Accounting Software Switzerland 2026: Honest Comparison for Freelancers

I've personally tested every one of these solutions. I use Magic Heidi for my own freelance business, so I know its weaknesses too. And I signed up for Bexio, Banana, Swiss21, and the others — created invoices, uploaded receipts, and clicked through VAT settings. In this comparison, you'll find what came out of it — honestly, with real numbers.

Do you even need accounting software in Switzerland?

Short answer: yes, as soon as you're invoicing regularly. Excel and Word templates work for your first invoice. By the fifth, it gets tedious. By the twentieth, it gets risky.

Simplified vs. double-entry bookkeeping

In Switzerland, Art. 957 CO governs who needs which type of bookkeeping:

• Sole proprietorships and partnerships under CHF 500,000 in revenue: Simplified bookkeeping is sufficient. That means: recording income, expenses, and financial position. No balance sheet, no chart of accounts.
• LLC, AG, or revenue over CHF 500,000: Full accounting with double-entry bookkeeping, balance sheet, and income statement.

Many freelancers think they need double-entry bookkeeping. Most don't. What they do need: clean invoices, recorded receipts, and a clear overview of VAT once revenue hits CHF 100,000. Good accounting software in Switzerland takes exactly this work off your hands.

When software makes the difference

Lena works as a graphic designer in Zurich. She got through her first freelance year with a Numbers spreadsheet and PDF invoices. When tax return time came, three receipts were missing, a client had double-paid, and the VAT return was guesswork. The meeting with her accountant cost her 4 hours and an extra CHF 600. After that, she switched to accounting software. The next tax return took 45 minutes.

Try Magic Heidi for free and create your first QR invoice in under a minute. No subscription, no credit card.

Strengths: Automatic QR invoices following the SIX standard, AI-powered receipt scanning (photo or PDF), Swiss bank import with auto-matching (UBS, PostFinance, ZKB, Raiffeisen, Neon, Yuh), VAT with effective method and flat-rate method, native apps on all platforms, Swiss hosting in Zurich.

Limitations: No payroll. No double-entry bookkeeping (a deliberate decision). Not built for teams with multiple users.

Honest take: Magic Heidi is the software we build ourselves and use every day. For solo freelancers, it's the fastest and simplest Swiss solution. If you need payroll or an ERP, it's not the right fit.

2. Bexio: The Swiss market leader

Bexio is by far the best-known accounting software in Switzerland. The company belongs to the Mobiliar Group and has over 80,000 customers. The software covers accounting, invoicing, payroll, CRM, and inventory management.

For whom: SMEs with employees, growing companies, fiduciary collaboration Price: From CHF 45/mo. (Starter), CHF 65/mo. (Standard), CHF 85/mo. (Professional) Platforms: Web, Mobile App

Strengths: Most comprehensive feature set on the Swiss market, integrated payroll, over 40 partner integrations, strong fiduciary connectivity, automatic bank import with many Swiss banks.

Limitations: Significantly more expensive than freelancer solutions. The interface is designed for SMEs, not solo self-employed workers. Many features (inventory, CRM, projects) that freelancers don't need. No native desktop client.

Honest take: Bexio is the safe choice if you plan to grow and hire employees. For freelancers who just need invoices, receipts, and VAT, you're paying for features you'll never open. You can find a detailed comparison between Bexio and Magic Heidi here.

3. Banana Accounting: The Swiss classic

Banana has been on the market for over 20 years and is popular with fiduciaries. The software is based on double-entry bookkeeping with a chart of accounts — more of a classic accounting program than a modern cloud solution.

For whom: Users with accounting knowledge, fiduciaries, associations Price: From CHF 69/year (Starter), CHF 149/year (Professional) Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux, Mobile

Strengths: Full double-entry bookkeeping, affordable annual price, desktop software (works offline too), developed in Switzerland (Lugano), strong community and templates.

Limitations: Requires accounting knowledge (chart of accounts, journal entries). No QR invoices built in (add-on module required). Interface feels dated. No integrated AI receipt scanning. No automatic bank import.

Honest take: Banana is solid if you've studied accounting or your fiduciary already uses it. For freelancers without accounting knowledge, the learning curve is steep.

4. Swiss21 (Abacus): Free, but with limits

Swiss21 is the free offering from Abacus, the largest independent Swiss software company. The free version covers accounting, invoicing, and even payroll.

For whom: Startups and small businesses that want to start for free Price: Free (basic version), paid modules available Platforms: Web, Mobile App (AbaClik)

Strengths: Completely free for basic functions, Abacus backbone (Swiss industry standard), payroll included, over 70 bank connections, AI-powered document recognition.

Limitations: Complex interface, not built for beginners. Setup takes longer than with simpler tools. Free means: limited support. A lot of overhead for solo freelancers. The free model could change.

Honest take: Swiss21 is impressive for "free." But "free" costs you time here. The setup and learning effort are significantly higher than with freelancer tools. If you're starting an SME, it's a strong option. For solo freelancers, there are faster paths.

5. CashCtrl: Free double-entry bookkeeping

CashCtrl is a Swiss product from St. Gallen offering free double-entry bookkeeping. The software is popular among tech-savvy self-employed professionals.

For whom: Self-employed with accounting knowledge, small companies that need double-entry bookkeeping Price: Free (1 client), CHF 29/mo. (Pro) Platforms: Web

Strengths: Free double-entry bookkeeping, clean modern interface, Swiss development and hosting, QR invoices supported, API for integrations.

Limitations: Requires understanding of double-entry bookkeeping. No AI receipt scanning. Web only, no native apps. Free version limited to 1 client. Community smaller than Bexio or Banana.

Honest take: CashCtrl is the best free option if you need double-entry bookkeeping and know your way around it. For freelancers who just want invoices and receipts, it's too much accounting logic.

6. KLARA: For self-employed with payroll needs

KLARA positions itself as business software for Swiss small businesses, offering accounting, payroll, and administration in one package.

For whom: Small businesses with 1-5 employees Price: Accounting free, payroll from CHF 3.50/employee/mo. Platforms: Web

Strengths: Free basic accounting, integrated payroll (advantage over pure freelancer tools), simple interface, Swiss development.

Limitations: Less mature than Bexio for complex scenarios. Limited receipt features. No AI scanning. Web-only.

Honest take: KLARA is interesting when you're hiring someone and need affordable payroll. As a pure invoicing and accounting solution for freelancers, there are more focused options.

7. Proffix: The SME solution

Proffix is an established Swiss business software for SMEs with accounting, order processing, and inventory management. Since 2023, there's also a cloud version (PxNext).

For whom: SMEs with 5+ employees, trades, retail Price: From approx. CHF 49/mo. (Cloud), on-premise individually Platforms: Web (PxNext), Windows (classic)

Strengths: Broad SME functionality, strong order processing, Swiss development (Stans), good fiduciary integration.

Limitations: Clearly overkill for freelancers. Higher prices than freelancer tools. Complex setup. Designed for larger organizations.

Honest take: Proffix is solid SME software, but it's not a sensible choice for freelancers and sole proprietorships. Too much functionality, too much setup, too high a cost for solo self-employed workers.

8. Selp: For beginners

Selp clearly positions itself as a tool for simplified bookkeeping. No double-entry bookkeeping, no complex account logic.

For whom: Sole proprietorships and self-employed with deliberately simple bookkeeping Price: From CHF 19/mo. Platforms: Web

Strengths: Deliberately no double-entry bookkeeping, easy to get started, Swiss solution.

Limitations: Limited feature depth. No AI scanning. Difficult if you need more later. Smaller user base.

9. Effizo: Swiss alternative for small businesses

Effizo targets Swiss sole proprietorships under CHF 500,000 in revenue and combines simple bookkeeping with tax preparation features.

For whom: Sole proprietorships with a clear revenue threshold Price: From CHF 15/mo. Platforms: Web

Strengths: Clear positioning for sole proprietorships, VAT and tax focus, affordable fixed price.

Limitations: Limited scalability. Not well known. Restricted integrations.

10. Accounto: AI focus for fiduciaries and SMEs

Accounto bets heavily on AI-powered automation and primarily targets fiduciaries and their clients. This Swiss accounting software automates receipt processing and account assignment.

For whom: Fiduciaries, SMEs with fiduciary collaboration Price: On request (fiduciary model) Platforms: Web

Strengths: Strong AI receipt processing, automatic account assignment, close fiduciary integration, Swiss development.

Limitations: No direct access without a fiduciary. Pricing model not transparent. Not suitable for solo freelancers without a fiduciary. No native app.

Honest take: Accounto is exciting for AI automation, but its fiduciary-centric model makes it impractical for most freelancers. If your fiduciary uses Accounto, you benefit from the automation. Without a fiduciary, there are more accessible alternatives.

Conclusion: Which accounting software for your situation?

Don't be dazzled by feature lists. The best accounting software in Switzerland is the one you actually use. For most freelancers and sole proprietorships, that means: simple enough to get started, powerful enough for VAT and bank matching, and without features you'll never need.

• Freelancers and solo self-employed: Magic Heidi, because it's built exactly for that
• SMEs with a team: Bexio, because it covers everything
• Start for free: CashCtrl Free or Swiss21, if you invest the setup time
• Bookkeeping with knowledge: Banana, if you're comfortable with charts of accounts and journal entries

Last updated: May 3, 2026. All prices and features are based on publicly available information from the respective providers, as of May 2026.