Limelight vs. Vena
Don’t Replace Excel with… Excel. Upgrade to Modern FP&A with Limelight

Vena is just Excel with extra steps. Limelight delivers seamless integration, multi-dimensional modeling, and dynamic planning—without the limitations of spreadsheets.

Trusted by the Best Teams, Like Yours

Allows considerable flexibility to drill down.

Very user-friendly and similar to Excel, our team felt comfortable using Limelight right away.

Drew Knight

Drew Knight

CFO - MEDICINAL GENOMICS

I frankly always feel skittish when I approach Excel.

I have to double and triple-check what I am doing. But when I am in Limelight, I have far more confidence in what I am doing. I just do it once and I know that it's right.

BEN DANIEL

BEN DANIEL

Director of Financial Planning and Analysis - CS

Gives Us Power to Make Smarter Decisions

With Limelight, we now can forecast 18 months in the future. The platform has saved us over $400,000 by correcting broken formulas we were previously unaware of and eliminating hundreds of hours on manually collecting, consolidating, and reviewing spreadsheets.

Chris Parriott

Chris Parriott

BI Specialist at GSW Manufacturing - GSW

Limelight has been a game-changer for our budgeting process.

We used to spend 3 months wrangling spreadsheets, but now we complete our budget in just under a month. That's a 66% reduction in time - a huge win for our team.

Arlene Barbieri

Arlene Barbieri

Corporate Controller - MEDICINAL GENOMICS

Trusted By CFOs and Leading Finance Teams

What Choosing Limelight Can Help You Achieve

98%

Time Savings Per Report

10%

Profitability Growth

18-Month

Forecasting Capability

See Why Teams
Choose Limelight Over Vena

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User Experience

Modern, user-friendly, and intuitive
Clunky Excel add-in, multiple interfaces

Implementation

Fast & seamless - deploy in weeks
Slow & complex - takes months

Excel Dependency

Everything you love about Excel without the constraints
100% dependent on Excel

Modeling

Multi-dimensional models, roll-ups, and hierarchies built by finance teams
Requires IT support and Excel workarounds

Maintenance & Support

Minimal upkeep, built-in automation
High maintenance, ongoing support required
User Experience

Modern, user-friendly, and intuitive

Clunky Excel add-in, multiple interfaces

Implementation

Fast & seamless - deploy in weeks

Slow & complex - takes months

Excel Dependency

Everything you love about Excel without the constraints

100% dependent on Excel

Modeling

Multi-dimensional models, roll-ups, and hierarchies built by finance teams

Requires IT support and Excel workarounds

Maintenance & Support

Minimal upkeep, built-in automation

High maintenance, ongoing support required

Sync Limelight with Your Current Tech Stack

Limelight offers real-time ERP integration and Power BI connectivity, ensuring finance teams work with live data—without manual updates.

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Why Finance Teams Choose Limelight?

Excel is familiar, but it wasn’t built for modern FP&A. Limelight gives you the flexibility of spreadsheets with the power of automation, collaboration, and real-time insights—all in a platform designed to scale with your business.

Budget 3X Faster

Limelight streamlines your entire planning and forecasting process—no more version control issues, broken formulas, or hours lost to manual consolidation. Build and adjust budgets in real-time with driver-based forecasting, rolling forecasts, and what-if scenario modeling that help you stay agile and ahead of change.

Report from Summary to Detail

Real-time Dashboards

Plan Across Any Dimension

Display

Trusted by the Best Teams, Like Yours

Avatar

Allows considerable flexibility to drill down.

Very user-friendly and similar to Excel, our team felt comfortable using Limelight right away.

Drew Knight

CFO - MEDICINAL GENOMICS

Company
Avatar
Avatar

I frankly always feel skittish when I approach Excel.

I have to double and triple-check what I am doing. But when I am in Limelight, I have far more confidence in what I am doing. I just do it once and I know that it's right.

BEN DANIEL

Director of Financial Planning and Analysis - CS

Company
Avatar
Avatar

Gives Us Power to Make Smarter Decisions

With Limelight, we now can forecast 18 months in the future. The platform has saved us over $400,000 by correcting broken formulas we were previously unaware of and eliminating hundreds of hours on manually collecting, consolidating, and reviewing spreadsheets.

Chris Parriott

BI Specialist at GSW Manufacturing - GSW

Company
Avatar
Avatar

Limelight has been a game-changer for our budgeting process.

We used to spend 3 months wrangling spreadsheets, but now we complete our budget in just under a month. That's a 66% reduction in time - a huge win for our team.

Arlene Barbieri

Corporate Controller - MEDICINAL GENOMICS

Company
Avatar

With Limelight You Get the Ease of Excel and So Much More

Innovative Version Control

Unlike Vena's Excel-based versioning, Limelight's sheet-by-sheet version control tracks every change automatically. No more emailing spreadsheets or wondering which version is current. One central platform, complete audit trail, zero version conflicts.

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Customizable Dashboards

Move beyond Vena's basic Excel views with interactive dashboards built for modern FP&A. Create role-specific views, add custom widgets, and set granular access controls. Every team gets exactly what they need, when they need it.

Advanced Financial Modeling

While Vena constrains you to Excel's modeling limits, Limelight's modeling engine handles complex scenarios effortlessly. Build parent-child hierarchies, create sophisticated business rules, and modify models on the fly – all without touching a spreadsheet.

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Detailed Analytics

Excel's basic drill-downs can't match Limelight's analytical power. Instantly dive from top-level metrics to transaction details, explore sub-ledgers, and uncover insights across your entire financial dataset – all in real time.

Real-Time Data Orchestration

Leave Vena's manual data updates behind. Limelight synchronizes data automatically across all your systems, from ERPs to CRMs. Every number is current, every insight is fresh, and every decision is based on real-time data.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How well does Limelight integrate with other systems and data sources?

Limelight integrates seamlessly with various systems and data sources, including ERP, CRM, and other financial software. We support real-time data sync and allow for easy configuration to ensure that your data flows smoothly between systems, helping you maintain accuracy and efficiency.

Is the user interface intuitive and easy to use, especially for teams transitioning from Excel or other FP&A tools?

Limelight’s interface is designed with user-friendliness in mind, particularly for teams familiar with Excel. We’ve built it to mirror the Excel-like functionality you’re used to, making the transition smooth and straightforward. Our interface features customizable dashboards, drag-and-drop functionalities, and familiar modeling tools so your team can hit the ground running without a steep learning curve.

What level of customization and flexibility does Limelight offer for reports, dashboards, and business rules?

Limelight excels in customization and flexibility. You can tailor reports and dashboards to fit your needs, with full control over the layout, metrics, and visualizations. Our platform allows for dynamic adjustments and rule creation so you can adapt to changing business requirements and reporting standards. Whether you need standard templates or complex configurations, Limelight supports it all.

How long does it take to implement Limelight and get it fully operational?

The implementation time for Limelight varies depending on the complexity of the organization’s requirements. On average, you can expect to be up and running within a few weeks. Our dedicated implementation team will guide you through each step, from initial setup to full operational readiness, ensuring a smooth transition.

What kind of customer support and training resources does Limelight provide?

We pride ourselves on offering comprehensive customer support and training resources. Our support team is available to assist with any issues or questions you may have, providing timely and effective solutions. Additionally, we offer a range of training materials, including live webinars, video tutorials, and user guides, to help your team get the most out of Limelight. 

Don't settle for Excel 2.0. Upgrade to an FP&A platform built for the future.

See Why Companies Choose Limelight over Vena.