Nori Docs vs Lexware Office compared
Nori Docs is for freelancers and studios in Germany and Austria who build branded documents, send proposals for online acceptance and track time. Lexware Office is accounting with VAT returns, payroll and DATEV – by the vendor's own statement, for Germany only.
| Feature | Nori Docs | Lexware Office |
|---|---|---|
| Price Nori Starter €12/mo, Pro €25/mo (€20.83 on the yearly plan) · Lexware S–XL list prices, net, as of 08/2026; promo rates (−50%) last 3 months only · both vendors: one subscription per company | Free / from €12 | €7.90–32.90 |
| Austria (AT law & e-invoicing) Nori: Austrian VAT rates, VAT-ID checks, ebInterface 6.1, e-invoicing to the federal government (USP/ERB) · Lexware: "suitable exclusively for use in Germany" (vendor help centre), no FinanzOnline VAT filing, no RKSV cash register | Yes | No |
| Multiple companies in one login Nori: switch companies inside the app, one subscription per company · Lexware: separate accounts, each with its own email address, no merging | Yes | No |
| Users included Nori: Starter 1, Pro 2, Team 5 users, each extra seat €6/mo · Lexware: additional users at no extra cost | 1–5 by plan | Unlimited |
| Documents (multi-source PDF) Notion, Google Docs, Markdown, PDF → one PDF | Yes | No |
| Custom PDF templates & branding Nori: Paged.js templates | Yes | Limited |
| Proposals with online acceptance Lexware: online acceptance in the Kundencenter · Nori: one click to invoice | Yes | Yes |
| Time tracking Lexware: partner extensions only · Nori: Toggl/Rize import, approval & hour budgets | Yes | No |
| E-invoicing (ZUGFeRD/XRechnung) | Yes | Yes |
| SEPA QR on the invoice Lexware: EPC/GiroCode QR on the invoice | Yes | Yes |
| Bank reconciliation Nori from Pro: 1 account included, each further account €3/mo | Yes | Yes |
| Dunning / reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring invoices | Yes | Yes |
| Bookkeeping & VAT filing (ELSTER) Lexware core strength (Germany, from plan L) · Nori: VAT figures grouped by Kennzahl as CSV for your tax advisor, no filing | No | Yes |
| Balance sheet / annual accounts Lexware Office does not produce a balance sheet either (their own help centre) – for a GmbH the annual accounts stay with the tax advisor | No | No |
| Receipt capture with OCR Nori: unlimited on Pro · Lexware: app with receipt scanner | Yes | Yes |
| Cash book & fixed assets Lexware from plan L (electronic cash register, fixed assets) | No | Yes |
| API Nori: GraphQL API on the Team plan (€49/mo) · Lexware: public API from XL (€32.90/mo) | from Team | from XL |
| DATEV export Nori from Starter | Yes | Yes |
| Payroll Lexware: add-on priced by headcount (€12.90–199.90/mo net), calculated under German wage and social-security law | No | Yes |
| UI in German + English Lexware: English documents only, UI in German | Yes | No |
| Modern UX | Yes | Classic |
Prices are net, monthly billing. Feature details about other tools can change.
Why Nori is the better choice
If you think in proposals, documents and billable time, Nori is the better daily home. Notion, Google Docs, Markdown and PDFs become one branded PDF, proposals get an online acceptance and turn into an e-invoice with a single click – for authorities in Germany and Austria.
The decisive difference is flexibility: your content stays in the tools you already use, the interface is bilingual and modern, and you don't tie yourself to a German accounting suite. No lock-in, no dated forms.
Based in Austria? Then the decision is already made: Lexware Office is meant for Germany only, by the vendor's own statement – no VAT filing via FinanzOnline, no RKSV cash register, no BMD export, and the payroll module calculates German law. Nori supports Austrian VAT rates, ebInterface 6.1 and e-invoicing to the federal government.
More than one company? In Nori you switch between them inside the same login; with Lexware each company needs its own account with its own email address.
Nori doesn't replace full bookkeeping with payroll and VAT returns – that's what Lexware is for. But for proposals, documents and invoicing, Nori is more flexible, faster and freer.
Competitor pricing and scope: as of 08/2026, all amounts net. Lexware promotional rates are limited to the first 3 months.
We want to paint a fair picture here. Spotted a mistake? Let us know
Ready to keep your business documents in one place?
Start free – no credit card required, cancel anytime.