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Best Accounting Software Switzerland 2026: 9 Tools Honestly Compared

Bexio, LumaBill, MILKEE, Magic Heidi, CashCtrl, Banana and more: prices and features of 9 Swiss accounting tools compared. As of June 2026.

June 10, 202612 min readLumaBill Team

Looking for accounting software for your Swiss business? The choice in 2026 is bigger than ever - and the price differences are steep: from CHF 0 to over CHF 100 per month for features that sound very similar.

We compared 9 Swiss tools: prices, QR-bills, double-entry bookkeeping, bank import, AI features and VAT. Full transparency upfront: this comparison comes from LumaBill. We will still tell you honestly where another tool fits you better - you can verify it in every section, and all prices come from the vendor websites (as of June 10, 2026).

What Matters in Swiss Accounting Software

Accounting software for Switzerland must master four things: Swiss QR-bills (the only valid payment slip standard since October 2022), the Swiss VAT rates (8.1% standard, 2.6% reduced, 3.8% accommodation), bank import via camt files or a bank connection, and - depending on your legal form - double-entry bookkeeping under the OR (Swiss Code of Obligations).

The key legal thresholds:

  • CHF 100'000 annual revenue: VAT liability begins (Art. 10 MWSTG, the Swiss VAT Act)
  • CHF 500'000 annual revenue: double-entry bookkeeping becomes mandatory (Art. 957 OR); below that, the simple Milchbüechli record (milk-booklet method, the Swiss simple income/expense method) is sufficient
  • GmbH and AG: double-entry bookkeeping is always mandatory, regardless of revenue

The Big Comparison Table

Tool From CHF/mo* QR-bill Double-entry bookkeeping Bank import AI receipts Languages
LumaBill 7.50 Yes From CHF 19 camt.053 (from CHF 19) From CHF 29 de/en/fr/it
bexio 35 Yes Yes Yes Yes (from Advanced) de/fr/it/en
MILKEE 24.90 Yes From CHF 34.90 Yes (automatic) 120 scans/year de
Magic Heidi 25 Yes No Yes Yes de/fr/it/en
Pfeffersack 5 Yes Yes Yes Booking suggestions de
einzly 6.67 Yes No camt.053 Yes de/fr/it/en
HelvetiBill 12 Yes No No No de
CashCtrl 0 Yes Yes PRO only (CHF 340/year) No de/en
Banana 0 / CHF 89 per year Yes Yes Import rules (Advanced) No de/fr/it/en +

*Cheapest paid plan with annual billing; CashCtrl and Banana have permanently free versions. All figures from the vendor websites, as of June 10, 2026.

The Tools in Detail

LumaBill - Invoicing Plus Real Bookkeeping with AI

LumaBill combines unlimited QR-bills (from CHF 9/mo, CHF 7.50 on annual billing) with real double-entry bookkeeping, camt.053 bank import, profit and loss statement, balance sheet and VAT return (Pro, CHF 19/mo). Pro + AI (CHF 29/mo) adds AI receipt recognition, AI expense categorization and AI bank reconciliation. Unique in this field: a native MCP server that lets you drive your bookkeeping directly from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor.

Strengths: value for money (complete bookkeeping from CHF 19), four languages, multiple company profiles in one account, AI features, GeBüV-compliant audit export. Weaknesses: younger and fewer integrations than bexio, no payroll, web app instead of native mobile apps.

Right for you if you are a freelancer, sole proprietorship or small GmbH and want invoicing and bookkeeping in one tool without paying bexio prices.

bexio - the Market Leader for SMEs

bexio is the best-known Swiss business software, with over 100'000 customers and a large fiduciary network. Since the package restructuring of March 2026, the entry plan (Basic, 1 user) costs CHF 35/mo with annual billing, and the most popular packages, Advanced and Optima, cost CHF 42 and CHF 69 respectively.

Strengths: huge ecosystem (fiduciaries, integrations, payroll), well established, many interfaces. Weaknesses: price (4-5x more expensive than the entry plans of LumaBill or einzly), often oversized for micro businesses, data export after the contract ends costs extra.

Right for you if you are a growing SME with several employees and your fiduciary works with bexio. Details: LumaBill vs bexio.

MILKEE - Milchbüechli with a Bank Connection

MILKEE focuses on the self-employed with simple bookkeeping. Basic (CHF 24.90/mo billed annually) includes the Milchbüechli record, QR-bills, an automatic bank connection and 120 AI receipt scans per year. Double-entry bookkeeping, VAT and multi-currency are only available from Business (CHF 34.90/mo).

Strengths: very easy to use, automatic bank connection (no file upload), fiduciary access. Weaknesses: German only, AI scans in the Basic plan are tight (120/year), double-entry bookkeeping and VAT cost CHF 34.90/mo - almost double LumaBill Pro.

Right for you if you run a German-speaking sole proprietorship and want maximum simplicity with automatic bank reconciliation. Details: LumaBill vs MILKEE.

Magic Heidi - Invoicing App with Native Apps

Magic Heidi (CHF 25/mo billed annually, free plan with 3 invoices) is an invoicing and expense app built specifically for freelancers, with native apps for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, and AI receipt scanning included. Actual bookkeeping (profit and loss statement, balance sheet, double-entry) is not something Magic Heidi offers.

Strengths: native apps on all platforms, AI scanning included in the price, very beginner-friendly, free entry plan. Weaknesses: no double-entry bookkeeping and no year-end reports, only one plan (CHF 25/mo), no multi-company management.

Right for you if you only need invoices and expenses and work on the move a lot. Details: LumaBill vs Magic Heidi.

Pfeffersack - the Price Breaker

Pfeffersack costs CHF 5/mo on the annual plan (CHF 7 monthly) and offers a surprising amount for it: QR-bills, double-entry bookkeeping, bank import (UBS, ZKB, PostFinance, camt), VAT rates, time tracking and read access for your fiduciary.

Strengths: unbeatable price, time tracking included, industry templates. Weaknesses: German only, AI limited to booking suggestions (no receipt scanning), smaller team and ecosystem.

Right for you if budget is your most important criterion and you work in German.

einzly - Affordable for Sole Proprietorships

einzly (Basis from CHF 6.67/mo on the annual plan) explicitly targets sole proprietorships and freelancers below CHF 500'000 revenue: unlimited QR-bills, quotes, expenses, payment reminders, VAT (effective and net tax rate method) and camt.053 bank reconciliation. There is no double-entry bookkeeping.

Strengths: low price, four languages, VAT including the net tax rate method, AI receipt scanning. Weaknesses: no double-entry bookkeeping (by design), so not an option for GmbH/AG or growing companies.

Right for you if you run a small sole proprietorship and are sure you will never need double-entry bookkeeping.

HelvetiBill - Pure Invoicing

HelvetiBill (Pro CHF 12/mo, max. 10 invoices/month; Pro+ CHF 24/mo unlimited) is a pure invoicing tool with QR-bills, quotes and client management. Bookkeeping, bank import and AI are missing entirely.

Strengths: simple, client portal, SIX-compliant QR-bills. Weaknesses: hard limits on the entry plan (10 invoices/mo), no bookkeeping, no bank import, German only.

Right for you if you write very few invoices and deliberately do not want a bookkeeping tool.

CashCtrl - Free Double-Entry Bookkeeping

CashCtrl is the only provider offering permanently free, fully fledged double-entry bookkeeping with QR-bills, receivables/payables and reports (1 user, 1 organization). Bank import (ISO 20022/MT940), foreign currencies, payroll and the API are only available with PRO for CHF 340/year.

Strengths: free plan with no time limit, solid accounting foundation, popular with fiduciaries. Weaknesses: bank import only in PRO, no AI receipt scanning, the interface feels more like an accountant's tool than beginner-friendly.

Right for you if you bring bookkeeping knowledge and are looking for a free, solid general ledger.

Banana - the Desktop Classic

Banana Accounting (Professional CHF 89/year, free up to 70 transaction rows) is desktop software with double-entry bookkeeping, VAT, multi-currency and invoicing. Banana has been a fixture among associations, schools and micro businesses for decades.

Strengths: one annual fee instead of a monthly subscription, runs locally (full data ownership), very flexible (spreadsheet character). Weaknesses: no cloud collaboration, no automatic bank reconciliation in the base plan, no AI, paid support.

Right for you if you want a local solution and the spreadsheet approach does not bother you - typical for associations.

Which Accounting Software Fits Whom?

Sole proprietorship below CHF 500'000 revenue, keep it simple: LumaBill Starter (CHF 9), einzly (CHF 6.67) or Pfeffersack (CHF 5). The Milchbüechli is legally sufficient.

Sole proprietorship or GmbH with real bookkeeping (balance sheet, profit and loss statement, VAT): LumaBill Pro (CHF 19) is the cheapest complete path; CashCtrl Free if you can do without bank import; MILKEE Business (CHF 34.90) if you want the automatic bank connection.

SME with a team, a fiduciary and integrations: bexio (from CHF 35) - this is where its ecosystem plays to its strength.

Maximum mobility, invoices + expenses only: Magic Heidi (CHF 25) with native apps.

Association or desktop fan: Banana (CHF 89/year).

You want AI to do the work (scan receipts, reconcile the bank): LumaBill Pro + AI (CHF 29) offers the most complete AI package: receipt recognition, expense categorization, bank reconciliation and email inbox import - plus an MCP server for AI assistants.

Conclusion

There is no single winner - but there are clear profiles. If you want invoicing and real bookkeeping with AI support at a fair price, LumaBill is the best choice in this field in 2026: complete bookkeeping from CHF 19, AI from CHF 29, four languages. Try LumaBill free for 14 days - or first create a free QR-bill without signing up to see the invoicing experience.

All prices and feature details: vendor websites, retrieved on June 10, 2026, with annual billing. Found an error? Write to us at support@lumabill.ch - we will correct it promptly.

Frequently asked questions

Which accounting software is best for a sole proprietorship in Switzerland?

For sole proprietorships below CHF 500'000 revenue, a simple income-and-expense record (Milchbüechli, the Swiss milk-booklet method) is enough. Good fits are LumaBill (from CHF 9/mo, CHF 7.50 on annual billing), einzly (from CHF 6.67/mo) or Pfeffersack (from CHF 5/mo). If you want to grow into double-entry bookkeeping later, LumaBill Pro (CHF 19/mo) or CashCtrl are your best bets.

How much does accounting software cost in Switzerland?

The range goes from free (CashCtrl Free, Banana up to 70 entries) through CHF 5-30 per month for freelancer tools up to CHF 35-129 per month for SME suites like bexio. For most sole proprietorships and small GmbHs, a sensible budget is CHF 9-35 per month.

Do I need double-entry bookkeeping as a Swiss business?

Only from CHF 500'000 annual revenue does Art. 957 OR (Swiss Code of Obligations) require double-entry bookkeeping. Below that, a simple record of income, expenses and your asset position is sufficient. GmbHs and AGs must keep double-entry books regardless of revenue.

Which accounting software prepares the Swiss VAT return?

An automatic VAT return (effective or net tax rate method) is offered by LumaBill Pro (CHF 19/mo), bexio (from CHF 35/mo), MILKEE Business (CHF 34.90/mo) and einzly, among others. You become liable for VAT from CHF 100'000 annual revenue.

Is there free accounting software for Switzerland?

Yes. CashCtrl offers permanently free double-entry bookkeeping (1 user, no bank import), Banana is free up to 70 transaction rows, and Magic Heidi has a free plan with 3 invoices. For productive use with bank reconciliation and VAT, you usually cannot avoid a paid subscription.

What is the best Bexio alternative?

It depends on your profile: LumaBill (from CHF 9/mo, CHF 7.50 on annual billing) for freelancers and small SMEs who want invoicing plus real bookkeeping with AI; MILKEE for a simple Milchbüechli with a bank connection; CashCtrl for free double-entry bookkeeping. Bexio remains strong if you need the large fiduciary ecosystem and many integrations.

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