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5 Best Business Plan Software in 2022

Sally Lauckner

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

When you’re starting a business, developing a strong business plan will be one of the first steps you take. Your business plan will cover everything from a detailed explanation of your products or services and pricing model to at least three years of financial projections—plus much more. Therefore, whether you’re not sure how to get started or you’re just looking to make the process easier, you may want to turn to business plan software for help.

In this guide, we'll break down five of the best business plan software options—discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more—so you have all the information you need to decide which solution is right for your small business.

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Tell us where you're at in your business journey, and we'll direct you to the experience that fits.

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The 5 best business plan software options

The right business plan software will make the process of writing your business plan much simpler. Like many business software solutions, however, there are a number of different business plan software options out there—each of which has a unique set of features, user experience, and price.

This being said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, you can explore the five top options below:

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

1. LivePlan

Best overall business plan software.

If you want template-rich, modern-feeling business plan software, then LivePlan may be the right pick for you. LivePlan excels with their user interface, which feels updated and slick, and also offers intuitive, easy-to-use features and options.

Their step-by-step instruction will help you kick things off from the beginning, and you can take advantage of their online learning center to continue to gain business skills.

Affordable plans, including pay-as-you-go option

No long-term contracts or cancellation fee; 60-day money-back guarantee

Modern, intuitive interface; cloud-based, can be used on Mac, PC, as well as tablets

Ability to create unlimited plans in one account; over 500 customizable templates

Variety of business resources including video tutorials, step-by-step instruction, and general customer support

Limited integration options

Challenging to enter your own financial modeling projections

Can be difficult to learn

Ability to create an unlimited number of business plans on one account

More than 500 business plan templates spanning various industries

Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online

Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integrations

Ability to export your business plan to Word or PDF

Expert advice and step-by-step instruction included

Performance dashboards for tracking against budgets and sales goals

Ability to create and export a one-page pitch executive summary

Annual plan: $15 per month, billed every 12 months

Six-month plan: $18 per month, billed every six months

Pay-as-you-go plan: $20 per month, billed once every month

2. GoSmallBiz

Best for multiple business management tools in one platform.

Next on our list of the best business plan software options is GoSmallBiz, which is much more than just a business plan software. With GoSmallBiz, you have access to business continuity planning software with features that cover creating a roadmap, working through business and legal forms, building a website, and more.

In this way, GoSmallBiz is great for startups or newer businesses looking to access multiple business management tools through one platform.

Unlimited business consultation and extensive library of online resources

Multiple business tools in one software

Website consultation analysis and business assessment

Industry-specific business plan templates with emphasis on financial projections and statements

Expensive monthly cost compared to alternatives

Limited business plan features

Entire business plan can only be exported to Microsoft Word

Outdated interface

Industry-specific business plan templates with step-by-step building wizard

Ability to create financial statements and projections

Free website hosting and website builder

Customer relationship manager with integration with MailChimp

Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integrations

HR document builder

Corporate minutes writer

Business documents library

Business courses library

Unlimited business consultation

$39 per month, no contracts, free cancellation

Best for simple, fast business plan creation.

If you're looking for free business plan software, Enloop will be one of your closest options—they offer an all-inclusive seven-day free trial, no credit card required. Additionally, unlike some of the other options on our list, Enloop is strictly dedicated to business plan creation, including automated text writing, financial forecast comparisons, and a real-time performance score that tracks your progress.

This being said, if you'd prefer the most straightforward, fast, and simple way to write your business plan, Enloop will be a platform worth considering.

Simple and straightforward software, solely dedicated to business plan creation

Seven-day free trial

Automatic text generation available to streamline the writing process

Affordable plans with annual discount option

Limited additional educational resources

Only one template option

No integration options

Ability to create three business plans with customizable text, images, tables, charts, and over 100 currency symbols and formats

Includes automatic text generation for each plan section that you can then customize

Automatically generated financial statements

Includes financial performance comparison analysis (using three ratios with Detailed plan and 16 with Performance plan)

Real-time performance score to track your progress

Ability to invite users to edit (two with Detailed plan, five with Performance plan)

Pass/fail report and certificate to help you identify issues with your plan

Free plan: Seven-day free trial with no credit card required

Detailed plan: $19.95 per month or $11 per month, paid annually

Performance plan: $39.95 per month, or $24 per month, paid annually

Best for startups looking to acquire funding or find investors.

Part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan gets top marks for their user interface—it’s intuitive, easy to use, and modern. You’ll work with a step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you’d like from your business plan. It may remind you of a modern website builder, since it has drag-and-drop tools to build templates.

Moreover, for one subscription fee, you have access to all of the tools in the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, how-to guides, masterclass videos, and more. All in all, with a direct connection to Fundable, Bizplan is a top business plan software option for startups looking to acquire funding and find investors.

Subscription gives you access to all Startups.com tools

Lifetime access subscription option

User-friendly drag-and-drop business plan builder

Excellent educational resources

Connection to Fundable great for businesses looking for capital

No free trial

No templates based on industry

No mobile access

Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building

Financial command center to track all business financials in one place

Unlimited account collaborators

Ability to share business plan online with investors

Online resources including self-guided courses, masterclass videos, how-to guides, mentorship access

Unlimited software use for Fundable, Launchrock, and Startups.com

Monthly plan: $29 per month

Annual plan: $20.75 per month, billed at $249 per year

Lifetime access: $349 one-time fee

5. PlanGuru

Best for financial planning and budgeting.

Finally, for some of the strongest financial features among business plan software options, including budgeting and forecasting, you might check out PlanGuru. Whereas the other solutions we've reviewed were first and foremost focused on writing a business plan, PlanGuru is dedicated to business financial planning —providing the tools you need to create budgets, financial forecasts, reports, and more.

Therefore, if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial piece of your business planning processes, PlanGuru will certainly have the most to offer.

Extensive financial tools and detailed forecasting, budgeting, and reporting capabilities

Substantial library of resources

Cloud-based and desktop options

14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee

Expensive, especially for additional users

Only focuses on the financial aspect of business planning; no templates or tools for basic business plan writing

Difficult to use without prior financial knowledge

Cloud-based version of software, as well as locally installed Windows version (desktop version has a few more features)

Works with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Excel

Budgeting and forecasting for up to 10 years

Over 20 standard forecasting methods

Formula builder to create custom methods

Ratios and KPIs

Dashboard and reporting tools

Help guides, video tutorials, knowledgebase, and live U.S.-based customer support

14-day free trial

$99 per month (additional users $29 per month)

$899 per year (additional users $299 per year)

What to look for in business plan software

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide, which, if any, of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your business.

So, if you're trying to figure out how to choose between the various options out there, it might be helpful to compare your top choices based on the following criteria:

Features: As we've seen different business plan software solutions offer different features. You'll want to look carefully at the feature list of any software and determine what features are most important for your business needs. Do you need an extensive library of templates with detailed customization? Would you prefer software that includes an online learning center for business skills? Are you looking for a solution that combines business plan writing with other tasks? It may be useful to list out your ideal feature set, so you can compare individual software plans to that list.

Price: Although you might be able to find some free business plan software options (or at the very least, free trials), in most cases, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to access the platform you choose. Therefore, you'll want to think about what your budget is for this business tool and what type of software is most cost-effective for your needs.

User experience: User experience can vary widely among different business plan software options. You’ll find some programs that are newer or have been recently updated. Others might have the kind of interfaces that felt new years ago but are now pretty out of date—and, subsequently, make them a little harder to use. The right user experience for your needs is genuinely a matter of opinion and comfort—nevertheless, it's worth testing thoroughly testing out a platform to ensure that it can truly work for you before investing in a monthly or annual subscription.

The bottom line

There's no doubt that properly crafting your business plan is important for the future growth and success of your small business. Luckily, the right business plan software should make the process much simpler.

This being said, whether you opt for one of the best business plan software options listed here, or another platform entirely, you'll want to take the time to compare multiple solutions and ensure you choose the one that's right for your business.

As we mentioned, it can be helpful to think about the features you're looking for, your budget, and your user-experience preferences ahead of time—that way, you'll have a set of criteria in mind as you explore different solutions.

Ultimately, perhaps the best thing you can do to find the right software is to actually test out the platforms themselves—either by using a free trial or a money-back guarantee.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

On a similar note...

Home > Business > Business Startup

  • 5 Best Business Plan Software and Tools in 2023 for Your Small Business

4.5 out of 5 stars

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Chloe Goodshore

We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our editorial guidelines and advertising disclosure .

A business plan can do a lot for your business. It can help you secure investors or other funding. It can give your company direction. It can keep your finances healthy. But, if we’re being honest, it can also be a pain to write.

Luckily, you don’t have to start from scratch or go it alone. Business plan software and services can help you craft a professional business plan, like our top choice LivePlan , which provides templates, guidance, and more.

You’ve got quite a few choices for business plan help, so we’re here to help you narrow things down. Let’s talk about the best business plan tools out there.

  • LivePlan : Best overall
  • BizPlanBuilder : Most user-friendly
  • Wise Business Plans : Best professional service
  • Business Sorter : Best for internal plans
  • GoSmallBiz.com : Most extra features
  • Honorable mentions

Business plan software 101

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LivePlan: Best overall business plan software

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *With annual billing

LivePlan has been our favorite business plan software for a while now, despite the stiff competition.

There’s a lot to like about LivePlan. It has pretty much all the features you could want from your business plan software. LivePlan gives you step-by-step instructions for writing your plan, helps you create financial reports, lets you compare your business’s actual financials to your plan’s goals, and much more. And if you ever need inspiration, it includes hundreds of sample business plans that can guide your writing.

LivePlan software pricing

But the best part? You get all that (and more) at a very competitive price. (You can choose from annual, six-month, or monthly billing.) While LivePlan isn’t quite the cheapest business plan builder out there, it’s not too far off either. And if comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. So there’s no risk in trying LivePlan out for yourself.

With a great balance of features and cost, LivePlan offers the best business plan solution for most businesses.

BizPlanBuilder: Most user-friendly

Need something easy to use? BizPlanBuilder fits the bill.

BizPlanBuilder doesn’t have a flashy, modern user interface―but it does have a very clear, intuitive one. You’ll be able to see your plan’s overall structure at a glance, so you can quickly navigate from your title page to your market trend section to that paragraph on your core values. And as you write, you’ll use a text editor that looks a whole lot like the word processing programs you’re already familiar with.

BizPlanBuilder software pricing

Data effective 3/13/23. At publishing time, amounts, rates, and requirements are current but are subject to change. Offers may not be available in all areas.

BizPlanBuilder also offers lots of helpful guidance for actually writing your plan. It gives you pre-written text, in which you just have to fill in relevant details. It offers explanations for what information you need to include in each section of your plan and way. It even gives you helpful tips from experts, so you’ll have all the information you need to plan like a pro.

So if you want planning software with almost no learning curve, you’ll like BizPlanBuilder.

Wise Business Plans: Best professional service

  • Custom quote

Unlike all the other companies on this list, Wise Business Plans doesn’t offer software. Instead, it offers professional business plan writing services―meaning someone does all the hard work for you.

Now, you might think that sounds expensive―and you’re probably right (you have to request a custom quote for your plan). But there’s a lot to be said for expertise, and Wise Business Plans has plenty of that. Your business plan will get written by an experienced writer (with an MBA, no less). They’ll get information from you, do their own research, and then write your plan. You get one free revision, and you can always pay for more.  

Wise Business Plans service pricing

Your end result will be a polished, entirely original business plan. (You can even get printed copies.) And best of all, you won’t have to spend your precious time working on the plan yourself. Wise Business Plans takes care of all the hard parts, and makes your business look good while doing it. Sounds like a service worth paying for, right?

Put simply, if you want the most professional business plan possible, we recommend using Wise Business Plans’s writing service.

Business Sorter: Best for internal plans

Many businesses need plans to show to people outside the company (to get financing, for example). But what if you just need a plan for internal use? In that case, we suggest Business Sorter.

Business Sorter uses a unique card-based method to help you craft the perfect business plan. (You can watch a demo video to see how it works.) You’ll plan some of the usual things, like finances and marketing. But Business Sorter also lets you make plans for specific teams and team members. It also emphasizes more internal matters, like operations, that might get overlooked in a business plan for outsiders.

Business Sorter software pricing

After you’ve made your business plan, Business Sorter also helps you stay accountable to it. You can create tasks, give them deadlines, and assign them to team members―giving you basic project management tools to make sure your business plans become business actions. (Oh, and did we mention that Business Sorter has the lowest starting prices of any software on this list?)

It all adds up to a business plan software that works great for internal planning.

GoSmallBiz: Most extra features

Want to get way more than just business planning software? Then you probably want GoSmallBiz.

See, GoSmallBiz offers business plan software as part of its service―but it’s just one part of a much bigger whole. You also get everything from discounts on legal services to a website builder to a CRM (customer relationship manager) to business document templates. And more. In other words, you get just about everything you need to get your startup off the ground.

GoSmallBiz software pricing

Don’t worry though―you still get all the business planning help you need. GoSmallBiz gives you business plan templates, step-by-step instructions, and the ability to create financial projections. And if you get stuck, GoSmallBiz will put you in touch with experts who can offer advice.

If you want business planning and much, much more, give GoSmallBiz a try.

  • PlanGuru : Best financial forecasting
  • EnLoop : Cheapest tool for startups

We recommend the software above for most business planning needs. Some businesses, though, might be interested in these more specialized planning software.

Honorable mention software pricing

Planguru: best financial forecasting features.

Plan Guru

PlanGuru is pretty pricey compared to our other picks, but you might find its forecasting features worth paying for. It has more forecasting methods than other software (over 20) plus it lets you forecast up to 10 years.

EnLoop: Cheapest tool for startups

enloop logo

EnLoop doesn’t have our favorite features or interface, but it does have really, really low pricing plus a seven-day free trial. It's the most affordable software for startup business planning and still provides all the essential features like financial analysis, team collaboration, charting, and more.

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. * With annual billing

Several of our previous favorite planning software, including BusinessPlanPro and StratPad, seem to have gone out of business.

A business plan is a written, living document that tells the story of your business and what you plan to do with it. It serves as the source of truth for you—the business owner—as well as potential partners, employees, and investors, but it also serves as a roadmap of what you want your business to be.

Why you need a business plan

While some small-business owners don’t see the point of creating a formal business plan, it can have some concrete benefits for your business. For example, one 2016 study found that business owners with written plans are more successful than those that don’t. 1

Still too vague? Then let’s get specific.

If you ever seek business funding (from, say, banks, angel investors , or venture capitalists ), you’ll have to prove that your business deserves the money you want. A formal business plan―complete with financial data and projections―gives you a professional document you can use to make your case. (In fact, most potential investors will expect you to have a business plan ready.)

Even if you’re not seeking funding right now, a business plan can help your business. A formal plan can guide your business’s direction and decision making. It can keep your business accountable (by, for example, seeing if your business meets the financial projections you included). And a formal plan offers a great way to make sure your team stays on the same page.

What to include in your business plan

Not all business plans are created equal. To make a really useful business plan, you’ll want to include a number of elements:

  • Basic information about your business
  • Your products/services
  • Market and industry analysis
  • What makes your business competitive
  • Strategies and upcoming plans
  • Your team (and your team’s background)
  • Current financial status
  • Financial and market projections
  • Executive summary

Of course, you can include more or fewer elements―whatever makes sense for your business. Just make sure your business plan is comprehensive (but not overwhelming).

How business plan software can help

With so many elements to include, business plan creation can take a while. Business plan software tries to speed things up.

Most business plan software will include prompts for each section. In some cases, you can just fill in your business’s specific information, and the software will write the text for you. In other cases, the software will give you specific guidance and examples, helping you write the text yourself.

Plus, business plan software can help you stay organized. You’ll usually get intuitive menus that let you quickly flip through sections. So rather than endlessly scrolling through a long document in a word processor, you can quickly find your way around your plan. Some software even lets you drag and drop sections to reorganize your plan.

Sounds way easier than just staring at a blank page and trying to start from scratch, right?

Choosing business plan software

To find the right business plan builder for your business, you’ll want to compare features. For example, would you rather write your own text, getting prompts and advice from your software? Or would you rather go with a fill-in-the-blank method?

Likewise, think about the elements you need. If your plan will have a heavy focus on finances, you’ll want to choose business plan software with robust financial projection features. If you care more about market and competitor analysis, look for software that can help with that research.

You may also want to find business plan software that integrates with your business accounting software . Some plan builders will import data from Xero, QuickBooks, etc. to quickly generate your financial data and projections.

And of course, you’ll want to compare prices. After all, you always want to end up with software that fits your business budget.

The right business plan software can make your life easier. With LivePlan ’s wide breadth of features and online learning tools, you can’t go wrong. Plus, BizPlanBuilder 's one-time pricing makes it easy to invest while Business Sorter has a low starting cost. And if you're business is looking to grow, GoSmallBiz and Wise Business Plans will scale with you.

But of course, different companies have different needs. So shop around until you find the software that’s best for you and your business.

Now that you've got a business plan, take a look at our checklist for starting a small business.  It can help you make sure you have everything else you need to get your startup off to a good start!

Related content

  • 7 Steps to Build a Successful Project Management Sales Plan
  • Best Project Management Software and Tools in 2023
  • 4 Cost Management Techniques for Small Businesses

Creating a business plan can take anywhere from a couple hours to several weeks. Your timeline will depend on things like the elements you choose to include, whether you use software or hire a writing service, and how much research goes into your plan.

That said, much of the business plan software out there brags that it can help you create a fairly detailed plan in a few hours. So if you’re going the software route, that can help you set your expectations.

If you want to get the most out of your business plan, you should update it on a regular basis―at least annually. That way, you can continually refer to it to inform your company’s strategies and direction.  

At the very least, you should update your business plan before you start looking for a new round of funding (whether that’s with investors or lenders).

Thanks to business plan software, you can easily write your own business plan rather than pay someone to do it for you. And in most cases, software will cost you less than a professional business plan service.

There are some times you might want to go with a service though. If time is tight, you might find that it’s worth the cost of a service. Or if you’ve got big investor meetings on the horizon, you might want the expertise and polish that a professional service can offer.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether business plan software or a business plan service will work better for your company.

Methodology

We ranked business plan software and tools based on features, pricing and plans, and connections to project management and other services. The value of each plan and service, along with what it offers, was a big consideration in our rankings, and we looked to see if what was offered was useful to small businesses or just extra. The final thing we looked at was the ease of use of the software to see if it's too complex for small businesses.

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Sources 1. Harvard Business Review, “ Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed .” Accessed March 13, 2023.

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7 Best Business Plan Software for Startups in 2024

Businessman and businesswoman next to a graphic that says "Top 7 Planning Software Tools".

  • Resources for Planning a Business
  • Best Business Plan Software

Last Updated: January 23, 2024 By TRUiC Team

Launching a new startup is an exciting yet challenging endeavor. Crafting a comprehensive business plan is a critical first step for any founder to outline their vision, objectives, and strategy. It acts as a roadmap to help guide important decisions and next steps as a company grows.

With so many options available, finding the right business planning tool can be daunting. The best software should be affordable, user-friendly, and offer a robust set of features to aid in financial modeling, strategic planning, and more.

In this review, we'll explore some of the top business plan software solutions designed specifically for entrepreneurs. We'll compare capabilities, ease of use, templates and resources, integrations, pricing, and more. Whether you’re looking to create an investor-ready plan or simply organize your strategy, choosing the right tool can help you get started on the right foot.

Best Business Plan Software for Startups: LivePlan

Top Business Plan Software Solutions

In this review, we'll look at seven of the best business plan software platforms — discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more — so you can decide which one is right for your startup.

Best Business Plan Software for Startups 2024:

  • LivePlan - Best Overall
  • Bizplan - Easiest to Use
  • Enloop - Best Automation Features
  • PlanGuru - Best Financial Forecasting
  • IdeaBuddy - Best for Idea Validation
  • iPlanner - Best for Nonprofits
  • Wise Business Plans - Best Professional Services

The following tools all have their own great features. Based on its affordable pricing and usability, LivePlan is our top business plan software choice for startups.

Try LivePlan today or continue reading to explore your options!

Best Business Plan Software: LivePlan

LivePlan is the overall best business plan tool, offering a large number of features at an affordable price.

Visit LivePlan

1. LivePlan - $15/month to $30/month

We love LivePlan overall because it offers great value at an affordable cost. The software lets you quickly create a business plan from anywhere in the world using what is arguably the best business plan software available on the market. It does everything better than its competition and costs way less.

What’s more, the online “cloud-based” platform is easy to use and you are under no contract or obligation to keep paying for the service. Even better, if you decide to stop service for whatever reason, Palo Alto Software, the makers of LivePlan, will keep your account active and data preserved for at least a year should you decide to reactivate your account later.

  • Create an unlimited number of business plans
  • A forecast feature for those less mathematically inclined. Plug in data, and it will generate charts, graphs, figures, and even the profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow statements
  • 500+ business plan templates spanning all major industries
  • Real-time financial data tracking
  • Performance dashboards track sales and budgeting
  • Create one-page pitch plans for potential investors
  • Milestone scheduling feature — Some people will use it when working with others on their plan; it will let you assign milestones to people.
  • Low-cost annual plans
  • Affordable pay-as-you-go plans
  • No cancellation fees
  • Data saved for 12-months, even after cancellation
  • Clean, modern platform
  • Cloud-based; works on any business machine (Linus, Windows, Mac)
  • Integrates with Quickbooks and Xero to import your data easily
  • Knowledgeable customer support to get help with your plan
  • No valuation capabilities
  • Templates built on Palo Alto Software’s earlier software Business Plan Pro require some modifications to be used on LivePlan

Insider Information

Talking to the nice people at LivePlan we learned some inside information that we wanted to share with our readers.

Here's what we learned:

  • LivePlan has been used by contestants on ABC's hit show "Shark Tank" to win over angel investors to help them get their ideas and businesses funded.
  • Accountants use LivePlan as an added-value service to sell to their clients.
  • Businesses continue using LivePlan because of a feature called “Dashboard” which lets you manually enter your actuals or pull actuals from Quickbooks online to do comparative forecasting and analysis.
  • LivePlan helps with business continuity planning (BCP).
  • LivePlan executives use LivePlan to make important business decisions.
  • "Dashboard" does profit and loss, cash flow, and balance sheet reports and lets you compare and contrast your actuals from your forecasts to be able to show to investors.
  • LivePlan lets you create business plans in 1/5th the time it takes using templates.

Customer Reviews

LivePlan receives great feedback from customers. LivePlan reviews average 4.5 stars out of 5 on GetApp. LivePlan is an easy company for us to recommend for the best business plan software.

Image of the company logo.

2. Bizplan - $29/month, $249/year, $349 lifetime

Bizplan rates high on our list because they offer a lifetime plan that gets you "forever access" to their business plan software. As an added bonus, you also receive free access to Startup Courses and LaunchRock, a landing page builder.

  • Easy, "fill-in-the-blanks" plan builder
  • Publish your business plan online
  • Unlimited business plans
  • Bizplan takes care of the financials
  • Cloud-based (use any browser on any computer)
  • Options to add more graphics and photos
  • Low-cost yearly plans
  • Create unlimited business plans
  • Xero to import your data easily
  • Excellent and responsive customer support (email/chat/phone)
  • Free access to Startup.com and LaunchRock.com
  • Discount at Fundable.com (connect with lenders and investors)
  • Can't export in Word
  • Doesn't currently integrate with QuickBooks
  • No free trial
  • No third-party app integrations

Talking with BizPlan insiders, we learned that the premise behind BizPlan is to help startups easily create professional business plans to give them a leg-up with lenders and investors.

Here's what else we learned:

  • BizPlan's does all your financial calculations for you.
  • BizPlan strives to be an all-in-one solution for Startups needing funding.
  • BizPlan is constantly making improvements to its software.

BizPlan receives great feedback from customers. BizPlan reviews average 4.4 stars out of 5 on GetApp. Still a relatively new option, BizPlan already has over 30,000 satisfied customers. As their platform grows, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them integrate even more valuable features. Keep a close eye on this one.

Image of the company logo.

3. Enloop - Free to $39.95/month

If you’re looking to try before you buy, Enloop is a strong choice as one of the only business planning software tools with a free trial.

  • User-friendly platform
  • Compare your financials against your industry's performance
  • Bank ready financial statements (Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, Cash flow)
  • Lets multiple team members work on a business plan
  • 36-Month detailed financial reports
  • Sync date and text into your business plan
  • Real-time performance rating
  • Generated business plan Pass/Fail report
  • Multiple currency formatting
  • Seven-day free trial (no credit card required)
  • Advanced financial ratios
  • Financial projections
  • Video tutorials to help you with the writing process
  • No phone or chat support, just a "contact us" form.
  • Three business plan limit per account
  • Doesn't integrate with QuickBooks or Xero
  • No financial forecasts beyond 36-months
  • No 30-day money-back guarantee

We learned that the premise behind Enloop is to make business planning easier for entrepreneurs. Enloop achieves this by making software simple to navigate through and takes risks off the table with their no credit card needed seven-day free trial. Their business plan creation software offers financial forecasting features for up to 36 months.

  • Enloop utilizes 16 financial ratios to get your business ready for investors.
  • Enloop offers some sample business plans that are easy to modify.
  • Enloop's performance score increases as you create your detailed plan.
  • A new business or small businesses benefit the most from Enloop's solutions.

Enloop receives fair feedback from customers. Enloop's reviews average 3 stars out of 5 on PCMag. Enloop's main complaint is its lack of instructional text for writing mission statements and other key sections. What they rank high on is their efficiency and the speed at which the software lets you write a business plan.

Even beyond the free version, Enloop Basic is just $9.95/month ($6/month when paid annually), so they’re one of the least expensive tools for writing a business plan.

Image of the company logo.

4. PlanGuru - $99/month to $299/month

PlanGuru is a good option if you’re looking for considerably more robust software that offers quite a bit more. The most notable feature we like is the valuation tool, only present on the desktop version of the software. PlanGuru lets you calculate the valuation of your business using three different methods. No other business plan software offers this that we know of.

PlanGuru also offers budgeting, forecasting, and performance tools to help you put together a business plan. In the main, PlanGuru allows you to get a custom-tailored three financial statement budget model up and running out of QuickBooks or Xero in a matter of minutes. PlanGuru's business plan writing software takes you through a setup process where it asks you questions such as:

  • What's the first month of your fiscal year?
  • How many historical years do you want to import?

And, once you answer these questions, PlanGuru then generates a model for you that you can then populate with your historical data if you have it. Then you can go through PlanGuru's 20+ projection methods.

Some financial data projection methods include:

  • Expenses, like payroll, etc.
  • Balance sheet items, like accounts receivable, accounts payable, crude expenses, prepaid expenses, loans, etc.

These are only a few of the features the business plan software offers. Here are some more.

  • Budgeting/Forecasting Software
  • Analytics Service for Financial Performance & KPIs
  • Valuation calculations (desktop software only)
  • Desktop and cloud-based options
  • Free 14-day trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Great customer support and knowledgeable sales staff
  • Lower-cost yearly plans offered
  • Advanced financial calculations
  • Business valuation calculations
  • No contracts
  • Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero
  • Costlier than LivePlan and most other business plan software options
  • Additional cost per user can add up quickly

The great thing about PlanGuru is that the only thing you have to worry about is the income statement and balance sheet projections because the cash flow statement is automatically generated.

Then once you have the cash flow statement, income statement, and balance sheet in place, you can then lock down the budget.

  • PlanGuru's desktop version has three different types of valuation methods that calculate the worth of your business.
  • PlanGuru has some really nice reporting tools that pull together your financial statements into table formats, say, for the bank, line-by-line.
  • PlanGuru also has some nice charts, graphs, scorecards, and some easily digestible reports that can help you visualize how your company is performing.
  • Exports to Excel, PDF, and Word documents --and, there's even a tool that lets you create customized reports.
  • You can print your plan off too to show partners, lenders, and investors.
  • PlanGuru now offers a cloud-based version of its software, though it will take some time to catch up to the rich features offered by the current desktop software version.
  • With PlanGuru you also get free updates, bug fixes, and new releases as they become available.

Important Note: These tools are important because investors may want to see not only historical performance but also projections.

Image of the company logo.

5. IdeaBuddy - Free to $35/month

IdeaBuddy makes our list because of what's behind their approach. IdeaBuddy focuses on helping entrepreneurs develop their idea first, then share it, and then refine it into a plan. If you have a business idea and don't know what to do next, IdeaBuddy could be what you're looking for in a business plan software.

  • Single-page business plan pitch (Idea plan)
  • Clean modern design platform combined with great financial tools
  • Marketing plan for selling and promoting your products
  • Market overview plan where you create targeted customer profiles, identify your competition and calculate the market potential
  • Business plan creation that includes forecasting performance and cash flow projections
  • A proprietary algorithm calculates a final score for your idea providing recommendations for improvement after you complete "Story Mode"
  • Idea Journal, that is an internal business plan for you to show potential investors
  • A lifetime plan costs only $178
  • Great for developing ideas
  • Great for doing market research
  • Pay-as-you-go plans offered
  • Email-only customer service
  • Software lag time issues
  • Fewer software options than most other small business options

IdeaBuddy has some great features that are fantastic from idea conceptualization down to cost projections and the laying out of steps to take to start a business. We would have liked, however, to been given more KPIs that would notify us of tasks, help with idea validation, and help us measure other objectives to better monitor the health of our business. Another thing lacking was the design of the finished plan--it contained some noticeable structural issues.

IdeaBuddy has received some outstanding customer reviews on GetApp. IdeaBuddy has earned a 4.6-star rating out of 5 possible stars.

Image of the company logo.

6. iPlanner - Starts at $55/year

iPlanner is a comprehensive business plan software that has been aiding entrepreneurs since 2007, providing a robust framework for developing business plans, models, and financial forecasts online.

  • Unlimited Team Members & Collaboration
  • A La Carte Pricing Model vs Packages
  • Discounts for Serial Entrepreneurs & Business Coaches
  • Solid amount of industry knowledge and experience.
  • They've got two trademarked business planning services, Startup Framework™ and Strategy Designer™
  • All of their business planning packages allow you to have unlimited collaborators and assign people three different roles: Project Owners, Advisors, and Viewers.
  •  Their Startup Framework software has a business modeling section where you can design a business model canvas and strategize as much as you need before diving into your plan.
  • Doesn't have a month-to-month option for either of their services. Their Strategy Designer is payable only annually, while their Startup Framework is available for 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month payments.
  • They don't offer refunds
  •  Their website is pretty old school and tough to navigate.
  •  Unlike other business planning software, iPlanner doesn't offer a free version or trial. However, you can take a tour of their Startup Framework software or view a demo of the Strategy Designer to get a feel for them.

iPlanner's Business Planning Software

If a simple framework is all you're looking for, iPlanner can help you out. They don't have many bells and whistles, but at these price points, they offer a good value for nonprofits and corporations.

Image of the company logo.

7. Wise Business Plans - Pricing by Request

Wise business plans website is a little confusing to navigate, and pricing is by request only, which can get frustrating. They do have a lot of options for different kinds of business plans for various types of business types, which makes them versatile. They also have business building and funding options as well. And, if you wish to establish business credit, they offer net-30 accounts that get reported to Equifax business.

  • Claim to be the only business plan company to write for Fortune 100 and 500 companies
  • Business formation services
  • Business license searches
  • EIN services
  • Digital marketing services
  • Business website design and branding
  • Has a lot of helpful information
  • Helpful options for forming your business
  • Options to help after you start your business
  • Helps small businesses establish business credit
  • Not an actual business plan software
  • Expensive by comparison
  • Website is difficult to navigate
  • Pricing is by request only
  • Limited products and features
  • Turnaround is one month
  • Requires some work on your end

Image of the company logo.

Business Plan Software Pros and Cons

  • By using business plan software providers, you’ll be able to create a solid outline for your business. Although some of the options above are better than others, each will walk you through from start to finish.
  • No matter how you look at it, business plan software is cost-effective. As long as you actually use the tool, you’ll generate significantly more value than you’re spending on monthly subscription fees.
  • If you spend the time to create a solid plan, you’re much more likely to hold yourself accountable. Think of planning software like an accountability buddy for entrepreneurship.
  • Your business plan tool will help set realistic financial goals, and most can also keep your bottom line in check by integrating your accounting software.
  • Business planning software enables you to collaborate with partners, mentors and investors.
  • Some of the business plan tools don’t offer support and can have slightly buggy features. That said, if you’re serious about writing a solid plan, go with a tool that’s constantly updated and well made.
  • Although some business plan tools have a collaboration feature, none of them can review it when you’re done. All business planning tools lack a human touch.

How to Choose the Right Business Plan Software

With the array of business planning tools available, it can be daunting to select the right one for your needs. Here are some tips for choosing a business plan software solution:

  • Consider your skill level – Opt for software like a wizard-guided template if you are less experienced in writing plans. Choose more advanced software with greater flexibility once you know what you are doing. Look for drag-and-drop tools to easily organize sections.
  • Determine your budget – Prices range from free to several hundred dollars. Know how much you can spend before shopping.
  • Compare features – Look for software with the specific tools you need, like financial projections, sample text, customizable templates, and more.
  • Evaluate the financial tool capabilities – The software should provide extensive financial tools like forecasting, modeling, projections, and dashboards to streamline financial planning.
  • Check reviews and ratings – Get feedback from other users about their experience with the software. High reviews indicate easier, more user-friendly software.

Which Is the Best Business Plan Software?

You know the unique requirements of your startup better than we do. These are all quality services that offer business planning software tools for entrepreneurs like you. Feel free to read over our full reviews if you’d like to know more about any of them or even visit the websites directly.

In general, we do prefer LivePlan because they have a huge library of business plan templates, and we love their convenient dashboard. They're the planning software that is most likely to help you via customer support, continue updating their tool, and figure out ways to make your business experience better. Enjoy!

What is the purpose of a business plan?

The purpose of a business plan is to provide a structured outline and roadmap for a business's goals, strategies, and operations. It serves as a guide for decision-making, resource allocation, and management. 

Furthermore, it can be a crucial tool for attracting investors, securing loans, and ensuring that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the business's direction and objectives.

What does business plan software do?

Business plan software assists entrepreneurs and businesses in creating, organizing, and refining their business plans. It provides tools, templates, and guidance to streamline the planning process. 

Features often include financial forecasting, market analysis, visual aids like charts and graphs, collaboration capabilities, and even integration with other business tools. This software aims to simplify the task of creating a thorough and professional business plan.

How do you write a business plan?

To write a business plan, start by writing an executive summary that provides an overview of your business idea, products/services, market opportunity, and projected growth. Outline your company description, industry analysis, target customers, competitive advantage, marketing and sales plans, operations, management team, and financial projections.

How long should a business plan be?

The length can vary based on the complexity of the business, its stage, and its intended audience. In general, it might range from 15-50 pages. However, the key is to ensure that the plan is comprehensive yet concise. 

For many situations, especially when seeking investment, a more detailed one is preferable. Yet, for internal purposes or for businesses at very early stages, a shorter, more concise plan might suffice.

Are there business plan templates on Word?

Yes, Microsoft Word has business plan templates you can download and customize. The templates provide section headings, instructions, sample text, and tables to input your specific business information.

What is Palo Alto Software?

Palo Alto Software is a company that's been around since the late 1980s. They created business management software for startups and existing businesses. The software has since been updated and rebranded as LivePlan and today happens to be one of the most sought-after business plan software available in the marketplace.

Individual Business Plan Reviews

Featured articles.

https://startupsavant.comTwo business people planning on a whiteboard.

What Is a Business Plan?

https://startupsavant.comBusinesswoman writing notes at her computer.

Lean Startup Business Plan Guide

https://startupsavant.comBusinesswoman at computer.

How to Write a Business Plan

Best business plan software of 2024

For planning your business finance

Best overall

Best budget, best established, best for speed.

  • How we test

The best business plan software makes it simple and easy to plan your business finances in order to present them to a bank or investors.

Business Plan

1. Best overall 2. Best budget 3. Best basic 4. Best established 5. Best for speed 6. FAQs 7. How we test

The whole point of a business plan is that it allows you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, not least via your Unique Selling Point (USP) ,and make product or service comparisons with competitors.

Of course, even the best business plan relies on estimates and guesstimates, as it's impossible to predict market changes, developments, and future performance under such conditions. 

Ultimately, though, a business plan will demonstratively prove why your business is a solid enough investment to risk putting money into, and shows that you have properly and thoroughly researched your market, and details the real potential of a new business opportunities.

Here then are the best business plan software providers currently available.

You may also be interested in our featured business guides on best business laptops , best business computers and best business smartphones .

The best business plan software of 2024 in fill:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Website screenshot for Bizplan

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

Bizplan is the online business planning tool that claims usage of 30,000 startup founders from the Startups.co platform. They use a guided creator that can break the big project down into the component pieces that get tracked with a Progress Tracker, and expert guidance each step of the way including templates that can be dropped in, and completed, along with simple integration of visuals along the way.

Additional resources are also provided via the Bizplan Academy, with lessons on relevant topics, for example, “Building a Brand: How to Tell a Powerful Brand Story,” and “Critical Path Your Way to Higher Revenues,” among the many offerings. Those that need even more assistance also can take advantage of an expert consultation from a financial expert.

  • ^ Back to the top

Website screenshot for PlanGuru

2. PlanGuru

PlanGuru is a comprehensive, and powerful software package in the business planning space. Education is provided via a series of case studies at their PlanGuru University and a whole slew of video tutorials.

The feature set includes flexible budgeting that can handle a simple small business, or a larger multi-department operating budget, and financial forecasting that uses multiple methods, including intelligent and turn-key methods - twenty methods in total. Historical results can also be imported with the general ledger import utility which can then applied to produce a rolling forecast. They also offer PlanGuru Launch, a service to bring in expertise and is charged per hour of assistance.

A significant downside is Planguru charges a higher cost than other software options. The cheapest option is around $75 per month for one business entity when billed annually. While there is no free trial, PlanGuru does offer a 30 day money back guarantee. 

Website screenshot for Enloop

Our expert review:

Enloop is a great choice for business planning software for the cash strapped business as it is the rare offering that has a free tier. Step up up to the next tier, and this is no barebones product, as it has over 100 currency symbols, can automatically generate bank-ready financial reports, and even has automated text writing that can sync with financial data to turn it into text. There is also a real time performance score assigned, that dynamically changes as the business plan is strengthened.  

The plans start with the Free tier, which is limited to a single business plan with simple text, no images, and does not offer any advanced features. The next plan up is the Detailed plan, that supports three business plans, and offers a significant 55% discount when paid annually, making it even better value. This plan costs around $20 per month. For a more comprehensive package you can buy the Performance plan costing around $40 per month.

Read our full Enloop business plan software review .

Website screenshot for LivePlan

4. LivePlan

LivePlan is business planning software that offers a simple pricing scheme as there is only a single plan to choose from. As they have a 15+ year track record, they offer a clean and simple interface, that can create business plans that look like they were done by an expert consultant, and the software includes a live dashboard that can track day-to-day performance. Those with writer’s block will benefit from the over 500 included sample plans that can be turned to for inspiration.  

Rather than complicate things with too many tiers to choose from, LivePlan only has a single plan which can be paid for monthly or annually.

Website screenshot for Business Sorter

5. Business Sorter

Business Sorter promises to simplify and speed up business planning and claims to be able to flesh out a plan in an hour or two, via a novel 273 card sort system that covers many common situations.

The ability to reword cards is included, or also to add cards to the already expansive deck, so no worries if there is not a pre-made card for your situation. Unlike some sites that have videos, the educational resources here are provided as PDFs and Word files, which can be quicker to access, but harder to follow for some learners. 

The lowest tier plan, Basic is fully featured, and includes up to three team leaders. 

Read our full Business Sorter review .

Other business plan software to consider

We've only covered some of the most popular business plan software platforms out there, but there are a number of other notables worth mentioning, plus a wide variety of providers of business plan templates. Below we'll briefly cover a range of some of the additional options out there that are worth considering to get your business plan right.

Go Business Plans is more of a consultancy than a software solution, but is worth mentioning for the simple fact that it's one of America's biggest business plan companies. While software might be able to do the job for you, if you're looking for significant funding, it's probably useful to get some professional advice, not least in terms of strategic planning, feasibility studies, and financial projections to ensure you have a solid base for your business plan.

Wise Business Plans provides a very wide range of templates to work from in constructing a business plan. These are particularly designed with funding in mind, no matter what kind of business you run. What is especially helpful is that Wise doesn’t simply deal with business plan templates for a diverse range of business types, the company also provides plan templates for franchises and non-profits.

Plan Writers  is another bespoke service that essentially listens to what you want and then puts the plan together for you. Again, this technically falls outside of business plan "software", but the chances are you'll use a software package as a platform to build from, and Plan Writers can then help you build up from that base.

Bplans is another provider of business plan templates, but goes beyond that with additional pitch and SWOT analysis templates. There are also business plan guides, industry reports, and a free course on writing a business plan. Bplans also publishes a lot of free-to-use articles on business planning, financials, and tax reporting, to help ensure you can keep your figures and projections accurate and compliant.

We've also listed the best free software for small business .

A business plan is essentially your roadmap to profitability from an initial investment. Whether it's your own money, or a loan from a bank, it's still a good idea to set up a business plan for yourself.

Main things to look to are a SWOT analysis to provide an idea of your business idea's strengths and weaknesses, as well as identify a unique selling point (USP) that will give your business an edge.

While business plans inevitably demand the use of figures, and while these can be impossible to be accurate with, at least by making intelligent guesses you can set yourself targets to work towards.

That's another common feature of a plan, so that specific periods you can review your business progress and make adjustments to your plan as required. This allows you to use real figures for your projections, allowing you to better plan ahead.

Which business plan software is best for you?

When deciding which business plan software to use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes free platforms may only provide basic options, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, free and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require.

How we tested the best business plan software

To test for the best business plan software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each business plan software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .

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Jonas P. DeMuro is a freelance reviewer covering wireless networking hardware.

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Starting a Business | Buyer's Guide

6 Best Business Plan Software

Published June 10, 2020

Published Jun 10, 2020

Blake Stockton

WRITTEN BY: Blake Stockton

This article is part of a larger series on Starting a Business .

Business plan software gives you the tools to create financial projection tables, charts, and other documents you need to plan your business. Software is often better than using a free template because it gives you step-by-step directions and educational materials to help you complete a clear business plan. We review the best business plan software below so you can determine which software is right for your business.

The six best business plan software for 2020 are:

  • LivePlan : Best overall business plan software for small and medium sized businesses
  • BizPlan : Best for tech startups that need a business plan that appeals to investors
  • Enloop : Best for entrepreneurs short on time and need recommended biz plan content
  • GoSmallBiz.com : Best for a new small business that also needs marketing and operation tools
  • Business Sorter : Best for visual thinkers who want to try an innovative approach to creating a plan
  • PlanGuru : Best for businesses that need to create in-depth financial projections

How We Evaluated Business Plan Software

To evaluate the various business plan software, we reviewed factors we believe are essential no matter what type of business plan you’re creating. Primarily, we reviewed pricing and the availability of a trial or money-back guarantee. We also researched the business plan software overall quality and ease of use. Additionally, we reviewed customer service availability, additional services offered, and the quality of educational materials.

LivePlan: Best Overall Business Plan Software for Small Businesses

liveplan logo

LivePlan is a well-designed software for business owners looking to create either a one-page plan or a lender-ready plan. What separates LivePlan from competitors is the extended money-back guarantee and quality of educational materials. The software has financial projections that are easy to complete and looks great as a finished product.

Visit LivePlan

LivePlan Pricing

  • Pay As You Go : $20 per month
  • Six-month Plan : $108 every six months
  • 12-month Plan : $180 every 12 months

LivePlan Features

  • One-page business plan: If you’d like to create a simple plan, LivePlan provides a fill-in-the-blank template to get your ideas down quickly.
  • Educational materials: LivePlan walks users step-by-step through the business planning process with several video tutorials and examples.
  • Financial data: As you answer financial questions, LivePlan populates easy-to-read financial charts and graphs.
  • Customer service: Phone, email, and online chat support is available for customers Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.

Why We Like LivePlan

LivePlan provides the necessary tools to get your biz plan created. If you’re creating your first business plan, the educational materials serve as a mini online course to help you complete your plan. LivePlan leads in its 60-day money-back guarantee—most guarantees are one to two weeks. Additionally, if you find that you cannot finish your business plan, LivePlan has a network of writers who can assist.

Bizplan: Best Business Plan Software for Tech Startups

bizplan logo

BizPlan is a software aimed for high-growth startups. Typically, these types of businesses are looking to raise funding from an investor, not a bank. BizPlan provides several unique features including a drag-and-drop builder, startup educational materials, and access to a fundraising platform.

Visit Bizplan

Bizplan Pricing

  • Monthly : $29 per month
  • Annual : $20.75 per month ($249 per year)
  • Lifetime Access : $349 one-time

Bizplan Features

  • Drag-and-drop user interface: Create a business plan with the elements needed for your type of business.
  • Online fundraising platform: Included with the business plan software is access to Fundable.com, an online fundraising platform that connects you to potential investors.
  • Lifetime pricing: Bizplan is the only company that provides lifetime access for a one-time $349 fee.
  • Startup courses: In addition to the biz plan software, receive access to over 650 videos and 1,000 how-to guides for creating a successful high-growth startup.
  • Customer service : Phone, chat, and email availability Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Why We Like Bizplan

BizPlan is perfect for the business looking to raise funds from an investor. One unique feature it provides is the “pitch” document. This doc outlines the most important aspects of your business. It’s easy to share with investors who want a snapshot of your business. We also like the positive online reviews regarding Bizplan’s customer service: fast response, and pleasant to work with.

Enloop: Best for Completing a Business Plan Fast

enloop logo

Enloop is an easy-to-navigate business plan software that focuses on helping customers get their plan completed quickly. It does this through its automated text and performance score that acts as a digital mentor. For an additional monthly fee, Enloop provides an analysis of your financial ratios, which help determine your company’s potential financial health.

Visit Enloop

Enloop Pricing

  • Seven-day free trial (no credit card required)
  • Detailed plan : $19.95 per month or $11 per month with annual payment
  • Performance plan : $39.95 per month or $24 per month with annual payment

Enloop Features

  • Automated text: The plan comes with standard business plan text that you can customize and any financial text gets updated automatically from the financial data.
  • Financial ratios: Enloop does a great job explaining 16 different financial ratios that indicate the financial health of your business.
  • Performance score: As you complete your business plan and enter your financial information, Enloop calculates a completion score from 0-100, which serves as motivation to complete the plan.
  • Customer service: Enloop’s service is limited to messages and a help database.

Why We Like Enloop

Enloop provides several features that makes it an appealing business plan software. Users can complete their business plan quickly with their templated text. Enloop also saves time by having financial numbers discussed in the text updated automatically when changed in the financial data and tables section. We also like the one-week free trial that requires no credit card information to start.

GoSmallBiz.com: Best for Additional Small Business Tools

GoSmallBiz Logo

GoSmallBiz.com provides a comprehensive toolkit that those starting a new business will find helpful. In addition to the biz plan software, it provides a website, customer relationship management (CRM), text-based business consultations, and legal business documents. No other biz plan software offers this suite of tools—all for one cost.

Visit GoSmallBiz.com

GoSmallBiz.com Pricing

  • Suite of business products : $39 per month

GoSmallBiz.com Features

  • Business plan: Save time by choosing a business plan template specifically for your industry and then use a step-by-step wizard to complete it.
  • Educational materials: As you create your business plan, you’ll find video tutorials teaching you about different sections of a biz plan.
  • Unlimited business consultations: Submit your specific business questions to knowledgeable business consultants and receive an answer within two days.
  • Other tools: In addition to the business plan, use GoSmallBiz.com’s software to do additional tasks such as building a website, tracking basic accounting, writing corporate minutes, and creating legal documents.
  • Customer service : Available by phone Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Why We Like GoSmallBiz.com

GoSmallBiz.com is perfect for the new small business owner looking to save on software needed for their business. We particularly like the ability to get answers specific to your business questions from business consultants. GoSmallBiz.com also has high-quality videos and educational materials throughout. For those new to entrepreneurship, learn best-practices through its downloadable app, videos, and blog.

Business Sorter: Best Business Plan For Visual Learners

business sorter logo

Business Sorter uses an innovative card sorting system to help users determine what information needs to go in their business plan. If you’d like the plan to be a team effort, you can assign certain sections to individual employees. Business Sorter provides a test drive with a 14-day free trial with no credit card required to start.

Visit Business Sorter

Business Sorter Pricing

  • Small Team : $10 per month or $80 per year (three users)
  • Medium Team : $30 per month or $240 per year (10 users)
  • Large Team : $80 per month or $640 per year (30 users)
  • Enterprise : Customer (unlimited users)

Business Sorter Features

  • Card sorter planning system: When first starting the business plan, you’ll be presented with 273 digital cards to sort through and prioritize what’s essential in your plan.
  • Team-oriented: Assign certain portions of the business plan to specific employees via email.
  • Multiple plans: Create up to 40 plans for your business or other businesses you own at no additional cost.
  • Guidance: Business Sorter provides advice every step of the way so you can complete the fundamentals of your business plan in under two hours.
  • Customer service : No phone support, but it does have email support, frequently asked questions, and a detailed biz plan guide.

Why We Like Business Sorter

We really like the innovative biz plan creation process behind Business Sorter. Instead of you trying to determine the most critical aspects of your business on your own, Business Sorter walks you through specifics for each section in 273 different digital cards. The desired cards— which indicate sections—then get added to your plan. We also like the overall ease of use and modern design of the software.

PlanGuru: Best for In-depth Financial Forecasting

planguru logo

PlanGuru is a software specially designed for financial analysis and forecasting. You may want to use this software if financial projections and budgeting is essential to your business philosophy and your type of business. With PlanGuru you can use over 20 different forecasting methods to better understand how your business may perform financially in the future.

Visit PlanGuru

PlanGuru Pricing

  • Monthly : $99 per month
  • Annual : $299 per year
  • PlanGuru Launch : $250 an hour

PlanGuru Features

  • Detailed financial analysis: Integrate the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement into one comprehensive financial model.
  • PlanGuru Launch: Hire PlanGuru to formulate a financial plan for your business and then learn from its experts about how to track and manage the plan.
  • PlanGuru Analyst: This product is when PlanGuru sets up your financial plan, then tracks it for you, and sends updates—for a fixed monthly fee.
  • PlanGuru University: This is a seven hour online class that teaches you how to understand and track the finances in your business.
  • Customer service: A ticket submission service is available for customers.

Why We Like PlanGuru

For the financially-minded small business owner, PlanGuru has all the tools to implement and track your financial plan. The projections are typically the most challenging part of any business plan. Still, if you will ever need funding for your business, you must have the projections. Use PlanGuru University to learn more about your financials, and then “wow” investors with a detailed financial forecasting model.

Bottom Line

Now that you’ve read through the best business plan software available in 2020, it’s time to decide: which plan is best for you? For the typical small business, LivePlan will provide all the tools they need to write a funding-ready plan. A tech startup may want to consider BizPlan. If you want to write your plan quickly, choose Enloop. PlanGuru is best to complete detailed financial projections. Whichever software you choose, remember, business planning is an exercise to chart your business’s bright and exciting future!

About the Author

Blake Stockton

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Blake Stockton

Blake Stockton is a staff writer at Fit Small Business focusing on how to start brick-and-mortar and online businesses. He is a frequent guest lecturer at several undergraduate business and MBA classes at University of North Florida . Prior to joining Fit Small Business, Blake consulted with over 700 small biz owners and assisted with starting and growing their businesses.

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Best Business Plan Software Review (2024 Update)

  • by IdeaBuddy Team
  • October 20, 2023
  • 1 share 1 0 0
  • 10 minute read

business planning software

Table of Contents Hide

The key features of a business plan software, the most popular business plan software in 2024, best business plan software: the verdict.

Sure, you can try to flesh out your idea and plan your future business by using a Word document or spreadsheet. But a good business plan software makes the whole process a lot easier.

These handy business tools help you structure your thoughts and build a business model that’s both workable and presentable. This in turn lets you seize on good opportunities in real-time.

Plus, business plan software usually comes with automated calculations, budgeting, and forecasts. You can assess the feasibility of your idea and then build a robust business plan.

Finally, business plan software saves a huge amount of time as it guides you through the entire planning process.

So, in this piece, we will first look at the key features a reliable business plan software needs to have. We’ll then provide a rundown of the best business plan tools available in the market.

If you’re an experienced business owner, skip right to the business plan software review. But if you’re still new to business making, start with the features. This will help you decide which of the selected software works best for you.

Here is a list of the key product features you should look for in a business plan software. Make sure that your preferred tool ticks all the boxes!

  • Step-by-step guide – Business planning wizard is especially convenient for first-time founders, as it provides help at all stages of the business plan.
  • Modularity – This allows first-time founders to build and test the basic business idea, gradually expanding the scope and moving towards its other aspects.
  • Financial projections – If you’re venturing into a new industry or founding a business for the first time, make sure to find a business planning software that comes with a robust financial planning feature .
  • Editable templates – Designing a business plan from zero can lead to significant time loss, so find a tool that offers built-in business plan templates, that can fit your industry and niche.
  • Integrations – Being able to connect your business plan software with other tools can streamline your business workflow quite a bit.

So these were the features of a reliable business plan software. Let’s now review best-in-class tools and see how they can work for your niche and expertise.

In order to help you select the right business plan software , we broke down the list into two categories – traditional business plan software and innovative business planning software.

Innovative business planning software:

Traditional business plan software:

We will now dive into a detailed review of each software, pinpointing features, pros, cons, and pricing, as well as who they’re best suited for.

Innovative business planning software

IdeaBuddy is an innovative business plan software that helps aspiring entrepreneurs and teams develop their ideas. With IdeaBuddy, you can create a business model, develop your business idea, make financial projections, validate a business concept, and get a modern business plan.

All this comes with a step-by-step guide and editable templates. Plus, you will have access to documentation that brings an added level of support.

At its core, IdeaBuddy gives a spin to traditional business planning — the tool is simple, easy, and fun to use. Also, it lets you focus on key aspects of your business first. It then gradually leads you towards more complex aspects. As a result, you end up with a customizable and comprehensive business plan.

At first glance, that’s due to its simplicity and stunning visual appearance; also, it is very versatile.

IdeaBuddy Features

So, suppose you’re still sketching your idea. In that case, IdeaBuddy has its own business canvas called Idea Plan , which will help you build a business model.

It’s reminiscent of Business Model Canvas and Lean Canvas, but with its own flavor. Like with any other canvas, your goal is to build your business model by posting idea notes until you’ve covered all your business elements.

Business Guide

The next cool feature is Business Guide , a step-by-step guide that takes you through the five stages of the business planning process.

It helps you create your marketing and sales strategy , define your target customers, compare yourself with the competition, and plan all the other elements of your future business.

IdeaBuddy has automated financials and calculators, which will help you outline your startup expenses, loan payments, profit margins, cash flow, and many other important financial metrics.

After you develop the idea through the Business Guide, IdeaBuddy documents the entire planning process and converts it into an investor-ready business plan, which is quite useful and hassle-free.

IdeaBuddy Features Overview

  • Business canvas
  • Step-by-step business planning guide
  • Automatic financial projections
  • Business plan builder
  • Idea validation tool

👍 IdeaBuddy Pros

+ Attractive visual appearance + Innovative step-by-step business guide + Idea templates

👎 IdeaBuddy Cons

– Limited features in the free trial – Some of the features are ‘coming soon’

IdeaBuddy Pricing

Dreamer plan – Starts from $15 per month / $5 per month (billed annually), and in this plan you are getting the essential tools to help you flash out your idea.

Founder plan – Starts from $25 per month / $10 per month (billed annually), and in this plan you will get everything you need to plan and start your business.

Team plan – Costs $35 per month / $20 per month (billed annually), and this is the perfect plan for bigger teams, and collaboration.

Who is this IdeaBuddy best suited for?

IdeaBuddy caters to startup founders and entrepreneurs who are working in dynamic markets. Its modularity helps less experienced founders master the essentials first, then move onwards. This business plan software helps build a sustainable business. Its variety of modules are all customizable to your needs.

You have a brilliant business idea, but don’t know where to start? IdeaBuddy can help you will that. Get started today!

business plan software - banner

Cuttles is an online web app for writing business plans and turning ideas into profitable startups.

Entrepreneurs and startups will get the help they need when starting their business using a business canvas or creating their business plans with budgets and other financial forecasts.

The one-pager offers a simple business plan that has creative visual assistance. At the same time, the finance tool allows you to track your finances and budgets.

You can turn any idea into a business and meet potential investors with proper planning tools and resources. And you can track your progress and performance with a simple roadmap feature.

cuttles business plan software

Cuttles Features

  • Budgets and forecasts
  • Roadmapping tool

👍 Cuttles Pros

+ Visualize and share one dynamic dashboard + Great budgeting and runway feature + User-friendly

👎 Cuttles Cons

– Some features are still under development – Need more customization, especially when it comes to the financials, such as revenue

Cuttles Pricing

  • Dreamer Plan – For the entrepreneur with a great business idea ($15/month)
  • Startup Plan – For startups working together to bring one business idea to life ($30/month)
  • Unlimited Plan – For entrepreneurs and startups with more ideas to pursue ($50/month)

Who is Cuttles best suited for?

Cuttles can work for newbie founders and solo entrepreneurs still figuring out their business plans. Cuttles is easy to use and comes with powerful visualization capabilities. But, more experienced business owners may have issues with a lack of features and little customization. This is particularly palpable in the financial aspects of your business plan.

Traditional business plan software

LivePlan is a cloud-based business plan software, which comes with a step-by-step wizard that guides you through writing the plan on autopilot. In turn, you can focus on the content, leaving the format of your plan to the software.

LivePlan can track day-to-day performance using a live dashboard. You need to choose from the over 500 included sample plans that can be turned into inspiration in just minutes. It also does automated financial calculations and forecasts for you.

liveplan business plan software

LivePlan Feature Set

  • Business Plan Templates
  • Financial Projections
  • Fundraising Management
  • Track actual performance
  • Step-by-step wizard

👍 LivePlan Pros

+ Attractive interface + Includes hundreds of sample plans + Simplified pricing of a single-tier + Automated financial calculations

👎 LivePlan Cons

– No free trial – No mobile version – Steep entry price – Outdated design – Can be overwhelming to use, even after the tutorials – Difficult to review projections and actual performance

LivePlan Pricing

LivePlan comes with a simple pricing scheme and two packages. The standard package lets you create a business plan and a premium package includes financial tools, key performance indicators and sync with QuickBooks.

Standard plan pricing:

  • Monthly plan for $20/month (1 business plan)
  • Annual subscription for $180 (1 business plan)

Premium plan pricing:

  • Monthly plan for $40/month (1 business plan)
  • Annual subscription for $360 (1 business plan)

Who is LivePlan best suited for?

LivePlan works for mid-size companies and enterprises. It features a walkthrough and educational tutorials, but first-time founders may find it less intuitive. It can also be overwhelming to use, especially when it comes to financing and projections. Overall, LivePlan is aimed towards more experienced users and comes with a traditional feature set. If you want to learn about more modern, market-relevant solutions, keep on reading.

Read Also: Best Liveplan Alternatives (Reviews And Pricing)

Enloop is an online business plan writing and financial forecasting app to create and manage your business plans.

You can choose from over 100 currency symbols and formats to set up your financial reports for your local currency.

It generates basic text for each section of your plan. You can edit the text, add images and tables. You can also insert financial forecast data into your text. It will be updated automatically whenever you change your financials.

Also, it automatically generates financial forecasts as bank-ready reports in your business plan. It can do hard accounting work for you and explain everything in simple terms.

planguru business plan software

Enloop Features

  • Business plan
  • Progress tracker
  • Drag and drop templates
  • Revenue projections
  • Team collaboration

👍 Enloop Pros

+ Free plan, and a free trial + Compatibility with various platforms + Unique features like AutoWrite & TextSync

👎 Enloop Cons

– Doesn’t integrate with Quickbooks, Xero, or other accounting software like other business planning software. Therefore, you must import your own financial data. – Lack of assistance for beginner founders

Enloop Pricing

Enloop pricing is feature-based and comes with a free plan, as well as a free trial period.

  • Free tier – Limited to a single business plan with simple text, no images, and no advanced features.
  • Detailed plan – $19.95 monthly supports three business plans, detailed financials, and 3 ratios analyzed.
  • Performance – For $39.95 monthly, it supports three business plans, detailed financials, and 16 ratios analyzed.

Who is Enloop best suited for?

Enloop is praised for its ease of use as well as a robust financial projections and calculations feature set. As such, it might work for first-time founders or owners with little experience who want to test and try their ideas. Plus, it comes with a free plan that has very limited possibilities, but could work for the bare necessities of business planning.

Bizplan is an online business planning software, which is part of a Startups.com platform.

It comes with a guided business plan creator that allows you to make a modern business plan. It also offers expert feedback on every step of the way, including models that can be dropped in and completed, along with quick incorporation of visuals along the way.

And if you get stuck, the Bizplan Academy offers additional resources that can come in handy when starting a business and making a business plan.

Those who need even more assistance can also take advantage of an expert consultation from a financial expert that starts at $999.

bizplan

Bizplan Features

👍 bizplan pros.

+ Intuitive and user friendly, with drag and drop modules + Good to use for existing businesses + Financial tools that help make automatic financial projections + Fundraising management and collaboration tools

👎 Bizplan Cons

– Overwhelming interface that makes its use slightly difficult at times – Confusing data importing that is often misaligned with existing data formats – Doesn’t offer training

BizPlan Pricing

BizPlan brings simple pricing models that let you get a taste of all their features. Each model includes unlimited business plans, collaborators, and all available features.

  • Monthly price: $29
  • Annual price: $249
  • Lifetime plan: $349

Who is Bizplan best suited for?

Bizplan is best suited for founders with some experience in setting up a business. While the step-by-step wizard can come in handy, some users cite the sheer availability of features to be overwhelming. At first, it takes the focus off the actual planning. Besides, the tool lacks options to customize business planning, which can be a challenge for less experienced founders or those working in a particular niche.

Upmetrics is a useful software if you want to create a business plan. It features a business plan editor, which refines your business plan to make it a lot more impressive.

Furthermore, finance modeling estimates the profit that you will be making from the business in the future. The pinboard is a handy feature that organizes the business inspiration materials in the right order.

Upmetics Features

  • Collaboration
  • Financial Templates
  • Pitch Presentation
  • Social Sharing
  • Step-by-Step Wizard

👍 Upmetrics Pros

+ Highly customizable and fast + Cloud-based + User-friendly + Supports real-time collaboration + Can be tailored to specific industries

👎 Upmetrics Cons

– No dashboard – Needs more inbuilt templates – No free trial – Lacks investors module

Upmetrics Pricing

  • Solo – For a team of entrepreneurs who just started planning, monthly price: $5.42 / annual pricing: $65.5 — 1 workspace, 2 members / workspace, 5 canvases / workspace
  • Team – For teams & companies that need to manage multiple business initiatives, monthly price: $8.25 / annual pricing: $99 — 5 workspaces, 5 members / workspace, 8 canvases / workspace
  • Premium – For large organizations and professional consultants, monthly price: $29.09 / annual pricing: $349.08 — unlimited workspaces, members and canvases.

All the prices are billed annually.

Who is Upmetrics best suited for?

Given its simplicity and ease of use, Upmetrics can get the job done for less experienced business owners. Besides, its real-time collaboration capabilities can streamline business planning and decision-making.

However, if you’re planning a mid- or large-scale enterprise, you may find some features to be missing at the moment. For instance, there is no investors module, which could be useful for startups looking for capital.

So these were the ins and outs of the best business plan software. Now, assess your business stage , identify the features you need, and select the right tool for you.

That’s the safest way you get a tool that naturally fits your business making. You will avoid paying for features you will hardly use or getting a tool without the capabilities you desperately need.

In case you’re just starting out or need a hand, check out how IdeaBuddy can take your business idea from scratch to a fully-fledged business plan.

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IdeaBuddy Team

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Growthink logo white

Growthink’s Ultimate Guide to Business Plan Software

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Business Plan Software Growthink.com

Over the past 20+ years, Growthink has helped over 500,000 entrepreneurs, executives and business owners develop business plans, start their small businesses, and exit successfully with a focus on business planning and capital raising. In doing so, we’ve tried all the best business plan software solutions out there, and have also built two business planning software options of our own.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

This article provides a brief overview of business planning, defines what business plan software is, covers other key questions related to business plan writing software, and reviews 5 business plan software options. Working on a budget? Take a look at the best free software options to help you write a great plan.

Quick Links

  • Business Planning Overview

What is Business Plan Software?

What does business plan software do, do i need business plan software.

  • Key Features of Business Plan Software
  • Why You May NOT Want To Use a Planning Program
  • Paid vs. Free Business Plan Software

Benefits of Using Business Plan Software

  • 5 Best Business Plan Software Solutions in 2024

Business Plans & Planning

Starting and growing a small business is exciting, but can also get daunting very fast. Even getting a small company off the ground involves making significant decisions every day around operations, marketing, human resources, and financial data. The success of your business directly hinges on how and when you make these decisions. Also, none of these business decisions can be made in a vacuum, they require market research, competitor analysis, and industry analysis.

As a passionate entrepreneur, you might think that since you have a great idea you will figure out the rest with time and everything will fall into place. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. In fact, successful businesses the world over are almost always a combination of solid ideas backed by solid planning and wise use of business plan tools.

The right plan will not only provide you with a roadmap to grow your business, but it is a required business planning tool if you hope to raise capital to start or grow your business.

Business plan software helps individual entrepreneurs and small businesses develop and polish their plans. It provides a robust framework or template which allows you to explore your idea and present your vision in concrete ways. Software-driven business plan templates and other business plan software tools are powerful assets for a small or large business.

A comprehensive plan not only gives your company’s history and provides market intelligence, but it also lays out the roadmap for the future. Your plan will help you predict future roadblocks and how the market and your company might look down the road. This allows you to be proactive in helping you survive and thrive.

The right software also helps you create a well-thought-out and well-researched plan which can prove instrumental in attracting investors. With investors comes funding and the chance to see your business start or scale-up. Every investor first thinks of their return on investment before funding any enterprise. By going through a business’s detailed plan, investors are able to gauge the viability and profitability of that business, and hence the probability of them earning a solid return. If your plan is vague and incomplete, then you will have an exceptionally hard time finding investors willing to fund you. Likewise, banks will refuse you a loan if they do not find your plan comprehensive and convincing. As a result, a detailed plan is a must for obtaining capital or a loan.

Business plan software allows you to easily create or write a successful plan. The software guides you through the questions your plan must answer. Rather than starting with a blank sheet of paper, the software lets you know exactly what to include in your plan and the order in which it should be completed.

You’ll also gain focus. Rather than thinking about what to include in your plan, you simply answer the questions the software lays out for you. Once you answer the questions, the software organizes and prints your business plan document in the format preferred by investors and lenders.

Finish Your Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was an easier way to finish your plan and raise money faster?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template , you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Click here to finish your plan today.

Business plan software is extremely helpful to certain individuals. If you like working in web applications and are ok having less control, then software is probably the best option for you. Conversely, if you like typing into a Microsoft Word document, appreciate maximum flexibility, and are comfortable with manipulating Excel spreadsheets, then getting a template in Word and Excel is probably your better option.

Typically, the business plan program you choose will allow you to quickly answer questions rather than having to develop comprehensive answers. For example, when discussing your promotions plan, the software may list your promotional options such as radio advertising, social media marketing, pay-per-click advertising, etc. With planning software, you simply click the options you will employ. Without the program’s aides, you would need to write paragraphs describing each promotional method you will use.

A small business owner may find the strict guidance and assistance a good fit for their needs. Financial planning and forecasting and business goals guidance can be especially valuable for a small company, but the value ultimately depends on the owner’s experience, planning needs, and business planning process.

Key Features of Business Planning Programs

Great software programs make it quick and easy for you to complete your plan. The following features allow you to accomplish this:

Sample text:

  • No matter the tool or application you end up using, you will have to write complete sentences. As an example, you’ll need to craft content to describe your company, products, etc. Great software gives you sample sentences that you can use and edit.

Automated financial statements: creating your plan’s financial statements can be a lengthy and tedious process. Great software allows you to simply enter your assumptions, such as your salaries, prices, expected initial units sold, and business growth rates, and the software then calculates and presents your full financials.

Design options: An important feature of the software is its ability to allow you to choose the look and feel of your plan. For instance, a bakery’s plan should look different than a plan for a hedge fund.

Ability to omit sections: All plans must have the same core sections such as an executive summary, marketing plan, competitive analysis, and financial plan. However, some sub-sections are not relevant for all companies. For example, a distribution plan is required for companies that don’t sell directly to customers. You should be able to omit sections while working through the plan creation process.

Check boxes: An important feature of the software is to show buttons or boxes that you merely need to click. For example, your company’s unique success factors can include the strengths of your management team, marketing plan, partnerships, competitive advantage, etc. Ideally, your software already lists each potential success factor for you. If so, it’s much less work for you to simply check the relevant boxes and explain them, rather than trying to brainstorm your success factors and documenting them from scratch.

Why Shouldn’t I Use Business Planning Software Tools?

If you are uncomfortable working online or are frustrated with technology, then you shouldn’t use business plan software. Rather, you should work in traditional spreadsheets and word processing programs.

Also, if you’d like complete control over your plan, then an online business planning app may not be right for you. Your program will generate your plan for you (typically as a PDF document) when complete. If you want to make several customizations, your software may not be able to handle them. Such customizations might include changing your footers, adding watermarks, including oversized pictures, including documents in your appendix, etc.

Paid vs Free Business Plan Software

The old saying “you get what you pay for” is often true, and in this scenario, the old adage is accurate once again. While there are some free software tools available, they tend to have significant drawbacks and limitations.

The biggest drawback of free software is that they don’t include financial modeling capabilities. Your financial model is one of the most important parts of your plan and the hardest to complete from scratch. If you don’t have a CPA or significant financial and spreadsheet experience, creating your financial model will be very difficult.

Also, free software often skips key questions that investors and lenders must know before considering your company as a funding candidate. For example, if you don’t convey your unique success factors, which most programs neglect, you’ll be at a significant disadvantage in raising funding.

Business plan software provides multiple benefits.

Makes the Process Simple Business planning software makes the whole process of writing or learning to write a plan easier and more manageable. A business novice would need all the help they can get, but even an expert can sometimes make do with a little helping hand. The right software gives you a step-by-step wizard to guide you through each component of your plan and advise you on what to include and/or exclude from your detailed business plan. The right software will often include sample plans as well.

Saves Time Working with planning software saves you time. You’ll quickly transform your business ideas and market research into a viable business proposition full of supportive and meaningful data. A business plan app has your plan pre-organized saving you much time and energy.

Collaborative in Nature Another value-adding feature is that it allows multiple team members to contribute individually to the plan. You can see and review items that have been incorporated by other members of your team. This collaborative spirit lets you take full advantage of the varied talents and competencies of the people on your team.

Assists with Your Financial Projections & Statements Most people with a non-finance background find it incredibly hard to work on the financial aspect of a plan. Your financial projections include calculating an income statement, projecting cash flow, and creating a balance sheet.

This is a difficult but necessary part of your plan since potential investors will scrutinize this financial data to determine the viability of your business. So, you cannot afford to project incorrect or incomplete numbers. The right software helps convert your assumptions into a complete financial model to insert into your plan.

There is a lot to be gained from working with a good program. The key is finding out which software is right for you and your business. Below we review the 5 best software programs in the market to give you a holistic view of what is available and how to choose wisely.

Review of the 5 Best Business Plan Software Solutions

[Note that PlanBuildr is a subsidiary of Growthink.]

PlanBuildr is one of the fastest growing business plan software in the world.

It is also the only software that allows you a free trial: this is the direct link to try PlanBuildr for free .

With over 125,000 entrepreneurs and counting registered on the platform, this software is a great starting point to masterfully build your plan. PlanBuildr was created by talented people who have been influential leaders and experts in business and financial planning and raising capital for businesses. With a vast array of features available to you, you are able to create the first draft of your plan in just ten minutes. Such a quick delivery time without compromising on quality is unparalleled right now in the market.

PlanBuildr Business Plan Software

Features Available at PlanBuildr

Ease of Use

PlanBuildr offers a great yet simple way to help you get started on your plan. With PlanBuildr you get to complete simple fill-in-the-blank questions that cover every element of your plan. In this short and simple way, PlanBuildr constructs a draft of your plan by using your answers as the base. You just fill in the blanks and PlanBuildr does the rest. Within minutes you get a working draft of your plan.

Strong Financial Modeling Capabilities

PlanBuildr goes the extra mile when it comes to creating complete financial projections for your plan. You just have to enter elementary figures like the number of products you think you will sell in the coming years and PlanBuildr will compute your full five-year financial forecasts.

With this software, you can easily create your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement within minutes. PlanBuildr is also able to create charts to display these numbers and informative graphs to help present your real accounting data in a way that makes it easy to understand and analyze.

Experience in Every Industry

PlanBuildr has comprehensive experience creating business plans in every industry from hospitality to travel and tourism and from food service to non-profits. PlanBuildr’s portfolio is quite wide and impressive. So, no matter what field your business is in, PlanBuildr can help turn your idea into a successful reality.

Professional Designs

PlanBuildr offers ten skillful designs that will make a professional business plan . Choose any design and see your plan transform into an amazingly well-outlined document that will immediately impress even those who see hundreds of business plans on a daily basis.

On the whole, PlanBuildr is a highly strategic planning tool that creates a world-class plan for you while also suggesting several improvements to further enhance the quality of your plan. It is a great resource to have on your side as you venture out to create a business legacy for yourself. PlanBuildr is deservedly the top of our picks of great business plan software.

Summary: Price: Free and Paid options

5 star rating

Quick pros list: user friendly, easy, free/inexpensive

Quick cons list: need an internet connection

Why it’s recommended: PlanBuildr is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to create your plan.

Visit PlanBuidr.com Business Plan Software Here

Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template

Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template is the result of 20+ years of hard work by the renowned business planning expert, and co-founder/president of Growthink, Dave Lavinsky.

Called the business plan expert by sources including Business Week, Lavinsky has been instrumental in helping hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs complete their business plans and raise billions of dollars in funding. After earning his MBA from UCLA’s prestigious Anderson School of Management, Lavinsky has dedicated his career to helping entrepreneurs create winning business plans.

Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template is also one of our top picks because of the sheer number and quality of features it provides a budding business entrepreneur. Also, since it comes as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel document there is no complicated software to use and you can quickly and easily complete your plan.

Growthink Software

Below is a non-exhaustive list of what you can expect when you get the Ultimate Business Plan Template:

Investor Focused

Sometimes when you are working on a business plan by yourself it’s easy to be swept away by the passion and leave practical considerations behind. This becomes evident only when you present your plan to actual investors who then find that your plan lacks focus and direction. With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template, you are guided into creating a business plan which covers each of the key points investors and lenders need to see. This maximizes your chances of securing funding in the form of equity and/or business loans.

Excellent Customer Service

Apart from step-by-step guidance throughout the whole business plan creation process, Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template provides free customer service year-round. Here dedicated customer support professionals will answer all your queries and help you walk through the different features of Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Templates.

They also offer a “Members Area” where you get immediate answers to all your business questions and additional support in the form of samples and resources to aid your developing business plan.

Lifetime Access

When you get Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you also get lifetime access to it. You can use it multiple times for multiple business endeavors in the future. You just make a single payment and that is it. There are no pesky monthly charges. This is a great deal for a great product.

With tremendous operational, financial, and design capabilities Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template is a comprehensive system to which you can trust your business plan. Growthink is so confident in its services (and rightly so!) that it offers a 365-day money-back guarantee. So, you can try out this immensely useful resource without any monetary pressure.

Summary: Price: $97

Quick pros list: quickly and easily create a professional business plan for funding from investors and/or lenders; extremely flexible.

Quick cons list: more expensive than PlanBuildr

Why it’s recommended: This is the gold standard for an easy planning process. If you need funding then there’s no better option.

Check out Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template here

LivePlan, by Palo Alto Software, is another business plan software that offers some decent learning tools and financial services. However, it loses out to the first two business plan software because of its slightly steep learning curve. With LivePlan, you need to invest some time in understanding the software and some might even experience difficulties in working with it.

The user interface can be smoother and more user-friendly. Their pricing model is competitive; their annual and monthly plans are priced at $139.92 and $19.95 respectively which you can choose from depending on your need and budget.

liveplan business plan software

Summary: Price: $20/month

3 star rating

Quick pros list: easy to use; fairly intuitive

Quick cons list: clunky in places; expensive ($240/year if paying monthly)

Why it’s recommended: Liveplan is a solid software solution based on years of development and updates.

LivePlan Reviews on Google

  We’ve done a comparison of Liveplan vs Growthink too for your reference.  

As a business plan software solution, PlanGuru provides over twenty forecasting features that help you create a unique business plan for yourself. Here, you can expect to receive plenty of help with both financial and non-financial aspects of a business plan. PlanGuru assists in creating cash flow statements, income statements, current and future sales projections, P&L statements and balance sheets- all quintessential in a robust business plan.

Unfortunately, pricing is extremely expensive. Their monthly plan is $99/month while their annual plan is $899/year.

PlanGuru Software

Summary: Price: $99/month or $899/year

2 star rating

Quick pros list: good software with good financial forecasting capabilities

Quick cons list: their pricing model is too expensive for most entrepreneurs and small business owners

Why it’s recommended: if money isn’t an object, you can use this business plan creation software to build a strong financial model

ABS Ultimate Business Planner

The ABS Ultimate Business Planner helps simplify the process of writing a business plan by providing numerous business resources and sample plans. Their step-by-step guide directs you expertly through your individual business plan while providing some pertinent suggestions along the way.

The product however is a bit “clunky” and hasn’t changed much since it was first launched many years ago.

Summary: Price: $99

Quick pros list: includes sample business plans; good financial forecasting capabilities

Quick cons list: price is high for limited features and a bit clunky to use

Why it’s recommended: if none of the other options above fit your needs, this is a worthwhile alternative.

A well-written business plan will attract and influence investors, giving you the necessary funding, and hence an opportunity, to set up and/or grow your idea. The right tools are essential for helping you and your team accomplish this goal. While there is no best business plan app or best business plan software, it’s worth reviewing the options available to see if there might be a user-friendly, business plan creator that will help you create a successful business plan.

Business Plan Software FAQs

Business Plan Software is a suite of applications intended to provide users with the tools they need to build business plans. These programs are designed for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and established businesses looking to expand their operations. The purpose of this software is not only to offer users an easy way to create business plans but also help them monitor their sales efforts and measure their financial performance.

They are typically created for small- and medium-sized companies that operate locally or regionally, although they can be used to create business plans for any size company looking to take advantage of the additional features and functions available within this type of software. Users can also monitor their competitors and offer services and products at a competitive price.

Business plan software is used to identify potential obstacles and opportunities, analyze business environments or markets, and measure the performance of a company's workforce for better business management. It allows users to create budgets and forecasts in order to project cash flow and income statements, manage expenses and revenue streams, establish development strategies, establish employee benefits and compensate executives, and monitor performance.

What is the Easiest Way to Complete My Business Plan?

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Business Plan.

What Should Entrepreneurs Look For In Business Plan Maker Software?

Many entrepreneurs seek a free business plan generator online to develop their business plan. Importantly, you must make sure the free plan maker not only includes the body of your plan but the financials. The business plan financials, which must include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement, are essential to your business plan, particularly if you are seeking funding.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Click here to finish your business plan today.

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Free Online Business Plan Maker

Create a compelling and convincing business plan online with Venngage. Templates available for your every need, whether it's business plans, financial plans, marketing plans, and more.

best software to create a business plan

Not a designer? No problem. With our easy-to-edit templates and online business plan generator, anyone can create a professional business plan for free. Over 40,000 businesses already use and trust Venngage.

Design from one of our business plan templates

Choose from hundreds of business plan templates. see all business plan templates, launch a profitable business with a visually engaging business plan.

best software to create a business plan

Your business is unique and impactful — so should your business plan. Make sure the plan you share with investors, lenders, and other stakeholders is not only packed with key data and information but visually engaging too.

best software to create a business plan

Looking to make your business plan stand out from the pack? Venngage's unique business plan templates add serious style to your ideas. Venngage's Business Plan Builder is a fraction of the cost of hiring a writer — you can even try creating a business plan for free.

best software to create a business plan

Whether you're looking for a traditional business plan format or something more creative, Venngage's easy-to-edit business plan templates let anyone design business plans. No experience required. Free business plan templates available.

best software to create a business plan

Nothing's better to convince your stakeholders than some sweet data that speaks volume. Engage and persuade your investors by visualizing your business plan data with Venngage's unique charts, graphs and diagrams.

Create a winning business plan with Venngage in 5 steps:

Create a winning business plan with Venngage in 5 steps:

Design an unforgettable and convincing business plan today:

best software to create a business plan

Business Plan Templates

Save money and hours of design time with Venngage's easy-to-edit templates and free business plan generator. Free online business plan templates available.

best software to create a business plan

Easy-to-Use Editor

Venngage's online business plan builder is intuitive to use. The drag-and-drop editor means faster and better designs even when you don't have design experience.

best software to create a business plan

Download Business Plans

Download your document with one click as an image (PNG), PDF, Interactive PDF or PowerPoint file. Add it to your Google Docs or Slides, Word doc or existing PowerPoint slides (paid plans only).

Visualize Business Plan Data

Visualize Business Plan Data

Persuade your stakeholders and tell a story with your business plan data through charts, graphs, maps and diagrams. Copy and paste your data or upload it in a .csv file in one click.

Brand Your Business Plans

Brand Your Business Plans

Use Venngage's My Brand Kit to automatically import your brand identity. Then, add your brand colors and fonts to any business plan designs with one click.

Collaborate In Real Time

Collaborate In Real Time

Collaborate with your whole team with Venngage's real-time collaboration. Leave helpful feedback through comments and create impactful business plans.

best software to create a business plan

Easy-to-edit professional business plan templates

  • Our team of professional designers have created a collection of unique, online business plan templates that anyone can customize. Pick a simple template, add your text and data and you're done.
  • Or choose a more creative template and play around with the fonts, photos, icons, colors, and more.
  • Whatever the case, Venngage's drag-and-drop free business plan generator lets anyone create a beautiful, professional business plan without any design experience.
  • Share a public link for free from our online business plan creator. Don't worry. You can go back and edit your design at any time.

One-click branding with My Brand Kit

One-click branding with My Brand Kit

Show off important metrics with professional data visualizations

Collaborate with your whole team throughout the design process.

Collaborate with your whole team throughout the design process

Business Plan Maker FAQs

How much does venngage's business plan builder cost.

Anyone can make a business plan for free and share a link to their work. Our Premium ($19/month) and Business ($49/month) plans include premium, professional business plan templates and features, plus access to multiple download formats.

How can I write my own business plan?

Your business plan can include these sections: executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization management, service/product line, marketing & sales, funding requests, financial projections, etc. Add sections to your business plan as you see fit — depending on the kind of plan you're creating. No matter the type of business plans you're making, Venngage has a template for that.

Can I download my business plan?

Yes! You can download your business plan in PNG, PDF, Interactive PDF, or PowerPoint formats (paid plans only). It's free to share a public link. It's also free to create an account and test out our online business plan maker with a free business plan template.

Wow your clients and investors at first sight — Create a convincing and winning business plan with Venngage's online business plan generator

best software to create a business plan

Popular business plan templates you can edit right away

Nonprofit organization business plan template, business operational plan template, real estate investment business plan template, business continuity and disaster recovery plan template.

best software to create a business plan

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Best Business Plan Software: Our Top Picks for 2024

best software to create a business plan

Written By Julija A.

Updated: February 6, 2024

To choose the best business plan software for your needs, you must consider several factors. Not all products and businesses are created equal, and some need more detailed financial projections than others.

Thankfully, there are various software solutions on the market you can choose from to assist you with your business planning. But where should you start?

To help you with that, we have researched and compiled a list of the top-rated programs that can make it easier to get your business off the ground and ensure its long-term success.

Show more...

LivePlan

  • Unlimited plans
  • 35-day money-back guarantee
  • Insightful tutorials

Jump to Review

PlanGuru

  • 30-day free trial
  • Valuation tool

Enloop

  • 7-day free trial
  • Several free business plans
  • Competitive prices

Bizplan

  • Business process monitoring
  • Revenue projection tool

IdeaBuddy

  • 15-day free trial
  • Business guide
  • Flexible pricing options

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Business Plan Software Pros and Cons

 Business Plan Software Pros and Cons

Now, let’s review some key advantages and potential disadvantages of these programs.

  • They are cost-effective and efficient, providing excellent long-term value.
  • Business planning tools help you set reasonable goals and track your progress.
  • They allow you to work on the business plan with multiple people and easily share data with mentors and investors.
  • Many have video tutorials, extensive knowledge libraries, and even forums, while others have help centers with short but useful guides, at the very least.
  • Specific platforms have limited free-trial options. So, check what features your favorite business plan program offers as part of a free trial.
  • Some software doesn’t provide live chat, phone, or quick-support options. So, getting in contact with customer service representatives may be a problem if you need urgent assistance.

Although business planning software offers a wide selection of useful features, choosing the one that’s ideal for your needs comes down to evaluating several factors.

Everyone’s requirements are different, so take your time choosing the right software for you. Once you’ve made your decision, all you need to do is put the program to work, define your business plan and operating budget , and get you’ll be able to get the project off the ground in no time!

Choosing Business Plan Software: Things To Consider

Deciding on the best business plan software for your needs can seem daunting – there are so many options available, and it can be difficult to know where to start. However, in our business plan software reviews, we pointed out a few key factors you should keep in mind to narrow down your options.

Both free and paid options are available, so you’ll need to decide what’s right for you. We did not mention any free business planning software in this review, but if you’re on a limited budget and are looking for free software, pay attention to the number of features it allows you to use and how many collaborators you can have onboard.

When using software to devise a business plan, the features offered by the tool are a top priority. Not all of them will be relevant for every business, so it’s important to take into account which features are more important for the type of business you’re running.

Number of Co-Workers

Another important thing to consider is the number of collaborators that you will need to include in the making of your business plan. You won’t need software with unlimited collaborators if you only need to share your project with a few people, but at the same time, the software has to support the number of coworkers you need working with you.

Educational Resources and Tutorials

Next, consider whether you’ll need access to educational resources. Some software options come with templates and tutorials that can help you get started, as well as help you optimize your business plan for the long term.

When it comes to business planning software, user experience is extremely important. The user interface should be intuitive and easy to use, as the last thing you need when devising a business plan is to deal with a clunky interface. That said, you should always thoroughly test out a platform before committing to it for the long term.

Integrations

Last but not least, check out how many integration options your shortlisted platform has and what those are. Programs such as QuickBooks, Xero, and Microsoft Excel are all highly useful and commonly used tools, so having them integrated with your business planning software can make your life easier.

Top 5 Picks: Business Plan Software

Top 5 Picks: Business Plan Software

1.LivePlan Review

LivePlan

  • Pricing: Standard plan: $15/$20 per month, Business plan: $30/$40 per month
  • Number of plans: Unlimited
  • Free trial: Yes (35-day money-back guarantee)

LivePlan offers high functionality at an affordable price. It boasts an intuitive, user-friendly interface with plenty of useful features, making it easy for users to write detailed business plans . So, if you’re looking for sophisticated, modern business plan software, LivePlan should be among your shortlisted options.

You’ll find there are many things you can use Liveplan software for. Some business plan features it offers are:

  • Over 500 sample plans.
  • Easy export to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • One-page pitch builder, which creates an infographic version of your business plan.
  • Automatic financials – the program creates charts, tables, and reports for you.
  • Financial performance tracking, which also helps you plan a budget and offers seamless integration with financial tools.
  • Step-by-step guidance: You receive instructions with prompts, definitions, and tutorials as soon as you log in.

The premium package adds performance indicators, a milestone planner, benchmark data for metrics comparisons, and more.

Who Is It For?

LivePlan is among the finest business plan software solutions for businesses and entrepreneurs who need:

  • An affordable business planning tool with a variety of useful features.
  • To create many reports, as the software lets you create as many as you wish or need.
  • Help with creating a report, since the platform has a comprehensive step-by-step guide and tutorials.
  • To access their plans for extended periods, as the program saves data for more than a year, even after cancellation.

On the other hand, LivePlan itself is an advanced tool, so there is a learning curve for beginners.

LivePlan has two plans catering to startups, small and large businesses, and long-time investors. The subscription can be paid either monthly or annually.

If you choose the former option, the Standard package will cost you $20 a month, while the monthly price of the Premium plan is $40.

If you opt for the annual subscription, you’ll only have to pay $15 per month for the Standard and $30 per month on the Premium plan. This generous discount makes LivePlan arguably the best business plan software for individuals and businesses willing to commit to a subscription for a longer period.

Key Features

2.PlanGuru Review

PlanGuru

  • Pricing: Plan Guru App: $99 per month or $899 per year, Plan Guru Desktop: $99 per month or $899 per year
  • Free trial: Yes (30 days)

PlanGuru is a good choice if you want robust software that offers a variety of features. The most notable one is the valuation tool, which is only available on the desktop version of the software at the time of writing.

In short, PlanGuru is a business planning software solution committed to helping businesses with their financial planning, providing the tools they need to create reports, budgets, forecasts, and more.

PlanGuru offers two types of plans: Advisor and Business/Non-profit. These are largely the same, with a few slight differences, and the company lets you choose between a cloud-based app and a desktop application.

Whichever option you choose, you gain access to an unlimited number of scenarios per company and can import up to five years of actual results. Furthermore, each plan entitles you to a pre-built three-way forecasting structure and lets you benefit from over 20 standard forecasting methods.

That said, PlanGuru is more of a financial planning tool than business plan writing software.

The desktop application has some additional features. For example, the valuation tool is currently available on the desktop version only. Also, some other features that are only available on the desktop version are the payroll utility, the breakeven tool, and an unlimited number of consolidated projections.

PlanGuru would make an excellent business plan tool for those who:

  • Appreciate a comprehensive resources library.
  • Wish to compare their finances to the performance of a given industry.
  • Are used to importing files using QuickBooks Online, Xero, Excel, or QuickBooks Desktop.
  • Need business valuation calculations (PlanGuru is one of the best business planning software solutions with this feature).

On the other hand, you may wish to look elsewhere if you:

  • Need a tool focusing on basic business plan writing.
  • Have a limited budget. PlanGuru is expensive, especially if you need to include additional users.

Pricing is on the high side with PlanGuru. A subscription will set you back $99 per month or $899 per year, and on top of that, adding additional users costs an extra $29 per month or $299 per year. So, ensure you can get the most out of this software to make writing your business plan worth the time, effort, and cost.

3.Enloop Review

Enloop

  • Pricing: Detailed plan: $11/$19.95 per month, Performance plan: $24/$39.95 per month
  • Number of plans: 3
  • Free trial: Yes (7 days)

If you’re looking for simple software to create a business plan, Enloop is an excellent option. Dedicated to business plan creation, it offers features such as automated text writing, financial forecast comparisons, and auto-generated financial reports.

Enloop is one of the best business plan software options available on the market if accessibility and ease of use are your priority. It features a simple interface and it’s suitable for users who don’t need more than a few business plans, although more plans can be unlocked for an additional monthly cost.

Both of Enloop’s pricing plans share most of the program’s feature set, such as automated text writing, colored charts, real-time performance score, data and text synchronization, and country currency formatting with over a hundred currency symbols and formats.

The main differences between the two plans come down to the number of team members who can be included in the project, and the number of financial ratios that the app can analyze.

You should consider Enloop if you only need up to three business plans, which is the account limit. However, you might want to keep it shortlisted even if you need more, since it’s possible to unlock additional business plans for an extra $9.95 per month.

Furthermore, you’d likely find this business plan creator software appealing if you intend to have multiple people working on a business plan. The Detailed plan allows two shared users, while the Performance package allows five.

You’ll also find Enloop helpful if you:

  • Have a limited budget.
  • Value text, tables, and image formatting.
  • Wish to have access to helpful written and video tutorials.

On the flip side, Enloop might not be a good fit if you need:

  • QuickBooks or Xero integration options.
  • More than five co-workers working on your business plan.
  • Responsive customer support, as it can only be reached via a contact form.

Enloop offers both monthly and annual subscription options, and the latter allows you to save about 50% if you wish to commit for the long term.

So, if you opt for the Enloop business plan software, the price is as follows:

  • $19.95 per month for the Detailed plan
  • $39.95 per month for the Premium package

If you choose the annual subscription, the prices are:

  • $11 per month for the Detailed package
  • $24 per month for the Premium plan

4.Bizplan Review

Bizplan

  • Pricing: Monthly plan: $29 per month, Annual plan: $20.75 per month, Lifetime plan: $349
  • Free trial: No

Bizplan is yet another tool popular among many businesses due to a variety of benefits it offers. You can include as many collaborators as you wish and create an unlimited number of business plans, have access to a range of useful tools, and use the company’s extensive educational resources, and more.

Bizplan is among the top business plan software options with a number of helpful features that young businesses can benefit from. For example, you can:

  • Set your business goals and monitor the progress from a single dashboard.
  • Ask for advice or detailed guidance from acclaimed mentors your dedicated advisor connects you to.
  • Access courses that can help you scale your business, including customer acquisition and business planning.

Moreover, Bizplan boasts an extensive library of interviews and guides you can use, and you can join the Startup Therapy Podcast for insights on how to deal with issues that every new business experiences.

Among other features, this business planning software also has:

  • Revenue-projection tool
  • Equity fundraising platform
  • Automatic financial projections
  • Easy-to-use templates for reports generation
  • Extensive library of educational content
  • Unlimited business plans, tables, and sections
  • Exemplary customer support you can contact via email, live chat, and phone

Bizplan is one of the business plan software providers that grants users access to all of its features with a single plan, with no limitations on the number of plans or collaborators. It caters to startups and seasoned business people, offering ample resources, business plan creation opportunities, and convenient monitoring.

One of the few downsides of this software is the lack of a free trial, which means you’ll have to subscribe if you wish to try the program out.

There are three subscription options with Bizplan:

  • Monthly, which costs $29 per month
  • Annual, which costs $20.75 per month ($249 per year)
  • Lifetime, which costs $349 for lifetime access

Given that no other provider among our shortlisted options offers a lifetime plan, it’s safe to say that Bizplan is the best business plan software for users who wish to commit to a high flat cost rather than worry about subscription costs in the long-term.

5.IdeaBuddy Review

IdeaBuddy

  • Pricing: Dreamer plan: starting from $6 per month, Founder plan: starting from $9 per month, Enterprise plan: custom pricing
  • Number of plans: Unspecified
  • Free trial: Yes (15 days)

IdeaBuddy is a handy tool that can help you with many things, including testing your business ideas, financial planning, and more. It is particularly useful if you have a business idea but aren’t sure how to implement it. The software can accommodate a variety of people and companies, including entrepreneurs, managers, startups, and business schools.

IdeaBuddy is an excellent small business planning software that has five main features:

  • Idea validation
  • Financial plan
  • Business plan

The idea plan feature allows you to map and structure your idea easily and efficiently on a single page without much effort. The process is simple, resembling a website building tool, and it provides you with an overview of the business model upon completion.

As its name suggests, the idea validation feature provides insights into how likely your idea is to become a thriving business.

The business guide gives you valuable insights into how to start your business. It can help you assess how big your target market is, perform competition analysis, allow you to better understand who your prospective customers are, and evaluate the idea’s overall market potential.

The financial plan helps you evaluate your income on monthly, quarterly, and annual bases, complete with long-term cash flow projections and detailed financial reports.

Finally, the business plan feature helps you create a shareable plan that you can edit and export to Word or PDF.

IdeaBuddy is business plan maker software especially suitable for individuals and startups that need guidance when it comes to implementing their business ideas. It is also useful for people with limited budgets. Furthermore, nonprofits and schools benefit from IdeaBuddy’s 30% off policy.

On the other hand, you might not find the platform to your liking if you:

  • Wish to test all the features before committing, since the free trial has a very limited feature set.
  • Need responsive customer support assistance, since you can contact them only via a contact form.

IdeaBuddy has flexible pricing options, making it one of the best business plan software solutions if money is an issue. You can see some of them in the tables below:

DREAMER PLAN

FOUNDER PLAN

As for the cost and details of the Enterprise plan, you need to contact IdeaBuddy directly via the contact form.

What is the best free business plan software?

Various business plan template software solutions offer a free basic version or a free trial. However, free business planning software usually lacks essential features that a growing business might need.

Which business plan software is the best?

It depends on your professional needs. For example, those who need a valuation tool would find PlanGuru the most convenient, while others might prefer LivePlan if they’re prioritizing flexibility and value.

What is the best business plan software for startups?

LivePlan, Bizplan, and IdeaBuddy are among the finest business planning software for startups. LivePlan provides high functionality for the price, Bizplan has extensive educational resources, while IdeaBuddy guides startups through different planning and implementation stages.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a business plan and why is it important.

  • Initiate with Your Business Concept: Lay the Groundwork: Start by introducing your business idea into Plannit AI's Business Plan Generator. This first step is crucial, as it sets the tone for a tailored, insightful business plan that truly resonates with your vision. Capture the Essence: Our platform is designed to grasp the nuances of your concept, ensuring that the generated plan accurately reflects the core and potential of your business.
  • Navigate Through the AI-Guided Questionnaire: Tailored Interactive Experience: Plannit AI’s AI-guided questionnaire is your interactive guide through the planning process. It meticulously gathers information about your business's objectives, strategies, and market positioning, ensuring a comprehensive and reflective plan. Intelligent Feedback and Suggestions: As you progress through the questionnaire, benefit from smart prompts and suggestions, ensuring that your plan is not just detailed but also strategically sound and aligned with industry standards.
  • Generate Your Plan with Advanced AI: Intuitive Plan Creation: With the questionnaire complete, Plannit AI's advanced algorithms intelligently analyze your responses. They then craft a detailed, customizable, and strategically aligned business plan, providing you with a structured, coherent, and actionable format. Benefit from AI-Powered Insights: Plannit AI offers AI-driven insights and suggestions, ensuring your plan is not just a document but a strategic tool equipped with tailored AI prompts and an in-app plan editor. Get inspired by browsing through our sample business plans, a collection of successful strategies across various industries.
  • Finalize Your Plan with Confidence: Dynamic Adaptation and Refinement: Plannit AI recognizes that a business plan is a living document. Our platform allows for continuous adaptation and refinement, ensuring your strategy remains agile, relevant, and aligned with your evolving business goals. Professional Presentation and Sharing: Once your plan meets your standards, utilize Plannit AI's export features to present your plan professionally. Choose between various formats for exporting your business plan, ready to impress stakeholders, attract investors, or guide your team. Review and Adapt: Ensure your business plan is a living document, ready to evolve with your growing business. Plannit AI's dynamic platform allows you to adapt your strategy as new opportunities or challenges arise.

How to Write a Business Plan?

  • Roadmap for Success: At its core, a business plan acts as a strategic guide, providing detailed steps on how your business will achieve its objectives. It helps you navigate the startup phase, manage growth effectively, and tackle unforeseen challenges with a well-thought-out strategy.
  • Securing Funding: For startups and businesses looking to expand, a business plan is crucial for securing loans or attracting investors. It demonstrates to potential financial backers that your business has a clear vision, a solid strategy for profitability, and a plan for delivering returns on their investment.
  • Informed Decision-Making: A well-prepared business plan offers valuable insights into your market, competition, and potential challenges. This information is vital for making informed decisions, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic shifts.
  • Market Analysis and Strategy: It allows you to conduct an in-depth analysis of your target market, understand customer needs, and position your product or service effectively. The marketing strategy outlined in your business plan helps in identifying the best channels and tactics to reach your audience and achieve market penetration.
  • Financial Planning: One of the most critical components of a business plan is the financial forecast. It outlines your funding requirements, expected revenue, profit margins, and cash flow projections. This section is essential for budgeting, financial management, and ensuring the financial viability of your business.
  • Goal Setting and Performance Measurement: A business plan sets clear, measurable goals and objectives. It provides a framework for monitoring performance, measuring success, and making necessary adjustments to stay on track.

Who Can Benefit from Plannit AI?

  • Aspiring Entrepreneurs: If you're at the idea stage, looking to transform your vision into a viable business, Plannit AI offers the tools and guidance to bring your concept to life. Our platform helps you articulate your business idea, define your target market, and develop a solid plan to turn your dream into reality.
  • Students and Educators: For students delving into the intricacies of business planning and educators teaching the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, Plannit AI serves as an invaluable resource. It provides a practical, hands-on tool for learning and teaching how to create detailed business plans, analyze markets, and understand financials in a real-world context.
  • Startup Founders: In the dynamic startup environment, Plannit AI is the ideal partner for founders looking to pivot quickly, secure funding, or understand their competitive landscape. With our AI-driven insights and market analysis tools, startups can make informed decisions and adapt their strategies to thrive in competitive markets.
  • Small Business Owners: For small business owners seeking to optimize their operations, expand their customer base, or explore new markets, Plannit AI offers targeted solutions. Our platform simplifies the planning process, enabling owners to focus on growth while managing the day-to-day challenges of running their business.
  • Consultants and Freelancers: Consultants and freelancers specializing in business development, strategic planning, or financial advising will find Plannit AI a powerful addition to their toolkit. It allows them to provide clients with comprehensive, data-driven business plans and strategies, enhancing the value of their services.
  • Non-Profit Organizations: Leaders of non-profit organizations can leverage Plannit AI to plan initiatives, secure funding, and manage resources more efficiently. Our platform helps non-profits articulate their mission, set achievable goals, and measure their impact, ensuring they can make a difference in their communities.
  • Innovators and Inventors: Individuals looking to commercialize innovative products or technologies can use Plannit AI to navigate the complexities of bringing new ideas to market. From patent strategies to go-to-market plans, our platform covers all bases, ensuring innovators can focus on what they do best.
  • Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Government Agencies: Government and SBA backed entities can greatly benefit from integrating Plannit AI into their services, enhancing their ability to support a larger number of clients more efficiently. By facilitating quicker, more in-depth business plan development, these organizations can spend more time assisting with plan execution and less time on creation, ultimately serving their communities more effectively.
  • Anyone with a Business Idea: Ultimately, Plannit AI is for anyone with a business idea, regardless of industry, experience, or stage of business development. Our mission is to democratize business planning, making it accessible, understandable, and actionable for everyone.

Why is Plannit AI the best choice for an AI business planning software?

  • Interactive Questionnaire and ChatGPT Integration: Plannit AI transforms the business planning process into an engaging conversation. Through our advanced ChatGPT integration, we offer a questionnaire that dynamically adapts to your responses, ensuring your plan is personalized, comprehensive, and aligned with your business goals.
  • Dynamic Planning Environment: Unlike static templates provided by many, Plannit AI introduces a living platform that grows with your business. It features real-time updates, strategic insights, and a feedback mechanism that keeps your business plan current and actionable.
  • Extensive Educational Resources: Our Education Center is packed with articles, guides, and sample plans to bolster your planning process. It's designed to arm you with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of your industry confidently.
  • Enhanced Collaboration and Customization: Recognizing the collaborative essence of business planning, Plannit AI supports team efforts with multi-user editing, annotations, and feedback features, ensuring a comprehensive approach to your strategy.
  • Customer Success Stories: Our users' achievements are a testament to Plannit AI's effectiveness. These success stories illustrate how diverse businesses have utilized our platform for strategic planning and growth.
  • Tailored Business Plan Creation: Our platform stands out with its tailored approach, featuring customizable templates that directly cater to your business type and industry, making plan creation straightforward and relevant.

How can ChatGPT help me to create business plans?

  • Content Generation:: ChatGPT helps draft various sections of a business plan, from executive summaries to marketing strategies, by providing structured and coherent text based on the prompts given.
  • Strategic Insights: It can offer suggestions on business strategies by analyzing trends and providing examples from a wide range of industries.
  • Financial Planning: While it can't replace professional financial advice, ChatGPT can guide the structure of financial projections and statements, helping you consider important financial aspects of your plan.

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Best Business Productivity Tools to Grow Your Business

  • March 27, 2024

20 Min Read

business productivity software

Are you also struggling to meet deadlines due to poor organization or multiple repetitive tasks?

Well, every business owner and individual feels the same at some point in their career. Fortunately, there is a solution— business productivity software .

A business productivity app streamlines processes and helps you automate repetitive tasks. But now the question arises, which tool is appropriate for your business?

Here, we have compiled a list of productivity tools along with their features and pricing for you to decide.

What is Business Productivity Software?

Business productivity software is a category of software that helps businesses improve efficiency, streamline operations, and improve overall productivity. These software features help businesses with various tasks like managing projects, collaborating, communicating, automating tasks, and analyzing data.

Benefits of Using Business Productivity Tools

Now, that we exactly know what a business productivity app is, let us discuss some pros of using it:

There is no more boring task than typing the same replies or going through the same schedule all over again. Well, a productivity app will help you automate such tedious tasks and give you more room for important activities.

One of the most valuable resources is time. Effective time management can ensure that you and your team utilize time efficiently, focusing on meaningful work rather than jumping between minor tasks or delaying important work just by organizing it.

Team collaboration

Regardless of your team’s size, it’s crucial that everyone remains aligned and collaborates effectively to reach business objectives. Productivity apps facilitate seamless communication, task collaboration, and progress tracking among team members.

Make informed decisions

Productivity tools offer valuable insights and analytics by collecting and analyzing data related to users’ projects and overall productivity. These insights can include metrics such as time spent on tasks, project progress, and team performance. By presenting this data in a clear and accessible manner, productivity tools empower users to make informed decisions.

How do we analyze these business productivity tools?

After conducting thorough research and evaluation, we have created a list of top business productivity software. We considered factors like user experiences, G2 & Capterra’s ratings & reviews, cost, and scalability.

We have also analyzed these tools based on their automation capabilities, integrations, and other features. So, this list is for all business owners and individuals looking to simplify and organize their tasks.

As we know the benefits, let us dive deeper into the list of the top popular productivity apps for businesses.

Popular Types of Business Productivity Software

Project management apps.

Project management apps are made to help individuals, businesses, and teams organize their tasks and track projects. These apps ‌have collaboration, file sharing, management, and reporting features. Below are the top project management tools:

asana

Asana is one of the leading project management tools that helps teams maintain their workflow and collaborate easily.

Due to its user-friendly interface, Asana has become one of the must-have tools for teams of any size.

Its organizational capabilities are the best, allowing members to create & assign tasks to someone, change the status, and set the due dates.

Some of the features of Asana are:

  • Single board sharing for clarity and visibility to the whole team
  • Track project performance with a bird’s-eye view
  • Integrate with other tools for streamlined workflow
  • View tasks, prioritize them, and deadlines in calendar format
  • Automate repetitive tasks
  • Edit, summarize, and get answers through Asana Intelligence

Ratings and Reviews:

  • G2: 4.3/5 (9,800+)
  • Capterra: 4.5/5 (12,400+)

clickup

ClickUp is a cloud-based project management software designed to streamline workflows and increase productivity.

Its customizable task management system allows users to create, assign, and prioritize tasks with ease.

Besides that, ClickUp’s AI writing assistant generates content according to your requirements. It also helps you create tasks, make marketing copies, and write emails.

Other notable features of ClickUp are:

  • ClickUp AI to speed up your workflow by creating subtasks easily
  • Summarize long-form content in one click
  • Integrate other apps like Slack, HubSpot, Zoom, and other such apps
  • Automate the repetitive tasks for a speedy process
  • Create, track, and prioritize tasks smoothly just in one place
  • Track time on the tasks for accurate billing and planning
  • G2: 4.7/5 (9,400+)
  • Capterra: 4.7/5 (4,000+)

trello

Trello is a popular project management tool, with a board system that provides a visually appealing project creation and tracking method for teams of any size.

It also has Butler (AI assistant) which helps you automate the repetitive tasks, so that you can work on new tasks efficiently.

Additionally, Trello supports integration with popular third-party tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Jira, allowing users to connect their Trello boards with other tools they use for a seamless workflow.

Here are other key features of Trello:

  • Create boards and organize tasks in the boards through lists
  • Collaborate with the team in real time on Kanban boards or cards
  • Accessible through mobile apps iOS and Android
  • Connect Trello with other tools, such as Slack or Google Drive
  • Provides actionable insights through dashboard
  • Butler will recognize repetitive tasks and guide you in automation
  • G2: 4.4 / 5.0 (13,495)
  • Capterra: 4.5 / 5.0 (23,113)

Automation and integration apps

These tools help streamline processes by automating repetitive tasks. Automation and integration tools integrate with various other apps and support you in working on only one platform to streamline everything.  Here are such tools that your business will require:

zapier

Zapier is a popular online automation tool that connects various apps like Gmail, Slack, Mailchimp, and many more, allowing them to work together effortlessly.

You just have to create Zaps and your automation will be ready without any coding or developer’s help. You can create a Zap that automatically saves Gmail attachments to Google Drive and much more like that.

Its user-friendly interface and extensive app integrations make it a valuable tool for individuals and small business owners looking to streamline their workflows.

Other features of Zapier are:

  • Integrate with 6,000+ apps to create a smooth workflow
  • Create multiple steps for complex workflows
  • Create customer portals and customize lead management solutions
  • Zapier’s AI lets you automate processes, write emails, and a lot more other things.
  • Add approvals to the automation to delay or change it
  • Share the Zaps easily and collaborate with your team members
  • G2: 4.5 / 5.0 (1,220+)
  • Capterra: 4.7 / 5.0 (2,790+)

hubspot

HubSpot is a great inbound marketing and sales platform that helps businesses attract an audience and convert leads.

It provides a range of tools and features designed to streamline marketing, sales, and customer service processes, making it easier for businesses to grow and succeed.

The software offers a lot more marketing tools for email marketing, social media management, customer relationship management, and more.

Some of the features of HubSpot are:

  • Connect all the marketing tools and data in one place
  • Track the performance of your marketing, sales, and service efforts
  • Manage contacts, campaigns, and marketing automation all in one place
  • Accelerate revenue growth with AI-powered deal management tools
  • Deliver personalized experiences to customers
  • Build a website, create copies, brainstorm ideas, and you can do a lot more with the help of HubSpot’s AI
  • G2: 4.4 / 5.0 (10,700+)
  • Capterra: 4.6 / 5.0 (4,050+)

Communication and collaboration apps

One of the most common problems in businesses is communication. Well, these apps are built for communication and collaboration only to eliminate that problem. Below are top-notch communication and collaborative tools:

slack

Slack is a fantastic chat app for the internal communication of businesses. It provides an effective centralized communication platform so that one does not go through lengthy emails for communication.

One can even create channels and groups in Slack to organize team conversations. It helps team members find relevant information speedily and connect through direct messages or a quick video chat. One can even do screen-sharing through Slack.

Additionally, Slack integrates with many third-party apps and services, allowing teams to bring all of their tools into one place.

Other features of Slack are:

  • Build an automated workflow with drag-and-drop simplicity
  • Connect with tools like Jira, Zoom, Google Sheets, Asana, and more to make your work smoother
  • Search smarter, summarize conversations instantly, and work effortlessly & securely with Slack AI
  • Connect with team members through Huddles (audio and video chat) and record audio or videos to share
  • Customize notifications to stay updated on important messages and mentions
  • Access Slack on the go with mobile apps for iOS and Android devices
  • G2: 4.5 / 5.0 (32,350+)
  • Capterra: 4.7 / 5.0 (23,000+)

2. Microsoft Teams

best software to create a business plan

Microsoft Teams is a versatile collaboration platform that enables chats, video meetings, file sharing & storage, and app integration all in one place.

Its chat feature allows users to have conversations one-on-one and in groups for certain tasks which is accessible to all the invited members.

Teams’ video conferencing capabilities enable virtual meetings with up to 10,000 participants, making it ideal for both small team meetings and large-scale events.

Here are other such features of Microsoft Teams:

  • Send instant messages and host audio-video conferences
  • Schedule and manage meetings and appointments within Teams
  • Integrate with third-party apps and services to customize your Teams experience
  • Use Teams on mobile apps for iOS and Android devices
  • Invite external people too, like clients or partners, for better communication
  • Organize conversations and files by topic or project in dedicated channels
  • G2: 4.3 / 5.0 (14,700+)
  • Capterra: 4.5 / 5.0 (9,400+)

Scheduling apps

Scheduling apps are tools that help individuals and teams manage their time, appointments, and meetings more efficiently. These apps keep you organized. Some popular scheduling apps are:

1. Calendly

Calendly is a user-friendly scheduling tool that helps an individual or a small business owner with meetings and appointments.

In short, Calendly can tell when the person is available and allow them to schedule time according to that.

One of Calendly’s key features is its ability to sync with users’ calendars, such as Google Calendar, Outlook, or iCloud, to ensure that availability is always up-to-date.

Some other features of Calendly are:

  • Create a scheduling link and let others know about your availability
  • Include other team members, direct meetings to the appropriate person, and collaborate on scheduling needs
  • Connect with Salesforce & other CRM apps for a smoother process
  • Sync with Google Calendar, Outlook, or iCloud to ensure the exact availability
  • Send reminders to participants before meetings to reduce missed appointments
  • Allows multiple people to book the same time slot, which is ideal for team meetings or interviews
  • G2: 4.7 / 5.0 (2,100+)
  • Capterra: 4.7 / 5.0 (3,400+)

doddle

Doodle is a versatile scheduling tool that simplifies the process of finding the best time for group meetings, appointments, and events.

With Doodle, users can easily create a poll with various date and time options and invite participants to vote on their availability. This eliminates the need for lengthy email chains or phone calls to coordinate schedules, save time, and reduce confusion.

Doodle also integrates with popular calendar apps like Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCal, making it easy to sync events and appointments with your existing schedule.

Other features of Doodle are:

  • Create polls with multiple time and options
  • Check your availability and share it with a link
  • Access advanced features like branding, calendar integration, and custom meeting invitations with a premium subscription
  • Arrange one-on-one sessions easily without back-and-forth emails
  • Leave comments or notes when voting on the poll
  • Customize poll settings, such as deadline, time zone, and additional questions
  • G2: 4.4 / 5.0 (2,050+)
  • Capterra: 4.6 / 5.0 (1,700+)

Note-taking apps

Note-taking apps allow users to capture, organize, and store information. These apps are designed to help individuals and teams take notes, create to-do lists, and keep track of important information. Here are some note-taking apps:

1. Evernote

evernote

Evernote is a great note-taking cloud-based tool that helps you organize your notes. With Evernote, you can create notes in various formats, including text, sketches, photos, audio, and web clippings, making it a versatile tool for personal and professional use.

Its organizational capabilities are amazing, allowing you to create notebooks and tags. This way you can search for a particular note easily from the huge collection of notes.

Here are some features of Evernote:

  • Organize notes using notebooks and tags for easy categorization
  • Syn the notes across all devices to get access anywhere
  • Clip web pages and articles directly into Evernote for future reference
  • Scan and digitize documents using the Evernote mobile app
  • Utilize various templates for different tasks on your to-do lists
  • Set reminders for notes to stay on top of important tasks and deadlines
  • G2: 4.4 / 5.0 (2,000+)
  • Capterra: 4.4 / 5.0 (8,150+)

2. Microsoft OneNote

microsoft onenote

Microsoft OneNote is a powerful digital note-taking application that helps you organize your ideas before you forget them.

You can even add images, drawings, audio recordings, and web clippings, allowing you to capture everything you want.

Another standout feature of OneNote is its synchronization across devices. Your notes are automatically synced to the cloud, allowing you to access them from any device, whether your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Some other features of Microsoft OneNote are:

  • Create notes that can include text, images, drawings, audio recordings, and web clippings
  • Organize notes into notebooks, sections, and pages for easy access and categorization
  • Share notes with others and collaborate in real time on shared notebooks
  • Use tags to categorize and prioritize notes for easy search
  • Integrate with other Microsoft Office apps and services, such as Outlook and Teams
  • Use pre-designed templates for various types of notes, such as meeting notes or project plans
  • G2: 4.5 / 5.0 (1,800+)
  • Capterra: 4.6 / 5.0 (1,550+)

Focus Tools

Focus tools help users concentrate on tasks, improve productivity, and reduce distractions. These tools often incorporate features that minimize interruptions, manage time effectively, and enhance concentration. Below are some focus tools for your business:

freedom

Freedom is a mind-blowing productivity app that helps individuals stay focused on their work. Whether you are trying to study, work, or just stay present, Freedom has all the tools that will help you control your digital activities.

With Freedom, you can block distracting websites and apps across all your devices, ensuring that you stay focused on what matters most.

You can create custom blocklists or use pre-made blocklists to quickly and easily block common distractions.

Other features of Freedom are:

  • Blocks distracting apps or websites to increase focused hours
  • Syn across all the devices, so unnecessary time waste
  • Customize a blocklist or select a preset of apps & websites you want to block
  • Set an advance scheduling in the prior for the next days
  • Start a lock mode to prevent you from ending a block session early (it can be locked for days)
  • View insights into your digital habits, including time spent on different websites and apps
  • G2: 4.8 / 5.0

noisli

Noisli is an excellent app for creating the perfect atmosphere to help you focus on your work.

One of the key features of Noisli is its collection of high-quality sounds, including rain, thunderstorms, forest sounds, and white noise. You can mix and match these sounds to create your ideal sound environment, adjusting the volume of each sound to suit your preferences.

Noisli also offers a selection of calming color backgrounds that can complement your audio experience.

Here are other features of Noisli

  • Use the built-in timer with customizable intervals to improve your productivity and focus
  • Save your favorite sound and color combinations to access them quickly, or share them with others
  • Get access to a specifically curated playlist
  • Download your favorite soundscapes for offline listening, perfect for travel or areas with limited internet connectivity
  • Sync your settings and saved combinations across multiple devices for a consistent experience
  • Continue listening to your soundscapes while using different apps too
  • Product Hunt: 4.8/5

Billing Tools

Billing tools help businesses manage their billing processes, invoicing, and payment collection. These tools streamline billing operations, reduce errors, and improve efficiency. Popular billing tools are:

1. FreshBooks

freshbooks

FreshBooks is an easy bookkeeping and accounting software built for business owners and accountants.

With it, you can create professional invoices, track expenses, manage projects, and streamline your accounting processes, all in one place.

FreshBooks also simplifies expense tracking by allowing you to snap photos of receipts with your phone and automatically categorize expenses. This helps you keep track of your spending and makes tax time less stressful.

Some other features of FreshBooks are:

  • Send unlimited invoices, customize them, and automate recurring invoices
  • Request a deposit amount in the invoice for the initial expenses
  • Set automatic late payment reminders and fees
  • Get more payment options with no hidden costs
  • Get business insights simply with the help of reports and a dashboard
  •  Work on any device—computer, tablet, or mobile
  • G2: 4.5/5 (600+)
  • Capterra: 4.5/5 (4,300+)

xero

Xero is a simple accounting and bookkeeping software best for small businesses, accountants, and startups.

It provides real-time financial visibility, which helps businesses make informed decisions about their cash flow.

Additionally, Xero offers businesses with wide financial features like invoicing, bank reconciliation, inventory management, and reporting.

Here are some of the features of Xero:

  • Track and pay bills on time from one place
  • Capture costs and claim expenses to maintain the cash flow
  • Accept payments through various modes directly through Xero invoice
  • Utilize Xero for contact management
  • Keep an eye on your finances with the accounting dashboard
  • Calculate sales tax on transactions automatically and utilize reports to prepare sales tax returns
  • G2: 4.3 / 5.0 (600+)
  • Capterra: 4.4 / 5.0 (2,800+)

Time-Tracking Tools

Traditional punch time clocks are outdated, now they are replaced by powerful apps ideal for tracking time in-office or remotely. Below is the list of time-tracking tools:

1. Toggl Track

toggl track

Toggl Track is an amazing time-tracking tool for individuals and teams. It is easy to use, and you can even switch between tasks effortlessly.

It offers detailed reports that provide insights into how you and your team are spending your time. These reports can help you identify inefficiencies, optimize your workflow, and make more informed decisions about how you allocate your time and resources.

Some other features of Toggl Track are:

  • Track time in real-time or even offline and then sync later
  • Integrate with 100+ apps like Slack, ClickUp, QuickBooks, etc
  • Create your own dashboards and charts to get insights into what you want
  • Forecasts timelines, expenses, budgets, and track progress
  • Clear & sort data to see client-ready reports
  • Assign team members to user groups to collaborate in real-time on the same page
  • G2: 4.6/5 (1,500+)
  • Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,250+)

2. Time Doctor

time doctor

The visual reports, dashboards, or charts can show how many hours the team has worked on which project. You can also see this information for any specific date range you choose.

It also helps you with web or application monitoring, idle time detection, customizable reports, and other such tasks.

Here are some other features of the Time Doctor:

  • Gain visibility for all types of workers – whether they’re remote, hybrid or in-office
  • Enable everyone to take control of their own work and self-improve with accurate charts and data
  • See real-time data on both online and offline activity, providing precise metrics about your workplace
  • Automate repetitive administrative tasks to free up your teams for more strategic and value-added work
  • Capture screenshots to monitor work progress and ensure accountability
  • Provide clients with access to view progress and time spent on their projects
  • G2: 4.4/5 (370+)
  • Capterra: 4.6/5 (520+)

To-Do List Tools

Running a business with numerous tasks, and completing everything on deadline is not that easy. But worry not here the to-do list apps come in handy and the process is smooth for you.

1. Tick Tick

tick tick

One of the notable features is its task management, which allows users to create tasks, set deadlines, and organize them into lists or projects.

It also offers reminders and notifications, so that one does not miss any deadlines and stays focused on projects.

Other features of Tick Tick are:

  • Add tasks faster through voice command
  • Create a new task and the app will automatically parse into the due date
  • Set priority levels to focus on the most important tasks
  • See all the tasks and deadlines in a calendar layout
  • Break down tasks into smaller parts to make them more manageable
  • Use the built-in timer to implement the Pomodoro technique
  • G2: 4.6/5 (90+)
  • Capterra: 4.7/5 (100+)

todoist

Todoist is your to-do list to organize your life and work. It helps you keep track of all your tasks and projects, whether you’re planning a big work project or just trying to remember to call a client.

You can create different projects for work, home, or whatever else you need to keep track of. You can also break down big tasks into smaller, more manageable ones, so you always know what you need to do next.

Other features of Todoist are:

  • Create, organize, and prioritize tasks according to your deadlines
  • Break down tasks into smaller parts for better understanding and management
  • Set reminders for tasks so that you never miss a deadline
  • Use pre-designed templates for common task types
  • Access tasks from anywhere with automatic syncing
  • Assign priority levels to tasks to focus on what matters most
  • G2: 4.4/5 (750+)
  • Capterra: 4.6/5 (2350+)

Choosing the Right Business Productivity Software

All the tools mentioned above will help streamline your bulky and lengthy business processes. But if you are still confused, consider the below points before choosing any productivity tool for your business:

  • Identify your needs: Consider your business requirements before selecting any productivity tool. This will help you know which aspect of your business needs automation, scheduling, or a little refining.
  • Scalability: Choose software that grows with your business and handles increased workflow, users, and data over time.
  • Ease of use: Understand the level of training your employees will need while opting for any of the above software. Also, look out for their customer service, in case any problem arises.
  • Integration capabilities: Select software that effortlessly integrates with your existing tools and systems. It ensures smooth data flow and eliminates the need for manual data entry.
  • Budget: One of the main things to consider is the budget of your business allocated for these apps or tools.

That’s it! Check for the above points before deciding on any productivity tool for your business.

While concluding, we hope you have reached the point of conclusion too where you know which software to invest in.

Because productivity is at the core of any business, and this is the high time to invest in one. And once you start using one, there is no going back!

So, all the best for the further operations of your business.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is business productivity software necessary for my business.

A business productivity app can be crucial for a company’s success. It helps with efficiency, collaboration, communication, time management, automation, and a lot more.

It streamlines processes, boosts employee efficiency, and offers valuable insights, so having a business productivity tool is worth it.

Can free business productivity software be effective?

Yes, many free productivity tools offer various features that are useful for a business. Some help you manage tasks, collaborate with team members, and organize information effectively. For example, Calendly (free version), Google Workspace, Asana (free version).

How much does business productivity software cost?

The cost of business productivity tools differs due to various factors like features, scalability, and licensing options. Yet, you should expect to spend something in between $5-$30.

What features should I look for?

While choosing the best productivity apps for your business, consider:

  • Ease of use
  • Collaboration extent
  • Integration capabilities
  • Task management
  • Capacity to manage projects
  • Scalability
  • Mobile access

About the Author

best software to create a business plan

Riya Shah is a skilled content writer experienced in various areas of writing, currently working with Upmetrics. Fascination with reading led her to be a writer. Highly creative, focused, imaginative, and passionate. Read more

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