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Rechnungskit or an e-invoicing API: which fits what?

Two different tools: Rechnungskit takes invoicing and bookkeeping preparation off a German online shop. invoice-api.xhub is a building block for developers who create, validate or parse e-invoices in their own product.

Sources checked: November 11, 2026 · How we compare

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Feature comparison

FeatureRechnungskitinvoice-api.xhub
What it isSoftware for online merchants in Germany: invoice, archive and DATEV export from shop and payment data1REST API: create, validate, parse and convert e-invoices
Output formatsZUGFeRD 2.5 (EN 16931 profile); XRechnung 3.0 once a Leitweg-ID is stored for the customer23XRechnung, ZUGFeRD and PDF; format chosen per call (list: /docs/api/formats)
Peppol, FatturaPA, ebInterfaceNot supported4Peppol dispatch planned 2027; other countries' formats see /docs/api/formats
CountriesGermany537 countries (list: /docs/api/formats)
How the invoice is createdAutomatically from order and payment (Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware, payment providers) or via an order-based API6One API call with the invoice data as JSON; the response contains the file
Turn a finished PDF into an e-invoiceNo7Yes, your own PDF as the visible part of a ZUGFeRD invoice (Embed API)
Validate and parse third-party e-invoicesIn the application (incoming documents) and as a free web tool89Via API: validator and parser as separate endpoints
PDF layoutTemplate, logo, accent colour and text blocks10Your own templates built from blocks (BlockTemplate), via console or API
ArchiveXML for eight years in immutable storage with SHA-256 checksum11No archive; Archive API planned 2027. Until then you archive yourself
DATEVPosting batches in EXTF format (SKR03/SKR04) with a document transfer package; no direct online transmission12No postings; DATEV delivery of documents planned Q1/2027
Payment reconciliation, OSS, EC sales list, checkout, subscriptionsDATEV export, OSS and EC sales list included; checkout and subscriptions per the feature overview13Not included (API for the invoice document, not bookkeeping)
Free planNo; free test mode without real documents141520 invoices/month free forever
Price€9.00 base fee per month plus €0.15 to €0.03 per document, net1617from €23/month, €18 annually (Starter, 2,000 invoices), plus VAT

All prices net, plus VAT · 20 % off when billed annually · Free tier without a credit card

We sell invoice-api.xhub, so this is not a neutral test. In the table, statements about others carry a source from their own pages or are marked as unverified. How we compare

Sources

  1. 1.Rechnungskit: Die Software richtet sich an Onlinehändler in Deutschland. rechnungskit.de
  2. 2.Rechnungskit: Standard ist ZUGFeRD 2.5 im Profil EN 16931 rechnungskit.de
  3. 3.Rechnungskit: Für öffentliche Auftraggeber entsteht automatisch eine XRechnung 3.0, sobald beim Kunden eine Leitweg-ID hinterlegt ist. rechnungskit.de
  4. 4.Rechnungskit: PEPPOL, FatturaPA, ebInterface | nicht unterstützt rechnungskit.de
  5. 5.Rechnungskit: Die Software richtet sich an Onlinehändler in Deutschland. rechnungskit.de
  6. 6.Rechnungskit: Die E-Rechnung entsteht aus den Daten der Bestellung, also aus Positionen, Steuersätzen und Adressen. rechnungskit.de
  7. 7.Rechnungskit: Rechnungskit wandelt keine fertigen PDFs um. rechnungskit.de
  8. 8.Rechnungskit: Auch eine fehlerhafte E-Rechnung wird gelesen. rechnungskit.de
  9. 9.Rechnungskit: E-Rechnung prüfen (kostenloses Werkzeug) rechnungskit.de
  10. 10.Rechnungskit: Vorlage, Logo, Akzentfarbe und Textbausteine stellst du unter Einstellungen → Vorlage ein. rechnungskit.de
  11. 11.Rechnungskit: Archiviert wird der strukturierte XML-Datensatz, acht Jahre lang rechnungskit.de
  12. 12.Rechnungskit: Eine direkte Online-Übertragung an DATEV gibt es nicht; die Steuerkanzlei lädt die Dateien hoch. rechnungskit.de
  13. 13.Rechnungskit: Bereitet den DATEV-Export für die Steuerkanzlei vor und unterstützt OSS, Zusammenfassende Meldung und Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung. rechnungskit.de
  14. 14.Rechnungskit: Es gibt keinen dauerhaft kostenlosen Tarif, Rechnungskit ist ein Compliance-Produkt. rechnungskit.de
  15. 15.Rechnungskit: Das kostenlose Testen läuft im Sandbox-Modus (echte Anbindungen, nur Testdaten) und kostet nichts. rechnungskit.de
  16. 16.Rechnungskit: Du zahlst zwei Dinge: eine Grundgebühr von 9,00 € pro Monat und einen Preis je Beleg. rechnungskit.de
  17. 17.Rechnungskit: Der Preis je Beleg fällt mit der Menge. Es sind Grenzpreise pro Beleg im Monat: Jeder Beleg kostet den Preis der Stufe, in die er fällt. rechnungskit.de

When to choose Rechnungskit

  • You run an online shop or a SaaS in Germany and want every payment to become an invoice without building anything
  • Your tax advisor should receive ready DATEV posting batches, including fees and payouts
  • You need archive, OSS export and EC sales list from one source
  • ZUGFeRD and, for public authorities, XRechnung are enough as formats

When to choose invoice-api.xhub

  • Invoices originate in your own product and you only want the document created
  • You need the format per call: XRechnung without the Leitweg-ID automation, or other countries' formats
  • You want to validate or parse incoming e-invoices via API
  • Your PDF should look as before: your own template or your finished PDF as ZUGFeRD
  • You already have bookkeeping, archive and payment reconciliation or build them yourself

Two tools for two jobs

Rechnungskit and invoice-api.xhub do not solve the same task. The comparison is still worth it, because both are found under “create an e-invoice”.

Rechnungskit is an application for online merchants in Germany. It connects to shop and payment provider, writes the invoice for every payment, archives it and prepares the postings for DATEV.

invoice-api.xhub is an API. You send invoice data as JSON and get the e-invoice back. Or you send a third-party e-invoice and get the validation result or the parsed data. Everything around the invoice stays with you.

When Rechnungskit is the better choice

  • You sell via Shopify, WooCommerce or Shopware and do not want to develop anything.
  • The real work for you is in bookkeeping: payment provider fees, payouts, cancellations, OSS.
  • You want an archive and procedural documentation without building both yourself.

For these cases an API is a detour. You would have to build number ranges, archive, cancellations and the DATEV export yourself.

When invoice-api.xhub is the better choice

  • Your own product: your software writes invoices for your customers, and you need a layout per tenant.
  • Choice of format: you decide per call whether XRechnung, ZUGFeRD or PDF only is produced.
  • Other countries: you do not issue invoices for Germany only. Which formats are available per country today is listed at /docs/api/formats.
  • Incoming side via API: you want to validate or parse your suppliers' e-invoices in your own system.
  • Existing PDF: your program already produces a PDF that should stay as it is. The Embed API turns it into a ZUGFeRD invoice.

Prices in four examples

We calculated the Rechnungskit figures ourselves from the published tiers (base fee €9.00 plus marginal prices per document, as of 11 November 2026).

Invoices per monthRechnungskitinvoice-api.xhub
20€12.00Free (free tier)
100€24.00€23/month (Starter, €18 annually)
2,000€180.50€23/month (Starter, €18 annually)
5,000€330.50€79/month (Premium, €62 annually)

All prices net, plus VAT.

Important: the prices are not directly comparable. Rechnungskit's price includes archive, DATEV export, payment reconciliation and the shop connections. invoice-api.xhub's price includes only the API. What you build or buy in addition belongs in your calculation.

What we could not verify

We do not know whether Rechnungskit's API has endpoints that only validate or convert a file. We found none in the public API documentation. That is not a no.

Next step

If you need e-invoices in your own product, the playground shows in five minutes whether the API fits your data. The free tier covers 20 invoices a month, no credit card.

Frequently asked questions

Is invoice-api.xhub an alternative to Rechnungskit?

Only for a part. Rechnungskit is a finished application that starts at the payment and ends at the DATEV export. invoice-api.xhub is an API for the invoice document itself: create, validate, parse, convert. If you run a shop and do not want to develop anything, Rechnungskit is the right choice. If you build e-invoices into your own product or need other formats and countries, we are.

Can I use both together?

Yes, the tasks hardly overlap. One example: Rechnungskit for your own shop, invoice-api.xhub for validating and parsing incoming e-invoices in an application of your own.

Does Rechnungskit support Peppol?

No. Rechnungskit states: „PEPPOL, FatturaPA, ebInterface | nicht unterstützt“ (not supported). At invoice-api.xhub, Peppol dispatch is planned for 2027 and not available today.

Which one is cheaper?

That depends on the volume and on what you need. Rechnungskit costs a €9.00 base fee plus €0.15 to €0.03 per document and includes archive, DATEV export and payment reconciliation. invoice-api.xhub is free up to 20 invoices a month and costs €23 a month in the Starter plan for up to 2,000 invoices, but includes only the API. All prices net, plus VAT.

Does Rechnungskit have an API?

Yes, an order-based one: you send an order, and the invoice is created once the payment matches. We did not find endpoints that only validate or convert a file in Rechnungskit's API documentation.

Ready to give it a try?

Free tier: 20 invoices/month, no credit card.

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