Both live in Google Sheets but solve different problems. Tiller automates transaction feeds. Aspire gives you a complete zero-based budgeting system. Here's how to decide.
Try Aspire freeNo Aspire account or bank linking. Copy Aspire to your Drive and start.
Tiller is built around automated financial data: it pulls transactions and balances into a spreadsheet, then provides tools and templates for categorizing, budgeting, and reporting. Aspire is built around zero-based envelope budgeting: it starts with assigning the money you have to categories, with reports and account tracking built in. Tiller prioritizes automated feeds and flexible analysis; Aspire prioritizes proactive allocation without requiring a bank connection.
Aspire: copy and configure
No Aspire account or bank linking.
Tiller: account-connected setup
30-day free trial, then $99/year.
| Feature | Aspire Budgeting | Tiller Money |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $99/year |
| Platform | Google Sheets | Google Sheets or Excel |
| Budgeting method | Zero-based envelope (built in) | Monthly and yearly category budgets (not zero-sum/envelope) |
| Automatic bank sync | No | Yes (via Plaid or Yodlee) |
| CSV import | Yes (Turbo; repeated CSV rows are skipped) | Yes (included; overlapping data is not deduplicated) |
| Bank connection required | No | For automatic feeds; manual imports are also supported |
| Dashboard | Built in (category balances, accounts) | Built in (Spending Trends, budgets, balances) |
| Move budget funds between categories | Yes (dedicated tab) | Not part of its non-envelope budget |
| Spending reports | Built in | Built in |
| Trend reports | Built in | Built in (Spending Trends) |
| Partner sharing | Free (Google Sheets sharing) | Included in subscription |
| Works without subscription | Yes — it's your spreadsheet | Data stays, but bank feed requires active subscription |
| Auto-categorization | Yes (Turbo, $5/month) | Yes (AutoCat) |
Tiller is an excellent product built by good people. It's the better fit if:
You want automatic bank sync directly into Google Sheets and are willing to pay $99/year for it.
You want monthly and yearly budget targets, but don't need a zero-based envelope workflow.
You want to build a completely custom system from scratch using raw transaction data as the starting point.
You also need Excel support (Tiller works with both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel).
You want zero-based budgeting. Aspire implements envelope budgeting out of the box. Tiller's Foundation Template includes category budgets, but not a zero-sum or envelope workflow.
You don't want to pay $99/year. Aspire's core is free. Even with Turbo for CSV import, you pay $60/year — still less than Tiller.
You don't want to connect your financial accounts. Tiller's automatic feeds use Plaid or Yodlee. Aspire never asks for a bank connection.
You want a zero-based system ready to use. Aspire includes its envelope workflow, dashboard, reports, transfers, and categories from the start.
You want independence from a subscription. If you cancel Tiller, the bank feed stops and the product's core value disappears. Aspire works forever regardless.
You value spending awareness. Manual entry (or weekly CSV import) keeps you closer to your transactions than automatic background sync.
Both Tiller and Aspire live in Google Sheets and both are highly customizable. Aspire gives you a complete zero-based system you can extend:
Custom paycheck allocation
Build a formula that automatically splits each paycheck across categories based on percentages you define.
Tax-deductible flagging
Add a column to mark transactions as tax-deductible. Filter at tax time for an instant summary.
Conditional formatting alerts
Color-code categories that are close to their limit. Red when overspent, yellow when 90% used.
Custom reports and charts
Build pivot tables, create Google Charts, or add sparklines. Your reporting isn't limited to community templates.
Side hustle tracking
Add a dedicated sheet for freelance income, expenses, and profit margin — all linked to your main budget.
Zero-based budgeting built in
Tiller includes category-based monthly and yearly budgets. Aspire adds the envelope workflow of assigning the money you have, then lets you extend it.
Tiller connects to financial institutions through Plaid and Yodlee, established data aggregation providers used across financial services. For many people this works well and saves real time. If you'd rather not authorize a third-party connection to your accounts, Aspire with CSV import gets transactions into your spreadsheet without a bank connection.
Tiller's approach
Connect accounts through Plaid or Yodlee → Transactions and balances flow into your sheet. Convenient and largely hands-off.
Aspire's approach
Download a CSV from your bank → Drop it into the add-on → Transactions appear in your sheet. More manual, but no third-party connection.
| Timeframe | Aspire (free) | Aspire + Turbo | Tiller Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | $0 | $60 | $99 |
| 3 years | $0 | $180 | $297 |
| 5 years | $0 | $300 | $495 |
Even with Turbo's CSV import, Aspire costs less — though Tiller's automatic bank feed may be worth the difference if hands-off importing is your priority.
If you're on Tiller and want to switch, the transition is straightforward:
Copy the Aspire spreadsheet
One click — it's in your Drive.
Set up categories and accounts
Map your Tiller categories to Aspire's envelope system. Takes 10 minutes.
Allocate your money
On the Dashboard, assign every dollar to a category until Available to Budget is zero.
Import or enter transactions
Log manually, or use Aspire Turbo to import your bank CSV weekly.
Cancel Tiller
Once you're comfortable with Aspire, cancel your Tiller subscription. Your old Tiller data stays in its sheet if you want it for reference.
A complete zero-based budgeting system in Google Sheets. Free. No bank credentials required.
Aspire Budgeting