Comparison
Tiller alternative for people who like spreadsheets but not maintaining them
Tiller pipes bank data into Google Sheets and lets you build whatever you want. The freedom is real; so is the maintenance and the subscription. If what you actually built was a running-balance forecast, that is a solved problem.
- The sheet you were building
Dated rows, a carried balance, category rollups and month comparisons, already wired together.
- No subscription
Free core features and a one-time Pro payment.
- Your data stays portable
CSV import and export up to 50,000 records, so you can always go back to a sheet.
- No formula rot
Recurring items roll forward automatically instead of breaking when you insert a row.
Comparison
| Tiller | Cashflow Calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup effort | High — build or adapt templates | Low — enter balance and recurring items |
| Pricing | Annual subscription | Free core, one-time Pro |
| Data feed | Automated bank import into Sheets | Manual entry or CSV import |
| Customisation | Unlimited | Categories, tags, workspaces, budget goals |
| Breakage risk | Formulas and feeds | None to maintain |
What spreadsheets are still better at
Bespoke modelling. If you want to compare three scenarios with different tax assumptions and a custom depreciation schedule, a sheet wins and always will.
For the standard job — will my balance survive the next quarter — a purpose-built calendar is faster to keep current, and staying current is the only thing that makes a forecast useful.
Moving from a sheet
- Export your transaction tab as CSV.
- Import it and map date, amount, description and category columns.
- Review flagged duplicates before confirming.
- Turn every repeating row into a recurring plan.
- Export back to CSV any time if you want a sheet for a one-off analysis.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Tiller alternative?
Cashflow Calendar's core is free forever and covers the running-balance forecast most Tiller templates are built to produce.
Can I keep using Google Sheets alongside it?
Yes. CSV export gives you the full ledger whenever you want to model something bespoke.
Does it import bank data automatically?
No. It imports CSV statements you download yourself; there is no bank connection.
How many transactions can I export?
Up to 50,000 records per export.
The forecast, without the formulas
Free forever, and your data exports back out any time.