Side by side
BillingEngine vs phase4
Both stand on electronic invoicing software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIWeb
BillingEngine covers e-invoices, quotes, reminders, receipt capture and accounting exports, with a free tier and two paid plans. The free tier has monthly document limits; paid plans increase those limits or remove them.
Visit BillingEngine Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2
Choose phase4 when you need an open-source Java library for AS4 messaging and can integrate it into an existing system. Look elsewhere if you need a standalone project or require AS4 multi-hop, split, or join functionality.
Visit phase4The facts
| BillingEngine | phase4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Web | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Basic: €6 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Maker | BillingEngine | Not published |
| Website | billingengine.com | github.com |
| On electronic invoicing software | #3 of 33 | #7 of 33 |
BillingEngine: what it does well
- Creates ZUGFeRD and XRechnung e-invoices.
- Incoming e-invoice inbox is unlimited on every plan.
- Accepted quotes can become invoices.
- Exports include DATEV, CSV, XLS, XML and PDF.
- Receipt recognition extracts key expense details.
What to know first
- Free plan limits invoices, quotes and receipts to three monthly.
- Basic costs €6 a month plus VAT.
- Premium costs €12 a month plus VAT.
phase4: what it does well
- Free library licensed under Apache 2.0.
- Built-in profiles include Peppol and CEF eDelivery.
- Works on Windows, Linux, Mac, and AWS.
- Configuration can use properties, system properties, or environment variables.
- Security configuration supports JKS and PKCS12 keystores and truststores.
What to know first
- Requires manual integration into an existing system.
- Java 17 is the minimum requirement.
- AS4 multi-hop is not implemented.
- AS4 split and join are not implemented.
Alternatives to BillingEngine Alternatives to phase4 The whole list