Choosing a business plan spreadsheet can feel like comparing very different formats: a cheap trial template, a full-featured Excel control suite, a small business finance tracker, and a hardcover book on financial modeling. Your real decision is how you want to work. Do you need a ready-made template to fill in, or are you trying to understand how to build models yourself? Here's how these four products compare, and which one fits a particular workflow.
Quick Take
Two of the options are Excel templates from the same developer, with the trial version at USD 2.15 and the full Business Control v2.0 at USD 25.82. The Small Business Finance Tracker at USD 8.99 works in Excel and Google Sheets and is aimed at day-to-day tracking. The fourth option is a used hardcover book, Building Financial Models with Microsoft Excel, at USD 6.73, which takes a teaching approach rather than giving you a plug-and-play template.
Listed Price Comparison
| Product | Price | Price Bar |
|---|---|---|
| EXCEL TEMPLATE (TRIAL)-Financial Tracker - Business v1.5 | USD 2.15 | [\#---------] |
| EXCEL TEMPLATE (FULL VERSION) - Business Control v2.0 | USD 25.82 | |
| Small Business Finance Tracker Excel Google Sheets Budget Cash Flow Template | USD 8.99 | |
| Building Financial Models with Microsoft Excel: A Guide for Business Professionals | USD 6.73 |
Decision Matrix
- Need a low-cost experiment? Go with the trial Financial Tracker at USD 2.15.
- Need a complete control suite? Business Control v2.0 at USD 25.82 is the most comprehensive listed option.
- Need a structured tracker for a small business across Excel and Google Sheets? The Small Business Finance Tracker at USD 8.99 fits that gap.
- Need to learn model-building instead of filling in a template? The used guide by K. Scott Proctor at USD 6.73 is the study resource.
Product Notes
EXCEL TEMPLATE (TRIAL)-Financial Tracker - Business v1.5
Listed at USD 2.15, this new Excel template gives you a month-by-month budget tool built for tracking budget versus actuals on a year-to-date basis. If you're just getting started and want to see whether a form-driven Excel workflow works for you, this is the lowest-cost entry point in the group. The description points out that you need Excel 2007 or newer with macros enabled, and it also notes the trial fee is refunded when you purchase the full version. The trade-off is that this is a single-module trial, not the full Business Control v2.0 package, so you're getting a focused budget tracker rather than the complete suite.
EXCEL TEMPLATE (FULL VERSION) - Business Control v2.0
At USD 25.82, this is the most expensive listed option, and it comes as a full-version Excel template with a one-computer license. The description calls out capabilities for creating budgets, tracking them against actuals, compiling Excel-based financial statements, and performing cash flow projections. That makes it a better fit if you want an all-in-one control center rather than just a single budget worksheet. The catch is price: you're paying more than for any other product here, and the one-computer license means it's tied to a single installation. If your needs are simpler, the smaller tracker at USD 8.99 covers similar day-to-day tracking.
Small Business Finance Tracker Excel Google Sheets Budget Cash Flow Template
Priced at USD 8.99 and listed as brand new from the United States, this spreadsheet is designed for small business owners, solopreneurs, freelancers, and online sellers. It includes an automated dashboard, income tracker, expense tracker, sales tracker, monthly budget planner, cash flow tracker, and monthly and annual summaries, with automated calculations. It also works in both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, which gives you flexibility if you switch between desktop and online work. The limitation is the personal use license: the listing doesn't describe team access or multi-user sharing, so it's meant for one owner's own books rather than a collaborative finance department.
Building Financial Models with Microsoft Excel: A Guide for Business Professionals
This is not a template; it's a used hardcover book by K. Scott Proctor listed at USD 6.73. The description says the book is in good condition, may show normal signs of use, but all pages are intact and readable. If you want to learn how to structure financial models yourself rather than fill in a ready-made spreadsheet, this gives you a teaching resource with the ISBN 9780471661030. The trade-off is the format: you're buying a physical guide, so there is no downloadable workbook included, and you'll need to apply the concepts in your own Excel files. That makes it a solid study companion, not a plug-and-play business plan spreadsheet.
Final Recommendation by Use Case
- If you want to spend as little as possible to test an Excel budgeting template, start with the Financial Tracker trial at USD 2.15.
- If you want an all-in-one business control package, go with Business Control v2.0 at USD 25.82.
- If you run a small business and need to track income, expenses, sales, and cash flow in one place, the Small Business Finance Tracker at USD 8.99 is the middle-ground pick.
- If your goal is to learn how financial models are built in Microsoft Excel, the used guide by K. Scott Proctor at USD 6.73 is the choice.
