In short
- In France, e-invoices must travel through an approved platform (plateforme agréée, PA). Your tool is either a PA itself or connects to one.
- Every business established in France has had to receive e-invoices through a PA since 1 September 2026. SMEs and micro-businesses must issue from 1 September 2027.
- The official list showed 152 fully registered platforms on 9 November 2026, and the State offers no free portal.
- Several platforms have free plans, including Indy, Tiime, Abby, Dougs, Shine, B2Brouter and Qonto's e-invoicing.
- Check the platform status on the DGFiP list yourself, and test an exported invoice before you commit.
France's reform is built around approved platforms. Unlike Germany, you cannot simply e-mail an e-invoice: it has to leave through a plateforme agréée (PA) and arrive at your customer's PA. So the first question for any French invoicing tool is whether it is a PA or which PA it connects to.
This page compares the main options on that question, plus formats and free plans. We list what each vendor documents and mark the rest as unverified. We do not rank by commission. Some links on this page are affiliate links, explained on our affiliate disclosure.
What your software has to do in France
| Obligation | GE, ETI and VAT groups | PME and micro-businesses |
|---|---|---|
| Receive e-invoices through a PA | Since 1 Sep 2026 | Since 1 Sep 2026 |
| Issue B2B e-invoices | Since 1 Sep 2026 | From 1 Sep 2027 |
| E-reporting (B2C, international, payments) | Since 1 Sep 2026 | From 1 Sep 2027 |
Size is judged per legal unit (SIREN) on the last financial year closed before 1 January 2025. Micro-entrepreneurs and franchise-en-base businesses count as micro-businesses. Every PA must handle three formats: UBL, CII and Factur-X. Our France guide covers the full rules, and the micro-entrepreneur page the smallest businesses.
Watch out
Fines under the 2026 finance law: €50 per invoice not issued electronically (capped at €15,000 a year), €500 per missing e-reporting transmission (capped at €15,000 a year), and €500 then €1,000 per quarter for having no receiving platform after a formal notice. The DGFiP says it will not sanction businesses that are actively working towards compliance during the start-up phase.
PA or compatible solution
On 9 November 2026 the official list showed 152 fully registered platforms and 5 more awaiting interoperability tests. Many invoicing tools are not PAs themselves but "compatible solutions" that send through a partner PA. That is allowed. What matters is that the PA behind your tool is on the list.
Platform status below comes from the DGFiP list where we could match it. Where a tool says it uses a partner PA, we name that partner and the source. Our approved platforms page explains how to read the official list.
French e-invoicing tools at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Formats (vendor docs) | PA status | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abby | Micro-entrepreneurs | Factur-X, UBL, CII | PA | Yes |
| Axonaut | Small firms wanting CRM too | Factur-X | PA | No |
| B2Brouter | Firms also invoicing Belgium | Factur-X, Peppol | PA | Yes |
| Dougs | Firms wanting an online accountant | Not documented | PA | Yes |
| Evoliz | Small businesses | Not documented | Via partner PA | No |
| Facture.net | Simple free invoicing | Not documented | Via partner PA | Yes |
| Freebe | Freelancers | Factur-X | Via partner PA | No |
| Henrri | Simple free invoicing | Not documented | Via partner PA | Yes, see review |
| Indy | Freelancers, micro-entrepreneurs | Factur-X; receives UBL, CII | PA | Yes |
| Libeo | Paying supplier invoices | Unverified | Via partner PA | Not documented |
| Pennylane | SMEs and their accountants | Factur-X, UBL, CII | PA | No |
| Qonto | Any size, bank optional | Factur-X; receives UBL, CII; Peppol | PA | E-invoicing free |
| Sellsy | SMEs wanting CRM too | Factur-X; receives UBL, CII; Peppol | PA | No |
| Shine | Freelancers with a Shine account | Not documented | PA | Yes, 5 clients |
| Tiime | Micro-entrepreneurs | Not documented by format | PA | Yes |
"Not documented" means we did not find the format on the vendor's pages. Every PA has to support UBL, CII and Factur-X under the rules, so ask the vendor rather than assume a gap.
Short reviews
Approved platforms with a free plan
Indy offers free invoicing and e-invoicing with the PA included, plus free bookkeeping. It issues Factur-X and says it receives Factur-X, UBL and CII. It has been on the DGFiP list since 9 January 2026. Paid accounting plans cost €15 to €49 a month excluding VAT (as of Nov 2026).
Tiime has a free plan with unlimited invoices and quotes and the PA included, aimed at micro-entrepreneurs. It is listed as "TIIME PDP" since 18 December 2025. It describes itself as Peppol-interoperable, which we could not verify.
Abby includes e-invoicing (create, download, receive) in its free sign-up and documents Factur-X, UBL and CII. Sending by e-mail is in the paid Start plan. Listed since 29 January 2026.
Dougs runs a free invoicing platform listed as "Dougs Facturation gratuite" since 12 December 2025. Its main business is online accounting. Formats are not documented on the pages we checked.
Shine includes the PA in all plans, and its Free plan covers 5 clients. Listed as "Shine Solutions ApS" since 21 May 2026. Formats are not documented on the pages we checked.
B2Brouter offers a free plan for sole traders and small businesses to send and receive e-invoices, and is a certified Peppol access point. It is on the DGFiP list since 12 December 2025, which makes it one of the few options covering both France and Belgium.
Qonto says its e-invoicing is free with or without a Qonto business account; the account itself is paid. It issues Factur-X, receives Factur-X, UBL and CII, and says it is interoperable with other PAs via Peppol. Listed since 18 December 2025.
Approved platforms without a free plan
Pennylane issues and receives Factur-X, UBL and CII and is listed since 11 December 2025. More than 120 software publishers connect to its PA as compatible solutions. Plans start at €7 a month excluding VAT for Starter (as of Nov 2026); there is a free collaborative plan only for clients of partner accountants.
Sellsy issues Factur-X, receives Factur-X, UBL and CII, and says it uses Peppol when needed. It is listed as "TeamSystem Sellsy" since 24 December 2025. It suits SMEs that also want a CRM.
Axonaut says its invoices are produced as Factur-X and is listed since 8 January 2026. It is a CRM and management tool for small and mid-sized firms, with a 15-day trial. Its published starting prices are inconsistent, so check the current offer.
Compatible solutions using a partner PA
Evoliz connects through Chaintrust by Visma, which was still awaiting interoperability tests on the DGFiP list. Plans cost €29 or €49 a month excluding VAT (as of Nov 2026), with a 15-day trial.
Facture.net offers free, unlimited invoices and clients and says it uses the partner PA SUPER PDP, which is on the DGFiP list since 22 December 2025.
Freebe says it is a compatible solution for Factur-X. Third-party sources name SUPER PDP as its partner PA. There is no free plan.
Henrri advertises a fully free plan with e-invoice sending and receiving included. One comparison site says PA transmission needs the paid Expert plan, which we could not confirm. Third-party sources name Pennylane as its PA.
Libeo is a supplier-payment tool for SMEs. Its help centre names SERES (Docaposte) as partner PA, which was awaiting interoperability tests on the DGFiP list.
Not covered in detail
Zervant, SumUp Invoices, Sage and Finom are also sold in France, but we could not confirm their PA status or French formats. Ask the vendor which PA they use and check it on the official list.
How to choose
- Check the PA on the official list. Search the DGFiP list for the tool's own name or its partner PA. Vendor badges are not enough.
- Match your date. If you are a PME or micro-business, you need a receiving PA now and issuing from 1 September 2027. A free plan covering receipt may be enough until then.
- Ask about e-reporting. From your issuing date you must also report B2C, international and some payment data through your PA. Ask how the tool handles it.
- Check the new mentions. Your invoices need the customer's SIREN, the delivery address if different, goods or services, and the VAT-on-debits option where it applies.
- Think about switching. You can change PA later; the old PA must keep providing minimum services for at least a year.
- Cross-border needs. If you also invoice Belgian customers, a platform with Peppol support saves a second tool.
If cost is the main concern, our free e-invoicing page compares the free options across all three countries.
Test a tool's output
Before you commit, export a test invoice in Factur-X, UBL or CII and run it through our validator. It applies the official CEN EN 16931 rules in your browser and never uploads the file.
Note
Our validator does not yet include the French-specific CIUS rules. A file can pass EN 16931 and still be rejected by a PA for a French rule. Use it to catch structural and calculation errors, and rely on your platform's checks for the rest.
The Factur-X page explains profiles if your tool asks which one to use.
Questions people ask
Do I need a plateforme agréée in France?
Yes, if you are a VAT taxable person established in France. You have had to be able to receive e-invoices through a PA since 1 September 2026, whatever your size. You choose the platform yourself and can switch later.
What is the difference between a PA and a 'solution compatible'?
A PA is registered by the tax administration and exchanges invoices and data on your behalf. A compatible solution is invoicing software that sends and receives through a partner PA. Both can work, but the PA behind the tool is the one that must be on the official list.
Is there free e-invoicing software in France?
Yes. The DGFiP said in August 2026 that more than ten approved platforms offered free or no-extra-cost plans. Examples include Indy, Tiime, Abby, Dougs and B2Brouter, each with its own limits.
What happens if I have no platform for receiving?
After a formal notice with three months to comply, the fine is €500, then €1,000 for each further three-month period without a platform.
Can a foreign business use these tools?
A business with no French VAT establishment does not issue French e-invoices, but may have e-reporting duties for some French-located sales. Check with the vendor whether it accepts customers without a French SIREN.
Official sources
- DGFiP: Je consulte la liste des plateformes agréées impots.gouv.fr
- DGFiP: À partir de quand suis-je concerné par la réforme ? impots.gouv.fr
- DGFiP: Je découvre la facturation électronique impots.gouv.fr
- Entreprendre Service Public: la loi de finances pour 2026 clarifie les sanctions entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- DGFiP: Facturation électronique, guide pratique de démarrage au 1er septembre 2026 impots.gouv.fr
General information, not tax or legal advice. Check edge cases with a tax adviser.