QuickBooks Online vs Dext

Side-by-side comparison for accounting professionals.

QuickBooks Online

Intuit AI agents for US accounting firms

Best for US Firms
From

$38/mo

Rating

4.0/ 5

Trial

30-day free

Read full QuickBooks Online review →

Dext

AI receipt capture and document extraction

From

Custom

Rating

4.6/ 5

Trial

14-day free

Read full Dext review →

FeatureQuickBooks OnlineDext
Core accounting
Bank reconciliation
AvailableAll plans

Accounting Agent with Suggestion Field showing AI reasoning per transaction. 77% more accurate predictions per Intuit data.

Not available

Not an accounting platform. Dext is a capture layer — reconciled data flows to your accounting software.

Invoicing
AvailableAll plans

Unlimited invoices. Customer Agent handles reminders and AR follow-ups on Essentials+.

Not available

No invoicing. Dext captures incoming documents but does not generate invoices.

Expense categorisation
AvailableAll plans

Intuit Assist categorises transactions. Learns from corrections. Suggestion Field shows AI reasoning.

AvailableAll plans

Supplier rule learning auto-categorises repeat vendors. AI Assist suggests categories for new suppliers.

Receipt capture
AvailableEssentials+

Receipt capture and matching. Payments Agent automates AR and payment matching on Essentials+.

AvailableAll plans

Core product. 99%+ OCR accuracy on printed documents. Handles receipts, invoices, bank statements. 11,500+ bank connections.

AI & reporting
Cash flow forecasting
LimitedAll plans (basic)

Basic cash flow visibility on all plans. No 180-day scenario modelling. Advanced includes free Fathom.

Not available

Not available. Dext is a data capture and pre-accounting tool only.

Management reporting
LimitedAdvanced ($275/mo)

Standard reports on all plans. Finance Agent and free Fathom subscription on Advanced only.

Not available

No reporting. Dext is a capture and pre-accounting tool only.

Business features
Multi-currency
LimitedAll plans

Limited multi-currency. Not as strong as Xero for international operations.

AvailableAll plans

Handles documents in multiple currencies and passes data to accounting software.

Time tracking
LimitedAdd-on

Via QuickBooks Time add-on (formerly TSheets). Not included natively.

Not available

Not available.

Payroll
AvailableEssentials+ (add-on)

Native Payroll Agent on Essentials+. Handles W-2, 1099, direct deposit, and multi-state payroll. Strongest US payroll of any accounting platform.

Not available

Not available.

Multi-entity consolidation
Not available

Not designed for multi-entity consolidation.

AvailablePractice plans

Practice dashboard manages multiple client entities from one interface. Purpose-built for accounting firms.

Sales tax automation
AvailablePlus+ ($115/mo)

Sales Tax Agent automates multi-state sales tax calculations and filing preparation on Plus+.

Not available

Not directly available. Tax data flows through to your accounting software.

Support & pricing
Client portal
Not available

No dedicated client portal.

Not available

Clients submit documents via mobile app, email, or WhatsApp. Not a traditional client portal.

Phone support
LimitedAll plans

Phone support included but increasingly routed through AI chatbots. Some users report difficulty reaching humans.

Not available

Email and help centre support only.

User seats
LimitedPer-tier limits

Simple Start: 1 user. Essentials: 3. Plus: 5. Advanced: 25. Per-seat model unlike Xero's unlimited.

AvailableAll plans

Multiple users supported. Practice plans allow firm-wide access across all client accounts.

Which should you choose?

Choose QuickBooks Online if…

US-based accounting firms managing clients who need payroll, sales tax, and payments all handled within one platform.

Not ideal: International firms or those outside the US where the full agent suite is not yet available.

Choose Dext if…

Accountants managing clients with high volumes of receipts and expense claims — especially hospitality, retail, and construction.

Not ideal: Firms that only need basic receipt capture — FreshBooks built-in scanning may suffice.