Cortena is an Easybill alternative for teams that want an AR operator, not only a Rechnungsprogramm.
Easybill is a mature German invoicing tool with recurring invoices, e-invoice formats and DATEV export. Cortena starts from a different premise. You connect CRM and billing sources, issue ZUGFeRD EN 16931 receivables, process payment advice, reconcile the bank, and run category-specific dunning in the same workspace as payables. Here is a fair, factual comparison so you can decide which one fits.
Comparison written and reviewed October 2026. Where an Easybill detail is not publicly documented, we mark it "varies" rather than guess. Cortena can also sync from Easybill as an AR feeder when you want both.
What Easybill does well.
We are not here to run Easybill down. It is a serious Rechnungsprogramm for German freelancers and SMEs. Credit where it is due.
Fast invoice creation for DE SMEs
Offers, invoices, delivery notes and a light CRM sit in one familiar German UI. That speed matters for teams that mainly need to raise documents.
ZUGFeRD and XRechnung in every plan
E-invoice send and receive, including ZUGFeRD Extended, is available even on free tiers. That is a real compliance strength.
Recurring invoices and DATEV export
Abo-Rechnungen, Steuerberater access and DATEV export cover the classic German SME billing path without buying a full ERP.
If a dedicated Rechnungsprogramm is all you need, Easybill may be the right fit. The rest of this page is for teams that want AR next to payables, with payment advice, bank match and agent-style control.
Raising invoices is not the same as running receivables.
Easybill-class tools centre on document creation, templates and export. Cortena is the AR operator: compose from CRM and feeders, issue ZUGFeRD, clear cash with payment advice and bank lines, and chase by customer class, next to payables.
Issue from your systems, with a reason trail you can trust.
Cortena pulls customers, products and subscriptions from CRM and billing feeders, including Easybill when you keep it as a source. Issued invoices become ZUGFeRD 2.x / EN 16931 hybrids. You approve before anything posts.
- CRM and feeder-sourced compose, not re-keying
- ZUGFeRD EN 16931 on issue
- Subscriptions with recurring, one-time and usage lines
Customer class Enterprise · net 30. Reminder 2 of 3 scheduled for day +7. Open balance €4.200 on INV-1042. Payment advice pending review.
Cash clears in the same workspace as payables.
Payment advice and bank reconciliation match open items. Category-specific dunning follows the cadence you set. Booking-ready handoff goes to DATEV, Exact Online or Twinfield on the same path as AP.
- Payment advice processing against open items
- Bank match and payment write-back
- Dunning by customer category or class
The honest comparison.
Row by row, on the dimensions that actually change your week. Cortena facts are what we ship today. Easybill facts we keep to what is publicly documented, and mark the rest "varies".
Easybill is a capable product and its exact behaviour depends on plan and setup. Where we could not verify a detail from public sources, we wrote "varies" instead of inventing one. If any fact here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Who should pick which.
Easybill is the better fit when
- You mainly need a German Rechnungsprogramm for offers and invoices.
- Abo-Rechnungen and DATEV export cover your AR without payment advice workflows.
- You prefer a low-cost, self-serve billing tool over an AP+AR operator.
Cortena is the better fit when
- You want receivables next to payables in one controlled workspace.
- CRM issue, subscriptions, payment advice and bank match matter as much as PDF send.
- You need ZUGFeRD on issue and booking-ready handoff to DATEV, Exact or Twinfield.
- You may keep Easybill as a feeder while Cortena runs the AR loop.
Moving from Easybill takes about 15 days. Or keep it as a feeder.
There is no ledger migration to dread. Your books stay in DATEV or your accounting package. We can sync customers, products and invoices from Easybill into Cortena, or replace the day-to-day AR operator while your Steuerberater keeps their tool.
See multi-entity onboarding- 1Connect sources, day 1Link CRM, Easybill or sheets, and your invoice branding. No big-bang cutover required.
- 2Issue and clear side by sideCortena drafts and issues ZUGFeRD invoices, then matches payment advice and bank lines with you reviewing exceptions.
- 3Go live in 15 daysCategory dunning and booking-ready export run on your rules. Easybill can stay connected as a feeder if that helps.
Questions people ask before switching.
Yes, for teams that need an AR operator rather than only a Rechnungsprogramm. Easybill remains strong for document creation and e-invoice compliance. Cortena issues ZUGFeRD receivables from CRM and feeders, clears cash with payment advice and bank match, and sits next to payables.
Yes. Cortena can sync Easybill customers, products and invoices as an AR feeder, with optional payment write-back. Many teams keep Easybill for document habits while Cortena runs matching, dunning and ledger handoff.
Yes. Cortena subscriptions support recurring, one-time and usage lines, with scheduled billing into the AR workflow and ZUGFeRD on issue.
Cortena hands booking-ready receivables into DATEV, Exact Online or Twinfield on the same controlled path as payables. Easybill offers DATEV export and Steuerberater access. The archive of record stays in your accounting system, and Cortena works GoBD-aligned.
We have tried hard to keep it fair. We credit what Easybill does well and, where a detail is not publicly documented, we mark it "varies" rather than invent a fact. If anything here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
See the difference on your own customer invoices.
Book a demo and bring a week of real AR. We will walk CRM issue, ZUGFeRD, payment advice and category dunning so you can compare for yourself.