How to Open an XRechnung: 3 Free Ways (2026)

Receive a German XRechnung e-invoice by email and double-click it open, and you'll usually see code - a long text file full of angle brackets, not an invoice. That's because an XRechnung is a pure XML file with no visual layout of its own: no font, no layout, nothing an operating system can recognize as "an invoice" and render accordingly. The data is all there - vendor, amount, tax, invoice number - just formatted for machines to read, not for a person to read directly. This post covers three free ways to make it readable anyway.

Why an XRechnung looks like code

A regular PDF invoice carries its own presentation: font, layout, the position of every text field, all baked into the file. An XRechnung carries none of that. It follows a fixed XML schema (CII or UBL) that describes the invoice data in a structured way instead - built for software to read and process automatically, not for a person to read in a text editor. Open the file anyway, by double-clicking it or in a browser, and you'll typically see lines like "<ram:GrandTotalAmount>1190.00</ram:GrandTotalAmount>" instead of "Total: €1,190.00" - technically correct, readable by nobody at a glance.

That's exactly what makes XRechnung valuable as an e-invoice format: accounting software never has to guess where the total sits on a PDF page, since the data is unambiguously labeled and structured. For the moment you just want to actually see it, though, you need a dedicated viewer - one of the three ways below.

Way 1: an online viewer in your browser (no upload)

The fastest option is a viewer that runs entirely in your browser. Our free XRechnung & ZUGFeRD viewer reads the file entirely on your own device using JavaScript - it's never uploaded, stored, or sent to a server. Drag the .xml or PDF file into the box, and the invoice data appears instantly as a normal, readable invoice: seller, line items, VAT breakdown, totals. One click prints the result or saves it as a PDF.

Playing it loads YouTube (privacy policy)

Way 2: Quba Viewer - a desktop alternative (open source)

If you'd rather use an installed program than a browser tool, Quba Viewer is an open-source option maintained in the ZUGFeRD organization's GitHub repository. The Electron-based app runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, reads both plain XML files (XRechnung, UBL, CII, Peppol) and hybrid PDF/XML files (ZUGFeRD, Factur-X), and can validate against the Mustangserver when online. Being a locally installed desktop app, it's a solid choice if you regularly check several e-invoices offline - the tradeoff against a browser viewer is simply the install itself, and as with any open-source project, it's worth checking the repository to confirm the version is still actively maintained.

Way 3: your accounting software

If you already use an accounting platform like Lexware Office, sevDesk, or DATEV (all three mainly serve German businesses), check there first: all three generally support receiving XRechnung and ZUGFeRD files, usually through their own import or inbox area that reads the file automatically and brings the invoice data straight into your books - no separate viewer needed. Exactly which plan includes e-invoice receiving differs by provider and changes occasionally, so check your own account or the provider's current pricing page.

The upside of this route: the invoice lands in one step exactly where it needs to be booked, instead of being opened separately and then re-entered into the books by hand. The downside: without accounting software already running, it's not a practical way to read a single incoming XRechnung - the two viewer options above are much faster for that.

ZUGFeRD is different: a PDF with embedded XML

One important distinction: everything above applies to plain XRechnung .xml files. ZUGFeRD (and the technically identical Factur-X) is a hybrid format - a completely normal, readable PDF invoice with the same structured XML data embedded inside it, invisibly. A ZUGFeRD PDF opens fine in any PDF reader, like Adobe Acrobat Reader, and looks like any other invoice; only the embedded, machine-readable data stays hidden, unless you specifically look for it or use a viewer like ours.

Archiving: keep the original (compliant record-keeping)

Whichever viewer you use to read it, the view in your browser or app is only a rendering, not the legally authoritative document. That stays the XML file itself (for ZUGFeRD, the PDF with the embedded XML) - and that's the file you need to archive unchanged, kept readable for the full statutory retention period required in your jurisdiction. A printout or screenshot of the viewer is a convenient copy for a quick look, never a replacement for the original.

Getting XRechnungs regularly? Automate instead of opening them one by one

All three ways above work well for the occasional file - open it, check the data, done. If e-invoices arrive regularly, InboxDoc reads XRechnung and ZUGFeRD files automatically from your inbox - deterministically, straight from the structured data, no AI involved, since the data is already machine-readable inside the file. Plain PDF invoices with no embedded data get read with AI instead, so you never have to sort formats yourself. Forward invoices to your personal InboxDoc address, no mailbox access required at all - see our getting started guide for exactly how it works.

Try InboxDoc with your own e-invoices. Start a free trial and process your first 5 invoices at no cost, no credit card required.