AutoEntry vs. Hubdoc vs. Dext vs. Datamolino
In this article we try to address the common questions that people ask on how Datamolino compares to these other solutions for automating data capture. The price comparisons in this article are done in GBP for the UK market. Other currencies may have different outcomes because each solution has different pricing strategies for each region.
NEW for 2025: Datamolino has introduced bespoke Business plans that better serve the document processing needs of small businesses. There was also a simplification and update of pricing for Accountancy firms and multi-entity businesses.
How the apps compare on the Xero Appstore
- Dext Prepare is currently rated with 4.8 stars in the Xero Appstore.
- AutoEntry is currently rated with 4.7 stars in the Xero Appstore.
- Hubdoc is currently rated with 3.5 stars in the Xero Appstore.
- Datamolino is currently rated with 4.9 stars in the Xero Appstore.
TL:DR – Summary
If you trust the user reviews, Datamolino and Dext Prepare (formerly Receipt Bank) are now going head to head when it comes to quality. AutoEntry has comparable pricing for receipt processing and is more expensive for bank statement processing compared to Datamolino. AutoEntry has lost a bit of appeal after its acquisition by Sage.
The surprise is Hubdoc and the recent wave of negative reviews which have dropped the average rating on Xero AppStore from 3.6 to 3.5 (from May 2024 to November 2024).
From pricing perspective: You can get Hubdoc for free with Xero. AutoEntry and Datamolino have a pay per document pricing model and Dext prepare has a pay per client and add-ons pricing model for accounting firms and different per business pricing for the small businesses.
The devil is in the details and it depends on what level of service you require and how many businesses do you need to service. The pricing comparisons below are made mostly with bookkeepers and accountants in mind. We also touch on Business pricing in this update for 2025, comparing Dext and Datamolino packages for single entity businesses.
At the end of the day, Dext Prepare, AutoEntry and Datamolino are comparable solution, each has its strong points. Hubdoc being free might win on the price alone. It is best to give each solution a quick spin on a trial subscription.
If you are serious, ask for a demo. This type of first touch may be a good pointer to how your whole customer experience will unfold.
Now to the individual solutions:
Dext Prepare
Dext (previously Receipt Bank) is a pre-accounting software for businesses and accountants that makes it easier to collect and enter important data. With Dext, you can send expense reports and business expenses in one simple click, and all of the data will be automatically categorized and safely stored.
Dext Prepare vs. Datamolino features
So how is Datamolino different from Dext? Apart from pricing which we discuss below, here are some notable differences:
- Datamolino includes invoice description on all invoices where Dext leaves the description blank. Recently Dext has introduced an AI option that let’s you click a button to populate the invoice description with a generated text based on AI guess, it does not pre-fill automatically unless you save a default description for the supplier.
- Datamolino allows for multiple automation scenarios for companies managing different locations, projects or departments. This is possible thanks to the ability to create multiple folders for one company (available on the Accountancy / multi-entity pricing).
- Datamolino specialises in line item processing. Datamolino learns how you code your invoices and allows you to create distinct rules to automate line item coding just the way you want it.
- Dext Prepare has a broader feature set at the moment, however not all features are included in the Essentials package.
- Datamolino includes PDF Auto Split feature that automatically splits multipage scans into individual invoices for all users, while Dext includes this handy feature only with the Advanced package.
Dext Prepare is a complex product and Dext (Receipt Bank) has added a new features over the years. Datamolino is a focused on speedy processing of bills, receipts and bank statements and includes all the features that most users require, making it a viable Dext alternative.
Both solutions support basic bills & receipt processing, bank statement conversion and invoices with line items.
Dext Prepare Pricing for Accountancy firms
In 2023 Dext has announced a big pricing change that cancelled all unlimited deals for Dext users. This has frustrated long term Dext users who grew accustomed to unlimited user plans. Over the course of the year 2024 the new pricing comes into effect for existing customer when they are up for plan renewal.
For accountants and bookkeepers Dext pricing starts at 10 clients: £189.74/month (£165/month for annual plans) for the Essentials plan and £201.24/month (£175/month for annual plans) for the Advanced plan. Dext includes a calculator on its site to help you understand how you will be charged. For a 50 client package your bill will start at £465/month for the Essentials and £515/month for the Advanced plan if you subscribe for a year upfront. The Essentials package does not include PDF-Autosplit, while this feature comes standard in Datamolino.
Basic invoice and receipt processing is part of the package. To process bank statements or invoices with line items, you will need to pay extra (document prices are not public at the moment) after you have exhausted the add-ons that are part of your package (5 bank statement pages per client and 1 document with line items per client – these can be shared within your client base).
Dext Prepare vs. Datamolino pricing (Accountancy firms)
Comparing Dext Prepare and Datamolino pricing is a bit tricky. Where Datamolino charges per each document, Dext Prepare charges for each client (minimum of 10 clients). Datamolino for bookkeepers and accountants now starts at £39/month and does not ask you to commit to a large monthly payment from the start. The entry level plan is good for 2 to 5 clients depending on their processing needs.
We have reviewed the average usage of accountants on our platform. Accounting firms serving simpler clients that do not require line item processing use up 37 documents/client/month and clients with line items process on average 61 documents/month. On average a typical accounting firm uses 56 documents/client/month. We will use these numbers for the below pricing comparisons.
Dext is a good choice If you have clients with large invoice volumes that must be processed every month. Most practices are on the other spectrum where they serve multiple clients that on average have between 35 and 70 documents per month. In this case the Dext “pay per client” pricing model may not be the most cost effective.
Datamolino allows you to serve unlimited number of clients on any level of subscription and charges only for the amounts of documents processed, similar to AutoEntry. This is best if you service clients that are within the usual range of invoices that we see in our client base, between 35 and 70 documents per month/client.
Example 1: Small practice with 15 clients and typical invoice volume per month of 56 bills & receipts per client. Dext Prepare Essentials (does not include PDF-Autosplit) £189.74/month (£165/month for annual sub), Datamolino 840 invoices £168/month (cancel anytime).
Example 2: Practice with 65 clients and typical invoice volume of about 50 bills & receipts per client. Dext Prepare Advanced (that includes PDF-Autosplit) £620.95/month (£605/month for annual sub), Datamolino 3250 invoices £520/month (cancel anytime).
To some extent Dext Prepare and Datamolino pricing are comparable. Datamolino is priced strictly based on document processing volumes. Dext is priced per client and prices some “add ons” such as bank statement processing and line item processing separately (after you have exhausted the limited number of units in your package). Please note that DEXT includes an allowance of bank statement processing for each client that is not part of this comparison. If you rely on bank statement processing, the Dext pricing may shift in your favor.
Dext Prepare vs. Datamolino pricing (Business)
DEXT has 3 basic Business packages:
- 250 docs / 5 users – £276/year or £28.75/month
- 500 docs / 10 users – £546/year or £56.25/month
- 750 docs / 15 users – £816/year or £83.75/month
Datamolino has 3 basic Business packages:
- 100 docs / unlimited users – £17.00/month
- 250 docs / unlimited users – £29.00/month
- 500 docs / unlimited users – £55/month
Dext Prepare Reviews
Dext Prepare (Receipt Bank) is currently rated with 4.8 stars in the Xero Appstore.
AutoEntry
Designed for small to midsize businesses, it is an automated data entry platform that streamlines the process of bookkeeping and accounting. AutoEntry automatically extracts data from the invoices and automatically syncs it with accounting software. The most useful feature of AutoEntry is bank statement processing. AutoEntry has been recently acquired by Sage.
AutoEntry Pricing
AutoEntry requires a monthly commitment where you purchase monthly credits for processing. The credits are used depending on what type of documents you submit for processing. In this way you pay for what you use.
The pricing starts as follows: 1 invoice costs £0.24 (1 credit), processing 1 invoice with line items costs £0.48 (2 credits) and processing 1 page of a bank statement costs £0.72 (3 credits). The price goes down with higher volumes, where 1 credit can cost £0.16 if you purchase 2500 credits worth £400 EUR on a monthly basis.
If you need to process bills and receipts for only 1 business, Datamolino has special business packages with 100 / 250 / 500 bills & receipts each. The per document prices on these packages are £0.17 / £0.12 / £0.11, so the monthly cost is £17 / 100 docs, £29 / 250 docs, £55/ 500 docs.
Datamolino has better pricing for bank statement processing which starts at £0.60 per page (compared to £0.72 with AutoEntry), which is true even in highest tiers where Datamolino costs £0.45 and AutoEntry £0.48 per page.
If you are serious about line items, Datamolino might be the better choice, invoice processing with line items is in the range of £0.28 to £0.35 and AutoEntry in the range of £0.32 to £0.48.
Example for freelancer or small business: 100 bills processed
Example for bank statement pages:
AutoEntry Reviews
AutoEntry is currently rated with 4.7 stars in the Xero Appstore. The review frequency has dropped significantly since AutoEntry’s acquisition by Sage. In 2022 there was a series of negative reviews that are the cause for the lower app rating on the App Store. The last reviews are from January 2024 (as of 6/5/2024) giving out 4 and 5 stars to AutoEntry.
Hubdoc
Hubdoc is an Xero product that extracts data from your receipts & bills. It recognises data very fast with adequate data quality. It is not as feature packed as Dext Prepare but it is the most economical solution for Xero users which do not have too many documents to process. It is a great place to start if you have basic data capture needs.
Hubdoc is included for free with most Xero subscriptions. For other users it costs £10 per company.
Hubdoc Reviews
Hubdoc is currently rated with 3.5 stars in the Xero Appstore. The most recent reviews do not recommend to use Hubdoc.
Datamolino
Datamolino integrates with Xero and QuickBooks Online, collects documents, and automates entries just like the other tools on this list. It excels in simplicity and focus on the automated data entry of invoices and receipts. It can extract data with line item level information for both purchases and sales invoices. The biggest difference to other tools and unique to Datamolino is the ability to create different automation scenarios for companies managing different locations, projects or departments. This is possible thanks to the ability to create multiple folders for one company.
Datamolino Reviews
Datamolino is currently rated with 4.9 stars in the Xero Appstore. Users appreciate the customer support and ease of use. One sceptical reviewer recently noted says: “Better than expected”.
Datamolino Pricing for Accountancy firms and multi-entity businesses
Datamolino has updated the pricing at the end of 2024. For accountancy firms and multi-entity businesses that require the use of multiple folders, Datamolino uses a volume based pricing model. You pay for your actual usage. Please review the pricing details on our pricing page.
Datamolino Pricing for Business
Datamolino has created NEW pricing packages for Business users. The packages start at £17 for processing of 100 bills & receipts.
