Most comparison pages for financial modeling software read like a feature matrix. The five tools in this category Vena, Cube, Datarails, Planful, and Jirav all do budgets, forecasts, scenarios, and consolidations. What actually separates them is how they do it and who they do it for. Ask two questions before a demo call and the field narrows fast.
First, where does the model live? Vena, Cube, and Datarails keep Excel or Google Sheets as the surface where you build and edit models. They add a data layer, audit trail, and workflow underneath. Planful and Jirav move the model into their own native web interface. Excel becomes a place to import and export data, not the modeling surface.
Second, who is the buyer? Planful, Vena, Cube, and Datarails are built for a single internal finance team. Jirav is explicitly built for accounting and advisory firms modeling for a roster of clients, with white-label options so the firm keeps its own brand. The feature lists look nearly identical across the five. The forks matter more.
This article is part of a wider guide to AI tools for FP&A and reporting, and it focuses on modeling. If you need a tool for month-end reporting packages rather than driver-based models, see the financial reporting software guide instead.
Modeling tools answer a forward-looking question: what happens if revenue grows 10%, headcount rises 15%, and the new product launch slips a quarter? They build a three-statement model from actuals, then let you flex assumptions. Reporting tools answer a backward-looking question: what did we actually do last month, and how do we present it? Dashboards, variance commentary, board packets.
The products covered here are for modeling. They create driver-based budgets, rolling forecasts, scenario models, and sometimes workforce plans. They pull actuals from the ledger, hold them in a versioned data layer, and push the results back out. A few of them also ship dashboard features, like Vena Insights, but reporting is a secondary strength. For the full category, see all FP&A and advisory reporting tools.
Two ways to build a model
| Tool | Where the model lives | Built for | Price shape |
|---|
| Vena | Excel is the surface; Vena adds a database and workflow layer underneath | Mid-market and larger in-house finance teams | Sales-quoted annual contract, per seat, no sticker price or trial |
| Cube | Excel or Google Sheets as the surface, with a bidirectional sync to Cube | Mid-market in-house teams | Sales-quoted after a demo, no trial; tiers scale by legal entity count |
| Datarails | Excel stays the surface; the FinanceOS layer underneath consolidates files and versions | In-house teams of 50 to 500 staff | Sales-quoted custom quote, no trial; tiers scale by users and integrations |
| Planful | Native web interface, not Excel, for the modeling surface | Mid-market in-house teams that have outgrown spreadsheets | Sales-quoted per organization, priced by modules, users, and term |
| Jirav | Native web interface, not Excel, for the modeling surface | Accounting and advisory firms modeling for clients, white-label | Published monthly pricing: $50 and $150 starting tiers |
Vena
Vena keeps Excel as the place where analysts build and edit models. A database layer underneath holds the numbers, with an audit trail and workflow controls on top. Consolidation across entities happens inside the platform. The AI feature, Vena Copilot, sits beside the spreadsheet work, and Vena Insights adds dashboards for reporting. Pricing is annual and sales-quoted, with two tiers, Professional and Complete. There is no sticker price and no trial; a first-year deal often lands in the five figures. Integrations include NetSuite, Salesforce, and Power BI. Vena fits mid-market and larger in-house teams. It is not pitched to solo accountants or firms serving clients.
Cube
Cube treats Excel and Google Sheets as the modeling surface, with a bidirectional sync. Ledger data flows into the model, and plan data flows back out of Cube into the spreadsheet. Version control and consolidation are built into the platform, and reporting features are included. Pricing is sales-quoted after a demo, with three tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Cube states on its pricing page that pricing is quote-only and tiered by legal entity count. There is no free trial. Integrations include NetSuite, Sage Intacct, and Salesforce. Cube is aimed at mid-market in-house teams, not solo practitioners or client-facing firms.
Datarails
Datarails keeps Excel as the surface and layers a FinanceOS underneath. The platform covers budgeting, forecasting, dashboards, and month-end close. It adds automated consolidation and version control across files. There are three tiers: Professional, Premium, and Expert, scaled by user count and integration count. Datarails' pricing page confirms a custom quote with zero consultant fees and names the three tiers. No trial is offered. Integrations include QuickBooks, Sage, and Salesforce. Datarails targets in-house teams of 50 to 500 staff. It is not a fit for solo practitioners or micro-businesses.
Planful
Planful moves the model into a native cloud interface and leaves Excel behind as a modeling surface. The platform covers budgeting, rolling forecasts, consolidation, and management reporting. Excel serves only for data import and export. Pricing is sales-quoted per organization, based on modules, users, and contract term. There is a single platform tier, no per-seat add-ons, and no published price or free trial. Integrations include NetSuite, SAP, and Workday. Planful is built for mid-market in-house teams that have outgrown spreadsheets. It is not aimed at solo accountants or anyone who wants a published price or trial.
Jirav
Jirav is the only tool in this group built for accounting and advisory firms serving clients. The model lives in a native web interface, not Excel, and Jirav offers white-label options so the firm keeps its own brand. Outputs include three-way statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), scenario models, KPI dashboards, and workforce plans. Jirav publishes two starting tiers on its pricing page: Controller Essentials at $50 per month and CFO Enterprise at $150 per month. Controller Essentials includes a history of financials, an actual-vs-plan check, an AI-built forecast, and a one-year outlook. CFO Enterprise adds driver-based budgets, headcount and staffing models, up to five scenarios at once, and a seven-year outlook. Jirav also runs an Accounting Partner Program with wholesale pricing, a dedicated success manager, and CPE onboarding. The product is mainly available in the US and Canada and integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, and Google Sheets.
The buyer fork matters more than feature counts
All five tools do budgets and forecasts. The real split is buyer identity. Planful, Vena, Cube, and Datarails are built for one internal finance team planning one company. The licenses, the onboarding, the pricing, the feature depth all assume a single-company operator. None of them offer client-facing or white-label capabilities. Jirav is the opposite: it is built for an accounting or advisory firm running models for a roster of clients under the firm's own brand. The published per-tier pricing supports that use case, as does the partner program with wholesale rates and CPE onboarding. If you run a firm serving ten clients, four of the five tools on this list are not designed for you. The fifth is designed exactly for you.
Three questions before you book a demo
Before you sit through a 45-minute vendor call, answer these three questions. The answers usually eliminate three or four tools immediately.
- Do you want to keep working in Excel and Sheets, or move to a native interface? If your team lives in spreadsheets and the model logic is already built there, Vena, Cube, or Datarails will feel like an upgrade, not a migration. If you want to leave the spreadsheet behind, Planful or Jirav are the native options.
- Are you modeling for one company or a client roster? If it is one internal finance team, Vena, Cube, Datarails, and Planful all fit. If you are a firm serving clients under your own brand, Jirav is the only option in this category built and priced for that.
- Can you tolerate a sales-quoted annual contract, or do you want a published monthly price right now? Only Jirav publishes its starting prices ($50 and $150 per month). The other four are sales-quoted annual deals with no sticker price and no trial.
If you are still unsure which bucket you fall into, the matchmaker quiz narrows FP&A tools by firm size and ledger, and it takes about three minutes.
Common questions
What is financial modeling software?
Financial modeling software builds budgets, forecasts, and scenario models from actuals. You pull in historical financials, define assumptions about revenue growth, headcount, margins, and capital spend, and the tool produces forward-looking P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements. It is not a reporting or dashboard tool that presents past results. Modeling is about the future under different assumptions.
Does it replace Excel?
It depends on the tool. Vena, Cube, and Datarails keep Excel or Google Sheets as the modeling surface. The figures stay in the spreadsheet, and the platform adds a data layer, version control, and workflow. Excel is not replaced; it is reinforced. Planful and Jirav move the model into their own native web interface. Excel becomes a place to import and export data, not the surface where you build the model. Both approaches are valid. The question is which one fits your team.
What does financial modeling software cost?
Four of the five tools are sales-quoted annual contracts with no published price. Vena, Cube, Datarails, and Planful set pricing based on entity count, user count, modules, or integration count, and none of them offer a free trial. Jirav is the only one that publishes monthly starting prices: $50 for Controller Essentials and $150 for CFO Enterprise. The other four are quote-only, which means a demo call before you hear a number.
Can I use this software for multiple clients?
Only if you are using Jirav. Planful, Vena, Cube, and Datarails are built for a single internal finance team, not for a firm serving a client roster. None of them offer client-facing or white-label capabilities. Jirav is explicitly built and priced for accounting and advisory firms, with published per-tier pricing and an Accounting Partner Program that includes wholesale pricing and onboarding support.
