The modern Pebe Alternative for Swiss freelancers
Pebe is cheap and solid, but it feels like 2005. Magic Heidi is mobile, fast and scans your receipts with AI.
When your accounting software looks like
a Windows XP screenshot.
Pebe gets the job done, but every VAT return takes longer than it should. Click, click, form, save. You're done with it.
90s-style interface
Tiny buttons, old menus, no flowReceipts entered by hand
Date, amount, VAT, supplier — all manualNo real mobile app
Or it just feels like a small desktopModern UX, AI receipt scanning, 5 native apps
What Pebe didn't build in 30 years: a tool that on your iPhone, during a coffee break, feels like Instagram.
AI receipt scanning included
Snap a photo of the restaurant receipt and Magic Heidi reads the date, amount, VAT and supplier automatically. Pebe doesn't offer that.
Native apps on 5 platforms
iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Web. All synced, all fast. No stripped-down mobile version.
Modern UX
Three clicks to a QR-bill instead of seven forms. Accounting that doesn't feel like accounting.
Snap the receipt, done
Photo on the go, VAT assigned automatically, foreign currency converted to CHF. With 30 receipts a month, that saves you about two hours compared to manual entry in Pebe. More on AI receipt scanning →
Receipts under control, all at a glance
Sorted, categorised and assigned correctly for tax, exportable as a list any time. No modules, no module purchases, no hidden fees.
Everything in one app.
No module kit.
Pebe is modular: invoicing, accounting, payroll — every piece on its own. Magic Heidi is all-in-one for solo freelancers. One app, one price, everything in.
Invoices and quotes
Professional design, multilingual, sent in under a minute.
- Swiss QR-Bill v2.3 SIX-compliant
- Invoices in your client's language
- 50+ currencies with daily SNB rates
- Recurring invoices and reminders
AI receipt scanning
Take a photo of the receipt and Magic Heidi reads the data automatically. Pebe doesn't have it.
- Date, amount, VAT, supplier
- Photo, PDF or by email forward
- Multi-currency with SNB conversion
- Recurring expenses and subscriptions
VAT and taxes
Effective method or net tax rate, Magic Heidi calculates, you copy.
- All Swiss VAT rates set up
- Quarterly return as an export
- Input VAT deduction on expenses
- Annual document for your tax return
Bank import
CSV from UBS, PostFinance, ZKB, Raiffeisen, Migros, Neon, Yuh and friends.
- Automatic payment matching
- Match by amount, date, reference
- Multiple bank accounts in parallel
- Paid / open / overdue at a glance
How is your business doing this month?
Revenue, expenses, profit and estimated taxes in one dashboard. Pebe shows you bookkeeping balances — we show you how it's actually going. More on accounting →
Swiss software,
Swiss servers, Swiss support.
Pebe is Swiss, Magic Heidi too. The difference is in the experience: data hosted in Zurich, encrypted in transit and at rest. Personal support from co-founder Nathan, who answers emails and calls himself.
Data stays in Switzerland
AES-256 at rest, TLS in transit
Nathan answers emails personally
Direct import from UBS, PostFinance, ZKB, Raiffeisen and more
Your data belongs to you
Full ZIP export any time, no lock-in. If you switch from Pebe, you export your data there and import it here. If you ever want to leave, it's just as easy. More on data security →
Magic Heidi vs Pebe Smart and other alternatives
Pebe is cheaper per month, that's true. But anyone who counts by the hour rather than by the month sees a different picture. Here are the cold facts.
| What matters for freelancers | Magic Heidi | Pebe Smart | Bexio | Banana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | ✓ Swiss freelancers | Sole proprietors and SMEs, modular | SMEs with employees | Fiduciaries, double-entry bookkeeping |
| Native iPhone app | ✓ Yes | ⚠ Limited | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Native Mac app | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No | ⚠ Old desktop |
| AI receipt scanning | ✓ Included | ✗ No | ⚠ Pro tier | ✗ No |
| QR-bill | ✓ SIX-compliant | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Automatic VAT | ✓ Both methods | ✓ Yes | ✓ Both methods | ✓ Yes |
| Modern UX | ✓ Yes | ⚠ Classic | ✓ Yes | ⚠ Outdated |
| Price (from) | CHF 25 / month | CHF 18 / month | ~CHF 35 / month | CHF 79 / year |
| Free plan with no time limit | ✓ Yes | ✗ Trial | ✗ 30 days | ⚠ Trial |
Customer support with a face.
When he's not out and about, Nathan answers emails and calls around the clock. With Pebe you write to a ticket system.
What over 5'000 Swiss freelancers say
From the App Store, Google Play, Capterra and Trustpilot. Real Swiss solo businesses who switched from older software to Magic Heidi.
I was on an old Swiss accounting software for years. Switching to Magic Heidi on the iPhone literally gave me my accounting life back.
4.7★ — read all reviews
The AI receipt capture alone saves me two hours a month. Photo, quick check, done. Before that I typed every single receipt by hand.
5.0★ — read all reviews
Finally accounting I actually use on my iPhone. QR-bill in a minute, VAT at the end of the quarter without Excel.
4.5★ — read all reviews
VAT return copy-paste ready
On the VAT return page, all the numbers are lined up and ready, you copy them straight into the FTA portal. No separate modules, no spreadsheet exports to sort yourself. More on VAT management →
Fair pricing. No surprises.
Three invoices free, no credit card and no time limit. Pro only if Magic Heidi is worth it for you.
Free
- 3 invoices
- All core features
- QR-bill and AI receipt scanning
- All platforms
- No credit card
Pro Yearly
- Unlimited invoices
- Unlimited expenses
- AI receipt scanning included
- Bank import (all CH banks)
- Automatic VAT
- Priority support by email and phone
- Zapier and API
Pro Monthly
- Unlimited invoices
- Unlimited expenses
- AI receipt scanning included
- Bank import (all CH banks)
- Automatic VAT
- Priority support by email and phone
Common questions about switching from Pebe
Pebe is cheaper — why pick Magic Heidi anyway?
True, Pebe Pro starts at CHF 18/month, we start at CHF 25/month. If your only criterion is the monthly price and you only write invoices, Pebe is a fair choice. But anyone entering receipts by hand loses about two hours per 30 receipts — at an hourly rate of CHF 80, that's CHF 160 a month. Magic Heidi saves you that time thanks to AI receipt scanning, and costs less than one extra hour of work per month.
What sets Magic Heidi apart from Pebe Smart?
Three things. First: AI receipt scanning is included with us, Pebe doesn't have it. Second: we have native apps on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Web — Pebe's mobile experience is limited. Third: Magic Heidi is all-in-one for freelancers, Pebe is modular for sole proprietors and small SMEs. If you only need one of the modules and you don't care about the mobile app, Pebe can be cheaper.
Can I bring my data from Pebe over to Magic Heidi?
Yes. Pebe allows data exports (CSV, Excel) for client records, invoices and bookings. Magic Heidi imports bank CSVs directly and clients can be transferred via a template. If you need help, Nathan will set things up with you personally — just write to support@magicheidi.ch.
I need payroll — is that possible with Magic Heidi?
No, honestly. Magic Heidi is built deliberately for solo freelancers without employees. If you issue salary statements, Pebe with its payroll module is a better choice, or look at Bexio or Abacus. As soon as you go solo again or hand payroll off to a fiduciary, Magic Heidi is the simpler solution for everything else.
Does Magic Heidi also work on iPhone on the go?
That's exactly what it's built for. Native iPhone app on the App Store with 4.9★. You snap a receipt at a restaurant and Magic Heidi reads the date, amount, VAT and supplier automatically. You write a QR-bill on the train, your client pays it with a single scan in their e-banking. Pebe's mobile experience feels more like a small desktop.
What if I want to leave again later?
You export all your invoices, expenses, receipts and client records as ZIP, CSV and PDF, any time. Pro plans also include a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Your lock-in is zero.
Which profile doesn't fit Magic Heidi?
If you issue salary statements, manage several employees, need stock management or an ERP integration for a larger company. Also if you really only type one invoice per quarter and don't care about AI scanning or mobile — then Pebe's basic module or a free QR-bill tool is cheaper.
Ready to switch from Pebe Smart?
Three invoices free, no credit card, no time limit. Data in Switzerland, personal support from the founders, 30-day money-back on Pro. You lose nothing by trying it.