Dash AI vs Excel: stop rebuilding the forecast
Excel is where most forecasts start, and where most of them go stale. Dash builds the same three statement model from your live ledger, explains every movement, and still works with Excel.
Why teams switch
Why teams choose Dash over Excel
An AI assistant that builds the forecast
Build a forecast by hand or let the AI copilot build it with you. It creates assumptions from formulas, growth rates and trend based rules, and answers questions about the numbers in plain English. Every input, rule and output can be reviewed and overridden.
Dashboards that explain the root cause
Most dashboards show that a number moved. Dash explains why, with root cause analysis on every plan and explanations tied back to the underlying figures, so the client conversation starts with the answer.
An advanced KPI builder
Dash surfaces the KPIs that matter for the business and its industry automatically, and the KPI builder lets you define your own, so every client gets the measures they are actually run on.
Pricing that scales with clients, not seats
Dash is priced by the organisations you run, never by seat. Every plan has unlimited users and the full product, so higher plans add organisations and service, not features. Prices are published, billed monthly, with no implementation fee.
At a glance
The 30 second comparison
| Feature | Dash AI | Excel |
|---|---|---|
| Built from your live ledger | Yes. Xero and QuickBooks sync | No. Export and paste |
| AI assistant that builds the forecast | Yes. Built for forecasting | General purpose |
| Dashboards explain the root cause | Yes. Yes | No. Manual |
| Advanced KPI builder | Yes. Automatic KPIs plus custom builder | Formulas by hand |
| Three statement forecast | Yes. Linked out of the box | If you build and maintain it |
| Same model for every client | Yes. Yes | No. A copy per client |
| Branded client reporting | Yes. Yes | Manual |
| Works with Excel | Yes. Excel integration | Yes. Yes |
Excel described from general use of Microsoft Excel, checked . “Not listed” means we could not confirm it from their published material.
Pricing
Dash AI vs Excel pricing
Dash AI
- Priced by organisation, never by seat, with unlimited users on every plan
- Every feature on every plan: the AI forecast builder, root cause dashboards and the KPI builder
- Plans bundle organisations, up to 25 on Practice, so the cost per client falls as you grow
- Higher plans add organisations, priority support and dedicated onboarding, never features
- Published prices, monthly billing, no implementation fee
- 14 day free trial, no card, no sales call
Excel
- Usually already paid for through Microsoft 365
- The real cost is time: building each model, pasting actuals every month, repairing formulas
The licence is not the expensive part of a spreadsheet forecast. The hours are. Dash replaces the rebuild and the monthly rekey, with unlimited users on every plan.
Switching from Excel to Dash
Keep Excel. Connect Xero or QuickBooks, and Dash builds the three statement forecast from your actuals, with no manual account mapping. Your spreadsheet stays available for the one off work it suits.
“A fast, affordable solution which generates value by saving me so much time and stress.”
Is Excel a better fit?
For a one off analysis or a truly bespoke structure, Excel is fine, and Dash works alongside it. For a forecast that has to stay current every month, across several clients, and explain itself to the person reading it, the spreadsheet becomes the bottleneck.
Common questions
Why use FP&A software instead of Excel?
- A spreadsheet forecast has to be rebuilt and rekeyed as actuals arrive. Dash syncs from Xero or QuickBooks, keeps the three statements linked, and explains why results moved, so the forecast stays current without the maintenance.
Does Dash work with Excel?
- Yes. Every Dash plan includes an Excel integration, alongside Xero and QuickBooks.
How much does Dash cost compared with a spreadsheet?
- Dash is priced by organisation, with unlimited users and every feature on every plan. The comparison that matters is time: no model to rebuild and no monthly paste of actuals.
Your next forecast can be the one people actually use.
Connect your accounts, build your first model and see where Dash can give your team time back.
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