LiveFlow Reviews

“Frees up so much of my time

Pros

It has significantly cut down the time we used to take each month to update our financial models with data from QuickBooks. Changes made in QBO sync seamlessly with the model making updates effortless. Plus the ability to update reports at the desired frequency is very useful and the drill down feature is simply the best as no more toggling between models and QBO for deeper analysis. Even the onboarding team at LiveFlow was excellent to work with.

Cons

No major downsides but the software does come with a bit of a learning curve. But I would say it's definitely worth the effort though!

“Excellent for Accounting Workflow but a bit expensive

Pros

LiveFlow has been an excellent addition to our accounting workflow. While it's pricier than QBO itself, it's worth every penny in terms of productivity and accuracy. Manual data entry has been greatly reduced eliminating errors. If QBO data is correct, your custom reports will be too. Although it takes some time to master but once set up, it runs smoothly. You can extract raw data from QBO, create dashboards and generate financial statements and the few times I have needed customer service, they have been quick to respond. So I highly recommend it.

Cons

It is a bit on the expensive side. The price was a bit of a surprise especially since we signed up when they were just starting out. Multiple companies don't seem to get any discount so we only use it with one entity.

“Great for multi entity organizations, Setup Takes Time

Pros

It has saved us a lot of time when sending out financial reports especially when managing multiple organizations. Plus the ability to consolidate multi-entity organizations is one of the most useful features for me.

Cons

The initial setup took some time but thats expected with any software. I am specifically referring to mapping the chart of accounts in multi entity organizations as single entity organizations have a much quicker setup.

“An effective time saving tool!

Pros

This software eliminates the need for manual spreadsheet updates by syncing live data from QuickBooks into Google Sheets. This reduces errors and saves us hours every month, leading to faster and more accurate financial reporting. We use it to automate our monthly close process, consolidate financials from multiple entities and create dashboards that update automatically.

Cons

Well the user interface could be more modern. Also I wish the reports were a bit more flexible. But honestly there is not much to dislike about a tool that saves me hours each month.

“Effortless Google Sheets Integration

Pros

I love that this tool is integrated with Google Sheets as there is no need to log into QBO to view the information. Everything I need is right there.

Cons

To be honest I am happy with it as there is really nothing to dislike about it. It's extremely helpful for our team.

“Changed the way I used to work

Pros

LiveFlow has transformed my reporting process. It connects Google Sheets with QuickBooks Online saving me hours each month on manual updates. The automation has made my workflow much more efficient and their templates are easy to use and tailored to real business needs.

Cons

My only complaint is the sync timing. Although it syncs automatically, I am not sure when or how often so I often manually sync to make sure I am looking at the most up to date numbers and it would be great to have more control over or visibility into the sync schedule. Still it's a very powerful tool and I would recommend it to anyone looking to streamline financial reporting.

“Efficiency at its best

Pros

Consolidating monthly accounts is as simple as clicking a button. The shortcuts for starting the next month's work are really helpful and the team responds quickly whenever we need assistance.

Cons

It is a bit limited with Xero compared to QuickBooks. Plus some areas like the transaction by transaction breakdown are not available with the Xero integration.

“Massive Time Savings for Over 100 Clients

Pros

This software saves our firm a lot of amount of time each month. We used to manually pull numbers for over 100 clients but now thanks to it, we save all that time.

Cons

The setup does require some attention to detail but it is no more than what any other software needs. So I would not really call this a downside.

“Powerful Dashboards for Clients

Pros

I love the wide variety of dashboards available in LiveFlow. The data visualization feature is particularly appreciated by our clients.

Cons

There are some reports that are exclusive to Google Sheets and not available in Excel. I feel like it would be nice to have access to all reports across platforms.

“A must-have for nonprofits

Pros

The integration is smoth and it's easy to access detailed information. We can now view comprehensive financials without giving staff direct access to QBO or other sensitive data.

Cons

Nothing we dislike about it as it is a very useful tool for our team and is very reliable.

“First time using it and so far liking it

Pros

LiveFlow makes it easy to bring in important financial information helping us stay organized and compare data quickly.

Cons

The UI could be improved especially in terms of spacing out the interactions and menus to make it a bit more user-friendly.

“Provides real time insights for clients!

Pros

It allows us to create real time reports for our clients. Instead of waiting for 10 to 15 days to receive month end reports, we now provide flash reports that can be accessed daily with up to date information, it also streamlines the entire reporting process which is a huge win.

Cons

I feel like cost might seem high to some initially since you are not used to paying for a reporting tool but once it's part of your process, it is hard to imagine working without it.

“Simplifies report extraction from QBO

Pros

I really like how it simplifies extracting information from QBO. It has allowed our team to automate reporting saving us a significant amount of time each month.

Cons

There is a lack of high quality dashboards. Some dashboards either feel outdated or are too customized to specific industries making them less useful for us.

“Can't believe how much time this tool saves

Pros

This software saves me 2 to 3 hours per client every month and produces much better quality reports than I could create myself. The new Dashboards feature is highly customizable and can be customized to fit our exact needs. There have been no integration issues across QuickBooks Online, Xero, Google Sheets or Excel and customer support has always been helpful. I highly recommend it for Fractional CFOs or finance teams looking to improve their reporting workflow.

Cons

It is on the expensive side but definitely worth it if you have the right clients. Also there is a bit of work up front to get your reporting set up how you want it but this is typical with any similar tool. The one feature I am missing is the NetSuite integration.

“A bit expensive but valuable software

Pros

It works great by integrating QBO with either Google Sheets or Excel which is useful since some clients use one software and others use the other, the dashboards are an excellent feature though I wish there was not an extra charge to access them. Still it's fantastic to offer clients a link to a clean dashboard that updates whenever their QBO file is updated.

Cons

The biggest downside to it is the price. While it is not the cheapest option, I think it's worth it if you are charging appropriate fees to your clients. However I don't like the extra charges for new features. For example the dashboard feature is free once but you have to pay for additional use. Consolidation features also come at an extra cost.

“Real Time Insights and Custom Dashboard!

Pros

I appreciate how this tool provides real time insights and customizable dashboards. We use web based dashboards for smaller clients and build custom ones in Google Sheets for larger clients. Overall it's a very helpful tool.

Cons

We faced some challenges with the Google Sheets extension at first but their team quickly resolved the issue.

“Still figuring it out

Pros

I like how easy it is to share with teammates. Though the software is still new to my organization and we are learning its full potential.

Cons

It feels like it was mostly designed with finance teams in mind so I would love to see it become a bit easier for non-finance team members to use.

“Provides fantastic support

Pros

The onboarding process was amazing and the staff was pretty helpful. They were very welcoming and hands-on when teaching us how to use the system.

Cons

Learning how to use the AI took some time although the team was very helpful with teaching and training us and though it is great for creating new formulas needed for automation but the troubleshooting process can be a bit frustrating at times.

“Its perfect! allows streamlined reporting and forecasting

Pros

Setting upthis tool was very easy and it has been incredibly useful. It has streamlined reporting and forecasting, eliminating the need to manually export reports as everything is now automated and accurate.

Cons

It works great but I feel like the pricing can get high for smaller teams. Plus it would be awesome to see a more affordable pricing tier in the future.

“User-friendly tool that is worth your time and money

Pros

LiveFlow quickly and easily populates our financial data giving us more time to focus on analysis rather than preparation. Overall I highly recommend this tool.

Cons

I have not found anything I dislike about the tool so far. It's easy to use and I wish I had discovered it sooner.

“Perfect for integrating multiple companies with QuickBooks at a great price

Pros

The seamless integration of multiple companies in QuickBooks makes this product extremely effective for us for closing, consolidation and performance reviews.

Cons

Though the user interface has improved a lot but I still find myself needing help pages more often than I would like.

“Nearly flawless

Pros

It is easy to use and saves us a lot of time when reviewing data for my clients. The integration from QBO to Google Sheets is also excellent.

Cons

I wish it were easier to integrate into the dashboards I already use for my clients. While I like their pre made templates, I have set up some dashboards already and have not been able to fully link them yet.

“Makes budgeting and forecasting a simple task

Pros

All the manual work I used to do is now gone. After setting it up it just runs smoothly. Now I cannot imagine working without it anymore.

Cons

It works better with Google Sheets than Microsoft Excel. We are a Microsoft shop but it seems like more development is happening with Google Sheets support.

“Time Saving Reporting!!

Pros

Personally, it has completely changed how we handle financial reporting. The real time syncing with QuickBooks is also pretty reliable, saving us hours every month. Before we used to spend days pulling and formatting reports but now everything updates automatically in Google Sheets. The templates are also a huge benefit especially for cash flow tracking and comparing budgets versus actuals.

Cons

The initial setup takes some time especially with a complex chart of accounts. Also pricing might be a bit high for very small businesses but the time we saved in the long run definitely makes up for it.

“A must-have for accountants handling outsourced work

Pros

It has saved my team a ton of time during each monthly close! As an accounting firm being able to pull reports consistently across clients without the need to log in, configure, download and upload into workbooks is invaluable.

Cons

I have not faced any issues as any problems I have had were quickly resolved by the team once I raised them.

“Very user-friendly and simple

Pros

The reports are already built and there are plenty to choose from and once it's set up, it's quite easy to use.

Cons

Well I would love to see a dashboard with charts and graphs. Also notes disappear when you update the report.

“Top-notch tool Ive come across

Pros

LiveFlow has been a great investment for our construction company. The data visualizations and monthly reports have been the most helpful. We used to spend days creating visualizations and now we have them in real time.

Cons

We have not had any issues with the product so far. It has met our needs and provided a solid baseline.

“Transformed our CFO reporting

Pros

It was really easy to set up and onboard all our clients. I especially love the customization options as they allow us to tailor everything to our specific needs.

Cons

There was nothing I didn't like. It was easy to use and get started with so no complaints here.

“Reporting has never been easier

Pros

It makes connecting QuickBooks data to Google Sheets effortless making it simple to display custom reports for my clients.

Cons

The dashboards are improving but they are not quite there yet. They are getting better but they feel less customizable and more plug and play, which may be fine for some users.

“Monthly reports are now done in no time

Pros

Integration with QBO has saved me a lot of time during monthly reporting especially with automatic budget vs. actual reports.

Cons

Setup process was time-consuming. Plus I find it frustrating to have to manually build and link all the accounts.

“There are some bugs but it's totally worth it

Pros

The thing I like the most is that it is endlessly customizable especially with AI assistance. I was previously limited by the standard QBO reports but this software has completely solved that issue.

Cons

Support was better when it first launched. Now it seems like the support agents are less knowledgeable about the software but I can usually get the help I need after escalating the issue.

“Perfect tool for today's CFOs

Pros

This software's live connection to Xero and Google Sheets is a game-changer as no more exporting data manually or dealing with outdated information. Also I love the forecasting features particularly how easily you can model both fixed and variable costs. It makes reporting, scenario planning and board prep faster and more accurate.

Cons

I wish there were a built in cash flow statement template. Right now, I have to build it from scratch using the data, which adds extra setup time.

“Fast Google Sheets Integration

Pros

Our favourite part is fast and seamless integration with our Google Sheets budget. The interface is also user friendly making it simple to onboard new team members.

Cons

Some cells are not compatible with the drill-down feature and it's not always clear which ones are. This has caused some confusion within our team.

“Packed with some of the best features

Pros

The best feature in my opinion is being able to import QBO data with a single click. This saves a huge amount of time that would otherwise be spent pulling updated reports from QBO.

Cons

I noticed there can sometimes be sync errors or issues with the API though it does not happen frequently.

“The best for financial reporting but onboarding could improve

Pros

LiveFlow's real-time integration with Google Sheets is incredibly powerful, I love how it effortlessly pulls live data from accounting platforms like QuickBooks saving hours on manual updates and minimizing errors. The automation of financial reporting was especially impressive as it made complex workflows simple and efficient.

Cons

While it is powerful, the initial setup and configuration felt a bit complex especially for users who are not familiar with Google Sheets formulas or automation tools. I feel like some advanced customization features could be more user-friendly or better documented.

“Pretty solid tool

Pros

The drill down feature is very helpful and the user-friendliness of the software is great. I enjoy being able to easily project current and next month's data, benchmarks etc. It would be great to have a pro forma section in LiveFlow. We created one ourselves and I feel like it could be a useful feature for all users.

Cons

Not much to complain about but I do think there is room for more features, like a more customizable pro-forma integration unless I am missing something.

“Easy to use and learn

Pros

I love how simple it is to pull QuickBooks reports into Google Sheets.

Cons

Occasionally when I try to refresh or modify a report, it glitches and does not show the updated version.

“A true time-saving software

Pros

Without exaggerating this software saves me days of work each month that would have been spent downloading and editing reports from QBO into Excel and Sheets. The support is also great and super responsive and it's incredibly easy to pick up and start using.

Cons

This is more of a QBO limitation but I wish I could automatically add new clients from QBO to it without needing to go through the connection process each time.

“Excellent addition in our workflow

Pros

It works perfectly for pulling data from QBO into Google Sheets for detailed viewing.

Cons

Sometimes it can run a bit slowly due to frequent refreshing.

“Deserves 5 stars, it's that good

Pros

The ability to integrate live data from QuickBooks into our financial models is a game changer for real time financial reporting and high-fidelity forecasting. Plus I absolutely love the database report functionality for digging deep into specific accounts.

Cons

I am not sure there is anything I really dislike about it. But since I have not explored the dashboard features much I guess thats the one area I have not fully explored yet.