ComparisonBauFin vs. Competition
What can BauFin do that others can’t? An honest comparison. As of 2026-05, data without warranty.
📄 Invoices & Accounting
Invoices & Accounting
| BauFin | HERO | Plancraft | ToolTime | Das Programm | sevDesk | Lexware | Papierkram | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invoices with §14 UStG fields | ||||||||
| Quotes & Orders | ||||||||
| E-Invoice (XRechnung / ZUGFeRD) | ||||||||
| Income statement generator (EÜR) | ||||||||
| DATEV export | ||||||||
| Cash book with GoBD-oriented functions | ||||||||
| Payment reminders (3 levels) | ||||||||
| Collective invoices |
⚖️ Tax & Compliance
Tax & Compliance
| BauFin | HERO | Plancraft | ToolTime | Das Programm | sevDesk | Lexware | Papierkram | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reverse Charge §13b UStG | ||||||||
| Construction withholding tax §48b EStG (15%) | ||||||||
| Exemption certificate management | ||||||||
| Material/labour split §35a EStG | ||||||||
| Tax prepayments (income/church/trade) | ||||||||
| GoBD-oriented archiving with SHA-256 checksums | ||||||||
| Tax audit preparation |
🏗️ Daily construction work
Daily construction work
| BauFin | HERO | Plancraft | ToolTime | Das Programm | sevDesk | Lexware | Papierkram | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time tracking (BRTV 38h/41h) | ||||||||
| Trip log (€0.30/km business trip + €0.38/km distance allowance, from 2026) | ||||||||
| Receipt scanning (OCR) | ||||||||
| Subcontractor management (with §48b) | ||||||||
| Order cost controlling | ||||||||
| Site diary / photos |
🔗 Digital collaboration
Digital collaboration
| BauFin | HERO | Plancraft | ToolTime | Das Programm | sevDesk | Lexware | Papierkram | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer portal | ||||||||
| Accountant portal (Steuerberater access) | ||||||||
| Subcontractor portal | ||||||||
| Employee portal | ||||||||
| 6 languages (DE / PL / EN / RO / TR / HR) |
What makes BauFin different
Construction withholding tax §48b
Supported calculation of the 15% construction withholding tax, documents and PDF export based on stored exemption data. Dedicated §48b workflow for review by the user or tax advisor.
4 portals
Customers, accountants, subcontractors and employees — each has their own portal with their own permissions and own login. This makes collaboration easier when several parties work on the same construction project.
6 languages
German, Polish, English, Romanian, Turkish, Croatian. Because many craftsmen on German construction sites come from Poland, Romania, Turkey or the Balkans. This is practical for mixed teams.
BRTV working hours
38 hours in winter, 41 in summer. BauFin reflects common BRTV working-time models and makes review easier for the user or advisor.
Cash book with GoBD-oriented functions
Daily recording of all cash transactions with cancellation instead of deletion. Designed for traceable cash records; procedural documentation remains decisive.
Built by a craftsman
Not by a software company for craftsmen — but by a tiler who spent 30 years on construction sites.
Price comparison
“BauFin is the only program in Germany built by a construction craftsman — not by developers who have never stood on a scaffold.”
From the site. For the site.
