Why generic invoicing software often falls short for e-commerce
The market is full of invoicing programs: from free tools like InvoicePlane to well-known names like Xero, QuickBooks, and FreshBooks. These tools are often excellent for service providers, freelancers, or traditional trade – but webshops and marketplace sellers have completely different needs.
The core problem is automation. As a freelancer, you might make 10 invoices a month and can enter them manually. But as a webshop with 100+ orders a day, manual invoicing is simply not an option. You need software that integrates directly with your sales channels (Shopify, WooCommerce, bol.com, Amazon) and generates invoices fully automatically.
In addition, there are specific e-commerce challenges: variable VAT rates per product category, OSS rules for EU sales, marketplace commissions that must be deducted from the invoice, returns that trigger credit notes, and the need to archive thousands of invoices per month according to legal requirements. Generic software often offers no solution for this.
Categories of invoicing software for e-commerce
We can roughly divide invoicing software for e-commerce into four categories:
1. Free basic tools (€0/month): Such as InvoicePlane, Invoice Ninja (free tier), or Excel templates. Suitable for absolute beginners with <10 orders per week. Limited automation, no marketplace integrations, manual work required.
2. Paid general accounting packages (€10-50/month): Such as Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks. Good basic functionality, but e-commerce integrations are often an add-on or plugin. Suitable up to ~100 orders/month if you are willing to do manual work.
3. Specialized e-commerce invoicing tools (€30-150/month): Such as Winkel Factuur, Billbee, or Plentymarkets. Built specifically for multichannel sales with native Shopify/WooCommerce/bol.com/Amazon integrations. Fully automated. Scales to thousands of orders per month.
4. Enterprise ERP systems (€200+/month): Such as SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite. For very large operations (€10M+ revenue). Overkill for most webshops, complex implementation, expensive.
Key features to look out for
When comparing invoicing software for your webshop, these are the crucial features:
Marketplace & Webshop Integrations: Native connections with your sales channels (Shopify, WooCommerce, bol.com, Amazon, etc.). Without this, everything becomes manual work.
Automatic invoice generation: As soon as an order comes in, an invoice must be created and sent automatically – without human intervention.
VAT & OSS compliance: Intelligent VAT engine that automatically applies correct rates (standard, reduced, zero) and knows OSS rules for EU sales. VIES validation for B2B.
Multichannel support: All your sales channels in one dashboard. No switching between different systems for bol.com vs Shopify invoices.
Credit note automation: Automatic credit notes for returns, linked to your marketplace return processes.
Archiving & compliance: Keep for 7+ years, audit trails, UUIDs, timestamping – everything the Tax Authorities want to see during checks.
Reporting & dashboards: Real-time insight into revenue, VAT remittance, profit margins per channel.
Accounting software export: Automatic export to Xero, QuickBooks, Exact in UBL 2.1 format.
Scalability: Software must grow with you from 100 to 10,000 orders/month without you having to migrate.
Customer service: Fast support specifically for e-commerce issues (marketplace connections, VAT questions, etc.).
Comparison: Winkel Factuur vs Alternatives
Winkel Factuur vs Xero/QuickBooks:
Xero and QuickBooks are excellent general accounting packages. But for e-commerce, crucial features are missing: no native bol.com/Amazon integration (often only via third-party Zapier flows), no automatic OSS calculation, limited multichannel support. For a webshop with >50 orders/month, manual work quickly becomes a bottleneck.
Winkel Factuur vs Traditional Accounting:
Traditional software focuses mainly on traditional trade and service providers. E-commerce integrations are minimal – you often have to do exports/imports or build expensive custom connections. No specific marketplace features like settlement reconciliation for Amazon or LVB handling for bol.com.
Winkel Factuur vs Enterprise ERP:
ERP systems are powerful but also complex and expensive. The e-commerce modules are add-ons with extra costs. For starting webshops overkill, for growing webshops a possibility – but then often via Winkel Factuur as a middleware layer that feeds the ERP.
Winkel Factuur vs Billbee:
Billbee is a good competitor, also focused on multichannel e-commerce. Strong points: inventory management and shipping label automation. But in the invoicing area, features like advanced OSS monitoring, VIES caching, and the in-depth VAT compliance that Winkel Factuur offers as an official partner are missing.
Winkel Factuur vs Manual Excel/Word templates:
This is simply not scalable. At >20 orders/week it becomes time-consuming, error-prone, and compliance-risky. No automatic VAT calculation, no archiving, no reporting. Only suitable for absolute starters who are willing to do a lot of manual work.
Cost comparison: What do you really pay?
Prices can be misleading because there are often hidden costs. Here is a realistic overview:
Free tools (€0/month):
• Costs: Free software, but a lot of time (1-2 hours/day manual work at 50 orders)
• Hidden costs: Human labor, error risks, no scaling possible
• Total costs: €0 software + huge time investment
General Accounting (€10-30/month):
• Basic costs: €10-30/month for Starter
• E-commerce add-ons: Zapier integrations (~€20/month), manual work (10-20 hours/month)
• Total costs: €30-50/month + significant time investment
Enterprise ERP (€100-200+/month):
• Basic costs: €100+/month
• Implementation: Often €1000+ for setup by consultant
• E-commerce modules: Extra licenses for web integrations
• Total costs: €200+/month + high setup costs
Winkel Factuur (€0-79/month):
• Free: Up to 50 invoices/month (perfect for starters)
• Growth: €29/month for 250 invoices + 4 stores
• Scale: €79/month for 1000 invoices + all features
• No setup costs, no hidden fees, scalable pricing
• Total costs: Transparent and predictable
For an average growing webshop (200 orders/month), Winkel Factuur is often 40-60% cheaper than alternatives when you count time and hidden costs.
Migrating from your current solution
A common concern with new software is: 'What about my existing data?' The good news: with Winkel Factuur, migration is simple and supported.
If you come from manual Excel invoices, we import your historical data (customers, products) via CSV. Your old invoices remain in your archive, new orders are automated from day 1.
Coming from another system like Xero? We can import invoice exports and set up your new workflow without data loss. Often you can run both systems in parallel during a transition period: old invoices remain in the old system, new ones via Winkel Factuur.
Important: your legal retention obligation (7 years) continues to apply to old invoices. You don't have to migrate them, but you must keep them available. Most entrepreneurs choose to switch completely from a certain date (e.g., January 1 next year), with old data in the old system and new in Winkel Factuur.
Free trials and demos: What to expect
Almost all invoicing software offers a free trial or demo. But the quality varies enormously:
Limited trials (14-30 days): Tools like Xero often give a trial with a time limit. Problem: you don't get enough time to really test with your full order volume. You have to decide quickly without thorough evaluation.
Freemium models: Some tools offer free basic versions, but miss essential features (API access, integrations, unlimited invoices). As soon as you grow, you have to upgrade.
Permanent free tier (Winkel Factuur): Up to 50 invoices/month always remains free. This means you can really start cost-free as a starter, not just 'trial'. You can use the system for months and only upgrade when you grow. No credit card required upon registration.
Pro tip: Always test with real data. Connect your Shopify/WooCommerce/bol.com account, let orders run for a few days, and see if the workflow really makes sense. Demos with fake data do not give a realistic picture.
Frequently asked questions when choosing software
Can I use different software for invoicing and accounting?
Yes, and many webshops do that. Use Winkel Factuur for automated invoicing and marketplace integrations, and export data to your accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, etc.) via UBL or API. Best of both worlds.
What if I have multiple legal entities/brands?
Ensure your software offers multi-entity support. Winkel Factuur supports multiple stores per account, each with its own VAT number, branding, and invoicing settings.
What about support for complex VAT questions?
Generic software offers general support, no VAT specialists. At Winkel Factuur you have access to a team that works daily with OSS, ICL, and marketplace VAT. We can advise you directly.
Can I test without commitment?
With most tools yes, but watch out for automatic renewals after trial periods. Winkel Factuur's free tier has no time limit – only upgrade when you need it.
What happens to my data if I stop?
Always check the export options. Can you download all invoices as PDF and/or in machine-readable format (UBL, XML, CSV)? Winkel Factuur guarantees that you can always do a full data export.
Conclusion: Which software suits you?
Choose free/basic tools if: You have <20 orders/week, are willing to do manual work, and only sell domestically without complex VAT.
Choose general accounting packages if: You mainly sell services or do traditional trade, and e-commerce is a small part of your business.
Choose specialized e-commerce software if: You primarily sell via webshops and marketplaces (>50 orders/week), automation is a priority, and you are internationally active (EU). Winkel Factuur is the natural choice here.
Choose enterprise ERP if: You have >€10M revenue, complex multi-country operations, hundreds of SKUs, and a dedicated finance team. But even then, Winkel Factuur can offer a lot of value as middleware between sales channels and ERP.
For the majority of webshops and marketplace sellers, Winkel Factuur offers the best balance between functionality, ease of use, price, and e-commerce focus. Try it for free and experience the difference.