What ABF Software Systeme does

ABF Software-Systeme GmbH is a privately held German software manufacturer founded in 1991 in Rodgau near Frankfurt/Main, specializing in branch-independent standard accounting software for small and medium-sized enterprises. The company is led by Managing Directors Eleonore Pose and Sabine Friedrich and operates with a sub-10-employee footprint. Its product architecture centers on three core components: ABF-Finanzbuchhaltung (FIBU) for financial accounting with multi-client and foreign-currency capability, Kostenrechnung/Betriebsbuchhaltung (KORE/BEBU) for cost accounting and budgeting, and Anlagenbuchhaltung (ANLA) for fixed asset management. The software stack has been developed in-house continuously for 35 years, has been formally audited by an external Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, and supports GoBD-compliant archiving for German tax audits.

The modular suite extends the core platform with add-ons covering SEPA payments with skonto optimization, SWIFT MT101 foreign payments, bank statement import with automatic open item reconciliation, Amazon/PayPal/credit-card payment reconciliation, invoice scanning and archiving, order/project controlling, multi-client consolidation, cash book, and factoring interfaces. ABF deliberately focuses on financial accounting as its core competency and partners with separate software vendors for inventory management and payroll, building bespoke data-transfer interfaces where required.

The commercial model is primarily one-time software licensing on a quote basis, supplemented by individual custom development for the accounting area and paid training services: in-person seminars at the Rodgau headquarters are priced at EUR 430 per participant per day, while individual online training is EUR 95 per hour. A 20% discount applies to software modules ordered during training events, linking the training channel to license sales. Distribution is single-country (Germany), direct from the manufacturer via the abf.de website, telephone hotline, on-site demonstrations, and a partner network for adjacent functions, with no public revenue, customer logos, or third-party investor relationships disclosed.

Name

ABF Software Systeme

Legal name

ABF Software-Systeme GmbH

Website

https://abf.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ABF Software-Systeme GmbH is a German software manufacturer founded in 1991 that sells modular accounting software (financial, cost, and asset accounting) directly to small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rodgau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses (Standard Solution): Sale of branch-independent standard software for accounting consisting of Financial Accounting, Cost Accounting, and Fixed Asset Accounting. The modular program structure allows customers to restrict the program scope to actually needed functions and expand incrementally.
2. Training Services: In-person training at ABF in Rodgau at EUR 430 per participant per day, and individual online training at EUR 95 per hour. 20% discount on all modules ordered during seminars or online training.
3. Individual Software Development: Custom program development for the accounting area and creation of additional interfaces for data transfer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ABF Software-Systeme develops and sells a branch-independent standard software suite for accounting, consisting of Financial Accounting (Finanzbuchhaltung/FIBU), Cost Accounting (Kostenrechnung/KORE), and Fixed Asset Accounting (Anlagenbuchhaltung/ANLA), with modular add-ons for SEPA payments, bank reconciliation, invoice scanning, consolidation, and multi-client foreign currency accounting. The software is sold directly by the manufacturer to German SMEs, primarily in transport, trade, industry, and services, and is delivered together with on-site/online training and custom development services.

Product overview

ABF Software-Systeme GmbH is a German software manufacturer offering a modular, branch-independent standard accounting solution consisting of three core products: ABF-Finanzbuchhaltung (ABF-FIBU) as the primary financial accounting platform, ABF-Anlagenbuchhaltung (ANLA) for fixed asset management, and Betriebsbuchhaltung/Kostenrechnung (KORE/BEBU) for cost accounting. The architecture is platform-plus-modules: FIBU serves as the core foundation, while KORE and ANLA function as add-on modules. ANLA can operate independently or integrated with FIBU. The product suite includes numerous specialized modules for payment processing (SEPA payments, SEPA direct debits, SWIFT international payments, online payments via Amazon/PayPal/credit cards), automated invoice processing (scanning, archiving, import), cost center and budget management, consolidation for multi-client companies, and regulatory compliance features. Additional services include user training seminars, practical tax guides, custom development, and comprehensive documentation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ABF-FIBU: Financial accounting software module - core accounting solution with T-account display, open item management, SEPA payment processing, and multilingual dunning.
• ABF-ANLA
• ABF-KORE (Betriebsbuchhaltung)
• ABF-LISTEN

Products and services

• ABF-Finanzbuchhaltung (ABF-FIBU) Core financial accounting software (Buchhaltung) providing T-account booking display, open item management for nominal and personal accounts, integrated chart of accounts (SKR03/SKR04), debtor/creditor accounts, recurring bookings, standard reports (VAT returns, consolidated reports, business analyses), SEPA payment processing with skonto optimization, and multilingual dunning with email/letter dispatch. Targeted at small and medium German enterprises.
• ABF-Anlagenbuchhaltung (ANLA) Fixed asset management module for managing fixed assets, calculating monthly depreciation values, projecting asset development for future years, with up to 13-digit inventory numbers and allocation to up to 7 cost centers and multiple locations. Supports IAS and calculatory depreciation. For SMEs requiring asset accounting.
• Kostenrechnung (KORE/BEBU) - Betriebsbuchhaltung Cost accounting module with percentage and proportional cost center distribution, up to 5-level cost center evaluations (values per cost center, department, sub-profit center, profit center, company), budget management with plan figures for target/actual comparisons. For SMEs needing internal cost analysis.
• ABF-Listen / Berichts- und Web-Tool Reporting and web tool module providing current programs for generating reports and list outputs for the ABF-FIBU software.
• ABF-Anwenderschulung / Seminare User training seminars for new and experienced users covering basics, BWA evaluations, and monthly reporting with under-year allocation, offered at ABF headquarters in Rodgau (EUR 430 per participant per day) or as individual online training (EUR 95 per hour). A 20% discount is granted on all modules ordered during training.
• Individual-Programme (Custom Development) Custom program development services for the accounting area and creation of additional interfaces for data transfer to and from ABF-FIBU software, including interfaces to inventory management systems and factoring providers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Software Partners for Inventory Management and PayrollcoreTechnology or IntegrationABF collaborates with software partners for inventory management (Warenwirtschaft) and payroll (Lohn/Gehalt) systems. This partnership model allows ABF to concentrate on its core competency of financial accounting software while providing customers with complete solutions through partner integrations. On request, ABF also creates individual interfaces for data transfer between partner systems and the ABF FIBU software.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Agenda Software: Agenda is a German SMB accounting and business administration software suite, focused on SMEs and freelancers with SKR03/SKR04 chart of accounts and GoBD-compliant modules. It directly parallels ABF's branch-independent German accounting positioning.
• Lexware (Haufe Group): Lexware is an established on-premise and hybrid German SMB accounting, payroll, and tax software suite that competes directly with ABF-FIBU, ABF-ANLA, and ABF-KORE for the German SME market. Both target German SMEs requiring SKR03/SKR04 and GoBD-compliant accounting.
• Collmex GmbH: Collmex is a German cloud-based accounting and ERP platform for SMEs with strong e-commerce integration (Amazon, eBay, PayPal) - functionally overlapping ABF's online payment import, SEPA, and FIBU capabilities. It targets a similar SME and small e-commerce customer base.
• Lexoffice (Haufe Group): Lexoffice is a cloud-native accounting and bookkeeping platform for German freelancers, SMBs, and SMEs, directly overlapping with ABF-FIBU on financial accounting, SEPA, and reporting use cases. It competes for the same SME segment but differentiates via SaaS delivery, mobile access, and published subscription pricing.
• sevDesk: sevDesk is a German cloud accounting and invoicing platform aimed at freelancers and small businesses, offering financial accounting, SEPA, and reporting features that directly overlap with ABF-FIBU. It represents the cloud-native competitive threat to ABF's on-premise offering.
• Buhl Data Service (WISO Mein Büro): Buhl Data Service publishes WISO Mein Büro and other German SMB accounting, invoicing, and tax software targeting self-employed and small business customers. It competes for the same German SME financial-accounting buyer, with a stronger consumer/SMB brand and broader marketing reach than ABF.
• Addison Software (Wolters Kluwer): Addison is a German SMB accounting, payroll, and tax-advisor software suite widely used by small German companies and tax professionals. It overlaps with ABF's financial accounting, asset accounting, and cost-center modules and competes in the same SME and tax-advisor channel.

Broad incumbents

• SAP Business One: SAP Business One is an ERP suite for small and midsize businesses that includes financial accounting, fixed asset management, and cost accounting modules overlapping with ABF-FIBU, ANLA, and KORE. It targets German SMEs that require integrated ERP rather than standalone accounting, and competes at the upper end of ABF's customer profile.
• Sage GmbH (Germany): Sage is a global accounting and ERP vendor with a German SME offering (Sage 50, Sage Business Cloud) competing with ABF in financial accounting, fixed asset, and cost accounting. It brings broader international scale and cloud investment that an independent like ABF cannot match.
• DATEV eG: DATEV is the dominant German cooperative providing financial accounting, tax-advisor, payroll, and ERP software to German SMEs and tax professionals. ABF targets the same SME accounting customer base with overlapping FIBU, ANLA, and cost-accounting modules, but at a smaller scale and without DATEV's cooperative distribution reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 ABF Software Systeme