The "What": Why choose Splinde over Hot Budget?

From a static spreadsheet to a live financial engine. While Hot Budget relies on decades-old Excel architecture, Splinde is purpose-built for high-performing, connected production teams.

• From fragile macros to a stable platform: Both tools calculate costs, but Hot Budget is notorious for breaking if a user copies and pastes a row incorrectly. Splinde operates on a secure, stable database where your math never breaks.

• Seamless collaboration: Both tools can be shared, but Hot Budget requires emailing a .xlsm file back and forth (often resulting in files named "Budget_Final_v4_Actuals_Real.xlsm"). Splinde lets Producers, Bidders, and Accountants work together on a single, live budget without overriding each other's work.

• True financial automation: Splinde’s dynamic platform brings budgets to life with pre-configured legal logic that applies instantly, meaning you don't have to manually hardcode Fringes or Overtime rates into empty cells.

The "How": Compare budgeting, functionality, and actualization

Why switch from Hot Budget to Splinde?

Go beyond Excel with true stability

Hot Budget's familiar grid is great for basic estimates, but Splinde builds on that familiarity with a robust backend. You can add lines, change currencies, and recalculate Contingency instantly without worrying that a hidden macro will corrupt the entire document.

Built-in compliance and performance

Hot Budget requires you to manually check your math. Splinde optimizes calculations out of the box with pre-configured logic. Whether you are calculating local Taxes or applying specific union Fringes, the rates are applied securely. (Note: Rates are subject to change. Please verify with the specific Union or Official Authority).

A better way to collaborate

Hot Budget restricts you to one user at a time. Splinde adds role-based permissions, allowing the Line Producer to lock the Estimated Budget while the Production Accountant simultaneously updates the Actuals—all in the same live environment.

One-click reporting

Forget manually formatting cells for print—Splinde lets you design, track, and export fully responsive financial overviews with a single click.

The "Gotchas": Common Transition Mistakes

Switching away from an industry staple requires a strategic approach.

• Agency Deliverables: Many ad agencies still demand estimates submitted in the traditional AICP Format via Excel.

  Pro Tip: Don't let agency requirements dictate your internal workflow. Run your production efficiently inside Splinde, and simply use Splinde's export tools to generate an AICP-compliant layout for the agency wrap book.

• The "Copy-Paste" Habit: Freelancers used to Hot Budget often try to manually override formulas to force a number to match. In Splinde, the math is rigid by design to prevent accounting errors. Train your team to trust the automated AddOns rather than fighting the system.

The Splinde Bridge

The reason Hot Budget causes so much anxiety is that it forces producers to act as IT support for a spreadsheet instead of managing the shoot. Splinde’s AddOn library handles the heavy lifting of calculating Overtime, Fringes, and Markup automatically, saving you hours of manual auditing. By combining flawless stability with live actualization, Splinde gives you absolute confidence in your bottom line.