Budgeting and Forecasting Software Resources

General

We're looking at which budgeting and forecasting tools make the easiest migration path for a team that's been running everything in Excel and wants to keep that familiarity while gaining more structure.

1. Datarails is built specifically to stay Excel-connected, and reviewers describe it as a dream to use once set up, since the data can be extracted right back into Excel rather than forcing a totally new interface.
2. Vena reviewers specifically praise the Excel-native structure paired with controlled workflows, with one describing it as keeping Excel's flexibility while eliminating the version-control chaos that came with pure spreadsheets.
3. LiveFlow turns Excel and Google Sheets themselves into the reporting layer, syncing real-time data from QuickBooks directly into spreadsheets reviewers already use, so the migration is closer to upgrading the spreadsheet than replacing it.
4. Workday Adaptive Planning offers an Office Connect feature that refreshes live data inside familiar Excel models with a single click, letting teams keep their existing spreadsheet structure while pulling from a governed source underneath.

For teams that made the jump from pure Excel, was the learning curve mostly about the new tool, or was it more about getting your own team's data and templates cleaned up first?

Hey G2 users, what are the top budgeting and forecasting tools for pulling real-time actuals from ERP and HRIS systems rather than manual data entry? Comparing tools in the budgeting and forecasting category on that specific angle.

1. Datarails pulls data straight from Sage Intacct integrations and flat files, and refreshing that data eliminates the need to re-paste new numbers on top of old every cycle.
2. Vena centralizes data from disconnected sources through linked spreadsheets that automatically refresh and stay in sync, cutting out manual reconciliation across files.
3. Planful standardizes actuals across dozens of entities pulling from multiple source general ledger systems, giving finance one source of truth instead of tying out numbers by hand at month end.
4. Workday Adaptive Planning connects live data from ERP, HR, and CRM systems into a single planning model, whether or not those systems run on Workday itself, so HRIS actuals feed the same model as financial data.

For finance teams pulling actuals automatically, how much manual cleanup are you still doing after the data lands, versus it being genuinely plug-and-play?