Nett vs Baremetrics
Revenue analytics and cash reality are different problems. Here's how to think about both.
Different questions, different tools
Baremetrics is a revenue analytics platform. It shows you MRR, churn rate, LTV, and customer trends. It answers: “How is my subscription business doing?”
Nett is a cash reality engine. It subtracts deferred revenue, tax reserves, hidden commitments, and recurring costs from your bank balance. It answers: “Can I actually afford this?”
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Nett | Baremetrics |
|---|---|---|
| Safe-to-Spend metric | ||
| MRR / ARR tracking | Basic (from Stripe) | Advanced |
| Churn analytics | ||
| LTV / ARPU | ||
| Deferred revenue as liability | ||
| Tax reserve tracking | ||
| Hidden commitments | ||
| Runway (from real cash) | From revenue only | |
| Break-even progress | ||
| Starting price | $39/mo | $108/mo |
Safe-to-Spend metric
MRR / ARR tracking
Churn analytics
LTV / ARPU
Deferred revenue as liability
Tax reserve tracking
Hidden commitments
Runway (from real cash)
Break-even progress
Starting price
Use Baremetrics for
- Tracking MRR growth, churn, and expansion revenue
- Understanding customer LTV and segmentation
- Investor reporting and revenue benchmarks
- Forecasting revenue trends
Use Nett for
- Knowing what you can actually spend today
- Making hiring and contract decisions with real numbers
- Tracking the gap between your bank balance and spendable cash
- Monitoring runway based on cash reality, not revenue projections
- Getting a weekly reality check on your financial position
The honest take: If you only need revenue analytics, use Baremetrics. If you need to know what you can spend, use Nett. If you need both — they're complementary. Nett pulls MRR from Stripe directly; Baremetrics doesn't track what your bank balance is hiding.
Common questions
Is Nett a replacement for Baremetrics?+
No. They solve different problems. Baremetrics answers 'How is my revenue doing?' — MRR, churn, LTV, customer trends. Nett answers 'What can I actually spend?' — subtracting deferred revenue, tax reserves, and commitments from your bank balance. Many founders use both.
Why can't I just look at my MRR to know what I can spend?+
MRR tells you how much recurring revenue you earn each month, but it doesn't account for the cash already in your bank that belongs to future months (deferred revenue), money you'll owe in taxes, or the commitments you've made verbally. Your bank balance minus these obligations is your real spending power.
I already use Baremetrics. Do I need Nett too?+
If you ever check your bank balance before making a spending decision — hiring, buying a tool, signing a contract — then yes. Baremetrics shows revenue health. Nett shows cash reality. The bank balance that 'looks fine' might be $30K less than you think after deferred revenue and obligations.
Want to see the gap between your bank balance and your real number? Try the free calculator.
82% of startup failures stem from cash flow mismanagement.
Know what you can actually spend.
Revenue is one thing. Cash reality is another.
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