IdeaBuddy vs. Liveplan: Which is Best for Your Business?
Overview
What is IdeaBuddy Used For?
IdeaBuddy is an innovative business plan software helping new-age entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful business plans. It is designed on a principle where users can develop, test, and launch their business idea—all in one place.
Its business plan builder documents the sections from Business Guide and creates a modern business plan that you can download as a PDF or Word and share with others.
The idea plan feature offers a simple one-page canvas to help you quickly build a business model and define the critical elements of your idea before diving into details. While the Whiteboard allows you to collaborate and brainstorm ideas with your teammates in real-time—no matter where you are.
The most important—financial planning tool helps forecast profit and loss, make cash flow projections, and map out the financial future of your business.
It could be an excellent investment for startups to create a comprehensive business plan. However, it may need more advanced business planning & financial planning functionalities, design customizations, and AI Assistance. So you may consider looking at other IdeaBuddy alternatives.
What is Liveplan Used For?
Liveplan is also a business planning and management software created to help entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed through strategic business planning. With tools like Liveplan, creating a business plan takes only a few hours, which used to take several weeks to complete.
This tool simplifies professional business plan creation with its instruction manuals, tutorials, and expert guidance, whereas its automated financials built-in with formulas ensure precise financial forecasting.
With its robust financial and budgeting capabilities, users can easily track financial projections, create and manage budgets, and track the company’s financial health. In contrast, AI assistance helps write or improve content using artificial intelligence.
Overall, Liveplan provides a comprehensive suite of features, including one-page plans, budgeting, financial reporting, collaboration tools, AI assistance, automatic financials, and others to create a seamless business planning experience.
However, you may need to look for other Liveplan alternatives considering its steep learning, limited financial analysis capabilities, and limited integrations.
Best Suitable for
IdeaBuddy
Start with $5
Idea-stage businesses and startups
Liveplan
Start with $15
SMBs, Consultants, Educators.
Upmetrics
Start with $7
Startups, SMBs, Consultants, Educators.
At a Glance
Considering user reviews and overall ratings, both tools stand very close to each other but are best known for different features. For instance, Liveplan has been in the market for quite some time now and offers advanced planning features that Ideabuddy may miss out on.
In contrast, IdeaBuddy offers an easy-to-use user interface and better customer support, putting it ahead of Liveplan in terms of these factors.
However, when Upmetrics is added to the IdeaBuddy vs Liveplan comparison, Upmetrics comes out on top. That may be why it is such a well-liked tool by entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Have a look at the user ratings of IdeaBuddy vs Liveplan along with Upmetrics to get a better understanding of all the tools.
 IdeaBuddy |
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | |||
| Features | |||
| Value for money | |||
| Customer support | |||
| Overall rating | |||
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Try Upmetrics |
Quick Comparison
Having learned what users think of IdeaBuddy and Liveplan, let us quickly study all the critical facts you must know before making a choice. It is clear that IdeaBuddy and Liveplan have different strengths and weaknesses when we compare their essential features.
IdeaBuddy is more on the affordable side compared to Liveplan, with its pricing starting at $5/month. However, one user can only work on one idea, and it may not have all the features Liveplan has.
On the other hand, Liveplan’s pricing starts at $15/month, which includes access to 5 team members and features like business plan builder, financial forecasting, one-page pitch builder, AI Assistance, and industry-specific business plan templates.
While both tools stand differently regarding pricing plans and feature offerings, this isn’t the case with their customer support, as both offer email and live chat support.
You can compare all the notable features of Liveplan vs IdeaBuddy and Upmetrics to see which is better.
 IdeaBuddy |
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Can't Miss to Compare | |||
| Minimum Pricing | $5/Month | $15/Month | $7/Month |
| Team Member | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Free Demo | Available | No | No |
| 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 | Email and chat |
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Try Upmetrics | |
Reviews
Positive
- The handy built-in editor helps you add or edit text and decide which elements to keep or exclude.
- Indeabuddy offers an innovative guide on how to start a business—details including building a concept, researching your market, and more.
- The Whiteboard feature is excellent for collaborating and brainstorming ideas with others in real-time.
Negative
- IdeaBuddy has limited features in terms of design options, pricing tiers, and financial calculations associated with other parts of the idea.
- IdeaBuddy builds your business plan as you complete the steps in the business guide, so customizing the final draft can be tedious.
- IdeaBuddy needs an update for its lag while loading the financial plan and editing the details.
Positive
- Writing a business plan is easy with its step-by-step guidance, AI Assistance, and industry-specific business plan examples.
- It provides industry benchmarks and suggests budget items to help you understand your market and make informed decisions.
- Its automated financials, built-in with formulas, help you automatically project your cash flow.
Negative
- It only connects to Xero and QuickBooks, and you have no control over the data or time period it syncs.
- Some users may find Liveplan challenging to try and figure out even after watching video tutorials and guides.
- Liveplan’s formatting options are a bit limiting in certain aspects of formatting. i.e., not providing font selection options.
Positive
- This web app simplifies the heavy lifting of thinking/planning of writing a business plan, pitch deck, etc.
- Even if you have never done a business plan, the step-by-step guides and template make it super easy to create a fantastic business plan in a couple of hours.
- Upmetrics’ AI Assistance is the best solution for business plan writing. It helps you auto-write, auto-improve, shorten-expand, and change the tone of your text.
Negative
- Upmetrics has a library of 400+ sample business plans best for SMBs, but they should add a few more templates for small niche business types.
- Some users reported that financials are a bit complicated to follow, but this isn’t the case with only Upmetrics. Financial planning, in general, could be complicated for a beginner with any business planning software.
- Upmetrics is an excellent business planning tool. However, it’s not available in French or other regional languages, which can be a drawback for those who do not use English as a business language.
Pricing
Pricing is a critical factor that can heavily influence your decision while choosing a business plan software, so let’s better look at the pricing plans of IdeaBuddy and Liveplan to determine the most cost-effective solution.
Both tools have different pricing plans and subscription models, but only IdeaBuddy has a free plan. IdeaBuddy’s team pro costs $22/month and lets you collaborate with up to 10 team members, whereas Liveplan’s premium plan costs $30/month and lets you team up with 5 members.
Moreover, with IdeaBuddy you can add additional collaborators while choosing a plan which isn’t the case with Liveplan.
Compared to IdeaBuddy and Liveplan, Upmetrics offers the option of adding a member for $3 and a workspace for $5, making it an excellent Liveplan and IdeaBuddy alternative.
Here’s a head-to-head comparison of all pricing plans, Liveplan vs. IdeaBuddy, and Upmetrics to get a clearer view.
|
IdeaBuddy |
Liveplan |
 Upmetrics |
|---|---|---|
|
Dreamer
$5/month
|
Standard plan
$15/month
|
Starter plan
$7/month
|
|
Founder
$10/month
|
||
|
Team pro
$22/month
|
Premium plan
$30/month
|
Premium plan
$14/month
|
|
Free Plan
No
|
Free Demo
No
|
Free Demo
No
|
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
Money back guarantee
Yes
|
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Try Upmetrics |
*Pricing is based on annual billing.
In-depth Business Plan Builder Comparison
From a user point-of-view, a business plan builder is the most crucial feature of any business plan software. So, let’s closely compare the business plan builder of both tools.
Both tools offer a step-by-step guided business plan builder with necessary features, including drag-and-drop templates, business outlines, progress trackers, task management, and more.
Still, IdeaBuddy lacks features like a one-page pitch builder, AI Assistance, and performance dashboard, whereas Liveplan, too, lacks some critical features like strategic planning, business version control, and pinboard.
In short, both tools have certain limitations compared to each other. Upmetrics, however, does have all the general and advanced features necessary for business planning, making it a very reliable and affordable Liveplan alternative.
Here’s an in-depth comparison of IdeaBuddy vs Liveplan’s business plan builder feature along with Upmetrics for a clear understanding.
|
IdeaBuddy |
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Step-by-step guidance | |||
| Business plan outline | |||
| AI Assistance | |||
| Task management | |||
| Progress tracker | |||
| Real-time feedback | |||
| Drag-and-drop templates | |||
| Pinboard | |||
| Visual layouts | |||
| One-page pitch builder | |||
| Business plan version control | |||
| Performance dashboard | |||
| Strategic planning | |||
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Get Started Now |
In-depth Financial Planning Comparison
You can’t overlook financial planning features when comparing two business planning software.
Be it Liveplan or IdeaBuddy, both tools offer excellent financial features and tools for accurate financial projections. Both tools include necessary features like financial reporting, a dashboard, automatic financials, country currency formatting, and more.
However, Liveplan lacks advanced forecasting functionalities like “what if” scenarios, modern revenue projections, and integration with accounting software like Xero & QuickBooks.
Check out this table for IdeaBuddy vs Liveplan comparison of financial forecasting features.
 IdeaBuddy |
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial forecast calculator | |||
| Financial dashboard | |||
| Financial reporting | |||
| Automatic financials | |||
| Country currency formatting | |||
| “What if” scenarios | |||
| Modern revenue projections | |||
| Team salary forecasts | |||
| Financials export to Excel | |||
| Add report to your plan | |||
| Real-time profit & cash forecasting | |||
| Integration with Xero & QuickBooks | |||
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Get Started Now |
In-depth Step-by-step Guide and Templates Comparison
We compared the business plan builder and financial features of both planning software. Now it’s time to compare their step-by-step guides and business plan templates.
Liveplan includes industry-specific business plan templates, step-by-step instructions, webinars and events, and how-to articles and guides to help you create a business plan, whereas IdeaBuddy only provides step-by-step instructions.
In contrast, Upmetrics provides all the necessary features, step-by-step guidance and includes a detailed course on business planning which neither Liveplan nor IdeaBuddy provides to help you out.
Here’s the table for the IdeaBuddy vs Liveplan comparison of step-by-step guides and templates.
|
IdeaBuddy |
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Business plan templates | |||
| Business plan course | |||
| Step-by-step instructions | |||
| Webinar and events | |||
| How-to articles & guides | |||
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Get Started Now |
In-depth Collaboration Capability Comparison
Lastly, it’s time to consider the collaboration capabilities of both software to understand which comes on top to help your team build a business plan together.
Ideabuddy and Liveplan, both allow users to invite unlimited guest viewers and a specific number of collaborators. For instance, IdeaBuddy’s Founder plan includes 3 members, whereas Liveplan’s Standard and Premium plans include access to 5 members.
Moreover, with IdeaBuddy, you can purchase additional team member access, which isn’t the case with Liveplan.
Here’s the IdeaBuddy vs Liveplan collaboration comparison table for a deeper understanding of their collaboration capabilities.
|
IdeaBuddy |
Liveplan |
Upmetrics |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Guests | |||
| Invite collaborators | |||
| Member & workspace add-on | |||
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Get Started Now |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better than Liveplan Or IdeaBuddy?
Liveplan and IdeaBuddy are incredible business plan software. However, Upmetrics provides all the advanced business planning features these tools provide at a much more affordable price, making it a better IdeaBuddy and Liveplan alternative.
Is IdeaBuddy budgeting software?
IdeaBuddy is primarily a business plan software and idea creation tool for new startups, not an advanced budgeting software. While it does have some basic financial features like financial reporting, a dashboard, and a forecast calculator, it is not a full-fledged budgeting solution.
How long is Liveplan’s free trial?
Liveplan doesn’t offer a free plan, trial, or demo. However, they do offer a 35-day money-back guarantee on all their plans.
What are the limitations of IdeaBuddy?
The most significant limitation of IdeaBuddy is the lack of customization features. While it’s best for rookie entrepreneurs to create their first-ever business plan, it doesn’t have much to offer for advanced business and financial planning.
Is IdeaBuddy best for business planning?
IdeaBuddy is among the leading business plan software, but it isn’t the best given its limited functionalities and high pricing plans. Other better options like Upmetrics offer all the business planning features at much more competitive prices.