Honest Comparison

CodeIQ vs AutoEntry

CodeIQ codes your bank transactions with a 10-phase AI pipeline. Sage AutoEntry captures invoices and receipts with OCR. They solve fundamentally different problems.

Here's what each tool actually does — and where they overlap.

Different tools for different jobs

This isn't a "which is better" comparison. They do different things.

CiQ
CodeIQ

Bank transaction coding

Upload a bank statement. AI codes every transaction to the right nominal account, classifies VAT, detects transfers, matches invoices. Posts back to your platform. The entire bookkeeping workflow — automated.

AE
AutoEntry

Invoice & receipt capture

Snap a photo of a receipt or forward an invoice PDF. OCR extracts the data — supplier, amount, date, line items. Publishes to your accounting software. Data capture, not bank coding.

The Critical Gap

AutoEntry doesn't code bank transactions

This is the single most important distinction. AutoEntry can extract data from bank statement PDFs — but it won't tell you where to post them.

CiQ
CodeIQ + Bank Statement
  • Auto-assigns nominal account codes
  • Classifies VAT per transaction
  • Detects transfers between accounts
  • Matches invoices to payments
  • Posts coded transactions to platform
AE
AutoEntry + Bank Statement
  • Extracts transactions from PDF via OCR
  • No automatic nominal code assignment
  • No VAT classification for bank lines
  • No transfer detection
  • Manual "fast-coding" dropdown per line

AutoEntry's own docs confirm: "AutoEntry doesn't allocate any nominal codes for bank statements automatically." Coding is done manually via their fast-coding dropdowns.

AutoEntry Strengths

Where AutoEntry excels

Credit where it's due. For invoice and receipt capture, AutoEntry is a mature, proven tool.

Invoice & Receipt OCR

Snap a photo on mobile, forward an email, or drag-drop a PDF. OCR extracts supplier, amounts, dates, line items. Proven accuracy on structured documents.

Auto-Publish Rules

Correct a supplier once and AutoEntry remembers. Future invoices from that supplier auto-categorise and publish to your accounting software without review.

Supplier Statement Reconciliation

Upload a supplier statement and AutoEntry auto-matches it against invoices already processed. Find missing invoices, flag discrepancies.

Purchase Order Matching

Match processed invoices against existing POs in QuickBooks, Xero, or Sage 50. Supports multi-PO to single invoice matching for consolidation.

Mobile Capture On-the-Go

Dedicated iOS and Android app. Snap receipts in the field, batch-upload up to 50 at once. Clients can upload directly to their own AutoEntry inbox.

CodeIQ Exclusive

What CodeIQ does
that AutoEntry can't

10-Phase AI Coding Pipeline

Every bank transaction runs through transfer detection, invoice matching, historical patterns, universal patterns, MCC, semantic AI, VAT, and user learning. AutoEntry has no equivalent.

AE: Manual coding only

Semantic AI Understanding

Local embedding model understands meaning. "SHELL PETROL STATION" maps to Motor Vehicle Expenses without needing a prior rule. AutoEntry uses exact rule matching only.

AE: Rule-based only

UK VAT Intelligence

Full VAT classification on bank transactions — Standard, Reduced, Exempt, Zero-Rated. Maps to platform codes. AutoEntry only suggests VAT on invoices, not bank lines.

AE: No bank VAT coding

Transfer Detection

Automatically identifies matching equal-and-opposite amounts across bank accounts within a time window. AutoEntry has no concept of inter-account transfers.

Crowd-Sourced Universal Patterns

3,500+ anonymised merchant patterns contributed by all CodeIQ users. Code transactions you've never seen before on day one. AutoEntry's rules are per-user only — no network effect.

AE: No shared intelligence

MCC Category Matching

Uses Merchant Category Codes from card transactions. 3,000+ merchant database. AutoEntry doesn't process card MCC data at all.

RiQ AI Second Opinion

After the pipeline runs, an AI review layer catches low-confidence codings and suggests corrections. AutoEntry has no equivalent review pass.

10 Concurrent Client Sessions

Process 10 clients simultaneously in separate tabs. Each finishes in ~2 minutes. AutoEntry processes documents in a queue, not parallel client sessions.

User Learning Loop

Every correction you make is stored and applied to all future bank statement runs. AutoEntry has rules for invoices, but no learning loop for bank transaction coding — because it doesn't code bank transactions.

Cost Comparison

Different pricing, different units

AutoEntry charges per document. CodeIQ charges per transaction. They're measuring different things.

CodeIQ
From £5/mo

5,000 credits included. Each bank transaction costs ~1 credit. That's 5,000 coded bank transactions per month.

Credits refresh monthly. Overage at £0.002/credit.
AutoEntry
From ~£10/mo

50 credits included. Invoices cost 1-2 credits each. Bank statement pages cost 3 credits each.

Credits roll over 90 days. Separate Sage subscription required.
Key Difference

AutoEntry is not included in Sage subscriptions. It's a separate paid add-on on top of your Sage licence.

Feature-by-Feature

The full comparison at a glance.

Feature
CodeIQ
AutoEntry
Automated bank transaction coding
Invoice/receipt OCR capture
VAT classification (bank lines)
VAT extraction (invoices)
Transfer detection
Semantic AI understanding
Crowd-sourced patterns
Purchase order matching
Supplier statement reconciliation
Mobile app capture
Concurrent client sessions
Up to 10
Queue-based
Platforms supported
4 (QB, Xero, Sage, Pandle)
10+ (Sage, Xero, QB, etc.)
Included in platform subscription
Line item extraction
Premium client accounts

Who should use which?

Or use both. They're complementary, not competing.

CiQ

Choose CodeIQ if you...

  • Need bank transactions coded automatically
  • Want VAT classified on bank lines
  • Have backlogs of uncoded transactions
  • Process multiple clients simultaneously
  • Want AI that understands meaning, not just rules
AE

Choose AutoEntry if you...

  • Need to capture invoices and receipts at scale
  • Want mobile receipt capture on the go
  • Need supplier statement reconciliation
  • Want PO matching for purchase invoices
  • Clients send you paper/photo receipts

Use both? AutoEntry captures your invoices and receipts. CodeIQ codes your bank transactions and matches them to those invoices. They solve different halves of the same problem.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sage AutoEntry?
Sage AutoEntry is a document capture tool that uses OCR to extract data from invoices, receipts, and bank statement PDFs. It publishes the extracted data to accounting platforms like Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks. AutoEntry is a separate paid add-on — it is not included in Sage subscriptions.
Does AutoEntry automatically code bank transactions?
No. AutoEntry can extract transactions from bank statement PDFs via OCR, but it does not automatically assign nominal account codes to bank lines. Bank transaction coding is done manually using AutoEntry's fast-coding dropdown menus. CodeIQ automates this entirely with a 10-phase AI pipeline.
Can I use CodeIQ and AutoEntry together?
Yes, they're complementary. AutoEntry captures your invoices and receipts via OCR and publishes them to your accounting platform. CodeIQ then codes your bank transactions and can match them against those invoices. They solve different halves of the bookkeeping workflow.
Does AutoEntry classify VAT on bank statement lines?
No. AutoEntry extracts VAT amounts from invoices and receipts where VAT is printed on the document, but it does not classify VAT on bank statement transactions. CodeIQ includes full UK VAT intelligence for bank lines — Standard, Reduced, Exempt, Zero-Rated, and No VAT.
Is AutoEntry included in Sage subscriptions?
No. AutoEntry is a separate paid add-on starting from approximately £10/month for 50 credits. Invoices cost 1-2 credits each and bank statement pages cost 3 credits each. Credits roll over for 90 days. It requires a separate subscription on top of your Sage licence.
How many accounting platforms does CodeIQ support?
CodeIQ currently integrates with four platforms: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, and Pandle. It posts coded transactions, VAT classifications, and invoice matches directly back to your chosen platform via OAuth. AutoEntry supports more platforms (10+) for invoice publishing.

Ready to code
your bank transactions?

Try CodeIQ free. Upload a statement, see it coded in under 2 minutes.

Try CodeIQ Free

No credit card required. Works with any CSV, PDF, or Excel statement.