How to choose invoicing software: a criteria comparison

Almost every invoicing program promises "easy invoicing" and "myDATA compatibility". The differences are in the details: which document types are supported, what the price includes and what costs extra, how many users you get, and what happens when you need to invoice a public body.

This guide does not compare names. It gives you ten criteria in the order they usually matter, and for each one what to ask. At the end there is a table showing what eFluper offers on each criterion, so you can hold it up against whatever else you are considering.

Every business in Greece transmits the data of its documents to AADE's myDATA. Invoicing software should do this automatically when you issue, and give you back the MARK of each document.

Ask: is transmission automatic, or does it need an action from you? Can you see clearly which documents were transmitted and which were not? Can it download data as a recipient, so you see what your suppliers have transmitted?

Transmitting straight to myDATA is not the same as e-invoicing through a certified provider. Invoices to the public sector (B2G) must go through a provider, and a provider also covers B2B and B2C flows, such as receipts without a fiscal device.

Ask: does the software connect to a certified provider? Is the provider cost included or separate? Which document types does each plan cover? For the difference between the two routes, see provider vs ERP.

Cloud software opens in any browser, updates without you doing anything and does not depend on one computer. Installed software runs locally and leaves updates and backups to you. The full comparison is in cloud vs desktop invoicing.

Subscriptions differ in what they count: documents, customers, users or features. Compare the total yearly cost for your own usage, including add-ons (provider, extra users, support), and check whether prices are quoted with or without VAT.

Ask: what happens if I go over a limit? Is there a free plan or a trial? Can I switch plans later?

If you work with colleagues or an accountant, you need access for more than one person, with different permissions. Just as useful is a change history that shows who created or edited each record.

If you sell products, the software should update stock with every sale and purchase. Check whether it handles several warehouses, product bundles and delivery documents, and in which plan.

Mobile: can you issue a document away from the office, in a browser or in an app?

Support: through which channels, at what hours, and what does extended support or customisation cost?

API: if you want to connect an e-shop or another system, is there a documented public API, and in which plan?

Not everyone issues the same documents. A freelancer mainly needs service receipts (ΑΠΥ) and service invoices. A shop needs retail receipts and POS integration. A business that ships goods needs delivery notes and combined invoice-delivery notes. Everyone needs a credit note sooner or later.

Ask: is every type I issue supported, in which plan, and with the right myDATA classification? Can I keep separate numbering series?

Your documents are accounting records that must be kept. Find out where they are stored, whether they are encrypted, how often they are backed up and, just as important, how you get your data out if you decide to leave. A bulk export of documents and attachments saves a lot of trouble.

The criteria above separate programs on paper. In practice, how fast you can issue a document matters too: whether customers fill in from their VAT number, whether products and services are reusable, whether documents go out by email in one click, and whether you can set up recurring invoices for regular clients. Software that slows you down by a few seconds per document costs you hours over a year.

• Comparing only the monthly price. The real cost includes the provider, extra users and support.
• Forgetting B2G. If even one customer is a public body, you need a provider.
• Choosing for today only. Check you can upgrade without migrating data as you grow.
• Not testing. A few minutes with a real document tell you more than any feature page.

• List the document types you issue (invoices, service receipts, retail receipts, delivery notes, credit notes).
• Note whether you invoice the public sector or need receipts without a fiscal device: then you need a provider.
• Work out the yearly cost for your customers and users, including add-ons.
• Test each candidate with a real document, all the way to receiving a MARK.
• Ask your accountant whether they can have access as a user.

The table below sums up the criteria and what eFluper offers on each, based on the plan comparison.