Why choose Datamolino
Keep the client’s purchase decision and final accounting detail in one workflow. Use bank PDF conversion separately when you need bank statement transactions.
Capture the supplier invoice. Get the client's approval before export.
Datamolino combines invoice capture, saved coding and invoice approval in one subscription. AutoEntry has no approval step for supplier invoices; they publish straight to your accounting system. Keep the client's approval and your bookkeeping together in Datamolino.
The trade-off with AutoEntry
AutoEntry publishes supplier invoices without an approval step. AutoEntry supports Sage 50, QuickBooks Desktop and supplier-statement reconciliation. Its Xero and QuickBooks Online purchase-order association has limits when an order is billed in parts.
Sources and product details
Supplier-invoice preparation and bank conversion for UK buyers. Datamolino editing after approval needs Keep documents editable: Admins and Users in the folder can edit, Approver-only users cannot. AutoEntry integrations vary by accounting product and country; its purchase-order guide closes or bills the order when matched to one invoice.
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
- Datamolino: convert bank statements into CSV
- AutoEntry: accounting integrations
- AutoEntry: reconcile a supplier statement
- AutoEntry: expenses flow overview
- AutoEntry: purchase-order matching for QuickBooks Online and Xero
- AutoEntry: submit an expense report for approval
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
Compare features and limits.
| Your work | Datamolino | AutoEntry |
|---|---|---|
| Extract invoice lines | ✓YesWith line items included | ✓YesEnabled; two credits per invoice |
Details for Extract invoice linesDatamolinoCapture descriptions, quantities where shown and line amounts. Use the Line Items export view to review and code them. Both products offer a fullscreen line editor; Datamolino also documents bulk coding of selected lines. Choose a plan with line items to use line-item capture. Available coding fields depend on your accounting integration.
AutoEntryEnable extraction at company, supplier or upload level. AutoEntry captures descriptions, individual prices and available net, tax and total amounts. Its expanded view supports fullscreen line editing. Standard shop and till receipts need manually added lines. AutoEntry invoice line extraction, including invoice-style receipts. Two credits is the total per invoice with lines, not two additional credits.
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| Remember repeated descriptions | ✓YesSame supplier; last exported coding | ✓YesSame supplier; Remember action |
Details for Remember repeated descriptionsDatamolinoFor the same supplier and exact line description, Datamolino automatically reuses the coding from the last exported invoice. If the description changes, for example because it contains a different date or reference number, you can use a keyword rule to apply the right coding automatically. Keyword rules take priority over remembered coding.
AutoEntryUse Remember when coding a supplier invoice to store category, VAT and tracking codes. The saved codes apply to that supplier's exact matching line description. AutoEntry stored line items for a supplier, after the Remember action; fields depend on the accounting integration.
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| Use keyword line rules | ✓YesDescription-based rules | ✓YesDescription or unit-price conditions |
Details for Use keyword line rulesDatamolinoCreate keyword rules to automatically code line items when their descriptions contain, begin with or end with specific text. This is useful when part of a description changes between invoices, such as a date or reference number. You can test a description against a rule before saving it. Keyword rules can be created for a folder or a specific supplier. The supplier rule takes priority. Available coding fields depend on your accounting integration.
AutoEntryAutoEntry rules match full or partial descriptions, or unit prices, and apply selected coding. Rules support Any or All conditions and a chosen order of priority. Supplier Line Item Rules; Company settings permission is required to configure them. This row establishes keyword support, not identical rule options.
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| Separate invoices in a PDF | ✓YesSeparates multi-page invoices automatically | ✓YesAutomatic separation |
Details for Separate invoices in a PDFDatamolinoUpload a PDF containing multiple invoices and Datamolino automatically separates it into individual documents, including invoices that span multiple pages. Keep all pages belonging to each invoice together and in order. For uploads, select Auto as the import option. For documents sent by email, add @split to the subject line.
AutoEntryAuto detects single-page and multipage items. Item per page and Single Item are alternative settings. Web uploads default to Auto. AutoEntry document upload settings for Purchases, Sales, Expenses and Supplier Statements; not bank-statement uploads.
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| Route invoices for approval | ✓YesIncluded; flexible approval stages | –Not offeredNo approval step for supplier invoices |
Details for Route invoices for approvalDatamolinoRoute supplier invoices to the right people to sign off. Set up one or multiple approval stages, and choose whether approval is required from Any or All members of each stage. With Keep documents editable enabled, your finance or bookkeeping team can continue editing after approval and before export.
AutoEntryAutoEntry's Purchases flow publishes supplier invoices directly, with no approval step. Its only documented approval is for employee expense reports. UK supplier invoices in AutoEntry Purchases, checked 28 September 2026.
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| Convert bank statement PDFs | ✓YesDirect export to Xero and FreeAgent | ✓YesCSV or Excel import; 3 credits a page |
Details for Convert bank statement PDFsDatamolinoConvert PDF bank statements into transactions ready for your accounting system. Export directly to Xero or FreeAgent, or download the data as CSV or Excel. Bank statement conversion can be used independently from invoice processing. Direct export is available for Xero and FreeAgent. QuickBooks Online does not yet accept bank statement data through its API, so for QuickBooks you download a CSV and import it. Excel is also available for spreadsheet review.
AutoEntryDownload the extracted transactions as CSV or Excel and import the file into Xero or FreeAgent. AutoEntry charges 3 credits per bank or credit card statement page. AutoEntry bank statement export for Xero and FreeAgent, checked 28 September 2026.
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Compare the feature, plan, setup and regional scope. Open Details for evidence.
Approve supplier invoices before export
Datamolino routes supplier invoices through your approval workflow before export. AutoEntry has no approval step for supplier invoices; they publish directly.
- Start with
- A supplier invoice has two lines: equipment hire and maintenance. The client needs to approve the invoice, but the bookkeeping team hasn't finished coding all the line items yet.
- In Datamolino
- Add the client to the approval workflow and enable Keep documents editable. Leave automatic export after approval switched off so the bookkeeping team can finish the coding afterwards.
- The result
- The client approves the invoice first. The bookkeeping team then completes the coding and exports the finished bill to Xero.
Datamolino keeps the two workflows separate: invoices are routed for approval while your team focuses on the accounting.
See the invoice approval workflowSources and product details
Example scope: supplier invoices prepared in a Xero-connected folder with Keep documents editable enabled, so Admins and Users in the folder can finish the coding after approval.
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
- AutoEntry: expenses flow overview
- AutoEntry: submit an expense report for approval
Reuse coding for repeated invoice lines
Datamolino automatically remembers line coding when you export an invoice. AutoEntry uses a separate Remember action. For descriptions that change, both products offer rules to apply coding automatically.
- Start with
- The same supplier regularly invoices for Equipment rental and Service cover. The Equipment rental description stays the same, while the Service cover description includes a different month each time.
- In Datamolino
- Export the invoice with the Equipment rental line coded as required. Datamolino will remember that coding automatically. For Service cover, create a Contains keyword rule so the right coding is applied even when the month changes.
- The result
- The unchanged Equipment rental line automatically reuses its previous coding. The Service cover line is coded by the keyword rule, even when the month in the description changes.
Datamolino remembers the coding automatically when you export. There’s no separate Remember action.
See saved line codingSources and product details
Same supplier and exact description for remembered coding. The Datamolino example uses a matched Xero contact, Keyword Rules mode and no conflicting rule; rule fields vary by accounting system.
- Datamolino: automate line items
- Datamolino: keyword rules
- AutoEntry: stored line items
- AutoEntry: line item rules
Count invoices and bank pages separately
AutoEntry uses one credit for an ordinary invoice, two for an invoice with lines and three for each bank statement page. Datamolino prices by monthly plan, with invoice approvals included.
- Start with
- One month's work contains 100 invoices that need line-item capture and 20 bank statement pages.
- In Datamolino
- The month costs £49 on the business Start plan with line items (£35, plus 20 bank pages at £0.70), or £47 on the practice Launch plan.
- The result
- In AutoEntry, the same month uses 260 credits: 200 for the invoices with lines and 60 for the bank pages. On the Gold plan (200 credits, £51.95), the 60 extra credits cost the plan rate plus 10%, about £17.14, so the month costs about £69.09.
For this month, Datamolino costs £47 to £49 and AutoEntry about £69, excluding VAT. Approvals are included in the Datamolino price.
Check the bank output you needSources and product details
Illustrative month with no other documents or reprocessing. UK prices in GBP, excluding VAT, on monthly contracts, checked 28 September 2026.
- AutoEntry: credits explained
- AutoEntry: pricing
- Datamolino: business pricing
- Datamolino: accounting and bookkeeping pricing
Two invoices from the same supplier, ready for Xero
A client uses Northside Services for equipment rental and monthly service cover. The same supplier invoices each month, but some line descriptions change. Here’s how Datamolino reuses coding, applies keyword rules and handles approval before export to Xero.
Reuse the first invoice’s coding
On the September invoice, code Equipment rental to Equipment costs and export the invoice. Datamolino automatically remembers the coding. Create a Contains keyword rule for Service cover and assign the required coding: Support costs.
Review the October invoice
On the October invoice, Equipment rental automatically reuses the coding from the previous export. Service cover - October 2026 matches the keyword rule and is coded automatically with Support costs.
Client approves the invoice
Send the invoice through the client's approval workflow. The client reviews and approves it.
Finish the coding and export
With Keep documents editable enabled, the bookkeeping team can finish coding after approval. The team adds the Office tracking category, checks the totals and exports the completed invoice to Xero.
The October bill reaches Xero with Equipment costs on one line, Support costs on the other and Office tracking. The client approved the invoice; the bookkeeper completed the accounting before export.
Sources and product details
Illustrative Xero setup: line-item plan, matched supplier, one client approver and no conflicting coding rule. The keyword rule supplies account and tax coding. Keep documents editable is enabled, so Admins and Users in the folder can edit after approval, and export stays manual until final review.
- Datamolino: automate line items
- Datamolino: keyword rules
- Datamolino: enter and edit line items
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
What the same month costs
AutoEntry charges credits per document, so line items and bank pages add to the monthly cost, and extra credits above the plan cost 10% more. Datamolino plans are priced per month, with invoice approvals included. The 2026 pricing comparison works through more examples.
Sources and product details
UK prices in GBP, excluding VAT, on monthly contracts, checked 28 September 2026.
- Datamolino: 2026 pricing comparison
- AutoEntry: pricing
- AutoEntry: credits explained
- AutoEntry: manage credits
- Datamolino: business pricing
- Datamolino: accounting and bookkeeping pricing
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
Try your invoice and approval workflow.
Start a free trial with a recurring supplier invoice and your approval steps, or check the plan for your volume. Prefer a walkthrough? Book a workflow demo and we will take you through the coding and approvals, right through to export.
14 days free, no payment details needed.
Comparison sources · checked 28 September 2026
- Datamolino: automate line items
- Datamolino: keyword rules
- Datamolino: enter and edit line items
- Datamolino: batch upload and automatic document splitting
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
- Datamolino: convert bank statements into CSV
- Datamolino: import an extracted statement to FreeAgent
- Datamolino: business pricing
- Datamolino: accounting and bookkeeping pricing
- AutoEntry: line item extraction
- AutoEntry: stored line items
- AutoEntry: line item rules
- AutoEntry: upload documents
- AutoEntry: expenses flow overview
- AutoEntry: submit an expense report for approval
- AutoEntry: export bank statements
- AutoEntry: accounting integrations
- AutoEntry: reconcile a supplier statement
- AutoEntry: purchase-order matching for QuickBooks Online and Xero
- AutoEntry: credits explained
- AutoEntry: manage credits
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview