A2X vs Synder: CPA Comparison for E-commerce (2026)

If you sell on Shopify or Amazon and use Xero or QuickBooks, you have likely encountered the A2X vs Synder question. Both tools exist to solve the same fundamental problem: your sales platform deposits a lump sum into your bank account, and your accounting software has no idea what that deposit actually contains. Gross sales, fees, refunds, taxes, and adjustments are all bundled into a single net payout. Without a connector tool, your books are wrong from the first entry. This guide is a direct CPA comparison of A2X and Synder — how they work, where they differ, what they cost, and which one we actually recommend to our e-commerce accounting clients at LedgerLogic.

Both A2X and Synder are tools we configure regularly as part of our e-commerce accounting workflow for Canadian sellers. This is not a theoretical comparison — it is based on hands-on use across dozens of client accounts.

Affiliate Disclosure: LedgerLogic is an A2X and Synder partner. We may earn a commission if you sign up through our links at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we use with our own clients.

What A2X and Synder Actually Do

Both A2X and Synder are e-commerce accounting connectors. They sit between your sales channels (Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, eBay, etc.) and your accounting software (Xero or QuickBooks). Their job is to translate the financial data from your sales platform into properly categorised journal entries or invoices in your accounting software so that your bank deposit reconciles cleanly.

Without one of these tools, most sellers either record the net bank deposit as "sales" (which understates revenue and hides fees) or attempt to manually break down each payout using settlement reports and spreadsheets. Both approaches create inaccurate financial statements. The question is not whether you need a connector — you do. The question is which one fits your business.

The core difference comes down to methodology. A2X creates one summary journal entry per payout period, matching the bank deposit exactly. Synder can operate at the individual transaction level, posting each sale as a separate record, or it can use daily or monthly summaries. This architectural difference affects everything from reconciliation speed to your general ledger volume to how your CPA reviews your books at year-end.

A2X — Summary-Level Accuracy Trusted by CPAs

A2X takes a payout-centric approach. When Shopify or Amazon sends a payout to your bank account, A2X reads the underlying settlement data and creates a single journal entry in Xero or QuickBooks that breaks that payout into its component parts: gross sales, shipping revenue, discounts, refunds, marketplace fees, payment processing fees, and taxes. The journal entry nets to the exact amount of the bank deposit, which means reconciliation is a one-click match.

This approach is why A2X has become the preferred tool among e-commerce CPAs and bookkeepers. The summary journal entry is clean, auditable, and does not clutter your general ledger with thousands of individual transactions. For a Shopify store processing 500 orders per month, A2X creates roughly 2 to 4 journal entries (one per payout period) instead of 500 individual sales records. Your chart of accounts stays organized, and your Shopify bookkeeping is straightforward.

A2X supports Shopify, Amazon (including Amazon.ca and Amazon.com), eBay, Etsy, Walmart, and BigCommerce. It integrates with both Xero and QuickBooks Online. Setup involves connecting your sales channel, mapping each revenue and expense line item to the correct account in your chart of accounts, and letting A2X pull historical data. Most configurations take 30 to 60 minutes with a CPA who knows the tool.

A2X Strengths

A2X Watch-Fors

Synder — Transaction-Level Detail Across Many Platforms

Synder takes a different approach. By default, it can record each individual sale as a separate invoice or sales receipt in your accounting software. This means every Shopify order, every Amazon sale, and every Stripe charge appears as its own line item in Xero or QuickBooks. For sellers who want order-level visibility directly in their accounting system, this is appealing. Synder also offers a "summary mode" that groups transactions into daily or monthly summaries, which is closer to A2X's approach.

Where Synder stands apart is platform coverage. It connects to over 30 platforms including Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, Stripe, PayPal, Square, WooCommerce, Ecwid, Clover, and more. If you process payments through Stripe or PayPal directly (not just through Shopify Payments), Synder can pull that data in. For sellers who operate across many channels and payment processors, this breadth of integration is a genuine advantage.

Synder also includes features beyond pure accounting sync. It offers a smart rules engine for categorisation, inventory tracking, P&L reporting within the Synder dashboard, and the ability to reconcile historical data. These extras make Synder feel more like a financial management platform than a pure accounting connector.

Synder Strengths

Synder Watch-Fors

Side-by-Side Feature Comparison

This table compares A2X and Synder across the features that matter most for Canadian e-commerce sellers using Xero as their accounting platform.

For a broader comparison of e-commerce accounting tools, see our e-commerce accounting tools page where we review the full landscape including Link My Books and other alternatives.

Which One Does LedgerLogic Recommend?

We use both tools in our practice, and the recommendation depends on your specific situation. Here is how we advise our clients.

Choose A2X If:

• You sell primarily on Shopify and/or Amazon
• You use Xero as your accounting software (the A2X + Xero integration is best-in-class)
• You want the cleanest possible general ledger with minimal transaction volume
• Your CPA or bookkeeper prefers summary-level journal entries for reconciliation
• You sell on Amazon.com from Canada and need reliable multi-currency handling
• You process more than 200 orders per month and need your accounting file to stay fast

Start a free trial of A2X at a2xaccounting.com.

Choose Synder If:

• You process payments through Stripe, PayPal, or Square directly (not just through Shopify Payments)
• You sell on platforms that A2X does not support (WooCommerce, Ecwid, Clover, etc.)
• You need per-transaction detail in your accounting software for customer-level reporting
• You want a single tool to connect all your sales channels and payment processors
• You operate a lower-volume store (under 200 orders per month) where per-transaction posting will not bloat your file

Start a free trial of Synder at synder.com.

Pricing Breakdown

Both tools use subscription pricing, but the models differ. Understanding the total annual cost is important because it compounds — especially for multi-channel sellers.

A2X charges per channel per month. A single Shopify connection starts at approximately $25 USD per month. Adding an Amazon connection costs an additional $25 USD per month. If you sell on Shopify, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.com, expect around $75 USD per month ($900 USD per year). Higher-volume plans with more transactions cost more. A2X does offer a free trial so you can verify the integration works before committing.

Synder bundles multiple integrations into a single subscription. Plans start at approximately $20 USD per month for a small number of transactions, with pricing increasing based on transaction volume. The advantage is that connecting Shopify, Amazon, Stripe, and PayPal may cost the same as connecting just one of those. The disadvantage is that per-transaction pricing tiers can escalate quickly for high-volume sellers. Synder also offers a free trial.

For a typical Canadian Shopify + Amazon seller doing 300 to 1,000 orders per month, expect to pay between $50 and $150 USD per month for either tool. The cost is a deductible business expense and is trivial compared to the cost of inaccurate financial statements, missed GST/HST obligations, or CRA reassessments.

Setup Best Practices for Either Tool

Regardless of which tool you choose, the setup process determines whether your books will be accurate. Here are the steps we follow for every client configuration at LedgerLogic.

1. Structure your chart of accounts first. Before connecting A2X or Synder, ensure your chart of accounts has dedicated accounts for: gross sales (by channel if needed), shipping revenue, discounts (contra-revenue), refunds (contra-revenue), marketplace fees (by platform), payment processing fees, and sales tax collected. If your chart of accounts is not structured for e-commerce, the connector will not fix that.

2. Connect one channel at a time. Do not connect Shopify and Amazon simultaneously. Start with your primary channel, verify the journal entries are mapping correctly, reconcile a few payouts manually to confirm accuracy, and then add the next channel.

3. Reconcile the first three payouts manually. Even after the tool is configured, manually check the first three payout periods. Open the settlement report in Shopify or Amazon, compare each line item to the journal entry in Xero, and verify the totals match. This catches mapping errors before they propagate across months of data.

4. Set up tax codes correctly. For Canadian sellers, ensure that the tool is mapping GST/HST correctly. Amazon marketplace facilitator tax should not be recorded as your tax liability — Amazon remits it directly. Shopify tax settings depend on whether you are collecting tax yourself or using Shopify's automated tax features. See our GST/HST guide for e-commerce for the full breakdown.

5. Test with historical data before going live. Both A2X and Synder can import historical settlements. Import 2 to 3 months of historical data, reconcile it against your bank statements, and verify that the balances match before relying on the tool going forward.

If you want professional help with setup, our bookkeeping team configures A2X and Synder for new e-commerce clients every week.

Frequently Asked Questions