Compare
How Nori compares.
Nori next to the other ways owners get a handle on their numbers: spreadsheets, Fathom, LivePlan and a fractional CFO, side by side on one page. Including when the other option is the better fit.
| Compare | Nori | Spreadsheets | Fathom | LivePlan | A fractional CFO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $199 a month per company, 7-day free trial, team and accountant included | Free, plus the hours to build and update them | From $59 a month for one company; lower per company for firms with many1 | Standard $20 or Premium $40 a month, paid monthly; less on an annual plan2,3 | Commonly $3,000 to $12,000 a month, depending on scope4 |
| Built mainly for | Owners of a running business, and the advisors they invite | Anyone willing to build the model | Accountants and advisors reporting to clients, and multi-entity groups1 | Writing a business plan, often for a new business or a loan application2,3 | Businesses that need a senior finance person part time |
| Where the numbers come from | Actual books, read from QuickBooks Online or Xero every day, or an upload | Exported and pasted in by hand | QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, MYOB, Sage, FreeAgent, Excel and Google Sheets1 | Projections you write; QuickBooks and Xero sync on Premium2 | Your books, reviewed on their schedule |
| How current | Every day | Whenever someone updates it | Syncs every 24 hours, or on demand1 | When you update the plan, or on sync | Usually monthly, or at each meeting |
| 13-week cash forecast | Built and refreshed for you, with a warning before cash drops below your minimum | If you build it (free template) | Forecasting offered; check Fathom for weekly cash detail1 | Cash flow projections as part of the plan3 | Usually, updated on their schedule |
| Problems flagged in dollars | Late payers, rising supplier costs, duplicate payments, missing bills | Only if someone goes looking | Not listed in the sources we checked | Performance dashboards on Premium2 | At the next review |
| Budget vs actual | Budget from last year in a minute; misses over 5% explained | Possible, with formulas you maintain | Budgets, including consolidated budgets1 | Compares projections to accounting data on Premium3 | Usually |
| Ask questions in plain English | Yes, answered from your books | You work it out | AI commentary writer for reports1; Q&A not listed | AI assistant for writing and forecast suggestions2,3 | When they are available |
| Lender package and coverage | Coverage before and after a loan, the largest loan, PDF, Excel and a private lender link | Assembled by hand | Not listed in the sources we checked | Lender-ready statements from your projections2 | Usually, as a funding project |
| Consolidation across entities | Not offered | If you build it | Yes, multi-currency, up to 300 entities1 | Not listed in the sources we checked | Yes |
| Business plan and pitch | Not offered | If you write it | Not its focus | Yes: guided writer, 550+ sample plans, one-page pitch2,3 | Often |
| Judgment, negotiation, lender relationships | Gives you the numbers. You decide. | You | You or your advisor | You | Yes. That's what you pay them for. |
On a phone, scroll the table sideways; the row labels stay in view.
Nori is the better fit if
- You own a running business with a year or more of books in QuickBooks or Xero
- You want problems flagged and questions answered without building or maintaining anything
- You're planning to borrow and want to know what a lender will see, with the package ready
- You need a CFO's analysis, but not $3,000 or more a month of one
When something else fits better
Spreadsheets is the better fit if
- You enjoy building models and have the time to keep them current
- Your business is simple enough that a monthly look is enough
- You need a one-off custom model
Fathom is the better fit if
- You're an accounting firm producing branded reports for many clients at a low per-company price
- You need consolidated reporting across entities or currencies
- You use MYOB, Sage or QuickBooks Desktop
LivePlan is the better fit if
- You're starting a business and need a written business plan
- You want a guided plan writer with sample plans and a pitch
- You need projections with little or no history
A fractional CFO is the better fit if
- You're raising equity, preparing for a sale, or need someone to manage lender relationships
- You need someone to run the finance function, not just analyze it
- You need board reporting and negotiation
Using them together
Many businesses mix these. Advisors use Fathom for client reporting while the client uses Nori day to day. LivePlan writes the plan for a new venture; Nori shows how the existing business is actually doing. A fractional CFO's hours go further when the forecast, reports and lender package are already built, and you can invite your CFO or accountant to Nori free.
Try Nori on your own books.
7-day free trial, then $199 a month per company. Connect QuickBooks or Xero and see your first findings in minutes. Your accountant joins free.
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