For dozens or hundreds of transactions, converting the PDF and reviewing the flagged rows is faster and catches the mistakes hand-entry misses. For a few lines, typing them straight in is simplest.
A handful of transactions, an odd layout that doesn't extract cleanly, or a workflow where you categorise every line as you type — manual entry is fine, and fully under your control.
| Question | CleanCSV (convert) | Manual entry |
|---|---|---|
| Speed at volume | Seconds for a whole statement, then a review of any flagged rows. | Minutes to hours; every row is typed by hand. |
| Error catching | A balance-reconciliation check flags rows that don't tie out. | Nothing catches a transposed digit or a skipped row unless you re-check. |
| Control | You review and edit the output before importing. | Total — you decide every value as you type. |
| Best for | Whole statements, catch-up work, many months at once. | A few transactions, or an unusual layout. |
| Cost | Free preview; the full import-ready file is a one-time $15 unlock per statement. | Free, but your time scales with the row count. |
| Privacy | Files deleted after 1 hour; no bank connection. | Nothing leaves your device. |
A transposed 46 for 64, or a row skipped on a long statement, sits in your books until something else surfaces it.
The converter ties every row to the statement's own running and closing balances and flags anything that doesn't add up, so misreads surface before import.
Flagged rows are surfaced for you to check against the original — never silently exported as correct.
At a few rows, typing is quick. At a few hundred, converting plus a review pass is both faster and more reliable.
Both can be wrong, but in different ways. Manual entry risks transposed digits and skipped rows that nothing catches. A converter reads the printed figures directly and then runs a balance-reconciliation check: if opening plus the transactions doesn't equal the closing balance, or a running balance doesn't tie out, the statement is flagged for review rather than passed off as correct. You still review the flagged rows.
For a handful of transactions, typing them straight into your accounting software is quick and fully under your control. Manual entry also wins when a statement's layout is unusual enough that extraction is unreliable, or when you want to categorise every line as you go. For dozens or hundreds of rows, a converter with a reconciliation check is faster and less error-prone.