Three products, three philosophies
Bexio, Klara and AccountEX are all cloud-based and built for Switzerland (QR-invoice, VAT, Kontenrahmen KMU). Bexio is the established SME accounting suite; Klara (Swiss Post) pushes all-in-one (accounting, CRM, orders, modular payroll); AccountEX offers full software at CHF 5.95/month for SMEs and sole proprietors, or CHF 324/year per mandate for fiduciaries (with volume discounts on active mandates), plus OCR+AI and free assisted migration from Excel, Bexio or Banana.
Annual turnover is a solid first selector: under CHF 50,000 your needs differ from an LLC at CHF 800,000 with quarterly VAT and admin staff. Swiss thresholds: CHF 100,000 for Commercial Register and mandatory VAT, CHF 500,000 often triggers full accounting rules.
This guide does not crown a single winner: it recommends what tends to fit each turnover band, plus a cross-cutting comparison table. Prices are indicative (May 2026, excl. VAT) — verify on bexio.ch, klara.ch and accountex.ch for current offers and pricing.
Quick comparison table
Key differences for a typical SME:
| Criterion | Bexio | Klara | AccountEX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry cost (indicative) | from ~CHF 29/month | from ~CHF 26–55/month (modules/packages) | CHF 5.95/month · CHF 71.40/year |
| Free tier / trial | Limited trial | Some free features · 30-day Business trial | Setup in 5 minutes · one flat price, no hidden fees |
| OCR / AI on invoices | OCR on higher plans | Document digitisation, less accounting AI | OCR >98% + AI journal entries in one click |
| QR-invoice ISO 20022 | Yes | Yes | Yes, native |
| FTA VAT reporting | Yes | Yes (Business packages) | Yes, auto-updated |
| Fiduciary multi-mandate dashboard | Limited | Treuhänder collaboration, not native multi-mandate | Core strength · CHF 324/year per mandate, volume discounts |
| CRM / orders / inventory | Modules / integrations | Built-in (Business packages) | Accounting focus · not full ERP |
| Payroll | Integration / partners | Payroll module (per transaction) | Not included · accounting focus |
| Migration from Banana/Excel | CSV import | Assisted migration (Premium) | Free assisted migration from Bexio/Excel/Banana |
Prices and features vary by plan. Indicative update: May 2026. See bexio.ch, klara.ch and accountex.ch for current offers.
Turnover up to CHF 50,000
Sole proprietorship, side business, freelancer with few clients:
Recommended: AccountEX (CHF 5.95/month) or Klara with minimal modules
Bexio
Bexio: fixed monthly fee may exceed value if you issue few invoices. Makes sense if you grow fast or your fiduciary requires it.
Klara
Klara: entry modules or Business Starter (~CHF 26–49/month) for invoicing + expenses in one app; check what the package really includes.
Accountex
AccountEX: CHF 5.95/month for full software, QR-invoice and VAT when you cross the threshold; free assisted migration if you come from Bexio or Excel; setup in 5 minutes.
Below CHF 100,000 turnover you are usually not VAT-registered — prioritise simplicity and cost, not ERP modules.
Turnover CHF 50,000 – 100,000
Structured growth, approaching legal thresholds:
Recommended: AccountEX or Klara Business Basic — choose integrated CRM (Klara) or AI/fiduciary (AccountEX)
Bexio
Bexio: solid if your advisor already uses it; good price/feature balance around CHF 29–40/month.
Klara
Klara: Business Basic (~CHF 55–69/month) includes accounting, CRM and orders — good if it replaces several subscriptions.
Accountex
AccountEX: same flat price CHF 5.95/month; configure VAT before crossing CHF 100,000 — no plan upgrade needed.
Plan VAT registration and Commercial Register before reaching CHF 100,000 turnover.
Turnover CHF 100,000 – 500,000
SME with quarterly VAT, possible staff, more documents:
Recommended: depends — Bexio or AccountEX for efficient accounting; Klara Plus if you want integrated operations
Bexio
Bexio: common fiduciary choice; stable integrations. Better OCR on upper plans.
Klara
Klara: Business Plus (~CHF 79–99/month) for budget, projects, phone support; good if sales and admin share one tool.
Accountex
AccountEX: strong on invoice volume (OCR+AI >98%), Open Banking reconciliation, real-time KPIs; for fiduciaries CHF 324/year per mandate with automatic volume discounts as the portfolio grows.
Above CHF 500,000 check if you must switch from simplified to full accounting — software must support fixed assets and full G/L.
Turnover over CHF 500,000
More complex structures, LLC/JSC, audit, team:
Recommended: AccountEX (fiduciary/multi-site) or Klara Premium / higher Bexio — avoid competitors' base plans only
Bexio
Bexio: fits with established processes and external advisor; check cost centres and consolidation for groups.
Klara
Klara: Premium with onboarding, archive and dedicated support; per-transaction payroll for teams.
Accountex
AccountEX: multi-mandate, hash-certified archive, KPIs and AI scaling to hundreds of documents/month — for fiduciaries CHF 324/year per mandate with volume discounts; direct SMEs stay at CHF 5.95/month.
At this level software cost is small vs internal hours or fiduciary fees — compare 3-year TCO including migration and training.
Cost comparison (indicative)
Price is not the only metric: SMEs pay a flat fee, fiduciaries pay per mandate with volume discounts. OCR/AI automation, users and payroll modules also matter:
| Scenario | Bexio | Klara | AccountEX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro / freelancer | ~CHF 348/year min. | ~CHF 312–660/year | CHF 71.40/year |
| SME 1–3 users | ~CHF 400–800/year | ~CHF 660–1,200/year (Business) | CHF 71.40/year (same price) |
| Fiduciary 10+ mandates | Licences per client | Packages per company | CHF 324/year per mandate · volume discounts |
Klara and Bexio can look more «complete» on paper if you use CRM and orders; AccountEX is CHF 71.40/year for SMEs and CHF 324/year per mandate for fiduciaries, with automatic discounts on active mandate volume.
In short: when to pick which
One-line rule of thumb:
Choose Bexio if…
Your fiduciary already uses it, you want a well-known Swiss brand and accounting + invoicing without AI focus.
Choose Klara if…
You want all-in-one (CRM, orders, archive) with Swiss Post backing and modular growth — accepting a higher Business subscription.
Choose AccountEX if…
You prioritise OCR/AI (>98%), CHF 5.95/month for SMEs or CHF 324/year per mandate for fiduciaries (with volume discounts), free assisted migration, up-to-date QR-invoice and FTA VAT, multi-mandate dashboard or easy move from Banana/Bexio/Excel.
Tips before you decide
- Trial all three with real data (10–20 invoices) — spreadsheets do not replace an hour of use
- Ask your fiduciary which software they support without export surcharges
- Calculate cost per processed document, not just monthly subscription
- Below CHF 100,000 turnover, do not pay for ERP features you will not use
- Check Swiss hosting and nFADP compliance if you handle sensitive client data
- Plan migration before year-end close, not in December
- If undecided, try AccountEX at CHF 5.95/month with assisted migration included — you can import from Bexio without rebuilding everything manually
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