budget vs actual spreadsheet
Budget vs actual report with variance formulas
Compare planned and actual numbers per category with variance in amount and percent. Free to open and download to Excel.
Opening the template uses no credits. Building from a prompt uses credits; the Free plan includes 25.
A budget is only useful if you check it. Comparing actuals with plan shows where spending drifts and where to act.
What the spreadsheet looks like
| Row | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Category | Budget | Actual | Variance | Variance % |
| 2 | Sales | 500,000 | 538,000 | =C2-B2 | =D2/B2 |
| 3 | Salaries | -220,000 | -226,000 | =C3-B3 | =D3/ABS(B3) |
| 4 | Marketing | -40,000 | -36,500 | =C4-B4 | =D4/ABS(B4) |
| 5 | Result | =SUM(B2:B4) | =SUM(C2:C4) | =C5-B5 | =D5/ABS(B5) |
This is the real first sheet of the Budget vs Actual template. Every total is a formula.
Who it's for
- Managers with a department budget
- Small business owners reviewing monthly
- Event and project owners
What you get
- Budget, actual and variance columns
- Variance % that handles zero budgets
- Totals as formulas
- Conditional highlights on request
How it works
- 1
Open the template
Sample categories show the structure.
- 2
Paste your actuals
Typing and pasting are free.
- 3
Ask for focus
Request highlights or a summary of the largest overruns.
Prompts to try
Tips from practice
- Define variance consistently (actual − budget) so signs mean the same thing.
- Use IFERROR on variance % for categories with no budget.
- Review monthly, not just at year end.
Good to know: Actual figures must be entered, pasted or attached.
Formulas used here: IFERROR, Percentage change, SUMIFS