10 Best Business Plan Software and Tools in 2023
Do you know what’s common between a global IT firm and a small food truck business?
Like any other business on the planet Earth, they both require a solid business plan to make their business a runaway success.
Business plan. No entrepreneur is a stranger to this term, but do they all consider it seriously? Not sure.
Results? Spending a lot of time, money, and resources on the wrong marketing strategies, missing several growth opportunities, and of course, facing tough times raising funds.
No one wants to be in this situation!
That’s where a perfect business plan software can help you out. These tools make drafting an investment-ready business plan a breeze.
So how exactly can these business planning tools help?
Simply put, business plan software can help you create a winning business plan, develop marketing strategies, and predict your financial future—ultimately helping your business grow.
Now, how to choose a tool that will suit your business’s requirements and your budget too? The answer is right here.
In this article, we’ve narrowed down our search for the best business plan software to the 10 best paid and free software considering factors like—pricing, features, performance, and credibility.
So you can easily pick the one that best suits your requirements.
All sorted? Shall we begin? Let’s roll.
Best Paid and Free Business Plan Software and Tools
1. Upmetrics
Upmetrics is a top business and financial planning software helping entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their businesses.
Its 200+ fully customizable sample business plans, video tutorials, well-written documentation, and go-to guides make writing a business plan a lot easier for someone new to business plan writing.
The best part about Upmetrics is—it’s affordable, reliable, and best for beginners.
In fact, the creators of Upmetrics believe that creating a business plan requires no special qualifications, nor a degree in finance to draw financial projections.
And the tool they’ve created speaks volumes of their words—making it a go-to solution for budding entrepreneurs.
Let’s have a look at the features you get with Upmetrics—the #1 business plan software:
- 200+ fully customizable business plan templates to get started.
- Easy-to-use business plan builder with drag and drop tools.
- Financial forecasting tool to plan and manage your cash flow with ease.
- Easy to share or collaborate with the team in real time.
- Pitch deck creator to create perfect pitches and impress investors.
- Create actionable business strategies using various business model canvases.
- Easily customize and edit cover pages.
- Real-time updates and cloud storage, eliminating the risk of data loss.
- Business resources, video tutorials, and guides to help get started.
- Intuitive, seamless, and responsive user interface.
The Upmetrics subscription starts at $7/month (billed annually) with one workspace; it also provides a free demo and a 15-day money-back guarantee—so no risk at all!
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2. Liveplan
LivePlan is one of the best and most renowned business planning, budgeting, and performance-tracking software for startups and small business owners.
Whether you are a startup looking to attract potential investors or an established organization that needs help creating a forecast of your business’s financial future—LivePlan can help.
LivePlan simplifies the process of creating a professional business plan with its instruction manuals, tutorials, and expert guidance, whereas its automated financials built-in with formulas ensure precise financial forecasting.
LivePlan provides a wide range of features which may include:
- Business plan templates
- Budgeting and expense tracking
- Online learning tools & resources
- Collaborative planning
- Pitch deck creator
- Dashboard and reporting
- Integrated document storage
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
||
---|---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | |||
Minimum Pricing | $15/Month | $7/Month | |
Unlimited | 5 | 5 | |
Free Demo | No | Available | |
Core Capabilities | |||
Business plan builder | |||
Budgeting & forecasting | |||
One-page pitch builder | |||
AI Assistance | |||
Business plan templates | |||
Strategic planning | |||
Support | Email and chat | Email and chat | |
Visit Website | Free Demo |
Though LivePlan has been in the market for a long time now, it isn’t suitable for short-term business planning. That’s why we recommend exploring some LivePlan alternatives.
LivePlan’s subscription model consists of two plans: standard and premium. The standard plan costs $20/month, whereas the premium plan costs $40/month. However, they do not have any free trial or demo as a part of their pricing plan.
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
---|---|
Standard plan
$15/month
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Starter plan
$7/month
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Premium plan
$30/month
|
Premium plan
$14/month
|
No lifetime plan
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No lifetime plan
|
Free Demo
No
|
Free Demo
Available
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
Visit Website | Free Demo |
What I didn't like about LivePlan?
LivePlan offers three options for financial projections; 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year. Unfortunately, it is limited to that time frame, which is disappointing since everything else is customizable aside from the time frame.Here are the average user ratings, comparing the experiences on Liveplan and Upmetrics.
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
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Ease of use |
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Features |
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Value for money |
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Customer support |
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Overall rating |
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Visit Website | Try Free Demo |
Compare Liveplan with Others
3. Enloop
Enloop is an advanced business planning and financial forecasting tool helping business owners maximize the potential of their business venture.
Unlike Upmetrics and LivePlan—Enloop is designed for individuals with prior financial knowledge and business planning experience.
Understanding all of its functionalities is tough, but it has a lot to offer once you figure out its basic functionalities. Still, it’s not the most intuitive and user-friendly application in this space, so it may take a while to get used to it.
If you’re not a beginner and are willing to invest some time understanding and learning its functionalities—it’s well worth it. But, if you’re not, you may consider looking for a few other business plan software.
Enloop provides a wide range of advanced financial tools and business planning features, which may include:
- Business plan creation
- Automated financial forecasts
- Collaboration and sharing
- Funding and investor tools
- Exporting and integrations
- Auto-generated financial reports
- Automated text writing
Enloop |
Upmetrics |
||
---|---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | |||
Minimum Pricing | $11/month | $7/Month | |
Team Member | 2 | 5 | |
Free Demo | Available | Available | |
Core Capabilities | |||
Business plan builder | |||
Budgeting & forecasting | |||
One-page pitch builder | |||
AI Assistance | |||
Business plan templates | |||
Strategic planning | |||
Support | Email and chat | ||
Visit Website | Free Demo |
Enloop’s monthly subscription plans range between $19.95 and $39.95, depending on your plan and functionalities. It also has a 7-day free trial with no credit card details required.
Enloop |
Upmetrics |
---|---|
Detailed plan
$11/month
|
Starter plan
$7/month
|
Performance plan
$24/month
|
Premium plan
$14/month
|
Free Demo
Available
|
Free Demo
Available
|
Money back guarantee
No
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
Visit Website | Free Demo |
What I didn't like about Enloop?
As mentioned before, it isn’t the most intuitive and user-friendly business plan creator—making it challenging to get used to its basic functionalities. Also, it isn’t an ideal business plan tool for beginners.Here are the average user ratings, comparing the experiences on Enloop and Upmetrics.
Enloop |
Upmetrics |
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---|---|---|
Ease of use |
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Features |
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Value for money |
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Customer support |
|
|
Overall rating |
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Visit Website | Try Free Demo |
4. IdeaBuddy
Ideabuddy is an innovative business plan software helping new-age entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful business plans.
Customizable templates, industry-based guides, and streamlined idea and business plan creation make it one of the most user-friendly applications on the list.
It is designed on a principle where users can develop, test, and launch their business idea—all in one place. While it’s great for idea creation, it may lack several comprehensive business planning features.
Financial forecasting is vital to a business plan, but IdeaBuddy may not provide all the necessary financial tools for accurate projections.
So if your business is in the idea stage—choosing IdeaBuddy could be a fair call, but if you plan to build a comprehensive business plan, you need another tool.
IdeaBuddy provides a wide range of features, which may include:
- Modern business plan with a click
- Export your plan and financials
- Mobile-friendly platform
- Customizable templates and industry-based guides
- Test to score your idea
- Step-by-step business guide
- Brainstorm ideas with your team
IdeaBuddy |
Upmetrics |
||
---|---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | |||
Minimum Pricing | $5/Month | $7/Month | |
Team Member | 1 | 5 | |
Free Demo | Available | Available | |
Core Capabilities | |||
Business plan builder | |||
Budgeting & forecasting | |||
One-page pitch builder | |||
AI Assistance | |||
Business plan templates | |||
Strategic planning | |||
Support | Email and chat | Email and chat | |
Visit Website | Free Demo |
IdeaBuddy’s subscription model consists of four plans: free, dreamer, founder, and team pro.
Depending on the plan specifications and features, these plans may cost between $15 to $40 a month. You can also save up to 60% on annual memberships.
IdeaBuddy |
Upmetrics |
---|---|
Dreamer
$5/month
|
Starter plan
$7/month
|
Founder
$10/month
|
|
Team pro
$22/month
|
Premium plan
$14/month
|
Free Plan
No
|
Free Demo
Available
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
Visit Website | Free Demo |
What I didn't like about IdeaBuddy?
Even though it is easy to use for beginners, it lacks several business, financial, and long-term strategic planning capabilities—making it a no-go for comprehensive business plan creation.Here are the average user ratings, comparing the experiences on IdeaBuddy and Upmetrics.
IdeaBuddy |
Upmetrics |
|
---|---|---|
Ease of use |
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Features |
|
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Value for money |
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Customer support |
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|
Overall rating |
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Visit Website | Try Free Demo |
5. Planful
Planful is a business planning and financial performance management cloud software. It provides a structured framework for industry-wide businesses to develop, track, and execute their plans.
The tool specializes in financial performance management with advanced features like—financial close management, reporting, and consolidation.
While the tool has numerous advanced features and functionalities—they all come with a high price tag as it’s mainly designed for medium and large-scale enterprises.
Let’s have a look at the extensive financial tools and features you may get with a planful subscription:
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Financial consolidation
- Scenario modeling
- Reporting and analytics
- Financial close management
- Data integration and connectivity
- Responsive web and mobile apps
Planful has no structured pricing model on their website; users may contact their sales team for a custom quotation.
What I didn't like about Planful?
Planful may be an excellent financial planning and analysis tool with numerous features. Still, with its pricing, complexity of use, and limited customizations—it may not be best suitable for you as a small business owner.6. iPlanner
iPlanner is an enterprise business plan software that has been helping entrepreneurs develop their business plans since 2007. It is suitable for businesses looking to secure funding, better understand and manage risks, or communicate the company’s business model and strategy to the team.
Though the business plan software has been around for over a decade now, it didn’t seem to cope with the technological advancements, so it may not provide the most intuitive and visually appealing user interface.
But if you are searching for an affordable business planning and performance tracking tool with KPIs, analytics, and reporting features, iPlanner can be a good investment.
Here’s an overview of the key features of iPlanner—business plan software:
- Business plan templates
- Financial forecasting
- Secure and accessible
- Data security and backup
- How to articles and guides
- Collaboration and sharing
iPlanner’s subscription model consists of two plans: professional and corporate. Professional subscriptions start at $24 for a 3-month subscription with one project, while corporate subscriptions start at $59 for a 6-month subscription with 12 projects.
What I didn't like about iPlanner?
While it offers many advanced financial and accounting features, using them can be complicated if you are new to fundamental accounting concepts and economic terms.7. PlanGuru
PlanGuru is a business planning software that helps entrepreneurs make better decisions, increase profits, and accomplish their business goals through strategic business planning and accurate forecasting.
Budgeting & financial analytics, rolling forecast, and strategic planning are three critical components of PlanGuru’s feature list.
PlanGuru specializes in forecasting financial statements, scenario analysis, budgeting, and gaining insights through reporting tools.
It offers many advanced financial forecasting features but is quite expensive— making it unsuitable for startups with limited investment capital.
PlanGuru provides a wide range of financial tools and business planning features to create business plans, which may include:
- Business valuation tool
- 20+ standard forecast methods
- Budget/forecast for up to 10 years
- Archive budget feature
- Standard report export to PDF, Excel, and Word
- Custom report builder for Excel
- Online dashboard, scorecard, and reporting tools
PlanGuru has two different pricing plans; one for businesses and nonprofits and another for business advisors. Depending on the plan specifications and features, these plans may cost between $99 and $299/month.
What I didn't like about PlanGuru?
It has some of the most advanced financial analysis and forecasting features, but its limited customization options make formatting complex financial models overwhelming for users.8. The Business Plan Shop
The Business Plan Shop is a business & financial planning and analysis platform for small and medium-sized business owners and financial advisors.
Its business plan templates make writing a business plan relatively easier for beginners. Despite its many features, the business plan software specializes in financial analysis, forecasting, and KPI tracking.
It surely has a few advanced features but can be expensive for startups and small businesses.
This business plan software provides a wide range of features, which may include:
- Business plan templates
- Financial forecasting software
- Sync accounting data
- Drag and drop templates and editor
- Integration with financial data
- Collaboration and sharing
- Faster than Microsoft Word
The Business Plan Shop has two different pricing plans; one for businesses and CFOs and another for advisors. The business & CFO plan costs $25.50 per month, and the Advisor plan costs $94.20 per month.
What I didn't like about The Business Plan Shop?
The Business Plan Shop may feel complex and challenging to use if you are new to business planning and financial forecasting.9. Bizplan
Bizplan is a comprehensive business plan software helping startups, entrepreneurs, and small business owners create business plans with direct access to planning experts.
Financial tools help create detailed financial projections and financial and cash flow statements in no time, so entrepreneurs can spend more time growing and scaling their businesses.
The platform also has a fundraising tool to help startups connect with potential investors—which has already helped raise over $500 million for startups.
It has all the features to create a basic business plan but may lack industry-specific guidance or assistance.
Let’s have a look at the wide range of features that come with a Bizplan subscription:
- Business plan templates
- Financial modeling
- Integration and export
- Reporting and presentation
- Progress tracking
- Step-by-step guidance
Bizplan |
Upmetrics |
||
---|---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | |||
Minimum Pricing | $20.75/Month | $7/Month | |
Team Member | Unlimited | 5 | |
Free Demo | No | Available | |
Core Capabilities | |||
Business plan builder | |||
Budgeting & forecasting | |||
One-page pitch builder | |||
AI Assistance | |||
Business plan templates | |||
Strategic planning | |||
Support | Email, call, chat | Email and chat | |
Visit Website | Free Demo |
Bizplan’s pricing plans start at $29/month, whereas the lifetime access costs $349. You may check their pricing page for more information.
Bizplan |
Upmetrics |
---|---|
Monthly plan
$29/pay month
|
Starter plan
$7/month
|
Annual plan
$20.75/month
($249 Annual) |
Premium plan
$14/month
|
Lifetime Access
$349
|
No lifetime plan
|
Free Demo
No
|
Free Demo
Available
|
Money back guarantee
No
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
Visit Website | Free Demo |
What I didn't like about Bizplan?
Other business plan software options provide similar functionalities at much lower costs, so it may not be suitable for everyone from a price point of view.Here are the average user ratings, comparing the experiences on Bizplan and Upmetrics.
Bizplan |
Upmetrics |
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---|---|---|
Ease of use |
|
|
Features |
|
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Value for money |
|
|
Customer support |
|
|
Overall rating |
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Visit Website | Try Free Demo |
10. Brixx
Brixx is a financial forecast software for cash flow, budgeting, and financial planning. Apart from helping users create a basic business plan, the platform also helps them with financial modeling, scenario planning, and goal tracking.
Its interactive charts and graphs can help you clearly present your financial data and cash flow statements for enhanced reader understanding.
Integrating Brixx and other accounting software automates the syncing of your actuals and forecasts, giving you a head start using Brixx.
The tool primarily focuses on financial projections and forecasting, so there are only a few features for other parts of the business plan.
Let’s have a look at the wide range of features that come with a Brixx subscription:
- 1-10 year financial forecasts
- Professional charts and reports
- Automated tax forecasts
- Quick-start templates
- Share plans in real-time
- Business Resources
- 3-way forecasting
Brixx has four packages in its subscription model: Foundation, Essentials, Professional, and Enterprise. The pricing for these packages may range from $0 to $66 per month.
What I didn't like about Brixx?
Though Brixx has many valuable features, you may find Brixx’s set of features and tools somewhat limited compared to other business plan software options available in the market. And our list ends here. Still, figuring out which tool to choose? Fear not. Let’s discuss how you can pick the right tool among these best suitable for your requirements.How to Choose the Right Business Plan Software?
All the business plan tools on our list are credible and can help you create a winning business plan. However, it’s critical to understand each tool specializes in certain aspects of business planning.
Let’s understand which factors to consider while choosing the right tool to help you create a professional business plan:
1. Budget
The most obvious factor. Ask yourself how much you can afford to spend on a business plan maker.
A free or low-cost tool may provide only some necessary functionalities to create a detailed plan. So, figure out your budget and shortlist the tools that you can afford to invest in.
2. Your specific requirements
The next step. Learn your specific requirement. For instance, if your business is in the idea stage, you may not require a tool with advanced financial features like—PlanGuru; Ideabuddy may work.
Both tools cater to specific audiences; if you are not sure, you may go with Upmetrics. It has pricing plans suitable for all business sizes.
3. Business plan templates
Custom designing a business plan can be tedious, so make sure the business plan software you choose has industry-specific templates to help you get started.
4. AI assistance
Artificial Intelligence has revolutionalized the way people get their things done. Make sure you select a platform that also provides AI assistance while creating a business plan.
With tools like ChatGPT and AI business plan generators, you can draft a business plan in a breeze.
5. Charts and graphs
Let’s face it, no one likes to read long paragraphs. The tool you choose must be able to turn your financial data and balance sheets into appealing and easy-to-understand charts and graphics.
6. Financial projections
Most critical section of a business plan. Understand your requirement regarding financial projections and the level of features the tool provides.
For instance, a large-scale organization may require a tool that can easily do business financials for ten or more years.
7. Contribution and sharing features
Make sure the tool you choose must provide the contribution and sharing features so that you can work with multiple team members.
8. Convenience and user-friendliness
A no-brainer. Ensure the software you choose has a user-friendly user interface and a manageable learning curve to understand all the working features.
9. Integrations
Some of the best business plan software integrates with accounting software. This feature can be handy while transferring financial details into your business plan.
10. Step-by-step guides
These user guides and tutorials can help you easily outline and prepare the first draft of your business plan, so make sure you consider this as one of the factors while selecting a tool.
11. Support
You are new to business planning software and may need help using some of its features. A responsive support team can help you get back on the right track.
Think of these factors as a checklist while researching the right business plan software. Once you have checked off all the boxes, you will have the right business plan software by your side.
Pros and Cons of Using Business Plan Software
Undoubtedly, business plan software can be a worth-it investment for your business, but it surely has a few disadvantages too. Let’s get to that:
Pros
- Time Saving: business plan software can be a big time-saving investment.
- Step-by-step guidance: These guides make it easier to get started for beginners.
- Accurate reporting: Good business plan software guarantee the accountability and accuracy of the reports generated.
- Customizations: Business plan tools also offer options to personalize your reports.
Cons
- Generic templates: These planning tools often provide generic templates that may not suit your requirements.
- Limited flexibility: In terms of formatting, content, design, and layout.
- Learning curve: Using these tools requires a learning curve to navigate the software.
There have to be a few disadvantages, but they are negligible when you look at the positive side of having a business plan software onboard.
And this section leads us to our conclusion!
Conclusion
That was the article for today with some of the best business plan software. Now over to you. Revisit the top business planning software on the list, do your research, and select the one that best suits your requirements.
Got any more burning questions in mind? The FAQ section starts right after we wrap this article up, feel free to explore. Happy business planning!
Other Business Plan Software Alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best business plan software for startups?
We’ve already mentioned the best business plan software in the blog post earlier; you may choose one amongst those depending on your specific needs.
However, Upmetrics can be a go-to business planning software for startups as it only costs $9 per month to get started—which is worth it against the value you get.
Which tool is used as a one-page business plan?
There are many business plan software providing features to create one-page business plans like—Upmetrics and Ideabuddy. You can use Upmetrics’ canvas modeling feature to develop actionable and entrepreneur-focused one-page business plans.
Can I write a business plan myself?
Of course, you can. It’s easier than ever to write a business plan with the emerging use of tools like ChatGPT. Though you can write a business plan, you need assistance making it presentable for your investors.
And business plan software providers like Upmetrics can help you do that. With 200+ sample business plans, you can easily write the first draft of your business plan.
What is the best way to write a business plan?
There cannot be a standard answer to this question. There are various business planning processes, and all of them might not work for you. Still, considering the time-saving approach, using an industry-specific template and editing it as per your requirements can be an easy way to write a business plan.
Using ChatGPT for business plan writing can also be one of the best ways to write a business plan. As mentioned, there can’t be a specific answer to this question; find a way that best suits your needs.
Is there any free business plan software available?
It’s really challenging to find the perfect business plan software, that too, for free. IdeaBuddy from our list has a free plan, but it comes with very limited features, not so helpful for creating a business plan.
Business plan software like Upmetrics, Bizplan, and LivePlan also have free trials, so you may try their features before purchasing. Furthermore, you can get a 30% off on an Upmetrics subscription if you are a nonprofit or student.
How much does business plan software typically cost?
The cost of a business plan software can widely depend on the level of features and functionalities they provide. Still, the monthly subscription of a business plan tool can range anywhere between $5 to $300.
About the Author
Ajay Jagtap
Ajay is a SaaS writer and a personal finance blogger. He loves to write about topics related to startups, businesses, money-making, and personal finances. If not writing, he’s probably having a power nap. Read more