Dext vs Zera Books for Small Business: Why Simple Wins
Dext bundles receipt scanning, mileage tracking, and expense approvals that most small businesses never use. Compare it to Zera Books focused approach: bank statement processing, AI categorization, and $79/month unlimited—no feature bloat.
The Small Business Software Dilemma
When you search for bookkeeping software as a small business owner, you'll find tools designed for enterprise accounting teams. Dext is one of them—built for corporate expense management with receipt capture, mileage logging, and multi-level approval workflows.
But here's what most small businesses actually need: convert bank statements to Excel, categorize transactions, import to QuickBooks. That's it. No mobile receipt apps. No mileage trackers. No expense approval chains.
What Small Businesses Actually Use
Essential Features
- Bank statement to Excel conversion
- Transaction categorization
- QuickBooks/Xero import
- Multi-account statements
Rarely Used (But You're Paying For)
- Receipt scanning mobile app
- Mileage tracking
- Expense approval workflows
- Corporate card management
Zera Books focuses on what matters: bank statement processing with Zera AI, transaction categorization, and direct accounting software integration. $79/month flat, unlimited conversions, no per-user fees.
Dext vs Zera Books: Feature-by-Feature for Small Business
See exactly what you need versus what you're paying for
| Feature | Dext | Zera Books | Small Business Need? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Statement Processing | |||
| AI Transaction Categorization | |||
| QuickBooks/Xero Integration | |||
| Multi-Account Auto-Detection | |||
| Invoice Processing | |||
| Financial Statement Extraction | |||
| Receipt Scanning Mobile App | |||
| Mileage Tracking | |||
| Expense Approval Workflows | |||
| Corporate Card Management | |||
| Monthly Cost | $24-50+ per user | $79 flat | Unlimited users |
Key insight: Green highlighted features are essential for small business bookkeeping. Gray highlighted features (receipt scanning, mileage, approvals) are enterprise features most small businesses never use—but Dext charges for them anyway.
Why Feature Bloat Hurts Small Businesses
Dext was built for corporate expense management. Small business owners end up paying for features designed for enterprise teams with hundreds of employees.
Receipt Scanning
Dext's mobile app lets employees photograph receipts for expense reports. Useful for companies with traveling salespeople—not for small business owners who track expenses via bank statements.
Mileage Tracking
GPS-based mileage logging for employee reimbursement. Great for field service companies—unnecessary for retail shops, restaurants, or service businesses without driving employees.
Approval Workflows
Multi-level expense approval chains (employee submits, manager approves, finance reviews). Designed for large organizations—small businesses typically have one person handling all finances.
Corporate Cards
Manage employee corporate cards, set spending limits, track charges. Enterprise feature for companies issuing cards to staff—not relevant for owner-operated small businesses.
The Zera Books Approach for Small Business
Zera Books focuses exclusively on what small business owners actually use: convert bank statements, categorize transactions, export to QuickBooks. No receipt apps, no mileage trackers, no approval chains.
Result: $79/month flat for unlimited processing instead of per-user fees that scale with your team. Process bank statements, financial statements, invoices, and checks—all document types most small businesses need.
Real Small Business Results
How a multi-location business cut month-end from days to hours
"We were drowning in bank statements from two provinces and multiple revenue streams. Zera Books cut our month-end reconciliation from three days to about four hours."
Manroop Gill
Co-Founder, Zoom Books
The Challenge
Zoom Books processes millions of books monthly across Canada and the US. Managing financial data from multiple revenue streams meant reconciling dozens of bank statements every month. The accounting team spent 2-3 days on manual data entry during month-end.
Why Not Dext?
Receipt scanning and mileage tracking were irrelevant—Zoom Books needed bank statement processing at scale. Per-user pricing would have added up quickly with multiple team members accessing the system.
The Result with Zera Books
Month-end close dropped from 3 days to 4 hours. Processing 40+ bank statements monthly with zero manual entry. The accounting team now focuses on analysis instead of data entry.
3 days
to 4 hours
40+
statements/month
$79
flat monthly
Small Business Pricing: Per-User vs Flat Rate
Dext charges per-user fees that scale as your business grows. See how costs compare to Zera Books flat $79/month.
Dext
Per-user pricing + feature bloat
Plus: Receipt scanning, mileage tracking, approval workflows you may never use
Zera Books
Flat rate, unlimited users
3-user small business
Save $11-46/month ($132-552/year)
The Small Business Math
A typical small business with 2-3 people handling finances pays Dext $70-125/month for features they mostly don't use. Switching to Zera Books means:
$79/mo
No matter how many users
Unlimited
Bank statement conversions
Zero
Receipt/mileage bloat
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dext or Zera Books better for small business bookkeeping?
For most small businesses, Zera Books is the better choice. Dext bundles receipt scanning, mileage tracking, and expense approval features that small businesses rarely use. If your primary need is converting bank statements and categorizing transactions for QuickBooks, Zera Books provides that functionality at a flat $79/month without per-user fees.
How much does Dext actually cost for a small business?
Dext pricing varies by plan and user count. Basic plans start at $24-35/month for one user, but add per-user fees ($10-25) for each additional team member. A small business with 2-3 users typically pays $60-125/month. Some plans also have per-client fees. Zera Books charges $79/month flat regardless of users.
Does Zera Books work with QuickBooks for small businesses?
Yes. Zera Books has direct QuickBooks Online and Xero integration. You can export categorized transactions with AI-assigned categories that match your chart of accounts. The output formats are pre-formatted for error-free import—no manual column mapping required.
What if I need receipt scanning for my small business?
If receipt scanning is essential to your workflow (e.g., employees submitting expenses for reimbursement), Dext may be the right choice. However, most small businesses track expenses through their bank statements—receipts are stored for audit purposes but not processed through bookkeeping software. Consider whether you actually use receipt capture or just think you might need it someday.
Can freelancers use Zera Books?
Absolutely. Freelancers and independent contractors often need to convert bank statements and credit card statements for tax preparation or client reporting. Zera Books handles all bank formats with Zera AI, processes multiple document types (bank statements, invoices, checks), and exports clean data to accounting software—all for $79/month unlimited.
What document types can Zera Books process for small businesses?
Zera Books processes four document types: bank statements (any bank format), financial statements (income statements, balance sheets), invoices (vendor invoices with line items), and checks. Most competitors only handle bank statements. This makes Zera Books more comprehensive for small business bookkeeping needs while still being focused (no receipt/mileage bloat).
Related Dext vs Zera Books Comparisons
Explore more in-depth comparisons on specific features
Pricing Comparison
Deep dive into per-user vs unlimited pricing. See exact costs at 5, 10, 25, 50 clients.
Read comparisonFeature Bloat Analysis
Which Dext features do accounting firms actually use? See the 80/20 breakdown.
Read comparisonBank Statement Focus
Compare bank statement processing capabilities: accuracy, formats, and AI categorization.
Read comparisonSimple Tools for Small Business Bookkeeping
Stop paying for enterprise features you'll never use. Get unlimited bank statement processing, AI categorization, and QuickBooks integration for $79/month flat.
Try for one weekNo receipt scanning. No mileage tracking. Just the tools small businesses actually use.
$79/mo
Flat rate, no per-user fees
4
Document types supported
99.6%
Extraction accuracy