If you want to stop manually entering purchase invoices and receipts into your accounting software, you need an invoice capture tool. In the UK, three products dominate this space: Dext, Hubdoc and AutoEntry. All three use AI to extract data from invoices and push it to your accounting software automatically — but they differ in price, accuracy, integration depth and which accounting platforms they suit best.
This comparison covers all three products for UK small businesses in 2026, including honest assessment of where each falls short. For background on how AI invoice processing works end to end, see our AI accounts payable automation guide.
Quick Verdict
- Best overall: Dext — strongest extraction accuracy, widest integration support, most used by UK bookkeepers
- Best for Xero users: Hubdoc — included free with Xero Standard and Premium, good for fetching regular bills automatically
- Best for Sage users: AutoEntry — built and maintained by Sage, most natural fit for Sage Accounting and Sage 50
Comparison at a Glance
| Feature | Dext | Hubdoc | AutoEntry |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK pricing | From ~£25/month | Free with Xero Standard+ | Credit-based (~£15–£40/month) |
| Xero integration | Yes | Yes (native) | Yes |
| QuickBooks integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sage Accounting | Yes | Limited | Yes (native) |
| Sage 50 | Yes | No | Yes (native) |
| Auto bill fetch | Selected suppliers | Extensive (600+ suppliers) | Selected suppliers |
| Mobile app | Yes (strong) | Yes | Yes |
| Line-item extraction | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Purchase order matching | Via integrations | No | Limited |
| Multi-currency | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HMRC MTD compliant storage | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Dext
Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) is the market leader in UK invoice and receipt capture. It is the tool most UK bookkeepers and accounting practices standardise on, and for good reason: the extraction accuracy is industry-leading, the integrations are comprehensive, and the product has been refined over years of processing millions of UK business documents.
You capture invoices by forwarding emails to your Dext inbox, using the mobile app to photograph paper invoices, or uploading files directly. Dext extracts supplier, date, total, VAT, invoice number and line items, then pushes the data to your accounting software with suggested nominal coding based on your history.
What makes Dext stand out
- Extraction accuracy — consistently the highest of the three on standard UK invoice formats
- Line-item extraction — Dext can extract individual line items from invoices, not just totals, which matters for businesses that split costs across departments or projects
- Supplier connections — Dext Fetch automatically retrieves bills from a growing list of UK suppliers and utilities
- Accountant ecosystem — widely used by UK accounting practices, so if your accountant or bookkeeper already uses Dext you can share the same account
- Dext Commerce — for ecommerce businesses, Dext Commerce handles the additional complexity of marketplace fee reconciliation (Amazon, eBay, Shopify)
Dext limitations
- More expensive than the alternatives — pricing starts around £25/month and rises with document volume and features
- Can feel over-engineered for very small businesses that only process a handful of invoices monthly
- No native approval workflow — you need ApprovalMax or similar for multi-level purchase approval
Best for: Businesses processing 30+ invoices per month, businesses that need line-item extraction, businesses whose bookkeeper already uses Dext, and ecommerce businesses.
Hubdoc
Hubdoc was acquired by Xero and is now included free with Xero Standard and Premium plans — making it the default choice for Xero users who want invoice and receipt capture without an additional subscription cost.
Hubdoc’s strongest feature is automatic bill fetching. It connects to over 600 suppliers, banks and financial institutions and automatically pulls in statements, invoices and bills without any manual upload or email forwarding required. For businesses with predictable, recurring suppliers (utilities, telecoms, SaaS subscriptions), Hubdoc eliminates the capture step entirely for those documents.
What makes Hubdoc stand out
- Free with Xero Standard and Premium — no additional cost for Xero users on these plans
- Automatic bill fetching — the most extensive automatic supplier connection library of the three tools
- Bank statement fetching — Hubdoc can automatically retrieve bank statements and push them to Xero, which is useful for reconciliation
- Simple interface — straightforward to use without significant training
Hubdoc limitations
- Extraction is less accurate than Dext on complex or non-standard invoice formats
- No line-item extraction — Hubdoc captures invoice totals and headers but does not break down line items
- Limited Sage support — primarily built for Xero; Sage integration is partial
- No QuickBooks native integration — technically connects but the experience is not seamless
- Less used by UK bookkeepers — if you share accounts with an accountant, they may prefer Dext
Best for: Xero Standard or Premium users who want a no-cost invoice capture solution, particularly businesses with many recurring utility and subscription bills that benefit from automatic fetching.
AutoEntry
AutoEntry is owned by Sage and integrates most naturally with Sage Accounting and Sage 50 — making it the logical choice for businesses already in the Sage ecosystem. It handles invoices, receipts, expenses and bank statements, using AI extraction and pushing to Sage with suggested coding.
Unlike Dext and Hubdoc, AutoEntry uses a credit-based pricing model rather than a flat monthly subscription. You purchase a block of credits and each processed document uses a set number of credits depending on its complexity. For low-volume businesses this can be more economical; for high-volume businesses a flat-fee model like Dext often works out cheaper.
What makes AutoEntry stand out
- Native Sage integration — the deepest and most reliable integration with Sage Accounting and Sage 50 of any tool
- Bank statement processing — AutoEntry can extract transactions from bank statements and post them to Sage, which is useful if bank feeds are not available
- Flexible pricing — credits-based model suits businesses with variable monthly volumes
- Multi-company support — useful for practices or businesses managing multiple Sage entities
AutoEntry limitations
- Less widely used outside the Sage ecosystem
- Credit-based pricing can be harder to budget for than a flat monthly fee
- Extraction accuracy on complex invoices is not quite at Dext’s level
- Mobile app is functional but less polished than Dext
Best for: Businesses using Sage Accounting or Sage 50, particularly those that also need bank statement processing or manage multiple Sage companies.
Which Should You Choose?
- Using Xero Standard or Premium? Start with Hubdoc — it is free and handles most needs. If you outgrow it (need line-item extraction, higher accuracy, or your bookkeeper prefers Dext), switch then.
- Using Sage Accounting or Sage 50? AutoEntry is the natural fit. The Sage-native integration means setup is simpler and ongoing reliability is better.
- Using QuickBooks? Dext is the strongest option — the QuickBooks integration is robust and the extraction quality is consistently higher than the alternatives.
- High volume (100+ invoices/month) on any platform? Dext’s flat-fee model and superior accuracy make it the best choice regardless of platform.
- Small volume and on Xero? Hubdoc is free — use it until you have a reason to switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dext or Hubdoc more accurate?
Dext consistently achieves higher extraction accuracy, particularly on complex invoices with multiple line items or non-standard formats. Hubdoc is accurate enough for most straightforward invoices and has the advantage of being free with Xero. For businesses where extraction errors cause problems — high invoice volumes, complex line-item splitting — Dext is worth the additional cost.
Does Hubdoc work with Sage?
Hubdoc’s integration with Sage is limited. It is designed primarily for Xero and does not offer the same depth of connection with Sage Accounting or Sage 50. Sage users should use AutoEntry for the most reliable integration.
Can these tools satisfy HMRC MTD requirements?
Yes. All three tools store the original invoice image digitally and link it to the transaction in the accounting software, satisfying HMRC’s digital record-keeping requirements under Making Tax Digital. This is a significant advantage over manual data entry, which requires you to retain paper originals to meet the same requirement.
How much does Dext cost in the UK?
Dext pricing for UK small businesses starts at approximately £25/month for basic invoice and receipt capture, rising with document volume and additional features. Pricing is not always published transparently — request a quote based on your monthly document volume for an accurate figure.
