Entrepreneurs and small-business owners seeking help often use a business planning tool to assist them in bringing together their financials, research, projections, and market analysis.
With the right business plan tool, presentations look sharp and data are correlated. The most effective business planning tools include helpful guides and prompts, ample support and templates to help you see how your plan will come together.
For this review of top business planning tools, we looked at user friendliness, integration capability with common productivity and accounting programs, customizability, price (most solutions are on an annual or monthly plan but some are a one-time purchase), and customer support.
Here is what we found:
| Name | Description | User friendliness | Integration Capabilities | Customizable Features | Price | Customer Sepport | Score |
| LivePlan | LivePlan guides you through building a comprehensive business plan, analyzes accounting information in real-time, and provides actionable business insights to help you maintain a healthy business. | 5 | • Quickbooks • Xero |
2 | • $139.92 (annual) • $19.95 (monthly) |
• Email • Help center • Live chat |
4.0 |
| GoSmallBizz | GoSmallBiz.com is an Atlanta-based resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The company offers access to a team of experienced, in-house business specialists and online tools, and a growing series of free business guides on topics like social media marketing, business networking, product pricing, and more. | 5 | 1 | • $99 (annual) • $14.95 (monthly) |
• Courses • Mentoring • Online guides • Phone |
3.5 | |
| Business Plan Pro | Published by Palo Alto Software, Business Plan Pro offers more than 500 sample business plans, help and guidance every step of the way, and a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied. | 3 | • Excel • Word • PowerPoint |
2 | One-time fees: • $159.95 (Premier) • $99.95 (Basic) |
• Email • Knowledge Base • Phone • Specialist Line • Training Videos |
3.5 |
| BizPlanBuilder | Business Plan Builder Tool is owned and operated by CanadaStartups.org and is part of the Small Business Startup Portal available to members. | 5 | 1 | • $497 (one-time fee) | • Chatbot • Phone |
3.0 | |
| Enloop | The Enloop financial forecasting and business plan writing software is a practical tool that makes business planning easy and collaborative. With Enloop, you can quickly create a complete business plan with text and financial forecasts that are generated for you. Your plans are maintained securely online so you can return and edit them anytime. | 4 | 2 | • Free (1 business plan) • $132 (annual) • $19.95 (monthly) |
• Email • Help center |
3.0 | |
| Rocket Lawyer | Rocket Lawyer is an integrated cloud legal service, making the law simple and affordable for everyone, including fillable forms to create your own business plan. | 2 | 2 | • Free | • Chat • FAQs • Phone |
3.0 | |
| Atlas Business Solutions Ultimate Business Planner 5.0 | Atlas Business Solutions, Inc. delivers business management software. Ultimate Business Planner 5.0 offers an easy, step-by-step approach to business planning and includes “plain-English” instructions, advice and how-to hints, over 1,000 indexed business plan samples, and 25 complete sample plans. | 3 | • Excel • QuickBooks • Word |
1 | • $99 (single-user) | • Email • For-purchase annual maintenance plans • Free technical support (90 days) • Phone |
2.5 |
| iPlanner | iPlanner helps develop business plans via a self-help business planning software tool or in conjunction with a mentor to review the project online and in real-time. iPlanner is suitable for all existing and new businesses planning to raise financing, become more competitive or better understand and manage risks. | 3 | 2 | • $24 (three months) • $39 (six months) • $55 (12 months) |
• How-to Guides | 2.5 | |
| The Business Plan Shop | The Business Plan Shop aspires to make business planning more accessible to entrepreneurs by removing the technical barrier, offering productivity gains, and removing the financial barrier. | 3 | 2 | • $96.05 (annual) • $28.18 (monthly) |
• Business plan writing guide |
2.5 | |
| PlanGuru | PlanGuru products provide a business planning solution for business owners to engage with their results, ask questions, set assumptions and build integrated financial reports. Based on innovative core technologies, the tools reduce the complexity, inflexibility, and expense associated with traditional business budgeting and forecasting systems. | 2 | • Excel • QuickBooks • QuickBooks Online |
2 | • $899 (annual) • $99 (monthly) |
• Email • Help Center • PlanGuru University • Video Learning Center |
2.0 |
| StratPad | StratPad Inc. provides tools and training to help startups and small businesses grow. StratPad software assists with strategy and business planning for entrepreneurs. The company also delivers workshops and video-based training on strategic business planning for startups and SMBs. | 2 | • Excel • QuickBooks Online |
2 | • $239.88 (annual) • $29.99 (monthly) |
• Articles • Video courses • Webinars • Workshops |
2.0 |
| OnePlace | OnePlace is an online project management for business solution and collaboration platform. The easy-to-use project management software allows you to connect your team, collaborate together, and complete project milestones. | 1 | 1 | • Free (2 users) • $24 (monthly) |
• FAQs • Videos • Website |
2.0 | |
| Build Your Business Plan | The U.S. Small Business Administration offers this free tool with a step-by-step guide that will be saved for six months from your last login date. | 1 | 1 | • Free | • Links to local SBA resources | 2.0 | |
| EquityNet | This crowdfunding and business development platform uses business plan and analysis software to optimize planning. Entrepreneurs can browse detailed investor profiles and engage with angel investors, venture capitalists, and business supporters. | 3 | 1 | • $1,668 (annual) • $199 (monthly) |
• Email • FAQs • Phone |
1.5 |
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