Clockwork vs. Fathom: the reports, plus the forecast
Fathom here means Fathom HQ, the management reporting platform for QuickBooks and Xero, not the AI meeting notetaker. Fathom is, first and foremost, a reporting tool with a limited forecasting layer added on top. Clockwork is an intelligent forecasting platform built on its own computational models: a 5-year driver-based financial model and a 52-week cash flow forecast, built automatically from the client's books. On top of that sits full reporting, with monthly, quarterly and annual report packs and an executive summary, ready to send as a PDF. Clockwork does everything Fathom does. Fathom cannot do most of what Clockwork does.
The 30-second comparison
| Clockwork | Fathom | |
|---|---|---|
| Core product | Intelligent forecasting platform with its own computational models and full reporting built in | Reporting and analysis, with limited spreadsheet-based forecasting |
| Financial model | ✓ 5-year, driver-based, three-statement, built automatically | ✓ Monthly three-way forecast, edited line by line |
| Cash flow forecast | ✓ 52-week, transaction-level | ✕ Monthly only, no weekly cash flow |
| Driver-based forecasting | ✓ Business drivers feed the model | ✕ Monthly assumptions on spreadsheet-style lines |
| AI financial analyst | ✓ Mira, built in | ✕ Not included |
| Scenarios | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ Yes |
| Setup | ✓ Connect QuickBooks or Xero, chart of accounts mapped automatically in minutes | ✓ Chart of accounts mapping setup required |
| Management reporting | ✓ Monthly, quarterly and annual report templates with an executive summary, key metrics, financial statements and cash flow, built straight from the model and downloadable as a PDF | ✓ Strong, 90+ chart types, white label |
| Multi-entity consolidation | ✓ Yes | ✓ Up to 300 entities |
| Integrations | QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, Excel/CSV, Google Sheets | QuickBooks, Xero, MYOB, Excel, Google Sheets |
| Firm pricing model | Priced on functionality and firm complexity, from $1,499/mo; one new advisory client covers it in about a month | Per company from about $50/mo; Portfolio plans for oversight |
| Best for | Firms that want the report pack and the forecast for every client: weekly cash, a full model, scenarios, an AI analyst | Firms whose deliverable is a monthly report pack with a basic outlook |
| Free trial | ✓ 14 days, no card | ✓ 14-day trial |
Competitor details and pricing checked September 2026 against public pages. Verify directly with each vendor. Clockwork's current rates are on the pricing page.
What Fathom does well
Fathom is good at reporting, and we will not pretend otherwise. Its feature set is organized around reporting, analysis, forecasting and consolidation. The report editor ships with more than 90 chart types, a content library, scheduled delivery and white-label branding. The analysis side covers KPI tracking, profitability, trend analysis and divisional performance, plus group benchmarking. Consolidation handles up to 300 entities across systems and currencies.
Fathom's forecasting is described as three-way cash flow forecasting with scenarios and rolling forecasts out to 36 months. Its help center is clear about granularity: the forecast can only be edited at the monthly level. Under the hood it is a spreadsheet-style forecast, monthly lines you edit and roll forward. For firms that mostly deliver monthly management packs with a simple monthly outlook attached, that is a coherent product.
Where Clockwork differs
The report pack is built in now
Clockwork now does the reporting Fathom is known for. Pick a monthly, quarterly or annual template and Clockwork builds the report pack from the client's live model: an executive summary, key metrics, the financial statements, cash burn and runway, and the cash flow, ready to edit and send as a PDF. There is no chart of accounts mapping to set up first, and because the report comes from the same model as the forecast, the numbers always tie out.
The forecast is a model, not a spreadsheet
Fathom's forecast, like most reporting tools that added planning later, is built on spreadsheet logic: monthly rows, formulas, manual assumptions. Clockwork is an intelligent platform running its own computational models. When a firm connects a client's QuickBooks or Xero, Clockwork builds a 5-year, driver-based, three-statement financial model and a 52-week cash flow forecast from transaction-level data, including every outstanding invoice and bill with adjustable expected payment dates. Drivers here mean the actual relationships in the business (headcount, pricing, collections, payment timing), not a growth percentage typed into a monthly cell.
Weekly cash, not monthly
Fathom does not do weekly cash flow forecasting; its forecast edits at the monthly level. A monthly forecast can show a client ending the month with cash in the bank while payroll on the 15th still bounces. Weekly resolution is the level at which an owner actually makes cash decisions: when to pay a vendor, when to draw on a line, whether the hire can start this month or next. Among the tools compared on this page, Clockwork is the only one that forecasts cash weekly.
Nothing to set up
Fathom requires a setup step to map the client's chart of accounts before reports and forecasts are right. Clockwork does that mapping automatically, in minutes, for every client you connect, with no build per engagement. This is what lets a firm take advisory to the whole book rather than the top ten accounts, and one new advisory client covers any firm plan in about a month.
One model, everything agrees
A Clockwork model is a full picture of the company: P&L, balance sheet and cash flow, with drivers, headcount and payroll plans, and unlimited scenarios (a price increase, a new location, a loan, a fundraise) modeled in minutes. Reports and dashboards are outputs of that model rather than a separate module. Mira, our AI FP&A analyst, sits on top of the same model and answers questions about it. Clockwork was built AI-native rather than adding commentary to a reporting tool.
Why firms pick Clockwork
It was built by someone who did this job. Fady Hawatmeh started in FP&A at Boeing and then ran an outsourced CFO practice for five years before founding Clockwork. The product exists because the software he needed to serve clients did not.
Clockwork is Thomson Reuters' FP&A partner. Thomson Reuters announced the partnership in August 2025 to bring AI-powered FP&A advisory to accounting firms in its ecosystem.
Pricing
Fathom Pro plans are priced per company, starting at about $50 per month for one company and rising as the company count grows, with Portfolio plans for high-level oversight of many clients. Clockwork firm plans are Start, Scale, Growth and Enterprise, priced on functionality and firm complexity rather than client count: from $1,499 per month, with every client getting the full model and weekly forecast. Each firm plan is priced around one advisory client at that level, and that one client covers it in about a month. We are not the cheapest option and we do not try to be. The comparison to make is what your firm can charge for a 52-week cash forecast and a full model versus a monthly report.
Why firms switch from Fathom to Clockwork
Firms used to pick Fathom for the monthly management pack and live without a real forecast. Clockwork now delivers the report pack too, so there is no trade-off. Clients asking "will we make payroll" and "can we afford this hire" get a 5-year model, a weekly cash forecast, scenarios and an AI analyst, and the firm still sends the monthly pack, all from one platform with nothing to build. Clockwork does everything Fathom does; Fathom cannot produce the model and weekly forecast Clockwork produces.
Switching from Fathom to Clockwork
Most firms are operational within an hour. Connect each client's QuickBooks or Xero and Clockwork builds the 52-week cash flow forecast and 5-year model from live data. Nothing has to migrate out of Fathom, and many firms run both for a quarter before consolidating. Clockwork's 14-day trial needs no credit card, so you can spin one client up and compare side by side.
Compare Clockwork to other FP&A tools
Evaluating more than one option? See how Clockwork compares to other forecasting and reporting platforms:
“Clockwork is BY FAR the easiest financial modeling software around. I have tried 10-15 FP&A pieces of software and NONE of them come close to Clockwork.ai. When I say that it’s easy, I mean VERY easy — it’s intuitive and user friendly!”
— Brendan Aronsohn
Frequently asked questions
Does Fathom do cash flow forecasting?
Yes, in a limited form. Fathom offers three-way cash flow forecasting with scenarios, edited at the monthly level with projections up to 36 months. It does not do weekly cash flow forecasting.
Does Clockwork do weekly cash flow forecasting?
Yes. Clockwork builds a 52-week, transaction-level cash flow forecast alongside a 5-year driver-based financial model, both built automatically from QuickBooks or Xero.
Is Clockwork a reporting tool like Fathom?
Yes, and more. Clockwork builds monthly, quarterly and annual report packs with an executive summary, key metrics, financial statements and cash flow straight from the client's model, downloadable as a PDF. It does everything Fathom does, and the reports sit on top of a full forecasting platform.
How long does Clockwork take to set up for a client?
Minutes. Connect the client's QuickBooks or Xero and Clockwork maps the chart of accounts automatically and builds the model, forecast and dashboard. Fathom requires a chart of accounts mapping setup first.
Is this the same Fathom as the AI meeting notetaker?
No. This page compares Clockwork to Fathom HQ, the management reporting platform for QuickBooks and Xero. Fathom the AI meeting assistant is an unrelated product.
Which integrations do Clockwork and Fathom support?
Clockwork connects to QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, Excel/CSV and Google Sheets. Fathom connects to QuickBooks, Xero, MYOB, Excel and Google Sheets.
Is Clockwork affiliated with Thomson Reuters?
Yes. Clockwork is the Thomson Reuters FP&A software partner, announced in August 2025.
See why firms are choosing Clockwork over Fathom
Connect one client's books. In minutes you will have the report pack, a 5-year model and a 52-week cash forecast, all from the same numbers.
