Magic Heidi The Crésus alternative for Swiss freelancers
Mobile, AI receipt scanning, compliant QR-bill, Swiss VAT. Built for solo freelancers, not for fiduciaries.
Key takeaways
- Magic Heidi is a Crésus alternative for solo freelancers (sole proprietorship / Einzelfirma / raison individuelle), not for fiduciaries or SMEs with employees.
- No installation: Magic Heidi runs natively on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and the web. Crésus is still a desktop product, with a newer cloud offering (Crésus Horizon).
- AI receipt scanning included: snap a photo of a receipt and the AI pulls out the date, amount, VAT and supplier. Crésus has no equivalent AI scan.
- Simple pricing: CHF 24.99/month annually or CHF 39/month monthly, unlimited. Crésus combines desktop licences, modules and a Crésus Horizon subscription.
- Free up to 3 invoices, no credit card, no time limit. QR-bill v2.3 compliant; both the standard VAT method and the net tax rate method (Saldosteuersatz/TDFN) supported.
Why look for a Crésus alternative
Crésus is a long-standing player in Swiss software, designed in close partnership with accountants. For a solo freelancer who wants to invoice from their phone after a meeting, the same friction points keep coming up.
Desktop heritage
Crésus is still mostly installed on a Windows or Mac workstation. Crésus Horizon opens up the cloud, but the ecosystem is built around the desk.Fiduciary vocabulary
Accounting entries, journals, accrual vs. cash basis. Most freelancers don't want to learn double-entry bookkeeping just to bill a client.Mobile is an afterthought
The reflex of "pull out the phone, photograph the receipt, it's in the books" isn't the core scenario the product is built around.No AI receipt scanning
Crésus lets you attach supporting documents, but it doesn't auto-extract date, amount, supplier and VAT from a photographed receipt.Multi-tier pricing grid
Invoicing licence, Accounting licence, Salaires, updates, Crésus Horizon subscription. For a solo freelancer, the math gets fuzzy fast.Built for three audiences
Fiduciaries, SMEs and freelancers all at once. The product compromises to serve all three, and the interface carries options a freelancer will never need.What Crésus does very well (let's be fair)
Before the comparison, let's get one thing straight.
- Specialist in Swiss legislation for over thirty years. It's a recognised pillar of French-language Swiss accounting.
- Dense fiduciary ecosystem, especially in Romandy. If your accountant uses Crésus, exchanging files is genuinely easy.
- Functional depth: Crésus Salaires handles complex Swiss HR cases (LPP/BVG, OASI (AHV/AVS), withholding, ELM salary certificates) that a freelancer tool isn't meant to cover.
- Stability: thirty years of history, no risk the product disappears overnight.
Magic Heidi isn't trying to replace Crésus on those strengths. Magic Heidi focuses on a different use case: the solo freelancer who wants a modern, mobile tool that doesn't ask for accounting knowledge.
Everything a Swiss freelancer actually has to do
Magic Heidi is invoicing and simplified accounting software built exclusively for Swiss freelancers (sole proprietorship / Einzelfirma / raison individuelle / liberal profession).
- 🧾Full Swiss invoicing
Quotes, invoices, reminders, recurring invoices, multi-language (FR, DE, IT, EN), multi-currency at SNB rates, QR-bill v2.3 compliant with SIX.
- 📸AI receipt scanning
Photo, PDF, or forwarded email: AI extracts date, amount, supplier, currency and VAT. You confirm, it's saved.
- 🇨🇭Swiss VAT built in
Rates 8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8%. Standard method and net tax rate method (Saldosteuersatz/TDFN). Export ready for the FTA form.
- 🏦Bank reconciliation
CSV import from Swiss banks (UBS, PostFinance, Raiffeisen, ZKB, cantonal banks, Neon, Yuh) with automatic matching.
- Invoice #3
Magic Heidi
CHF 500
Jan 29
- Invoice #2
Webbiger LTD
CHF 2000
Jan 24
- Invoice #1
John Doe
CHF 600
Jan 20
Magic Heidi vs Crésus
Dimension by dimension.
Rather than a flat table, let's look at each dimension that actually matters when you're picking a tool.
Target audience
Crésus speaks to three audiences: fiduciaries, SMEs, freelancers. Magic Heidi speaks to one: the solo Swiss freelancer, no employees.
- Crésus: compromises to serve all three audiences at once
- Magic Heidi: no payroll, no multi-user permissions, no ten-level chart of accounts
- That focus has a cost (not for you, if you have employees)
- But it shows in how clean every screen is
Setup and ease of use
Crésus needs an installation and an initial accounting setup. Magic Heidi is created in two minutes: company name, IBAN, VAT number if you have one.
- No chart of accounts to choose
- Simplified cash-basis bookkeeping (under CHF 500,000 turnover)
- Onboarding built around the freelancer case, not accounting concepts
- You invoice your first client the same day
AI receipt scanning
The most visible gap between the two products. Magic Heidi has real AI scanning; Crésus only lets you attach supporting docs.
- Photograph a receipt, a PDF, or forward a subscription email
- AI extracts date, amount, currency, supplier, VAT
- You review, confirm, it's filed with the receipt attached
- Real time saved: 1 to 2 hours per month on expense entry
Native apps
Magic Heidi runs natively on five platforms, synced in real time. Crésus is still mostly desktop-first.
- iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web
- One login, instant sync
- Photograph a receipt on the train, it's already on the Mac at the office
- Crésus Horizon opens the cloud, but the philosophy is still local install
VAT and MWST workflows
Both handle the standard method and the net tax rate method (Saldosteuersatz/TDFN).
- Magic Heidi targets the standard case of a VAT-registered freelancer
- Auto-calculation per invoice, aggregation per period
- Export ready to copy into the FTA online form
- Crésus goes deeper for multi-establishment cases and very specific VAT setups
Price
Crésus stacks several cost lines. Magic Heidi is one price: one subscription, no modules, nothing billed extra.
- Free: 3 invoices, all features, no credit card, no time limit
- Pro monthly: CHF 39/month, unlimited
- Pro annual: CHF 24.99/month (billed yearly)
- 30-day money-back guarantee, full refund
Invoice from your phone, scan a receipt in 30 seconds
You photograph a receipt on the train; it's on the Mac by the time you reach the office. Everything syncs in real time across iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and the web. Crésus is still mostly desktop-first; Magic Heidi was built mobile from day one, because that's where freelancers actually live their day.
Built for Switzerland,
all four language regions.
Magic Heidi is used everywhere in Switzerland. Interface and invoices in German, French, Italian and English. QR-bill, VAT, bank imports cover every Swiss bank.
Auto-generated from IBAN and amount, no setup.
8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8%. Standard or net tax rate method (Saldosteuersatz), your choice.
UBS, PostFinance, Raiffeisen, ZKB, cantonal banks, Neon, Yuh: CSV import and automatic matching.
German Switzerland, Romandy, Ticino, international clients: one interface, four languages.
Magic Heidi vs Crésus at a glance
The criteria that actually matter for a solo Swiss freelancer.
| Criterion | Magic Heidi | Crésus |
|---|---|---|
| Main audience | Solo Swiss freelancers | Fiduciaries, SMEs, freelancers |
| Mode | 100% cloud + native apps | Desktop install + Crésus Horizon (cloud) |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web | Windows, Mac (desktop); Horizon (web) |
| Setup | 2 minutes, no chart of accounts | Installation, accounting setup |
| Accounting knowledge | ✓ None | Recommended |
| QR-bill v2.3 | ✓ Yes, automatic | ✓ Yes, after setup |
| AI receipt scanning | ✓ Yes, built in | ✗ No (manual entry + attachment) |
| Bank CSV reconciliation | ✓ Auto on Swiss banks | ✓ Module-dependent |
| Standard VAT method | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Net tax rate method (Saldosteuersatz/TDFN) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Payroll (LPP/BVG, AHV/AVS, ELM) | ✗ No | ✓ Yes (Salaires module) |
| Multi-user / fiduciary access | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Typical freelancer price | CHF 24.99/month (annual), unlimited | Licences + updates + Horizon |
| Free tier | 3 invoices, no card, no time limit | Demo / trial |
| Hosting | Zurich, Switzerland | Switzerland |
| Guarantee | 30 days, full refund | Varies by channel |
Is Magic Heidi right for you?
Let's be clear about when Magic Heidi is the right tool, and when Crésus still makes more sense.
Magic Heidi is for you if:
You want a modern, mobile tool with no accounting jargon.
- You're a solo freelancer or sole proprietorship (raison individuelle / Einzelfirma), no employees
- You want to invoice from your phone after a meeting
- You don't want to learn double-entry bookkeeping
- You have a stack of receipts to scan rather than re-type
- You want a predictable price, one line on the card
- You're VAT-registered (or not yet), both cases handled
- You work in EN, DE, FR, IT or with international clients
Crésus still makes sense if:
You have fiduciary or established SME needs.
- You're a fiduciary handling several clients' books
- You have employees and need Crésus Salaires (LPP/BVG, OASI (AHV/AVS), ELM)
- You keep double-entry books (turnover > CHF 500,000)
- Your fiduciary requires Crésus and wants files in Crésus format
- You need SME features: multi-user, multi-establishment, stock management
See yourself in the first list?
Try Magic Heidi free. Three invoices, all features, no credit card.
How to migrate from Crésus to Magic Heidi
The migration usually takes 30 to 60 minutes for a solo freelancer with a few dozen clients and a handful of recurring items.
1. Export your clients
From Crésus, as CSV: company name, address, email, language, VAT number.
2. Export your catalogue
Items or services as CSV: label, unit price, currency, VAT rate.
3. Create a free account
Company name, IBAN, VAT number if registered. Two minutes.
4. Import your clients
Clients section > Import, map your CSV columns, confirm.
5. Import your items
So you don't retype "IT consulting – hourly rate" on every invoice.
6. Recreate active invoices
Open quotes and unpaid invoices. Paid invoices stay in your Crésus archives.
7. Pick your VAT method
Standard or net tax rate (Saldosteuersatz/TDFN). Magic Heidi applies the right logic automatically.
8. Connect your bank
CSV import of statements; the tool auto-matches payments to invoices.
9. Switchover date
Ideally at the start of a VAT quarter or fiscal year. Finish the current quarter in Crésus.
10. Archive Crésus
Keep a backup of the current and previous fiscal years. Legal retention: 10 years in Switzerland.
A question during the migration?
Magic Heidi support replies directly. The founder's phone number and email are on the site, that's not a slogan.
One line on your card. No modules.
Free up to 3 invoices, no credit card. After that, one price for everything.
Free
- 3 invoices
- All features unlocked
- QR-bill, AI scan, VAT, multi-platform
- No credit card required
Pro annual
- Unlimited invoices and quotes
- Unlimited expenses and clients
- AI receipt scanning
- iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web
- Bank CSV import
- Swiss VAT (standard and Saldosteuersatz/TDFN)
- Priority support
Pro monthly
- Unlimited invoices and quotes
- Unlimited expenses and clients
- AI receipt scanning
- All platforms included
- Bank CSV import
- Swiss VAT (standard and Saldosteuersatz/TDFN)
30-day money-back guarantee. Try it without risk.
Why 5,000+ Swiss freelancers use Magic Heidi
4.8 on the App Store, 5.0 on Google, 4.7 on Capterra, 4.5 on Trustpilot.
“I've worked with other accountability software in the past. In general, more expensive and infinite features I didn't need. Magic Heidi is truly adapted for self-employed workers / freelancers, with a simple interface.”
“Very simple and immediately understandable. Ideal for the self-employed in Switzerland. The AI receipt capture in particular convinced me and sets it apart from similar providers.”
“Great if you are in Switzerland. I recommend this platform: everything is simple and you have access to your complete statistics and even the figures you have to deduct for VAT.”
Crésus alternative: your questions
Can I import my data from Crésus into Magic Heidi?
Yes, via CSV. Magic Heidi accepts CSV imports for client lists and items/services, which matches the standard exports Crésus Facturation produces. For historical accounting entries, the usual approach is to keep Crésus as an archive (you stay the owner of your files) and start Magic Heidi from a clean cut-off, ideally the beginning of a VAT quarter or fiscal year.
Is Magic Heidi compliant with Swiss law?
Yes. Magic Heidi generates QR-bills compliant with the Swiss v2.3 standard (SIX), handles Swiss VAT at the official rates (8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8%), supports both VAT methods (standard and net tax rate / Saldosteuersatz / TDFN), and exports the records you need for VAT returns and tax filing. Data is hosted in Zurich, Switzerland.
Does Magic Heidi handle VAT as well as Crésus?
For the standard case of a VAT-registered freelancer, yes: automatic calculation on every invoice, aggregation per period, export ready to copy into the FTA online form. If you keep multi-establishment books or have very particular VAT cases (mixed activities, derogatory rates, complex cross-border operations), Crésus has more depth. For 95% of solo freelancers, Magic Heidi covers the need.
Does Magic Heidi work outside Romandy?
Yes. Magic Heidi is used across Switzerland. The interface and invoices are available in German, French, Italian and English. QR-bill, VAT and bank imports cover every Swiss bank (UBS, PostFinance, Raiffeisen, ZKB, cantonal banks in Romandy, German Switzerland and Ticino, Neon, Yuh). Crésus has historical strength in Romandy; Magic Heidi is built for freelancers across all four language regions without preference.
What happens to invoices already issued from Crésus?
They stay valid. An issued invoice is a legal document: it doesn't depend on the software that created it. Keep the Crésus PDFs in your archives, keep tracking payments to closure, and start new invoices in Magic Heidi from your switchover date. Legal retention of accounting records is 10 years in Switzerland, so keep a backup of your current and previous Crésus fiscal years.
Does Magic Heidi replace a fiduciary?
Depends on your situation. For a solo freelancer on simplified accounting, under CHF 500,000 turnover, many people can handle their own VAT return and tax filing with Magic Heidi. For more complex cases (companies, employees, multiple income sources, advanced tax optimisation), a fiduciary still adds value, and Magic Heidi gives you clean exports they can pick up. Magic Heidi doesn't replace personalised tax advice.
Can I try Magic Heidi before paying?
Yes. The free tier lets you create up to 3 invoices with all the main features (QR-bill, AI scan, bank import, VAT, multi-platform), no credit card and no time limit. Use it as long as you want, on every device, and only switch to Pro when you're ready. Even then, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Try Magic Heidi free
Three invoices, all features, no credit card, no time limit. You'll know within an hour if the tool fits.
