In short:
- Four accounting software tools available in France are compared based on their pricing pages checked on 27 October 2026: Indy, Pennylane, Sage 50 and Tiime.
- Indy is the only one of the four to advertise a plan in which a company prepares its own balance sheet, income statement and tax filings, at €49 excl. VAT per month on an annual commitment.
- Sage 50 Accounting starts at €21 excl. VAT per month for up to 3 users, Pennylane charges €79 excl. VAT per month for its accounting module in the Premium plan for freelancers, and Tiime focuses on collaboration with a chartered accountant.
- All four vendors appear on the official list of approved e-invoicing platforms published by the French tax authority (DGFiP).
Accounting software comparison table
| Criterion | Indy | Pennylane | Sage 50 | Tiime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Essentiel, €0 | Starter, €7 excl. VAT/month (freelancers) | Accounting, from €21 excl. VAT/month | Free, €0 |
| Plan with full accounting | Autonomie (companies), €49 excl. VAT/month annually or €59 monthly | Premium, €79 excl. VAT/month with accounting module (freelancers) | Accounting, from €21 excl. VAT/month | Smart, from €17.99 excl. VAT/month, with the accountant |
| Balance sheet and tax return | Automated in the Autonomie plan (companies) | Not stated on the pricing page | Not stated on the page checked | Not listed as a Tiime feature |
| Prices for small and medium businesses | Shown by legal status | Not shown | Shown | Shown by number of employees |
| Users | Not stated | 1 user (freelancer plans) | Up to 3 users | Multi-user from Smart |
| Free trial | Not mentioned | 15 days, no commitment | 30 days, no credit card | 60 days on paid plans |
| Approved platform (DGFiP list) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Verdict | Most complete for doing your own accounting | Full financial management, accounting in the top plan | Classic software, accessible for a small team | Free invoicing, accounting handled by the firm |
Method: prices and features come from the vendors’ pricing pages, consulted on 27 October 2026. Prices are shown excluding VAT, as on the websites. A “not stated” cell means the information did not appear on the page checked, not that the feature is missing from the software.
Why choosing accounting software matters in 2026
Choosing the best accounting software first depends on a simple question: who keeps the books? The business owner, an employee, or a chartered accountant working from the company’s data? The four tools compared answer different situations.
E-invoicing is also changing the picture in France. According to economie.gouv.fr (page in French, consulted on 27 October 2026), all businesses must be able to receive electronic invoices since 1 September 2026, and small and micro businesses will have to issue them from 1 September 2027.
These invoices go through platforms approved by the State. The DGFiP publishes the list of approved platforms on impots.gouv.fr. In the version consulted on 27 October 2026 (page updated on 13 October 2026), Indy, Pennylane, Sage and Tiime all appear on the list of operators that have met all conditions, interoperability tests included.
The criteria used for the comparison
- Accounting scope: data entry and categorisation, VAT returns, balance sheet, tax return.
- Public price, and whether it is displayed at all.
- Number of users included.
- Free trial and commitment.
- E-invoicing and approved platform status.
Invoicing and accounting are closely linked. Criteria specific to invoicing are covered in the guide to choosing invoicing software.
Indy: self-managed accounting, tax filings included
Indy is online accounting software for freelancers and small companies in France. Its pricing page distinguishes four groups of legal status: sole proprietorship, auto-entrepreneur, SCI and LMNP, and companies (SAS, SASU, SARL, EURL). Prices vary with the status selected. Plan details are published on Indy’s pricing page.
For companies, the Autonomie plan is what sets it apart in this comparison. According to the check made on 27 October 2026, it costs €49 excl. VAT per month on an annual commitment (€588 excl. VAT per year), or €59 excl. VAT per month without an annual commitment. It advertises automated filings (balance sheet, income statement, VAT, CFE) and their electronic submission.
Indy also states approved platform status on its pricing page. This status is confirmed by the official DGFiP list consulted the same day.
Indy’s key features
- Essentiel plan at €0: e-invoicing, unlimited quotes and invoices, automatic transaction categorisation, business account with IBAN and card.
- Autonomie plan at €49 excl. VAT per month on an annual commitment (companies): automated balance sheet, income statement, VAT and CFE, general meeting minutes and filing of accounts, director’s payslip, tax guarantee.
- Sérénité plan from €99 excl. VAT per month on an annual commitment (companies): a partner chartered accountant handles the filings and certifies the balance sheet.
- Exclusivité plan from €149 excl. VAT per month on an annual commitment (companies): a dedicated chartered accountant.
- Monthly subscription with no commitment, according to the FAQ on the pricing page.
Including the director’s payslip in the Autonomie plan may interest presidents of SAS and SASU companies. For businesses with employees, dedicated payroll software is still needed.
Detailed comparison: Pennylane, Sage 50 and Tiime against Indy
Pennylane, a financial management platform
Pennylane presents its plans for freelancers (EI, SASU, EURL, SCI) with public prices: Starter at €7 excl. VAT per month, Basique at €14, Essentiel at €24 and Premium at €79. Only the Premium plan mentions an “accounting module”. These plans include a single user.
For small and medium businesses, the pricing page checked on 27 October 2026 shows no prices. It lists user volumes and a custom offer for medium-sized and mid-cap companies. Pennylane also states that it is not a chartered accounting firm.
Strengths noted: a 15-day free trial with no commitment, and e-invoicing included in all plans at no extra cost according to the FAQ.
Sage 50, classic accounting software in a cloud version
Sage 50 offers three packs, all advertised for up to 3 users and compatible with e-invoicing: Accounting from €21 excl. VAT per month, Quotes and Invoicing from €20 excl. VAT per month, and Accounting plus Invoicing from €38 excl. VAT per month.
The free trial lasts 30 days, without a credit card. Sage states that e-invoicing compliance, including connection to its approved platform, is built into the subscription.
Sage 50 suits a small team that keeps its accounts in-house. The page checked does not detail tax return production.
Tiime, free invoicing and a link with the chartered accountant
Tiime displays four plans: Free (no charge), Initial at €9.99 excl. VAT per month, Smart from €17.99 excl. VAT per month and Business from €24.99 excl. VAT per month. Smart and Business prices rise with the number of employees, up to a quote beyond 20 employees.
Tiime highlights free e-invoicing and collaboration with the chartered accountant. Its page does not list the balance sheet or tax return among its own features: VAT figures are presented as provided “by the firm”.
Paid plans come with a 60-day trial. The Initial plan requires opening a Tiime business account.
Summary of the differences
| Need | Best-placed tool according to the checks | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare a company’s balance sheet and filings yourself | Indy | Only plan in the comparison advertising it, with a public price |
| Keep the books in-house with several users | Sage 50 | Up to 3 users from €21 excl. VAT per month |
| Manage cash flow and spending, accounting as an option | Pennylane | Financial management plans, accounting module in Premium |
| Invoice for free and leave accounting to a firm | Tiime | Free plan and collaboration with the accountant |
| Know the price before any sales call | Indy, Sage 50, Tiime | Public prices displayed, unlike Pennylane’s small and medium business plans |
Who is it for? Recommendations by profile
Freelancer or SASU director who wants to handle everything alone
For this profile, Indy is the most consistent choice among the four tools compared. The Autonomie plan covers a company’s annual filings, and the Sérénité plan makes it possible to switch later to a partner chartered accountant without changing tools.
Small business with a person dedicated to accounting
Sage 50 fits this case well: classic accounting software, several users, a low entry price and a 30-day trial. Businesses that invoice a lot can choose the pack that combines accounting and invoicing.
Business already supported by a chartered accountant
Tiime and Pennylane suit companies whose books are kept by a firm. Tiime stands out with free invoicing, Pennylane with its spending and cash flow management features. It is worth asking first which tool the firm uses.
How to choose your accounting software
- Decide who keeps the books: the owner, an employee or a firm.
- Check the legal status covered: Indy’s and Pennylane’s plans vary by status.
- Check approved platform status on the official DGFiP list, not only on the vendor’s website.
- Compare the real annual price, taking into account the gap between annual and monthly commitment.
- Test during the trial period with real data.
Accounting software centralises sensitive data: bank statements, invoices, salaries. Access must be protected by following cybersecurity best practices, starting with two-factor authentication. Bank synchronisation and automatic categorisation are also part of a broader effort to automate repetitive tasks.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing on the entry price alone, when full accounting is often in a higher plan.
- Forgetting the gap between the monthly price and the annual commitment price.
- Confusing invoicing software with accounting software: a free plan rarely covers the balance sheet.
- Relying on a badge on the vendor’s website without checking the official list of approved platforms.
- Switching tools without checking how to retrieve the accounting history.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best accounting software in France?
It depends on the need. Based on the pricing pages checked on 27 October 2026, Indy is the only one of the four tools compared to advertise a plan in which a company produces its own balance sheet, income statement and tax filings, at €49 excl. VAT per month on an annual commitment. Sage 50 Accounting starts at €21 excl. VAT per month for up to 3 users. Pennylane offers an accounting module in its Premium plan at €79 excl. VAT per month for freelancers. Tiime is mainly designed to work with a chartered accountant, with a free invoicing plan.
Which accounting software should a French SASU or EURL use without an accountant?
Among the tools compared, Indy is the one whose pricing page advertises, for companies, automated filings (balance sheet, income statement, VAT, CFE) with electronic submission, in the Autonomie plan at €49 excl. VAT per month on an annual commitment (checked on 27 October 2026). Doing without an accountant remains a choice to weigh against the complexity of the business.
How much does accounting software cost in France?
As of 27 October 2026, the public prices checked range from €0 (Indy and Tiime entry plans, with limited features) to €79 excl. VAT per month (Pennylane Premium for freelancers). Sage 50 Accounting starts at €21 excl. VAT per month and Indy’s Autonomie plan for companies at €49 excl. VAT per month on an annual commitment. Pennylane does not display prices for its small and medium business plans.
Is accounting software ready for e-invoicing in France?
The four vendors compared state on their websites that their plans include e-invoicing. Indy, Pennylane, Sage and Tiime also appear on the official list of approved platforms published by the French tax authority (DGFiP) on impots.gouv.fr (version consulted on 27 October 2026).
Can you try accounting software for free?
Yes, according to the pages checked on 27 October 2026: Sage 50 offers a 30-day trial without a credit card, Pennylane a 15-day trial with no commitment, and Tiime 60 days on its paid plans. Indy does not mention a trial but offers an Essentiel plan at €0.