Martus vs. Excel

Excel remains valuable for ad hoc calculations, analysis, and one-off models. Martus is the stronger fit when budgeting requires repeatable workflows, distributed input, controlled access, current actuals, dimensional reporting, forecasting, and clear accountability. Many organizations continue using Excel alongside Martus rather than eliminating it entirely.

Kind of, but it depends on your definition of collaborative. Excel supports co-authoring when files are stored in OneDrive or SharePoint and everyone uses a compatible version. The challenge is not whether people can edit the same workbook; it is whether the organization can consistently govern templates, formulas, permissions, submissions, approvals, and reporting as the process grows.

For most organizations, Martus is live and ready to use at the end of the initial 1-hour kickoff meeting. Training after the kickoff averages 4–6 weeks for most customers. However, you can be fully trained in less time. We are flexible to your timeline. The process includes environment configuration, data loading, user setup, and training.

Yes. Department leaders and budget managers can enter, review, and monitor budgets without needing to understand complex spreadsheet formulas. Administrators can control access by role, function, department, and account.

Martus integrates with widely used systems including Sage Intacct, Sage 100, QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, NetSuite, Acumatica, Xero, Financial Edge NXT, and MIP. File-based options are available when a direct API connection is not available. Learn more about Martus’ integrations.

Yes. Reforecasts can be created throughout the year using budgets and current actuals. Martus Plus adds advanced multi-year forecasting and what-if analysis, while Premium adds cash-flow forecasting and projected balance sheets.

Martus provides role-based access, budget-management controls, approvals, and activity logging. Transaction-level drill-down also helps users trace reported results to underlying accounting activity when supported by the integration.

Excel offers Show Changes and Version History in supported Microsoft 365 environments, but Microsoft notes that some activities - including formatting changes, chart or object edits, PivotTable operations, and certain unsupported or older-version edits - may not appear in Show Changes. Copies and replaced files can also fragment the record.

Yes. Martus offers customizable reports, dashboards, charts, and KPIs. Teams can save and reuse reports, compare budgets to actuals, report across organizational dimensions, and drill from summary results into detail.

Organizations can add users and move into advanced forecasting, personnel planning, custom report building, cash-flow forecasting, projected balance sheets, and API access as requirements expand. The planning structure remains connected to the same accounting data and dimensions.