Shortcut is a superhuman Excel agent: tell it what you need and it writes a DCF, LBO, or three-statement model into your spreadsheet in minutes. Layerz is the layer underneath: it holds the structure so the model survives the next edit, the next session, and the next reviewer. Different jobs, often complementary.
| Shortcut AI | Layerz | |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | Generate a model fast, inside Excel | Hold the structure so the model persists |
| Where it lives | Excel add-in | MCP layer, driven by your own Claude / Codex |
| Output format | .xlsx | .xlsx (export at any time) |
| Structure / data separation | ✗ Logic written into the grid | ✓ Logic separated from data |
| Persistence across sessions | ✗ Lives in the file | ✓ Versioned structure, resumes next session |
| Drift on re-edit | ✗ Cells rewritten freely | ✓ Edits propagate through a dependency graph |
| Dependency audit | Partial (cell precedents) | ✓ Both directions, every variable explicit |
| Versioning | ✗ Manual file naming | ✓ Native, every change logged |
| Bring your own agent | ✗ Bundled agent | ✓ Your Claude, your tokens (BYOA) |
| Setup | Excel add-in (IT approval) | MCP plug-and-play |
| Price | Free · Pro at $20/mo · Teams from $400/mo + $20/seat | Free · Pro at 89 €/month |
Shortcut writes a strong first draft into the grid, fast. But a spreadsheet fuses logic and data in cells, so the same model drifts on the next edit, forgets between sessions, and burns tokens being re-read. Layerz keeps the logic in a structure separate from the data: edits propagate instead of breaking, the model persists and versions, and every number stays traceable. The two are not mutually exclusive — Shortcut can draft, Layerz can hold what gets kept.
No credit card · Your data is not retained · Export to standard .xlsx