Fontics vs @RISK
@RISK is the reference tool for Monte Carlo risk analysis in Excel, used by engineers, insurers and project teams for decades. Fontics is a lighter, AI-free add-in for investment, credit and valuation teams that puts scenarios, sensitivities, solvers and Monte Carlo in one place, at a fraction of the cost. Pick by how deep your simulation needs to go.
Last reviewed by Admin.
Facts about @RISK come from Lumivero's public pages and other public sources, listed under Sources. Prices are list prices as of the review date.
Short answer
- @RISK goes deeper on simulation science than Fontics: 90+ distributions, distribution fitting, correlations and copulas, time-series simulation, and optimization under uncertainty with RISKOptimizer (Industrial).
- It runs only in Windows desktop Excel, costs $2,900 to $3,500 per user per year at list, and assumes you design the risk model: assign distributions to inputs and define outputs.
- Fontics covers the analysis deal teams run every week: scenarios, tornado charts, break-evens, multi-driver goal seek and Monte Carlo, plus model audits and valuation reviews. It runs on Windows, Mac and Google Sheets, and has a free plan. Monte Carlo supplements start at $5/month, a fraction of the cost of @RISK.
risk analysis is your discipline: you need fitted distributions, copulas, time series, risk registers or optimization under uncertainty, and you work in Windows Excel.
you need fast scenarios, sensitivities, break-evens and a deal-level Monte Carlo, plus model reviews, on any platform, at a fraction of the cost.
At a glance
What each tool is built to do. A dot means it can be done, but you prompt for it or set it up yourself each time.
| Stage | Job | @RISK | Fontics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | Build a model from scratch | No | No |
| Write and fix formulas | No | No | |
| Data wrangling, pivots, charts | No | No | |
| Plain-language questions | Partly@RISK Agent (Claude), 2026 | No | |
| Analyze | Scenario analysis | YesScenario analysis on sim results | Yes10+ scenarios in a minute |
| Sensitivity and tornado charts | YesTornado and scatter charts | YesRank drivers in seconds | |
| Stress tests and break-evens | YesStress analysis | Yes | |
| Multi-driver goal seek and solvers | YesGoal Seek; RISKOptimizer (Industrial) | Yes | |
| Monte Carlo simulation | Yes90+ distributions, fitting, copulas | Yes21 distributions, add-on from $5/month | |
| Distribution fitting to historical data | Yes | No | |
| Optimization under uncertainty (genetic algorithms) | YesIndustrial edition | No | |
| Review | Valuation review (DCF/LBO drivers, DLOM, Black-Scholes) | No | Yes |
| Formula audit | No | Yes | |
| Deep precedent and dependent traces | No | Yes | |
| Platform | Same answer every run | YesFixed seed makes runs repeatable | YesAI-free |
| Excel for Mac | NoWindows desktop Excel only | Yes | |
| Google Sheets | No | YesSame plan |
Side by side
| Fact | @RISK | Fontics |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Monte Carlo simulation add-in for Microsoft Excel from Lumivero, with 35+ years of history (formerly Palisade).[1] | An AI-free Excel and Google Sheets add-in that runs analysis (scenarios, sensitivities, stress tests, solvers, Monte Carlo) and reviews models (formula audits, deep traces, valuation reviews) for investment, credit and valuation teams. |
| Distributions | 90+ built-in distribution functions, distribution fitting, Distribution Artist, correlations and copulas.[1] | 21 distributions, applied to the inputs you select; no distribution fitting or copulas. |
| Analysis | Sensitivity (tornado charts, scatter plots), scenario analysis, stress analysis, advanced sensitivity, Goal Seek; RISKOptimizer and time series in Industrial.[1][2] | Scenario sets, tornado charts, data tables, break-evens, multi-driver goal seek, Monte Carlo (1,000+ runs), football fields. |
| Model review | Not a focus. @RISK Agent can flag model issues before simulation.[1] | Formula audits, deep traces, valuation reviews (DCF/LBO drivers, DLOM, Black-Scholes). |
| AI | @RISK Agent connects Excel to Anthropic Claude to flag issues, answer questions and explain outputs. Optional.[1][3] | AI-free and 100% deterministic: same inputs, same answer, every time. |
| Platforms | Windows only. Not compatible with Excel for Mac or Excel for the web.[1] | Excel on Windows and Mac, and Google Sheets. One plan covers both. |
| Reporting | Exports to Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Power BI; links to Predict! risk registers.[1] | Native, editable Excel and Google Sheets charts and tables in new sheets. |
| Learning curve | Built for risk analysts; you design distributions and outputs. Training widely available. | Built for analysts: select inputs and the output, then evaluate. Install in about 30 seconds. |
| Price | Professional $2,900/year, Industrial $3,500/year (Lumivero shop list prices); volume pricing via sales.[2][4] | Free Core plan; paid plans $20 and $50/month; Monte Carlo add-on from $5/month |
Choose @RISK if
- Monte Carlo is the core of the job and you need to fit distributions to historical data, model correlations with copulas, or simulate time series.
- You optimize decisions under uncertainty (portfolio allocation, project scheduling) with RISKOptimizer and efficient frontiers.
- Your organization already runs @RISK models and risk registers, or regulators and clients expect it.
- You work in Windows desktop Excel and the licence cost is justified by the depth.
What @RISK does well
- Breadth and depth of simulation: 90+ distributions, fitting, copulas, time series.
- Decades of use in energy, aerospace, construction, insurance and pharmaceuticals.
- RISKOptimizer and efficient frontier analysis in the Industrial edition.
- Large training and case-study ecosystem, plus academic licensing.
Choose Fontics if
- You need a deal-level Monte Carlo (IRR, DSCR, equity value ranges) without becoming a risk specialist.
- Most of your analysis is scenarios, tornado charts, break-evens and solvers, with Monte Carlo some of the time.
- You also need to audit and review the model before IC.
- Your team uses Mac or Google Sheets, or you want to start free.
Where Fontics is not the right tool
- Fontics does not fit distributions to data, model copulas, simulate time series or optimize under uncertainty.
- If your models depend on @RISK functions, keep @RISK for those workbooks.
What @RISK does well
- Breadth and depth of simulation: 90+ distributions, fitting, copulas, time series.
- Decades of use in energy, aerospace, construction, insurance and pharmaceuticals.
- RISKOptimizer and efficient frontier analysis in the Industrial edition.
- Large training and case-study ecosystem, plus academic licensing.
Where Fontics is not the right tool
- Fontics does not fit distributions to data, model copulas, simulate time series or optimize under uncertainty.
- If your models depend on @RISK functions, keep @RISK for those workbooks.
When teams use both
Some firms keep @RISK for a few specialists and give every analyst Fontics.
- 01
Analysts run the everyday work
Scenarios, sensitivities, break-evens and a quick Monte Carlo in Fontics, on Windows, Mac or Google Sheets.
- 02
Specialists go deep
Risk analysts take the cases that need fitted distributions, copulas or optimization into @RISK.
- 03
Review before IC
Use Fontics formula audits and deep traces on the final model so the inputs feeding either tool are right.
Who uses each
@RISK
Risk analysts, project and portfolio managers, engineers and decision scientists. Lumivero shows logos such as Boeing, Shell, Intel, Fluor, National Grid, Deloitte and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with case studies from P&G, Petrobras, Merck and Lockheed Martin, and says it has 150,000+ users.[1]
Fontics
Investment, credit and valuation teams at funds, banks, lenders and advisors. They run DCF, LBO, project finance and real estate models and need to defend the numbers in front of an investment or credit committee.
Pricing
@RISK
Fontics
- Core is free forever, Transactions is $20/month and Institutional is $50/month.
- Monte Carlo is an add-on from $5/month ($5 on Core, $10 on Transactions and Institutional).
- Every plan covers Excel and Google Sheets.
Lumivero's shop shows prices in your local currency; figures above are the USD list range.
FAQ
Is Fontics's Monte Carlo as powerful as @RISK?
No, and it is not trying to be. @RISK offers 90+ distributions, fitting, copulas, time series and optimization under uncertainty. Fontics covers the Monte Carlo deal models typically need, alongside scenarios, sensitivities and audits, at a fraction of the cost.
Does @RISK work on Mac or Google Sheets?
Not out of the box. Lumivero supports @RISK only on Windows desktop Excel, not Excel for Mac or the web, though some Mac users run it in a Windows virtual machine. Google Sheets is not supported. Fontics works natively in Excel on Windows and Mac and in Google Sheets.
Can I run Fontics on a model that uses @RISK functions?
Fontics works on your model's formulas. Models built around @RISK functions should be simulated in @RISK; Fontics is best on standard formula-driven models.
Does Fontics use AI like @RISK Agent?
No. Fontics is AI-free and deterministic. @RISK Agent is an optional AI layer that connects @RISK to Claude.
How much does Monte Carlo cost in Fontics?
Monte Carlo is an add-on from $5/month on the free Core plan, and $10/month on Transactions ($20) and Institutional ($50). @RISK starts at $2,900 per user per year.
Sources
- 1.Lumivero, @RISK product page · modified 18 Jun 2026
- 2.Lumivero, @RISK product and pricing
- 3.Lumivero, Introducing @RISK Agent
- 4.Vose Software, How much does @RISK cost? 2026 pricing · Lumivero shop retrieved Oct 2026
Vendor features and prices change often. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it. Product names are trademarks of their owners; Fontics is not affiliated with them.
Run your first sensitivity before lunch.
Excel and Google Sheets