What DATEV Unternehmen online costs, and what the firm passes on

According to the current DATEV price list for companies (as of January 2026), DATEV Unternehmen online costs a monthly base fee of 10.50 euros plus VAT, which already includes ten users; each additional user costs 2.00 euros per month plus VAT. Anyone who additionally uses DATEV-Belegverwaltung online pays for it separately from 3.50 euros per month plus VAT per client account for up to 0.5 GB of storage, each additional gigabyte costs 1.00 euro per month. As of: August 2026.

Who pays the base fee, the firm or the company?

The base fee is generally incurred by the company that uses the client account, while the firm itself does not pay an additional base fee for its own access to DATEV Unternehmen online. In practice, most firms still pass the license costs on to the client, often bundled with the actual bookkeeping flat fee, so that the firm's invoice does not always show which share is attributable to DATEV itself and which to the firm's service. If in doubt, ask directly for the cost breakdown, DATEV itself publishes the price list for companies publicly as a PDF.

Is there a free version of DATEV Unternehmen online?

Yes, companies that additionally use DATEV Mittelstand Faktura with Rechnungswesen receive DATEV Unternehmen online including ten users without a separate base fee. This is particularly worthwhile for businesses that already use or plan to use the DATEV invoicing and accounting programs, while pure document-exchange users without these additional programs pay the full base fee. Whether this model suits your business depends on which DATEV programs your firm already uses for bookkeeping.

What does document management cost in addition?

DATEV-Belegverwaltung online costs from 3.50 euros per month plus VAT per client account for a storage volume of up to 0.5 GB, thereafter 1.00 euro per month and gigabyte additionally. For businesses with many scanned documents or high-resolution PDF invoices, this storage share can grow faster than the pure user license, especially if documents remain in the system for years before being archived. A look at the price comparison from Qonto additionally shows how these costs affect typical SME accounts in practice.

How can the document transfer to DATEV be automated?

The document transfer can be automated by pushing incoming invoices and documents directly from the email inbox, scanner folder, or accounting software into DATEV Unternehmen online, without anyone uploading them individually. At NordFlux, we typically build such flows with n8n, for example as a workflow that pulls documents from a shared inbox, checks them for duplicates, and files them linked to the matching client account, see automation for medium-sized businesses. Important: an automated document transfer does not change the DATEV license costs, but does save the manual time for uploading.

Frequently asked questions about DATEV Unternehmen online costs

Are the prices listed net or gross prices?

The amounts stated in the DATEV price list are net prices plus the statutory VAT, as is customary for B2B software licenses. For actual cost planning, add the currently applicable VAT, and check the price list regularly, as DATEV adjusts prices annually at the turn of the year.

Does every company automatically pay the full user price?

No, the base fee already includes ten users, so smaller businesses often manage without additional user costs. Only from the eleventh user onward does the additional amount of 2.00 euros per month and user apply, which is rarely relevant for most small and medium-sized businesses.

Why do price statements differ between firms?

Because firms calculate the DATEV license costs differently into their own fee structure, some list them separately, others bundle them into a flat fee. DATEV's own price list only shows DATEV's own list prices, not what your firm ultimately charges for it.

Is switching to cheaper accounting software worthwhile?

That depends on how strongly your firm and your existing processes are tied to DATEV; switching may save license costs but causes migration effort and requires that your firm supports the alternative. Before switching, it is worth doing an honest calculation that weighs migration costs against ongoing savings.