When starting a business, creating a strong business plan is one of the first steps. A business plan can include a variety of things, from a detailed description of your products or services and pricing model to a financial projection for at least three years. So, if you're not sure how to get started, or you just want to make the process easier, business plan software can help.
In this guide, we'll take a closer look at five of the best business plan software options, discussing the pros and cons, features, pricing, and more of each, giving you all the information you need to decide which solution is best for your small business.
5 Best Business Planning Software
The right business plan software will simplify the process of writing your business plan. business plan Much easier. However, as with many business software solutions, there are many different business plan software options available, each with their own unique features, user experience, and price.
With that being said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, consider these five top options:
To better understand the unique needs of your business, we'll begin by completing a short survey.
Once you find your perfect match, our team will be happy to guide you through the next steps of the process.
1. Live Plan
Best overall business plan software.
If you want business plan software with plenty of templates and a modern feel, LivePlan is the best choice. LivePlan excels with a modern and sleek user interface, and also offers intuitive, easy-to-use features and options.
Their step-by-step instruction will help you get started right from the beginning, and you can also take advantage of their online learning center to continue building your business skills.
Strong Points
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Affordable plans with pay-as-you-go options
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No long-term contracts or cancellation fees, 60-day money-back guarantee
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Modern, intuitive interface. Cloud-based and available for Mac, PC and tablets.
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Create unlimited plans with one account. Over 500 customizable templates
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A wide range of business resources, including video tutorials, step-by-step instructions, and general customer support
Cons
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Limited integration options
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Difficult to enter your own financial modeling projections
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Hard to learn
Features
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Create unlimited business plans under one account
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500+ Business Plan Templates Across Various Industries
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Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online
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Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integration
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Ability to export your business plan to Word or PDF
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Includes expert advice and step-by-step instructions
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Performance dashboard for tracking budgets and sales goals
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Ability to create and export one-page pitch summaries
price
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Annual plan: $15/month, billed every 12 months
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6 Months Plan: $18/month, billed every 6 months
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Consumption plan: $20/month, billed monthly
2. Small Biz
It's perfect for using multiple business management tools on one platform.
Our next best option for business plan software is GoSmallBiz. just Business Plan Software. With GoSmallBiz, you get access to business continuity planning software with features to create a roadmap, handle business and legal forms, build a website, and more.
As such, GoSmallBiz is perfect for startups and new companies looking to access multiple business management tools through one platform.
Strong Points
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Unlimited business consultations and a vast library of online resources
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One software, multiple business tools
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Website Consulting Analysis and Business Valuation
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Industry-specific business plan templates with emphasis on financial projections and financial statements
Cons
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Higher monthly cost compared to other options
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Business plan features are limited
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The entire business plan can only be exported to Microsoft Word
Features
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Industry-specific business plan templates with step-by-step building wizard
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Ability to prepare financial statements and forecasts.
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Free Website Hosting and Website Builder
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Customer relationship management tool integrated with MailChimp
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Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integration
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Business Document Library
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Unlimited Business Consultations
price
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$39/month, no contract, free cancellation
3. Enloop
It's perfect for creating a simple and quick business plan.
If you're looking for free business plan software, Enloop is one of the closest options. Enloop offers an all-inclusive 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Plus, unlike other options on our list, Enloop is geared specifically towards creating business plans, including automated text generation, financial forecast comparisons, and real-time performance scores to track your progress.
That being said, if you prefer the easiest, quickest and most simple way to create a business plan, Enloop can be a platform worth considering.
Strong Points
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Simple and easy-to-understand software for creating business plans
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Auto-text generation makes the writing process more efficient.
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Affordable plans with annual discount options
Cons
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Limited additional educational resources
Features
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Ability to create 3 business plans with customizable text, images, tables, graphs, and over 100 currency symbols and formats
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Auto-generate and customize text for each plan section.
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Auto-generated financial statements
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Includes a comparative financial performance analysis (using 3 ratios for detailed planning and 16 ratios for performance planning)
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Real-time performance scores to track your progress
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Ability to invite users to edit (2 on Advanced plan, 5 on Performance plan)
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Pass/fail reports and certificates to identify planning issues
price
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Free plan: 7-day free trial with no credit card required
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Detailed plan: $19.95/month or $11/month billed annually
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Performance Planning: $39.95/month or $24/month billed annually
4. Biz Plan
Perfect for startups looking for funding and investors.
Part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan is highly rated for its intuitive, easy-to-use, and modern user interface. Use the step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you want from your business plan. It may remind you of modern website builders, with drag-and-drop tools for creating templates.
Plus, for a one-time subscription fee, you get access to all the tools in the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, how-to guides, Masterclass videos, and more. Overall, Bizplan, which connects directly to Fundable, is the best business plan software option for startups looking to raise capital and find investors.
Strong Points
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Your subscription gives you access to all of Startups.com's tools
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Lifetime Access Subscription Options
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User-friendly drag-and-drop business plan builder
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Great educational resource
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Connecting to Fundable is great for businesses looking for capital
Cons
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No industry-specific templates
Features
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Drag-and-drop business plan template
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A financial command center to track all your business finances in one place
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Unlimited collaborators on your account
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Ability to share your business plan with investors online
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Online resources including self-guided courses, masterclass videos, how-to guides and mentorship access
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Unlimited use of Fundable, Launchrock and Startups.com software
price
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Monthly plan: $29/month
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Annual plan: $20.75 per month, billed annually at $249
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Lifetime Access: $349 one-time fee
5. Prangle
Great for financial planning and budgeting.
Finally, for some of the most powerful financial features of any business plan software option, including budgeting and forecasting, check out PlanGuru. While other solutions we reviewed focused first and foremost on creating a business plan, PlanGuru is entirely dedicated to the finances of your business. planIt gives you the tools you need to create budgets, financial forecasts, reports, and more.
So, if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial part of your business planning process, PlanGuru is your best bet.
Strong Points
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Extensive financial tools with in-depth forecasting, budgeting and reporting capabilities
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Extensive resource library
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Cloud-based and desktop options
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14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
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Expensive, especially for additional users
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It focuses only on the financial aspects of business planning and does not provide templates or tools for creating a basic business plan.
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Difficult to use without prior knowledge of finance
Features
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A cloud-based software version and a locally installed Windows version (the desktop version has a few more features)
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Works with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Excel
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Budgeting and forecasting up to 10 years
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20+ Standard Forecasting Methods
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Formula Builder for creating custom methods
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Dashboard and reporting tools
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Help guides, video tutorials, knowledge base and US-based live customer support
price
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$99/month ($29/month for additional users)
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$899/year (additional users $299/year)
What to Look for in Business Plan Software
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide which of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your business.
So, if you're wondering how to choose between the various options, it might be helpful to compare your top choices based on the following criteria:
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Features: As you've seen, different business plan software solutions offer different features. You should carefully review the software's feature list to determine which features are most important to your business needs. Do you need an extensive library of templates with deep customization? Would you prefer software that includes an online learning center for business skills? Are you looking for a solution that combines business plan creation with other tasks? It can be helpful to make a list of your ideal feature set and then compare individual software plans to that list.
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price: While you may find some free business plan software options (or at least a free trial), in most cases you'll need to pay a subscription fee to access the platform you choose, so you'll need to consider how much you can budget for this business tool and what type of software is the most cost-effective for your needs.
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User Experience: User experience varies greatly between business plan software options. Some programs are new or recently updated. Others have interfaces that may have felt new a few years ago but are now quite outdated and, as a result, difficult to use. The right user experience for your needs is really a matter of opinion and comfort. Still, it's worth testing a platform thoroughly to see if it's truly right for you before investing in a monthly or annual subscription.
Conclusion
There's no doubt that a well-written business plan is important for the future growth and success of your small business, and luckily, the right business plan software can make the process much easier.
That being said, whether you choose one of the best business plan software options listed here or an entirely different platform, you should take the time to compare multiple solutions to ensure you choose the right one for your business.
As mentioned above, it helps to think up front about the features you're looking for, your budget, and your user experience preferences so that you have a set of criteria in mind as you explore different solutions.
Ultimately, the best thing you can do to find the right software for you may be to take advantage of a free trial or money-back guarantee and actually test the platform itself.
This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.