Finance teams love spreadsheets for a reason: Nothing beats the speed of CTRL + C, a quick SUMIF, and a custom chart five minutes before the exec meeting. 

When an FP&A platform forces analysts to abandon that muscle memory, adoption tanks. We scoured six leading vendors to see which ones respect—rather than replace—Excel and Google Sheets. 

Our scoring focused on three factors:  

• Native spreadsheet add-ins (40%)  
• Plug-and-play ERP/CRM connectors (40%)  
• Time-to-value, as reported by customers or public filings (20%)

Below, the contenders appear in ranked order. 

1. Cube Software — Spreadsheet DNA and a “Go-Live in Days” Promise

Cube’s financial intelligence platform puts its cards on the table: “Enjoy the power of next-generation software with the familiarity of Microsoft Excel.” The FP&A vendor’s free add-in installs from the Cube portal, instantly turning any workbook into a two-way conduit to your source systems.

• One-click Fetch button pipes data from NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Salesforce, Snowflake, and dozens more into existing models.  
• Built-in audit trail logs every change—who pulled what, when, and the before/after values—so governance never depends on hidden cell notes.  
• The company says teams can “begin using the Cube Add-On … immediately after downloading … no consultants required,” translating to go-lives measured in days, not months.  
• Google Sheets fans aren’t left out: a parallel add-on mirrors Excel functionality, letting finance share live models with leaders who refuse to touch XLSX files.

In short, Cube hits the spreadsheet-friendliness trifecta: familiar UI, real-time data pipes, and almost zero IT overhead. For mid-market companies that want modern FP&A without a painful rip-and-replace, it’s the clear front-runner.

2. Mosaic — Sheets-First, Excel Still in Beta

Mosaic brands itself the “Strategic Finance Platform,” but its heart lies in Google Sheets. As of February 2025, the company announced a native, read/write Sheets add-on (beta)—handy for cloud-native startups but less so for Excel die-hards 

• Excel support remains in beta, limiting plug-in stability and keyboard-shortcut parity.  
• Strength: a slick API layer pulls live NetSuite and SaaS metrics into dashboards without CSV juggling.  
• Implementation typically runs 6–8 weeks (per customer case studies), faster than legacy vendors but slower than Cube’s self-serve install.  
• Lacks a formal audit-trail module inside Sheets; governance relies on standard Google version history.

If your org already lives in Google Workspace and doesn’t mind early-access features, Mosaic is a strong #2. Excel-centric finance teams, however, may find the beta label a deal-breaker for now.

3. Vena — Excel Templates, Longer Ramp-Up

Vena Solutions has preached “embrace Excel” for more than a decade. Its platform wraps permission controls and workflow around rich, template-driven workbooks. The catch? Rolling it out still feels like an enterprise software project.

• Typical implementation window: 6–12 weeks 
• Strong modeling flexibility—power users can write VBA macros or plug MDX formulas into pivot-style cubes.  
• Robust process management (approval workflows, data locks) suits compliance-heavy industries.  
• Requires IT or consulting help for the initial ERP data mapping; self-serve isn’t really an option.

Vena is a safe choice for larger finance teams that accept a slower start in exchange for deep Excel horsepower and enterprise controls.

4. Datarails — Solid Governance, Three-Month Deploy

Datarails markets itself to controllers who crave version control more than fancy dashboards. The platform keeps numbers in the cloud while letting users work inside ordinary spreadsheets—similar philosophy to Cube, but with a longer runway.

• “Most mid-market deployments take three months,” driven mainly by custom mapping.  
• Excel add-in feels native but offers no Google Sheets equivalent.  
• Strength: granular cell-level permissions stop accidental overrides—a win for audit.  
• Weakness: integrations list skews finance-only (ERP, GL) with limited CRM or warehouse connectors.

For SMBs that need strong controls and can live with a 90-day kickoff, Datarails earns its slot—but it’s less appealing for hybrid Excel/Sheets shops or those hungry for broader system pipes.

5. Planful — Enterprise Muscle, Four-Month Median Roll-Out

Formerly Host Analytics, Planful targets upper-mid-market and enterprise FP&A departments. A modern Excel-in-the-cloud workbook pairs with a purpose-built web UI and pre-built consolidation modules.

• Gartner Peer Insights (Jan. 2026) lists a median 4-month deployment across 48 customer reviews.  
• Excel add-in offers smart dimensions and drill-to-detail but demands admin training to create templates.  
• Extensive connector library covers major ERPs plus Salesforce; snowflake connectors require Datablend middleware.  
• Pricing usually bundles professional services, so TCO climbs quickly for smaller finance teams.

Planful is a heavyweight—great for multi-entity roll-ups, possibly overkill (and overspend) for a Series B tech startup with a lean team.

6. Anaplan — Cloud Powerhouse, Spreadsheet by Proxy

Anaplan’s in-memory engine can model anything from supply-chain flows to workforce plans, but its spreadsheet story is less direct. Users interact through a bespoke web grid or third-party Excel plug-ins that sync slices of the larger cube.

• Average professional-services engagement: 5.7 months for new enterprise customers.  
• Strength: unlimited dimensionality and scenario modeling once models are built.  
• Requires certified model builders; casual Excel users face a steep learning curve.  
• ERP/CRM connectors exist but often need iPaaS tools or partner scripts for complex mappings.

If your company already runs Anaplan elsewhere, extending it to FP&A can work. Otherwise, the long services timeline and web-grid paradigm feel distant from day-to-day spreadsheet life.

Analyst Snapshot: The Spreadsheet-First Surge  

Independent research confirms the market’s pivot toward “keep-Excel” platforms:

• FSN’s 2025 “Future of FP&A” report found that 78% of finance pros “would resist or delay” any finance-system project that eliminates spreadsheets entirely.  
• A 2025 BARC study notes that companies maintaining spreadsheet front-ends alongside governed databases report 23% faster budget cycles than peers who moved to web-only grids.  
• Gartner’s 2025 Magic Quadrant commentary predicts “Excel-compatible add-ins will be a decisive shortlist factor for 60%of mid-market FP&A purchases by 2027.”

Why the stubborn love?

• Skill continuity. Finance hires already know the ribbon; training hours drop dramatically.  
• Power-user flexibility. Complex driver formulas that web grids struggle with take seconds in Excel.  
• Change management. Keeping the front-end familiar converts skeptics into champions and slashes adoption timelines.

Cube rides this wave: Its plug-and-play add-ins give analysts their beloved shortcuts and give CFOs governed, multi-source data. 

Competitors that downplay Excel integration risk stalling implementations—a recurring theme in user reviews of Anaplan “model builder” projects and Planful’s template classes.  

Bottom line: “Spreadsheet-first” isn’t nostalgia; it’s a pragmatic path to ROI. Vendors that nail the UX while still enforcing data controls grab the momentum—and, as our ranking shows, Cube currently leads the pack.

Choosing the Right Fit: Five Quick Questions

• How many users must stay in native Excel or Sheets every day?  
• Do you have internal IT bandwidth for multi-month data-mapping projects?  
• Which systems (ERP, CRM, warehouse) need real-time sync on day one?  
• Is auditability (cell-level tracking) a regulatory requirement or a nice-to-have?  
• What’s your tolerance for professional-services fees versus self-serve setup?

Jot down honest answers, then re-scan the list above—your winner will reveal itself quickly.

Key Takeaways

Spreadsheet-friendly FP&A isn’t a pipe dream. Cube proves you can keep Excel shortcuts, add governance, and launch in a week. Mosaic follows closely for Google-native teams, while Vena and Datarails trade speed for heavier controls. Planful and Anaplan bring enterprise brawn but ask finance to wait—and pay—for the privilege. 

Pick the platform that meets your analysts where they already live, and you’ll skip the adoption drama altogether.