CertsDue vs a spreadsheet
Most small employers start with a spreadsheet, and for a small team it can work. This page shows how to set one up properly, where it tends to break down, and what CertsDue does differently.
Short version
- Keep the spreadsheet if you track a handful of people, one person opens it every week without fail, and nobody asks you for proof.
- Move to a tracker when an expiry slips past because nobody opened the file, or when chasing photos of renewed cards eats your week.
- CertsDue starts at $29 a month for up to 25 Staff Members and launches October 19, 2026.
At a glance
CertsDue is in Early Access and launches October 19, 2026. Everything listed for CertsDue on this page is in the launch version. Competitor details come from their own websites, checked October 2026, with sources at the bottom of the page.
| Feature | CertsDue | Spreadsheet (Excel or Google Sheets) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | From $29/month | Usually nothing extra. Anyone with a Google Account can create in Sheets.1 |
| Expiry alerts | Email reminders to the Manager before Credentials expire | Google Sheets notification rules fire when someone edits the sheet or submits a form, not when a date gets close. Date alerts need a script or a calendar.2 |
| Getting card photos | Each Staff Member uploads from a personal link, no login | Staff text or email photos, and someone files them |
| Entering dates | AI reads the type and expiry date. The Manager confirms. | Typed by hand |
| Seeing what is due | Dashboard: expired, and expiring within 30, 60 or 90 days | Conditional formatting you build and maintain |
| Proof for an audit | Audit PDF of every Staff Member, Credential and status | Print or export the sheet. Card images live in a separate folder. |
| Flexibility | Built for Credentials only | Any column, any layout, any formula |
| Getting started | Import your staff list from a CSV file | Instant if you already have a list |
Strengths, side by side
Where a spreadsheet is stronger
- You probably already pay for it, or it costs nothing.1
- Everyone on your team knows how to use it.
- You can track anything: uniform sizes, equipment, training hours.
- Your data stays in a file you control.
- It works today. CertsDue launches October 19, 2026.
Where CertsDue is stronger
- Reminders arrive by email whether or not anyone opened a file.
- Staff send their own renewed cards from a link on their phone, and you approve them.
- AI reads the expiry date from the photo, so nobody retypes it.
- The card image stays attached to the record.
- One click gives you an audit PDF for a client, insurer or inspector.
If you keep the spreadsheet, do this
If you are staying on a spreadsheet, set it up so it does some of the remembering for you. Use one row per Credential, not one row per person, so a guard with three cards has three rows.
A Staff Member | B Credential | C Number | D Issued | E Expires | F Days left | G Status | H Proof link
Put this in F2 to count the days left, then copy it down:
=IF(E2="","",E2-TODAY())
Put this in G2 to label each row:
=IF(F2="","",IF(F2<0,"Expired",IF(F2<=30,"Due within 30 days",IF(F2<=90,"Due within 90 days","Current"))))
- Add conditional formatting: red when column G says Expired, amber for Due within 30 days.
- Sort by Days left every Monday so the urgent rows sit at the top.
- Keep card photos in one shared folder and paste each file's link into column H.
- Set a recurring calendar reminder to open the sheet. The sheet will not remind you itself.
Both formulas work in Excel and Google Sheets.
When a spreadsheet stops working
A spreadsheet usually fails quietly. The person who maintains it goes on vacation, a renewed card never gets photographed, or the Monday check gets skipped during a busy month. You find out when a client asks for proof or a guard turns up to a site with an expired card.
If any of that has happened to you, the cost of a tracker is easy to weigh: $29 a month on the Starter plan covers up to 25 Staff Members, and $59 covers up to 75.
Moving from a spreadsheet to CertsDue
Save your staff list as a CSV file and import it into CertsDue. Then add each Credential by uploading a photo or PDF of the card, or send every Staff Member their upload link. Where a card has no printed date, type the date from your spreadsheet.
Questions
Can Google Sheets remind me when a certification is about to expire?
Not with its built-in notification rules, which trigger when someone edits the sheet or submits a form (checked October 2026). You can write an Apps Script, or put each expiry date in a shared calendar.
What columns should a certification tracking spreadsheet have?
Staff Member, Credential, number, issue date, expiry date, days left, status and a link to the card image. Use one row per Credential.
How much does CertsDue cost compared with a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet usually costs nothing extra. CertsDue costs $29 a month for up to 25 Staff Members, $59 for up to 75, $99 for up to 200 and $149 for up to 500. Founding Members get half price for the first 3 months and 20% off for life after that.
Can I import my spreadsheet into CertsDue?
CertsDue imports your staff list from a CSV file. Credentials are then added by uploading a photo or PDF of each card, which AI reads, or by sending each Staff Member their upload link. You can also type a date in yourself.
Sources
Competitor details on this page come from each company's own website, checked October 2026. Prices and plans change, so confirm on their site before you buy. If something here is out of date, email hello@certsdue.com and we will fix it.
- Google Sheets product page: workspace.google.com/products/sheets, checked October 2026.
- Google Docs Editors Help, Manage your notifications: support.google.com/docs/answer/91588, checked October 2026.
Lock in Founding Member pricing.
Prepay your first 3 months at half price, then keep 20% off for as long as you stay. Full refund for any reason until November 18, 2026.