Decision Support · Side-by-side
Compare pricing, strengths, and use cases so it is easier to pick the right fit.
Change tools
For most everyday users, Lightyear is the stronger pick if you need reliable invoice processing across multiple companies and can afford its $155/month starting price. Candis wins if you are a German-speaking business that must comply with local tax laws (GoBD) and already uses DATEV. The single biggest difference is geography: Candis is built for the DACH market, while Lightyear is a global tool with deeper ERP integrations.
Candis
Lightyear
Scores at a glance
Choose Candis if
Choose Lightyear if
Key differences
Facts side by side
| Candis | Lightyear | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| API access |
Common questions
Yes, if you use DATEV and need GoBD-compliant archiving. Candis is built for that. Lightyear is overkill and more expensive for a single person.
Yes, Lightyear has an intuitive mobile interface for approving invoices, but you cannot upload invoices from the phone — you need to email them in.
Lightyear starts at $155/month, which is expensive for low volume. Candis's pricing is not public, but it likely costs less for small volumes — though you have to ask for a quote.
Lightyear integrates with Xero, NetSuite, and Sage — not QuickBooks directly. Candis focuses on DATEV and Microsoft Dynamics. Neither is a QuickBooks-native tool.
Lightyear has superior line-item accuracy for English and global invoices. Candis is optimized for German documents.
Candis wins for German DATEV users; Lightyear wins for everyone else who needs accurate, multi-entity invoice automation.
If you're a German business with DATEV, go with Candis — it's built for your tax rules. For everyone else who needs reliable, multi-company invoice processing and can afford $155/month, Lightyear is the better investment. Both require some setup time, so don't expect to be up and running in 10 minutes.
