From fragile spreadsheet to structured model
River is a professional modeling engine that runs inside Excel. Build verified, explainable models faster, on data far beyond Excel's usual limits.
EXPLAINABLE MODELS
Focus on the logic, not the formulas
Draw your model as a diagram and configure each operation with visual parameters. River handles the calculation details.
No more cryptic formulas spread across dozens of sheets. Your logic is visible on screen, so you can explain it to a client, hand it to a colleague, and pick it up yourself three months later.
BUILT-IN TRUST
Never forget a quality check
River validates every step of your model automatically: inputs, calculations, lookups. If a data update breaks an assumption or silently drops rows, you know immediately instead of finding out in the final numbers.
Update your data with confidence. Spend your time on analysis rather than debugging.
SAFE MODELING
Complex operations, made safe
River gives you a toolkit for the operations that are hardest to get right in Excel or in Python.
- Scenario and assumption management
- Multi-column table merges
- Reshaping data (pivot, unpivot, transpose)
- Iterative calculations
- Forecasting
Think VLOOKUP or JOIN, without the risk of a wrong match, and updating automatically when the data changes.
AI YOU CAN RELY ON
Deterministic results, whatever the assistant
AI is good at producing formulas quickly. It is not good at guaranteeing they are right, and reviewing generated formulas cell by cell defeats the purpose.
With River, the model logic stays deterministic and auditable. AI helps you build and publish around it, not invent your numbers.
AI leverage, deterministic results.
PRODUCTIVITY
Powerful for analysts, not just engineers
River shows you the data at every step, right in the Excel grid. No black box, no guessing what a script is doing.
Excel data goes in and out freely, so you keep charts, formatting and dashboards where your stakeholders expect them. And the calculation engine handles tables of millions of rows, well past the point where formulas slow to a crawl.
From fragile spreadsheet to auditable model
The River Add-In gives your Excel models visible structure, so you can audit, reuse and share them with confidence.
Visible logic
The visual model map aligns your calculation flow with colleagues and reviewers at a glance.
Explicit operations
Each step does one thing, configured with clear options, no buried formulas.
Built-in checks
Automated data quality checks catch errors as you build.
Keep your workbooks, gain speed
River lives in your workbook. Same tool, same file format. Your existing formulas, dashboards, and colleagues stay exactly where they are.
Native integration
River reads and writes Excel Tables directly. Mix River operations with Excel formulas in the same workbook.
Fast to build
Operations are configured with dropdowns, not code. Analysts learn River in hours, not weeks.
Easy to share
Share the workbook as usual, or export it as an interactive web application

Payback time
One project
Analysts trained on River recoup the investment in their first project, compared to Excel-only modeling.
Analytics power, built for modelers
River embeds a high-performance SQL engine inside Excel, purpose-built for complex analytical models.
Analyst-friendly operations
Merge tables with multiple dimensions using dedicated operators. No database degree required.

Input and scenario control
Define assumptions, switch scenarios and track inputs consistently. No more hunting across sheets.

No data ceiling
The River SQL calculation engine handles datasets that would freeze Excel. Complex models stay fast.
Get started with River
Install the trial version and test it for 14 days or let us walk you through a demo.
How to start using River?
River is fully contained in an Excel Add-In, making installation easy
1
Get a free licence
No credit card needed.
2
Install the Excel Add-In
Download the installer and follow the instructions.
3
Start modeling
Open Excel and start building models right there! Our in-tool tutorials will help you get started.
4
Share your models
Simply share your models as any Excel workbook, by email or in a shared folder.
Try the River Add-In today.
Designed by former McKinsey consultants
Based on decades of observing the same problems, we've built River to help business analysts, modeling experts and consultants have a more satisfying modeling experience and elevate the quality level in the profession.
Frequently asked questions
Of course! It is strongly encouraged. River models are saved inside the Excel workbook together with the data it uses, making sharing very easy.
You currently need a license to be able to view the model in a workbook, but we're designing a "viewer" version that will allow people without a license to open the model in read-only mode.
If you just want to keep the model for reference, no need to do anything. When your current River license expires, you will always be able to open the Excel workbook and see the input and output data of your model. With the "viewer" version of River, you will also be able to see all the modeling logic and its parameters.
If you want to recreate your model using plain Excel (or another tool), you can use it as a guide during your rebuild.
We come from the consulting industry, where protection of client data is a top priority.
Therefore we designed River so that it runs entirely on your computer, and no data from your workbook is ever leaving.
The only data that River can send is application usage data, to help us build the product. And you can decline this option.
River has been carefully designed to have the smallest possible footprint.
It is packaged in a single Excel Add-In, doesn't send data outside your computer and can be deployed using corporate IT tools.
If you already use think-cell (another popular Add-In), chances are your IT will easily approve it. Otherwise feel free to contact us at info@river-solutions.com.
We have an extensive in-application documentation and tutorials.
We currently provide support via email directly.
