Software Comparison
Dext vs Sage AutoEntry - Irish expense-management Software Compared
Choosing between Dext and Sage AutoEntry is one of the most common decisions Irish businesses face when evaluating expense-management software. This comparison breaks down everything an Irish SME needs to know, from Revenue integration and GDPR data residency to pricing and ease of use.
Last verified: 19 May 2026 data verified to the older of the two vendor profiles Methodology
Quick Verdict
Dext is the stronger pick for Irish accountancy practices and SMEs running a Xero-led stack or a mixed multi-platform setup where receipts and invoices need to flow into more than one ledger.
Dext vs Sage AutoEntry - Feature Comparison
| Feature | Dext | Sage AutoEntry |
|---|---|---|
| What a credit or seat actually buys | A seat covers one user. Document allowance is set by plan (300 / 3,000 / 4,000 documents depending on tier). Predictable monthly cost regardless of mix. | 1 credit per single-line invoice or expense; 2 credits per invoice with line items; 2 credits per supplier statement; 3 credits per page of bank or card statement. A practice doing supplier-statement matching at scale will use credits faster than the tier name suggests. |
| Accounting integrations | Multi-platform by design. Integrates with Xero, Sage 50 Accounts, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, QuickBooks Online, FreeAgent, KashFlow, and Dext's own IRIS Elements stack since the December 2024 IRIS acquisition. Sage 200 and Sage Intacct integrations are not confirmed on the Dext side. The default pick for Xero-led Irish practices. | Native Sage integration is the headline strength: Sage 50cloud (UK, US, Canada) and Sage Business Cloud Accounting are documented and supported in-country by Sage Ireland. Sage 200 and Sage Intacct integrations are not confirmed on AutoEntry's own public integrations list; Sage-200 / Intacct customers should verify before signing. AutoEntry also publishes to Xero, QuickBooks Online, FreeAgent, KashFlow, ClearBooks and SortMyBooks, so it is not strictly Sage-only - but the deepest investment is on the Sage side. |
| Ownership and product line | Owned by IRIS Software Group since 23 December 2024 (HG Capital sold Dext to IRIS in a deal announced 3 December 2024; HG had held Dext since 2021 when it took the lead investor stake in the rebranded Receipt Bank). Dext has never been owned by Sage. Roadmap is now joint with the IRIS Elements accounting and compliance suite. | Acquired by Sage in September 2019 from the Dublin-headquartered OCREX (OCR Solutions, founded 2014, trading as AutoEntry). Now positioned as Sage's in-house data-capture product and bundled credit allowances ship with Sage 50 Standard and Professional subscriptions. |
| Irish VAT extraction | Auto-extracts VAT line by line, with Irish multi-rate handling: standard 23%, reduced 13.5%, second reduced 9%, and zero-rated lines. Confirm the Irish VAT code mapping with your accountant on first setup, as defaults will reflect the user's chart of accounts. | Auto-extracts VAT including Reverse Charge VAT scenarios, which is particularly relevant for Irish construction subcontracting and EU service imports. Handles 23%, 13.5%, and 9% rates. Sage Ireland community forum threads document Reverse Charge VAT workflows specifically. |
| Supplier statement matching | Supplier statement capture and matching included on Business plans. Strong fit for practices that reconcile dozens of supplier statements monthly. | Supplier statement capture supported (2 credits per statement). For Irish practices reconciling high statement volume on AutoEntry, model credit burn carefully - statements and bank pages are the cost drivers. |
| Mobile UX and capture flow | Mobile app is core to the workflow - users photograph receipts in-app and the document hits the ledger queue immediately. Email-in, drag-and-drop, and connected supplier inboxes also supported. | Mobile app supported (iOS and Android), with email-in and bulk upload. Workflow assumes the credit-pack is provisioned in advance and is more practice-led than self-serve. |
| Irish accountancy practice adoption | Widely used by Irish accountancy and bookkeeping practices, particularly those running Xero-led or multi-platform client books. Partner programme is well established. | Default choice for Sage-aligned Irish practices and bureaus, especially those serving SME and construction clients on Sage 50 or Sage 200. Sage Ireland positions AutoEntry as the data-entry layer that ships with the Sage stack. |
| GDPR and Irish data residency | GDPR-aware; processes data in line with UK GDPR and EU GDPR via the IRIS Software Group privacy framework. Buyers needing an explicit EU data residency commitment should request this in writing as part of the contract. | Operates under Sage's group privacy framework. Buyers needing an explicit EU data residency commitment for an Irish entity should request this in writing as part of the contract; the public site links to Sage's general privacy notice rather than an AutoEntry-specific data residency statement. |
| Revenue compliance and retention | Receipt and invoice images stored in Dext satisfy Revenue's 6-year digital retention requirement under eBrief 09/15, which permits digital originals in place of paper. No Revenue or ROS integration. | Receipt and invoice images stored in AutoEntry satisfy Revenue's 6-year digital retention requirement under eBrief 09/15. No Revenue or ROS integration. |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | From €31.5/user/month | From €17/month |
| Free Trial | ✓ | ✓ |
| Irish Compliance | ||
| Revenue Integration | ✗ | ✗ |
| PAYE Modernisation | ✗ | ✗ |
| Irish Bank Feeds | ✗ | ✗ |
| GDPR Data Residency | EU | EU |
| SEPA Direct Debit | ✗ | ✗ |
| Irish IBAN Support | ✗ | ✗ |
| VAT Handling | ✓ | ✓ |
Irish Compliance Comparison
For Irish businesses, compliance with Revenue, GDPR, and local banking standards is non-negotiable. Here is how Dext and Sage AutoEntry compare on the requirements that matter most to Irish SMEs.
Revenue Integration
Neither Dext nor Sage AutoEntry offers native Revenue Online Service integration. Irish businesses in expense-management may not need this feature directly, but should ensure their accounting software handles Revenue compliance separately.
Irish Bank Feeds
Neither Dext nor Sage AutoEntry offers direct Irish bank feed integrations, which is expected for expense-management software. Your accounting platform should handle bank feeds separately.
GDPR Data Residency
Both Dext and Sage AutoEntry store data in EU data centres, providing strong GDPR compliance out of the box. Irish businesses can use either platform without worrying about cross-border data transfers to the US or other non-EU jurisdictions.
SEPA and IBAN Support
Neither Dext nor Sage AutoEntry offers native SEPA Direct Debit support. This is less relevant for expense-management tools, but if you need to process euro payments, ensure your accounting or invoicing software covers SEPA compliance.
VAT Handling
Both Dext and Sage AutoEntry handle Irish VAT, including standard VAT return preparation and submission. Irish businesses can manage their VAT obligations from either platform without needing a separate tool.
Pricing Comparison
All prices below are in euro. Pricing can change - we verify vendor pricing monthly, but always confirm on the vendor's website before purchasing.
Dext
€31.5 /mo per user
- Pricing model: Per user
- Free trial: Yes
- EUR pricing guaranteed: No - may fluctuate with exchange rates
Sage AutoEntry
€17 /mo
- Pricing model: Usage-based
- Free trial: Yes
- EUR pricing guaranteed: Yes
At entry level, Sage AutoEntry is the more affordable option. However, total cost of ownership depends on the number of users, add-ons, and features your business requires. Always calculate the full annual cost for your team size before committing.
Who Should Choose Dext
Dext is the better fit if your business matches one or more of these profiles:
- ✓ Those who value: wide adoption by irish accountancy practices - your accountant likely already supports dext or autoentry
- ✓ Those who value: deep, certified integrations with xero, sage (50, accounting, business cloud) and quickbooks - the three platforms most irish smes run on
- ✓ Those who value: automatic vat-rate detection on irish 23%, 13.5%, 9% and 0% rates with line-item ocr
Who Should Choose Sage AutoEntry
Sage AutoEntry is the better fit if your business matches one or more of these profiles:
- ✓ Budget-conscious businesses - Sage AutoEntry starts at just €17/month
- ✓ Companies that value Irish-based phone and email support
- ✓ Those who value: sage-owned product since 2019 - tightest integration of any capture tool into sage accounting and sage 50cloud, including automatic pickup of vat codes and nominal codes from the connected ledger
Our Verdict
Dext is the stronger pick for Irish accountancy practices and SMEs running a Xero-led stack or a mixed multi-platform setup where receipts and invoices need to flow into more than one ledger. Its flat per-user, per-month pricing makes spend predictable when volume is high, and the product's positioning under IRIS Software Group since December 2024 has sharpened its multi-platform credentials rather than tying it to a single accounting brand. AutoEntry is the stronger fit if your books live in Sage 50, Sage 200, Sage Accounting, or Sage Intacct: it is now formally a Sage product (acquired in 2019) and the Sage-side integration is supported in-house by Sage Ireland.
AutoEntry's credit-based pricing - €17 for 50 credits, €32 for 100, €57 for 200, €131 for 500 - rewards low-to-medium document volume and lets seasonal businesses scale up and down credit packs without paying for unused capacity, but a single invoice with line items consumes 2 credits and a bank statement consumes 3 credits per page, so heavy supplier-statement and statement-matching work can burn through a tier faster than the headline number suggests. Both products extract Irish VAT line by line, both work with the major Irish accounting platforms, both meet Revenue's 6-year digital retention requirement under eBrief 09/15 (digital originals are permitted), and both are GDPR-aware - though Irish buyers should confirm EU data residency in writing because neither vendor states it as unambiguously on their public site as Pleo or Payhawk does. The clean rule: Sage shop, choose AutoEntry; Xero shop or multi-platform practice, choose Dext.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific business needs, team size, and priorities. We recommend taking advantage of free trials from both vendors before making your final decision. If you are working with an Irish accountant or payroll bureau, ask which platform they prefer - their familiarity with the software can save you significant time and hassle during setup and ongoing support.
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Last verified: 19 May 2026 older of Dext (2026-05-19) and Sage AutoEntry (2026-05-19) Methodology