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.
Linked data · Prices in context · No lock-in
Open the comparison ↓Documented reading
Summary of the comparison between Cofactu and AEAT free app
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Alternative reviewed
AEAT free app
the Spanish Tax Agency's official, free VERI*FACTU invoicing application -
16Capabilities
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Operating suite
Cofactu
Invoicing, accounting and tax connected -
3Areas
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4References
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3Scenarios
The AEAT free app experience has already
left a public trail.
These quotes and patterns come from the sources indicated. They are shown with context and a link so you can check the full origin.
- 01 AEAT · Online office — official application page (literal) “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.”
- 02 AEAT · Online office — application features (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.”
- 03 Facturalia · analysis of the Tax Agency's free app (documented paraphrase) “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.”
- 04 Doceo Software · how it works and who can use it (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.”
The difference shows when you
compare the whole job.
It is not enough that a feature exists. What matters is its scope, the context it keeps and what happens before and after.
| Capability | Cofactu | AEAT free app | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| VeriFactu compliance · Verifiable records sent to AEAT | Yes — official CSV per invoice | Yes — it's the AEAT itself; compliance guaranteed | Here the official app is unbeatable by definition: the record originates at the Tax Agency |
| VeriFactu compliance · Cost | From €0/month | €0 — genuinely free, no licenses or maintenance | Honestly: if your volume is minimal, the AEAT app wins |
| VeriFactu compliance · Simplified invoices (retail/hospitality tickets) | Yes — full POS with F3 tickets | No — every invoice must have an identified recipient | Official AEAT page: doesn't allow simplified invoices or multiple recipients |
| VeriFactu compliance · Special regimes (used goods, travel agencies…) | Supported (full regime codes in the XML) | Excluded — codes 03, 05, 06 and 09 out of scope | Documented in the AEAT online office's technical help |
| VeriFactu compliance · Assisted corrective invoices | R1-R4 wizard with AEAT validations built into the form | Possible, without error assistance | |
| Business management · Payment tracking (paid / pending / overdue) | Yes — due dates, reminders, bank reconciliation | No — tracking happens elsewhere (Excel or another system) | Limitation flagged recurrently in accounting-firm analyses (facturalia.info) |
| Business management · Recurring invoices / monthly fees | Yes — templates with automatic cadence | No — every invoice is created by hand | |
| Business management · Quotes → invoice | Yes — 1-click conversion with data carry-over | No concept of a quote exists | |
| Business management · Invoice customization (logo, template, language) | Yes — your own branding on the PDF | Single standard format, no corporate imagery | No template selection or customization (leyfacturaelectronica.com) |
| Business management · Inventory, expenses, receipt OCR, payroll, accounting | Included depending on plan | Out of scope — it's a compliance invoicing tool | |
| Business management · 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 | |
| Operations · Portability of your records to other software | Full ZIP export (CSV + PDF + XML + audit log) in 1 click | Not exportable — records are only managed within the app itself | Official AEAT page (literal): "It isn't possible to export records to continue invoicing on another system" |
| Operations · API / integrations (e-commerce, accountant, bank) | REST API + webhooks + statement importer + accounting import | No | |
| Operations · Support | Human chat during business hours | AEAT's general help channels | |
| Operations · Collaborative access for your accounting firm | Yes — multi-client accountant role with permissions | Via power of attorney (IZ862/IZ863 procedures), no multi-client panel |
The base price doesn't explain
what your case costs.
The scenarios spell out features, volume and add-ons; differences in scope may remain. Prices exclude VAT unless stated. Price review: 26 August 2026.
| Cost sheet compared | Cofactu · case described | AEAT free app · published base | AEAT free app · scenario result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional with 2-3 invoices/month to fixed clients, no expenses to digitize | €0/month — you probably don't need it yet | €0 + No real hidden cost at this volume + Only friction: identifying yourself with Cl@ve/certificate and creating every invoice by hand | €0 — at this volume, the AEAT app wins |
| Self-employed with 20 invoices/month, recurring fees and payment tracking | €39/month with SME — automatic recurring invoices + due dates + reconciliation | €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 | €0 + several hours/month of manual work |
| Retail or hospitality business with daily tickets (simplified invoices) | €58/month — SME (€39) + POS add-on (€19 per location): F3 tickets, cash register and Z closing | Not applicable + The app doesn't issue simplified invoices — every sale would require identifying the customer + Counter operations are unworkable | Doesn't cover this use case |
If a price has changed, write to hola@cofactu.com and we will update the comparison.
Switching from AEAT free app
doesn't mean starting from zero.
The official app doesn't allow exporting records to other software (the AEAT itself documents this), so the transition differs from a normal migration:
Open the full guide ↗
Related guide
Getting started on Cofactu coming from the AEAT app
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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.
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Client setup in minutes
enter them once (or upload a CSV) and stop retyping them on every invoice.
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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.
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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.
Before switching from AEAT free app.
Answers on scope, data, prices and continuity before you decide.
See migration from AEAT free app →Is the AEAT's free app trustworthy?
Completely. It's the Tax Agency's official tool: VeriFactu compliance is guaranteed by definition and it's genuinely free, no fine print. Our comparison isn't about trustworthiness — it's about scope: it's a tax compliance tool, not management software.
Who is the AEAT app enough for?
The AEAT itself aims it at "professionals, self-employed people and businesses with low invoicing volume who don't have their own software". If you issue few invoices a month, always to identified clients, with no recurring billing, no tickets, and you track payments yourself or through your accounting firm — it's a perfectly reasonable option and you save the subscription fee.
When does it start to fall short?
Typical signs: you start repeating the same invoice every month (no recurring means doing it by hand), you lose track of who has paid you (no payment tracking), you need counter tickets (no simplified invoices), your accounting firm asks for data in a format the app doesn't export, or you want to file quarterly tax forms from the same place you invoice.
If I start with the AEAT app, can I switch later?
Yes, but with an important caveat documented on the official page itself: the app doesn't allow exporting records to continue on other software. Your issued invoices remain viewable at the AEAT (they're not legally lost), but on the new software you start your history from scratch — or re-enter the data by hand. That's why it pays to decide early. Full guide at <a href="/en/migrate/app-gratuita-aeat" class="text-primary hover:underline">/migrate/app-gratuita-aeat</a>.
Isn't Cofactu against a free public app existing?
Quite the opposite — the AEAT offering a free compliance path lowers the barrier for everyone and pushes digitalization forward. We compete at the management layer: payments, recurring billing, POS, accounting, payroll, tax forms, bank reconciliation. Anyone who only needs to comply has the official app; anyone who needs to run a business has us.
Test the workflow before you
change the way you work.
Start with no card. If Cofactu doesn't fit, keep your data and carry on with the option you prefer.
