This page compares named commercial tools and may contain affiliate links — see our affiliate disclosure. Comparisons and rankings reflect each tool's published features, integrations, and pricing, not commission rates.
A2X is the name most sellers hear first in this category — it's been around the longest and is frequently the default recommendation in seller forums. Link My Books is the newer challenger built specifically to compete with it on price and ease of setup. Both solve the same underlying problem described in Reconciling Marketplace Payouts With Your Books: turning a lump-sum marketplace deposit into properly categorized gross sales, fees, refunds, and reserves inside QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Side-by-side
| Dimension | A2X | Link My Books |
|---|---|---|
| Core function | Pulls settlement detail from each marketplace, posts summarized journal entries to QuickBooks/Xero | Same core function — settlement detail in, categorized journal entries out |
| Marketplaces supported | Amazon, Shopify, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, TikTok Shop, Squarespace | Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, eBay, TikTok Shop, Walmart, Squarespace |
| Accounting systems | QuickBooks Online, Xero | QuickBooks Online, Xero |
| COGS/inventory sync | Available via add-on inventory tracking | Built-in inventory and COGS tracking on standard plans |
| Setup complexity | Longer-established, more configuration options — a steeper learning curve for a first-time setup | Positioned specifically around a faster, more guided setup |
| Pricing model | Tiered by monthly order volume | Tiered by monthly order volume, generally positioned as competitively priced against A2X at comparable volume |
| Market position | Category incumbent, most-referenced by name in seller communities | Fastest-growing challenger, built to directly compete with A2X |
What actually differs
Functionally, the two tools solve the same problem in a similar way, so the honest differentiators are setup experience, specific channel/edge-case handling, and price at your actual order volume rather than a dramatic capability gap. Sellers who've used both generally describe Link My Books as quicker to get to a fully reconciled first month, and A2X as the more battle-tested option with the longer track record across high-volume, multi-entity setups.
How to decide
Compare actual pricing at your order volume first — both tools price by monthly order count, and the gap between them can matter more at your specific volume than any feature difference. Get a quote from each before deciding on reputation alone.
Ask your bookkeeper or accountant which they'd rather work in. They're the one who'll be inside the tool every month, and a strong existing preference (often driven by which one they've supported for other clients) is a legitimate tiebreaker.
Run a free trial against one real settlement period on each, if both offer one, rather than deciding from marketing pages — the real test is whether the categorized output matches your settlement report cleanly on the first pass.
Common mistakes when switching between the two
Don't run both simultaneously against the same live QuickBooks/Xero file — that reliably produces duplicate journal entries. Disconnect one fully (and confirm no further journal entries have posted) before connecting the other. Also confirm historical data export options before switching, since neither pulls a competitor's history in automatically.