StackervsFerraFerra is the Stacker alternative for the data behind the portal
Stacker gives your clients a portal. Ferra is the workspace a portal would be reading from.
See how Ferra compares to Stacker
| Functionalities | Ferra | Stacker |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Part of what this tool is for. Describe it or upload the file. Ferra builds the tables. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. Set the data up first, then build the portal. |
| Filling the rows | Part of what this tool is for. Reads your files and forwarded emails, writes the rows. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. Whatever the source behind the portal already holds. |
| Adding a table later | Part of what this tool is for. Ask for it. Ferra builds the table, links it to the ones already there, and adds the reports. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. Add it at the source first, then surface it in the portal. |
| Dashboards and reports | Part of what this tool is for. Ask for the report. It lands on the dashboard and keeps up. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. Tiles and tables laid out in advance for their readers. |
| Asking a question | Part of what this tool is for. Which invoice was paid, when, what is left, with rows linked. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. Open the view someone built and read it. |
| A branded portal for clients | A different tool's job. Built for the team doing the work, no customer logins. | Part of what this tool is for. A client login, your branding, a controlled view of their records. |
| Per-record permissions | Possible, with a step you do yourself. A shared team workspace rather than per-record access rules. | Part of what this tool is for. Showing each customer only their own records is its job. |
| Automation | Part of what this tool is for. Describe the rule: watch a table for a missed date, then email or update the row. | Possible, with a step you do yourself. The portal is built around what each person is allowed to see and do. |
| Internal tracking | Part of what this tool is for. One workspace, a table per thing, an assistant reading all of it. | A different tool's job. Stacker's job starts once the data exists and outsiders need a view. |
A portal needs something behind it
Stacker gives outsiders a controlled view of your data, a client portal, a partner login.
Ferra is the other half: where invoices become rows you can ask about.
Ask for the insight, then ask for the report
The “Paid vs unpaid invoices” chart was asked for, not configured, and it stays on the dashboard as rows change.
The rows are part of the answer
The answer names the paid invoice and what is outstanding, every figure links back to its rows.
Internal first
Most tracking never leaves the team: the invoice chase, the supplier list, the pipeline. Ferra is built around that: one workspace, a table per thing, an assistant that reads it all.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they move a table across: about Ferra, about Stacker, and about which of the two fits the work you actually have.
Only for the internal half. Ferra is about the data existing, staying current, and being answerable.
No: Ferra is built for the team doing the work. A branded portal with record-level access is what a portal tool is for.
Files you upload, emails you forward, connected apps, and public web sources.
Yes: ask for a report and it lands on the dashboard, reading the same rows.
Yes: it watches a table for new rows, changed values or missed dates, then emails or updates.