Dext vs Zera Books for Bookkeepers: Per-User Fees vs Flat Rate
Dext charges $35-50 per user for receipt scanning and expense management features designed for corporate accounts. Bookkeepers processing client bank statements need a focused tool—not bundled features with per-user fees.
Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) built its platform around receipt capture and expense management—features designed for businesses tracking employee spending. For bookkeeping firms, this creates a fundamental mismatch.
Your clients send you bank statements, not receipts. They need month-end reconciliation, not expense approval workflows. Yet Dext's per-user pricing means you pay for receipt scanning and expense management whether you use them or not.
The Core Problem for Bookkeepers
Zera Books takes the opposite approach: $79/month flat for unlimited users, focused exclusively on what bookkeepers actually need—bank statement processing, AI transaction categorization, and direct accounting software integration.
How Dext's Per-User Pricing Affects Bookkeeping Firms
Dext's pricing model works for corporate accounts with dedicated expense administrators. For bookkeeping firms with multiple team members processing client work, per-user fees create predictable cost inflation.
Dext Pricing Breakdown for Bookkeepers
| Firm Size | Dext Monthly | Dext Annual | What You're Paying For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo bookkeeper | $35-50 | $420-600 | Receipt scanning, expense management, bank connections |
| 3-person team | $105-150 | $1,260-1,800 | Same features, tripled cost |
| 5-person team | $175-250 | $2,100-3,000 | Per-user fees compound quickly |
| 10-person team | $350-500 | $4,200-6,000 | Enterprise-level costs for basic features |
Per-User Fee Problems
- Part-time staff still count as full users
- Adding team members increases monthly costs
- Hiring becomes a software budget decision
- Tax season surge staff inflate costs temporarily
Zera Books Flat Rate
- $79/month regardless of team size
- Unlimited users included
- Hire freely without software cost changes
- Predictable costs during busy seasons
What Bookkeepers Actually Need vs What Dext Provides
Dext's feature set assumes you're managing employee expenses and corporate card reconciliation. Bookkeeping firms have different workflows—client bank statements, month-end close, and transaction categorization.
Bank Statement Processing
Convert PDF bank statements to Excel/CSV for QuickBooks/Xero import. Handle any bank format. Extract transactions with dates, descriptions, amounts.
AI Transaction Categorization
Auto-categorize transactions to chart of accounts. Map to Income, Expense, COGS. Learn from your categorization patterns.
Client Management Dashboard
Organize conversions by client. Track history. Manage multiple bookkeeping clients in one interface.
Receipt Scanning (Mobile App)
Photograph receipts with mobile app. Auto-extract vendor, amount, category. Designed for employee expense reimbursement.
Expense Approval Workflows
Multi-level approval chains. Route expenses through managers. Set approval limits by department.
The Bookkeeper Reality Check
When clients send you financial documents, they're sending bank statements—not receipts. Your workflow is:
- Receive client bank statements (PDF)
- Extract transactions to Excel/CSV
- Categorize transactions for QuickBooks/Xero
- Import and reconcile
Receipt scanning and expense approvals serve corporate HR departments—not bookkeeping firms.
Real Cost Comparison: Dext vs Zera Books for Growing Firms
As your bookkeeping firm grows, Dext's per-user pricing compounds. Zera Books stays flat at $79/month regardless of team size.
| Team Size | Dext Annual | Zera Books Annual | Your Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bookkeeper | $420-600 | $948 | -$348 to -$528* |
| 3 bookkeepers | $1,260-1,800 | $948 | $312-852/year |
| 5 bookkeepers | $2,100-3,000 | $948 | $1,152-2,052/year |
| 10 bookkeepers | $4,200-6,000 | $948 | $3,252-5,052/year |
| 15 bookkeepers | $6,300-9,000 | $948 | $5,352-8,052/year |
* For solo practitioners, Dext may appear cheaper—but you're still paying for receipt scanning and expense workflows you likely don't need.
What $79/Month Gets You with Zera Books
Real Results: Why Bookkeepers Choose Focused Tools
How accounting professionals save time by using tools built for their actual workflow
"My clients send me all kinds of messy PDFs from different banks. This tool handles them all and saves me probably 10 hours a week."
Ashish Josan
Manager, CPA at Manning Elliott
The Bookkeeper's Challenge
Multiple clients, multiple banks, multiple statement formats. Each month-end meant hours of manual data entry—copying transactions from PDFs into spreadsheets, then formatting for QuickBooks import. Receipt scanning and expense approval features? Never used them—clients send bank statements, not receipts.
The Solution
Switched to Zera Books for focused bank statement processing. Upload PDF, get categorized transactions, export to QuickBooks. No receipt scanning features to navigate around. No per-user fees as the team grows. Just the tools actually needed for month-end close.
The Results
- 10 hours/week saved on manual statement processing
- Handling 20+ small business clients with consistent turnaround
- Flat $79/month instead of per-user fees for the team
Side-by-Side Feature Comparison for Bookkeepers
See which features matter for bookkeeping workflows—and which are unnecessary overhead
| Feature | Dext | Zera Books | Bookkeeper Need? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Statement Processing | |||
| AI Transaction Categorization | |||
| Financial Statement Extraction | |||
| Invoice Processing | |||
| Check Processing | |||
| Multi-Account Auto-Detection | |||
| Client Management Dashboard | |||
| QuickBooks/Xero Integration | |||
| Receipt Scanning Mobile App | |||
| Expense Approval Workflows | |||
| Corporate Card Management | |||
| Pricing (5 users) | $175-250/mo | $79/mo flat | 55-68% savings |
When Dext Actually Makes Sense for Bookkeepers
Dext serves specific use cases well. If your workflow matches these scenarios, their per-user pricing may be justified.
Clients Who Submit Receipts Regularly
If your clients actively use Dext's mobile app to photograph receipts and submit expenses, you're getting value from the receipt scanning features.
In-House Corporate Accounting
If you're an internal bookkeeper managing employee expense reimbursements and corporate card reconciliation for a single company, Dext's workflows align with your needs.
Solo Practitioners with Simple Needs
At $35/month for one user, Dext costs less than Zera Books' $79/month—if you only need basic document processing for a few clients.
The Bottom Line for Bookkeepers
If you're a bookkeeping firm processing bank statements for external clients, Dext's per-user pricing and receipt-centric features add costs without adding value. Zera Books' flat-rate model and focused feature set align with how bookkeepers actually work: bank statements in, categorized transactions out, month-end close complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Dext pricing compare to Zera Books for bookkeepers?
Dext charges $35-50 per user per month, including receipt scanning and expense management features most bookkeepers don't use. Zera Books offers $79/month flat for unlimited users, unlimited bank statement processing, and AI categorization focused on bookkeeper workflows.
What does Dext offer that bookkeepers typically don't need?
Dext bundles receipt scanning mobile apps, expense tracking workflows, and multi-level approval chains designed for corporate expense management. Bookkeepers processing bank statements for clients rarely use these features but still pay for them.
Can Zera Books replace Dext for bookkeeping workflows?
Yes, for bookkeepers focused on bank statement processing and month-end reconciliation. Zera Books processes bank statements, financial statements, invoices, and checks with AI categorization for QuickBooks and Xero. It lacks receipt scanning, which most bookkeepers don't need for client work.
How much can a bookkeeping firm save switching from Dext to Zera Books?
A 5-person bookkeeping firm pays $175-250/month with Dext ($2,100-3,000/year). Zera Books costs $79/month ($948/year) for unlimited users. Annual savings: $1,152-2,052 plus reduced training time on features you don't use.
Does Zera Books support multiple clients like Dext?
Yes, Zera Books includes a client management dashboard for organizing conversions by client, tracking conversion history, and managing multiple bookkeeping clients. No per-client fees—unlimited clients included in the $79/month subscription.
Stop Paying Per-User for Features You Don't Use
Get unlimited bank statement processing, AI categorization, and client management for $79/month flat. No per-user fees. No receipt scanning complexity. Just the tools bookkeepers actually need.
Try for one weekNo per-user fees. No receipt scanning. Just focused bank statement processing.