Spread vs. AI Chatbots
From PDF to model in minutes, not hours.
A chatbot gets you a table from private company financials. Spread maps every line into your layout and drops it into your Excel model, checked and traced to the source of truth.
Side by side
Where a spreading workflow succeeds or breaks.
Excel integration
TagniFi Spread
Enter the company ID in your model and every mapped line populates instantly via =TAGNIFI()
AI Chatbot
Output must be manually mapped or linked into your model each period
Error checking
TagniFi Spread
Balance checks, subtotal ties and period-over-period variances flagged automatically
AI Chatbot
No built-in validation; a wrong total looks the same as a right one
Custom layouts
TagniFi Spread
Your chart of accounts, applied to every upload
AI Chatbot
Format re-described in a prompt each session
Tax return support
TagniFi Spread
Reads Forms 1065, 1120 and 1120-S, schedules included
AI Chatbot
Inconsistent on form structure and schedules
Persistent mappings
TagniFi Spread
Line-item mappings saved per company and reused every period
AI Chatbot
Starts from scratch in each conversation
Single source of truth
TagniFi Spread
One published spread per company that every workbook and teammate pulls from
AI Chatbot
CSV files distributed across inboxes and drives, each a separate copy
Source transparency
TagniFi Spread
Every figure traced to its source page in the original document
AI Chatbot
Figures returned without a verifiable link to the source
Team access controls
TagniFi Spread
Roles and permissions by company, layout and user
AI Chatbot
Individual accounts; shared through exports or chat links
Encryption
TagniFi Spread
Encrypted in transit and at rest with a per-firm key, from upload to export
AI Chatbot
Varies by provider and plan
Zero data retention
TagniFi Spread
Documents sent for AI mapping run under a zero-data-retention agreement and are never used to train models
AI Chatbot
May be retained or used for training depending on settings
Support
TagniFi Spread
Supported by real people
AI Chatbot
Good luck
"AI Chatbot" refers to general-purpose consumer and business chat assistants used without a dedicated spreading integration. Capabilities, retention and security terms vary by provider and plan; review your provider's terms.
What your time is worth
A chatbot extracts the numbers, but mapping and linking them into Excel still takes analyst time. Set your volume and rate.
TagniFi Spread
With Excel Integration600hrs/yr saved
AI Chatbot
No Excel Integration300hrs/yr saved
Additional value with Spread
$52,500
300 more analyst hours a year back for analysis
Defaults assume 5 hours saved per spread with Spread versus spreading by hand, and 2.5 hours with an AI chatbot after time spent mapping and linking output into Excel. Adjust either to match your workflow. Actual savings vary by document complexity and workflow.
Fits Your Model
Lands where the work happens
Custom layouts, persistent mappings and the Excel add-in mean each new period drops into the workbook you already use, with no reformatting.
Ties Out
Numbers you can defend
Automated error checks catch statements that don't balance, and every figure links back to the page it came from, tax returns included.
Stays Private
Confidential financials stay confidential
Team access controls, per-firm encryption and zero data retention keep confidential financials out of anyone else's hands, and out of model training.