FlowProofsFlowProofs vs Excel
Your Excel data, without the Excel dashboard.
Keep Excel for the work it is good at. Stop using it as the place people read the results.
The short version
Stay in Excel if the dashboard is for you alone, the model needs Excel's full function library or Power Pivot, or the file never leaves your machine.
Use FlowProofs if the dashboard gets emailed, pasted into slides, or questioned in meetings, and you are tired of finding out which version of the file someone opened.
Side by side
| Feature | Excel | FlowProofs |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Calculation and modelling | Explaining numbers to other people |
| Formulas | Hundreds of functions, XLOOKUP, LET, LAMBDA, dynamic arrays | Plain arithmetic, SUM, AVERAGE, IF, named numbers |
| How it is shared | File attachment, or a OneDrive or SharePoint link | A read-only web link, no account needed |
| Staying current | Manual refresh, or Power Query refresh when the file is opened | Connected sources refresh on demand or on a schedule |
| Versions | Co-authoring in Microsoft 365; emailed copies drift | One canvas, one current version |
| Layout | A grid of cells and charts | A free canvas with shapes and arrows |
| Where a number came from | Trace precedents, cell by cell | Every number shows its table and formula |
| Offline | Yes | No, browser only |
| Cost | Usually already paid for with Microsoft 365 | Free plan; Pro is $14/month in early access |
Where Excel is better
Modelling
A three-statement model, a cohort analysis with OFFSET, a pricing scenario with Goal Seek. Excel's depth is unmatched and you should keep using it for that work.
Everyone already knows it
No training, no new login, no procurement. That counts for a lot, and we are not going to pretend it doesn't.
Offline and local
Excel works on a plane and keeps the file on your disk. FlowProofs needs a connection.
Microsoft 365 co-authoring
If everyone edits the same file in SharePoint and nobody emails copies, a lot of the version problem goes away inside Excel itself.
Where FlowProofs is better
No copy-paste chain
The canvas reads from the data directly. There is no pasted copy from last Tuesday waiting to be presented as today's number.
A link instead of an attachment
Viewers open the current version in a browser. Nobody opens Q3_dashboard_v7_final_JS.xlsx by mistake.
Viewers can't break it
A shared canvas is read-only. Nobody sorts one column of a table and silently scrambles the rows.
The drivers are visible
A dashboard tab shows the totals. A canvas shows which number feeds which, so the first question in the meeting is already answered on the page.
Can you use both?
Yes, and this is the most common setup. Keep the workbook as the source: the model, the raw data, the calculations you trust.
Upload it to FlowProofs, or put it in Google Sheets and connect that, and build the canvas people actually read. When the workbook changes, upload the new version and every number follows.
- Why Excel dashboards break (and what to do instead)Why Excel dashboards break: copy-paste staleness, broken references, pivots that don't refresh and version hell. Practical fixes, most needing no new tool.
- How to build a budget vs actual report people readHow to build a budget vs actual report people read: the layout, which variances to flag, sensible thresholds, sign conventions, and how to annotate each line.
Other comparisons: FlowProofs vs Power BI and FlowProofs vs Tableau. Or see who FlowProofs is for
Questions
Can I upload my existing Excel file?
Yes. Upload .xlsx, .xls or .csv. Each sheet becomes a table, and you choose which sheets and which header row to use.
Do my Excel formulas come across?
The values do, not the formulas. FlowProofs reads the calculated results from the file. You rebuild the handful of formulas you want visible on the canvas, in plain arithmetic.
Will it update when I change the spreadsheet?
Upload the new version and everything recalculates. For a file that changes daily, keep it in Google Sheets and connect that instead.
Can I export back to Excel?
Yes. Table rows export to CSV, and cells that look like formulas are escaped so they open safely in Excel.
Competitor details checked October 2026, from Microsoft 365 business plans. Prices are list prices before tax and change over time. If something changed, tell us through the contact form and we'll fix it.
Excel is a trademark of its owner. FlowProofs is not affiliated with or endorsed by Excel. Comparison based on public information as of October 2026.