Lexware
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersFreiburg, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
Lexware firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lexware
- Legal name
- Lexware (brand of Haufe Group)
- Website
- https://shop.lexware.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Lexware is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Freiburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lexware business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Subscription (Desktop): Monthly or annual subscription fees for desktop accounting, payroll, inventory and business management software. Regular updates included in subscription. Software delivered via download with serial number activation.
- Cloud Solutions Subscription: Subscription-based cloud services including Lexware Office (online accounting platform), Lexware archivierung (document archiving), with per-user and storage-based pricing tiers
- Support Service Packages: Optional premium support service packages providing telephone and email support plus remote desktop assistance with no per-incident charges
- Additional Licenses and Storage: Additional workplace licenses for multi-user network solutions and additional storage capacity for cloud archiving solutions available as add-on purchases
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Lexware Office (Cloud): Online accounting, invoicing, banking starting at |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lexware buchhaltung: Basic and Plus tiers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lexware faktura+auftrag: Invoice and order management software |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lexware lohn+gehalt: Payroll software with 4 tiers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lexware financial office: All-in-one business software with 4 tiers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lexware warenwirtschaft: Inventory management software |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lexware archivierung: Cloud-based document archiving |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Lexware product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lexware develops and sells accounting, payroll, invoicing, inventory management, and document archiving software for German small and medium-sized enterprises. Its offerings include the cloud-based Lexware Office platform as well as desktop suites such as Lexware financial office, Lexware buchhaltung, Lexware lohn+gehalt, Lexware faktura+auftrag, and Lexware warenwirtschaft, all delivered on a monthly subscription model with native compliance to German tax and social security regulations.
Product overview
Lexware is a comprehensive German business software provider offering both cloud-based and desktop solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. The product portfolio centers on the all-in-one Lexware financial office platform (available in basis, plus, pro, and premium tiers) which integrates accounting, order processing, payroll, and inventory management. Supporting standalone products include Lexware buchhaltung (accounting), Lexware lohn+gehalt (payroll in 4 tiers), Lexware faktura+auftrag (invoicing/order management), and Lexware warenwirtschaft (inventory management in pro/premium variants). Cloud offerings include Lexware Office for online accounting and banking. Add-on modules include Lexware archivierung (document archiving), Lexware fehlzeiten (absence management), Lexware reisekosten (travel expenses), Lexware myCenter (employee portal), Lexware mobile (mobile access), and Lexware adress-check (address verification). The ecosystem also includes Lexware sync4 for PIM integration, smartsteuer for tax filing, and integrates with DATEV, ELSTER, Microsoft Office, and various shipping/logistics services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lexware Office: Cloud-based accounting and business management software with integrated business account and online banking
- Lexware financial office
- Lexware buchhaltung
- Lexware lohn+gehalt
- Lexware faktura+auftrag
- Lexware warenwirtschaft
- Lexware archivierung
- smartsteuer
Products and services
- Lexware Office
Quantifiable outcome
- 600,000+ customers successfully using Lexware software
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Lexware
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Lexware technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
Lexware partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- MaesncoreOfficial Lexware Technology Partner providing services to SaaS companies and developers. Maesn helps navigate Lexware partner qualification process, obtain required OAuth scopes, and abstract complex workflows through their unified API platform for Lexware Office API integration.
- DATEVcoreCertified DATEV interface for accounting data export/import including ASCII.CRS format and DATEV Buchungsdatenservice enabling data transfer to DATEV Rechnungswesen and DATEV Belege Online.
- ELSTER (Tax Authority)coreIntegrated ELSTER module for electronic submission of tax declarations including Umsatzsteuervoranmeldung, Lohnsteueranmeldungen, Lohnsteuerbescheinigungen, and Umsatzsteuerjahreserklärung directly to German tax authorities.
- GKV (Spitzenverbände der gesetzlichen Krankenkassen)coreGKV-Zertifikat certification confirming Lexware lohn+gehalt meets social security carrier standards for correct data transmission of social security notifications and contribution notices.
- easy Software AGcoreLexware archivierung built on easy Archive solution from easy Software AG, deployed at major companies like Rossmann and Commerzbank, certified IDW PS 880 and ISO/IEC 27001.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lexware competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FastBill: Cloud-based invoicing, accounting, and expense management for German freelancers and small businesses. Competes head-to-head with Lexware Office and Lexware faktura+auftrag on automated e-invoicing, DATEV/ELSTER integration, and subscription-based pricing for the German SMB market.
- Agenda Software: German SMB accounting and payroll software publisher targeting tradespeople, freelancers, and small businesses. Direct comparable to Lexware buchhaltung and Lexware lohn+gehalt, particularly for handwerk and small enterprise segments in Germany.
- Collmex: Cloud-based German accounting, ERP, and order-management software for SMBs and tradespeople. Comparable offering to Lexware warenwirtschaft and financial office with focus on inventory, order processing, and DATEV-compatible bookkeeping for small German companies.
- sevDesk: Cloud-based accounting, invoicing, and tax-preparation software for German SMBs and self-employed. Directly competes with Lexware Office in the cloud SMB segment with aggressive freemium pricing, mobile UX, and bank/ELSTER integrations, targeting the same freelancer and micro-SMB buyer.
- Lexoffice: Cloud-first accounting and invoicing software for German freelancers and SMBs, also owned by Haufe Group. Serves the same German SME customer base as Lexware but targets the micro-business / freelancer segment with a pure-cloud, mobile-first product, directly competing for the entry-level end of Lexware's customer funnel.
- Buhl Data Service (WISO): German consumer and SMB tax/accounting software publisher including WISO Steuer, WISO MeinBüro, and comparable SME offerings. Competes directly with Lexware buchhaltung and Lexware financial office at lower price points, particularly for freelancers, tradespeople, and small businesses in Germany.
Broad incumbents
- Sage Germany: Global accounting and ERP software provider with significant German SMB offering (Sage 50, Sage Business Cloud, Sage HR). Overlaps with Lexware financial office and lohn+gehalt in payroll and accounting for German SMEs, but operates a much broader international portfolio rather than German-specialized focus.
- Addison (Wolters Kluwer): German SMB accounting, payroll, and tax-advisor software suite owned by Wolters Kluwer. Overlaps with Lexware financial office and lohn+gehalt for SMBs and the tax-advisor channel in Germany, part of a larger international compliance and accounting software portfolio.
- DATEV: Dominant German cooperative providing accounting software and tax-advisor data-exchange infrastructure (DATEV Rechnungswesen, DATEV Belege Online). While Lexware integrates with DATEV, DATEV's owned software suite and Steuerberater channel position it as the broader incumbent whose standards and ecosystem Lexware must interoperate with and compete against.
Emerging players
- BuchhaltungsButler: Cloud-native German bookkeeping and financial management SaaS for SMBs and tax advisors. Competes with Lexware Office in the cloud SMB segment with API-first architecture and modern UX, representing the newer generation of German fintech challengers targeting Lexware's customer base.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lexware social profiles
Digital presenceLexware compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Lexware financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lexware leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lexware funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lexware M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lexware
What does Lexware do?
Lexware develops and sells accounting, payroll, invoicing, inventory management, and document archiving software for German small and medium-sized enterprises. Its offerings include the cloud-based Lexware Office platform as well as desktop suites such as Lexware financial office, Lexware buchhaltung, Lexware lohn+gehalt, Lexware faktura+auftrag, and Lexware warenwirtschaft, all delivered on a monthly subscription model with native compliance to German tax and social security regulations.
Is Lexware a public or private company?
Lexware is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Lexware founded?
Lexware was founded in 1989. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Lexware based?
Lexware is headquartered in Freiburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Lexware make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Subscription (Desktop) is the primary driver. The others are cloud Solutions Subscription, support Service Packages and additional Licenses and Storage.
Who are Lexware's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FastBill, Agenda Software, Collmex, sevDesk, Lexoffice and Buhl Data Service (WISO). Broad incumbents are Sage Germany, Addison (Wolters Kluwer) and DATEV. BuchhaltungsButler is listed as an emerging player.
Does Lexware have an API?
Yes. The Lexware Office API is a widely used accounting and financial management system API designed for strict regulatory compliance with German financial law. The API is Euro-only, rate-limited, and requires multi-call workflows for certain operations like creating transactions with attachments. It is accessible through official Lexware Technology Partners.