Cofactu vs the AEAT's free app — when it's enough, and when it isn't.
The AEAT's free VERI*FACTU application is good news: real compliance at zero cost. The Agency itself aims it at people with low invoicing volume who don't need management software. If you issue 2-3 invoices a month to fixed clients, use it — seriously. This page explains, backed by official documentation, when it starts to fall short.
What AEAT free app users say in 2026
Quotes and recurring patterns from Trustpilot, Capterra, and the App Store. We don't edit or cherry-pick the harshest ones — these are the most repeated complaints in verified reviews, with a link to the source.
"Aimed mainly at professionals, self-employed people and businesses with low invoicing volume who don't have their own software or prefer a free alternative."
AEAT · Online office — official application page (literal)
"It isn't possible to export records to continue invoicing on another invoicing software system (SIF). Invoices and generated records can only be managed from within the same application."
AEAT · Online office — application features (literal)
"There's no way to automate recurring invoicing for fixed clients, monthly fees or recurring services — every invoice has to be created manually. Nor can you flag whether an invoice is paid, pending or overdue, which forces you to track that separately, in Excel or other parallel systems."
Facturalia · analysis of the Tax Agency's free app (documented paraphrase)
"The main goal is tax control, not business management. The free app is designed as a compliance tool, not a full management system. It meets what the law requires, but it doesn't go further."
Doceo Software · how it works and who can use it (documented paraphrase)
Point-by-point comparison
16 features compared. Every relevant gap includes a direct quote or documented pattern from Trustpilot/Capterra as evidence.
| Feature | Cofactu | AEAT free app |
|---|---|---|
| VeriFactu compliance | ||
| Verifiable records sent to AEAT Here the official app is unbeatable by definition: the record originates at the Tax Agency | Yes — official CSV per invoice | Yes — it's the AEAT itself; compliance guaranteed |
| Cost Honestly: if your volume is minimal, the AEAT app wins | From €0/month | €0 — genuinely free, no licenses or maintenance |
| Simplified invoices (retail/hospitality tickets) Official AEAT page: doesn't allow simplified invoices or multiple recipients | Yes — full POS with F3 tickets | No — every invoice must have an identified recipient |
| Special regimes (used goods, travel agencies…) Documented in the AEAT online office's technical help | Supported (full regime codes in the XML) | Excluded — codes 03, 05, 06 and 09 out of scope |
| Assisted corrective invoices | R1-R4 wizard with AEAT validations built into the form | Possible, without error assistance |
| Business management | ||
| Payment tracking (paid / pending / overdue) Limitation flagged recurrently in accounting-firm analyses (facturalia.info) | Yes — due dates, reminders, PSD2 bank reconciliation | No — tracking happens elsewhere (Excel or another system) |
| Recurring invoices / monthly fees | Yes — templates with automatic cadence | No — every invoice is created by hand |
| Quotes → invoice | Yes — 1-click conversion with data carry-over | No concept of a quote exists |
| Invoice customization (logo, template, language) No template selection or customization (leyfacturaelectronica.com) | Yes — your own branding on the PDF | Single standard format, no corporate imagery |
| Inventory, expenses, receipt OCR, payroll, accounting | Included depending on plan | Out of scope — it's a compliance invoicing tool |
| Tax forms (Modelo 303, 130, 111, 347…) | Calculated from your data and filed with AEAT from the app | No — the app invoices; forms are filed separately via the online office |
| Operations | ||
| Access | Email + password + 2FA; persistent session | Cl@ve Móvil, digital certificate or DNIe on every access |
| Portability of your records to other software Official AEAT page (literal): "It isn't possible to export records to continue invoicing on another system" | Full ZIP export (CSV + PDF + XML + audit log) in 1 click | Not exportable — records are only managed within the app itself |
| API / integrations (e-commerce, accountant, bank) | REST API + webhooks + PSD2 + accounting import | No |
| Support | Human chat during business hours | AEAT's general help channels |
| Collaborative access for your accounting firm | Yes — multi-client accountant role with permissions | Via power of attorney (IZ862/IZ863 procedures), no multi-client panel |
Real cost for your usage, not the "starting from" price
AEAT free app's base price sounds good until you add extras and add-ons — the standalone modules you need to run as a real business. Typical scenarios:
Professional with 2-3 invoices/month to fixed clients, no expenses to digitize
Cofactu
€0/month — you probably don't need it yet
No extras. No surprises.
AEAT free app
Base: €0
- + No real hidden cost at this volume
- + Only friction: identifying yourself with Cl@ve/certificate and creating every invoice by hand
Total: €0 — at this volume, the AEAT app wins
Self-employed with 20 invoices/month, recurring fees and payment tracking
Cofactu
€15/month — automatic recurring invoices + due dates + reconciliation
No extras. No surprises.
AEAT free app
Base: €0
- + 20 manual invoices/month (no recurring, no duplicating)
- + Payment tracking in a parallel spreadsheet
- + Quarterly tax forms calculated by hand or by your accounting firm
Total: €0 + several hours/month of manual work
Retail or hospitality business with daily tickets (simplified invoices)
Cofactu
€39/month — POS with F3 tickets, cash register and Z closing
No extras. No surprises.
AEAT free app
Base: Not applicable
- + The app doesn't issue simplified invoices — every sale would require identifying the customer
- + Counter operations are unworkable
Total: Doesn't cover this use case
AEAT free app prices estimated from public rates, May 2026. If they've changed, email us at hola@cofactu.com and we'll update it.
Getting started on Cofactu coming from the AEAT app
The official app doesn't allow exporting records to other software (the AEAT itself documents this), so the transition differs from a normal migration:
- Your issued invoices aren't lost — they remain viewable at the AEAT's online office with full legal validity. There's no need to re-issue them.
- Client setup in minutes — enter them once (or upload a CSV) and stop retyping them on every invoice.
- Numbering continuity — set up your series to continue where you left off; Cofactu's VeriFactu hash chain starts fresh with your first new invoice, as required by law when switching SIF.
- 30 days free to check whether the management layer (payments, recurring, tax forms) is worth the subscription. If not, go back to the AEAT app at no cost — and from Cofactu you do take your data with you, in a ZIP.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AEAT's free app trustworthy?
Who is the AEAT app enough for?
When does it start to fall short?
If I start with the AEAT app, can I switch later?
Isn't Cofactu against a free public app existing?
30-day trial, no card required
If you'd rather stay with AEAT free app afterward, you take your data with you in a ZIP. No lock-in, no "let us call you to talk you out of it."