For most people the real alternative to a wine-cellar app isn't Vivino or CellarTracker — it's a spreadsheet. Excel or Google Sheets is free, familiar, and completely under your control, and for a small cellar it works fine. This isn't a hit piece: a spreadsheet is a legitimate starting point.
The gap shows up as the cellar grows. A spreadsheet stores what you type; it can't scan a label, work out a drinking window, or warn you before a bottle fades. Here's the honest line-by-line — and if you already have a sheet, Saignée imports it directly.
SIDE BY SIDE
Saignée vs Spreadsheet
| Saignée | Spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free tier (10 bottles); $7.99/mo flat after | Free — you already own Excel or Google Sheets |
| Adding a bottle | AI label scan auto-fills the wine from a photo | Type every field by hand |
| Drinking window | AI drinking window on every bottle, automatically | None — you'd research and enter dates yourself |
| Ready-to-drink alerts | Push & email when a bottle peaks or fades | None — a sheet can't notify you |
| Food pairing from your cellar | AI pairs from the bottles you actually own | None |
| Access anywhere | Native mobile + web, always in sync | Yes with Google Sheets; manual with a local Excel file |
| You own your data | Yes — export to CSV any time | Yes — it's your file (its real strength) |
Superscripts cite the source for each competitor claim — see Sources below.
THE FLAT-PRICING DIFFERENCE
A spreadsheet is free and it's yours — that's genuinely worth something. What it can't do is tell you what to open tonight. Saignée keeps the ownership (export to CSV whenever you like) and adds the part a sheet never will: an AI drinking window on every bottle and an alert before a great vintage slips past.
Questions answered
Is a spreadsheet good enough for tracking wine?
For a small cellar you're not actively drinking down, yes — a spreadsheet is a fine, free starting point. It starts to strain once you want drinking-window guidance, want to add bottles by photo instead of typing, or want to be told which bottles are ready before they fade. Those are the jobs a spreadsheet can't do.
Can I import my wine spreadsheet into Saignée?
Yes. Upload your Excel or Google Sheets export as a CSV and Saignée maps the columns automatically, then AI-enriches every wine with a drinking window, region, varietal, and rating. Nothing is retyped.
Will I lose control of my data if I switch off a spreadsheet?
No. You can export your full cellar back to CSV from Saignée at any time, so you keep the same portability a spreadsheet gives you — plus scanning, drinking windows, and alerts on top.
Do I have to pay to move off my spreadsheet?
No. Saignée's free tier tracks 10 bottles with an AI drinking window on every one, so you can try readiness tracking on a starter cellar before deciding whether the paid plan is worth it for you.
Switch in minutes, keep every bottle
One-click CSV import, AI enrichment, flat pricing. Free to start — no credit card.
SOURCES
Data accurate as of the verification dates above. Competitor pricing and features change frequently — please verify directly with the vendor.
KEEP COMPARING