Best Cash Runway & Burn Rate Management Tools for Founders (Top 10)

Managing cash is the single most important discipline for startup founders.

Hiring, fundraising, and product bets all hinge on one question: how much runway do we have?

The right forecasting tool doesn’t just show your bank balance. It tells you when you’ll run out, what’s driving it, and how to extend it. Founders need clarity, not complexity.

Here’s our list of the 10 best forecasting tools for managing cash runway and burn, from pre-seed through scale:

1. Parallel

What it is: AI-native forecasting built perfectly for early-stage startups. Starts as a CFO, evolves into the FP&A system of record. Check scenario modeling, know your runway, and headcount variance.

Why founders pick it: Parallel automates cash-runway visibility, instantly highlighting when you’ll run out of cash, which costs are scaling fastest, and how hiring or fundraising decisions affect your burn. It blends instant setup with AI intelligence that explains why numbers change, not just that they do. Parallel easily integrates in with your accounting system, allowing you to start tracking and measuring your runway almost immediately.

Best for: Founders who want CFO-level cash clarity from day one, without building a finance team.

2. Finmark (by BILL)

What it is: Financial modeling focused on cash runway, hiring plans, and fundraising.

Strengths: Simple onboarding; intuitive visualizations; purpose-built runway and burn dashboards.

Best for: Solo founders or small exec teams needing clarity on cash-out date and quick fundraising scenarios.

3. Float

What it is: Cash-flow forecasting tool integrated with accounting.

Strengths: Fast setup; cash-runway charts and short-term projections.

Best for: Early teams focused on day-to-day cash visibility rather than complex modeling.

4. Abacum

What it is: FP&A software integrating finance with sales, HR, and operations.

Strengths: AI-powered scenario planning; team workflows.

Best for: Startups approaching mid-market size needing to manage burn collaboratively across functions.

5. LiveFlow

What it is: Financial reporting synced live to Google Sheets dashboards.

Strengths: Automated data sync; pre-built burn-rate templates; works with spreadsheets in use.

Best for: Founders who love Sheets.

6. Cube

What it is: Spreadsheet-native FP&A tool connecting Excel/Google Sheets to a centralized database.

Strengths: Real-time collaboration; version control; driver-based modeling.

Best for: Finance teams that want spreadsheet familiarity with structured automation.

7. ProForecast

What it is: Scalable forecasting and budgeting software supporting revenue and cost streams.

Strengths: Scenario planning; hire and expense forecasting; multi-year runway views.

Best for: Growth-stage startups preparing to scale and manage burn across business lines.

8. Vena

What it is: Excel-native FP&A software layering onto existing spreadsheets.

Strengths: Familiar interface; workflow control; versioning for multi-user teams.

Best for: Finance teams already embedded in Excel who want to formalize their burn tracking.

9. Planful

What it is: Cloud-based FP&A platform focused on budgeting and forecasting.

Strengths: AI-driven insights; real-time collaboration; consolidated reporting across departments.

Best for: Later-stage startups or scaling orgs managing multiple entities and cash-flow streams.

10. LivePlan

What it is: Business-planning and forecasting platform.

Strengths: Easy forecasting setup; guided plan templates; helpful for visualizing fundraising timelines and burn.

Best for: Early founders needing to connect their business plan directly to financial projections.

Forecasting Tools at a Glance

Final Thoughts

For startup founders, the difference between surviving and thriving often comes down to cash clarity.

Early-stage founders → Parallel for instant cash-runway insights and automatic forecasting. It scales with you from seed through your series rounds, helping you raise confidently and spend intelligently.

Cash-flow tracking → Float or LiveFlow for day-to-day visibility if you’re not yet ready for a full FP&A stack.

Scaling finance teams → Planful, Vena, Abacum, or Cube for multi-department control, versioning, and advanced forecasting.

→ The key is matching your tool to the speed and precision your company needs before your runway runs out.

FAQs

1. What makes Parallel ideal for runway forecasting?

   • Parallel connects your accounting and banking data, then automatically models burn and runway without manual spreadsheet setup. You can simulate hires, funding rounds, or pricing changes instantly.

     
     

2. How often should founders update their forecasts?

   • Weekly during fundraising or rapid hiring periods, monthly during stable phases. Parallel keeps the model automatically updated, no manual refresh required.

     
     

3. Do I need finance experience to use these tools?

   • No. Most modern forecasting tools are designed for founders without finance backgrounds. Parallel, for example, automates the modeling logic and uses plain language to explain what’s driving your burn and runway.

Reach out for a personalized demo of Parallel.