Budget Variance Template
Explain the gap between budget and actual line by line. Open this variance bridge, enter your drivers, and export an editable PowerPoint chart for the review.
Open this template → or start from scratch
What is a budget variance analysis?
A budget variance analysis bridges the planned figure to the actual one and attributes the difference to named drivers: volume, price, mix, cost inflation, one-offs. Presented as a waterfall it answers the only question the review really has, which is not how big the variance was but which decisions caused it, and which of those repeat next quarter.
How to use this template
Open the template
Click the button above — the budget variance analysis opens in the editor, already filled in. No account or password. A one-time professional profile unlocks all exports for one year.
Edit your data
Replace the sample entries with your own; the chart updates live as you type.
Style it
Pick a visual style and color palette to match your deck.
Export to PowerPoint
Download a .pptx with native, editable shapes — or PNG and Excel.
Ready in two minutes
Open the budget variance template, drop in your data, and export a native, editable PowerPoint slide. No account or password. A one-time professional profile unlocks all exports for one year. No watermark.
Open this template →Why export to PowerPoint matters
Most free chart tools give you a flat PNG, or lock PowerPoint export behind a paywall. This template exports real, editable PowerPoint shapes and text — so you can drop the chart straight into your deck and restyle it in PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote. That is the difference between a picture and a slide.
Frequently asked questions
Comparing planned to actual results and breaking the difference into the drivers that caused it, rather than reporting a single variance number.
Yes. Enter favourable movements as positive values and unfavourable ones as negative, and the chart colours them separately.
Yes. Mark any row as a subtotal to pin the running total at that point, for example at the gross-margin line.
Yes, 100% free, no account or password. A one-time professional profile unlocks all exports for one year. No watermark.