Choosing accounting software is easier when you look beyond price at whether one system covers every workflow and Estonia's mandatory integrations.
1. What are the core criteria?
There are five core criteria when choosing accounting software: whether it covers all your workflows (invoices, payroll, inventory) in one system; whether e-invoices and bank connections work automatically; whether declarations to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (EMTA) — KMD and TSD — are produced by the software; how much manual work remains; and whether the price grows predictably as the company grows.
- 01all workflows in one system, not separate tools
- 02e-invoices and bank connections automatic
- 03EMTA declarations (KMD, TSD) produced by the software
- 04little manual re-entry
- 05predictable pricing as the company grows
2. A separate inventory and POS system, or one platform?
When sales, inventory, and the point of sale live in separate programs, data has to be brought into accounting manually or via export files, and discrepancies appear at month-end. One platform, where the sales invoice, inventory movement, and receipt post directly into accounting, reduces both manual work and reconciliation.
3. Which integrations are mandatory for an Estonian company?
In practice there are three integration groups most Estonian companies need: e-invoices (machine-readable invoices that move from software to software, including via the Peppol network), bank connections for receipts and payments, and submitting EMTA declarations through X-tee — the Estonian government's data exchange layer. As of 01.07.2025, a registered e-invoice recipient has the right to require an e-invoice from the seller, so e-invoice support is increasingly important. Source: rik.ee, emta.ee.
4. How to test before deciding?
The most reliable test is trying a real workflow, not a checklist of features in a demo. Start on the permanent Free plan (€0, up to ~15 invoices/month) or try a paid plan’s full capacity during its trial — enter a sample invoice, run a payroll period, and see whether the reports and VAT come out correctly before you move your data and processes into a new system.
- 01create a sample sales invoice and check VAT and the journal entry
- 02run one payroll period and check the TSD output
- 03test bank import and invoice matching
- 04check how easy it is to migrate data from your old software
Frequently asked questions
Cloud vs local software? Web-based (cloud) software needs no installation or server and is accessible from any device; local software ties you to one computer.
Can you manage multiple companies? For an accountant it matters that one account can manage several companies with separate permissions.
How do you migrate data from old software? A good migration flow brings over the chart of accounts, balances, and transaction history without manual re-entry.