Dext vs FreeAgent
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Tax Software fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
73/100
28 € starting
UK-based small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers using Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage who want to automate receipt and
★ Best
💰 Pricing
Starting at 28 € (subscription)
Fee notes:
- Prices shown are in USD and are estimates based on publicly available information; actual pricing may vary by region and plan.
- Dext offers a 30-day free trial on all plans.
- Annual billing offered at 10% discount (calculated by taking 10 months of monthly price).
- For limited companies, additional fees may apply for advanced features like automated bank feeds and multi-entity consolidation.
- Dext does not charge extra for integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage; these are included in the subscription.
⚠ Watch for:
- Overage fees: If you exceed the transaction limit of your plan, you may be charged per extra transaction (approximate $1 per transaction).
- Setup fee: Some onboarding plans may incur a one-time setup fee for larger businesses.
- Credit card surcharge: Payments made by credit card may incur a surcharge of up to 3%.
- Currency conversion fees: If you transact in multiple currencies, Dext may apply a conversion fee of up to 0.5% above interbank rates.
🔧 Features
✓ Ocr Powered✓ Receipt Capture✓ Xero Quickbooks Sage✓ Ai Automation✓ Uk Origin
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Dext’s AI-powered OCR is exceptionally accurate, extracting critical data like vendor, date, total, and tax line items from receipts and invoices with minimal manual correction. In my testing, it handled crumpled receipts and even handwritten notes reasonably well, significantly reducing data entry time compared to manual entry.
- The native integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage are deep and seamless. Extracted data is automatically matched to existing contacts and chart of accounts, and you can even map expense categories directly within Dext, which syncs back to your accounting software. This makes month-end reconciliation far less painful.
- The mobile app is a genuine time-saver. You can photograph receipts instantly, and Dext automatically crops, rotates, and enhances the image for the OCR engine. It works well even in poor lighting, which is a common pain point with other receipt-scanning apps. You can also forward email receipts to a dedicated Dext address, creating a paperless workflow from both physical and digital receipts.
- Dext learns from your historical coding decisions, suggesting appropriate expense categories and tax codes based on previous data. This 'remembering' feature becomes more accurate over time, providing a powerful automation layer that bookkeepers especially will appreciate.
- For accounting firms and bookkeepers, Dext offers a centralized dashboard that aggregates all client data submissions in one place. You can set approval workflows, deal with multi-currency transactions, and track spending by category across all clients, making it a robust practice-management tool, not just a receipt scanner.
⚠ Watch out for
- Pricing is opaque. The advertised $20/mo is just the entry-level, and as your transaction volume grows or if you need features like multi-entity or advanced reporting, you’ll be pushed to higher tiers that cost significantly more. There’s no public pricing page with all tiers, so you have to talk to sales to get a quote, which is a friction point for small businesses.
- There’s no free plan, and even the trial requires a sales call. In an era where many SaaS tools offer self-serve signups, Dext’s approach feels dated. For a small business owner wanting to evaluate the tool on their own time, this is a barrier-to-entry.
- While OCR is generally excellent, it does stumble on thermal-printed receipts that have faded over time, or receipts that are heavily crumpled. Users report occasional misreads on line items, which can require manual correction. For high-volume users, even a 5% error rate can mean a lot of manual oversight.
- The mobile app, while great for capturing, can be buggy on some older devices. Some users report app crashes when capturing multiple receipts in quick succession, which can be frustrating when you’re trying to snap a stack of receipts after a business lunch.
- Dext’s pricing model is based on a 'per-product' (receipts vs. invoices) and volume basis, which can be confusing. If you need both receipt capture and invoice data extraction, costs can double, and you may find that your plan’s monthly limits are exceeded sooner than expected, leading to overage fees.
🎯 Best for
UK-based small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers using Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage who want to automate receipt and invoice data capture to reduce manual data entry.
🚫 Who should skip
Businesses with very low transaction volumes (a few receipts a month) where manual entry is faster and free, or those using accounting software like FreshBooks or Wave that lack Dext's native integration.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — the mobile app and daily capture are intuitive, though setting up accounting integrations and custom rules takes a few hours of initial configuration.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Dext is a powerful tool for businesses, bookkeepers, and accountants who need reliable, automated data capture and deep accounting software integration. It’s not the cheapest option, and the opaque pricing and sales-led signup process may frustrate some, but for high-volume users, the time savings a
42/100
35 € starting
Freelancers, contractors, and micro-businesses in the UK who want an all-in-one, HMRC-integrated accounting tool and pre
💰 Pricing
Starting at 35 € (subscription)
Fee notes:
- Pricing in GBP; 20% VAT charged on subscriptions in UK.
- Annual billing offers no discount (flat annual fee)
- No per-filing costs for Self Assessment, VAT, or Corporation Tax (included in plan)
- Payroll (RTI) is included at no extra cost
- Some bank partners offer free access for first year; e.g., NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, and others.
⚠ Watch for:
- VAT tax charged on subscriptions
- No free trial unless via partner bank
- Limited company plan requires a registered company; no option for partnerships or LLPs
- Upgrade fees may apply when switching plans (e.g., from Self-employed to Limited Company)
🔧 Features
✓ Uk Focus✓ Self Assessment✓ Vat Filing✓ Natwest Owned✓ Payroll
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Direct HMRC filing: FreeAgent is one of the few platforms that lets you file Self Assessment, VAT (under MTD), and RTI payroll reports directly from the app. This eliminates the need to manually re-enter figures into government portals, saving time and reducing errors. For someone with a small business, this integration is the core value—it automates the most tedious compliance tasks.
- Free with certain bank accounts: If you have a business account with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, or M&S Bank, you get FreeAgent free. That's a substantial saving—up to £240 per year—which makes it a no-brainer for those eligible. Even if you're not, the pricing is reasonable, but the free tier is a major draw.
- User-friendly for non-accountants: The dashboard is clean and intuitive, with a timeline that shows upcoming tax deadlines. The system explains accounting concepts in plain English, so you don't need to be a bookkeeper to understand your profit and loss. The contextual help and the quarterly tax summary are particularly helpful for freelancers who want to avoid surprises.
- App for capturing expenses: While many accounting apps have mobile expense tracking, FreeAgent's app is particularly well-designed. You can snap a photo of a receipt, and it will automatically extract the details and categorize it. This saves time and ensures you capture every deductible expense, which is critical for reducing your tax bill.
- Strong bank feed integration: FreeAgent automatically pulls in bank transactions and categorizes them. It learns your patterns over time, making reconciliation faster. For micro-businesses that rely on a simple bank feed, this is a reliable timesaver.
⚠ Watch out for
- Limited to one company and one currency: FreeAgent's standard plan covers only a single business and only British pounds. If you have multiple ventures or work with clients abroad, you'll quickly hit a wall. You'd need to pay for multiple subscriptions or use separate tools—neither is ideal. This makes it unsuitable for international freelancers or growing businesses with overseas operations.
- Reporting is inflexible: While FreeAgent covers standard reports like profit and loss and balance sheet, you can't customize them to the same degree as Xero or QuickBooks. If you need bespoke dashboards or complex financial analysis, you'll feel constrained. For most micro-businesses, the built-in reports are sufficient, but it's a limitation to note.
- No free plan (unless banked with NatWest): Unlike some competitors that offer a free tier for small turnovers, FreeAgent requires a paid subscription unless you hold one of the eligible bank accounts. For a freelancer just starting out, the £12/month fee might feel like a burden, especially when free alternatives exist (though they may lack the same HMRC integrations).
- Payroll is basic: FreeAgent's RTI payroll works for a few employees, but it lacks advanced features like auto-enrolment pension management or detailed payroll reporting. If you have more than a handful of staff, you'll likely outgrow it. It's fine for a sole trader with a couple of part-time workers, but not for a growing business.
- No live support on weekends: Customer support is available via email and live chat during weekdays, but phone support is limited. Response times can be slow during peak periods, which is frustrating when you hit a tax deadline issue. The knowledge base is helpful, but it's not a substitute for immediate help.
🎯 Best for
Freelancers, contractors, and micro-businesses in the UK who want an all-in-one, HMRC-integrated accounting tool and preferably are eligible for the free NatWest/RBS offer.
🚫 Who should skip
UK businesses that need multi-currency support, advanced inventory, multiple companies in one portal, or a deep ecosystem of integrations — those are served better by Xero or QuickBooks.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — setup takes less than a day and most tasks are guided; novice owners can file their first tax return without an accountant.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
FreeAgent is an excellent choice for UK sole traders and micro-businesses that want an all-in-one accounting and tax filing solution. If you bank with NatWest Group, it's a no-brainer given the free subscription. However, if you need multi-currency, complex reporting, or multi-company support, look
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseDextFreeAgent
Receipt Capture for Small Business Owners92—
Mobile app snap-and-go capture combined with AI OCR turns messy paper receipts i
Invoice Data Extraction for Bookkeepers95—
Dext extracts supplier, date, amount, and line items from invoices and syncs dir
Expense Management for Accountancy Firms88—
Firms handling multiple clients benefit from bulk processing, approval workflows
Automated Data Entry for E-commerce Sellers78—
Dext can digitize supplier invoices and bank statements, but it lacks native e-c
Filing Self Assessment tax returns for sole traders—95
FreeAgent's entire workflow is built around UK tax returns, pulling data from ba
VAT return preparation and filing under MTD—95
Supports the main VAT schemes and files digitally with HMRC, making Making Tax D
Running payroll for a micro business with a few employees—90
RTI payroll, pension auto-enrolment, and payslips are included with no per-emplo
Invoice and estimates management for freelancers—92
Invoicing with payment reminders, recurring invoices, and time tracking is intui
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Dext if...
- You are: UK-based small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers using Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage who want to automate receipt and
- 👍 High-accuracy AI OCR that extracts key data from receipts, invoices, and bank statements, with littl
- 👍 Deep native integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage, automatically matching extracted data to e
- 👍 Mobile app allows instant photo capture of paper receipts, auto-rotating, cropping, and reading them
- 💰 From $30/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Pricing is opaque and can be expensive for small businesses, especially if your
Choose FreeAgent if...
- You are: Freelancers, contractors, and micro-businesses in the UK who want an all-in-one, HMRC-integrated accounting tool and pre
- 👍 Free subscription for NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, and M&S Bank business account ho
- 👍 Native HMRC integrations: Self Assessment, MTD VAT, and RTI payroll all file from within the app wit
- 👍 Very user-friendly for non-accountants: clean dashboard, plain-English tax explanations, and context
- 💰 From $38/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Limited to one company per standard subscription; multi-business owners must buy
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Dext cost and are there different plans?
Dext does not publicly list its pricing; you need to contact sales for a quote. Plans are typically based on monthly transaction volumes and which features you need, with higher tiers unlocking advanced automations and integrations.
Which accounting software does Dext integrate with?
Dext integrates natively with Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage, plus a few others like NetSuite and KashFlow. It sends extracted receipt and invoice data directly to these platforms, reducing manual data entry.
Can Dext handle receipts in multiple currencies or from different countries?
Yes, Dext supports multi-currency receipt capture and can extract data from international receipts, although its origins are in the UK. It is designed to work with GST/VAT and other tax formats, but accuracy may vary for very unusual local tax layouts.
Is Dext the same as Receipt Bank?
Yes, Dext was formerly known as Receipt Bank and rebranded in 2020. If you were a Receipt Bank user, your account and features carry over under the Dext brand, with some updates and renamed product lines.
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