Top 15 AI Tools for CFOs and Fractional CFOs in 2025

CFOs and fractional CFOs are turning to AI to handle everything from bookkeeping and cash flow forecasting to board reporting and scenario planning. This article reviews the 15 best AI tools for CFOs in 2025, with features, pricing, pros/cons, and use cases to help you choose the right platform.

Quick overview of 15 best AI tools for CFOs in 2025

Check the CFO Copilot demo below

Knolli is more than an accounting or FP&A tool—it’s a complete CFO co-pilot studio. While most platforms specialize in one slice of finance, Knolli handles the entire CFO workflow: from data normalization to investor decks. For fractional CFOs juggling multiple clients, this level of automation is transformative.

Key Capabilities

• Budget & Scenario Builder – Compare outcomes side-by-side to guide financial strategy.
• KPI Mapper – Automatically calculates CAC, LTV, burn multiple, and other investor metrics.
• Cash Flow Strategist – Maintains rolling forecasts that keep runway visible.
• Variance & Ratio Analysis – Highlights shifts in revenue, expenses, and margins while surfacing liquidity and profitability ratios.
• Workflow Automation – Upload an income statement → Knolli normalizes and analyzes → with one click, generate a Google Slides board deck → another click drafts an investor email in Gmail.

Advantages

Knolli cuts what used to be an 8-hour manual process into 20 minutes. Its seamless integration with Google Drive, Gmail, and Slides removes tool-switching. Unlike many competitors, it’s priced for accessibility, making it viable for both solo fractional CFOs and mid-sized finance teams.

Drawbacks

Knolli is a newer entrant compared to legacy FP&A platforms, so CFOs in highly complex enterprise environments may need deeper ERP integrations (currently expanding).

Pricing

Starts at $39/month

Best For

Fractional CFOs manage multiple clients, and finance teams seek all-in-one CFO automation without the high costs of enterprise solutions.

See More: Best AI Cash Flow Forecasting Agents

Zeni combines AI-driven bookkeeping and accounting automation with a human finance team, creating a hybrid model that appeals to startups. For fractional CFOs, it acts as a virtual back office that takes routine finance work off the table.

Key Capabilities

• Automated bookkeeping across accounts and entities
• Real-time dashboards and cash flow tracking
• Bill pay and tax compliance built in
• AI-powered CFO agent for runway forecasting

Advantages

Zeni frees up CFOs from managing transaction-heavy tasks while ensuring compliance and accuracy. Its combination of AI and human oversight provides confidence that numbers are reliable.

Drawbacks

The reliance on Zeni’s managed service model makes it less flexible for CFOs who want to control every detail in-house. Costs can also rise as services expand.

Pricing

Starter plan – $494

Best For

Fractional CFOs support early-stage startups by providing comprehensive bookkeeping, tax, and CFO advisory services in one package.
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See More: Best Zeni Alternative in 2025: Why CFOs Are Choosing Knolli

Vic.ai is explicitly built to tackle accounts payable automation. It uses AI to learn from historical invoices and automates classification, approvals, and payments.

Key Capabilities

• AI-driven invoice ingestion and coding
• Automated approval workflows
• Continuous learning from historical AP data
• ERP integrations for seamless payment cycles

Advantages

Vic.ai reduces AP processing times dramatically. By learning from past invoices, its accuracy improves continuously. This saves both cost and time while reducing human error.

Drawbacks

It is a niche tool—strong for AP, but not designed for broader FP&A or reporting. CFOs seeking a full-stack solution will require complementary platforms.

Pricing

Custom, quote-based, depending on invoice volume and ERP integration.

Best For

Mid-market and enterprise CFOs handling large invoice volumes who need to cut costs in AP.

Booke AI focuses on improving bookkeeping accuracy and efficiency. It automates transaction categorization, fixes common errors, and simplifies client collaboration.

Key Capabilities

• AI-powered transaction auto-categorization
• Error detection and correction suggestions
• Client communication portals for clarity
• Workflow automation for reconciliation

Advantages

Booke AI is a time-saver for bookkeepers and fractional CFOs managing many clients. It reduces manual categorization errors and speeds up the month-end close.

Drawbacks

Its scope is limited to bookkeeping; it doesn’t provide advanced FP&A, forecasting, or scenario modeling.

Pricing

Starts at 50$

Best For

Fractional CFOs managing multiple SMB clients who need faster and more accurate bookkeeping.

Trullion is designed for accounting compliance and audit automation, making it particularly valuable in industries with heavy regulatory requirements.

Key Capabilities

• Automates lease accounting under ASC 842/IFRS 16
• Revenue recognition tools for GAAP compliance
• AI-powered audit trails linking structured and unstructured data
• Automated reporting for external audits

Advantages

Trullion helps CFOs streamline complex and time-consuming compliance tasks. Its ability to process both structured (ERP data) and unstructured (contracts, PDFs) information makes it versatile.

Drawbacks

Its niche compliance focus means it doesn’t offer broader FP&A or forecasting capabilities. It’s best as a complement to, not a replacement for, FP&A platforms.

Pricing

Enterprise, quote-based, depending on client size and compliance requirements.

Best For

CFOs in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, real estate) who need audit-grade automation.

DataRails reimagines Excel as a modern FP&A platform with its FinanceOS system. Instead of forcing CFOs and finance teams to abandon spreadsheets, it enhances them with automation, consolidation, and AI insights. This makes it especially attractive to fractional CFOs and mid-market companies that rely heavily on Excel but need scalable reporting and forecasting.

Key Capabilities

• Scenario Planning – Build complex financial scenarios, stress-test growth strategies, and compare multiple outcomes in real time.
• Data Consolidation – Integrates ERP, CRM, payroll, and spreadsheets into one unified source of truth.
• Budgeting & Forecasting – Automates rolling forecasts and keeps budgets accurate with live data feeds.
• Financial Reporting & Close – Reduces the manual burden of month-end close and generates board-ready reports.
• Data Visualization – Offers dashboards and charts that translate raw numbers into actionable insights.
• Generative AI (FP&A Genius) – Provides conversational insights, variance explanations, and anomaly detection directly inside Excel.

Advantages

DataRails allows CFOs to retain 100% of Excel’s flexibility while adding enterprise-grade automation. It frees teams from hours of manual data entry and empowers them to focus on strategic analysis. Its dashboards and reporting features are especially valued by finance leaders who need to present clear insights to boards and investors.

Drawbacks

The platform is priced for mid-market and enterprise clients, making it cost-prohibitive for smaller companies. It also requires a structured implementation to align all systems and maximize value.

Pricing

Typically starts at $24,000–$25,000/year, with costs scaling based on users and integrations.

Best For

Mid-sized companies and fractional CFOs who want to keep Excel but need AI-powered consolidation, forecasting, and variance analysis.

Cube is a spreadsheet-native FP&A platform that connects Excel and Google Sheets to a cloud database. It offers real-time forecasting, anomaly detection, and financial modeling without requiring CFOs to abandon familiar tools.

Key Capabilities

• Financial Modeling – Build and maintain models directly in Excel or Sheets with live data sync.
• Real-Time Forecasting – Update forecasts instantly as assumptions or source data change.
• Multi-Entity Support – Consolidate data across business units or clients.
• Anomaly Detection – Uses AI to surface unusual variances or risks in financials.

Advantages

Cube is praised for its fast adoption curve—teams don’t have to relearn financial modeling in a new interface. It reduces manual errors by syncing real-time data while preserving spreadsheet flexibility. For fractional CFOs managing multiple clients, Cube’s multi-entity capabilities are a significant time-saver.

Drawbacks

Cube is less comprehensive than platforms like Knolli or Mosaic. It focuses on modeling and forecasting rather than full workflows (decks, investor communications). Costs may also be high for small firms.

Pricing

Starts at $1,250/month.

Best For

Fractional CFOs and lean finance teams who want spreadsheet-native FP&A with centralized data but without enterprise overhead.

Vena is a robust FP&A solution designed for enterprise-level financial planning. It integrates advanced AI forecasting into budgeting and workforce planning, appealing to larger companies with complex needs.

Key Capabilities

• Predictive Forecasting – Uses AI to project performance across multiple dimensions.
• Budgeting & Planning – Handles complex multi-department budgets and workforce planning.
• Scenario Modeling – Helps enterprises test future strategies with large datasets.
• Collaboration Tools – Supports distributed finance teams working on shared models.

Advantages

Vena’s scale and flexibility make it a strong choice for large organizations. Its AI-enhanced forecasting improves accuracy at scale, and its collaborative tools ensure smooth workflows across departments.

Drawbacks

The platform requires a heavy implementation process and can feel overwhelming for smaller companies. It’s also cost-prohibitive for most fractional CFOs.

Pricing

Enterprise, quote-based.

Best For

Enterprise CFO teams handling large-scale FP&A, budgeting, and workforce planning.

Mosaic markets itself as a strategic finance platform that standardizes KPIs, automates reporting, and generates board-ready insights. It bridges operational and financial data, making it a favorite among high-growth companies.

Key Capabilities

• 150+ Prebuilt KPIs – From SaaS metrics (CAC, ARR) to cash flow ratios.
• Arc AI Assistant – Explains variances and provides narrative context for KPIs.
• Dashboards & Visualization – Delivers real-time dashboards for executives and investors.
• Board Reporting – Automatically generates investor-ready board decks.

Advantages

Mosaic excels in KPI standardization and investor reporting. Its AI narrative assistant helps translate complex metrics into plain English, which is valuable for boards and non-finance executives.

Drawbacks

Mosaic is a premium tool. Its pricing makes it better suited for scaleups and mid-market companies than SMBs. Some users find its setup more complex than lighter FP&A tools.

Pricing

$30,000–$50,000/year, depending on company size.

Best For

Scaleups and mid-market CFOs who need consistent KPIs, automated dashboards, and board-ready reporting.

Power BI, developed by Microsoft, is one of the most widely used business intelligence (BI) tools. For CFOs, it’s a cost-effective way to transform raw financial and operational data into interactive dashboards and AI-powered insights. With predictive analytics and pattern recognition, Power BI helps finance leaders not only understand what happened but also anticipate what might happen next.

Key Capabilities

• Predictive Analytics – Uses AI to identify patterns, anomalies, and emerging trends in financial performance.
• Self-Service Dashboards – Finance teams can build and customize dashboards without relying on IT.
• Deep Integrations – Works seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Azure, SQL databases, and ERP systems.
• Collaboration Features – Share dashboards and reports across teams via Teams and SharePoint.

Advantages

Power BI’s biggest strength is accessibility and affordability. CFOs can leverage predictive analytics at a fraction of the cost of traditional BI tools. Its tight integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem also makes it a natural fit for companies already using Excel, Teams, or Dynamics.

Drawbacks

Power BI has a learning curve for advanced modeling and may not offer the same polish in visualization design as Tableau. Large data sets can also slow performance if not optimized.

Pricing

Starts at $14

Best For

CFOs at small to mid-sized companies who need a cost-effective BI solution for pattern detection, forecasting, and team collaboration.

Tableau is often considered the gold standard for data visualization and interactive dashboards. While Power BI focuses on affordability and Microsoft ecosystem integration, Tableau shines in visual storytelling, making it easier for CFOs to communicate financial performance across departments and to investors.

Key Capabilities

• Drag-and-Drop Dashboarding – Build visualizations quickly without deep coding knowledge.
• AI-Driven Pattern Recognition – Surfaces insights automatically as users explore data.
• Integration with Major Data Sources – Connects to ERPs, CRMs, and large-scale data warehouses.
• Interactive Dashboards – Allows non-finance executives to drill down into data for self-service exploration.

Advantages

Tableau delivers best-in-class visuals that turn complex data into engaging narratives. CFOs use it to communicate trends, variances, and projections to boards, investors, and department leaders. Its broad community of users and resources makes it easy to find support and training.

Drawbacks

Tableau is more expensive than Power BI and requires governance to ensure consistent data sources across teams. It can also be resource-heavy for smaller firms without a dedicated analyst.

Pricing

Quote-based

Best For

Fractional CFOs and finance leaders who need polished, presentation-ready dashboards for clients, boards, or investors.

Compass AI is built specifically with fractional CFOs in mind. Unlike general BI tools, it packages Fortune 500-grade financial intelligence into a platform designed to help CFOs scale their practices and deliver client-ready insights.

Key Capabilities

• Benchmarking Intelligence – Compares client metrics to industry peers for sharper insights.
• Portfolio Dashboards – Manage and analyze multiple client accounts in one platform.
• AI Financial Analysis – Surfaces key risks, opportunities, and recommendations automatically.
• Client Reporting Automation – Generates reports tailored for client presentations.

Advantages

Compass AI’s niche focus on fractional CFOs makes it uniquely valuable. It’s designed to save time by automating recurring tasks like KPI benchmarking and portfolio analysis, allowing CFOs to handle more clients without diluting service quality.

Drawbacks

As a newer platform, Compass AI has a smaller ecosystem and brand recognition compared to Power BI or Tableau. Its features are highly specialized, which may not appeal to in-house CFO teams.

Pricing

Starts at $49

Best For

Fractional CFOs who need to deliver high-end financial intelligence and client reporting at scale.

See More: Best Compass AI Alternative in 2025: Why CFOs and Founders Choose Knolli

ChatGPT isn’t marketed as CFO software, but it has quickly become a strategic AI copilot for finance leaders. When integrated with financial data, it can model scenarios, explain variances, and even draft board-ready narratives. For fractional CFOs, it acts as an on-demand analyst, saving time on analysis and reporting.

Key Capabilities

• Scenario Modeling – Generate financial models by inputting assumptions like revenue growth, churn rates, or hiring plans.
• Variance Explanations – Translate complex financial shifts into plain English for executives or clients.
• Report Drafting – Draft board memos, investor updates, or internal finance summaries instantly.
• Custom Integrations – Connect via API to financial systems for tailored insights.

Advantages

ChatGPT is flexible and multipurpose—it can adapt to many CFO workflows, from FP&A to reporting. It reduces the time spent drafting financial commentary and allows CFOs to test ideas conversationally before committing resources.

Drawbacks

As a general-purpose AI, ChatGPT requires guardrails. Without clean data or proper prompts, results may lack accuracy. It also doesn’t replace FP&A-specific platforms for consolidation or forecasting.

Pricing

• $20/month (ChatGPT Plus)
• API usage is billed separately, based on tokens.

Best For

CFOs and fractional CFOs who want an AI copilot for custom modeling, reporting, and financial analysis.

Anaplan is one of the most recognized names in enterprise FP&A and scenario planning. Built for large-scale organizations, it integrates external data sources to support complex planning across finance, operations, and workforce management.

Key Capabilities

• Revenue Modeling – Build multi-dimensional forecasts for global businesses.
• Workforce Planning – Simulate hiring strategies, salary costs, and productivity.
• Scenario Planning – Model multiple economic conditions or growth strategies at once.
• Cross-Department Integration – Finance, sales, supply chain, and HR data all in one place.

Advantages

Anaplan is designed for scale and complexity. It’s trusted by enterprises with global operations, where forecasting needs to integrate multiple regions, currencies, and departments. Its predictive capabilities help CFOs anticipate shifts in demand and costs.

Drawbacks

Anaplan is costly and complex. It requires dedicated resources to implement and maintain, making it impractical for SMBs or fractional CFOs working with lean teams.

Pricing

Enterprise, quote-based.

Best For

Large enterprises with complex planning needs and CFOs who manage multi-department and multi-region forecasts.

Pigment is a newer player in FP&A, positioned as a modern, more agile alternative to Anaplan. It focuses on collaborative forecasting, flexible scenario modeling, and user-friendly design, making it attractive to mid-market CFOs.

Key Capabilities

• Scenario Modeling – Quickly test growth strategies and revenue projections.
• Revenue & Growth Forecasting – Plan for expansion while factoring in external drivers.
• Collaborative Planning – Teams can co-create and update models in real time.
• Integrations – Connects to CRMs, ERPs, and HR platforms for live data inputs.

Advantages

Pigment’s modern design makes it faster to implement than Anaplan. Its collaborative features are built for today’s distributed finance teams, and its focus on flexibility helps mid-sized companies adapt quickly to changing market conditions.

Drawbacks

As a newer tool, Pigment has a smaller ecosystem and hasn’t yet proven itself at enterprise scale. Some CFOs may find it lacks the maturity and depth of long-standing FP&A vendors.

Pricing

Quote-based, SaaS subscription.

Best For

Mid-market CFOs who need a modern, flexible planning platform without the heavy implementation of Anaplan.

Modern finance teams can do more with less — but only if their stack is designed for speed, multi-client scale, and investor-grade outputs. That’s why this guide splits tools by the jobs CFOs actually do:

• Automation & Bookkeeping: Clear the operational bottlenecks (Zeni, Vic.ai, Booke AI, Trullion).
• FP&A: Move beyond static models to living plans and fast scenario testing (Knolli, DataRails, Cube, Vena, Mosaic).
• Data Analysis & Reporting: Tell the story with executive-friendly dashboards (Power BI, Tableau), and scale multi-client intelligence (Compass AI).
• Strategic AI: Use ChatGPT for narrative, analysis, and exploration; pick Anaplan/Pigment when enterprise planning complexity demands it.

If you want one tool that closes the loop from messy files to board decks and investor emails, Knolli stands out as the only comprehensive CFO studio in this list — now noted here at $39/month — making it the easiest on-ramp for fractional CFOs and lean in-house teams to get real leverage today.

Next steps

• Skim the comparison table to match capabilities to your use cases.
• Start with Knolli for end-to-end automation; add Cube/DataRails if you need deeper Excel modeling; layer Power BI/Tableau for BI storytelling.
• Bookmark this post — we’ll keep the pricing and “Best For” sections fresh as tools evolve.

1) What are the best AI tools for CFOs in 2025?

For breadth and automation: Knolli (comprehensive studio). For FP&A depth: DataRails, Cube, Mosaic, Vena. For BI: Power BI, Tableau. For bookkeeping/ops: Zeni, Vic.ai, Booke AI, Trullion. For strategy/LLM use: ChatGPT, Anaplan, Pigment.

2) Which AI CFO software is best for fractional CFOs managing multiple clients?

Knolli for end-to-end workflows and affordability; Cube for spreadsheet-native FP&A; Compass AI for portfolio/benchmarking; Zeni if you want an AI + human back office.

3) What’s the most affordable comprehensive platform?

Knolli starts at $39/month (10 seats, unlimited users), making it the lowest-cost all-in-one studio in this list.

4) What tool should I pick if I live in Excel?

DataRails (Excel preserved with FinanceOS and FP&A Genius) or Cube (spreadsheet-native, lighter-weight, faster adoption).

5) I just need AP automation—what’s best?

Vic.ai specializes in AI-driven AP (invoice ingestion, coding, approvals) and integrates with ERPs.

6) How do FP&A tools differ from BI tools?

FP&A tools (Knolli, DataRails, Cube, Vena, Mosaic) model, plan, and forecast. BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) visualize and analyze data. Many teams use both: FP&A for planning, BI for storytelling, and drill-down.

7) Do any tools create board-ready decks automatically?

Knolli does (Make Deck → Google Slides). Mosaic automates investor-ready board reporting; Power BI/Tableau handle visuals but not slide automation natively.

8) Which tools handle compliance-heavy work (leases, RevRec)?

Trullion focuses on ASC 842/IFRS 16, RevRec, and AI audit trails—ideal for regulated industries.

9) We’re a startup that needs bookkeeping + CFO advice. Best fit?

Zeni (AI + human team for bookkeeping, bill pay, tax, dashboards) is purpose-built for startups and fractional CFOs serving them.

10) What should I choose for enterprise-scale scenario planning?

Anaplan for global, multi-department planning; Vena for enterprise FP&A with predictive forecasting; Pigment if you want a more modern/agile alternative.

11) What’s the fastest way to get cash flow forecasting and alerts?

Knolli (Cash Flow Strategist) for rolling forecasts and runway visibility; Finz (if you add it later) for liquidity + credit (note: not in the current list, but often paired).

12) What role can ChatGPT play for CFOs?

LLM copilot for variance explanations, scenario ideation, board memo drafting, and ad hoc analytics—especially when integrated with your financial data stack.

13) Which tools are best for data visualization?

Tableau (best-in-class visuals) and Power BI (affordable, Microsoft ecosystem, predictive AI).

14) How do these tools integrate with my existing stack?

Most tools integrate with ERPs, CRMs, payroll, and data warehouses. Your article includes:

• Knolli → Google Drive, Slides, Gmail
• DataRails/Cube/Vena/Mosaic → ERP/CRM/HR/payroll connectors
• Power BI/Tableau → wide data source coverage
• Zeni/Vic.ai/Trullion → accounting/ERP systems

15) How should a fractional CFO pick a stack?

Start with Knolli (automation + reporting + decks), add DataRails/Cube if you need deeper modeling in Excel, bolt on Power BI/Tableau for BI, and layer Zeni/Vic.ai for ops automation. Choose Trullion if compliance is heavy.

16) What’s the implementation effort like?

• Fast: Knolli, Cube, Power BI, Tableau, Booke AI, Compass AI
• Moderate: DataRails, Mosaic, Zeni, Vic.ai
• Heavy: Vena, Anaplan, Pigment (enterprise-scale rollouts)

17) What are the typical pricing ranges used in this article?

• Knolli: $39/mo
• Zeni: Starter $494

• Vic.ai: Quote-based

• Booke AI: From $50

• Trullion: Enterprise quotes

• DataRails: $24k–$25k/yr (typical start)

• Cube: $1,250+/mo

• Vena: Enterprise quotes

• Mosaic: $30k–$50k/yr

• Power BI: From $14/user/mo

• Tableau: Quote-based (enterprise)

• Compass AI: From $49

• ChatGPT: $20/mo Plus (+ API usage)

• Anaplan/Pigment: Enterprise quotes

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Discover the top 15 AI Tools for CFOs and Fractional CFOs in 2025. Boost efficiency, streamline finances, and stay ahead with expert-curated AI insights.

Fri Oct 03 2025 20:06:16 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

mandeep-taunk

finance