Float Review 2026: The Cash Flow Forecasting Tool That Actually Makes Sense

If you've ever stared at a spreadsheet trying to figure out whether you can afford to hire next month, you already know why Float exists. Cash flow forecasting shouldn't require a finance degree and three days of manual data entry — yet that's exactly what most businesses put up with.

Float takes the pain out of cash flow management by connecting directly to your accounting software and giving you a visual, intuitive forecast that updates in real time. But is it genuinely best-in-class, or just another dashboard that looks pretty and tells you nothing useful? We've spent weeks putting it through its paces.

Here's our honest take.

What Float Actually Does

Float is a dedicated cash flow forecasting and scenario planning tool. It pulls data from Xero, QuickBooks Online, or FreeAgent, then projects your cash position forward based on your invoices, bills, and recurring transactions.

The core feature set includes:

• Visual cash flow forecasting — A timeline view that shows your projected bank balance day by day, week by week, or month by month. Colour-coded, clear, and genuinely useful.
• Scenario planning — Create multiple "what if" scenarios. What happens if that big client pays late? What if you hire two developers instead of one? Float lets you model these without touching your base forecast.
• Budget vs actuals — Set budgets by category and track how reality compares. This is where Float moves from "nice to have" to "actually essential."
• AI-powered predictions — Float now uses machine learning to predict when invoices will actually be paid, based on historical payment patterns. This alone is worth the subscription for businesses dealing with late-paying clients.
• Multi-currency support — If you invoice internationally, Float handles currency conversions in your forecast.
• Cash flow alerts — Get notified when your projected balance drops below a threshold you set.

The Integration Story

Float's integrations with Xero and QuickBooks Online are genuinely excellent. The sync is near-real-time, and the initial setup takes about ten minutes. You connect your accounting software, Float pulls in your data, and you're looking at a forecast almost immediately.

That said, Float is deliberately narrow in its integration scope. It connects to your accounting software and that's largely it. There's no CRM integration, no HR platform sync, no bank feed independent of your accounting tool. This is both a strength (it does one thing well) and a limitation (you can't pull in pipeline data from Salesforce, for instance).

What We Like

The visual interface is superb. Most cash flow tools give you tables of numbers. Float gives you a colour-coded timeline that makes it immediately obvious when you're going to run short. This sounds trivial, but it fundamentally changes how non-finance people engage with cash flow.

Scenario planning is genuinely practical. You can duplicate your base forecast, tweak variables, and compare scenarios side by side. We tested modelling a new hire, a delayed project payment, and a VAT bill landing simultaneously — Float handled it without breaking a sweat.

AI payment predictions are surprisingly accurate. After a few months of data, Float's predictions about when clients will actually pay (versus when they're supposed to pay) become remarkably reliable. For agencies and consultancies with lumpy cash flow, this is transformative.

Budget vs actuals tracking is well-executed. Setting budgets by category and watching how you perform against them gives you genuine operational insight, not just a financial forecast.

What We Don't Like

No direct bank feeds. You must use Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent. If you're on Sage, Zoho Books, or anything else, Float simply doesn't work for you.

Reporting could be deeper. The visual forecasts are great, but if you need detailed financial reports to present to investors or a board, you'll still need another tool.

The mobile experience is limited. Float is primarily a desktop tool. The mobile view exists but feels like an afterthought.

Pricing

All plans include a 14-day free trial. Annual billing gives roughly 20% discount.

Float vs the Competition

Fluidly takes a different approach entirely — it's free because it monetises through lending products. If you're comfortable with that model, it's worth a look, but it's less of a pure forecasting tool.

Futrli is arguably Float's closest competitor and offers more advisory-focused features. If you're an accountant serving multiple clients, Futrli might edge ahead. For individual businesses, Float's simplicity wins.

Fathom is really a financial reporting and analysis tool that happens to have some forecasting. If reporting is your primary need, Fathom is stronger. If cash flow forecasting is the priority, Float is the clear choice.

Who It's For

• SMEs with 5-200 employees who need clear cash flow visibility without hiring a financial analyst
• Agencies and consultancies dealing with project-based, lumpy revenue
• Startups that need to know exactly when they'll run out of money
• Finance teams that want to spend less time building spreadsheets and more time making decisions
• Xero or QuickBooks users — this is non-negotiable

Who It's Not For

• Businesses not on Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent — Float simply won't work
• Enterprise companies needing complex multi-entity consolidation
• Businesses that need deep financial reporting — Float forecasts, it doesn't replace your reporting stack
• Anyone wanting CRM-integrated pipeline forecasting — Float doesn't pull from sales tools

How to Get Started

1. Sign up for the 14-day free trial at float.com — no credit card required.

2. Connect your accounting software — Xero, QuickBooks Online, or FreeAgent. The sync takes about 10 minutes.

3. Review your base forecast — Float automatically generates one from your existing invoices, bills, and recurring transactions.

4. Set up budgets by category so you can track actuals against plan.

5. Create your first scenario — model something specific like a new hire or a delayed payment.

6. Enable AI predictions (Premium plan) to get realistic payment timing forecasts.

7. Set cash flow alerts so you're notified before problems materialise.

The Verdict

Float does one thing exceptionally well: it gives you clear, visual, actionable cash flow forecasts without requiring you to become a spreadsheet wizard. The Xero and QuickBooks integrations are best-in-class, the scenario planning is genuinely useful, and the AI payment predictions add real value.

It's not trying to be your entire finance stack, and that's precisely why it works. If you know your cash flow forecasting is either non-existent or trapped in a spreadsheet that only one person understands, Float is the obvious choice.

The main caveat is the accounting software lock-in. If you're not on Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent, Float can't help you — and that's a significant limitation for a meaningful chunk of the market.

For everyone else, Float is one of those rare tools where the value is obvious within the first week of use. Your future self will thank you.

Looking for help choosing the right cash flow forecasting tool for your business? [Get in touch with our team](/contact) — we'll help you find the perfect fit for your finance stack.