ApprovalMax vs. Dext

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ApprovalMax
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
ApprovalMax provides approval workflow automation for cloud accounting platforms such as Xero and QuickBooks Online. It replaces paper- and email-based approval processes with multi-step and multi-role automated approval workflows that enable automated notifications to approvers, automated audit trails, and mobile approvals. Approval workflows include: Invoice approvals / bill review and bill approval Purchase order approval, including the functionality to create…
$54
per month per organization
Dext
Score 9.8 out of 10
N/A
Dext is a bookkeeping automation platform now from IRIS (acquired December 2024) that eliminates much of the manual work associated to accounting processes.
$23
per month per client (10 minimum, for accounting & bookkeeping firms)
Pricing
ApprovalMaxDext
Editions & Modules
ApprovalMax Standard
$54
per month per organization
ApprovalMax Advanced
$83
per month per organization
ApprovalMax Premium
$121
per month per organization
Dext Essential
$23
per month per client (10 minimum, for accounting & bookkeeping firms)
Dext Advanced
$24.72
per month per client (10 minimum, for accounting & bookkeeping firms)
Dext for Businesses
starting at $30
per month per user (5 minimum)
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ApprovalMaxDext
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional DetailsDiscount available for annual pricing and for management of multiple organizations.Discount available for annual pricing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ApprovalMaxDext
Features
ApprovalMaxDext
Payment Management
Comparison of Payment Management features of Product A and Product B
ApprovalMax
8.0
Ratings
7% above category average
Dext
-
Ratings
Customizable Approval Policies9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Financial Document Management9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Payment Status Tracking9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Payment Audit Trail9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Bill Detection4.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Accounts Payable
Comparison of Accounts Payable features of Product A and Product B
ApprovalMax
8.5
Ratings
25% above category average
Dext
-
Ratings
Automated Accounts Payable Processes9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Vendor Management8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
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ApprovalMaxDext
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All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ApprovalMaxDext
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.8
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
3.5
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ApprovalMaxDext
Likelihood to Recommend
As mentioned previously - able to send invoice based on amount , program code and division code ,supplier is very useful feature ; If an invoice does not fit into approval process than it is rejected and an email is received mentioning the reason
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Application suits well to multiple user structure where users buy and pay expenses on the go so each user would have their own mobile app and access to Dext Prepare and soon after the purchase, they take a picture of the receipt and upload so finance team can access the information straight away. It would not suit well where a business has very few users who pay the bills and most bills are on the cloud (via emails, all-digital in the first place). Because these bills can be emailed to the accounting system in the first place anyway or other software providers where monthly subscription is much cheaper.
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Pros
  • choice based on Program codes / division codes - we use Xero accounting system and we have 22 program codes and 11 divison codes ; once invoice is entered in Xero depending on relevant program code and divison code, Approval max automatically send invoice to relevant person depending on approval workflow process . One manager could be handling multiple divison and program codes; if our approval work flow process is properly designed - it is accurate in sending invoice to relevant manager.
  • invoice can also send to various managers based on General ledger codes ; this flexibility makes useful when manager is handling only certain nature of expenses regardless of program codes / divisionl.
  • Approval process can also be designed based on level of amount ; and level of amount is derived from our Delegation policy. it makes audit of application of delegation policy easy ; we give copy of delegation policy and print of approval work flow process to auditor.
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  • Key metrics on the submissions by clients and any delays. This allows for early identification where client may be struggling to get the information submitted to Receipt Bank, holding up the bookkeeping processing and ultimately delays in delivery of information to the clients.
  • Identifying unprocessed receipts sitting in the clients Receipt Bank file.. This assists in managing internal workflow and aiding team members who may find they need assistance in completing key tasks.
  • Identifying which clients are using Receipt Bank effectively and which clients need assistance. This can provide the opportunity to discuss with all clients what works well for them and what needs improvement by sharing some of the wins from other clients.
  • Providing managers the ability to review with ease the progress of Receipt Bank processing by client and by bookkeeper. This allows them to identify issues literally before they occur.
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Cons
  • date and time of change in approval process ; for example if Mr. A was responsible for all expenses above $1000 in Oct 23 and from Nov 23 it is changed to $5000 . in Dec 23 if it is checked - it will show approval limit of $5000 ; but will not show from which date limit was changed. Auditor always asks this question when the limit was changed in approval max - we cannot prove it.
  • If there is audit trail of who made the changes , when and what changes were made ; will be good.
  • when we are in main page of seeing invoices awaiting approval - there are hundreds of invoices - searching for one invoice from particular supplier is very cumbersome job - we have to go by each and every invoice in order to find that invoice ; it will be good if we have search function on main page itself ; in current scenario we have to go to report section - input all filters and than search for that particular invoice.
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  • On the Inbox screen include a 'due date' column so items can be easily sorted in due date order to assist managing accounts payable
  • improve the data matching between XERO and DEXT. Currently it performance is 'random' and does not occur on each customer file. Seems it is something that needs to be requested from support. It should be an automatic feature
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
Dext is the best way for us to manage our business expenses. Physical and PDF receipts/invoices will be around for a while, but the move to eInvoicing is very good and we look forward to Dext adding this feature
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Usability
No answers on this topic
Receipt Bank was great 3 years ago when I started using it. Now it’s way to expensive for what you can get elsewhere for free. Also the rebranding didn’t work in my opinion so the Dext name doesn’t have the same feeling to me as Receipt Bank.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
When I think I have broken the platform the help guys and girls are simply fantastic. They take time to understand the problem and usually resolve the issue on the spot. I have not had to wait more than an hour to get anything resolved - be that an issue I have created or a fault in my understanding of the program. Can't rate their support I have received to date highly enough.
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Alternatives Considered
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I have never been able to get Expensify to work for me. The reports are just completely unintuitive and I end up having my client generate the report I need and send it to me instead. For QBO the restriction on which email addresses can send receipts is too limiting. They also do not extract data well and the overall system is very clunky compared to Dext. Of course the trade-off there is that you aren't paying a separate monthly subscription fee.
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Return on Investment
  • It has certainly made a positive impact ; it is definately worth its value ; when we are processing hundreds of invoices every fortnight ; getting approval of invoices in timely manner for all invoices is of paramount importance . as approval max has its own app - approval can be done on mobile phone also ; this is particularly helpful when staff is travelling .
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  • Receipt Bank has helped alleviate the frustration felt by both our clients and our staff when it comes to the detail needed for some of the organizations that we serve. In some cases it's just NECESSARY to have all of that detail for the financial statement preparation, and prior to Receipt Bank, we had to email back and forth, download attachments, manually enter the information into Quickbooks Online, save the document etc. It was a tedious process. Receipt Bank took care of all of that, and it saves both our clients and our staff HOURS of work each month.
  • Receipt Bank has given our clients the confidence to make their work places paperless offices. It frees time and money for them, because they don't have to keep track of the documents, they don't have to store the documents (and find a place to store them), and they never have to file them away. Receipt Bank archives all of the documents so you can find them if you ever need them, and the documents are in their financial data as well, which is where they really need them. I've never had a client regret going to Receipt Bank just because it makes life so much simpler for them.
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ScreenShots

ApprovalMax Screenshots

Screenshot of where approval processes are set up  – no matter how simple or complex.Screenshot of the interface to build approval steps that follow any business rules – whether approvals happen one after another, all at once, or only in certain cases. The user can also control who approves based on things like amount, supplier, account code, or category.Screenshot of where to approve bills and purchase orders the way that works best.Screenshot of the interface that matches bills to approved purchase orders from the same supplier to keep coding accurate and control spending. Unmatched bills can also be stopped from being approved.Screenshot of where to mention others in comments to bring them in or get their input – even if they’re not part of the original approval. If they don’t have access, a prompt to add them as a Watcher is sent. Mentions work on web and mobile, sending notifications as soon as access is granted.Screenshot of where to raise purchase orders, approve requests, and extract key details from bills and purchase orders – all on the go with the ApprovalMax mobile app for iOS and Android.

Dext Screenshots

Screenshot of Dext Prepare Inbox & Mobile app