Lexware Office – formerly known as lexoffice – is one of the best-known invoicing programs in Germany. It works, it is widely used, and many tax advisors get along with it just fine. Still, more and more solo entrepreneurs are looking for an alternative. The reasons are almost always the same: the monthly subscription, features you pay for but never use, or the feeling that your data ends up inside a closed system.
In this article we show you honestly what to look for when searching for an alternative – and what role open-source tools like Gewerber can play.
Why do solo entrepreneurs leave Lexware Office?
The motivations come down to four patterns:
- Subscription costs for unused features. Many founders need just one thing at the start: correct invoices with all the mandatory details. But what they usually pay for is a package with accounting, receipt recognition and interfaces that simply sits idle in the first few months.
- Price changes. Subscription models change – tiers get restructured, prices go up, features move to other packages. If you have built your business on a tool, every change leaves you with two options: pay up or migrate.
- Closed data. With proprietary SaaS tools, the question eventually comes up: how do I get my data out when I cancel? Exports usually exist – but in what format, and how complete?
- Too much tool for your setup. If you work as a Kleinunternehmer without VAT, you don't need VAT advance returns (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung). A tool built precisely for that quickly feels bloated.
Not every one of these points applies to everyone. But when two or three pile up, the subscription stops feeling like a matter of course – and it is worth taking a closer look at the alternatives.
What to look for in an alternative
Regardless of the specific provider, there are criteria against which good invoicing tools for German self-employed professionals can be measured:
- Correct German mandatory details. The program must produce invoices that stand up to § 14 UStG: sequential number, tax number, all required information – and clean wording for the Kleinunternehmerregelung.
- E-invoicing (E-Rechnung) capability. Since 2025, businesses in the B2B space must be able to receive electronic invoices. To be precise: the duty to receive applies since 1 January 2025 to all businesses, including Kleinunternehmer. When it comes to issuing, the obligation applies from 1 January 2027 for businesses with prior-year turnover above 800,000 euros, and from 1 January 2028 for everyone else. The valid formats are XRechnung and ZUGFeRD (from version 2.0.1). Your tool should therefore at least be able to read e-invoices – and ideally also create them.
- Export without a bottleneck. Your customer, invoice and service data belongs to you. A good tool exports it completely at any time – ideally in open formats like CSV or JSON.
- Transparent pricing. Subscription, freemium or completely free: you should know today what it will cost you next year.
- A fit for your size. Solo entrepreneurs have different requirements than teams of five. A lean tool that covers your core processes well beats a suite whose features sit half idle.
Open source as a serious option
One approach that has become visibly more prominent in recent years: open-source software. The promise behind it is concrete – the software is not owned by a single company, its source code is publicly inspectable, and your costs do not depend on the pricing decisions of one vendor.
That is exactly what Gewerber is built on: a free open-source business platform for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses in Germany. The focus is on the things that really count at the start:
- Invoices that follow German rules, including the Kleinunternehmerregelung under § 19 UStG, VAT rates and reverse charge.
- Time tracking that turns tracked time directly into an invoice.
- Clarity instead of legalese – terms are explained where they appear.
- Open development: the code is public (github.com/Gewerber), and the state of development is documented transparently in the roadmap.
During the public beta, using the platform is free. So you can test it without risk – and actively help shape the product, instead of dropping feature requests into a vendor's support ticket.
The fair comparison
To be clear once more: Lexware Office is a mature product with a large ecosystem – for some businesses it remains the right choice. The decision comes easier when you frame it as a question:
| Question | Classic SaaS | Open source (e.g. Gewerber) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost model | Monthly subscription | Core free (beta), optional services |
| Insight into the code | No | Yes, public |
| Data export | In the provider's format | Open formats preferred |
| Influence on development | Support ticket | GitHub issues & contributions |
| Support | Commercial support | Community + documentation |
If transparency, cost control and having a say matter to you, there is a lot to be said for testing the open-source route.
Planning the switch – how to proceed in practice
A change doesn't have to be a major project:
- Secure your existing data. Export customers, open invoices and ongoing processes from your current tool.
- Plan a parallel phase. Use the new tool for new invoices while old processes continue in the legacy system. After two or three months you can make a clean split.
- Check the retention periods. Even after switching, you must keep your invoices – although, thanks to the Fourth Bureaucracy Relief Act (BEG IV), the retention period for accounting vouchers (Buchungsbelege), which includes invoices, has been shortened from ten to eight years since 2025 (§ 147 Abs. 3 Nr. 4 AO, § 257 HGB); books and annual financial statements stay at ten years. Important for e-invoices: the structured XML file itself must also be archived – a printed PDF alone does not meet the GoBD requirements. So keep raw data in open formats (e.g. CSV or JSON export) plus readable copies.
- Document your numbering schemes. Sequential invoice numbers must never be issued twice – note down your last number.
Conclusion: an alternative doesn't automatically mean compromise
Finding a Lexware Office alternative does not mean making sacrifices. It mostly means deciding what really matters to you – cost, control, transparency, simplicity – and choosing a tool that is strong exactly there.
That is exactly how we built Gewerber: as a friendly platform for solo entrepreneurs in Germany that brings together invoicing, time tracking and accounting in an understandable way – open source and without a forced subscription. Check out the features or secure your spot in the beta.