Before I made my own checkbook register spreadsheet, I explored popular free checkbook templates, including those offered by Vertex42.

Vertex42 Checkbook Register Template

This free checkbook register is one of the first that I checked out.

What’s to Like about the Vertex42 Checkbook Register (Pros)

• Provides a clean, simple, easy to use register
• Gives a visual warning when your balance drops below a chosen value that you can set
• Offers a drop-down for date selection when entering a transaction, and you aren’t blocked from entering a date that’s not in the drop-down list
• There’s no issue with the balance formula if you insert or delete a row in the register (a common issue with other checkbook registers)
• Offers a basic reconciliation feature
• Free!

What’s Not to Like about the Vertex42 Checkbook Template (Cons)

• There’s too much area taken up at top of worksheet with content that is always visible.
• The formula for balance uses the OFFSET function which causes significant performance issues when your spreadsheet gets larger
• When you insert a new row, the font formatting doesn’t match with existing rows, so you have to manually fix each new row
• You can categorize your transactions but there are no charts or reports for analysis of your expenses
• There’s only one register worksheet
• You can’t split a transaction across different categories
• If you create copies of the original register worksheet for additional bank accounts, there’s no way to consolidate or view everything in a summarized report or chart

Note: there’s another website called ExcelTemplates.com which offers a nearly identical spreadsheet as Vertex42 file. The same author? Or is it a stolen template from Vertex42?

If you’re looking for a very basic free checkbook template, Vertex42 is worth a look. But if you want something with more features and/or you want features that are similar to Quicken without Quicken’s monthly subscription cost, check out the checkbook templates here.

Competitive Differentiation for Excel-Checkbook.com

• Depth of features (categories, sub-categories, dashboard, reports, bank import)
• Email support from a real person
• Small business version
• Privacy-first (no bank account linking)