# Invoicing and quotes, GrandTotal and MacBusinessSuite

> How GrandTotal and MacBusinessSuite handle quotes, invoices, credit notes, recurring invoices, payment codes, layouts and PDF/A, based on official sources.

Both apps write quotes, invoices, credit notes and recurring invoices on the Mac and archive what goes out as PDF/A. GrandTotal adds interactive online estimates, progress billing and card payments at a terminal. MacBusinessSuite adds order confirmations and delivery notes, turns accepted optional items straight into the invoice draft and writes every document in the customer's language.

As of October 2026. https://macbusinesssuite.app/compare/grandtotal/invoicing-quotes/

## Side by side

As of October 2026. GrandTotal from its vendor's official pages (see sources), MacBusinessSuite from its documentation. Not documented means the vendor's pages do not say, not that the feature is missing.

|  | MacBusinessSuite | GrandTotal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quotes | Optional items, validity, follow-up date, accepted or declined with a note | Estimates with conditions; interactive estimates the customer opens in the browser |
| Invoices | Partial, final and correction invoices, cancellation credit notes | Invoices, credit notes, partial invoices, progress billing |
| Recurring invoices | Yes, with a monthly run | Recurring and permanent invoices (XL edition) |
| Other documents | Order confirmations and delivery notes with their own numbers | Additional documents with their own numbering |
| Final number and archive | Number on issuing, output frozen and archived as PDF/A | PDF/A generated on dispatch and stored unchangeable |
| Layout | Visual layout editor, templates, text blocks | Layout editor, templates, fonts and colors; existing PDF invoices can become layouts |
| Payment codes | EPC QR code, Swiss QR bill, BezahlCode, PayPal link | Swiss QR bill, SEPA QR code, VeriFactu QR code |
| Online payment | Not included | Stripe payments, card terminal through SumUp (XL edition) |
| Dunning | Dunning levels and reminder documents | Reminders and reminder levels; notifications for overdue invoices |
| Document language | 15 languages, set per customer; catalog items with translations | Layouts in several languages with the recipient's number format |

## What GrandTotal offers here

- Interactive estimates with optional items the customer switches on or off in the browser.
- Progress billing that deducts the partial invoices already issued.
- Stripe payments and card payments at a terminal in the XL edition.
- Turning existing PDF invoices into layouts.

## What MacBusinessSuite offers here

- Optional items in a quote; only the items the customer chose become the invoice draft.
- Order confirmations and delivery notes on the same document base as quotes and invoices.
- The final number is assigned only when you issue the document; corrections run through a follow-up document.
- Quotes, invoices and mails in the customer's language, one of 15.

## Questions and answers

### Can customers accept a quote online?

In GrandTotal, yes: interactive estimates open in the browser and can be accepted there. MacBusinessSuite has no online acceptance; you record the customer's decision in the app with a note.

### Do both apps archive invoices as PDF/A?

Yes. GrandTotal creates a PDF/A when an invoice is dispatched. MacBusinessSuite writes PDF/A when a document is issued, PDF/A-3 for ZUGFeRD and Factur-X.

## Sources

- [GrandTotal, product page with the S, M, L and XL feature lists (mediaatelier.com)](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/GrandTotal/)
- [GrandTotal, German product page (mediaatelier.com)](https://www.mediaatelier.com/de-DE/GrandTotal/)
- [GrandTotal 10, release article](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/GrandTotal10)
- [Support and release notes](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Support/)
- [Licenses](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Licenses/)
- [Collaboration](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Collaboration/)
- [Integrations](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Integrations/)
- [Time tracking](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Time-Tracking)
- [XRechnung](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/XRechnung-E-Invoice-Germany)
- [E-invoices in Belgium and the Peppol network](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/E-Invoices-Belgium)
- [Inbound invoices](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Inbound-Invoices)
- [Web Access](https://www.mediaatelier.com/Posts/Web-Access)
- [Interactive estimates](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Interactive-Estimates)
- [CAMT import](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/CAMT-Import)
- [Compatibility and version history](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Compatibility/)
- [PDF/A archive format](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/PDF-A-Archive-Format)
- [Swiss QR bill](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Swiss-QR-Bill)
- [SEPA QR codes](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/SEPA-QR-Codes)
- [Cumulative partial invoices](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Cumulative-Partial-Invoices)
- [Customer care, statistics and labels](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Customer-Care)
- [Migration](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Migration/)
- [New file format](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/New-File-Format)
- [Sync setup](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Sync-Setup)
- [Making Tax Digital](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/making-tax-digital-vat-mac)
- [Swiss VAT return](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Swiss-VAT-Net-Tax-Rate)
- [Send to bookkeeping](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/Send-To-Bookkeeping)
- [Ask GrandTotal](https://www.mediaatelier.com/Posts/Ask-GrandTotal)
- [MCP server](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Posts/MCP-Server)
- [Privacy policy (connections to Media Atelier servers)](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Privacy/)
- [Imprint](https://www.mediaatelier.com/en/Imprint/)

GrandTotal is a trademark of its owner and is offered by Media Atelier. The name is used here only to identify the product. MacBusinessSuite and DigitalFreedom Global LLC are not affiliated with Media Atelier, and Media Atelier has not reviewed or endorsed this page.