# Compare a budget with actuals

Read monthly budget variances, open charts and request Qix analysis of the comparison.

Canonical: https://demo.qixcount.com/help/budgets-and-projects/budget-vs-actual-and-insights

Who can do this: Owners, or people with *View budgets*

Where: Books, then Budgets

You'll need: Budgets turned on in Features

The budget report compares monthly plans with posted activity for the same fiscal period dates.

## Read the monthly comparison

1. Open **Books**, then **Budgets**.
2. Select the budget you want to review.
3. Review each account's monthly figures on **Report**.

![Monthly budget report with actual amounts and variances](https://demo.qixcount.com/images/help/budgets-report.webp)

Each cell shows the budget amount, an `Act:` amount for actual activity, and a `Var:` amount for variance. Variance is actual minus budget. Revenue at or above budget is green; expenses at or above budget are red. The rightmost column totals each account across the fiscal periods.

Actuals use posted transactions. Draft transactions and closing entries are excluded. A void affects the figures through its reversal. Revenue actuals use credits minus debits; expense actuals use debits minus credits.

## Open the charts

1. Select **Insights**.
2. Review **Budget vs Actual** and **Monthly Variance**.

![Budget insights with total figures and monthly comparison charts](https://demo.qixcount.com/images/help/budgets-insights.webp)

The page also shows total budget, actual and variance amounts. A percentage is unavailable when the total budget is zero. **Best Month (highest variance)** and **Toughest Month (lowest variance)** rank the combined monthly difference.

> [!NOTE]
> The totals and insights add revenue and expense amounts together. They do not calculate net profit. A higher combined variance can include higher spending, so check the individual account rows before interpreting the result.

## Ask Qix about the comparison

On **Report**, select **AI Insight** to request analysis of the budget totals and largest account variances. QixCount cannot analyze the budget when both combined budget and actual totals are zero. If analysis fails, the page displays an error; the report remains available.

## What happens next

Reading charts or requesting analysis does not change budget amounts. To share the figures, [Export a budget](https://demo.qixcount.com/help/budgets-and-projects/export-a-budget).

## Good to know

You can read any budget status, including a draft, with **View budgets** permission.

If **Budgets** isn't in the sidebar, someone with settings access can turn on **Budgets** in [Features](https://demo.qixcount.com/help/setup/features-and-presets).