FamilyHub SG / Guides / FamilyHub SG vs a spreadsheet
FamilyHub SG vs Excel or Google Sheets: an honest comparison
Many families keep their money records in a spreadsheet: a heading row, a list of policies, loans and accounts, and that is it. That works, and it is free. This page shows what a spreadsheet does well, what it leaves to you, and what an app like FamilyHub SG adds.
I built FamilyHub SG, so I am biased. That is why the table ends with the things a spreadsheet does better, and why it uses a partly mark where an expert could make a spreadsheet do the job. A not included mark means there is no built-in feature, not that it is impossible.
The short answer
A spreadsheet is a blank page. It can do almost anything, but it does nothing until you build it, and nothing warns you when a date is close. FamilyHub SG is built for one job: a Singapore family keeping property, loans, insurance, investments, savings, cards and home items in one shared place, with a list of what is due.
If you only need a list that one person updates now and then, a spreadsheet is enough. If several family members need the same up-to-date picture, or you keep missing dates, an app does more of the work.
Side by side
Built in Possible, but you set it up and look after it Not included
| What you need | Excel or Google Sheets | FamilyHub SG |
|---|---|---|
| Staying on top of dates | ||
| Warns you before something is due | Partly. Only if you build itNothing is built in. You can colour cells by date with rules you write and look after. | Yes. Lists what is due in the next 90 daysInsurance premiums, policy ends, loan repricing and loan end dates, fixed deposit maturity, warranty expiry and card points expiry. You set how many days before each alert appears. |
| Works out the next premium date | Partly. Needs your own formulasOtherwise you retype each date every year. | Yes. From the premium frequencyFlags overdue premiums and marks GIRO ones, so you know to check the bank balance. |
| Your own reminders | No. No remindersA calendar app is separate and not linked to your records. | Yes. One-off or repeatingWeekly, monthly or yearly, with a Done button. |
| The big picture | ||
| Net worth from all your records | Partly. Yes, if you build the formulasOur free family records spreadsheet already has them. | Yes. Updates by itselfProperty, investments, savings, CPF-linked accounts and other assets, less loans. |
| Net worth and cash flow over the years | Partly. You build and maintain the modelCharts are possible. The sums behind them are up to you. | Yes. A projection chart and a cash flow chartClick a year to see what is behind it. Loan paydown is included. |
| A check-up and an estate checklist | No. Not includedYou would design your own. | Yes. On the home screenA Financial Health check and an Estate Planning checklist with progress. |
| Foreign currency in Singapore dollars | Partly. Possible, often typed by handGoogle Sheets can fetch rates with a formula. Many people type them in. | Yes. Converted for youExchange rates are refreshed every night. |
| Photos and papers | ||
| Photos of things in your home | Partly. Possible, but fiddlyRecent Excel can place a picture inside a cell. Ordinary paste leaves it floating over the cells, where it can shift when you sort. Every photo is stored inside the file, so the file grows. | Yes. Attach photos to any itemPhotos are stored separately from your list. Up to 5 MB each. |
| Policy papers next to the record | Partly. A link to a file elsewhereIt breaks if the file is moved or renamed. | Yes. Upload the document to the recordUp to 10 MB each. Included in the full export. |
| Family sharing and safety | ||
| Everyone sees the latest version | Partly. Google Sheets yes. Emailed Excel files no.An emailed file becomes several copies that drift apart. | Yes. One shared householdEvery member sees the same current records. |
| Who can change things | Partly. Per file, not per person's role in the familyGoogle Sheets has viewer and editor access for the whole file. | Yes. Editors and viewersYou choose who can change records and who can only look. |
| Each record belongs to a person | Partly. A column you add and filter yourself | Yes. Tagged to a family memberFilter the whole app by person. |
| See who changed what, and get a deleted record back | Partly. Only if the file is onlineGoogle Sheets and Excel files on OneDrive keep version history. A file on your own computer does not. | Yes. Audit trail and Recycle BinThe main financial records show who changed what. Deleted items stay in the Recycle Bin for 30 days. |
| Typing mistakes | Partly. Dropdowns are possibleA date or amount typed as text can quietly break a total. | Yes. Forms with set fieldsYou pick from lists instead of typing everything. |
| Showing a financial adviser part of it | No. You send the whole file | Yes. You choose what an adviser seesBy category and by family member. Read-only. |
| Backup | No. You back it up yourself | Yes. AutomaticRecords are backed up nightly. Photos and documents are backed up hourly. |
| Where a spreadsheet is the better choice | ||
| Works without internet | Yes. YesAn Excel file on your computer opens anywhere. | No. NoThe app needs an internet connection. |
| Your data stays on your own device | Yes. Yes, if you keep the file thereNothing leaves your computer. | No. NoYour records are stored online, in Singapore. The founder and one IT developer can access stored data to run the service. |
| Any layout, any formula | Yes. YesAdd columns, change the layout, build your own sums. | No. A fixed set of fieldsYou can't redesign the screens. |
| Alerts to your phone or email | No. NoExcel does not send them on its own. | No. Not yetAlerts show when you open the app. Nothing is sent to your phone or email. |
| Cost | Yes. Free to startGoogle Sheets is free. Excel needs Microsoft 365 or a free web version. | Partly. Free during the betaPricing for later has not been set. |
FamilyHub SG is a web app for your phone or computer. It does not link to your bank, so you type your records in yourself. It is in beta.
Which should you use?
A spreadsheet is enough if…
- one person keeps the records and nobody else needs to see them
- you want the file on your own computer and offline
- you like building your own layout and formulas
- you already check your dates in a calendar
An app helps if…
- your spouse or parents also need to find things
- you have missed a renewal, repricing or maturity date before
- you want photos of your home items kept with the record
- you want net worth and cash flow worked out for you
You do not have to choose straight away. Start with the free family records spreadsheet to get everything written down in one place. Move to the app when the spreadsheet starts to feel like work.
Questions
Can I bring my spreadsheet into the app?
Not yet. It may come in future, and if you would like it, email [email protected]. The free spreadsheet uses the same sheet and column names as the app's own Excel export, so you can copy your rows across by hand in the meantime.
Do I still type everything in myself?
Yes. The app does not connect to your bank or insurer. You enter each property, loan, policy and account once. After that, the totals, charts and due dates are worked out for you.
Can I take my data out again?
Yes. You can export everything to an Excel workbook, or a full .zip with your photos and documents. There is also a Word summary of your assets and liabilities.
Is the app free?
It is free during the beta. Pricing for later has not been set, and everything you enter can be exported whenever you like.
How this was checked. The FamilyHub SG rows were checked against the app's own code on 18 October 2026. The Excel and Google Sheets rows describe the programs as most people use them. The picture row follows Microsoft's help pages, checked the same day. I have not tested this on Apple Numbers. The author is the founder of FamilyHub SG, not a licensed financial adviser. This is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice.
Try it with the sample family
FamilyHub SG is a free beta app for Singapore households. You can look around with a made-up family before you enter anything of your own. You can export everything at any time.
Sources
- Microsoft Support, Insert picture in cell in Excel. Checked 18 October 2026.
- Microsoft 365 Insider blog, Insert pictures in cells in Excel. Checked 18 October 2026.
Related: A free family records spreadsheet for Singapore · Track your family's insurance policies · If something happens to you: a checklist.