Magic Heidi The best accounting software for Switzerland
Five Swiss programs compared, six in a click test, real prices and one verdict per profile. Written by Nathan Ganser, founder of Magic Heidi, with video proof.
The top 5 compared
The same criteria for all five. Data according to the vendors and review platforms, checked in September 2026.
| Program | Best for | Languages | App & platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magic Heidi | Most self-employed people | DE, FR, IT, EN, ES, PT, RM | ✓ iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Web |
| bexio | Accounting fans & SMEs | DE, FR, IT, EN | ✓ Web, iPhone, Android |
| Milkee | Micro-SMEs in German-speaking Switzerland | DE | ✓ Web, iPhone, Android |
| Infinity.swiss | Startups in German-speaking Switzerland | DE | ✗ no app, web only |
| Swiss21 (AbaNinja) | Anyone who wants to start free | DE, FR, IT | ✗ no app, web only |
The top 5 tested: one verdict each
I was self-employed in Switzerland for years and talk to hundreds of freelancers about their software. Yes, I'm biased. That's why all five have to meet the same four minimum criteria.
3+ years on the market
So the software is still around tomorrow.
10+ reviews
Positive, on at least 2 platforms. A sign of happy users and real support.
German + French
Switzerland is multilingual, and many freelancers have clients in both regions.
Mobile app
To send a quote or tick off a payment on the go.
Only Magic Heidi and bexio meet all four. Milkee, Infinity.swiss and Swiss21 miss at least one, but still fit certain profiles.
1. Magic Heidi: for pragmatic freelancers
Verdict: The simplest accounting software in the test, built for sole proprietors who want to invoice fast and spend as little time as possible on bookkeeping.
QR-bills, quotes, automatic payment reminders, AI receipt scanning, a bank connection and an Excel export with all receipts for your tax return. If you're VAT-registered, you charge several rates on the same invoice and copy the figures into the ESTV ePortal. Not included: payroll, double-entry bookkeeping, CRM and project management.
On the market: since 2023 · Price: free for 3 invoices and 3 receipts (in total), then CHF 24.99 a month billed yearly or CHF 39 monthly, VAT included · Reviews: 4.8★ from 207+ public reviews, including 98 on the App Store, 66 on Google, 21 on Trustpilot, 12 on G2/Capterra
2. bexio: for accounting fans and SMEs
Verdict: The most complete program in the comparison. The right pick for SMEs with employees and for anyone who really wants full financial accounting with a balance sheet.
Financial accounting with balance sheet and income statement, e-banking, fiduciary access and payroll as an add-on. If you really need all that, you won't find a cheaper copy of bexio. If you don't, you're paying bexio for modules you'll never open.
On the market: more than 10 years · Price: CHF 35 to 119 a month on the yearly plan, excl. VAT, as of September 2026 (all plans) · Reviews: 1'000+ on Google Maps, 300+ on Trustpilot, 100+ in the app stores, 40 on G2/Capterra, many of them critical
3. Milkee: for micro-SMEs in German-speaking Switzerland
Verdict: As simple as possible, yet with double-entry bookkeeping and now payroll too. Ideal for a small team in German-speaking Switzerland.
Milkee is built by a good friend of mine. Only in Switzerland can you be friends and competitors at the same time. The one catch for this comparison: Milkee is only available in German.
On the market: about 5 years · Reviews: 80+ on Google Maps
4. Infinity.swiss: for startups in German-speaking Switzerland
Verdict: Positions itself as a modern bexio alternative for growing companies. In the click test, the invoice alone took 55 clicks, more than in any other tool.
The website is available in all national languages, the software only in German, and there's no mobile app. Despite several funding rounds, you'll find hardly any user reviews online.
On the market: about 4 years · Reviews: 5+ on Google Maps
5. Swiss21 (AbaNinja): for a tight budget
Verdict: The most generous free plan in Switzerland. As a purely free solution it beats Magic Heidi, which only gives you 3 invoices and 3 receipts for free.
Many know it as AbaNinja: the Starter plan covers up to 1'000 documents a year, automatic receipt recognition 10 a month. As an ERP suite, Swiss21 is more complicated to use for freelancers.
On the market: about 9 years · Price: Starter free, Basic CHF 21 a month, excl. VAT, as of September 2026 · Reviews: 200+ on Google Maps, 15 on Trustpilot (very negative there)
Accounting software test: every click counted
In January 2026 we counted the clicks in six Swiss tools for three tasks, every test backed by a screen recording. Milkee and Swiss21 weren't part of this test.
| Software | Total | Invoice | Expense | Onboarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Magic Heidi | 33 | 15 | 6 | 12 |
| 2. Simplino | 55 | 10 | 15 | 30 |
| 3. bexio | 69 | 15 | 19 | 35 |
| 4. CashCtrl | 77 | 15 | 27 | 35 |
| 5. Infinity | 95 | 55 | 20 | 20 |
| 6. Smallinvoice* | 108 | 40 | 33 | 35 |
The three tasks: creating a compliant QR-bill, recording an expense with its receipt, and onboarding, from sign-up to ready for the first invoice. At 10 to 20 invoices a month, ease of use decides whether bookkeeping costs you 20 minutes or half a day. Rank 1 here only means: the fewest clicks for the same tasks.
*Smallinvoice: we couldn't activate the QR-bill in our test scenario. That's a test result, not a verdict on the whole product.
The videos, so you can count along: Magic Heidi · Simplino · bexio · CashCtrl · Infinity · Smallinvoice
German test winners? Wrong country.
Search for an accounting software test and you'll land on German comparisons. Their winners are built for the German tax office, not for Switzerland.
sevdesk
According to sevdesk.ch, built for companies based in Germany or Austria.
Lexware Office
Formerly lexoffice. A strong program, but euros, ELSTER and EÜR.
WISO MeinBüro
Buhl's veteran, built entirely around the German tax office.
BuchhaltungsButler
Highly automated, but GoBD and DATEV.
Papierkram
Strong on time tracking, but German EÜR instead of Swiss VAT.
How to spot German software
EÜR, ELSTER, GoBD, DATEV export, prices only in euros, 19 % and 7 %. Swiss VAT uses 8.1 %, 2.6 % and 3.8 %, and no German program creates the QR payment slip.
More Swiss accounting tools
Real Swiss programs with QR-bills and VAT. Not in my top 5, mostly because there's no app or because they're built for accounting pros and SMEs.
Banana
Spreadsheet-style double-entry. Free up to 70 entries, then from CHF 89/year.
CashCtrl
Full accounting with a strong free plan. Browser only, 4th in the click test.
Pebe Live
Classic cloud accounting for SMEs and fiduciaries, not for solo freelancers.
KLARA
SME software with invoicing, till, shop and payroll. A lot for a solo job.
Smallinvoice
Lots of features for a small price, last place in the click test.
Tested, compared, stayed
4.8 out of 5 from 207+ public reviews. Three freelancers who tried other programs first.
“Tested various comparable apps before taking out a subscription. Then clearly chose Magic Heidi. Very intuitive to use and reduced to the essentials.”
“The first program that's really easy to use, even for construction guys like me who are hopeless at office work. The most user-friendly thing I've ever tried, and I bought it right away!”
“Tried lots of things and ended up sticking with Magic Heidi. Convincing throughout, and easy and intuitive to use. Very happy 🇨🇭”
Questions about accounting software
What is the best accounting software in Switzerland?
The one that fits your profile. For most sole proprietors without employees it's Magic Heidi, with the fewest clicks in our test. For SMEs with payroll and a balance sheet it's bexio, and for accounting-savvy people on a small budget it's Banana. There's no single test winner for everyone, but German programs like sevdesk or Lexware Office are out in Switzerland.
What is the simplest accounting program?
In our January 2026 click test it was Magic Heidi, with the fewest clicks for onboarding, a QR-bill and an expense with receipt. You'll find the numbers for all six tools and the videos in the click test above, so you can count along yourself.
What is the best free accounting software in Switzerland?
Swiss21 (AbaNinja) has the most generous free plan, with up to 1'000 documents a year. Banana is free up to 70 entries, and CashCtrl has a free plan for basic bookkeeping. Magic Heidi gives you 3 invoices and 3 receipts in total, but with every feature and no credit card. More in our comparison of free invoicing software.
Which bookkeeping program suits a sole proprietorship?
One that handles simplified bookkeeping cleanly instead of torturing you with debits and credits. The simplest accounting programs for that are Magic Heidi or Milkee. Look for QR-bills, the Swiss VAT rates (8.1 %, 2.6 %, 3.8 %), receipt capture and an export for your tax return. More on sole proprietorship accounting.
Do I need double-entry bookkeeping as a freelancer?
No, not as a sole proprietorship under CHF 500'000 in revenue. Simplified bookkeeping with income, expenses and your financial position is enough (Art. 957 CO). Double-entry bookkeeping with a balance sheet is mandatory from CHF 500'000 in revenue, and for a GmbH or AG regardless of revenue.
What if my sole proprietorship becomes a GmbH?
Then you need double-entry bookkeeping, and employees need payslips with social insurance. Either you switch to bexio or Milkee, or you keep invoicing with Magic Heidi and give your fiduciary access for the year-end accounts. You run payroll in a payroll program and record the gross salary as an expense. More in our GmbH year-end accounting guide.
When do I have to charge VAT as a freelancer?
From CHF 100'000 in annual revenue you have to register with the ESTV, below that you don't. Once you're VAT-registered, Magic Heidi calculates the rates (8.1 %, 2.6 %, 3.8 %) on every invoice and prepares the figures for the ePortal. More on VAT for freelancers.
Can I do my bookkeeping without a fiduciary?
Yes. As a sole proprietorship under CHF 500'000 in revenue, simplified bookkeeping is enough, and you can easily do it yourself. Keep your invoices and receipts tidy through the year and your tax return is done quickly. You mainly need a fiduciary for a GmbH, employees or double-entry bookkeeping, and you can give them direct access in Magic Heidi.
Can I use sevdesk or Lexware Office in Switzerland?
I'd advise against it. sevdesk itself says its software is designed for companies based in Germany or Austria, and Lexware Office works in euros under German tax law (EÜR, ELSTER). Neither creates Swiss QR-bills or a VAT return for the ESTV. The same goes for WISO MeinBüro, BuchhaltungsButler and Papierkram.
What should I look for when comparing accounting software?
First cross out every feature you don't need, and work out the price over three years including all add-ons. During the trial, send support a real question, ideally on a Friday afternoon. Create a real invoice and time it. And check whether you can export all your data including receipts, and where it's stored; with Magic Heidi, in Zurich (Security).
How neutral is a comparison written by Magic Heidi's founder?
Fair question, I'm biased. That's why the verdict rests on things you can check: clicks with video proof, prices with dates, and where bexio, Milkee or Swiss21 fit better, this page says so. The most honest test is your own: start Magic Heidi for free, no credit card needed.
Count the clicks yourself
Start for free, no credit card: 3 invoices and 3 receipts with every feature. Pro comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Questions? Nathan, the founder, often answers personally.
