Hubdoc (by Xero)
Automatic document collection and bookkeeping data capture.
About Hubdoc (by Xero)
Hubdoc logs into your supplier portals and email accounts on a schedule and pulls invoices, bills, and bank statements directly into a processing queue. You set up a supplier connection once — say, for your client's utility provider or a recurring vendor — and Hubdoc fetches new documents automatically without anyone chasing an email thread. OCR then extracts vendor name, date, amount, and GL coding suggestions before pushing the data to Xero as a draft bill or transaction. For sole practitioners and small bookkeeping firms running Xero, this eliminates the biggest time sink in accounts payable: manually downloading PDFs from a dozen different portals. The tool fits best in practices where clients have messy, high-volume supplier documents and poor internal document habits. If your client runs a hospitality or trade business with 20-plus recurring vendors, the supplier connection library pays for itself in the first week. Firms with five or fewer vendors per client will find it harder to justify the cost. The OCR accuracy is good but not perfect — utility bills and non-standard invoice layouts still need manual review. QuickBooks Online users get a stripped-down integration that lacks the depth of the Xero sync, and Receipt Bank (now Dext) covers much of the same ground with broader accounting software support. If your practice is not standardized on Xero, look at Dext or AutoEntry before committing here.
Best for
Xero users wanting automated bill and receipt collection from supplier websites and email
Key Features
- Automated supplier document collection
- OCR data extraction from bills and receipts
- Direct integration with Xero accounting software
- Bank statement and financial document fetching
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Automated supplier portal logins fetch new invoices on a schedule without any manual download steps
- Supplier connection library covers hundreds of common vendors including utilities, telecoms, and financial institutions
- OCR extracts vendor, date, amount, and tax fields and pushes draft bills directly into Xero
- Email fetch rules capture invoices forwarded or sent to a dedicated Hubdoc inbox, closing the gap for suppliers not in the connection library
- Bank statement fetching pulls statements from connected institutions, reducing manual uploads for reconciliation
- Included in Xero's partner plans, so bookkeeping practices on Xero subscriptions often get access without a separate line item
Cons
- Supplier connection library has gaps — niche or regional vendors are not covered and require manual upload or email forwarding as a workaround
- QuickBooks Online integration is shallow compared to Xero; coded bills do not sync as cleanly and duplicate checking is weaker
- OCR struggles with non-standard layouts, scanned paper invoices, and multi-page utility bills, requiring manual correction more often than competitors claim
- Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) supports more accounting platforms and has a stronger mobile capture workflow for receipt-heavy clients
- Pricing is not publicly listed per seat; it is bundled into Xero partner plans in ways that make standalone cost comparison difficult
- Document storage is cloud-only with no local export option built in, which creates a dependency if you ever leave the Xero ecosystem
Ledger Brief Take
This addresses the tedious manual work of chasing down supplier invoices by automatically logging into vendor portals and email accounts to pull documents directly into your workflow. While the OCR and data extraction capabilities are solid, the real value is in those supplier connections that eliminate the endless email requests for missing invoices. Built specifically for Xero's ecosystem, so QuickBooks shops will want to look elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions accountants ask about Hubdoc (by Xero).
How much does Hubdoc cost as a standalone subscription?
Hubdoc is included at no extra charge in Xero's Starter, Standard, and Premium plans. For non-Xero users or standalone access, pricing is quote-based and not publicly listed. Expect to contact Xero sales directly. There is no free trial tier for independent evaluation outside of a Xero account.
Does Hubdoc work with QuickBooks Online?
Yes, but the integration is limited. Hubdoc can push extracted data to QuickBooks Online, but the sync lacks the automatic bill creation and GL coding depth available in the Xero integration. QuickBooks shops should evaluate Dext or AutoEntry before choosing Hubdoc, as both offer tighter QBO workflows.
How does Hubdoc compare to Dext (Receipt Bank)?
Dext has a stronger mobile app for on-the-go receipt capture and supports more accounting platforms including Sage and MYOB. Hubdoc's advantage is its automated supplier portal connections, which Dext does not replicate as directly. If your workflow is Xero-centric and supplier invoices are the primary problem, Hubdoc wins. For mixed-software practices or receipt-heavy clients, Dext is the better fit.
Is it safe to give Hubdoc login credentials for supplier portals?
Hubdoc stores portal credentials in encrypted form and uses them only to fetch documents. The company follows standard SOC 2 security practices. That said, handing over login credentials to any third-party service carries inherent risk. Review Hubdoc's data processing agreement and confirm with your clients before connecting sensitive supplier accounts.
Which firm size gets the most value from Hubdoc?
Bookkeeping practices managing Xero clients with 10 or more recurring vendors per client see the clearest return. High-volume industries like hospitality, construction, and property management benefit most from the supplier connection automation. Solo operators with simple client books or fewer than five recurring vendors per file will struggle to justify the overhead of setup.
What happens to stored documents if I cancel my Xero subscription?
Hubdoc is tied to your Xero account. If you cancel Xero, access to Hubdoc and your stored documents is suspended. Xero provides a data export window, but you should download your document archive before canceling. There is no standalone document storage fallback once the Xero connection is removed.