The dedicated FP&A startups that used to offer free plans are gone — Causal was absorbed into Lucanet, Pry into Brex, Finmark into Bill — so free budgeting in 2026 means two things: a spreadsheet (Google Sheets, Excel for the web, Zoho Sheet, LibreOffice Calc) or a SaaS-metrics dashboard free below a revenue cap (ChartMogul to $10K MRR, Baremetrics to $180K ARR, Paddle Metrics). Wave’s free accounting rounds out the list with actuals. Prices are USD and were checked on 22 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free budgeting tool that fits
- Build a budget and share it with a co-founder: Google Sheets — free with any Google account; Workspace from $7 a user when you need a domain.
- Excel formulas and pivots without buying Office: Excel for the web — free Microsoft account, 5 GB OneDrive.
- Offline, licence-free modelling: LibreOffice Calc — open source, no account, no limits.
- SaaS under $10K MRR that wants MRR, churn and cohorts: ChartMogul Free — unlimited team members, one billing source.
- SaaS under $180K ARR that also wants forecasting: Baremetrics Launch — free until $180K ARR, then $49 a month.
Which budgeting & fp&a tools tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every tool here builds a budget or tracks the numbers against one without a subscription. Four are spreadsheets, which remain the honest answer for most small-company FP&A (Google Sheets, Excel for the web, Zoho Sheet, LibreOffice Calc). Three are subscription-metrics dashboards that are free below a revenue threshold (ChartMogul, Baremetrics, Paddle Metrics). One is accounting software whose free plan supplies the actuals (Wave).
What is missing matters as much: Causal’s pricing page now redirects to Lucanet, which lists no free plan and a 12-month minimum; Pry redirects to Brex; Finmark to Bill.com. Brixx, Float, LivePlan and PlanGuru offer trials or paid plans only. If a list elsewhere still shows those as free, it is out of date.
Limits here are storage (Excel 5 GB), revenue caps (ChartMogul $10K MRR, Baremetrics $180K ARR) or simply the absence of modelling features (Wave). The table shows the binding limit and Free Score; open a row for the full Scorecard.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G |
Free forever | Free Google account · storage shared | No | 88 | Scorecard ↓ |
| M |
Free forever | 5 GB OneDrive · browser only | No | 80 | Scorecard ↓ |
| L |
Open source | Desktop · no cloud collaboration | No | 78 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Free forever | ≤ $10K MRR · 1 billing source | No | 76 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Free forever | ≤ $180K ARR · monthly billing only | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| P |
Free forever | Limits unverified | No | 64 | Scorecard ↓ |
| Z |
Free forever | Limits not stated | No | 62 | Scorecard ↓ |
| W |
Free forever | Actuals only · no modelling | No | 54 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 22 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free budgeting tool plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1G
Google SheetsUS · full Sheets with real-time collaboration for anyone with a Google account; Workspace adds a domain and admin controlsFree foreverFree Google account · storage sharedNo card88⌄
- What’s free
- Full Google Sheets — formulas, pivots, charts, sharing, version history — with a free Google account
- Hard limits
- Storage shared with the account (the fetched pages do not state the free quota) · some Gemini features need a Workspace plan · Workspace plans cap at 300 users
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No. A free Google account needs no card.
- Upgrade trigger
- A custom email domain, pooled storage, admin controls or Gemini in Sheets
- Cheapest paid step
- Workspace Business Starter $7/user/month monthly (intro $5.60 for new customers from 4 Nov 2026; 16% off with a one-year commitment)
- Best free for
- A founding team building and sharing a budget model
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · workspace.google.com (pricing page lists no free plan; the Sheets FAQ confirms free personal use)
2M
Microsoft Excel for the webUS · Excel in the browser with real-time collaboration, free with a Microsoft account and 5 GB of OneDriveFree forever5 GB OneDrive · browser onlyNo card80⌄
- What’s free
- Word, Excel and PowerPoint for the web with collaboration; 5 GB OneDrive storage
- Hard limits
- 5 GB cloud storage · files must live in OneDrive · browser only (desktop-only features such as Power Query and VBA are not available on the web — not stated on the page)
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No. Free Microsoft account.
- Upgrade trigger
- Desktop apps, more storage or advanced features
- Cheapest paid step
- Microsoft 365 plans — the page links to pricing without stating a figure
- Best free for
- A finance person who thinks in Excel and does not need macros
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · microsoft.com/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web
Why it ranks here. Excel’s formula engine for free is a big deal for anyone with existing models; the web version loses the power features that complex FP&A models rely on, which costs it core-job points.
3L
LibreOffice CalcGermany · the open-source office suite under MPL 2.0; a full desktop spreadsheet with no account and no limitsOpen sourceDesktop · no cloud collaborationNo card78⌄
- What’s free
- The entire suite at no cost, free and open source; Calc opens and saves Excel files
- Hard limits
- Desktop only · no native cloud collaboration
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No. Download only.
- Upgrade trigger
- None; donations optional. Cloud collaboration needs another tool.
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Offline modelling where licensing or data residency rules out cloud tools
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · libreoffice.org (version 25.8.3 current)
Why it ranks here. Unlimited and genuinely free, with a stated licence. Friction is near zero because it is a desktop install; the lack of live collaboration is what keeps most teams on Sheets.
4C
ChartMogulGermany · MRR, churn and cohort analytics free for startups under $10K MRR, with unlimited team membersFree forever≤ $10K MRR · 1 billing sourceNo card76⌄
- What’s free
- Free plan: subscription analytics, unlimited team members, 1 billing source, unlimited custom sources, 2 standard destinations, 3 mailboxes, 5 team dashboards
- Hard limits
- $10,000 MRR cap (about $120K ARR) · 1 billing source · 2 standard destinations, no advanced destinations
- Time limit
- None while under $10K MRR
- Card required
- Not stated for Free; the FAQ says the 14-day trial needs no card.
- Upgrade trigger
- Passing $10K MRR, or needing a second billing source
- Cheapest paid step
- Starter from $69/month monthly or $57/month annual; startups get $50 a month off paid plans for 12 months
- Best free for
- An early SaaS tracking Stripe revenue against plan
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · chartmogul.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. The cleanest free metrics tool for a SaaS, with unlimited seats — but it reports, it does not plan, and the revenue cap is low. Scored as a reporting layer, not a model.
5B
BaremetricsUS · subscription metrics and forecasting free until $180K ARR, then $49 a month on the same Launch planFree forever≤ $180K ARR · monthly billing onlyNo card72⌄
- What’s free
- Launch plan: subscription dashboards and forecasting, free while tracked ARR is under $180K
- Hard limits
- Free to $180K ARR · Launch band runs to $360K ARR at $49/month · monthly billing only on Launch · plan card and FAQ disagree on where free ends
- Time limit
- None while under $180K ARR
- Card required
- Not stated; the page offers a free trial without card terms.
- Upgrade trigger
- ARR above $180K ($49 a month), then $360K (Growth)
- Cheapest paid step
- Launch $49/month above $180K ARR; Growth from $69/month (up to 35% off annual)
- Best free for
- A pre-seed SaaS that wants a forecast, not just a dashboard
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · baremetrics.com/pricing (page body and meta tags disagree on Growth pricing; body figures used)
Why it ranks here. Higher revenue cap than ChartMogul and forecasting included; docked for a pricing page that contradicts itself twice. Confirm the free threshold with the vendor before relying on it.
6P
Paddle MetricsUK · the former ProfitWell Metrics, described by Paddle as 100% free real-time subscription analyticsFree foreverLimits unverifiedNo card64⌄
- What’s free
- Real-time subscription analytics — MRR, churn, retention — stated as 100% free
- Hard limits
- None stated · supported integrations and any caps unverified this month
- Time limit
- None stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Paid Paddle add-ons such as Retain, not priced on the page
- Cheapest paid step
- None required; Paddle Billing is a separate pay-as-you-go product at 5% + 50¢
- Best free for
- A Stripe or Chargebee seller who wants MRR dashboards with no revenue cap
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · paddle.com/pricing navigation (the Metrics product pages returned errors)
Why it ranks here. Potentially the most generous free metrics tool here — no cap stated — but we could only read the ‘free’ claim from a menu, so capacity and core job are scored cautiously until the product page loads.
7Z
Zoho SheetIndia · a free collaborative browser spreadsheet; the pricing and FAQ pages would not load, so limits are unverifiedFree foreverLimits not statedNo card62⌄
- What’s free
- Browser spreadsheet with collaboration, described as free
- Hard limits
- Not stated on the product page — no user, storage or cell limits listed
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Not stated; storage and suite features are sold through Zoho WorkDrive and Workplace
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated
- Best free for
- A team already in the Zoho ecosystem that wants a Sheets alternative
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · zoho.com/sheet (pricing and FAQ pages returned errors)
Why it ranks here. Probably as capable as Sheets for budgeting, but we could not verify a single limit. Scored on what the page states and marked for re-verification.
8W
WaveCanada · free accounting with a cash-flow dashboard that supplies the actuals a budget is measured againstFree foreverActuals only · no modellingNo card54⌄
- What’s free
- Starter at $0: unlimited invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, mobile invoicing, a cash-flow and customer dashboard
- Hard limits
- No budgeting or forecasting · card processing 2.9% + 60¢ · online payments subject to eligibility
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Receipt capture, automation or lower processing fees (Pro)
- Cheapest paid step
- Pro $19/month or $190/year
- Best free for
- A solo business that needs actuals and a cash view, with the budget living in a spreadsheet
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · waveapps.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Not a planning tool at all — included because a budget without actuals is a wish, and Wave is the free way to get them. Pair it with any spreadsheet above.
Which free budgeting tool has no credit-card requirement?
Google Sheets, Excel for the web and LibreOffice state they are free with no card. ChartMogul’s trial FAQ says no card; its free plan does not say otherwise. Baremetrics, Paddle, Zoho Sheet and Wave do not state a requirement. Nothing here auto-converts, with one nuance: Baremetrics and ChartMogul become paid when your revenue crosses the cap, which is a success problem rather than a billing trap.
The tools that do take a card are the ones we excluded — Brixx, Float, LivePlan and PlanGuru sell trials or paid plans only, and LivePlan has no trial at all.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free budgeting tool fits your situation?
Two founders sharing a budget
Google Sheets.
Finance hire who lives in Excel
Excel for the web, until Power Query is needed.
Data must stay on-premise
LibreOffice Calc.
SaaS under $10K MRR, Stripe billing
ChartMogul Free.
SaaS under $180K ARR, wants a forecast
Baremetrics Launch.
Solo business, needs actuals
Wave Starter plus any spreadsheet.
Which paid FP&A & planning software can you move to?
When the free tier stops being enough, these are the providers in the Kurums Solutions Directory. Every company there is listed free and A–Z by our editors, with a buyer’s guide for the category — no one pays for a position.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, building a budget or forecast model, tracking actuals against it and sharing the result. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 22 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections to the Kurums editorial team.
How did we verify these free tiers?
We opened each vendor’s pricing or product page and recorded the free tier, its limits and the paid step. Google’s pricing page lists no free plan; free personal use is confirmed on the Sheets product FAQ. Zoho Sheet’s pricing and FAQ pages and Paddle’s Metrics product pages returned errors, so both rows are scored on the product page or menu text and marked for re-verification. Baremetrics’ page contradicts itself on Growth pricing and on where the free band ends; we quote the page body. Causal (redirects to Lucanet, no free plan), Pry (redirects to Brex), Finmark (redirects to Bill.com), Brixx, Float, LivePlan and PlanGuru were checked and excluded.
Prices are USD. Revenue caps are the vendors’ own definitions of MRR and ARR as tracked in their product.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free FP&A tool like Causal?
Not any more. Causal’s pricing now redirects to Lucanet, which lists no free plan and a 12-month minimum; Pry and Finmark were also acquired. The free options are spreadsheets and revenue-capped SaaS metrics tools.
Which free budgeting tool allows collaboration?
Google Sheets and Excel for the web both support real-time multi-user editing free. LibreOffice Calc does not; Zoho Sheet describes collaboration but its limits could not be verified.
Is ChartMogul free?
Yes, for companies under $10,000 MRR, with unlimited team members and one billing source. Above that, Starter is from $57 a month annual.
How long is Baremetrics free?
Until tracked ARR passes $180,000, then the same Launch plan costs $49 a month up to $360K ARR. The page’s plan card and FAQ disagree on the threshold; confirm before relying on it.
Is Excel free online?
Excel for the web is free with a Microsoft account and 5 GB of OneDrive storage. Desktop-only features such as Power Query and VBA are not available in the browser.
Can I budget in Wave?
Wave’s free plan records actuals and shows cash flow but has no budgeting or forecasting; build the budget in a spreadsheet and compare.
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