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BurnRateIQ vs a Spreadsheet
Most founders start with a model in Excel or Google Sheets, and for some that is the right tool. This page sets your own spreadsheet next to BurnRateIQ, line by line, so you can pick.
BurnRateIQ builds your monthly model from your books and exports it to Excel with live formulas, so choosing it doesn't mean giving up the spreadsheet.
Side by Side
| Topic | Your Spreadsheet | BurnRateIQ |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a first model | You build every tab, formula and link yourself, or adapt a template to your business. | Connect your accounting system, upload statements or your existing model, or answer six questions. BurnRateIQ builds the monthly model and fills gaps with benchmarks for your stage. |
| Monthly actuals | Each month you export from your books and paste or retype the numbers into the model. | On Pro, connected systems sync each month and the plan updates with actuals as your books close. Every connection is read-only. |
| Assumptions | Growth, churn and pay are whatever you typed. Checking them against the market is a separate research job. | Your growth, retention and margin sit next to published benchmarks for your ARR band, and the Assumptions screen marks where each number came from. |
| Formula errors | A broken link or a typed-over formula can sit unnoticed until an investor finds it. | One engine calculates every screen, and the Excel export carries a Checks tab of tie-outs between tabs that should all read TRUE. |
| Scenarios | You copy the file or add switch cells for each case, then keep the copies in step. | Base, bull and bear presets, plus your own saved scenarios with growth, churn, price and hiring levers. Pro has no limit on saved scenarios. |
| Versions and budgets | Versions live in file names, and comparing this month to the plan you approved means lining up two files. | On Pro, lock a budget, see actual against budget each month, and save named snapshots to compare against. |
| Investor updates | You write each update by hand from the latest numbers. | On Pro and during the trial, BurnRateIQ drafts the monthly update from your model: key metrics, financials, variance against plan, team and outlook, with blanks for what only you know. |
| Sharing | You email a file, and every copy goes stale the day after. | Send a read-only share link to your plan. On Pro, invite your team and investors with roles that limit what each person sees. |
| Excel | It is the spreadsheet, with any structure and formula you want. | Export an Excel model where every line is a live formula, with Sources and Checks tabs. Change a blue input and the whole model recalculates. Pro and One-time include the export. |
| Structure | Any layout you like, including industries and line items no product plans for. | One structure: revenue by plan, team, expenses, cash and runway. For a custom layout, export to Excel and build on it. |
| Cost | Free if you build it yourself, or the price of a template. | Free costs $0. Pro costs $99 a month or $990 a year. One-time costs $179 for your model in Excel. |
When a Spreadsheet Is Enough
- You're pre-revenue, with no books to connect yet and only a few costs to plan.
- You need a one-off model for a single decision, and nobody will update it next month.
- Your business needs a structure of its own, and you enjoy building and maintaining models.
When BurnRateIQ Fits
- Your books live in an accounting system and you have revenue or payroll to track.
- You're raising in the next year and need a model investors can audit, in Excel.
- You update the plan every month and want actuals to arrive without retyping them.
- Your team or investors need to see the numbers without another file going around.
Questions
- Can I keep working in Excel?
- Yes. Pro and One-time export your model to Excel with live formulas, so you can audit it, extend it or hand it to an investor. BurnRateIQ keeps the version that updates from your books.
- Do I have to rebuild my existing spreadsheet model?
- No. Upload it as Excel, CSV or a Google Sheets link, in any layout. BurnRateIQ reads it, shows what it read on one review screen, and lists every number it assumed so you can change it. If it reads something wrong, ask for a Free Model Review.
- Which systems can I connect?
- Live today: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zoho Books and FreshBooks for accounting. Coming soon: Stripe and Deel (waiting on each provider's approval), plus Wave, NetSuite, Chargebee, Paddle, Remote and OnPay. Without any of them, you can upload your P&L and balance sheet, upload your existing model or answer six quick questions. Until a payroll system connects, upload a payroll register or add people on Headcount.
- Can BurnRateIQ change anything in my books?
- No. Every connection to your accounting, billing and payroll systems is read-only. BurnRateIQ pulls your actuals and never writes back.
- How much does it cost?
- Free costs $0 and includes one upload and one connection. Pro costs $99 a month or $990 a year and adds monthly sync, variance, unlimited scenarios, Excel export and your team. One-time is a single $179 payment for your model in Excel.
More answers are on the FAQ, and the metrics are defined in the glossary.
See Your Model Built From Your Books
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