All 5 recommendations
Est. prices as of Feb 27, 2026
#1 · Founder Institute · Crowd Favorite
Runway Calculator
Free
The spreadsheet that tells you when to start panicking
- ✓ Brutally simple—just plug in cash and monthly burn
- âś“ Mobile-friendly so you can check your doom on the go
- âś“ Free and requires zero signup
- ✗ No scenario modeling—can't play 'what if we cut salaries' games
#2 · PlanGuru · Premium Pick
PlanGuru
$99-299/month
Excel on steroids for financial masochists
- âś“ Forecasts multiple scenarios and runway extensions
- âś“ Integrates with QuickBooks so your accountant loves it
- âś“ Dashboard shows metrics that investors actually ask about
- âś— Overkill for pre-seed startups just trying to survive Q1
- ✗ Steep learning curve—requires actual financial literacy
#3 · Better.com · Hidden Gem
Pulse by Better.com
Free
Cash flow predictions without the Excel anxiety
- âś“ Automatically syncs with your bank accounts
- âś“ Shows daily burn rate with surprising accuracy
- âś“ Mobile app means you get depressing notifications anywhere
- âś— Designed for freelancers first, startups second
- âś— Limited to 100 transactions per sync
#4 · Adaptive Insights (Workday)
Forecast by Adaptive Insights
$500-2000/month
Enterprise-grade overkill for Series A founders
- ✓ Collaborative planning—everyone can lie about projections together
- âś“ AI-powered variance analysis catches budget disasters early
- âś“ Beautiful dashboards to show investors
- âś— Implementation takes 3-6 months you don't have
- âś— Priced like it assumes you actually have funding
#5 · Indie Templates · Budget King
Google Sheets Template (Startup CFO)
$25-49 one-time
When all you can afford is a template
- âś“ Costs less than your daily coffee budget
- âś“ Fully customizable because you'll want to avoid your actual work
- âś“ Works offline in case your internet dies with your startup
- ✗ No integrations—manual data entry is the feature
- âś— You're responsible for staying sane while updating it weekly