Spreadsheets alternative
With Kind Folk vs. Spreadsheets
An honest comparison — what each tool does well, where it falls short, and which one is right for your programme.
Almost every volunteering programme starts with a spreadsheet. They're free, familiar, and fine for five people. They're a maintenance nightmare for fifty. The problem isn't the spreadsheet — it's what you lose when you rely on one: real-time visibility, clean approval workflows, SDG tracking, and reporting that doesn't take days to produce.
Feature comparison
| Feature | With Kind Folk | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time participation visibility | ✓ Live dashboard | Manual updates only |
| Employee self-registration | ✓ One click | Email + manual entry |
| Approval workflow | ✓ 3-step automated | Email threads |
| SDG reporting | ✓ Automatic | Manual mapping |
| Board-ready reports | ✓ One-click PDF | 2–3 days of work |
| Cost | From £49/month | Free |
| Data accuracy | Enforced | Error-prone |
| Historical records | ✓ Permanent | Version chaos |
With Kind Folk is best for…
Any team with more than 10 people participating in volunteering, or anyone who needs to produce regular reports for leadership.
Spreadsheets is best for…
Very early-stage programmes with 5–10 participants and no reporting requirements.
Our honest take
The switch from spreadsheets to With Kind Folk takes about 20 minutes. The time saved on your first quarterly report pays for itself. There's really no comparison after 20 participants.
Try With Kind Folk for yourself
30 seconds to set up. Real data. No card needed.