Cleva compared
Where Cleva is different, and where others are ahead.
A factual comparison with KLARA, Swiss21/AbaNinja and bexio. Based on publicly available information from the providers, as of October 2026, without guarantee.
Payroll
| Feature | Cleva | KLARA | Swiss21 / AbaNinja | bexio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Withholding tax | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Collective agreement knowledge in payroll (e.g. L-GAV hospitality) | yes, in the payroll chat | not stated | not stated | not stated |
| Employee app with payslips, time, holidays and expenses | yes, free for employees | time yes, expenses partly | time and expenses yes (AbaClik), holidays partly | project time; working hours and holidays via third parties recommended |
Invoicing
| Feature | Cleva | KLARA | Swiss21 / AbaNinja | bexio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QR-bill and payment reminders | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Accept quotes online | yes | not stated | yes | yes |
| Payment reconciliation with camt.053/054 | yes | bank reconciliation, format not specified | yes | yes |
Accounting and AI
| Feature | Cleva | KLARA | Swiss21 / AbaNinja | bexio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI receipt recognition | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| AI booking proposals with reasoning and approval | yes | partly | yes (expenses) | yes, fully automatic posting being expanded |
| AI assistant in the product | yes, in the payroll portal and in Cleva Accounts | connection of external assistants | yes (“SamurAI”) | not stated |
| Where the AI runs | Microsoft Azure, Zurich | not publicly stated | not publicly stated | not publicly stated |
| Data storage | Switzerland (Zurich) | Switzerland | Switzerland | Switzerland |
Accounting firms and getting started
| Feature | Cleva | KLARA | Swiss21 / AbaNinja | bexio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting firm in the background | ZUFISO if you wish, up to the full engagement | – | – | – |
| Partner model for accounting firms | yes, pilot clients free | yes | yes (Digital Coach) | yes |
| Interfaces to Abacus and Banana | set up at the start | not stated | Abacus (same technology) | fiduciary cockpit for clients on Abacus, Banana, KLARA |
| Entry price per month, excl. VAT | from CHF 19 (Lohn & Faktura), from CHF 39 (Cleva Accounts), plus AI usage, on average around CHF 5 to 10 per client | from CHF 48 (Business Basic, 2-year subscription) | CHF 0 (Starter), then from CHF 21 | from CHF 35 (Basic, annual subscription) |
| Trial | 30 days, no credit card | 30 days | Starter free permanently | 30 days, no credit card |
As of 18 October 2026. Based on the providers’ publicly available websites, pricing and help pages. “Not stated” means: not found on those pages, not necessarily “not available”. The offers change constantly; we are happy to receive corrections at haci.bozca@cleva.ch. KLARA, Swiss21, AbaNinja and bexio are trademarks of their respective owners.
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