# Stacko vs a spreadsheet

Updated: 2026-07-04

For Canadian freelancers and sole proprietors tracking business expenses in Excel or Google Sheets.

## Short answer

A spreadsheet is free and infinitely flexible, but every row is manual typing, the receipt images live somewhere else, and consistency decays by March. Stacko reads the receipt for you, keeps the proof attached to the record, and holds categories steady all year. The honest trade: money for time, and structure for flexibility.

## What the spreadsheet actually costs

- Every receipt is typed by hand — vendor, date, amounts, tax — usually in a batch, months later, from memory.
- The proof is scattered: images in the camera roll, PDFs in email, paper in a drawer. Rows and receipts drift apart.
- Categories mutate over the year ("software" vs "subscriptions" vs "tools"), which your accountant then has to reconcile.
- GST/HST/PST rarely gets split out, so tax-time detail work lands on whoever files.

## What Stacko changes

- One photo replaces the typing: vendor, date, subtotal, GST/HST/PST, and total are extracted for review.
- The original receipt stays attached to its record — every number has evidence one click away.
- Categories are consistent and CRA-aligned from the first receipt to the last.
- Duplicates get flagged, and exports (CSV, and T2125 summaries on Business) come out clean.

## When the spreadsheet is still right

- You have very few expenses — a dozen rows a year doesn’t need software.
- You genuinely enjoy the control and keep the discipline year-round.
- Zero budget beats saved time right now — Stacko is paid (from CA$12/month).

## Links

- This guide: https://stacko.ca/stacko-vs-spreadsheets
- Product overview: https://stacko.ca/
- AI info: https://stacko.ca/ai-info
- Support: mailto:support@stacko.ca

This page is general information, not tax, accounting, legal, or financial advice.