Cash flow forecasting software is an important tool for companies to manage their cash flow optimally and to avoid cash shortages. In the UK market there is now a wide range of tools with which such forecasts can be made. Here we present three of the best tools.
Best cash flow forecasting software solutions in 2023 for the UK market
| Software | Features | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| Agicap | Retrieves account transactions in real time, categorises cash flows automatically, cash flow forecast on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, scenario planning | Integrations with many accounting and financial management apps for even more accurate forecasts, consolidation of affiliated companies |
| Fluidly | Connects to Xero or Quickbooks and retrieves accounting data from there, creates forecast based on accounting data, creates scenarios, finds financing offers on request, Assists with receivables management | cash flow management in real time, fast financing solutions |
| Quickbooks | Accounting software suite, synchronisation with bank accounts, tagging of transactions for better overview | Cash flow overview of the last 24 months, forecast up to 24 months |
Detailed overview of the best cash flow forecasting softwares
Agicap
Agicap retrieves account transactions from all corporate accounts in real time and clearly displays income and expenses on a dashboard. The Deposits and withdrawals can be individually filed in categories, where recurring transactions are then automatically sorted. This enables efficient cost control as well as revenue tracking.
Recurring income and expenses are projected into the future in the planning tool. All other expected income and expenses can simply be entered into the planning at an appropriate date. Based on this data, Agicap creates a cash flow forecast - on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Agicap can also be connected to many other accounting tools (e.g. Quickbooks) and retrieves the relevant data from them, which it also transfers to the forecast. Due invoices, for example, are transferred to the forecast on a daily basis, which gives an even more accurate picture of the future cash situation.
Fluidly
Fluidly is a cash flow forecasting software that connects to the very popular accounting suites Xero and Quickbooks. From there it retrieves the cash flows and displays the cash situation clearly. Based on the past cash flows, Fluidly creates a forecast in which further expected income and expenses can also be entered.
With the help of the planning function, different scenarios can be created. You can either use prefabricated templates or create your own scenario from scratch.
A useful feature is the "Fund" option, which searches for financing offers if a company needs a loan. To filter out an optimal offer, Fluidly uses the cash flow forecast as input.
Quickbooks
Quickbooks is an accounting suite that offers cash flow management in addition to accounting functions such as invoice management. The tool automatically connects to the company's bank accounts so that the cash flows are always up-to-date.
The individual cash flows can be individually tagged so that the income and expenses can be sorted into different categories, which simplifies the overview and cost control.
Forecasts can be made for up to 24 months into the future. For this purpose, recurring income and expenditure are extrapolated. The more past data available, the more accurate the forecast.
Cash flow forecasting software: Free vs. Paid
If you want to create your cash flow forecast completely free of charge, you can use Excel, but this has a decisive disadvantage: This method is not real-time capable. Account transactions have to be entered manually in a table and a forecast created from them.
This is time-consuming and the forecast is rarely up-to-date because cash flows change constantly.
Some providers make their cash flow forecasting software available for free. Mostly, however, with a limited range of functions or within the framework of a trial period, after which the user must switch to a payment model.
If you want to have a cash flow forecast that is as accurate as possible, that is always up to date and that you do not have to invest a lot of time in creating, cash flow forecasting software on a paid basis is the best choice. In addition, users can also contact support at any time if there are problems.
What's the best cash flow forecasting software for small businesses?
Which is the best cash flow forecasting software always depends on the demands and needs of the company. Here we have presented three of the best cash flow tools, all of which fulfill the minimum requirements for good cash flow management software:
- They are real-time capable
- They represent the current cash situation
- They represent the future cash flow
Those who need other accounting functions besides cash flow management will find what they are looking for in Quickbooks. The software is aimed primarily at small companies where financial management is handled by the managing director or where there are not many employees in the finance department.
Fluidly requires the accounting suites Xero or Quickbooks from where it retrieves the cash flows. It offers a wider range of functions for creating cash flow forecasts than Quickbooks, because it also allows scenario planning.
Agicap is a dedicated cash flow forecasting software that offers the most functionality compared to Quickbooks and Fluidly. Since it can be connected to numerous accounting tools, the forecast is very accurate because data from many sources is used to create it. Agicap is suitable for both small and medium-sized companies that have the highest demands on their cash flow management.
