Switching from @RISK to ModelRisk: Guide | Vose Software
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Switching from @RISK to ModelRisk

Easy to switch. Better to work with.

The built-in converter brings your @RISK models across in a couple of clicks. ModelRisk does what @RISK does, adds the Optimizer and Turbo simulation to every licence, and costs about half as much.

Last updated October 2026
  1. Built-in converter

    The free converter rewrites your models in a couple of clicks, one workbook or a whole folder. @RISK doesn’t need to be installed. Watch one convert ↓

    =RiskNormal(2,4)=VoseNormal(2,4)
  2. All of @RISK’s functionality, and more

    Everything you use in @RISK works in ModelRisk too, with 136 distributions, 34 time series models, 14 copulas and an @RISK-style ribbon. Every licence adds the Optimizer and multi-core Turbo simulation, which @RISK Professional doesn’t have.

  3. Save 47–56%

    At list price, ModelRisk costs at most €1,550 per user per year, and the price is published. Your team’s saving ↓

    @RISK Industrial€3,500 @RISK Professional€2,900 ModelRisk€1,550

@RISK editions and list prices per user per year: lumivero.com and Lumivero’s web shop, retrieved October 2026. ModelRisk: published maximum, before volume and multi-year discounts.

1Built-in converter

Watch an @RISK model convert

Example model: ValuingStockOptions.xlsx, built with @RISK

What happens to my formulas?

Opened in Excel without @RISK, every simulated cell in this option-pricing model shows #NAME?. The converter rewrites the five formulas that use @RISK functions and saves a converted copy, so the original stays as it was.

C11
Stock price at expiration=C3*EXP((C7-0.5*C6^2)*C5+C6*RiskNormal(0,1)*SQRT(C5))=C3*EXP((C7-0.5*C6^2)*C5+C6*VoseNormal(0,1)*SQRT(C5))
#NAME?success
C16
Discounted payoff, call=RiskOutput("Discounted payoff call")+EXP(-$C$7*$C$5)*C15=VoseOutput("Discounted payoff call")+EXP(-$C$7*$C$5)*C15
#NAME?success
D16
Discounted payoff, put=RiskOutput("Discounted payoff put")+EXP(-$C$7*$C$5)*D15=VoseOutput("Discounted payoff put")+EXP(-$C$7*$C$5)*D15
#NAME?success
C17
Mean discounted payoff, call=RiskMean(C16)=VoseSimMean(C16)
#NAME?success
D17
Mean discounted payoff, put=RiskMean(D16)=VoseSimMean(D16)
#NAME?success
Excel with the ModelRisk ribbon: the @RISK model shows #NAME? in its simulated cells, and ModelRisk's @RISK Converter dialog is open The same model after conversion: ModelRisk's Conversion report lists five cells, the original and converted formula, and 'success' for each
ModelRisk in Excel: the @RISK Converter. Its first line reads “It is not necessary for @RISK to be running or installed to convert models to ModelRisk.”ModelRisk in Excel: the Conversion report, as a window and on its own sheet. The converted copy is saved as “ValuingStockOptions Converted”.
Screens and figures are ModelRisk’s own: its converter and its Conversion report. Converted models stay ordinary Excel workbooks. Video: one model, 2 min  ·  Video: a folder, 1.5 min
Try it on your own modelsThe 15-day trial is fully functional, converter included. You can keep @RISK installed while you compare.
Download free 15-day trial
1Built-in converter

What about colleagues still on @RISK?

You don’t have to move everyone on the same day. Models can travel both ways while you switch.

Their models open on your side

Convert any @RISK workbook a colleague sends you. @RISK doesn’t need to be installed on your computer.

Your models open on theirs

The SWAP tool sends a copy where every ModelRisk function becomes a fixed, annotated value, so anyone can open it in plain Excel.

2All of @RISK’s functionality, and more

Will I find my way around?

Most analysts are productive within days. ModelRisk’s functions follow the same pattern as @RISK’s, and its ribbon can take an @RISK-style layout, chosen during installation or later from the Help menu.

The ribbon
ModelRisk's @RISK-style ribbon: Distribution, Output/Input, Fit, Time Series, Correlation, Function, View Function, Model, Settings, Iterations, Simulate, Explore, Reports, Data, Utilities, Convert Model
Swipe the ribbon sideways to see all of it.

ModelRisk with the @RISK-style ribbon: Distribution, Output, Fit, Time Series, Correlation and Simulate sit where @RISK users expect them. Video: switching the ribbon

Same idea, a different prefix

Both products use Excel functions, so most @RISK functions have a ModelRisk twin with the same arguments. The highlighted parts are what changes.

@RISKModelRisk
=RiskNormal(2,4)=VoseNormal(2,4)
=RiskTriang(1,3,9)=VoseTriangle(1,3,9)
=RiskLognorm(4,1)=VoseLognormal(4,1)
=RiskOutput()=VoseOutput()
=RiskMean(C16)=VoseSimMean(C16)

Often shorter

Where @RISK adds property functions, ModelRisk usually has one function that does the job.

@RISKModelRisk
=RiskNormal(2.1785, 3.052, RiskFit("Dataset2", "AIC"), RiskName("Dataset2"))=VoseNormalFit(C1:C100)
=RiskMakeInput(A5, RiskName("Sales"), RiskUnits("USD"), RiskCollect())=VoseInput("Sales", "USD")+A5
2All of @RISK’s functionality, and more

Will my models run faster?

Switch Turbo on and they often run many times faster than on ModelRisk’s classic engine. ModelRisk analyses the workbook once, compiles only the cells that change between iterations and runs them on every processor core, without Excel recalculating. Turbo is included in every ModelRisk licence.

1,000 iterations, two enginesThe same workbook, at the median speed-up of our tests
Classic engineExcel recalculates the workbook every iteration
0 of 1,000 iterations
TurboAnalyse once, then run only what changes
0 of 1,000 iterations

Press Run both to start the two engines together.

~200×median speed-up, simulation phase
2 in 3test models more than 100× faster
  • Before a workbook’s first Turbo run, converted or not, ModelRisk offers to check that Turbo reproduces the classic engine on it, and keeps the result in the workbook.
  • Start Turbo Simulation is on the Start drop-down. You can also make Turbo the default for a workbook, or for every new model.
  • Large workbooks take a few seconds to prepare the first time, then run at full speed.

Simulation phase only: 89 models from our internal test library, same workbook, 1,000 iterations, Turbo against ModelRisk’s classic engine. Excludes the one-time model analysis and opening the workbook. The gain depends on the model’s structure. How Turbo works

2All of @RISK’s functionality, and more

What about RISKOptimizer and PrecisionTree?

Two @RISK-family tools deserve a straight answer before you switch.

RISKOptimizer → ModelRisk Optimizer

Optimisation is in every licence

ModelRisk Optimizer is included in every ModelRisk licence, where @RISK sells RISKOptimizer only with its Industrial edition. The converter brings RISKOptimizer models across as well, and the whole optimisation can run on the Turbo engine.

Want to compare it with RISKOptimizer yourself? Our ten optimisation test models come in ModelRisk and @RISK versions, so you can run them in both. Download the test models

ModelRisk Optimizer
PrecisionTree → ModelChoice

Decision trees in a separate add-in

Vose Software’s ModelChoice draws and manages decision trees directly on the worksheet, adds sensitivity, robustness, EVPI and multi-criteria analysis, and imports PrecisionTree models with one click.

PrecisionTree alternative
136probability distributions. Lumivero lists “over 90 built-in distribution functions” for @RISK (retrieved October 2026).
34time series models, in every licence
14copulas for correlating inputs

Everything else in professional @RISK use, from simulation, distribution fitting and correlation to time series, aggregate modelling and reporting, is in ModelRisk too. Side by side: the top 5 risk analysis add-ins for Excel. Other options: @RISK alternatives.

3Save 47–56%

What will it cost?

ModelRisk costs at most €1,550 per user per year, and the price is published. Lumivero’s web shop lists @RISK at €2,900 (Professional) and €3,500 (Industrial) per year: ModelRisk is 47–56% less at list price.

@RISK edition you pay for today
@RISK, per year€8,7003 × Professional
ModelRisk, per year€4,6503 × ModelRisk
You keep, per year€4,05047% less

Over a three-year contract: €12,150 kept at list prices.

List price against list price, per user per year. ModelRisk adds volume and multi-year discounts; multi-seat @RISK terms are quote-based. @RISK prices: Lumivero’s web shop, retrieved October 2026, in euros as listed to EU visitors. Details: how much does @RISK cost? and ModelRisk prices.

From users who moved

Why @RISK users switch

We ran an informal survey of @RISK users who moved to ModelRisk and asked them why.

  • Price

    Every one of them named price as a main reason for looking for an alternative.

  • Support

    Most said @RISK’s technical support and customer service played a part. You can judge ours during your trial.

  • Licensing

    Almost all high-volume users valued ModelRisk’s licensing options. We advise each client on the lowest-cost set-up for their needs.

  • Reporting

    All of them preferred ModelRisk’s graphs and reports.

The move

How to switch in three steps

@RISK is sold as an annual subscription, so the months before your renewal are the natural time to compare.

  1. Install the trial

    Fifteen days, fully functional, converter included. You can keep @RISK installed alongside it.

    Download free 15-day trial
  2. Convert your key models

    One model from the ribbon, or a whole folder with the bulk converter. Each conversion leaves the original untouched and writes a report.

    Watch the 2-minute video
  3. Compare before you renew

    Run both on the same models and compare the results before the renewal decision is due.

    Pre-renewal checklist
Questions

Frequently asked questions

How long does switching from @RISK to ModelRisk take?

Most analysts are productive within days. ModelRisk functions mirror @RISK’s (RiskNormal becomes VoseNormal), the ribbon can be set to an @RISK-style layout, and the built-in converter translates existing models automatically, one at a time or a whole folder at once.

Can I convert my existing @RISK models to ModelRisk?

Yes. ModelRisk includes a free converter that rewrites @RISK functions as ModelRisk equivalents in a couple of clicks, with a single-model option and a bulk option for a whole folder. It saves a converted copy, leaves the original untouched and reports every formula it changed. Converted models remain ordinary, readable Excel workbooks.

Do I need @RISK installed to convert a model?

No. The converter works on the formulas in the workbook, so @RISK doesn’t need to be running or installed.

Can ModelRisk look and feel like @RISK?

Yes. During installation, or any time from the Help menu, you can switch ModelRisk’s ribbon to an @RISK-style layout that places the common tools where @RISK users expect them.

Can colleagues without ModelRisk open my models?

Yes. The SWAP tool makes a plain-Excel copy where every ModelRisk function becomes a fixed, annotated value, so anyone can open it in Excel.

Can converted models use the Turbo engine?

Yes, where Turbo supports the functions the model uses. Run it from Start Turbo Simulation, or make Turbo its default. Before the first Turbo run, ModelRisk offers to check that Turbo reproduces the classic engine on that workbook. Across 89 of our test models, Turbo’s simulation phase ran a median of about 200 times faster than the classic engine. The gain depends on the model.

What about RISKOptimizer and PrecisionTree?

ModelRisk Optimizer is included in every ModelRisk licence, and the converter brings RISKOptimizer models across as well. For decision trees, ModelChoice (a separate Vose Software add-in) draws trees directly on the worksheet and imports PrecisionTree models with one click.

Is ModelRisk cheaper than @RISK?

Yes. ModelRisk costs at most €1,550 per user per year, published openly, against the €2,900 (Professional) and €3,500 (Industrial) per year listed in Lumivero’s web shop (retrieved October 2026): roughly half the cost, before ModelRisk’s volume and multi-year discounts. Details: @RISK pricing and alternatives.

When is the best time to switch?

@RISK is sold as an annual subscription, so the months before renewal are the natural moment: run the free 15-day ModelRisk trial against your own models, convert your key workbooks and compare results side by side before the renewal decision is due.

Try it on your own @RISK models

Download the free 15-day trial, convert a model you know well and compare the results. If you’d rather see it first, we’ll walk you through it on a call.

@RISK, RISKOptimizer and PrecisionTree are trademarks of Lumivero, LLC. Vose Software is not affiliated with Lumivero. @RISK prices are from Lumivero’s public web shop (shop.lumivero.com), retrieved October 2026, shown in euros as listed to EU visitors, and may change.