AWS Textract vs Manual Data Entry: Which is Better for Invoice Processing in 2025?

Still manually typing invoice data into Excel? Or wondering if AWS Textract is worth the investment?

This guide compares both methods and shows you a better way to process invoices automatically - saving hours of work and thousands of dollars.

Skip to our automated solution →

The Problem with Manual Invoice Data Entry

Every business faces this challenge:

• Time-consuming: 5-6 minutes per invoice
• Error-prone: Even skilled staff make mistakes
• Expensive: $3-5 per invoice for quality work
• Not scalable: Costs increase linearly with volume

Related: How to Fix Inconsistent Headers in Excel →

AWS Textract: The Popular Alternative

AWS Textract promises automation, but comes with challenges:

Pros:

• Fast processing (seconds per page)
• API integration options
• Cheaper at scale ($0.05-0.065/page)

Cons:

• Technical setup required
• 85-95% accuracy needs validation
• Struggles with non-standard formats
• Post-processing cleanup needed

Related: How to Clean Supplier Excel Sheets →

The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About

Whether you choose manual entry or AWS Textract, you'll need to:

1. Clean up extracted data
2. Fix formatting issues
3. Standardize inconsistent fields
4. Handle exceptions manually

Related: How to Standardize Dates in Excel →

The Better Solution: Automated Invoice Processing with RowTidy

Why choose between accuracy (manual) and speed (Textract) when you can have both?

How RowTidy Works:

1. Upload Invoices: PDF, scanned images, or any format
2. Smart Extraction: AI detects fields automatically
3. Auto-Cleaning: Standardizes dates, numbers, and text
4. Export Clean Data: Get perfectly formatted Excel sheets

Key Benefits:

• 99.9% Accuracy: AI + automated validation
• 90% Faster: Process hundreds of invoices in minutes
• Zero Technical Setup: Just upload and go
• Automatic Cleaning: No manual formatting needed

Related: Convert Invoice PDFs to Excel Without Errors →

Real Customer Results

"RowTidy cut our invoice processing time from 2 days to 20 minutes. The best part? No more cleanup work needed."

• Sarah K., Finance Manager

Cost Comparison (1000 invoices/month)

Method	Time	Cost	Accuracy
Manual Entry	83 hours	$3,000-5,000	98%
AWS Textract	1 hour + cleanup	$50-65 + tech costs	85-95%
RowTidy	20 minutes	Contact for pricing	99.9%

Why Companies Choose RowTidy Over AWS Textract

1. No Technical Skills Required

   • Upload files instantly
   • No API integration needed
   • No cleanup work required

2. Superior Accuracy

   • AI-powered field detection
   • Automatic error correction
   • Built-in validation rules

3. End-to-End Solution

   • Extract → Clean → Format → Export
   • Save templates for future use
   • Bulk processing capability

Related: Create a Master Catalog from Multiple Sources →

Best Practices for Invoice Processing

Whatever solution you choose, follow these tips:

1. Standardize Your Process

   • Create consistent naming conventions
   • Define required fields
   • Document exception handling

2. Validate Data Quality

   • Check for missing fields
   • Verify calculations
   • Compare against source documents

3. Maintain Audit Trail

   • Track changes
   • Store original files
   • Document exceptions

Related: How to Remove Duplicates in Excel →

Next Steps: Try RowTidy Free

Ready to automate your invoice processing?

1. Sign up for RowTidy (free trial)
2. Upload a sample invoice
3. Watch it transform into clean Excel data
4. Export and use immediately

Coming Up Next

Don't miss our upcoming guides:

• Best Way to Clean OCR-Extracted Data in Excel →
• How to Standardize Invoice Data from Multiple Vendors →
• Convert Scanned PDFs into Structured Excel →

Conclusion

While AWS Textract and manual data entry each have their place, modern businesses need a more efficient solution. RowTidy combines the best of both worlds - automation and accuracy - without the technical complexity or cleanup work.

Ready to save hours on invoice processing? Try RowTidy free →