Key differences
Macabacus was built to drive workflows around financial modeling and auditing, presentation automation, and document productivity specifically for private equity, investment banking, and consulting/advisory firms. Its software increases Excel productivity and allows for seamless Excel-PowerPoint linking for users who need to update models and presentations quickly, at scale. Macabacus enables brand-compliant slide templates, but also has customizable presentation automation tools that allow for flexible, bespoke deal work as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach.
UpSlide started as a PowerPoint branding and template tool for professional services firms, then built out tools for Excel modeling. It enables clients to create large volumes of repeatable, standardized slides and presentations, and offers high visibility into brand compliance across a firm. Both products cover Excel-to-PowerPoint/Word linking, financial charting, and template libraries.
Though many features in PowerPoint overlap between Macabacus and UpSlide, most teams choose based on whether they need a solution tailored for financial workflows, or are searching for a general presentation and compliance tool.
Ratings at a glance
- Macabacus: rated 4.7/5 on both G2 and Capterra. Used by 75,000+ professionals across 3,000+ firms including investment banks, PE firms, asset managers, consulting teams and Fortune 500 companies.
- UpSlide: rated 4.6/5 on G2, with praise for ease of use and customer support. Some reviewers note library performance can slow during simultaneous updates.
Macabacus
Macabacus organizes around five solution areas: financial modeling, model auditing, presentation automation, presentation proofing, and digital asset management. Each is delivered by capabilities embedded in M365, so users don’t have to leave Excel or PowerPoint to use templates, insert logos, format charts, or review decks with AI.
Macabacus is built to work throughout the finance workflow rather than treat each step as a separate tool. Every feature is made to increase productivity around the specific tasks that bankers, investors and consultants complete every day.
Financial modeling covers the day-to-day work of building and formatting models, with customizable keyboard shortcuts for frequent Excel tasks, cell formatting built around financial statement conventions, and formula visualizations.
Model auditing includes Model Check, which runs 50+ automated checks for hardcodes, broken links, and inconsistent formulas, while Formula Flow and Tracing Tools visualize precedent and dependent chains across LBO, DCF, and 3-statement models.
Presentation automation includes Excel-to-PowerPoint/Word linking, automatic agenda slides, shared templates, and MasterShapes that are customizable to your firm.
Presentation proofing includes Deck Check AIR to review a presentation for logical inconsistencies and miscalculations across slides, and Track Changes brings Word-style redlining into PowerPoint.
Digital asset management allows a deal team to insert brand-compliant content easily, with Logo Library’s access to 50M+ brands, instantly available Tombstones for credentials slides, and shared slide templates that are simple to set up, deploy, and update across teams.
What customers say
On modeling and audit depth:
“Tracing formula function is amazing, and the simplicity to use it the formula. Based on other competitors, using the functions is easy.”
Zariq S., Principal Financial Analyst, Real Estate – G2
On Excel-to-PowerPoint/Word linking:
“The embedded Excel macros are a huge productivity gain. The ability to link and manage charts and tables from Excel to PowerPoint and Word is powerful.”
Ian M., Managing Director, Financial Services – G2
On digital asset management and support:
“I was bracing for a difficult process, but Macabacus’ support was far better than others. The Macabacus team worked through the holidays to get the Tombstone Library over the finish line.”
Zoe Shyn, Head of Business Operations, GLC Advisors – G2
On domain expertise:
“Software built by people in the industry for people in the industry. So many workflows simplified to just one click. Don’t know what I’d do without it.”
Ali Z., Lead M&A Analyst, Corporate Enterprise – G2
Where Macabacus leads
- Modeling and audit depth: Excel features are purpose-built for sophisticated investing and investment banking workflows. Model Check runs 50+ automated checks for hardcodes, broken links, and inconsistent formulas. Formula Flow and Tracing Tools visualize precedent and dependent chains across LBO, DCF, and 3-statement models.
- Reliable deck-to-model linking: Excel-PowerPoint Linking updates tables and charts from a single source, and Quick Charts allows for easy creation and editing of the most common data visualizations for investors and bankers.
- Digital asset management depth: Logo Library (50M+ brands via Brandfetch) and customizable Tombstones are purpose-built for pitch books and IC materials, not general-purpose content libraries retrofitted for finance.
- Easy setup: Individuals and teams can purchase Macabacus for small deployments without going through a guided sales process by the vendor, and administrators can configure sharing, libraries, and branding themselves without needing Macabacus support to make routine changes.
Macabacus limitations
- Administrators can configure libraries, branding, and sharing themselves rather than routing every change through a vendor team. It could mean less hand-holding out of the box than a vendor-managed rollout. Live onboarding and training are available at the Enterprise tier for teams that want that support built in.
- No standalone web or mobile app. Macabacus lives inside Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, rather than in a separate browser tool.