Compare
CREAssets vs Spreadsheets
A common setup for emerging sponsors is a spreadsheet for the cap table and waterfall, DocuSign for subscription documents and QuickBooks for the books. It works, and it bends to any structure. The cost shows up later: three records to reconcile, distributions calculated by hand, and investors who email to ask what they own. CREAssets puts those jobs on one record, and it is free until you collect investor money.
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Which one fits your firm
We would rather you pick the right tool than the wrong one quickly. Here is where each is stronger.
Choose Spreadsheets if…
- You run one or two deals with a handful of investors, and the workbook is under control.
- Your structure is unusual enough that you want any formula, any layout. A spreadsheet takes anything.
- You already pay for these tools and nothing is breaking yet.
- Your CPA works directly in your QuickBooks file. CREAssets exports .qbo and .iif files but does not sync with QuickBooks live.
Choose CREAssets if…
- You want one record: the cap table, waterfall, signed documents and ledger update together.
- You want investors to see positions, distributions and tax documents in a portal instead of asking by email.
- You want distributions calculated from configured classes and hurdles, with a preview before you pay.
- You want signed subscription documents, with the executed PDF and audit certificate, stored with the deal.
- You want an audit log of who changed what, not just file versions.
Side by side
Spreadsheets vs CREAssets: pricing and features
What Spreadsheets + DocuSign + QuickBooks publishes next to what CREAssets ships today.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Capability | CREAssets | Spreadsheets | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | |||
| Cap table | Capital-account ledger and cap table, posted with a reconciliation check | A workbook you maintain | Typical setup |
| Waterfalls | LP, GP and mezzanine classes; IRR, cash-on-cash and ROI hurdles; pref, splits and catch-up tiers; 23 templates. Preview a distribution before you pay | Formulas you build and check by hand | Typical setup |
| Investor portal | Branded investor portal: positions, distributions, documents and a tax center | Email and PDF attachments | Typical setup |
| Subscriptions and e-signature | Subscription questionnaires; the investor signs, you countersign; executed PDF and audit certificate stored | DocuSign envelopes, filed into folders by hand | Typical setup |
| Accreditation and KYC | Built-in identity checks and sanctions screening against seven official lists; 506(b), 506(c) and Reg A rules | Collected by email or through a separate vendor | Typical setup |
| Accounting | Double-entry ledger per deal and per asset; P&L and balance sheet with a tie-out line; CSV, .qbo and .iif export | QuickBooks, kept separately from the cap table | Typical setup |
| Paying distributions | Built in; connect your provider (Dwolla, Stripe Treasury or Unit). US bank accounts only | Bank portal or checks, reconciled by hand | Typical setup |
| K-1s | K-1 drafts from your ledger for your CPA to review; upload, match and deliver to investors | Your CPA builds them from exports | Typical setup |
| Audit trail | Audit log on consequential actions | File version history | Typical setup |
| Property management | Units, leases, rental applications, maintenance and a tenant portal on the deal record. Online rent: built in; connect your provider | A separate property management tool, or another spreadsheet | Typical setup |
| Pricing | |||
| Software cost | Free to start. $299/mo for every module once you collect investor money into a deal | What you already pay for Excel, DocuSign and QuickBooks | Your own subscriptions |
| Paid extras | AI included in the Platform plan. Email marketing from $99/mo; texting $39, $99 or $249/mo | Any email, texting or portal tool you add | Your own subscriptions |
This page describes a common do-it-yourself setup, not any vendor’s product, so no third-party prices are quoted. CREAssets details are current as of 2 October 2026. CREAssets AI output is a draft for human review, not investment, legal or tax advice. Payments run through licensed third-party providers, US bank accounts only.
Switching
Moving from Spreadsheets
We migrate your book with you at no cost, and your first month on the Platform plan is free. Send us your workbooks, signed documents and QuickBooks exports, and we map investors, entities, positions, contributions and distribution history into CREAssets together. You check every balance against your spreadsheet before a single investor is invited. Your migration plan arrives within 3 business days of your exports, and your book is loaded for you to check within 7 business days. There is no one-click import: go-live is when you sign off.
Keep researching
Prices, tools and other comparisons, all dated and sourced.
Frequently asked questions
Is CREAssets overkill for one deal?
Possibly. If one deal and a few investors are under control in a workbook, keep it. CREAssets is free until you collect investor money, so you can set up your next deal in it and compare the two side by side.
Can we import our spreadsheets?
Yes — we migrate your book with you at no cost, and your first month on the Platform plan is free. There is a workbook import, and we work through the mapping with you because real spreadsheets rarely match a template. There is no one-click import.
Does CREAssets replace QuickBooks?
It keeps a double-entry ledger per deal and per asset, with a P&L and balance sheet, and exports CSV, .qbo and .iif files. It does not sync with QuickBooks live, so if your CPA works in QuickBooks, send them the export.
Does CREAssets replace DocuSign?
For subscription documents, yes: e-signature is built in. The investor signs, you countersign, and CREAssets stores the executed PDF and the signing audit certificate with the deal.
Run your next raise on one platform.
Sign up free and build your first deal today. Upgrade only when you collect investor money — and if you are moving from another platform or from spreadsheets, we migrate you at no cost and your first month is free.