdesk.de for current pricing and features.
#At a glance
| Scribo | sevDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no per-invoice fee (fair-use limits) | Paid plans from ~€9/month; no permanent free plan (trial) |
| EN 16931 formats | XRechnung (CII/UBL), ZUGFeRD (live) | XRechnung, ZUGFeRD |
| Validated at generate time | Yes (Invopop EN 16931 validator) | — |
| Public HTTP API | Yes (/api/v1) |
Yes |
| First-party agent surface (MCP / CLI / skill) | Yes (hosted MCP, npm CLI, Claude/Codex skill) | Not documented (third-party integrations only) |
| Accounting scope | Generate-only (no bookkeeping) | Full suite (invoicing + bookkeeping + bank reconciliation) |
| Signup | Magic link, no form | Account required |
| Operator | Causa Prima Germany GmbH | sevDesk GmbH |
#When sevDesk is the better fit
If you want one tool for your day-to-day finances — recording income and expenses, importing bank transactions, managing customers, and producing invoices — sevDesk is built for that. A focused generator like Scribo won't replace your bookkeeping.
#When Scribo is the better fit
If you only need the compliant invoice file — and want it free, with no subscription and no signup form — Scribo is the leaner choice. It's also the better fit when the invoice should be created programmatically or by an AI assistant: Scribo exposes a hosted MCP server, an npm CLI, and a Claude/Codex skill, so a billing agent can produce a validated XRechnung or ZUGFeRD without anyone opening a UI. If you already keep your books elsewhere, Scribo slots in as just the compliant-invoice step.
#The honest limits of each
- Scribo does one job: it generates compliant invoices. It does not do bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, or invoice delivery — it returns the file for you to send.
- sevDesk is a paid product with no permanent free tier, and its broader feature set is more than you need if all you want is a compliant invoice.
#Frequently asked questions
Is there a free sevDesk alternative for XRechnung? Scribo generates EN 16931-compliant XRechnung and ZUGFeRD invoices for free, with no per-invoice fee and no signup form. sevDesk is a paid accounting suite. If you only need the compliant invoice file rather than full bookkeeping, Scribo covers that for free.
Does Scribo do bookkeeping like sevDesk? No. Scribo only generates compliant invoices. sevDesk is a broader accounting tool that also handles bookkeeping and bank reconciliation. Scribo is designed to produce the compliant document and plug into whatever you use for the books.
Can I generate a ZUGFeRD invoice without signing up? With Scribo, yes — the sender email you enter is your login via a magic link, so there is no separate signup form. sevDesk requires creating an account.
Is Scribo's output as compliant as sevDesk's? Both produce EN 16931-conformant XRechnung and ZUGFeRD. Scribo validates every invoice against EN 16931 with Invopop's hosted validator at generate time, before the file is returned.
See also: What is XRechnung? · ZUGFeRD vs XRechnung · Best free e-invoicing tools · Scribo compliance posture. Competitor facts as of June 2026 — verify on the vendor's site.