Shortcut is an AI agent that builds and edits financial models in Excel, such as DCF, LBO and three-statement models. Shortcut is sold on credits, with a free tier and paid Pro and Teams plans.

How much does Shortcut cost?

As of 2026-10-19, Shortcut lists Free (20 credits a week), Pro at $100 a month billed annually (1,000 credits a month), Teams at $320 a month plus $100 per seat, and Enterprise on request. A message typically uses 2 to 15 credits.

Is there a Shortcut alternative for Claude users?

Layerz is built for people who already use Claude: Claude connects to Layerz through MCP and edits a structured model, with history and conventions kept between sessions. Individual: free, unlimited models, one editor. Team: €49 excl. tax per seat per month (same amount in USD and GBP), from the second editor.

Can I import a Shortcut model into Layerz?

Yes. A model Shortcut built is an Excel workbook, and Layerz imports .xlsx files, turning formulas into named variables and reporting how many stayed live.

Comparisons

Layerz vs Shortcut

Short answer

Shortcut is an AI agent for Excel that drafts DCF, LBO and three-statement models in the workbook, sold on credits (Pro at $100 per month billed annually, as of 2026-10-19). Layerz is a structured spreadsheet driven by your own Claude through MCP, free for one editor. Choose Shortcut for the fastest first draft inside Excel; choose Layerz to keep the model's logic, history and conventions across sessions, and note that a Shortcut-built workbook can be imported into Layerz.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19 by Anthony Barbey. Facts about Shortcut come from its public pages, linked under Sources.

Comparison table

Fact	Shortcut	Layerz
Core job	A finance agent that builds models (LBO, DCF, three statements) in the spreadsheetShortcut, financial modeling with AI	Hold a model your own agent builds and maintains over time
Surface	Excel add-in, Google Sheets plugin, web app, Windows desktop app and CLIas of 2026-10-19 · Shortcut	Web app, and any MCP client
Agent	Shortcut's own agent, bundled	Your own Claude or any MCP client, 29 MCP tools
Where the model lives	In the workbook; each session starts from the cells	In Layerz, as named variables with a history; Excel is an export
History	Excel file history	Individual: 24-hour history and one pinned version. Team: 30-day history, unlimited pinned versions.
Pricing model	Credits: a message typically uses 2 to 15 creditsas of 2026-10-19 · Shortcut pricing	Per editor; MCP and API use is rate-limited, not billed
Published price	Free (20 credits a week) · Pro $100 a month billed annually (1,000 credits a month) · Teams $320 a month plus $100 per seat a month, billed annually (1,000 pooled credits) · Enterprise customas of 2026-10-19 · Shortcut pricing	Free for one editor · Team at €49 per seat per month
Excel in	Works on any open workbook	Excel and CSV import, with a fidelity score for the formulas kept live
Excel out	The workbook is the output	.xlsx with live formulas, JSON and raw export, on every plan

Choose Shortcut if

You want a first draft of a standard model in Excel, quickly.
The team lives in Excel and does not want another surface.
You prefer an agent bundled with the tool to bringing your own.

What Shortcut does well

Fast first drafts of standard models (DCF, LBO, three statements) directly in Excel.
Everything stays in a workbook the analyst already knows how to read, in Excel or Google Sheets.
A bundled agent: nothing to connect before the first prompt.

Choose Layerz if

You already use Claude and want it, not a second agent, to work on the model.
The model is maintained month after month and must keep its structure.
You want a model-level history and written conventions the agent reads each session.
You prefer a price per editor to a price per message.

Using both

Draft a first version in Excel with Shortcut.
Import the workbook into Layerz and check the fidelity score.
Maintain the model with your own Claude in Layerz, and export to Excel when needed.

Pricing

Shortcut: Free with 20 credits a week; Pro $100 a month billed annually with 1,000 credits a month; Teams $320 a month plus $100 per seat a month; Enterprise on request. A message typically uses 2 to 15 credits. As published on shortcut.ai/pricing on 2026-10-19.

Layerz: Individual: free, unlimited models, one editor. Team: €49 excl. tax per seat per month (same amount in USD and GBP), from the second editor. .xlsx with live formulas, JSON and raw export on every plan, never paywalled. Pricing

FAQ

What is Shortcut AI?: Shortcut is an AI agent that builds and edits financial models in Excel, such as DCF, LBO and three-statement models. Shortcut is sold on credits, with a free tier and paid Pro and Teams plans.
How much does Shortcut cost?: As of 2026-10-19, Shortcut lists Free (20 credits a week), Pro at $100 a month billed annually (1,000 credits a month), Teams at $320 a month plus $100 per seat, and Enterprise on request. A message typically uses 2 to 15 credits.
Is there a Shortcut alternative for Claude users?: Layerz is built for people who already use Claude: Claude connects to Layerz through MCP and edits a structured model, with history and conventions kept between sessions. Individual: free, unlimited models, one editor. Team: €49 excl. tax per seat per month (same amount in USD and GBP), from the second editor.
Can I import a Shortcut model into Layerz?: Yes. A model Shortcut built is an Excel workbook, and Layerz imports .xlsx files, turning formulas into named variables and reporting how many stayed live.