Google Sheets is a strong platform for what it does. AlignCube solves a different, narrower job: a self-serve, decision-ready cut list - what to keep, cut, review, or consolidate - in a minute or two, with no integration.
A Google Sheet is the default way most teams track software and AI spend - flexible, free, and familiar. It holds whatever you type, but it does not score tools, find overlap, attach evidence, or route a decision; every judgment call stays manual.
Paste your tools, invoices, or a list and get every tool scored keep, cut, review, or consolidate - with reviewable spend, the evidence to confirm each cut, and owner routing. Free to run, a minute or two, no integration.
| Dimension | Google Sheets | AlignCube |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | A manual list of tools, costs, and renewals you maintain by hand | A decision-ready cut list: keep, cut, review, consolidate |
| Finds overlap | No - you eyeball it | Flags redundant tools and overlap automatically |
| Recommendations | None - the sheet stores data, you decide | Per-tool keep / cut / consolidate with the reasoning |
| Evidence & owners | Whatever cells you fill in | Evidence path, owner routing, and approvals attached |
| Setup | Build and maintain the sheet yourself | Paste tools, invoices, or a list - about a minute |
| Pricing model | Free, but the analysis is your time | Free audit; Monitor $399/mo flat |
| Best for | Teams who just want a place to list tools | Teams who want the cut decision made, with evidence - not just stored |
A spreadsheet is fine as a place to list what you pay for. AlignCube is for the next step - turning that list into a defensible decision (what to cut or consolidate, why, and who signs off) without doing the analysis by hand.
Free audit. No integration. No credit card.