Comparison

    Float alternatives for cash flow forecasting

    The right Float alternative depends on why you are leaving Float: the price, the missing direct bank feed, revenue that starts in a CRM, or wanting a simpler tool.

    Zensus publishes this page and is one of the tools on it. Every fact about another product comes from that vendor's own public pages as of September 2026, with a link to the source, and each tool's trade-offs sit next to its strengths, including ours.

    Why teams look for a Float alternative

    Float is an established, accounting-connected forecasting product. The usual reasons to look elsewhere come straight from Float's own pages:

    • No direct bank feed. Float says it "doesn't connect directly to your bank"; bank data arrives through Xero or QuickBooks Online, which Float syncs every 24 hours.
    • Two accounting platforms. "Currently, Float integrates with Xero and QuickBooks Online."
    • Plans tied to revenue. Essentials ($130/mo, or $105/mo billed annually) is for companies below £2m in revenue; above that, Growth is $265/mo, or $215/mo billed annually.
    • Forecast length by plan. Essentials forecasts 12 months ahead; 36-month forecasts need Growth or Scale.
    • No CRM connection on Float's public pages, so HubSpot deals and subscriptions are not a listed data source.
    • Built for finance teams. Float describes itself as "cash visibility for scaling finance teams", with typical US customers at $5M to $10M in revenue.

    When Float is still the better choice

    Float is still the better fit in several cases, and at the entry level it costs less than Zensus:

    • You run on Xero. Zensus does not connect to Xero; Float does.
    • You want unlimited users and up to 8 scenarios, including a dedicated new-hire modelling tool, on every plan.
    • You need multi-entity consolidation: Float's Scale plan covers up to 5 entities.
    • You want a trial with no credit card: Float's is 14 days, no card required.
    • Price: Float Essentials at $130/mo ($105/mo billed annually) costs less than Zensus Pro at $199/mo.

    Read the full Zensus vs Float comparison

    Float alternatives at a glance

    Listed by the starting price each vendor shows, lowest first, with Float at the top for reference. Billing periods are stated because some vendors quote an annual plan as a monthly price. "Not found" means it was not on the vendor's public pages, not that the product lacks it.

    Float and five alternatives compared on price, trial, accounting, bank feed, and CRM
    ToolStarting priceFree trialAccountingDirect bank feedCRM
    Floatfor reference$130/mo, or $105/mo billed annually (Essentials)14 days, no cardXero, QuickBooks OnlineNo; bank data comes through the accounting platformNot found
    Pulse$29/mo (Basics); QuickBooks sync from $59/mo30 days; card charged when it endsQuickBooks Online, from the $59 planNot foundNot found
    Cash Flow FrogFrom $33/mo billed yearly (early-bird rate), set by revenue14 days, no card; 30-day money-back guaranteeQuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, Sage Intacct, Odoo, Zoho Books, FreshBooksYes, via PlaidNo; vendor says no CRM connection
    Futrli$40/mo excl. VAT (Single plan, 1 to 5 licenses)14 days, no cardXero, QuickBooks Online, Sage; ExcelNot foundNot found
    Helm$50/mo for the first connected business (currency not stated)14 days; card terms not statedXero, QuickBooks Online, Sage AccountingNot foundNot found
    Zensus$199/mo, billed monthly (Zensus Pro)14 days; card collected at signup, not charged until the trial endsQuickBooksYes, via PlaidHubSpot subscriptions

    Based on publicly available vendor pages, September 2026. Float, Pulse, Cash Flow Frog, Futrli, and Helm are trademarks of their respective owners; Zensus is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.

    The alternatives, one by one

    Pulse

    Best for: small businesses that want a simple, low-cost cash flow workbook and are happy to enter projections by hand.

    Pulse is a focused cash flow tool that Pulse says is "specifically designed for small businesses". Basics is $29 a month. The $59 Small Business Plan adds QuickBooks Online sync, multiple financial accounts, and invited users, and the $89 plan adds unlimited accounts and currency conversion.

    Where it differs from Float

    • Much lower price: $29/mo to start, against $130/mo for Float Essentials
    • Daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly views; Float's views are weekly and monthly
    • Works with any currency, with conversion on the $89 plan
    • Scenario toggles: switch entries and accounts on and off to test a change

    Trade-offs

    • QuickBooks Online is the only accounting sync, and it starts on the $59 plan
    • Projections are largely entered by hand
    • The 30-day trial charges the card used at signup when it ends
    • Bank feed, CRM, and alerts not found on Pulse's pages

    Source: Pulse pricing page

    Cash Flow Frog

    Best for: small and mid-sized businesses, and the accountants and bookkeepers who advise them, that want a direct bank feed and a low entry price.

    Cash Flow Frog is a cash flow forecasting tool with one Pro plan whose price "is set automatically based on your annual revenue", from $33 a month billed yearly at its early-bird rate. It connects to more accounting platforms than any other tool here and reads bank deposits and withdrawals directly through Plaid.

    Where it differs from Float

    • Direct bank feed through Plaid, which Float does not have
    • Seven accounting platforms, including QuickBooks Desktop, against Float's two
    • Daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly views, up to 36 months rolling
    • An MCP server connects the forecast to Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and other assistants

    Trade-offs

    • Price rises with your revenue band
    • No CRM connection; HubSpot appears only as a Zapier pairing
    • Scenario questions go through an external AI assistant, not a built-in one
    • Slack or email cash alerts not found on its pages

    Source: Cash Flow Frog pricing page

    Futrli

    Best for: sole traders, small businesses, and accounting practices that want daily forecasts and 3-way forecasting.

    Futrli is a forecasting tool with plans for businesses and for accountants, priced by the number of licenses. The Single plan, for 1 to 5 licenses and aimed at sole traders, is $40 a month excluding VAT. Every plan includes unlimited users, daily cash flow forecasting, budgets and scenario modelling, and 3-way forecasting.

    Where it differs from Float

    • Daily cash flow forecasting; Float's views are weekly and monthly
    • 3-way forecasting: profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow together
    • Sage and Excel alongside Xero and QuickBooks Online
    • Plans for accounting practices, priced by license count

    Trade-offs

    • Prices are set by region; the page shows each visitor a local price
    • The next plan up is $250/mo for 6 to 18 licenses, sized for practices
    • Direct bank feed, CRM, and cash alerts not found on its pages

    Source: Futrli pricing page

    Helm

    Best for: small businesses and the advisors who manage cash for several clients, priced per connected business.

    Helm is a cash flow forecasting tool priced per connected business: the first connection costs $50 a month, and the pricing page does not state the currency. It syncs with Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage Accounting, and builds 12-month forecasts with unlimited scenarios and unlimited users.

    Where it differs from Float

    • Sage Accounting sync, alongside Xero and QuickBooks Online
    • Unlimited scenarios, against Float's 8
    • Priced per connected business, for advisors managing several clients

    Trade-offs

    • 12-month forecasts, against up to 36 months on Float Growth and Scale
    • The pricing page does not state a currency
    • Direct bank feed, CRM, and cash alerts not found on its pages

    Source: Helm pricing page

    Zensus(our product)

    Best for: businesses with variable revenue, such as annual and quarterly contracts or late-paying clients, that run on QuickBooks and HubSpot and want a live bank feed.

    Zensus connects bank accounts through Plaid, QuickBooks, and HubSpot, and projects cash from when money actually lands, including annual and quarterly contracts synced from HubSpot. You ask scenario questions in plain English, and Slack alerts fire when the 30-day projection crosses a cash floor you set. Zensus Pro is $199 a month with every integration included.

    Where it differs from Float

    • Live bank feed through Plaid, not only accounting data
    • HubSpot subscription sync, so contract renewals land in the month the cash arrives
    • Plain-English scenario questions built in
    • Slack alerts when the 30-day projection crosses your cash floor
    • One flat price that does not rise with your revenue

    Trade-offs

    • Costs more than Float Essentials ($130/mo), though less than Float Growth ($265/mo)
    • No Xero connection
    • One company per account, with no multi-entity consolidation
    • The trial collects a card at signup

    Zensus pricing

    How to choose

    Start from the reason you are leaving Float:

    • The lowest price: Pulse at $29/mo, or Cash Flow Frog from $33/mo billed yearly.
    • A direct bank feed: Cash Flow Frog or Zensus, which both connect banks through Plaid.
    • Revenue that starts in HubSpot: Zensus, which syncs HubSpot subscriptions natively.
    • Xero: Cash Flow Frog, Futrli, or Helm, or stay on Float. Zensus does not connect to Xero.
    • Daily forecasts: Pulse, Cash Flow Frog, and Futrli all show daily views, and Zensus has a daily drill-down. Float's views are weekly and monthly.
    • An accountant managing several clients: Futrli's practice plans, Helm's per-business pricing, or Cash Flow Frog, which is built for accountants and bookkeepers as well as businesses.
    • Several entities: Float's Scale plan, which consolidates up to 5 entities.
    • Cash alerts in Slack: Zensus, which sends a Slack alert when the 30-day projection crosses a cash floor you set.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the best alternative to Float?
    It depends on why you are leaving. Cash Flow Frog and Zensus add a direct bank feed through Plaid, which Float does not have. Pulse is the lowest-cost option at $29 a month. Futrli adds daily and 3-way forecasting, and Helm prices per connected business for advisors. Zensus is built around HubSpot contract timing and Slack alerts. If you need multi-entity consolidation, Float's Scale plan may still fit best.
    Is there a cheaper alternative to Float?
    Yes. Pulse starts at $29 a month, Cash Flow Frog from $33 a month billed yearly at its early-bird rate, Futrli at $40 a month excluding VAT, and Helm at $50 a month for the first connected business, in a currency its page does not state. All four start below Float Essentials at $130 a month. Zensus does not: Zensus Pro is $199 a month, more than Float Essentials but less than Float Growth at $265.
    Which Float alternatives connect directly to a bank?
    Cash Flow Frog and Zensus both connect bank accounts through Plaid. Float says it does not connect directly to your bank; it takes bank data from Xero or QuickBooks Online and syncs every 24 hours.
    Which Float alternatives work with HubSpot?
    Zensus syncs HubSpot subscriptions natively, so contract renewals land in the month the cash arrives. Cash Flow Frog says it has no CRM connection and lists HubSpot only as a Zapier pairing. A HubSpot connection was not found on the public pages of Float, Pulse, Futrli, or Helm as of September 2026.
    Do Float alternatives have free trials?
    Yes, all of them. Float, Cash Flow Frog, and Futrli offer 14 days with no credit card, and Cash Flow Frog adds a 30-day money-back guarantee. Helm offers 14 days; its page does not say whether a card is needed. Pulse offers 30 days and charges the card used at signup when the trial ends. Zensus offers 14 days; the card is collected at signup and not charged until the trial ends.

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