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HubSpotShopware E-Invoicing Plugin Comparison: XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Factur-X for Shopware 6
Four plugin categories solve the same problem differently. We show which plugin fits which Shopware workflow — without marketing fluff.
Competitor details last checked: August 8, 2026
invoice-api.xhub in 60 seconds
Why developers pick the REST API over classic accounting software.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Pickware ERP | sevDesk | Lexware Office | Shopware Built-in PDF | invoice-api.xhub |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generate XRechnung XML (DE) | Partial — XRechnung module as add-on (premium tier) | Indirect — exports to sevDesk, generated there | Indirect — exports to Lexware Office, generated there | No — classic PDF only | Yes — BIS 3.0 / EN 16931, B2G-ready with Leitweg-ID |
| Generate ZUGFeRD PDF/A-3 (DE/AT) | Partial — via add-on | Indirect | Indirect | No | Yes — version 2.3 / 2.4, hybrid |
| EU country-specific formats (Factur-X, FatturaPA, etc.) | No — DACH-focused | No | No | No | Q3 2026 — automatically available in plugin |
| Who carries the risk when the recipient rejects the invoice | You — plugin vendors do not warrant conformance in individual cases | You | You | You — Core produces no conformant format at all | You — or xhub.io, if the integration was delivered as a project |
| Master-data mapping (routing ID, recipient identifiers, edge cases) | Maintained inside Pickware | Maintained in the bookkeeping tool | Maintained in the bookkeeping tool | Not provided for | Plugin covers standard cases — grown data models need a project |
| Plugin price | From ~€50/month (full ERP suite, heavyweight) | Free in store (sevDesk subscription required, from ~€20/month) | Free in store (Lexware Office subscription required, from ~€10/month) | Free — part of Shopware Core | Free (MIT) |
| External service required | No — fully in Shopware/Pickware | Yes — sevDesk ($/month) | Yes — Lexware Office ($/month) | No | Yes — invoice-api.xhub.io ($/month volume-based) |
| §14 UStG-compliant numbering (gap-free, race-safe) | Yes | Yes (via sevDesk) | Yes (via Lexware Office) | Standard sequence, not strictly race-safe under load | Yes — atomic custom DB table |
| Shopware version compatibility | Shopware 6.5+ | Shopware 6.5+ | Shopware 6.5+ | All versions | Shopware 6.6 and 6.7 |
| Async generation (Symfony Messenger) | Sync + internal queue | Webhook-based | Webhook-based | Synchronous | Yes — never blocks checkout |
| Refund → automatic credit-note | Yes | Yes | Yes | Manual | Yes |
| Custom invoice templates | Yes — in Pickware | In sevDesk | In Lexware Office | Yes — Twig templates | Yes — template designer in console |
| GDPR hooks (DAL EntityDeletedEvent) | Yes | Indirect | Indirect | Standard Shopware GDPR | Yes — via DAL EntityDeletedEvent |
| Full bookkeeping (DATEV export, bank reconciliation, inventory) | Yes — full ERP suite | Yes | Yes | No | No — focused on e-invoice generation |
When to choose which category
- You only need classic PDF invoices, no XRechnung obligation → Shopware Built-in PDF Documents is enough (free, in core)
- You want a full ERP with inventory, purchasing, and bookkeeping inside Shopware → Pickware ERP
- You need full bookkeeping with DATEV/bank reconciliation → sevDesk or Lexware Office bridge (e-invoicing as a side-effect)
- You need specialised e-invoicing with all EU formats and no bookkeeping overhead → Invoice-api.xhub for Shopware
When to choose invoice-api.xhub
- You need to comply with the 2027/28 XRechnung/ZUGFeRD send mandate and want a specialised API solution rather than a full ERP suite
- You sell cross-border in the EU and need Factur-X (FR), FatturaPA (IT), Facturae (ES) as they roll out — Q3 2026
- You already have a bookkeeping system (sevDesk, Lexware Office, DATEV connection) and don't need a second one — just the correct e-invoice files
- Symfony-Messenger-async is a must-have because your checkout has to stay fast
- You want free OSS plugin code (MIT), no license-key drama and no vendor lock-in
Which Shopware e-invoicing plugin fits your shop?
The plugin landscape for Shopware invoice generation shifted after the 2025 EU e-invoicing mandate. Four categories dominate:
- Shopware Built-in PDF Documents — the document subsystem in Core generates classic invoice PDFs from Twig templates. Doesn't satisfy the XRechnung mandate, but cleanly covers the classic "attach a PDF to the order confirmation" use case.
- Full ERP suites (e.g. Pickware ERP) — bring inventory, purchasing, accounting integration, and optional e-invoicing in a single package. Heavyweight, from ~€50/month.
- Bookkeeping bridge plugins (e.g. sevDesk, Lexware Office) — export orders to an external bookkeeping system; the system then generates the e-invoice and either sends it back or delivers it directly to the customer.
- Specialised e-invoicing API plugins (us) — focused on standards-compliant XRechnung/ZUGFeRD generation; deliberately without ERP or bookkeeping overhead.
Which category fits — the table above shows the hard data. The short heuristic:
- You only need PDF and no XRechnung? → Category 1 (Shopware Core) is enough.
- You're starting greenfield and want inventory + bookkeeping + e-invoicing from one source? → Category 2 (Pickware).
- You already use sevDesk or Lexware Office and are happy with their output? → Category 3.
- You sell EU-wide, need structured formats, and don't want a second ERP? → Category 4 (us).
Multiple categories in parallel is legitimate — e.g. Shopware Core PDF for internal use + us for the XRechnung XML to B2B customers, or Lexware Office for bookkeeping + us for the invoice files going to your customers. Pickware users can run us in parallel if they need the full EU-format roll-out from Q3 2026 onwards, which Pickware (as of 2026) doesn't cover.
When the plugin alone isn't enough
The plugin question is the smaller half. A plugin can only structure what your shop holds — and that is exactly where most migrations fail:
- The routing ID (Leitweg-ID) of your public-sector customers is nowhere in the customer record.
- Credit notes need a reference to the original invoice that your shop never stored.
- Tax categories work in the standard case but not for reverse charge, small-business exemption, or intra-community supply.
- Custom fields and edge cases grown over years don't map onto EN 16931.
- The recipient accepts the invoice technically but rejects it on substance — and nobody notices until the payment fails to arrive.
This is neither a plugin problem nor an API problem. It's data work, and it happens once.
Two routes:
| Do it yourself | Have it delivered as a project | |
|---|---|---|
| Plugin + API | free (MIT) + service plan | included in the project |
| Master-data mapping | your effort | us |
| Testing with real recipients | your effort | us |
| Responsibility for conformance | yours | contractually xhub.io |
| Timeframe | open-ended | 4–6 weeks to go-live |
If you want to know which case your shop falls into: send us one of your invoices. We check it with the same procedure the recipients use (KoSIT validation) and tell you within a day what passes and what's missing. Free and without obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Shopware built-in PDF document system enough for the 2025 XRechnung mandate?
No. Shopware Core generates standard PDF documents — the XRechnung mandate for B2B invoices from 2025 onwards requires structured XML (BIS 3.0 / EN 16931). Pure PDFs do not satisfy the mandate. You need either a specialised plugin (like ours) or a ZUGFeRD hybrid solution — Shopware Core ships neither.
What is the difference between this plugin and Pickware ERP?
Pickware is a full ERP suite — inventory, purchasing, accounting integration, shipping logistics, plus an optional e-invoicing add-on. We do ONLY e-invoicing — but specialised (all 3 live formats, all 28 countries planned, in-house template designer, atomic numbering) and orders of magnitude lighter. If you need an ERP, take Pickware. If you only need the correct e-invoice files and already have a bookkeeping solution, take us.
Can I run sevDesk or Lexware Office plugin in parallel with yours?
Yes. The bookkeeping plugins export Shopware orders to the bookkeeping tool. Our plugin separately generates the structured e-invoice attached to the order. Running both in parallel is clean because responsibilities are split: bookkeeping in sevDesk/Lexware Office, e-invoice file generation via us. Some Shopware shops do exactly this — the bookkeeping tool sees the order, the customer receives the XRechnung-compliant file from our plugin.
The plugin is installed, but the invoice still gets rejected. Why?
Almost always the master data, not the format. Typical causes: the recipient's routing ID (Leitweg-ID) is missing or sits in the wrong field, the tax category doesn't match the transaction, credit notes lack the reference to the original invoice, or mandatory fields were simply never maintained in the shop. A plugin can only structure what the shop holds. If your data model has grown over the years — custom fields, historical edge cases, multiple entities — that's a mapping problem, not a plugin problem. That's what the readiness check is for: send us a sample invoice and we'll tell you what's actually wrong.
Who is liable if the e-invoice isn't conformant?
Legally, always the invoice issuer — that holds for every plugin and every API on the market, ours included. No plugin vendor can take responsibility for your master data. What we can offer: if xhub.io delivers the integration as a project, we take contractual responsibility for invoices from your shop being accepted by the recipient, tested against real documents before go-live. If you build it yourself with the plugin and the API, that responsibility stays with you.
Which Shopware versions are supported?
Shopware 6.6 and 6.7. We exclusively use current DAL patterns (no legacy repository code), Symfony Messenger for async, and a Vue.js admin module on the current Shopware Administration API. Shopware 6.5 and older are not supported — composer constraint is `^6.6 || ^6.7`.
Am I locked in to your service if I switch later?
No. The plugin is MIT-licensed and open source. We store the generated XML/PDF files in the custom-fields set on the order — you keep them even without an active subscription. If you switch, your existing invoice files stay in Shopware; only new invoices stop being generated. Lock-in free.