Receipt capture and data extraction is one of the highest-leverage automations in a modern accounting stack. The right tool reclaims hours per week of bookkeeper time and produces a clean digital audit trail that HMRC expects under Making Tax Digital. Three platforms dominate UK conversations: Dext (formerly Receipt Bank), Hubdoc and AutoEntry. At PushDigits we use and deploy all three across different client situations, and the differences are worth understanding clearly.
The common workflow
All three platforms perform the same broad job. The user submits a receipt or invoice through mobile photo, email forwarding or upload. The platform extracts supplier, date, total, VAT and line items. The data is then reviewed and published into the connected ledger, with the original document attached. Beyond that core, the differences accumulate.
Dext
The most established player, with a deep ML stack and the broadest set of features. Strengths include strong supplier rule learning, mature multi-currency handling, bank statement extraction and a robust practice-side dashboard for firms managing many clients in parallel. Pricing is at the higher end of the three, particularly for high-volume clients, but the time saving usually justifies it for established workflows.
- Best for: Mid-sized clients with material transaction volumes and a regular bookkeeping cadence; practices that want one supplier across the client base.
- Watch for: Cost per client at the low end of the market, where cheaper or bundled alternatives may make more sense.
Hubdoc
Now owned by Xero and bundled into several Xero plans at no extra cost. That bundling is the central reason it is widely deployed. Hubdoc covers the core receipt capture workflow competently, with strong integration into Xero (unsurprisingly) and adequate support for QuickBooks and a couple of other ledgers. Extraction accuracy has improved significantly over time but is generally considered behind Dext at the top end.
- Best for: Smaller and mid-sized Xero clients where the bundled licence makes Hubdoc effectively free; situations where the core extraction job is enough and advanced features are not needed.
- Watch for: Complex multi-line invoices, very high volumes, and any setup that needs deep practice-management tooling.
AutoEntry
Owned by Sage and integrating across multiple ledgers including Sage, Xero and QuickBooks. AutoEntry is positioned as a credit-based product where you pay for the number of documents processed rather than per client. Many practices appreciate that model because it scales with usage rather than with headcount. Extraction accuracy is competitive with Dext on most document types, and line-item extraction is generally strong.
- Best for: Practices with mixed-platform client bases, particularly Sage-heavy firms; clients with lumpy document volumes where a credit model is more economical than a flat subscription.
- Watch for: The mental overhead of tracking credit consumption across clients if the practice has not standardised on a clear allocation model.
How we choose between them at PushDigits
Our default for new Xero clients tends to be Hubdoc where the bundled licence is available and the document complexity is manageable, then Dext where volumes, line-item complexity or multi-currency demand more horsepower. AutoEntry is a strong third option, particularly for Sage clients or where the credit-based pricing fits the document profile better. The decision is rarely about which is technically best in the abstract. It is about which combination of cost, extraction accuracy and integration fits the specific client.
Things that matter more than the brand
- Workflow ownership: Who uploads, who reviews, who publishes. Any of the three fails if that is not clear.
- Supplier rules discipline: Setting up rules for major recurring suppliers transforms the time saving on any platform.
- Bank reconciliation: Receipt capture only earns its keep when items are matched against bank feed transactions cleanly in the ledger.
- Audit trail: Original documents must remain attached to published entries for MTD digital-link compliance.
How PushDigits supports your software choice
As ICAEW Chartered Accountants, Xero Platinum Partners and QuickBooks Elite Partners, we deploy Dext, Hubdoc and AutoEntry across hundreds of UK client files and can match the tool to your specific transaction profile. Explore our bookkeeping and BPO services, or book a consultation to discuss your receipt capture workflow.