What Crésus does

Crésus is a Swiss business management software suite developed by Epsitec SA, a privately held Yverdon-les-Bains-based firm founded in 1978. The product is a unified desktop application combining three core modules — Facturation (invoicing and client management), Salaires (payroll), and Comptabilité (accounting with VAT) — available on Windows, macOS (via CrossOver), and Linux, with an optional cloud hosting tier. The software serves approximately 35,000 users and 700 fiduciary firms across Switzerland, with particularly strong penetration in the French-speaking Romand region.

The company's technical differentiator is deep regulatory integration with Swiss-specific compliance frameworks: Swissdec-certified electronic salary transmission (ELM 4.0 from 2014, ELM 5.0 from 2023), ISO 20022 conformance since 2016, electronic VAT filing via eTVA to the Federal Tax Administration, and MCH2 (HRM2) compliance for cantonal and municipal governments. Core technology includes banking integration via EBICS protocol (v5.0) with CAMT format support, eBill network participation via SIX GROUP, and proprietary add-ons including Crésus Horizon (BI dashboards), Crésus Banking (automated reconciliation), Crésus Synchro (multi-workstation data coordination), and Crésus Pay (mobile invoice scanning).

Crésus operates a hybrid revenue model combining perpetual software licenses, annual subscriptions (Crésus+ at CHF 120/module/year), and professional services (implementation and training). Distribution occurs through direct online sales (shop.cresus.ch), a network of 200+ Swiss resellers including fiduciary firms and IT providers, and dedicated training institute partnerships. Customer segments span SMEs (primary), fiduciary firms (primary), public sector entities, and associations/clubs. The company has no disclosed external funding, remains under founder/family ownership following the 2008 leadership transition from Cathi Nicoud to Pierre Arnaud, and pursues moderate growth through product modernization, vertical expansion (dental via Odontos acquisition, 2021), and incremental geographic extension into German-speaking Switzerland.

Name

Crésus

Legal name

Epsitec SA

Website

https://cresus.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crésus, developed by Epsitec SA, is a unified Swiss business management software suite combining invoicing, payroll, and accounting modules with deep Swiss regulatory compliance (Swissdec, ISO 20022, eTVA, MCH2), serving 35,000+ users and 700 fiduciary firms across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yverdon-les-bains

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses (Purchase): Perpetual license purchase model for Crêsus modules (Comptabilité, Salaires, Facturation). Single upfront payment with optional Crêsus+ subscription for updates.
2. Software Subscriptions (Rental): Annual rental option for Crêsus modules, providing access to software with regular updates included.
3. Crêsus+ Subscription: Annual subscription (CHF 120.00 per module per year) providing automatic updates, cloud services, banking integrations, and premium features.
4. Professional Services: Implementation services (Mise en oeuvre) and training courses (Formations) provided to help customers deploy and optimize Crêsus usage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Crésus is a Swiss business management software suite developed by Epsitec SA, combining three core modules—Facturation (invoicing and client management), Salaires (payroll), and Comptabilité (financial accounting and VAT)—unified in a single application available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The Crésus+ subscription adds Banking, Horizon BI, Synchro, Pay, Partout, FiduSync, eBill, eTVA, Swissdec integration, exchange-rate feeds, and automated updates, with optional Crésus Cloud hosting and paid implementation/training services.

Product overview

Crêsus is a unified Swiss business management software suite developed by Epsitec SA, comprising three core modules—Crêsus Facturation (invoicing and client management), Crêsus Salaires (payroll processing), and Crêsus Comptabilité (financial accounting and VAT)—accessible via a centralized home screen since the 2022 platform unification. The Crêsus+ subscription model provides automatic updates and access to additional services including Banking (EBICS/bank reconciliation), Synchro (multi-workstation data sync), Horizon (financial analytics dashboards), Partout (employee self-service), Pay (mobile invoice scanning), FiduSync (accountant collaboration), eBill (electronic invoicing via SIX GROUP), eTVA (electronic VAT filing), Swissdec integration, and Cours de change (exchange rates). Crêsus operates as desktop software installable on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with optional Crêsus Cloud hosting. The product is marketed to SMEs, fiduciaries, public sector entities, and associations across Switzerland, with over 35,000 users and 700 fiduciary clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crêsus Facturation: Module for managing clients, preparing quotes, issuing invoices, and paying supplier bills.
• Crêsus Salaires
• Crêsus Comptabilité
• Crêsus+
• Crêsus Banking
• Crêsus Cloud
• Crêsus Horizon
• Crêsus Synchro
• Crêsus Pay
• Polyphême

Products and services

• Crésus Facturation Invoicing and client management module for preparing offers, issuing invoices, managing customer data, and processing supplier payments; supports eBill electronic invoicing via SIX GROUP network. Targeted at Swiss SMEs, fiduciaires, and associations.
• Crésus Salaires Payroll module for calculating and disbursing salaries, producing administrative statements, and managing withholding taxes, social insurance contributions, and employee records; Swissdec-certified (ELM 5.0) for electronic salary data transmission to authorities and insurers.
• Crésus Comptabilité Financial accounting and VAT management module for automating bookkeeping, multi-currency handling, analytics, and electronic VAT (eTVA) submission to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration. Includes an MCH2-compliant variant for public-sector entities.
• Crésus+ Annual subscription service extending Crésus modules with automatic updates and bundled access to Banking, Synchro, Horizon, Pay, Partout, FiduSync, eBill, eTVA, Swissdec integration, exchange-rate feeds, and quick-entry tools. Priced at CHF 120.00 per module per year.
• Crésus Banking Standalone banking module for processing payment orders and collections via direct bank communication using EBICS protocol, PostFinance integration, CAMT format import, and automated bank reconciliation. Available independently from the home screen since 2024.
• Crésus Cloud Cloud hosting platform enabling online, secure remote access to Crésus modules from anywhere; data stored on Swiss servers and requires a Crésus+ subscription.
• Mise en oeuvre (Implementation Services) Paid professional service in which Crésus specialists configure and parameterize the software for customer environments, enabling rapid deployment without in-house setup.
• Formations (Training Courses) Paid in-person training sessions offered throughout the year enabling users to learn advanced Crésus features, regulatory updates, and best practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bank reconciliation for a 25-employee company completed in 5-10 minutes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability2 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and historical.

• SIX GROUP (eBill Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationCrêsus participates in the eBill network operated by SIX GROUP, enabling electronic invoice transmission directly to customer e-banking systems. This partnership allows Crêsus Facturation users to send invoices electronically through a network of registered partners.
• PostFinancecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with PostFinance for ISO 20022 compliance and payment processing. Crêsus became the first Romand PME software to conform to the ISO 20022 standard, enabling pain.001 payment orders and camt.053/.054 receipt tracking.
• SwissdeccoreTechnology or IntegrationOngoing certification partnership for electronic salary data transmission. Crêsus Salaires maintains Swissdec certification (ELM 5.0 as of 2023), enabling direct transmission of tax source declarations and social insurance data.
• Taurus ConsultingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership established in 2014 with Taurus Consulting for distribution in German-speaking Switzerland (Schweiz), addressing the historically challenging Swiss German market.
• EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)historicalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership with EPFL for development of Smaky computers and educational software. The collaboration dates back to 1978 and included development of programming languages and educational tools. SMUG (Smaky User's Group) meetings held at EPFL.
• CrossOver (CodeWeavers)coreTechnology or IntegrationCrossOver compatibility layer enables Crêsus (Windows software) to run on macOS and Linux. Epsitec migrated from CrossOver 18 to CrossOver 22 for better cross-platform support.
• Swiss Federal Tax Administration (AFC)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for eTVA (electronic VAT) functionality enabling direct electronic submission of VAT declarations to Swiss tax authorities, pioneering this capability since 2018.
• eGameshistoricalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partnership for Speedy Eggbert (English version of Speedy Blupi), distributed internationally by eGames starting 1998.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bexio: Swiss cloud-native accounting and business management software targeting SMEs and small fiduciaires. Direct head-to-head competitor to Crésus in the Swiss Romandie SME market, with strong mobile and collaboration features that Crésus must match via its Crésus Cloud roadmap.
• Banana.ch: Swiss accounting software for SMEs, non-profits, and fiduciaires with multi-platform availability. Comparable niche focus on the Swiss market and similar SMB/fiduciaire target segments.
• Run my Accounts: Swiss online accounting and invoicing service by ClauseTech, aimed at SMEs and fiduciaires with a SaaS delivery model. Competes with Crésus Facturation and Comptabilité in the same Swiss SME accounting space.
• WinBiz: Swiss SME accounting and ERP software used by fiduciaires and small businesses, with comparable pricing, multi-platform support, and regulatory positioning. Relevant comparable for Crésus's commercial model.
• SwissSalary by Galvanic: Swiss HR and payroll software solution, certified Swissdec partner with deep regulatory compliance. Directly comparable in the payroll/Swissdec-certified product category where Crésus Salaires competes.
• Klara (Klara Business Software): Swiss ERP/accounting software for SMEs with focus on ease of use and integrated financial workflows. Comparable SME/Swiss-market scope and similar pricing tiering around subscription.

Broad incumbents

• Abacus Research: One of Switzerland's largest ERP and business software vendors, offering accounting, payroll, and ERP solutions across Swiss SMEs and mid-market. Comparable in target customer and regulatory coverage but with significantly broader product breadth and deeper enterprise capabilities.
• Sage (Switzerland): Global accounting and payroll software vendor with a Swiss presence (Sage 50/Sage BOB). Overlaps with Crésus in SME accounting, payroll, and Swiss regulatory compliance, with broader international scale.
• Xero: Global cloud accounting platform with growing Swiss market penetration via partnerships. Comparable in SME target and subscription-pricing model, but operating from a cloud-native architecture that pressures desktop-first Swiss incumbents like Crésus.

Regional players

• DATEV: German cooperative providing accounting, payroll, and ERP software to German-speaking tax advisors and SMEs. Comparable product breadth and fiduciary-channel distribution model, but serving the German/Austrian market — adjacent and instructive rather than directly competitive.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7ZN833gv--Hpef0HwzHVXQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/cresus.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/organization-guest/company/epsitec-sa---cr-sus

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crésus