Shortcut

Shortcut is an AI agent for Excel that builds and edits financial models for finance professionals who spend their days in spreadsheets. Rather than suggesting a single formula, it takes on multi-step tasks such as building a three-statement model, restructuring a workbook or updating assumptions across tabs. It is made by Fundamental Research Labs and aimed squarely at investment and corporate finance teams.

What is Shortcut used for?

Shortcut is used to delegate spreadsheet work that would take an analyst hours, then review the result in the workbook.

• Building financial models from a description, with formulas and linked tabs
• Editing and extending existing models without breaking references
• Tracing model outputs back to source files to check where numbers come from
• Working inside a live Excel workbook through the add-in or the desktop app, or in the browser
• Extending work beyond Excel, such as preparing related PowerPoint slides
• Automating repeatable workflows through the CLI or Platform API

Who Shortcut is best for

Shortcut suits analysts and associates at hedge funds, private equity firms and investment banks, as well as FP&A and corporate finance teams. Firms with strict data policies can look at the enterprise options for on-premise deployment, private model gateways and bring-your-own-key setups. Office users who need help with simple formulas or tidying lists will find cheaper general-purpose tools enough.

Shortcut pricing

As of October 2026, Shortcut's free plan includes 20 credits per week and access on the web, desktop, Excel plugin and Google Sheets plugin. Pro costs $100 per month billed annually and adds 1,000 monthly credits, unlimited file creation and edits, and Platform API access. Teams costs $320 per month plus $100 per seat per month, billed annually, with pooled credits, a shared workspace and usage analytics. Enterprise is custom and adds SSO, custom permissions, BYOK, a private gateway, SLAs and optional unlimited seats or credits. Messages typically use between 2 and 15 credits depending on complexity.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Pro and Teams are billed annually, which is a real commitment for an individual
• Credits per message vary, so heavy modeling sessions can drain the weekly free allowance quickly
• Any AI-built model still needs a line-by-line review before it drives decisions
• Performance figures on the website are the company's own evaluations

Shortcut vs alternatives

Microsoft Copilot is built into Excel for Microsoft 365 customers and covers general spreadsheet help without another vendor. Claude can also work in Excel and handles analysis and modeling as part of a general assistant subscription. Numerous.ai is a lower-cost choice for AI functions and text tasks in spreadsheets. Julius AI suits people who want charts and analysis from uploaded data rather than a finished Excel model. Shortcut wins when the job is serious financial modeling inside real Excel files.

Tips for getting started with Shortcut

Start on the free plan with a model you already know well, so you can judge the output against your own work. Give Shortcut clear structure in your prompt, such as tab names, time periods and key assumptions. Ask it to trace important outputs back to their inputs before you rely on them. Use the desktop app if you want it to work on the same workbook you have open in Excel.

Shortcut FAQ

Is Shortcut free?

Yes, Shortcut has a free plan with 20 credits per week. Pro costs $100 per month billed annually for 1,000 monthly credits.

Does Shortcut work inside Excel?

Yes. Shortcut offers an Excel add-in on Microsoft AppSource and a desktop app that connects to a live Excel workbook.

Is Shortcut safe to use with company data?

Shortcut says it is SOC 2 Type II audited and has zero data retention agreements with model providers, with on-premise options for enterprises.

What is the best alternative to Shortcut?

Microsoft Copilot is the main alternative for Microsoft 365 users, and Claude is another option for spreadsheet analysis and modeling.