WhichForecast
Which forecast fits your data?
A modern Microsoft Excel Add-in for guided time-series forecasting. Select a series, set a goal for the forecast, and WhichForecast profiles the series, ranks candidate methods with a rolling-origin MASE backtest, and writes charts and errors back to the workbook — fully offline. Educational only: not investment advice.
📥 — downloads and counting
See it in action
The task pane guides you from a selection to a ranked forecast — series profile, goal, ranked methods, and proof charts.
Built for planners, analysts, and students
Series profile first
Trend, seasonality, intermittency (ADI/CV²), and gaps — before any method is chosen, with a transparent Candidate Policy.
Honest ranking
Rolling-origin MASE among candidates. MAPE is warned when zeros would lie. Forecast Value Added vs naive. Best supported among candidates — never “the true model.”
Croston family
Spare parts and lumpy demand are first-class, unlike Excel Forecast Sheet.
Offline & private
Free analysis runs entirely inside Excel. One series, no account, no raw upload.
Why stay in Excel?
Demand, inventory, weather, FX, energy — one engine. The wizard infers series nature. Not three separate apps.
Right inside Excel
No exporting to a forecasting workstation. Write-back to WhichForecast_Results.
Method DNA + Learn
Plain-language identity cards and Student / Planner / Formal copy at every step.
Seven languages
English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, and Turkish in v1.
Free & capable
Core methods plus Croston. Pro adds batch, live fetch, and advanced methods.
Same family
WhichForecast and WhichDist are sister Excel add-ins from NCU Technology. Same guided style, different job.
WhichForecast
Which forecast fits your data? Series profile, ranked methods, rolling-origin MASE — this site.
WhichDist
Which distribution fits your data? Guided input analysis, AICc-led ranking, and proof plots.
Have feedback?
Tell us what works and what doesn’t — it shapes what we build next.