Shopware 6 E-invoicing & compliance

Our best Shopware plugins for electronic invoicing

Three plugins — and one sentence that catches most stores off guard.

A PDF is not an electronic invoice. The standard means a structured, machine-readable format — XRechnung or ZUGFeRD. And you already have to be able to receive one.

The problem

Sound familiar?

An invoice that isn't an e-invoice

A PDF by email is a digital document. The standard means XML.

Shopware doesn't do this on its own

The store knows the order, not the format. Without an extension, the wrong thing goes out.

A customer who can't process it

Your customer's accounting can't read your PDF — and eventually won't be allowed to accept it.

The same data typed three times

Store, ERP, accounting. Every re-entry is an error waiting for its moment.

The shortlist

Our selection, ranked

Every module below is built, maintained and supported by our team. The ranking reflects what we would install first on a client store.

  1. ZUGFeRD and XRechnung following EN 16931. Not a PDF under another name — structured XML, machine-readable.

    EN 16931 electronic invoices for Shopware 6: Factur-X / ZUGFeRD embedded in the invoice PDF, XRechnung 3.0 with Leitweg-ID for B2G, automatic generation, e-mail…

  2. The proforma lets the client approve internally before delivery. It doesn't replace the invoice.

    Issue real pro forma quotes from any Shopware 6.7 order, send them by email with a public acceptance URL, and convert them to orders…

  3. DataFirefly Odoo Connector — Shopware ↔ Odoo

    The chain, all the way to the ERP

    Invoice, customer and payment in the ERP without anyone retyping. A structured format exposes every typo.

    Two-way Shopware 6.6 / 6.7 ↔ Odoo sync via native XML-RPC. Products, real-time stock, customers, orders, categories. Compatible with Odoo 12 to 18, Community…

Side-by-side comparison

Module Best for Price Rating Link
DataFirefly Factur-X SW — E-Invoicing for Shopware 6: ZUGFeRD & XRechnung 3.0 The format the standard means 89.00
DfProforma Shopware — Pro forma quotes for Shopware 6.7 with client acceptance and auto-conversion Before the invoice, not instead of it 129.00
DataFirefly Odoo Connector — Shopware ↔ Odoo The chain, all the way to the ERP 119.00

A PDF is not an electronic invoice

That’s the sentence that catches most stores off guard. A PDF invoice emailed to a customer is a digital document — not an electronic invoice in the sense of the standard. An e-invoice is structured: XML, machine-readable, following EN 16931. XRechnung or ZUGFeRD.

And in Germany you already have to be able to receive one

The obligation to receive structured domestic B2B invoices is already in force. The obligation to issue them arrives in stages over the following years — and whoever starts then, starts under time pressure.

Shopware doesn’t produce this on its own

The store knows the order, not the format. Without an extension, your B2B customers get a PDF their accounting system cannot read — and will eventually not be allowed to accept.

Buying guide

How to choose

First, clear up the misunderstanding

A PDF is not an e-invoice. A PDF sent by email is a digital document. An e-invoice is structured — XML, machine-readable, following EN 16931. Not knowing that difference is how stores believe they're already compliant.

Then choose the format by recipient

XRechnung is pure XML — the route for public sector buyers. ZUGFeRD is a PDF with embedded XML: same standard, but human-readable. In practice B2B stores need both.

The order is receiving, then issuing

The receiving obligation already applies; issuing arrives in stages. Set the chain up properly now and the later stages happen without time pressure — and time pressure is the real cost item in this subject.

And the chain doesn't stop at the store

An e-invoice is created in the store, booked in the ERP, archived in accounting. Every re-entry is an error waiting for its moment — except this time a structured format makes it visible.

What you gain

The format the standard actually means

XRechnung or ZUGFeRD, following EN 16931. Not a PDF under a different name.

One document, two readers

ZUGFeRD is a PDF with embedded XML: readable by humans, processable by machines.

Both routes covered

XRechnung for public sector buyers, ZUGFeRD for private companies. B2B stores need both.

Proforma and invoice, cleanly separated

The proforma allows internal approval before delivery. It doesn't replace the invoice — it precedes it.

No third data entry

Invoice, customer and payment land in the ERP without anyone retyping them.

Prepared, not surprised

Get the receiving side right now and the issuing side later is done without drama.

Implementation

From install to results

  1. Check what you send today

    A PDF sent by email is not an e-invoice. The standard means structured XML.

  2. Choose the format by recipient

    XRechnung for public sector buyers, ZUGFeRD for private companies.

  3. Fix the receiving side

    It already applies. Issuing arrives in stages afterwards.

  4. Add the proforma if you sell B2B

    It allows internal approval — it replaces nothing.

  5. Connect the chain to the ERP

    A structured format makes every re-entry visible.

“We thought we were done: our invoices had gone out as PDFs for years. Then a large client asked for XRechnung. That's when we realised our PDF had never legally been an e-invoice.”

Customer feedback — Shopware store, industrial supplies

Frequently asked questions

Is my PDF invoice an e-invoice?

No. A PDF sent by email is a digital document, not an electronic invoice in the sense of the standard. An e-invoice is structured and machine-readable — XRechnung or ZUGFeRD, following EN 16931. That distinction is what surprises most people.

XRechnung or ZUGFeRD — what's the difference?

XRechnung is pure XML — the route for public sector buyers. ZUGFeRD is a hybrid: a PDF with embedded XML, readable by humans and processable by machines. Both satisfy the same standard; the choice depends on the recipient.

When does this become mandatory for me?

In Germany, receiving structured domestic B2B invoices is already mandatory. The obligation to issue them arrives in stages over the following years, depending on company size. Check your own deadline — they aren't the same for everyone.

Doesn't Shopware generate this natively?

No. Shopware knows the order, not the format. Without an extension, a PDF goes out that your customer's accounting cannot read — and will eventually not be allowed to accept.

Why a proforma if I already issue e-invoices?

The proforma announces; the invoice taxes. The proforma lets your client raise an internal purchase order before you ship; the invoice is the fiscal document afterwards. Book a proforma as an invoice and it comes back to you.

Why connect the ERP?

Because an e-invoice is a chain, not a document. It's created in the store, booked in the ERP, archived in accounting. Every re-entry is an error waiting for its moment — and a structured format is precisely what makes that error visible.

Where do I start?

With the receiving side and the format. Get XRechnung and ZUGFeRD right today and the later stages are done calmly. Wait, and you start under time pressure — which is what actually costs money here.

This need on other platforms

Not sure which one fits your store?

Tell us your context — we answer with a straight recommendation, not a sales pitch.