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Stop Using Spreadsheets for Bookkeeping: Free Excel Alternative | HelloBooks Move your bookkeeping out of spreadsheets: import a CSV, connect a live bank feed and get a P&L that updates itself. $0, no credit card.

Free accounting software excel alternative, stop using spreadsheets for bookkeeping, import CSV into accounting software free, United States.

Free Plan · Spreadsheet users

Stop using spreadsheets for your bookkeeping

Spreadsheets break when a formula is overwritten or a row is missed. HelloBooks Free gives you a real ledger at $0/mo, and you bring your history across with a CSV.

Start free, no credit cardEverything on the Free Plan

Free Plan with unlimited invoices, bills & quotes — no credit card.

How to move from a spreadsheet

1. Save your transactions sheet as CSV with date, description and amount columns.

2. In HelloBooks, upload the CSV as a bank statement for the account it belongs to; statement upload accepts CSV and PDF.

3. For customers, vendors and opening balances, open Migration in the app launcher and choose the HelloBooks template / other CSV path, then map your columns and preview before importing.

4. Connect the same account as your live bank feed so new transactions arrive on their own, and reconcile against your last spreadsheet balance.

What you get that a spreadsheet does not

Invoices that update AR aging, bills that update AP aging, and a P&L, balance sheet and cash flow that stay current without formulas.

  • Unlimited invoices, bills and quotes
  • Unlimited email payment reminders
  • 1 live bank feed through Plaid, plus 2 manual bank or card accounts
  • 2 users
  • Free AI credits to get started (upgrade for more)
  • AP/AR aging, P&L, balance sheet and cash flow reports
  • iOS and Android app

Limits

Exporting data back to Excel is a Starter feature.

Free includes 1 live bank feed, 2 users and free AI credits to get started. Data export, recurring invoices and multi-currency are on paid plans, and invoices sent from Free carry a small “Powered by HelloBooks” badge. Starter is $14.99/mo; Pro is $39.99/mo.

How teams use HelloBooks

What HelloBooks does for businesses like yours

“AI categorizes every transaction automatically and learns from your corrections, so a small team keeps clean books without spending evenings on manual data entry.”
Small business · US
“For a practice managing dozens of client books, automated reconciliation turns a full day of matching into a background task — review the AI matches, approve, and move on.”
Accounting practice · US
“Snap a receipt on your phone and the AI reads, categorizes, and files it — bookkeeping stays current even for people who would rather not think about numbers.”
Freelancer · mobile-first

Illustrative scenarios describing what the product does for each business type — not attributed customer reviews.

How it works

Move your bookkeeping from a spreadsheet to HelloBooks

Import a CSV, connect a bank feed and reconcile.

  1. Step 1

    Save as CSV

    Save your transactions sheet as CSV with date, description and amount columns.

  2. Step 2

    Upload the statement

    Upload the CSV as a bank statement for the account it belongs to.

  3. Step 3

    Import lists

    Use the HelloBooks template / other CSV path in Migration for customers, vendors and opening balances.

  4. Step 4

    Connect and reconcile

    Connect the account as your live bank feed and reconcile against your last spreadsheet balance.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I import my spreadsheet?
Yes. Upload transactions as a CSV bank statement, and use the HelloBooks template / other CSV path in Migration for lists and balances.
Can I export back to Excel?
Export to Excel is on Starter and above.
Are quotes, invoices and bills limited on Free?
No. Quotes, invoices and bills are unlimited on Free, and so are email payment reminders.
Is it really free, and do I need a credit card?
Yes, it is a permanent $0 plan, not a trial. Sign up with an email; no card is collected and there is no end date.
What happens when the free AI credits run out?
Free includes free AI credits to get started. When they run out you can upgrade for more AI credits or keep categorizing by hand; paid plans can also top up with a credit pack. Invoices, bills, reports and your bank feed keep working either way.
Related

Keep exploring

free accounting software

Everything the Free Plan includes.

Profit and loss template

A free P&L template to start from.

Migration guides

Moving from another tool.

Free accounting with a bank feed

One live Plaid feed on Free.

Pricing

Every plan side by side.

Start automating your books today

Free Plan with full access to the AI accountant — no credit card, no time limit.

Start free, no credit cardEverything on the Free Plan

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    Stop Using Spreadsheets for Bookkeeping: Free Excel Alternative | HelloBooks