Choosing e-invoicing software for small business used to be optional. In 2026, with new rules like Belgium's B2B mandate going live, it is becoming a strict requirement for most VAT-registered businesses. The question is no longer whether you should switch. The real question is which tool fits a small business that does not want a massive IT project.
This is an honest look at four common paths: Invoicier, Billit, Storecove, and the old PDF by email habit. We build Invoicier, so we naturally have our own point of view. However, our main goal is to help you pick the right fit for your daily work. Sometimes, that might not be us.
This article is general guidance, not legal or purchasing advice. Features and pricing change, so always check each provider's current terms for your situation.
Quick answer: what should an SME look for?
For most small businesses and freelancers in 2026, the right e-invoicing tool needs five basic things:
- Peppol send and receive. Sending is only half the job. Mandates like the one in Belgium require you to receive structured invoices as well.
- Multi-country coverage. If you invoice customers abroad, you want one connection that reaches every Peppol country. You should not need a separate setup for every market.
- No ERP requirement. You should be able to start sending invoices without migrating to SAP, Odoo, or any other heavy software.
- Honest pricing. A free or low entry tier matters a lot when your invoice volume is small.
- Fast setup. Getting a Peppol ID and sending your first invoice should take minutes, not weeks.
If you only remember one thing, make it this: you need structured send and receive over Peppol, and you need it without an ERP. Everything else is just detail.
Comparison at a glance
| Tool | What it is | Send + receive on Peppol | Multi-country | Needs an ERP | Time to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invoicier | Simple invoicing app | Yes | Yes, 50+ countries | No | Minutes |
| Billit | Invoicing plus light accounting | Yes | Yes | No | About an hour |
| Storecove | Developer API | Yes | Yes | No, but needs a developer | A dev project |
| PDF by email | Manual attachment | No | Not applicable | No | None, but not compliant |
Invoicier: lightweight Peppol for people who are not accountants
Invoicier is built for one clear job. It helps you send and receive structured e-invoices over Peppol without an ERP. You simply sign up, add your company details, and we register your Peppol ID on the network. You create invoices right in your browser, and incoming supplier invoices land in your inbox automatically.
Strengths:
- Peppol send and receive from a single, clean dashboard.
- Works across 50+ Peppol countries with just one connection.
- Includes a PDF by email fallback for customers who are not on Peppol yet.
- Offers free e-invoicing with 2 transactions per month, plus paid plans as your volume grows.
- Setup takes minutes, with no XML files to handle and no ERP migration.
Trade-offs: Invoicier is deliberately focused. It is not a full accounting package with payroll, inventory, and a general ledger. If you need deep bookkeeping in the exact same tool, a broader suite might suit you better. However, many businesses simply connect Invoicier alongside their accountant's system.
Best for: Freelancers, agencies, and small companies that want compliance without complexity. It is the perfect choice if you need to meet Peppol mandates quickly and cheaply.
Billit: invoicing plus light administration
Billit is a well-known billing and administration platform that is very popular in Belgium and the Netherlands. It handles Peppol send and receive while adding extra features like expense tracking and accountant collaboration.
Strengths:
- Established presence in the Belgian and Dutch markets.
- Peppol support combined with broader billing and admin features.
- A good fit if you want more than pure e-invoicing in a single tool.
Trade-offs: With more features comes a steeper learning curve. If all you need is Peppol compliance, a full suite can feel heavier and more complicated than necessary. You should also review their current pricing tiers against your actual monthly volume.
Best for: Businesses wanting invoicing plus light accounting in one place, and teams that are comfortable learning a fuller platform.
Storecove: an API for developers, not an app for end users
Storecove is a Peppol access point with a strong, well-documented API. It is a common choice for software platforms that want to embed Peppol sending and receiving directly into their own products.
Strengths:
- Robust, global Peppol coverage.
- Developer-friendly API and documentation.
- Ideal when Peppol is just one feature inside a larger platform you are building.
Trade-offs: Storecove is infrastructure, not an end-user interface. A freelancer or small business without a developer will not sit down and use Storecove the way they use a normal invoicing app. It really shines when you have an engineering team ready to integrate it.
Best for: Software platforms, SaaS companies, and developers embedding Peppol into other tools.
PDF by email: free, familiar, and no longer enough
Emailing a PDF is still how many businesses send their invoices. It costs nothing, and everyone understands how it works. The big problem is that a PDF is not a structured e-invoice. Under Belgium's 2026 B2B mandate, and similar rules arriving across the EU, a PDF alone does not satisfy the legal requirement for domestic B2B sales between VAT-registered businesses.
Strengths: Free, universal, and requires zero setup.
Trade-offs: It is not compliant with new structured e-invoicing mandates. You get no automatic receiving, no delivery confirmation, and a lot more manual admin as your business grows. A PDF copy is fine as a human-readable extra, but it cannot be your only channel where a mandate applies.
Best for: Informal or non-mandated situations only. If a 2026 rule touches your business, this old path runs out very quickly. For the background on why this is changing, see what is Peppol.
Which is best for you?
Best for the Belgian (and EU) mandate: You need a focused Peppol tool that does send and receive with minimal setup. Invoicier is designed exactly for this. You can be live in minutes without an ERP.
Best for freelancers and very small teams: You want the cheapest compliant path with the easiest learning curve. A free entry tier and simple browser-based invoicing win here. This makes Invoicier a natural fit.
Best for multi-country invoicing: You want one Peppol connection that reaches every country. This way, a Belgian business can invoice Dutch, German, or French customers on the exact same network. Check our coverage on the Peppol countries page.
Best for platforms and developers: You need an API-first access point like Storecove, embedded directly into your own software.
Best if you want invoicing plus accounting in one: You should look at a fuller suite such as Billit.
How to switch in under 10 minutes
If you decide on a focused Peppol tool, getting compliant is incredibly quick:
- Create a free account. No credit card is required.
- Add your company. Just enter your registration or VAT number, and we will register your Peppol ID.
- Send your first invoice. Look up your customer's Peppol ID, create the invoice, and hit send. Not sure if a customer is on the network? Try our free EU VAT check and Peppol lookup tools first.
- Receive automatically. Incoming supplier invoices will appear right in your inbox. There is no separate portal to check.
Common questions (FAQ)
What is the best e-invoicing software for a small business?
There is no single winner for everyone. However, for a small business that needs Peppol compliance without an ERP, a focused send and receive tool like Invoicier is usually the fastest and cheapest start. If you want accounting bundled in, a fuller suite may fit better. If you are a developer embedding Peppol, an API like Storecove makes the most sense.
Do I need e-invoicing software, or can I keep emailing PDFs?
Where a structured e-invoicing mandate applies, such as Belgium's 2026 B2B rule, a PDF alone is not enough. You need software that sends and receives structured invoices over Peppol. A PDF can still travel alongside the data as a readable copy.
Is there free e-invoicing software?
Yes. Invoicier has a free plan with 2 transactions per month. This is enough for many freelancers to get started and stay compliant. Paid plans raise the limit as your volume grows. See our pricing for details.
Do I need an ERP to send Peppol invoices?
No. That is a very common misconception. A lightweight Peppol access tool lets you send and receive without SAP, Odoo, or any complex ERP migration. You can always integrate those larger systems later if your business scales.
Can one tool handle invoices across multiple countries?
Yes. Peppol is an international network, so one connection can reach customers in 50+ countries. You do not need to hire a separate provider for every market.
How long does setup take?
With a focused tool, it takes just minutes. You create an account, add your company details, receive a Peppol ID, and send. Fuller suites and API integrations take longer because they do a lot more.
The short version
If you are an SME choosing e-invoicing software in 2026, you just need to match the tool to the job. For pure Peppol compliance without complexity, pick a focused send and receive app like Invoicier. For invoicing plus accounting, pick a suite. For embedding Peppol in your own product, pick an API. And if you are still relying on PDF by email in a mandated market, that is the one option that is no longer safe to keep.
Ready to test the simple path? Start free with Invoicier and send your first Peppol invoice in minutes.