Budgeting software does two different jobs, and most tools are better at one than the other. The first is building the budget: turning a script, a schedule, and a set of deals into accounts, line items, fringes, and a top sheet. The second is running it: tracking actuals against the budget during the shoot and producing cost reports that show where the money is going. An indie producer pricing a script for investors needs the first. A production accountant on a shoot needs the second.
We ranked these on how the budget gets built, fringe and global handling, actuals and cost reporting, incentive and export support, and price. Features and prices come from each company's site in September 2026.
1. Storiara - a first budget calculated from your script and schedule
Storiara ranks first for independent producers because it gets you from a script to a priced top sheet without typing every line. The budget draws on the rest of the project: cast paid days come from the Day Out of Days, which comes from the schedule, and crew, equipment, props, wardrobe, and locations come from the breakdown and any rates you've entered on those records. Where you haven't entered a rate, it fills gaps from tier tables. A setup wizard asks for production type, union tier, shoot days, prep and post weeks, contingency, and whether to include a completion bond.
The top sheet uses four-digit film accounts: 1100 through 1400 above the line, 2000 through 4200 for production, 4400 through 4900 for post, and 6500 through 6820 for other costs, with a fringe column on each line. When the schedule or cast changes, Sync from story data updates the budget while keeping lines you've edited by hand. The Funding module can apply an estimated incentive so the budget shows a net total. Budgets export to Excel.
Who it suits: producers and line producers pricing an indie feature or short from a script, especially early, when the schedule is still moving.
Where it falls short: it doesn't track actuals, purchase orders, or cash flow, and there are no saved budget versions or Movie Magic Budgeting import or export. The built-in rate tables are a starting point, not a union rate sheet, so check every guild rate against the current agreement. Payroll taxes aren't calculated as line items. For a shoot that needs weekly cost reports, pair it with an accounting tool or move the budget into one via Excel.
Pricing: new accounts get a 30-day free trial; Producer is $39.99 a month plus $19.99 per extra collaborator. See the budgeting feature.
2. Movie Magic Budgeting - the budget format financiers expect
Entertainment Partners' Movie Magic Budgeting has been the standard on studio and union features for decades, and a bond company or studio will often ask for the file. Its rule sets handle fringes, cutoffs, and globals you can toggle on and off to see the budget update. It estimates incentives, compares budgets across multiple locations, and connects to EP's SmartAccounting. The current version has cloud-synced libraries and works online or offline.
Who it suits: line producers, UPMs, and production accountants on union productions or anything going to a completion guarantor.
Where it falls short: you build the budget line by line; its page doesn't describe generating one from a script. The learning curve is real. Pricing is $42.99 a month, or $24.99 a month billed annually at $299.88 a year, and $125.88 a year academic. See Movie Magic compared with Storiara.
3. Showbiz Budgeting - budgeting and actuals in one file
Showbiz Budgeting 10, sold by Media Services, covers both jobs. On the building side it has more than 100 templates, including AICP and studio formats, fringe ranges with cutoffs, globals, sub-groups, five editable overtime tiers, currency links with editable exchange rates, and phases to split a budget by location for incentive reporting. On the running side it imports payroll from Media Services, CAPS, or Showbiz Timecards, tracks credit card, check, EFT, and invoice expenses, handles purchase orders and petty cash, and prints cost reports. It imports Movie Magic budgets.
Who it suits: productions that want the budget and the cost report in the same software, and commercial and live-event producers using AICP templates.
Where it falls short: it's desktop software for Mac and Windows, and cloud collaboration is a separate subscription bought inside the app. The listed price is $399 for two computer installs, with a five-day free trial. See Showbiz Budgeting compared with Storiara and Showbiz vs Movie Magic Budgeting.
4. Saturation - browser budgeting with actuals from day one
Saturation is a web app for budgeting and actualizing. The free Creator plan covers one project, one seat, and 1,000 account items. Pro is $32 a month ($384 a year) and adds QuickBooks and Slack integrations, Saturation Pay for expense management, and cost reports with EFC tracking. Team is $79 a month ($948 a year) with three seats, purchase order management, and approval routing.
Who it suits: small production companies and producers who want budget and spend in one browser tool and already keep books in QuickBooks.
Where it falls short: its pricing page describes budgeting from templates, not building a budget from a script breakdown, and a production that has to deliver a Movie Magic file will still need to convert. Additional Team seats are $336 a year each. See Saturation compared with Storiara.
5. Gorilla Budgeting - desktop budgeting at a lower price
Jungle Software's Gorilla Budgeting has fringes and globals on desktop and on paid Gorilla Online plans, and Gorilla Budgeting Online adds a Budget Assistant AI. The Gorilla Ratebook is included with paid online plans and is a separate add-on on desktop. Bought with Gorilla Scheduling as the Combo Pack, the schedule and budget stay in one family of files.
Who it suits: independent line producers and film schools that want Movie Magic-style budgeting for less.
Where it falls short: fewer accountants and bond companies ask for Gorilla files. Gorilla Budgeting Desktop is $24.99 a month, $64.99 a quarter, or $199 a year; the Combo Pack is $39.99 a month or $369 a year; academic desktop licenses are $109 a year. See Gorilla compared with Storiara.
6. Hot Budget - the commercial producer's budget
Hot Bricks developed Hot Budget for commercials, promos, and music videos, and it runs inside Microsoft Excel. It ships with AICP commercial templates, plus post-production and animation templates. A running budget sits next to the original to show variance as a job evolves, actual costs can be logged against both, and overtime is calculated from the labor entered.
Who it suits: commercial and music video producers who bid on AICP forms and send clients PDF budgets.
Where it falls short: it isn't built for a feature film chart of accounts. Each version carries an expiration date (the current download expires January 1, 2027), and Hot Bricks' site doesn't list a price, so contact them for a license. See Hot Budget compared with Storiara.
7. Filmustage - a budget generated from AI breakdown
Filmustage turns tagged breakdown elements into budget line items with departments organized, syncs the budget with its schedule, and offers location-aware AI cost estimates meant for pitch decks and location comparisons. Budgets download as a spreadsheet with calculations intact or export to Movie Magic Budgeting.
Who it suits: producers who already break down in Filmustage and want a quick feasibility number or a starting file for Movie Magic.
Where it falls short: its budgeting page doesn't describe actuals or cost tracking, and the AI estimates run on coins. Free plan with one project; Director's Cut is $55 a month or $660 a year. See Filmustage compared with Storiara.
8. A spreadsheet template - free, flexible, fragile
A well-built spreadsheet with a top sheet, account detail, and a fringe table is how many shorts and micro-budget features are still budgeted. Start with our film budget template or the indie film budget template, which use a standard chart of accounts.
Who it suits: short films, student productions, and anyone learning how budgets are structured.
Where it falls short: fringes, globals, and totals are only as reliable as the formulas, and nothing updates when the schedule changes. Film budget fringes explains what the formulas need to handle.
Side by side
| Tool | Starting price (September 2026) | Platform | Builds from script or breakdown | Tracks actuals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storiara | 30-day free trial; Producer $39.99/month | Web | Yes | No |
| Movie Magic Budgeting | $24.99/month billed annually | Desktop with cloud libraries | Not described | Not described on product page |
| Showbiz Budgeting 10 | $399 (2 installs) | Mac, Windows, optional cloud | Not described | Yes |
| Saturation | Free (1 project); Pro $32/month | Web | Not described | Yes |
| Gorilla Budgeting | $24.99/month desktop | Mac, Windows, web | Budget Assistant AI (Online) | Not described |
| Hot Budget | Not listed | Microsoft Excel | Not described | Yes |
| Filmustage | Free; Director's Cut $55/month | Web | Yes | Not described |
| Spreadsheet template | Free | Any | No | Manual |
Choosing
Decide which job you're hiring the software for. If you're pricing a script to raise money, a tool that builds from the breakdown and schedule (Storiara or Filmustage) saves the most typing, and the Excel or spreadsheet export gives you a starting point if a bond company later wants the budget rebuilt in Movie Magic or Showbiz. If you're running the money on a shoot, pick something that tracks actuals, like Showbiz or Saturation. For a deeper look at feature-by-feature differences, read film budgeting software compared, and for what belongs in each account, the film chart of accounts.