VSDext vs AutoEntry: Receipt and Statement Capture for Firms
Last verified 2026-10-20. Based on vendor-published facts, third-party reviews, and practitioner reports.
Pick AutoEntry if you want the lowest cost per document across many small clients: one credit allowance covers unlimited clients and users, from $13 a month for 50 credits to $469 for 2,500, and a receipt or invoice uses one credit. Pick Dext if you run a bookkeeping practice that wants workflows, deadline tracking and practice-wide insights on top of capture: it charges per client with a 10-client minimum, from $207.99 a month for 10 clients ($20.80 each) down to $12.82 per client at 100, and states ISO 27001 certification. Both offer a free trial with no card.
- Bookkeeping practices with 20+ recurring monthly clients
- Firms that want workflows, deadline tracking and practice insights in the capture tool
- Firms with many low-volume clients, where per-client fees add up
- Firms that want month-to-month plans with every feature included
| Dext | AutoEntry | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Practice Essentials $20.80/client/mo at 10 clients, $12.82 at 100 (annual subscription) | $13/mo for 50 credits up to $469/mo for 2,500 credits |
| Pricing model | Per client per month, 10-client minimum, annual subscription billed monthly | Monthly credit allowance shared across unlimited clients; cancel anytime |
| Free trial | 14-day trial, no card | 25 free credits, no card |
| Best for | Bookkeeping practices that want capture plus workflows and practice insights | Firms capturing modest volume across many small clients |
| Integrations | QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage and 36+ accounting integrations; Shopify and WooCommerce through Commerce Lite | QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, FreeAgent, MYOB AccountRight, Exact, AccountsIQ, ClearBooks, KashFlow, Reckon One and more |
| Security | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified; AES-256 at rest, TLS 1.2+ in transit; annual third-party penetration tests (vendor-stated) | Encryption across the platform and user-specific permissions (vendor-stated); request its security documentation for your WISP |
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| Full profile | Dext → | AutoEntry → |
What a firm pays at different sizes
List prices read from each vendor's pricing page. Dext's figures come from its plan builder (Practice Essentials, annual subscription billed monthly). AutoEntry's assume plain receipts and invoices at one credit each.
| Practice profile | Dext Practice Essentials | AutoEntry |
|---|---|---|
| 10 clients, 20 documents each (200 credits) | $207.99/mo ($2,496/yr) | Gold: $46/mo ($552/yr) |
| 20 clients, 25 documents each (500 credits) | $353.99/mo ($4,248/yr) | Platinum: $103/mo ($1,236/yr) |
| 50 clients, 30 documents each (1,500 credits) | $701.99/mo ($8,424/yr) | Diamond: $298/mo ($3,576/yr) |
| 100 clients, 25 documents each (2,500 credits) | $1,281.99/mo ($15,384/yr) | Sapphire: $469/mo ($5,628/yr) |
Bank statements change the math. Each statement page costs 3 AutoEntry credits, so 20 clients sending a 3-page statement every month add 180 credits and push the 20-client firm past the 500-credit Platinum plan; the next plan is Diamond at $298, or overage credits at a higher rate. Invoices with line items and supplier statements cost 2 credits. On Dext, heavier jobs (bank statements, line items, supplier statement reconciliation) draw on a credit allowance included with the plan, which you can top up. Practice Advanced adds $1.50 per client ($222.99 a month at 10 clients), AI Assist is $7 per client, and Dext's practice prices assume an annual subscription; its pricing page shows 13% off annual versus monthly.
Where each one is stronger
- Practice layer. Dext Practice Advanced adds an enhanced client list with deadline and missing-paperwork columns, teams and locations, repeatable workflows (monthly bookkeeping, year-end) and practice-level insights. AutoEntry has a partner portal for unlimited clients but no workflow or deadline tools.
- Pricing shape. AutoEntry charges for extraction only: every plan has all features, unlimited users, clients and storage, and unused credits roll over for 90 days. Dext charges per client, so a client who sends three receipts a month costs the same as one who sends three hundred.
- Ledgers. Both publish to QuickBooks, Xero and Sage. Dext lists 36+ accounting integrations, plus Shopify and WooCommerce through Commerce Lite ($7.50 per client per month). AutoEntry lists about a dozen platforms, including FreeAgent, MYOB AccountRight and Exact.
- Capture. Both take mobile photos, email forwarding and web uploads. Dext adds WhatsApp capture and a Chrome extension; AutoEntry adds purchase order matching for QuickBooks and Xero.
- Security. Dext states ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, AES-256 encryption at rest and annual third-party penetration tests. AutoEntry states platform-wide encryption and user-level permissions; ask for its security documentation before adding it to your vendor list.
- Commitment. AutoEntry is a rolling monthly plan you can cancel up to 24 hours before renewal. Dext's practice prices are for an annual subscription billed monthly.
How to choose for a tax practice
For a tax-first firm, the deciding question is how many bookkeeping clients you carry all year. If capture is mostly a year-end clean-up for Schedule C and small-business returns, AutoEntry's shared credit pool is cheaper because quiet clients cost nothing. If you run monthly write-up for 20 or more clients, Dext's workflows and client deadline dashboard can replace a separate tracker. Either way, record the vendor in your WISP and settle 7216 consent before client documents flow through a new tool.
Before you sign
- Confirm the tool integrates with the tax software you file in.
- Ask for the SOC 2 report and data-retention terms (IRS Pub 4557), and plan for 7216 consent.
- Get per-return or credit definitions in writing. Several r/taxpros users report credit costs changing mid-contract.
FAQ
Is AutoEntry cheaper than Dext?
On list price, usually yes. A 20-client firm processing 500 receipts and invoices a month pays $103 a month on AutoEntry's Platinum plan versus $353.99 on Dext Practice Essentials. The gap narrows when clients send many bank statement pages, which cost 3 AutoEntry credits each.
Does AutoEntry charge per client?
No. Every AutoEntry plan includes unlimited client companies, unlimited users and unlimited storage. You pay for a monthly credit allowance, and unused credits roll over for 90 days.
What is the Dext 10-client minimum?
Dext practice plans are billed per client with a minimum of 10, so the smallest Practice Essentials plan is $207.99 a month ($20.80 per client) on an annual subscription. The per-client rate falls as you add clients: $17.70 at 20, $14.04 at 50 and $12.82 at 100.
Do Dext and AutoEntry work with QuickBooks Online?
Yes. Both publish to QuickBooks, Xero and Sage. AutoEntry also offers purchase order matching for QuickBooks and Xero.
Can I try both for free?
Yes. Dext offers practices a 14-day trial with no card required, and AutoEntry's trial includes 25 free credits with no card required.
Sources
- dext.com/us/partner/pricing
- help.dext.com/en/articles/273220-dext-plans-for-accountants-and-bookkeepers
- dext.com/us/security
- autoentry.com/pricing
- autoentry.com/
- autoentry.com/integrations
- ailedger.uk/
- costbench.com/software/accounting/dext/
- dext.com/en/business/pricing
- dext.com/us/business/pricing
- sage.com/investors/investor-downloads/press-releases/2019/09/27/sage-announces-a
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