BlueLandscape · Invoicing · vs Exact
BlueLandscape Invoicing vs Exact.
Both can invoice in the Netherlands. They serve completely different purposes. Honest comparison from the team that builds BlueLandscape.
A different shape, not lesser quality
Exact Online is a full ERP and accounting suite: general ledger, VAT returns, accounts receivable, payroll, banking, multi-entity support, an API ecosystem for the whole administration stack. It's the de-facto standard for Dutch SME accountants and for companies that handle bookkeeping in-house.
BlueLandscape is something else: an AI productivity suite, invoicing-first. Today we do invoicing and customer interviews; over the coming months we're shipping administration, time-tracking, expenses, and CMS. Every tool runs in a conversation; every tool shares the same client base.
Where Exact wins
- Complete bookkeeping. General ledger, journal entries, cost centres, statutory balance sheet — everything your accountant needs, in one product.
- VAT returns from within the product. Quarterly or monthly returns filed directly to the Dutch tax authority.
- Banking + reconciliation. Bank-feed integration with most NL banks, automatic transaction-to-invoice matching.
- Payroll. For SMBs with employees — payroll runs, payslips, year-end statements.
- Ecosystem. Virtually every Dutch accountant knows Exact and can plug straight into your administration.
- Multi-entity / multi-administration. Scales as you grow into multiple legal entities or locations.
If you need any of these, stay on Exact — or pair us (invoicing) with Exact (accounting). Your accountant can import the UBL/Peppol XML from every sent BlueLandscape invoice straight into Exact.
Where we win
If you do mostly invoicing — and the bookkeeping lives at your accountant or in another tool — Exact is heavy overkill for what you actually use. BlueLandscape is faster, cheaper, more pleasant:
- Speed of invoicing. "Invoice ACME for 16 hours of senior consulting at €125." One sentence, one invoice. Exact has forms inside forms — a single invoice is a 5–10-minute exercise.
- Pricing. €0.20 per sent invoice, no subscription. Exact starts around €40/month and climbs fast. For 10–30 invoices/month that's €2–6 vs €40+.
- UBL/Peppol on every send. Always included, on every account. Exact ties UBL to higher tiers and isn't on every plan.
- Same client base across our other tools. The companies and projects you bill are the same ones you'll use in interviews, time-tracking, and expenses. One shared address book for the whole suite.
- No learning curve. The chat is the interface — you don't read an "Exact manual".
Migrating from Exact
No one-click importer yet. We'll build one when a real customer asks. For now: export your contacts from Exact, ask the AI in chat to recreate them in BlueLandscape, and start with a fresh invoice numbering sequence. Historical invoices stay visible in Exact as long as you keep that account.
Side-by-side
| Feature | BlueLandscape | Exact Online |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ (conversational) | ✓ (form-based) |
| UBL/Peppol on every send | ✓ included | tier-dependent |
| AI drafting | ✓ | — |
| General ledger + journal entries | — | ✓ |
| VAT returns from the product | — | ✓ |
| Banking + reconciliation | — | ✓ |
| Payroll | — | ✓ |
| Customer interviews / research | ✓ | — |
| Shared client base across tools | ✓ | — |
| Cost (10 invoices/month) | €2.00 | €40+ |
Our honest take
Running an SMB with multiple employees, doing your own bookkeeping, or sharing an Exact instance with your accountant: stay on Exact. We're not the right tool to fully replace it today.
Solo or 1–10 person team, accountant handles your bookkeeping, sending 10–50 invoices a month: Exact is 90% overhead for 10% usage. BlueLandscape is faster, cheaper, and grows with you into interviews, time-tracking, and the rest of the workflow.
Or pair both: BlueLandscape for invoicing (fast + AI-driven), Exact for the accounting at your accountant. The UBL/Peppol XML from every sent invoice lands straight in Exact.