Comparison
Marchant vs Cegid
Cegid is a long-established French accounting platform, well-known for tax returns and payroll. Here is how Marchant compares.
Our honest take
Cegid is a reference on the French market for SMEs and mid-market companies with complex accounting needs: tax returns, advanced analytical accounting, ERP integrations. Its functional depth is recognised by accountants.
Cegid’s limitations for micro-businesses and international companies: pricing is opaque (quote-based only), the product is designed for the French market, and there is no native support for the UK or Germany. Companies operating in multiple countries must assemble multiple solutions.
Marchant targets SMEs that want a modern product at a published price, with no quote and no sales call. That case does not apply in France yet: French filing arrives with the 2028 launch, so for a French SME this page is about a tool to watch, not one to buy.
People comparing Marchant vs Cegid usually respect what Cegid does — it is a serious French accounting and payroll platform with real depth. The honest answer for a French business today is Cegid, because Marchant does not file French tax until its 2028 launch. This page is worth your time if you are planning ahead, or if you run a UK entity alongside your French one.
Unlike Cegid, Marchant publishes its pricing — from £15/mo, no quote required. What it does not yet do is file in France. Marchant covers HMRC Making Tax Digital today; DGFiP filing and French payroll are part of the 2028 launch, and Cegid's depth on liasse fiscale and analytical accounting is not something Marchant is trying to match.
Below is an honest split of Cegid's strengths, a detailed feature comparison, a pricing snapshot to confirm with Cegid directly, a step-by-step migration guide from Cegid to Marchant, and the questions finance leaders ask most before switching.
Cegid
Where Cegid genuinely wins
- ✓A reference brand on the French market, trusted by accountants for SMEs and mid-market companies.
- ✓Native French tax depth — including the liasse fiscale and long-standing accounting expertise.
- ✓Advanced analytical accounting and cost-centre capabilities built up over decades.
- ✓A comprehensive fixed assets module and extended ERP connectors (SAP, Sage X3 and similar).
- ✓Cegid Paie is a mature, dedicated French payroll product with deep DSN/URSSAF coverage.
Where Cegid is weaker for modern, cross-border teams
- ✗Pricing is quote-based only — no public list price, so evaluation starts with a sales conversation.
- ✗No native UK HMRC MTD or German ELSTER filing — international businesses must assemble multiple tools.
- ✗French-market focus means UK and German workflows are not first-class.
- ✗Payroll is a separate product (Cegid Paie) at additional cost, and only for France.
- ✗The interface is historically desktop-oriented and functional rather than modern and mobile-first.
Marchant
Why Marchant fits SMEs that want transparency and reach
- ✓Transparent public pricing from £15/mo — no quote required to start.
- ✓A modern, fast, mobile-friendly interface with full EN / FR / DE translations.
- ✓Open banking (coming soon) across 2,400+ UK and EU institutions with daily sync, plus an open API and a branded client portal.
- ✓Direct HMRC MTD VAT filing on every plan — no bridging software, useful if you also run a UK entity.
- ✓UK payroll via BrightPay sync from the Professional tier, with no per-employee add-on.
Where Cegid still has the edge
- ~Marchant does not file French tax today — France is planned for 2028. If you need DGFiP filing this year, Cegid does something Marchant cannot.
- ~For deep French liasse fiscale and complex analytical accounting, Cegid's decades of specialisation go further than Marchant today.
- ~Cegid's extended ERP connector ecosystem (SAP, Sage X3) suits large, integration-heavy finance functions.
- ~If you are a French-only mid-market business with an established Cegid setup, the switching case is weaker until you expand.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Marchant | Cegid |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From £15/mo — transparent public pricing | Quote-based — SME and mid-market positioning |
| Pricing transparency | Prices displayed publicly | Pricing on request only |
| French VAT (DGFiP / CA3) | Planned — French launch 2028 | Yes — core feature (Cegid Quadra / Loop) |
| Full tax return (liasse fiscale) | Planned — French launch 2028 | Yes — native liasse fiscale, long-standing accounting expertise |
| UK VAT (HMRC MTD) | Included — direct MTD submission | Not natively supported |
| German VAT (ELSTER) | Planned — German launch 2028 | Not natively supported |
| French Payroll (DSN/URSSAF) | Planned — French launch 2028 | Yes — Cegid Paie (dedicated product, additional cost) |
| UK & German Payroll | UK: BrightPay sync (coming soon). Germany: planned for 2028 | Not supported |
| Open banking | 2,400+ UK & EU banks — daily auto-sync (coming soon) | Bank connections available — variable coverage |
| Cost centre / analytical accounting | Coming soon | Advanced analytics — historical strength |
| Fixed assets management | Coming soon | Yes — comprehensive fixed assets module |
| Multi-currency | 50+ currencies — daily FX rates | Yes — multi-currency on higher tiers |
| User interface | Modern React — fast, mobile-friendly | Functional interface — historically desktop |
| Accountant access | Included on all plans | Accountant portal — included |
| E-commerce / ERP integration | CSV import — API, Stripe and GoCardless coming soon | Extended ERP connectors — SAP, Sage X3, etc. |
| Target market | SME — UK today; France and Germany from 2028 | SME / mid-market — primarily French market |
| Free trial | 30 days — no card required | Demo on request |
Pricing comparison (verify before you buy)
Cegid is quote-based, so a like-for-like table is hard to publish — the real comparison is transparent monthly pricing versus a tailored quote plus any separate payroll product. Use this as a planning snapshot and confirm specifics with Cegid directly.
| What you are comparing | Marchant | Cegid |
|---|---|---|
| Typical entry price (public list) | Starter from £15/mo — published pricing | Quote-based — SME and mid-market positioning |
| Pricing transparency | Prices displayed publicly on the website | Pricing on request only |
| UK + Germany compliance in the same product | UK MTD today; ELSTER planned for 2028 | Not natively supported — French market focus |
| Payroll | UK payroll via BrightPay sync (coming soon); FR/DE payroll accounting is part of the 2028 launch, integrations on roadmap | Cegid Paie — separate French product, additional cost |
| Free trial | 30 days, card not required | Demo on request |
A tailored quote can land anywhere depending on modules and seats. Before concluding on cost, factor in any separate payroll product and the additional tools you would still need for the UK or Germany.
Switching from Cegid to Marchant
Migration ships in 2027. The steps below are how the move will work when it does — the rest of Marchant is live today.
French filing stays with Cegid until Marchant's 2028 launch, so this is a plan for the books, not the returns. Marchant imports structured CSV, so your Cegid CSV exports feed its templates well if you are moving a UK entity now, or preparing ahead of the French launch.
Export the chart of accounts and balances from Cegid
Download current-year and prior closing balances as CSV. Marchant does not ingest FEC files, so keep any FEC export for your own statutory archive. Keep analytical mappings and fixed asset registers for your own records — cost centres and fixed assets in Marchant are coming soon.
Move contacts, invoices and bills
CSV templates cover customers, suppliers, open invoices and recurring templates. If you use analytical accounting heavily, export those tags now — mapping them into Marchant cost centres is coming soon.
Reconnect bank feeds in Marchant
Import the last 90 days of statements from each French and EU account as CSV for a clean reconciliation window. Open banking feeds, with Marchant's own consent, are coming soon.
Recreate tax and payroll settings
Keep DGFiP registration and CA3 history where they are — Marchant cannot hold them until the 2028 French launch. If you are bringing a UK entity across, register that one in Marchant and invite your expert-comptable to the shared workspace.
Parallel run one period, then cut over
CA3 filing continues from Cegid for the foreseeable future; there is no credential switch to plan before 2028. Run Marchant alongside for the UK side or for reporting, and revisit the filing question when the French launch lands.
The goal is zero surprises on TVA or payroll deadlines.
Common questions: Marchant vs Cegid
Start your free trial
No commitment, no credit card required. Migrate from Cegid via CSV export.