AutoEntry vs Hubdoc Pricing Models
Multi-entity accounting firms face a critical pricing decision when choosing document processing software. Both AutoEntry and Hubdoc use per-company pricing structures that scale linearly with the number of entities you manage.
This pricing model works well for single-entity businesses, but creates budget challenges for accounting firms managing multiple corporate structures, holding companies with subsidiaries, or bookkeeping practices serving 20+ clients.
What "Per-Company" Means
Both AutoEntry and Hubdoc define a "company" as a separate legal entity requiring its own books. This includes:
- • Individual client businesses (for bookkeeping firms)
- • Subsidiary companies (for corporate accounting departments)
- • Separate legal entities under a holding company
- • Multi-location businesses with separate entity structures
Each company requires a separate subscription or adds to your per-company count, regardless of transaction volume or document processing needs.
Per-Company Cost Analysis
Understanding the true cost of multi-entity accounting with AutoEntry or Hubdoc requires analyzing their tier structures and per-company fees.
AutoEntry Multi-Entity Pricing
AutoEntry uses a credit-based system where each company consumes credits monthly. Typical pricing structure:
Small business plans (100-500 documents/month per entity)
Higher volume plans (500+ documents/month per entity)
Hubdoc Multi-Entity Pricing
Hubdoc (owned by Xero) charges per-company fees based on your plan tier:
Basic plan tier (limited features)
Professional plan (includes advanced features)
The Multi-Entity Math Problem
For accounting firms managing multiple entities, these per-company fees compound quickly:
- • 5 entities: $150-250/month (AutoEntry or Hubdoc)
- • 10 entities: $300-500/month
- • 20 entities: $600-1,000/month
- • 50 entities: $1,500-2,500/month
This linear cost scaling creates a ceiling for how many entities accounting firms can profitably manage before software costs consume margin.
Multi-Entity Accounting Challenges
Beyond pricing, multi-entity accounting creates operational challenges that both AutoEntry and Hubdoc address differently.
Common Multi-Entity Scenarios
Holding Company with Subsidiaries
Parent company owns 5-10 operating entities across different industries or regions. Each subsidiary maintains separate books but reports up to consolidated financials.
Challenge: Processing bank statements from multiple entities while maintaining proper entity separation
Bookkeeping Firm with Client Base
Professional bookkeepers managing 20-50 client businesses. Each client is a separate legal entity requiring independent document processing and categorization.
Challenge: Scaling client acquisition without proportional software cost increases
Multi-Location Business Entities
Retail chains, restaurant groups, or franchises with separate legal entities per location. Each location requires individual bank statement processing for local P&L tracking.
Challenge: Managing high document volumes across dozens of entity locations
All these scenarios share the same pain point: software costs that scale linearly with entity count create financial pressure on the business model.
AutoEntry Multi-Entity Approach
AutoEntry handles multi-entity accounting through a credit pool system. You purchase credits that can be allocated across multiple companies within your account.
How AutoEntry Multi-Company Works
- 1Add companies to your account: Each company becomes a separate workspace
- 2Allocate credits per company: Credits consumed based on document processing volume
- 3Configure rules separately: Each company requires individual rule setup for categorization
- 4Track credit usage: Monitor per-company consumption to avoid overages
AutoEntry Multi-Entity Limitations
- Per-company credit allocation: Credits not shared across companies efficiently
- Separate rule configuration: Rule-based categorization must be set up per company
- Complex credit tracking: Monitor usage across multiple entities to prevent overages
- Scaling costs: Adding companies increases monthly software expenses proportionally
While AutoEntry supports multi-entity workflows, the credit-based model creates administrative overhead tracking usage per company and managing rule configurations across entities.
Hubdoc Multi-Entity Approach
Hubdoc takes a different approach with per-company flat fees. Each company you add to your account incurs a monthly subscription cost, with pricing varying by plan tier.
How Hubdoc Multi-Company Works
- 1Create company profiles: Each entity gets a dedicated workspace
- 2Pay per-company fees: Monthly subscription cost per entity added
- 3Connect bank feeds: Link bank accounts to each company profile
- 4Export to Xero/QuickBooks: Documents sync to connected accounting software
Hubdoc's Xero Integration Advantage
Since Hubdoc is owned by Xero, it offers deeper integration with Xero accounting software. For multi-entity firms using Xero exclusively, this provides workflow benefits—but the per-company pricing still applies.
Hubdoc Multi-Entity Limitations
- Linear cost scaling: $20-40/month per company adds up quickly
- Receipt-focused workflow: Primarily built for receipts/invoices, not comprehensive bank statement processing
- Xero-centric design: Works best with Xero, less optimized for QuickBooks or other platforms
- No AI categorization: Lacks advanced transaction categorization features
Hubdoc's per-company model is straightforward but creates predictable cost increases as accounting firms grow their client base or manage more entities.
Zera Books Unlimited Multi-Entity Model
Zera Books takes a fundamentally different approach to multi-entity accounting: $79/month unlimited entities with built-in client management and AI categorization.
Unlimited entities, unlimited conversions, no scaling costs
Manage 1 or 100 companies with no per-entity fees
Pre-trained categorization across all entities
What's Included in Zera Books Multi-Entity
- Client management dashboard: Organize entities by client, project, or business unit
- AI transaction categorization: Automatic categorization across all entities with zero setup
- Multi-account auto-detection: Automatically separate checking, savings, credit cards per entity
- Batch processing: Upload 50+ statements across multiple entities simultaneously
- Unlimited conversion history: Access all past conversions for any entity anytime
- Direct QuickBooks/Xero integration: Pre-formatted exports with auto-categorization
Why Unlimited Matters for Multi-Entity Firms
The unlimited model changes the economics of scaling your accounting practice:
- Predictable budgeting: $79/month whether you manage 5 or 50 entities
- No client acquisition cost ceiling: Add clients without increasing software spend
- Simplified administration: No per-entity tracking or credit allocation
- Higher profit margins: Software costs don't scale with revenue growth
Real-World Multi-Entity Cost Comparison
Here's how the monthly costs compare across different multi-entity scenarios:
| Number of Entities | AutoEntry | Hubdoc | Zera Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Entities | $150-250/mo | $100-200/mo | $79/mo |
| 10 Entities | $300-500/mo | $200-400/mo | $79/mo |
| 20 Entities | $600-1,000/mo | $400-800/mo | $79/mo |
| 50 Entities | $1,500-2,500/mo | $1,000-2,000/mo | $79/mo |
| 100 Entities | $3,000-5,000/mo | $2,000-4,000/mo | $79/mo |
Annual Cost Savings Example
For a bookkeeping firm managing 20 client entities:
Savings with Zera Books: $3,850-11,050 per year for 20 entities
The cost advantage of Zera Books' unlimited model becomes more dramatic as entity count increases. For firms managing 50+ entities, annual savings can exceed $20,000 compared to per-company pricing models.
Which Solution for Multi-Entity Accounting Firms
The right document processing solution depends on your entity count, growth trajectory, and workflow priorities.
When AutoEntry Makes Sense
- Managing 1-3 entities with high document volumes (500+ documents/month per entity)
- Willing to invest time in rule-based categorization setup
- Need receipt processing alongside bank statement conversion
When Hubdoc Makes Sense
- All entities use Xero exclusively (Hubdoc owned by Xero)
- Managing 1-5 entities with receipt/invoice focus
- Bank feed integration more important than bank statement processing
When Zera Books Makes Sense
- Managing 5+ entities (bookkeeping firms, holding companies, multi-location businesses)
- Growing client base where adding entities shouldn't increase software costs
- Bank statement processing focus with transaction-level categorization needs
- Zero setup preference for AI categorization vs manual rule configuration
- QuickBooks or Xero with need for pre-formatted, categorized exports
- Predictable budgeting with flat monthly costs regardless of entity growth
For most multi-entity accounting firms, Zera Books offers the best combination of unlimited scaling, AI-powered automation, and predictable costs. The $79/month flat rate eliminates per-entity budgeting concerns and allows firms to grow without proportional software expense increases.
