Why freelancers are leaving Odoo and Excel for a simple tool

The problem with Excel

Excel has been used to create invoices for decades. And it "works", in a sense. But:

• No automatic numbering — risk of sequence error (tax error)
• No payment tracking — you don't easily know who paid and who didn't
• No automatic reminders — you have to follow up manually
• Not Peppol compliant — impossible to send via the Peppol network mandatory in 2026
• No automatic VAT — risk of incorrect calculation on Belgian rates
• Chaotic archiving — 200 Excel files in a Google Drive folder

For someone creating 5 invoices a month, Excel may be enough. For 20 invoices and more, it's wasted time and tax risks.

The problem with Odoo

Odoo is a complete ERP (sales, purchases, inventory, accounting, HR, CRM...). It's a powerful solution for SMEs with 10+ employees. For a freelancer:

• Initial setup: several days or weeks
• Learning curve: significant, even for simple invoicing
• Cost: Odoo Online subscription starting from 25-30 euros/month for basic modules, quickly more with additional modules
• Feature overload: you use 5% of the features and pay for 100%

Odoo makes sense if you manage inventory, a sales team and complex processes. Not for creating 15 invoices a month.

What freelancers really want

After talking to hundreds of Belgian freelancers, the real needs are simple:

1. Create an invoice in less than 2 minutes
2. Know who paid and who didn't
3. Send automatic reminders
4. Export for your accountant at the end of the quarter
5. Be compliant: Belgian VAT, legal notices, Peppol 2026

No need for inventory management, CRM, HR module or advanced analytics dashboard.

The checklist for choosing your invoicing software

• Handles Belgian VAT (6%, 12%, 21%, exemption) automatically?
• Sequential numbering guaranteed?
• Peppol compatible for 2026?
• Automatic payment reminders?
• Accounting export (CSV, PDF, XML)?
• Mobile access?
• Reasonable price for a freelancer (< 20 euros/month)?
• Data stored in Europe (GDPR)?

Migration: is it complicated?

Migrating from Excel to dedicated software generally takes 1 to 2 hours:

1. Import your customer list
2. Set up your profile (VAT number, IBAN, logo)
3. Create your first invoice

Your old Excel invoices stay in Excel — no need to migrate everything. You start with a clean slate.

Migrating from Odoo to a simpler tool: export your customers and products in CSV, import them into the new software. 2-3 hours maximum.

Ledgerly: designed specifically for Belgian freelancers

Ledgerly is neither a degraded ERP nor an improved Excel. It's a tool designed exclusively for the needs of Belgian freelancers: Belgian VAT, exemption, Peppol 2026, automatic reminders, InterVAT export. Up and running in 10 minutes.

Try it free — no credit card required.