The Vault vs a Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is free and familiar, which is why it's where most people start tracking their network. Here's where it holds up, and where it quietly stops getting used.
| The Vault | a Spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free during early access, then a one-time fee plus an optional AI add-on | Free, using tools you already have |
| Reminders | Relationship health and a weekly digest surface who needs attention automatically | Only if you remember to open the file and check a 'last contacted' column |
| Calendar & contacts sync | Real two-way Apple Calendar sync, plus Google and iPhone Contacts import | Manual entry for every row, every time |
| Interaction history | A full log of every conversation, per contact | Usually a single 'notes' cell, overwritten each update |
| AI assistant | Ask Vault logs a catch-up or finds who's gone quiet in seconds | Not available |
| Setup | Sign up and import contacts in minutes | Build your own columns and structure from scratch |
What a spreadsheet does well
For a small network - a few dozen people - a spreadsheet genuinely works, costs nothing, and needs no new tool to learn. The honest failure mode isn't size, it's that almost nobody keeps updating one past the first few weeks.
Why people choose The Vault instead
Reminds you, instead of waiting to be opened
A weekly digest surfaces who needs attention - no remembering to check a file, no manually sorting a 'last contacted' column.
Syncs instead of manual entry
Google and Apple Calendar sync means meetings and interactions can log themselves.
Real history, not one overwritten cell
Every conversation is logged as its own entry, so you have real context, not a single note that gets replaced each time.
Replace the spreadsheet that stopped getting updated
The Vault is free during early access. Import your spreadsheet and let reminders do the rest.