venq vs Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets work. The problem is the columns, the formulas, the manual data entry after every market, and the COGS estimates that never get updated. venq handles all of that automatically.
Start FreeSpreadsheet cost
An hour of data entry after every market.
venq saves you
venq pulls in sales from Square or Shopify automatically. Zero manual entry.
Spreadsheet cost
COGS formulas that never get updated when prices change.
venq saves you
venq recalculates cost per unit across every product the moment you log a new purchase.
Spreadsheet cost
Mileage you probably forgot to add a column for.
venq saves you
venq converts miles to a dollar deduction at the IRS rate, automatically.
Spreadsheet cost
A profit number that doesn't include booth fees, travel, or helpers.
venq saves you
venq accounts for every cost type and shows your real net profit, not just revenue minus supplies.
Track profit per market
Spreadsheets can do it, but require columns, formulas, and constant upkeep. venq does it automatically.
COGS from product recipes (no formulas)
Spreadsheets need you to build and maintain the formula. venq calculates it from your ingredient list.
Auto-updates when material costs change
In a spreadsheet, every cost change means hunting down formulas. venq updates everywhere at once.
Square and Shopify sales import
Spreadsheets need manual data entry after every market. venq pulls it in automatically.
Mileage to dollar deduction
Most vendors forget to build this in. venq applies the IRS rate automatically.
Automatic market verdict (apply again or skip)
Spreadsheets show numbers. venq tells you what to do with them.
Works on your phone at the market
Mobile-first iOS app built for the table.
Product performance across all events
Spreadsheets require manual cross-event tracking. venq connects every sale to every product.
Inventory and low-stock alerts
Possible in a spreadsheet, but fragile. venq ties stock to sales automatically.
Free to start
Both free at the starting line.
If you do one or two markets a year, have a handful of products, and don't use a POS, a spreadsheet is probably fine. The maintenance cost is low enough that it works.
But if you're doing markets regularly, have more than 10 products, buy materials in bulk with varying prices, or use Square or Shopify, venq saves you more time than it takes to set up.