Ontraq vs Dext: The Complete Comparison for Construction

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Why Compare Ontraq and Dext?

If you're a contractor, bookkeeper, or office manager, chances are you may have tried tools like Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) to help organize receipts and get them into QuickBooks. And while Dext might save a bit of time, it doesn’t solve the real problem: knowing your costs by Job.

Construction companies need more than receipt capture. You need real-time job costing, fast crew time tracking, and QuickBooks automation that actually works — without hours of spreadsheet cleanup.

This guide gives you an honest comparison between Ontraq vs Dext — from the perspective of what small construction teams actually need to run a profitable business without extra admin hours.

Quick Summary: Choose Dext if… Choose Ontraq if…

Choose Dext if:

• You work in a non-construction industry
• You don’t tag receipts to Jobs
• You’re okay tracking job costs in spreadsheets.

Choose Ontraq if:

• You want your receipts (expenses) tied to jobs
• You want job profitability without spending time on spreadsheets
• You need receipts, time tracking, and job costs in one place
• You want QuickBooks updated daily — without lifting a finger
• You’re a contractor using QuickBooks 
• You're looking for a powerful Dext alternative for contractors

Ontraq isn’t just a Dext alternative — it’s the best receipt capture and job costing software for construction, which gives you full visibility, every day.

What is Dext?

Dext is a document capture tool built for accountants. It scans receipts, extracts info, and sends it to QuickBooks.

Key Features of Dext Prepare

• Snap photos of receipts
• Extract totals, vendors, and dates
• Let bookkeepers publish transactions to QuickBooks

Limitations for Contractors

• No job costing or budget tracking
• No GPS time tracking for crews
• No real-time profit updates
• Built for all industries, not construction

If you're comparing Dext vs QuickBooks automation, remember: Dext only publishes data. It doesn’t offer real-time, job-specific updates like Ontraq.

What is Ontraq?

Ontraq is built for contractors — the owner, project managers and bookkeepers. It combines AI-coded receipts, GPS crew time tracking, job costing and QuickBooks automation, all in one place. It is the easiest way to track job expenses and budgets. 

What Makes Ontraq the Best Construction/ Project Financial Tracking Tool

• Field crews scan receipts or clock in/out with one app
• AI instantly codes receipts and time to jobs 
• Job costing summary shows actual vs. budgets
• QuickBooks Online syncs automatically
• Construction-specific features: change orders, selections and more

What You’ll Experience

• Stop chasing receipts and time cards
• Cut 15+ hours/week of manual admin & bookkeeping
• Know your job costs — every day

If you’re juggling ClockShark, Dext, Hubdoc, spreadsheets, and QuickBooks — Ontraq replaces all of them with one construction job costing software and is frequently listed among the best construction bookkeeping software for small contractors.

Feature Comparison: Ontraq vs Dext

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Construction Job Costing vs Receipt Capture: Which Matters More?

When you’re running a crew and juggling job budgets, receipt capture isn’t enough. Let’s compare daily workflows.

A Day With Dext

• Crews hand receipts to the office or snap them in an app
• Dext extracts the data
• Bookkeeper manually categorizes and publishes
• QuickBooks updates
• You still need spreadsheets or QBO Projects to check job costs

A Day With Ontraq

• Crews scan receipts or clock time in one app
• AI tags the correct job and cost code automatically
• Job profit dashboard updates instantly
• QuickBooks is synced daily — no extra work
• You know before lunch if a job is making or losing money

The result? Ontraq gives you the clarity that general tools like Dext can’t deliver.

Why Ontraq Wins for Construction: The Job Costing Gap

Generic tools like Dext, Hubdoc, and Expensify are great at document capture — but they fall short on job costing.

Ontraq Closes the Gap With 4 Construction-Specific Strengths:

1. Real-Time Job Profitability – Every job’s numbers are updated daily.
2. AI receipt & bill capture – Scan receipts & bills, get Job costs total instantly
3. Know Where Crews Are – Track crews & labor costs easily.
4. QuickBooks Syncs Itself – No waiting, no exporting, no manual entries.

If you’re still doing job costing in Excel, Ontraq is the Dext alternative for QuickBooks Online users who want clarity and speed.

Pricing Comparison: Which Is More Cost Effective?

Dext Pricing:

• Depends on region and package
• Doesn’t include time tracking or job profitability
• Still requires other tools (ClockShark, spreadsheets)

Ontraq Pricing:

• $19–79/month (includes 5 users)
• Includes everything: receipts, time tracking, job costing, QuickBooks sync

Why Ontraq Delivers More Value:

• Replaces ClockShark ($40+/mo), Hubdoc ($20+/mo), and Excel tracking (time + errors)
• Save 15+ hours/week in admin work
• Get a 30× ROI by seeing profit losses early

Best For Contractors Who… Best For Bookkeepers Who…

Ontraq is for you if you:

• Run a 2 to 25 person crew and want to grow without chaos
• Use QuickBooks Online
• Need daily job costing and budget vs actuals
• Want field teams to submit time and receipts from their phone
• Hate spreadsheets and manual data entry

Dext is for you if you:

• Work in an industry other than construction
• Only need basic receipt capture
• Don’t need job-level profitability in QuickBooks
• Already use another tool for time tracking

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dext support job costing?

No — Dext supports document capture and publishing but not job profitability.

Can Ontraq replace Dext?

Yes. Ontraq is a full Dext alternative for contractors that adds job costing, GPS time tracking, and real-time QuickBooks automation.

Do both integrate with QuickBooks Online?

Yes. But Ontraq offers two-way sync and updates automatically with job-specific details — making it the better choice for construction job costing software.

Which tool is better for construction companies?

Ontraq. Dext isn’t built for job costing or construction workflows.

Can crews use Ontraq in the field?

Absolutely. Crews can snap receipts and clock in/out from their phones. No more lost paperwork.

Get Job Costing Without Spreadsheets

Looking for a Dext alternative that works with QuickBooks Online — and gives you job costing without the hours of admin?

Ontraq helps you receipts, time and job costs in one platform — giving you daily clarity & saving manual Quickbooks work.

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