Invoicing software: what you actually need
Since VeriFactu, it's your invoicing software that has to comply. What it must do, when you need an ERP instead, and what to check before choosing.
Invoicing software is no longer just a way to print invoices. Since VeriFactu, the program you invoice with is the one that has to comply with the Spanish tax agency: it must generate a chained, tamper-evident record of every invoice. You can keep invoicing the same way; what changed is what the software is required to do.
If your software doesn't generate chained, tamper-evident invoicing records, the problem isn't yours: it's the software's. And the one answering to the tax agency is you.
What invoicing software has to do today
Beyond producing the PDF, three things separate software that works from software that will let you down:
- A chained, tamper-evident record of every invoice issued — what VeriFactu requires.
- Sequential numbering with no gaps and no way to delete an issued invoice.
- Export in a format your accountant can actually use, not just a PDF.
Invoicing software or ERP: which one you need
Invoicing software solves one thing: invoicing. An ERP solves the whole business — sales, stock, purchasing, projects, accounting — with invoicing as one part of it. The question isn't which is better, but how much of your business lives outside the invoice.
| Invoicing software | ERP | |
|---|---|---|
| What it's for | Issuing and collecting invoices | Running the whole business |
| When it's too much | If you invoice and little else | If you only invoice, it's too much |
| When it falls short | When stock or projects live in spreadsheets | Rarely |
| Typical cost | Low monthly fee | Implementation plus fee, or zero licences |
The sign that invoicing software has outgrown you is usually the same: there are spreadsheets next to it. One for stock, one for quotes, a third for hours. Every one of those is information that should already be inside the system.
What to check before choosing
- That it ships VeriFactu as standard, not as a module bolted on afterwards.
- That you can take your data with you the day you decide to leave.
- That whoever maintains it understands the local rules, not just the software.
- That it grows with you: switching software in two years costs more than choosing well now.
How we solve it
We implement Odoo, which is an ERP, so invoicing comes as standard along with the rest of the business. Of the four editions, two are built and maintained here: Community Plus and Agentic ship VeriFactu, SII and payroll integrated and verified, with no per-user licence cost.
That doesn't mean everyone needs an ERP. If your business is invoicing and nothing else, invoicing software is cheaper and simpler, and we'll tell you so. But if you have stock, projects or people clocking in, what costs you money is having it scattered.
Frequently asked questions
How much does implementing Odoo as invoicing software cost?
The base implementation ranges from €4,500 with Community to €9,000 with Agentic, plus €350 for each app beyond the fifth. Community and Community Plus have no licence cost; Enterprise is €19.90 per user and month. You can work it out yourself in the quote configurator.
Can I migrate the invoices from the software I use now?
Yes. If you hand us the data in Excel or CSV, the migration is €900; if we have to extract it from the old software ourselves, €1,800.
Does Odoo comply with VeriFactu?
In Community Plus and Agentic, as standard and verified here. In Enterprise it comes through the publisher's generic localisation, and in Community you need to add separate modules.