Ilka vs Spotlight Reporting
Spotlight runs reports, forecasts and dashboards for the advisory meeting. Ilka ships the monthly Excel file some clients still ask for.
Best when the deliverable is a recurring .xlsx per client, not a report, forecast or dashboard
Side-by-side
| Job | Spotlight Reporting | Ilka |
|---|---|---|
| Management reports, forecasts, dashboards, consolidation | Yes, core job | No dashboards or forecasts; a locked Excel pack per client |
| Excel output | Export of a report snapshot; the Excel version has no chart pages | Native .xlsx with up to 3 Excel charts, same layout every month |
| Other outputs | .xlsx only | |
| AI | AI Suggestions draft executive-summary commentary | AI proposes the layout once; figures copied from the source in code |
| Data sources | Xero and QuickBooks integrations | Sheets, Airtable, Stripe, custom API, Push API today (Xero available too; QuickBooks coming soon) |
| List price, US accountant plans (checked 12 Nov 2026) | Advisor Starter $349/mo up to 10 orgs; Growth $549/mo up to 25; Scale $995/mo up to 75 (excl. sales tax) | Free 1 client; Pro $19/mo 3 clients; Firm $49/mo 10 clients + $5/client |
Pick the other tool when
Pick Spotlight Reporting if you need 3-way forecasts, budgets and scenarios, group consolidation across currencies, KPI dashboards or AI-suggested commentary in a branded report.
Pick Ilka when
Pick Ilka if the client expects an .xlsx file each month in a layout you lock once, with a Source check sheet that re-adds the totals in Excel, and your figures are in Google Sheets, Airtable, Stripe or your own system (Xero available too; QuickBooks coming soon).
Spotlight Reporting is strong at
Spotlight Reporting is a reporting, forecasting and dashboard suite for accountants, advisors and CFOs, with Xero and QuickBooks integrations. Its accountant pricing lists Spotlight Forecasting for budgets and cash flow, Spotlight Dashboards and group consolidation with all currencies supported. Its help centre describes AI Suggestions that draft executive-summary commentary.
- Management reports with white labelling and a report cover gallery
- Forecasting, budgets and consolidation Ilka does not do
- Export of a report to Excel or PDF
Ilka is strong at
Ilka does one narrower job: it locks a client pack layout once, then copies each month’s figures from the source into that layout in code (the AI never types a number) and delivers the workbook on a schedule. Every pack carries a Source check sheet that re-adds the totals with live Excel formulas.
- Same .xlsx layout every month, per client
- Source check sheet with live formulas in every delivery
- Email, webhook, Google Drive, SharePoint or client portal delivery
When to use both
Keep Spotlight for the management report, the forecast and the advisory meeting. Use Ilka for the monthly Excel file a client, their bookkeeper or their board asks for, so nobody rebuilds it from an export each month.
Frequently asked
Is Ilka a Spotlight Reporting alternative?
Only for one job: the recurring Excel pack per client. Ilka has no forecasting, budgets, consolidation, KPI dashboards, PDF output or AI-written commentary. If you use those in Spotlight, keep Spotlight.
Does Spotlight Reporting export to Excel?
Yes. Spotlight’s help centre says you can export a copy of a report to Excel or PDF, and that the Excel version does not include any chart pages (read 12 November 2026). Ilka’s deliverable is the .xlsx itself, with up to 3 native Excel charts and a Source check sheet in the workbook, sent on a schedule.
How does pricing compare?
Spotlight’s US pricing page for accountants and advisors (read 12 November 2026) listed Advisor Starter at $349/month for up to 10 organisations, Advisor Growth at $549/month for up to 25 and Advisor Scale at $995/month for up to 75, excluding sales tax, with Enterprise on request above 75. Prices and limits differ by region, and Spotlight has a separate price list for CFOs and finance teams. Ilka is Free for 1 client, Pro $19/month for 3 clients, and Firm $49/month for 10 clients, then $5 per client. The tools do different jobs, so compare what you need, not just the price.
How do Spotlight and Ilka use AI?
Spotlight’s AI Suggestions draft and reword commentary for the executive summary, and its help article recommends checking the generated text (read 12 November 2026). Ilka uses AI once, to propose the pack layout from column headers and a few sample rows; every figure is then copied from the source in code, and the Source check sheet re-adds the totals.
Can Ilka connect to Xero or QuickBooks like Spotlight?
Ilka reads each client’s data read-only. Today it pulls from Google Sheets, Airtable, Stripe, a custom JSON API or the Push API, which Zapier or Make can feed (Xero available too; QuickBooks coming soon).
Sources
Competitor facts checked on 2026-11-12. Prices and features change; check the vendor's site before you decide.
Spotlight Reporting pricing for accountants (USD)