The Best PocketSmith Alternative for Notion, Airtable & Google Sheets Users

My PocketSmith Story: When Power Becomes Complexity

I signed up for PocketSmith because of a YouTube video. Someone showed their calendar-based budget projection, and I was hooked. "This is exactly what I need," I thought. "I'll finally be able to see my financial future laid out on a calendar."

Three weeks later, I was still watching tutorials. PocketSmith is genuinely powerful—their forecasting engine is impressive, and the calendar view is beautiful. But that power comes with a learning curve that felt like learning a new profession.

And I kept having this nagging thought: I already know how to do forecasting. I've been doing it for years. In Google Sheets. Why was I learning an entirely new system when the skill I needed was something I already had?

PocketSmith vs BankSync: Full Feature Comparison

Let's cut to the chase. Here's how these two tools stack up across the features that matter most:

Pricing Comparison: The Real Cost

Let's talk money, since that's literally what we're trying to manage better:

What PocketSmith Does Exceptionally Well

Let me be fair—PocketSmith genuinely excels in several areas. If you don't already live in spreadsheets, these features are hard to beat:

Why BankSync Might Be Better For You

Here's why I ultimately switched—and why you might want to as well:

Sync Your Bank Data Anywhere

Building My Own Forecasting System

Here's what I built in Google Sheets after switching to BankSync:

1. A transaction log that BankSync auto-populates daily
2. A recurring expenses sheet where I list bills with their due dates
3. A 12-month forecast that projects my balance based on income, bills, and average discretionary spending
4. A scenario comparison where I can model "what if I buy a car?" or "what if I increase my savings rate?"

Is it as pretty as PocketSmith's calendar? No. But it's exactly what I need, I understand every formula, and I built it in a weekend using skills I already had.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Users Say

The Bottom Line

PocketSmith is genuinely excellent software. Their forecasting engine and calendar view solve real problems for many people. But they're solving problems that spreadsheet users already know how to solve—we just needed the data.

I spent weeks learning PocketSmith when I could have spent an afternoon building my own system. Now I have exactly what I want, in tools I know, at less than half the price.

If you've been eyeing PocketSmith but hesitating at the complexity or the price, give BankSync a try. You might find—like I did—that you had the skills all along. You just needed the data.