When choosing between AutoEntry and Dext, pricing structure matters as much as monthly cost. AutoEntry's credit-based system requires tracking every document you process. Dext's per-client pricing scales linearly with your practice size. Both models create "pricing anxiety"—constantly monitoring usage or calculating per-client costs.
This comparison breaks down real costs at three firm sizes (10, 25, and 50 clients) and shows how pricing models impact your workflow. Whether you process 100 or 10,000 documents monthly, understanding these models helps you avoid unexpected costs as your practice grows.
AutoEntry Pricing: Credit-Based System
AutoEntry operates on a credit system where every document costs credits based on complexity. You purchase monthly credit bundles, and different document types consume different credit amounts.
Credit Cost Per Document Type
- 1 credit: Simple invoice, receipt, or bill (no line items)
- 2 credits: Invoice or receipt with line item extraction
- 3 credits per page: Bank statements (highest cost due to transaction volume)
AutoEntry offers 6 pricing tiers ranging from $12 to $400 per month, with credit allocations scaling accordingly. The credit system becomes expensive fast for firms processing multiple bank statements monthly.
The bank statement problem: A typical 10-page bank statement costs 30 credits. Processing 50 client statements monthly (500 pages total) requires 1,500 credits—putting you in the $300-400/month tier before counting any invoices or receipts.
One accounting firm on AccountingWEB reported paying £500 per month for AutoEntry to handle their document volume, while Dext quoted them £2,000 per month for 30 users—showing how pricing varies dramatically based on workflow.
Dext Pricing: Per-Client Subscription
Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) uses a per-client pricing model with tiered plans based on how many clients you manage. Each plan includes unlimited users, but you pay based on client count, not document volume.
Dext Pricing Tiers (Annual Billing)
- 10 clients: $234.99/month ($2,820/year) = $23.50 per client/month
- 25 clients: ~$500/month ($6,000/year) = $20 per client/month
- 50 clients: $848.99/month ($10,188/year) = $17 per client/month
The per-client model offers predictability—you know exactly what you'll pay based on client count. However, costs scale linearly. Adding 10 more clients means another $200-240/month, regardless of whether those clients generate 5 or 500 documents.
The scale problem: Accountants on forums complained that Dext "charges business owners only £10/month but is actually RIPPING OFF ACCOUNTANTS" with per-client fees that make growth expensive.
Dext's pricing works well for firms with many high-volume clients (where per-client cost averages out), but becomes prohibitive for practices serving numerous smaller clients with moderate document volumes.
Real-World Cost Comparison: 10, 25, and 50 Clients
Let's calculate actual costs for three common firm sizes. We'll assume each client submits an average of 1 bank statement (10 pages = 30 credits) and 20 invoices (20 credits) per month.
| Firm Size | AutoEntry (Credits/Month) | Dext (Per-Client) | Zera Books (Unlimited) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Clients | 500 credits needed ~$80-120/month ($960-1,440/year) | $234.99/month ($2,820/year) | $79/month ($948/year) |
| 25 Clients | 1,250 credits needed ~$250-350/month ($3,000-4,200/year) | ~$500/month ($6,000/year) | $79/month ($948/year) |
| 50 Clients | 2,500 credits needed ~$400+/month ($4,800+/year) | $848.99/month ($10,188/year) | $79/month ($948/year) |
Annual Savings with Zera Books
- 10 clients: Save $12-1,872/year vs AutoEntry, $1,872/year vs Dext
- 25 clients: Save $2,052-3,252/year vs AutoEntry, $5,052/year vs Dext
- 50 clients: Save $3,852+/year vs AutoEntry, $9,240/year vs Dext
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | AutoEntry | Dext | Zera Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Credit-based ($12-400/month) | Per-client ($235-849/month) | Unlimited ($79/month flat) |
| Bank Statement Cost | 3 credits per page | Included in per-client fee | Unlimited processing |
| Usage Tracking Required | ✓ Constant monitoring | ✓ Client count tracking | ✗ No tracking needed |
| AI Categorization | Limited (primarily invoices) | ✓ With higher-tier plans | ✓ All transactions included |
| Multi-Account Detection | Manual separation | Manual separation | ✓ Automatic detection |
| Client Dashboard | Basic organization | ✓ Full client management | ✓ Dedicated client workflows |
| QuickBooks Integration | ✓ Direct integration | ✓ Direct integration | ✓ Direct integration + auto-categorization |
| Batch Processing | Limited by credits | ✓ Unlimited per client | ✓ Upload 50+ statements at once |
| Document Types | Invoices, receipts, statements | Receipts, invoices, expenses | Bank statements, invoices, financial statements, checks |
| Annual Cost (50 clients) | $4,800+ | $10,188 | $948 |
When AutoEntry or Dext Makes Sense (Spoiler: Rarely)
Choose AutoEntry If:
- You process mostly invoices/receipts (not bank statements) and stay under 500 credits/month
- Your document volume is highly predictable and never spikes
- You already use Sage accounting software and want tight integration
Reality check: Most accounting firms process 1,000+ credits monthly once they factor in bank statements (3 credits per page), making AutoEntry expensive quickly.
Choose Dext If:
- You have exactly 10-15 clients and don't plan to grow
- You need the bundled receipt scanning and mileage tracking features
- Each client generates 100+ documents monthly, making per-client pricing worthwhile
Reality check: Dext's per-client fees penalize growth. Every new client means $200-240 more annually, creating friction when scaling your practice.
Choose Zera Books If:
- You process bank statements regularly (10+ per month)
- You want predictable costs that don't scale with client count or document volume
- You need AI transaction categorization for QuickBooks/Xero
- You're growing your practice and don't want pricing to limit client acquisition
- You want to eliminate "usage tracking anxiety" from your workflow
Real impact: Process 10 clients or 100 clients—same $79/month cost. No credit tracking, no per-client calculations, no growth penalties.
Why Unlimited Pricing Works Better for Accounting Firms
The fundamental problem with both AutoEntry and Dext is that their pricing models create friction in your workflow. You're either tracking credits or tracking clients, both of which introduce decision paralysis and administrative overhead.
Usage-Based Pricing Problems
- • "Can we afford to process this statement now?"
- • "Should we wait until next month's credit refresh?"
- • "Will tax season push us to the next pricing tier?"
- • "Did we hit our client limit yet?"
- • Staff time spent on usage monitoring
- • Growth anxiety ("each new client costs more")
Unlimited Pricing Benefits
- • Process documents the moment they arrive
- • Zero time spent tracking usage or costs
- • Same cost during tax season spikes
- • No growth penalties when adding clients
- • Staff focus on accounting, not billing
- • Predictable monthly expenses for CFO planning
Bookkeeping firms using Zera Books report that eliminating pricing anxiety alone saves 2-3 hours monthly in administrative overhead—time better spent on client service or business development.
"The biggest relief wasn't even the cost savings—it was not having to think about document processing costs anymore. We just upload statements as they come in and focus on the actual accounting work." — Bookkeeping firm owner, 32 clients
