Top FP&A Platform in 2025: LiveFlow vs. Runway

In 2025, many in‑house finance teams are still bogged down by manual FP&A tasks such as gathering actuals, cleaning spreadsheets, and managing version control. It is important to research the top solutions that can directly help address these issues - this will save time and headache in the long run.

This comparison breaks down how LiveFlow and Runway stack up feature by feature, from data integration to modeling, visualization, and collaboration, so you can decide which fits your team’s needs. We’ll also highlight LiveFlow’s FinanceIQ platform (a new budgeting solution) and why it changes the game for companies that want the best of both worlds: spreadsheet flexibility and modern FP&A workflows.

Two Solutions, Different Approaches

Two modern FP&A platforms have taken very different approaches to this challenge: LiveFlow (with its new FinanceIQ budgeting module) and Runway. Both aim to streamline planning, forecasting, and reporting, but they reflect opposing philosophies. LiveFlow embraces spreadsheets (Google Sheets and Excel) as the interface finance pros know and love, augmenting them with live data and automation. Runway, on the other hand, provides an entirely new, spreadsheet-free environment designed to be intuitive for cross-functional users. Excel’s flexibility and familiarity make it a core tool for finance teams, so any platform that forces you to abandon spreadsheets completely may feel like it’s built more for novices than for experienced FP&A analysts.

Main Takeaway:

• LiveFlow with FinanceIQ is ideal for in‑house finance teams. LiveFlow preserves your existing spreadsheet workflows in Excel or Google Sheets, adds live integrations (e.g. QuickBooks, consolidation), and delivers fast onboarding and automation that veteran finance pros can build their FP&A platforms on.
  
  
• Runway shines for small, cross‑functional teams: Runway’s spreadsheet‑free environment, intuitive formula language and extensive integrations make it accessible to non‑finance users, enabling collaborative modeling and reporting, though seasoned Excel users may find it less familiar or limiting.

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LiveFlow with FinanceIQ: Supercharging What You Already Know

LiveFlow transforms Google Sheets and Excel into live FP&A dashboards by syncing them with real-time data from accounting systems. Rather than replacing spreadsheets, LiveFlow supercharges them – you continue working in a familiar interface, but without the tedium of manual exports or consolidation. LiveFlow now supports structured budgeting and planning across departments, turning team budgets into a single source of truth. It’s designed for in-house finance teams that want automation and collaboration while staying in a flexible spreadsheet environment.

Runway: A New Way to Plan

Runway is a newer FP&A platform built as a standalone web application. It positions itself as modern and intuitive, aiming to simplify complex finance processes without relying on traditional spreadsheets. Think of Runway as a centralized planning tool where you build models, scenarios, and dashboards all in one place with a slick UI. It’s real-time and collaborative by design, integrating with various business systems out-of-the-box. Runway is often pitched to high-growth startups and scale-ups that want to move fast and engage non-finance stakeholders in planning. Its spreadsheet-free approach and plain-English formulas make it approachable for finance novices or cross-functional team members who might find Excel daunting. However, this simplicity comes at the cost of giving up Excel – something virtually no seasoned finance professional is eager to do.

Data Integration and Automation

Data integration is a critical capability where the two platforms diverge. Runway boasts robust, out-of-the-box integrations with ERP, CRM, HRIS, and data warehouse systems. This allows for continuous forecasting, as actuals and transactional data flow in automatically. However, this comes with a learning curve: leveraging Runway to its full potential may require technical skills like SQL.

LiveFlow, in contrast, takes a spreadsheet-centric, finance-friendly approach. It connects accounting data (QuickBooks Online, Xero, and more) directly into Google Sheets and Excel. LiveFlow’s integration enables one-click importing of P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow data – all auto-refreshing with the latest actuals. While LiveFlow's historical focus has been accounting system integrations, FinanceIQ extends that capability to support multi-entity, multi-department planning. Each department works in a pre-structured spreadsheet template; FinanceIQ consolidates the data in real time. Actuals from QuickBooks feed into the budget automatically, eliminating reconciliation pains.

Modeling and Forecasting

This approach keeps the data live in Sheets/Excel, which many teams find more transparent and adaptable. You maintain flexibility: custom formulas, scripts, and workarounds are still available. In contrast, Runway centralizes the data but locks it inside its app – flexible for standardized use, limiting for highly specific workflows.

When it comes to modeling, Runway offers real-time, driver-based modeling in plain English. This can make models easier to audit and share with non-finance stakeholders. You can toggle scenarios instantly and the entire model updates accordingly. While this is ideal for agile planning, it does place limits on model complexity. Exotic logic or highly specific calculations may require workarounds.

LiveFlow leaves modeling entirely in the spreadsheet. You get full freedom to design complex models using native Excel/Sheets features. The downside is potential fragility – large models can be error-prone if not well-managed. FinanceIQ helps mitigate this by introducing structured templates and auto-consolidation, reducing the need for complex formulas and minimizing risk. Department heads use clean templates to enter data, which feeds into a master model. This bridges flexibility with control.

Reporting and Visualization

For reporting, Runway’s embedded dashboards are real-time and interactive. Charts, tables, and metrics are automatically updated and can be customized per stakeholder group. It’s user-friendly and reduces the need to export data into BI tools. The drawback: customization is bounded by what the platform allows.

LiveFlow lets you create highly customized reports using the flexibility of spreadsheets in Google Sheets or Excel and provides built‑in, real‑time dashboards within the platform. These dashboards support customizable layouts and widgets, let you track KPIs and drill into transaction‑level data, and pair with over 25 templates for fast setup. Still, if you prefer more tailored visualizations, you can build spreadsheet-based dashboards and feed them into tools like Google Data Studio for advanced, bespoke reporting.

Collaboration and Workflow

In terms of collaboration, Runway stands out for built-in permissions, approval workflows, and change tracking. It supports real-time co-editing, in-app commenting, and audit trails. This makes it suitable for cross-functional planning involving many contributors.

LiveFlow leverages the native collaboration features of Google Sheets or Excel Online. Teams share templates and enter data directly. With FinanceIQ, LiveFlow introduces more structured collaboration: templates assigned per department, standardized formats, and live consolidation. While it lacks formal audit trails and approval toggles, it retains a lightweight, user-friendly approach that works well for in-house teams already familiar with Sheets.

User Experience and Adoption

User experience is another area of contrast. Runway’s web interface is modern and accessible, with plain-English formulas that are easy for non-finance users. It provides a guided experience ideal for cross-functional collaboration. Finance pros, however, may find the system’s limits frustrating, especially if they’re used to building complex Excel models.

LiveFlow’s experience is intentionally minimal: it enhances the spreadsheet rather than replacing it. Finance teams can adopt it instantly without training. With the introduction of LiveFlow for Excel, even die-hard Excel users are supported.

FAQs: Common Questions When Comparing LiveFlow and Runway

Can LiveFlow support multi-department planning?
Yes. FinanceIQ enables department-specific templates that auto-roll into a consolidated master budget.

Does Runway require finance experience to use?
No. Runway’s UI and plain-language formulas are built to be intuitive for non-finance users.

Can you do advanced modeling in Runway?
To a degree. While Runway supports driver-based logic, extremely customized models may require adjustments. Finance professionals will still prefer Excel.

Does LiveFlow support Excel natively?
Yes. LiveFlow now works in both Google Sheets and Excel, syncing live data into both environments.

Which is better for a fast-growing startup?
If the priority is cross-functional collaboration and fast scenario planning, Runway is strong. If finance prefers to stay in spreadsheets, LiveFlow offers faster onboarding.

How do dashboards compare?
Both LiveFlow and Runway have a dashboards module.

Is there a learning curve?
Runway requires learning a new platform. LiveFlow has virtually no learning curve if you're already using spreadsheets.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Path Forward

Ultimately, the choice between LiveFlow and Runway comes down to your team’s culture and workflow. If your finance professionals are Excel experts and your planning process is already spreadsheet-based, LiveFlow with FinanceIQ will feel like an upgrade, not a replacement. If your organization needs structure, governance, and a modern UI to bring cross-functional stakeholders into planning, Runway may be the better fit.

Both tools aim to reduce manual work and elevate finance’s role in strategic decision-making. They just take different routes: LiveFlow modernizes without disruption; Runway replaces and reimagines the process entirely. In the end, no finance professional can fully avoid Excel – it remains a cornerstone of finance. LiveFlow acknowledges and amplifies that reality; Runway seeks to move beyond it. Your decision should align with how your team prefers to work, and where you want your planning process to go.

If LiveFlow sounds like it might be a good solution for your team, book a demo today!

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