Connecting A2X with your Shopify store might seem like a solid choice for managing your e-commerce accounting, but you might be overpaying and still doing too much manual work.
Here’s the issue:
A2X pulls your Shopify payouts into Xero or QuickBooks, but it leaves a lot to you, like sorting VAT, tracking product-level performance, or getting clear COGS figures. That means hours spent fiddling with spreadsheets, reconciling transactions, and hoping your numbers add up at tax time.
We’ll break down A2X for Shopify and show you how it stacks up against Link My Books - a Shopify-native integration built to automate reconciliation, tax mapping, and financial reporting for ecommerce sellers.
Key Takeaways from this Post
Both A2X and Link My Books connect your Shopify sales to Xero or QuickBooks: They both automate the basics, but differ widely in tax handling, reporting, and pricing transparency.
A2X is well-known and reliable, but often comes with extra costs: Features like COGS tracking and full VAT setup may require upgrades or manual input.
Link My Books goes beyond basic sync - it gives you clear financial insights: With built-in P&L by channel and ecommerce benchmarking, it’s ideal for sellers who want visibility across multiple platforms.







TL;DR: A2X vs Link My Books for Shopify
💡 Bottom line: If you want Shopify automation without the accounting headaches, Link My Books is faster, cheaper, and built for ecommerce.
A2X for Shopify at a Glance

A2X is one of the most well-known tools for Shopify bookkeeping. It connects your Shopify payouts to Xero or QuickBooks and breaks them into tidy journal entries that match your deposits. For many sellers, it’s a clean way to avoid messy spreadsheets.
But it’s not without trade-offs.
While A2X handles core syncing well, it lacks some of the automation and insights sellers now expect. Setting up VAT rules often requires an accountant's input, and COGS tracking (needed for proper P&L) comes as an extra paid add-on. If you sell on more than one platform, you'll also hit limits fast unless you upgrade your plans.
In short, A2X is reliable, but you’ll likely need more than just the base plan to fully automate your Shopify finances.
A2X Core Features

- Connects Shopify to Xero and QuickBooks
- Breaks payouts into journal entries
- Multi-currency support
- Handles basic tax categorization
- Offers optional COGS module (at extra cost)
Link My Books for Shopify at a Glance

Link My Books is built specifically for ecommerce sellers who want clean, automated books without spending hours tweaking spreadsheets or chasing down VAT errors.
It connects Shopify to Xero or QuickBooks just like A2X - but goes further. You get detailed profit reports by channel, built-in VAT support for UK/EU sellers, and automated COGS tracking (without needing to pay extra).
Setup takes around 15 minutes, and the support team? Fully staffed by UK-based accountants who actually know ecommerce.
Bottom line: Link My Books isn’t just syncing data - it’s showing you what that data means, with less manual work and fewer hidden costs.
Link My Books Core Features
- Connects Shopify (and other channels) to Xero or QuickBooks
- Automated VAT and OSS handling for UK/EU
- Profit & Loss by channel
- Built-in industry benchmarking
- Optional COGS tracking included in standard plans
- 1-click reconciliation that matches your payouts perfectly
- UK-based support team with free onboarding call
A2X vs Link My Books
- Features
- Integrations
- Support
- Pricing
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
1. Multi-Channel Support

A2X pricing is channel-specific, meaning you pay separately for each integration. Shopify is one plan. Amazon? Another. Want Etsy too? That’s a third plan - or you’ll need to upgrade to their Multi-Channel plans, which start at $89/month for just 1,000 orders across 2 channels.
That adds up fast for sellers expanding across platforms.
Link My Books includes up to 5 sales channels (Pro plan) or 10 (Premium) - all in one subscription. Whether you're selling on Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, eBay, TikTok Shop, or Walmart, you won't pay extra per channel. Everything’s synced into one clean dashboard with no platform-based restrictions.
Winner: Link My Books
Pay once, scale freely. Perfect for omnichannel sellers.
2. Tax Handling (UK VAT, EU OSS, International Sales)

Tax compliance is where most ecommerce accounting tools trip up.
A2X allows basic tax mapping, but it’s largely manual. If you're a UK or EU seller, you'll need to configure tax rules yourself or work closely with an accountant. Marketplace Facilitator Taxes (like eBay’s VAT collection) aren't fully handled. Worse, VAT on fees often gets missed, especially if you don’t download monthly invoices manually.
Link My Books automates all of this:
- Applies correct VAT rates based on country (UK 20%, zero-rated exports, EU OSS thresholds)
- Handles marketplace facilitator logic (who collects and remits tax)
- Separates standard-rated, reduced, and zero-rated sales
- Applies VAT to Shopify, eBay, and Amazon fees automatically
- Offers VAT Product Grouping, so you can assign tax logic by SKU, ensuring accuracy even for mixed-rate catalogs
Winner: Link My Books
Fully automated Shopify VAT handling = less risk, better compliance, zero guesswork.
3. Reconciliation & Syncing

A2X posts journal entries, which are accurate but often disconnected from how real sellers think. You’ll need to manually match payouts to deposits and deal with confusing naming conventions, especially if you’re selling in multiple currencies or doing refunds/discounts. With manual Shopify bookkeeping, partial refunds, promotional fees, and international charges can make reconciliation a mess.
Link My Books simplifies everything:
- Automatically creates summary invoices per payout
- Breaks each down by sales, fees, refunds, and tax
- Syncs those directly to Xero or QuickBooks, with the correct tax logic
- Matches each invoice to the exact bank deposit, so you can reconcile with one click

Link My Books takes what used to be a 2-day/month process and cuts it down to just 10 minutes.
For sellers using Xero, Link My Books offers the cleanest Shopify Xero reconciliation workflow, every payout matches the bank in one click, no journals needed.
Winner: Link My Books
One-click reconciliation. No journals. No manual matching.
4. Financial Insights & Reporting

A2X focuses solely on data syncing. If you want actual insights, like profitability by channel or how your business stacks up to others, you’re on your own. There’s no built-in dashboard, no analytics, and no forecasting tools.
Link My Books turns your accounting software into a decision-making dashboard:
- Profit & Loss by sales channel
- Industry Benchmarking: See how you compare to other sellers on refund rates, fees, and margins
- Real-time financial summaries across all connected platforms
- Optional COGS tracking, synced by SKU
This means you can optimize pricing, spot low-margin platforms, and grow with confidence - all without leaving your accounting tool.

Winner: Link My Books
From data entry → to real financial clarity.
Comparing Integrations

Both Link My Books and A2X support key ecommerce integrations - but this matters more than you might think. As your Shopify store grows, you’ll likely expand to other platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy. That’s why choosing a bookkeeping tool with broad, multi-channel support is essential for scaling your Shopify store without extra costs or setup headaches.
A2X

A2X integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, and NetSuite. Additionally, it integrates with various payment processors. But when it comes to sales channels, these are the ones it can connect with:
- Shopify
- Amazon
- Etsy
- eBay
- BigCommerce
- Walmart
Link My Books

Link My Books connects with two of the best accounting software for Shopify - Xero and QuickBooks Online. It also integrates with all major payment processors, including PayPal and Klarna. And, these are the sales channels Link My Books integrates with:
- Shopify
- Amazon
- TikTok Shop
- Walmart
- Square
- Etsy
- eBay
- WooCommerce
Where Link My Books Excels
Link My Books offers more eCommerce platform integrations than A2X. This gives your business extra potential for expanding into new territory. The inclusion of TikTok Shop is also a big plus point. TikTok Shop is rapidly gaining traction as a go-to marketplace, particularly for younger generations.
Where A2X Excels
A2X has a larger choice of accounting software integrations, though. So you'll be able to use it if you work with Sage Accounting or NetSuite Accounting. Although not necessarily as widely used as Xero and QuickBooks Online, Sage and NetSuite are good, dependable software.
Comparing Support

When you’re dealing with reconciliation errors, VAT setup, or multi-channel mapping, fast and knowledgeable support can save hours and potentially thousands in tax mistakes.
A2X Support
A2X offers 24/7 support via email and chat. Premium users on the 5K plan or higher get access to 1:1 support, which can be helpful during setup or when handling more complex issues.
They also provide:
- Templates and checklists designed for accountants and bookkeepers
- A knowledge hub with how-tos, setup guides, and tutorials
- A community forum covering topics like marketing, backdating books, and accountant workflows
It’s a well-rounded resource library, but personalized help is mostly gated behind higher-tier plans.
Link My Books Support
Link My Books offers free onboarding calls for every customer, not just those on premium tiers. Their team is fully staffed with UK-based ecommerce accountants who understand the platforms you sell on and the tax regulations you deal with.
Support includes:
- Email support from real humans who know ecommerce accounting
- A growing library of setup guides, webinars, and walkthroughs for everything from COGS and VAT to Shopify gift cards and fees
- “The eCommerce Profitability Show” podcast, hosted by LMB’s co-founder, focused on growing profitable ecommerce businesses with better financial clarity
A2X may win on availability, but Link My Books delivers deeper, more tailored support - especially for Shopify sellers navigating VAT, multi-channel growth, or scaling their back office.
A2X vs Link My Books: Pricing Breakdown
On the surface, A2X and Link My Books may seem similar, but once your sales volume or number of sales channels starts to grow, A2X pricing tells a different story.
How Pricing Works
Link My Books lets you connect any combination of Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, eBay, TikTok Shop, and more, but your monthly cost will vary based on your order volume and number of connected sales channels. You don’t need separate subscriptions per platform (like with A2X), but more channels = higher plan tier.
Small Shopify Seller Testing Automation (200 Orders/Month)
Link My Books is more affordable for low-volume sellers and includes unlimited marketplace support from day one.
Mid-Sized Multi-Channel Seller (5,000 Orders/Month, 3 Channels)
A2X forces you to move into a “Multi” tier as soon as you sell on more than one platform. With LMB, it’s all baked in - no plan juggling or per-channel billing.
Growing Omnichannel Seller (10,000 Orders/Month, 5 Channels)
If you're on Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, and eBay, this is where A2X really starts to cost you. With LMB, you're not penalized for growing.
Large Seller with 10,000 Orders & 6+ Channels
A2X maxes out at 5 sales channels per multi-channel plan, beyond that, you’re forced to open multiple accounts or upgrade to enterprise pricing. LMB just lets you add one more and adjusts the price accordingly.
Accountant or Bookkeeper
Managing 5 clients selling on Amazon and Shopify?
- With A2X, you’d need 10 separate plans - one for each client/channel combo.
- Link My Books allows you to manage all clients under one account, with unlimited users and no per-client fees.
Hidden Costs to Watch for with A2X
- Marketplace Upcharges: Want to sell on both Amazon UK and Amazon US? Each is treated as a separate integration.
- Data Limits: Historical data access varies by plan; you may need to upgrade just to view past reports.
- Support Restrictions: Onboarding help is limited to premium users. If you're on a Starter or Mini plan, you're mostly on your own.
- Per-Client Plans for Accountants: No bundling, no user sharing - more clients = more subscriptions.
Summary: Pricing at a Glance
A2X or Link My Books: Which Should You Choose?
The decision comes down to how much time and money you want to spend managing your books and how easily you want to scale.
Both A2X and Link My Books offer clean integrations with Xero and QuickBooks. Both help automate reconciliation and reduce manual work. But when you compare the real day-to-day experience, pricing transparency, VAT handling, onboarding support, and how much work you have to do yourself, the differences become very clear.
Here’s how they stack up:
Final Scorecard: Link My Books vs A2X
What Do These Scores Really Mean?
A2X is best for sellers who:
- Are accountants or finance professionals
- Don’t mind configuring tax rules manually
- Want 24/7 support but are okay paying more for it
Link My Books is best for:
- Shopify sellers juggling multiple platforms
- Anyone who needs fast setup, built-in tax handling, and real insights
- Businesses that care about scaling without surprise fees or setup delays
🎯 If you're a VAT-registered Shopify seller managing more than one sales channel, Link My Books will save you time, money, and headaches - and likely give you better data along the way.
What if I Want to Migrate to Link My Books?

If you're an A2X user and you're looking to migrate to Link My Books, the process is super simple and can be done in four steps. And it all starts with clicking on that free trial button. Once you've clicked that button, the steps are as follows:
- Step 1: Answer the few questions, connect your Shopify account and your bookkeeping account.
- Step 2: Copy the mapping you used in A2X into Link My Books during the tax rate setup process.
- Step 3: Stop sending Shopify data from A2X to your accounting software.
- Step 4: Start sending Shopify data from Link My Books to your accounting software.
Our How to migrate from A2X to Link My Books guide goes into much more detail. If you have any trouble at all, make sure you contact the team, who'll be happy to help. Or, select the option to book a 1:1 onboarding call when you sign up.
Streamline Your Shopify Accounting with Link My Books
If you’re running a Shopify store and juggling multiple platforms, there’s no reason to keep paying more for less.
Link My Books gives you a faster, clearer, and more affordable way to handle your ecommerce accounting, without compromising on accuracy or support.
✅ Save time with automated payouts, tax mapping, and one-click reconciliation
✅ Eliminate VAT guesswork with built-in UK and EU tax logic
✅ Get clean, accurate books in Xero or QuickBooks in minutes
✅ Scale across Amazon, Etsy, eBay, TikTok Shop, Walmart, and more, without hidden costs
Whether you’re just crossing the VAT threshold or processing 10,000+ orders a month, Link My Books grows with you and makes sure your finances don’t slow you down.
👉 Start your free trial and see why sellers are switching from A2X every day.
