1. Briefcase Connect
Briefcase Connect is our first choice for UK practices that want to move beyond document capture and automate more of their bookkeeping. It brings invoice processing, account coding, VAT decisions and financial close into one workflow, while keeping the client’s existing Xero or QuickBooks Online ledger.
Its strength is the connection between those jobs. Briefcase learns from each client’s transaction history and your team’s corrections, explains its coding decisions and carries the invoice detail into month-end schedules and working papers. There are no supplier rules to configure, and less information to rebuild in separate tools.
If you also want to replace the ledger, Briefcase Ledger brings capture, coding, bank reconciliation and financial close into one accounting system. You can consolidate the separate ledger and capture subscriptions, with fewer tools and handovers for the team.
Key features
- Convenient capture. Collect documents through WhatsApp, email or web upload, with individual invoice lines extracted for coding.
- No supplier rules to configure. Briefcase learns account coding and tracking from the client’s ledger history and your corrections, so you do not have to build and maintain rules for each supplier.
- UK VAT reasoning. Review proposed tax treatments with explanations linked to HMRC guidance, including more complex invoices and reverse-charge treatment.
- Autopilot with verification. Check extraction, VAT and transaction context before publishing eligible documents automatically; hold exceptions for your team to review.
- Transparent decisions. See why a code or VAT treatment was chosen and why Autopilot published or held a document.
- Proactive financial close. As uploaded invoices are processed, Briefcase identifies prepayments, fixed assets and deferred income and prepares adjustments for review. The work starts as documents arrive, rather than with a trawl through invoices and spreadsheets at period-end. It also helps identify missing-cost accruals.
- Working papers in one place. Bring reconciliations, adjustment schedules and supporting evidence into the same workflow as bookkeeping. Consolidate separate working-paper tools and spreadsheet packs, with an export of the pack and attachments when needed.
- Expenses and mileage. Collect employee claims through the web or WhatsApp, with route calculations for mileage.
Pros
- No supplier-rule setup or maintenance: coding learns how each client’s books are kept.
- Gives reviewers a reason behind coding and VAT decisions, making exceptions easier to investigate.
- Starts identifying adjustments as invoices arrive, reducing the period-end hunt through documents and spreadsheet preparation.
- Lets clients send paperwork and expense claims through WhatsApp, without another app to learn.
- Keeps Xero or QuickBooks in place, so the practice can improve bookkeeping without moving the ledger.
- Consolidates capture, expenses, financial close and working papers in one licence, reducing separate subscriptions and handovers.
Cons
- Connect supports Xero and QuickBooks Online, so it is not a fit for clients who need to remain on Sage or FreeAgent.
- Purchase and expense lines cannot currently be tagged to a customer for recharging as billable expenses.
Pricing: Practice pricing starts at £9 per client per month excluding VAT, with 75 published documents per quarter on the entry tier. Partner minimums depend on practice size and start at 10 clients. Price a realistic mix of client volumes and overages.
Sources: Practice pricing · How Autopilot works
2. Apron
Apron brings document capture, approvals and supplier payments into one workflow. It is particularly relevant if your practice helps clients get invoices paid as well as keeping their books.
Its strongest case is bringing invoice capture and payment together. That does not by itself remove the work of preparing close schedules and working papers. Include the staff time and separate tools used after an invoice has been paid, as well as Apron’s subscription.
Key features
- Document collection. Upload through the app, email or WhatsApp, with line-item extraction and supplier rules.
- William AI. Search connected email accounts for documents, categorise them and publish eligible items automatically.
- Approvals and payments. Move invoices through review and payment, with separate client plans for payment services.
- Ledger connections. Connect the workflow to Xero or QuickBooks.
Pros
- Can reduce the movement of invoices between capture, approval and payment tools.
- Combines document collection with AI-assisted processing rather than stopping at receipt storage.
Cons
- Capture and payment subscriptions have different billing arrangements, so the practice fee alone is not the full cost.
- Announced pricing changes mean a longer rollout needs to be costed against the forthcoming plan and its allowances.
Pricing: The current Capture plan is £5 per client per month, capped at £199 for up to 200 clients, with £1 per client beyond that. Client payment plans are separate. Apron has announced a new structure from 1 December 2026; confirm the proposed tier’s document allowance, AI access and total charge before committing.
Sources: Capture and William AI · Learning and optional rules · Current practice pricing · Forthcoming pricing · Accounting connections
3. AutoEntry
AutoEntry offers a capture-to-ledger workflow with a shared credit allowance across client companies. That billing model can accommodate uneven document volumes, but a lower capture bill does not establish a lower cost of bookkeeping.
AutoEntry connects to Sage, Xero, QuickBooks and other accounting systems. Its remembered supplier codes suit repeatable invoices; setting those defaults, checking exceptions and completing the close still take team time. Those hours belong in the cost comparison.
Key features
- Document processing. Extract invoices, receipts and bank statements, with full line-item extraction available.
- Supplier defaults. Remember nominal and VAT codes for recurring suppliers.
- Automatic publishing. Publish eligible supplier invoices once extraction is complete and the required defaults are set.
- Practice-wide allowance. Use a monthly credit subscription across unlimited client companies and users.
Pros
- A shared allowance can suit practices with uneven document volumes across clients.
- Supports a wider mix of accounting systems, including Sage, Xero and QuickBooks.
Cons
- Credits are not equivalent to documents: line-item invoices and bank statements consume more.
- Supplier defaults work best for repeatable coding; invoices requiring different treatment still need review and correction.
Pricing: The UK Bronze plan is £15.45 a month excluding VAT for 50 credits. A basic invoice uses one credit, full line-item extraction uses two, and bank statements use three credits per page. For example, 100 invoices requiring line items consume 200 credits.
Sources: UK pricing · Integrations · Supplier coding defaults · Auto-publish
4. Hubdoc
Hubdoc collects paperwork, extracts key information and sends it into the ledger. Its inclusion in Xero’s business plans makes the subscription cost attractive, particularly for clients with simple paperwork.
Included capture is not the same as free bookkeeping. If staff still split invoice lines, correct coding and prepare month-end spreadsheets, the cost moves from the software bill into payroll. At practice scale, even a few repeated minutes per client add up.
Key features
- Document collection. Upload files, forward emails or photograph receipts.
- Key-field extraction. Read the main document details for publishing into the accounting software.
- Saved supplier settings. Reuse coding settings and enable automatic syncing to Xero for recurring documents.
- Accounting integrations. Connect to Xero or QuickBooks Online.
Pros
- May remove an extra capture subscription for clients already on an eligible Xero plan.
- Offers a straightforward route for routine paperwork without adding a broader payments or close system.
Cons
- The underlying Xero plan still determines bill limits and posting capabilities.
- The inclusion in Xero does not make standalone Hubdoc free for a QuickBooks client.
Pricing: Hubdoc is included with Xero’s UK business plans, subject to the underlying plan’s limits. Standalone pricing is listed as US$12 a month; allow for currency conversion and any applicable tax when comparing it with UK quotes.
Sources: Xero UK plans · Publishing and supplier settings · Standalone pricing
5. Datamolino
Datamolino focuses on detailed extraction and repeatable invoice processing across client companies. It offers line-level coding controls, but that focus is narrower than the capture-through-close workflow a practice can consolidate in Briefcase.
It remembers supplier defaults and previously coded line descriptions, with keyword rules for more varied documents. That can reduce repeat entry, but rules still need attention when they are used, and the practice still needs a workflow for financial close and working papers. Include that remaining labour and software in the price.
Key features
- Line-item detail. Extract descriptions, quantities and amounts, then review or edit lines in bulk.
- Coding automation. Use supplier defaults and keyword-based line rules, with learning from previous coding.
- Automatic export. Send recurring bills to Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent.
- Practice organisation. Use separate client folders with their own processing settings.
Pros
- Provides detailed line-level controls for invoices that need splitting or several account codes.
- Unlimited companies and users let you organise the practice without a separate licence for each client.
Cons
- Document, line-item and bank-statement requirements affect the processing bill; compare the full workload.
- Rules and processing settings need to be configured around your clients’ documents.
Pricing: Practice charges depend on document volume and bank-statement pages. The monthly subscription amount is applied towards processing costs, rather than simply added to every document charge. Use the calculator with the line-item option and any document-splitting requirements you need.
Sources: Line-item tools · Practice pricing · Auto-export · Coding and folder automation · Supplier defaults
How the Dext alternatives compare
Look beyond getting the invoice into the ledger. Coding, VAT review and month-end preparation all take team time. Briefcase Connect brings these stages together; the table shows how the other options cover the same work.
How to read the tableProduct scope and plan limits shown
- Included In the product or plan noted.
- Extra cost Plan, add-on or usage charge applies.
- Partial workflow Setup or scope differs; see note.
- Not verified Unconfirmed, not a claim of absence.
On smaller screens, scroll across to compare all six options.
| What to compare | Briefcase Connect | Dext | Apron | AutoEntry | Hubdoc | Datamolino |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line-item extraction | Included: Included across tiers | Extra cost: Credit allowance included; extra usage charged | Included: Capture plan | Extra cost: Two credits per invoice | Partial workflow: Key fields; detailed splits need manual work | Extra cost: Line-item processing option |
| Account coding | Included: Learns from client history and corrections, without supplier rules | Included: Supplier rules and AI Assist guidance | Included: Supplier rules and William AI | Partial workflow: Supplier defaults for recurring coding | Partial workflow: Saved supplier settings | Included: Supplier and keyword rules; coding history |
| Coding without configuring supplier rules | Included: No supplier rules to configure; learns from history and corrections | Partial workflow: Smart categories plus supplier rules and AI Assist guidance | Included: William learns from history; fixed rules and guidance are optional | Partial workflow: Save category and VAT defaults per supplier | Partial workflow: Save supplier coding settings for repeat documents | Partial workflow: Learns supplier defaults; configure keyword rules for exceptions |
| Automatic publishing | Included: Autopilot checks extraction, VAT and context | Included: Auto-publish and AI Assist actions | Included: William AI publishes eligible items | Included: Auto-publish with required defaults | Included: Auto-sync to Xero with saved settings | Included: Automatic export after setup |
| Prepayment automation | Included: Detects invoice lines and drafts schedules | Partial workflow: Set dates to generate journals | Not verified: Not verified in Capture | Not verified: Not verified in AutoEntry | Not verified: Not verified in Hubdoc | Not verified: Not verified in Datamolino |
| Working papers and evidence pack | Included: Balance-sheet reconciliations and export with attachments | Not verified: Not verified in the product compared | Not verified: Not verified in Capture | Not verified: Not verified in AutoEntry | Not verified: Not verified in Hubdoc | Not verified: Not verified in Datamolino |
| Keep Xero or QuickBooks Online | Included: Both supported | Included: Both supported | Included: Both supported | Included: Both supported; also Sage | Included: Both supported; Xero plan inclusion differs | Included: Both supported; also FreeAgent |
Dext details: line-item allowances, prepayment setup and AI Assist guidance. Other sources are linked in each tool's section.
Compare the cost of the same work
A per-client price, a credit subscription and a tool included in a ledger plan cannot be compared by their headline numbers alone. Start with the same set of clients and a typical quarter, including busy periods. Record invoice and receipt volumes, how many need line items, and how many bank-statement pages you process.
Then ask each supplier for the full cost of that workload: subscription, minimum commitment, extra documents, AI options and any approval or payment services. Keep practice and business prices separate, check VAT treatment, and make renewal prices visible alongside introductory offers.
A cheap or included capture tool can be expensive to run. Coding corrections, supplier-rule maintenance and month-end spreadsheets consume paid team time even when the software bill is small. As an illustration, ten extra minutes per client each month across 60 clients adds up to ten hours of work. Compare the full cost of getting the books finished, including the tools and handovers you could remove by consolidating the workflow.
Briefcase Connect
Why Briefcase wins.
Briefcase Connect is our first choice because it takes on the work that keeps your team busy after an invoice has been captured. It learns how each client codes transactions, explains its VAT decisions and prepares the adjustments and working papers needed to close the books.
Line-item coding learns from the client’s books and your feedback. Your team can spend less time maintaining supplier rules and correcting the same entries.
Autopilot verifies eligible entries before publishing. Exceptions stay in review with explanations, so your team can see what needs attention and why.
Adjustment schedules and working papers sit alongside the bookkeeping, reducing the preparation left in spreadsheets or separate close tools.
Replace the stack, not just Dext
Replacing Dext is one way to improve bookkeeping. Briefcase Ledger goes further: it brings document capture, AI coding, bank feeds, bank reconciliation and financial close into a full double-entry accounting system. Your team can work from the incoming invoice through to the accounts in one place.
For clients whose accounting needs fit Ledger, that means replacing both Dext and the separate Xero or QuickBooks subscription. There is less moving between tools, less duplicated setup and fewer subscriptions to manage. Connect improves the workflow around an existing ledger; Ledger lets you consolidate the ledger itself.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep Xero or QuickBooks when I replace Dext?
Yes. Changing the capture tool does not require changing the ledger, provided the new tool supports your accounting software. Connect the new integration, check permissions and decide which system publishes each bill during the transition. Historical ledger entries can stay where they are, while unpublished documents and records held only in Dext need separate attention.
Is there a free alternative to Dext?
Hubdoc may already be included in a client’s Xero business plan, so there may be no additional capture subscription to buy. Check that plan’s bill limits and the work still needed to review the documents. Standalone Hubdoc has its own charge; an included tool is only a saving if it handles the client’s workload adequately.
Why choose Briefcase Connect as a Dext alternative?
Briefcase Connect combines capture and coding with UK VAT explanations, verified auto-publishing, financial-close schedules and working papers. That makes it a strong choice when your team wants to reduce both routine bookkeeping and month-end preparation while keeping Xero or QuickBooks. Start a trial with a representative client to see how the workflow fits your practice.
Will another tool import all my Dext data and rules?
Do not assume it will. Check the new provider’s migration scope, export the Dext documents and data you need, and account for unpublished items, coding rules, approval settings and source attachments. Verify that retained files open and remain accessible before cancelling the old subscription.
