Choose the course that corresponds to the accounting work to be distributed.
If you manage your business alone, start with the returns covered by the Indy workflow for your tax regime. If several people work on the accounts, compare Pennylane's plans and permissions with your accounting firm. In both cases, separate the software cost, support and tasks that remain your responsibility.
Analysis of official documentation, with no testing on a paid account.
Selection guidance and budgets updated on 29 September 2026.
Indy or Pennylane: three situations to decide
| Your organization | Priority criterion | Decision to be prepared |
|---|---|---|
| You alone manage a simple activity | Statement of your plan and corrections | Review course Indy; confirm cases not covered. |
| You exchange supporting documents with an accounting firm | Responsible for each step and accepted formats | Ask the firm what it uses and what its fees include. |
| Several people charge or manage purchases | Separate fees, validation and invoiced users | Review an offer Pennylane adapted to the team, not the only independent rate. |
IndyTo choose between autonomy and support: Documented strength Offers by business status distinguish the Autonomie workflow from the Sérénité and Exclusivité support services, checked on 7 October 2026. Limitation to be aware of Do not confuse Autonomie with the supported-service offers: the delegated work, eligible business status and price must be specified in the chosen offer. Check the official documentation PennylaneTo distribute management among several stakeholders: Documented strength Separate roles exist for management, billing and internal accounting. Limitation to be aware of The freelancer plan does not allow additional team members. Access for the accounting firm is separate; in-house accounting requires Premium and the Internal accountant role. Check the official documentation Official sources consulted on 29 September 2026. | ||
In this guide
- Indy or Pennylane: three situations to decide
- The first document to be prepared is a division of labour
- Entry prices do not cover the same work
- What a second person changes in the company
- Two scenarios to test comparison
- Exports must help rebuild an operation
- Decide without buying an organization too heavy
- Rates Indy and Pennylane: Avoid false equivalents
Official sources controlled the 27 September 2026. This comparison is documentary. It does not present any completed closure, declaration filed, or time measurement in software.
The first document to be prepared is a division of labour
On a sheet, record who issues invoices, collects supporting documents, corrects classifications, prepares tax filings and approves the year-end close. One person may handle several tasks, but none should remain implicit. You can then compare the software and the accounting firm's service on the same scope. A cheaper subscription may shift more work to the business owner; a broader subscription may duplicate a service already paid for.
| Key issue | Indy | Pennylane |
|---|---|---|
| What business profile? | Select the status and regime tab | Choose the plan and active users |
| Who prepares the statements? | Check Autonomie’s scope and support services | Check the accounting module and the work of the firm |
| Who uses the file every day? | Specify the necessary access to your organization | Budgeting management or deposit roles and access |
| What operation should be automated? | Approximation and declarations according to offer | Reminders, recurring invoicing, analytic accounting and integrations depending on the plan |
Entry prices do not cover the same work
Pennylane's small-business page lists Starter at 7 €, Basique at 14 €, Essentiel at 24 € and Premium at 79 € excluding VAT per month for one user, with up to 1 200 invoices annually. The accounting module is included in Premium. Do not therefore compare Starter with a plan that includes preparing returns as if the features were identical. The accounting firm's fees are another separate item to check. Grid Pennylane.
Indy's prices vary by legal status. A plan chosen for a micro-enterprise does not automatically cover the needs of a company subject to corporate income tax. Obtain a price for the features that match your activity, including the commitment period and any optional support. Above all, avoid comparing free invoicing with an accounting subscription: they cover different tasks. Grid Indy by profile.
What a second person changes in the company
A single leader can agree to check each operation. As soon as one person issues the quotes and another deals with the expenses, the rights and the division of responsibilities take more place. The Pennylane documentation indicates that pricing is based on actual users since February 2026. It also distinguishes management access from limited employees. Count the people who need to act in the tool, then ask what role is in their task. Roles and users Pennylane.
This need for collaboration does not automatically make Pennylane preferable. If the firm already completes all the processing and the employee only sends a few proofs, a simpler organization may suffice. Conversely, asking the manager to share his ID is not a satisfactory solution to the cost of additional access: you must be able to identify the actions and withdraw a right without blocking the entire file.
Two scenarios to test comparison
Individual activity monitored by the leader
The file contains simple services, few purchases and a limited number of specific situations. The right test is a complete period, with a refund and a poorly classified transaction. Ask how the correction affects the reporting elements. Indy is a logical track if your profile and the necessary statements are covered. However, check the cases that leave the standard route before deleting a useful accompaniment.
A small company with purchases, team and firm
The business owner wants to know the amounts due, a team member handles invoicing and the accounting firm checks the accounts. Here, a supplier invoice received, approved, paid and then reconciled is a better scenario than a simple customer invoice. Pennylane is a logical option if everyone works in the same records. The expected benefit is continuity of information; it disappears if each person keeps an independent spreadsheet copy.
Exports must help rebuild an operation
A useful backup contains more than a monthly total. Distinguish supporting documents, accounting entries, customer lists and bank transactions. Pennylane states that an export from Transactions contains transaction data. Check separately that the associated documents are included. Have a list drawn up of the exports needed to change software, and ask your accounting firm whether it can import them. Scope of the transaction export.
Decide without buying an organization too heavy
Choose the offer that covers the identified operations, with an owner for each stage. For a self-employed professional, clarity in the tax process and support may take priority. For a business with several contributors, permissions, shared documents and approval workflows may matter more. If you only need a free tool for quotes and invoices, start with that limited need: it does not immediately require a complete accounting production platform.
Read folders Pennylane and Indyor compare Indy to Tiime for a need centered on collaboration with a firm.
Rates Indy and Pennylane: Avoid false equivalents
The Pennylane grid for independent EI, SASU, EURL or SCI, consulted on 29 September 2026, covers one user and up to 1 200 invoices per year. Do not simply multiply that price to estimate a team's cost: small-business plans and roles must be examined separately.
| Offer Pennylane | Price displayed excluding VAT/month | Projection of 12 monthly | Key condition or difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 7 € | 84 € excluding VAT | Activating the Pro Pennylane Account required. |
| Basique | 14 € | 168 € excluding VAT | Commercial management; do not assimilate it to the accounting module Premium. |
| Essential | 24 € | 288 € excluding VAT | Additional management and management functions. |
| Premium | 79 € | 948 € excluding VAT | Accounting module; firm fees not deducted from this price. |
Projections are multiplications, not an annual discount announced. At Indy, first select the business status in the pricing table: the Essentiel base is free, but Autonomie’s price and covered obligations depend on the profile. An invoicing subscription is not comparable with a complete bookkeeping and filing service.
The cost to put in your table
Write four lines: software subscription, extra accounts and access, the accounting firm's engagement, then the preparation time left to the business owner. Request an amount and an owner for each task. An offer at 7 € is not necessarily the cheapest overall if you add a missing service; a plan at 79 € is not necessarily useful if the firm already covers the same work in its own system.
Three written responses to be obtained prior to migration
Statements: who prepares, who controls and who transmits each document of your plan? On data: can you retrieve the accounting entries, supporting documents and history in usable files? On accompaniment: Are a question of setting and a tax issue dealt with by the same service and at the same rate? These answers make the quotes comparable and avoid discovering a forgotten liability at the fence.
The real need is sometimes the professional account rather than accounting: our comparative Qonto or Indy treats this distinction. For details of each product, see Pennylane and Indy.
Are you planning a takeover by the firm? The guide to Indy exports details the files to be collected and the reception control.
Frequently asked questions
Indy or Pennylane: Which is the cheapest?
There is no reliable answer without defining the work compared. Indy has a free base and tariffs depending on the status. Pennylane distinguishes its plans and users. Compare the required functions, fees and remaining tasks.
Pennylane to 7 € does it include an accountant?
The Starter rate is a software subscription with activation of the Pro Account required, not the price of an accounting mission. Check separately the mission letter and the firm's fees.
Can Indy replace an accountant?
Do not deduct this from the software name alone. Check the obligations of your activity, the declarations covered and the level of support subscribed. Specific situations and responsibility for controls must be clarified before a service is discontinued.
Which software should you choose for several team members?
Describe each person's actions and rights. Then compare team offers, management access and limited access; an independent rate alone is not enough for estimate this organization.
Product sources used
Article revision: 22 October 2026. Positioning and function information is verified primarily in the official resources of the vendors. Pennylane: official source ; Indy: official source ; Editorial methodology Logicelio
Review each accounting journey
Go from comparison to the file that fits your organization.
Pro account or accounting: Qonto and Indy