Lightning is stronger at
- Quick to log a spend
- Wealth depth: holdings, gold, loans, dollars
- Egypt and Arabic fit
- Numbers you can trace
- Easy to start
Lightning against a spreadsheet
Lightning or a spreadsheet?
An honest comparison in Low, Medium and High. Where a spreadsheet is better, we say so.
At a glance
Six Things, Rated Honestly.
A file of rows and formulas that you build and keep yourself. Each rating comes with one line of why.
| What matters | Lightning | A spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Quick to log a spend | MediumPhone capture and bank SMS on Android; no voice entry and no automatic bank feed yet. | LowOpen the file, find the row, type it in. |
| Your data stays yours | HighEncrypted on your own devices; no account and no server. | HighA file you own, wherever you keep it. |
| Wealth depth: holdings, gold, loans, dollars | HighHoldings and returns, physical gold, certificates, loans, money held for others and foreign cash with FX gains in one net worth. | MediumAnything, if you build and maintain every formula. |
| Egypt and Arabic fit | HighArabic with right-to-left, EGP first, Egyptian banks, certificates, gold and gam’eya. | MediumArabic works; everything Egyptian is yours to set up. |
| Numbers you can trace | HighEvery figure says what it includes; a year of a sample user is checked screen against screen. | MediumYou can see every formula, and so can a typo you never notice. |
| Easy to start | MediumNo account, but you install it, and starting from bank statements takes a few minutes. | LowA blank sheet: you design before you track. |
Ratings are our honest view as of 2026-11-01, checked against the sources named in the comparison file. Tell us if one is wrong.
Where each is stronger
Neither Wins Everywhere.
Read the rows above, then pick what fits how you work.
A spreadsheet is stronger at
Nothing on this list.
Choosing
Which One Should You Pick?
Choose a spreadsheet if you enjoy building your own system, your money fits in a few columns, or you need a layout nothing else offers.
Keep reading
More Honest Answers
The whole picture first, then the nearest guides.
Lightning or A traditional expense tracker?
A phone app where you log spending by hand or from bank SMS, usually free with ads or a small one-off fee.
Lightning or A cloud budgeting app?
An app on a company's servers that links to your bank and charges a subscription.
Know What You Own
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