top 10 business plan software

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5 Best Business Plan Software in 2022

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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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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?

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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.

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Blog Business 8 Best Business Plan Software for 2024

8 Best Business Plan Software for 2024

Written by: Krystle Wong Jan 01, 2024

Gone are the days of staring at blank pages and struggling to structure a business plan effectively. With user-friendly interfaces and a wide range of business plan templates catering to various industries, creating business plans that are polished, professional and data-driven can now be done in a fraction of the time.

For startups, business plan software guides them through the crucial early stages with comprehensive business plan templates and financial modeling tools. Established businesses on the other hand benefit from the software’s collaborative features, enabling seamless teamwork as they pivot, innovate and pursue new growth opportunities.

In this article, let’s delve into exploring the seven best business plan software for 2024. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur with a groundbreaking idea or a seasoned business owner ready to elevate your enterprise to new heights, these software solutions have all you need to create a solid business plan.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a business plan software?

• 7 Best business plan software for 2024

Factors to consider when choosing a business plan software

7 steps to create your own business plan, business plan software faq, key takeaway.

A Business plan software is a specialized digital tool designed to assist entrepreneurs, startups and established businesses in creating, organizing and presenting comprehensive business plans. 

Business plan software significantly reduces the time and effort required to create a comprehensive business plan . The availability of business plan templates, financial modeling tools and automated features streamlines the process of business planning and eliminates the need for starting from scratch.

Some advanced business planning software even integrates market research capabilities. This feature provides users with access to market trends, industry benchmarks and relevant data. Access to such data helps users make informed decisions and demonstrate a thorough understanding of their target market.

8 Best business plan software for 2024 

1. venngage.

Venngage specializes in transforming traditional business plans into captivating visual stories. Visuals can communicate complex information effectively, ensuring your ideas stand out and resonate with your audience.

When it comes to business planning, conveying your ideas with impact is just as important as the content itself. In this digital age, visual storytelling has emerged as a powerful way to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression. That’s where Venngage steps in.

With a rich library of templates, Venngage offers a variety of themes and styles to suit different industries and business types. Customize your business plans with our user-friendly drag-and-drop tools by adding your brand elements, customizing colors, fonts and visuals to make your business plan truly unique. Check out our library of sample business plans to get started today.

However, while Venngage excels in visual storytelling, it might not be the go-to tool for in-depth financial forecasts and analysis. Users seeking extensive financial modeling might want to complement Venngage with a comprehensive business planning tool.

Pricing options:

Create your first 5 designs with Venngage for free and upgrade to a premium or business plan for $10/month per user and $24/month per user respectively to enjoy premium features. For larger teams who need extra support, controls and security, the enterprise plan starts from $499/month for 10+ seats.

Can I collaborate with team members using this business plan software?

Yes, absolutely! Venngage offers collaborative features that allow you to work seamlessly with multiple team members when creating business plans. You can invite team members to join your Venngage account and they can contribute to the design process in real time. 

Can I export my business plan to different file formats?

Upgrade to a premium or business plan on Venngage to export your professional business plan to different file formats. After designing your business plan, you can choose to export it as a high-quality PDF document, which is ideal for sharing and printing. Additionally, Venngage allows you to export your business plan as an image file (PNG or JPG), making it easy to use in presentations or on your website. 

Is this business plan software suitable for startups or established businesses? 

Venngage is great for entrepreneurs and businesses looking to enhance their business plans with visually engaging infographics and visual assets.

Instead of sharing a lengthy, 50-page document that may bore your audience and fail to effectively convey your message — present your business plan with infographics. Here’s how you can create a business plan infographic that will wow your readers and showcase your business at its best. 

2. LivePlan

Source: Screenshot from LivePlan

In the realm of business planning software, LivePlan stands out as a reliable and user-friendly tool. With a focus on seamless financial forecasting and budgeting capabilities, LivePlan streamlines the planning process, helping businesses transform their visions into reality.

The software’s financial forecasting tools provide users with the ability to project revenue, expenses and cash flow accurately. This financial insight is invaluable for making informed decisions and setting realistic goals.

For hassle-free data integration, the business plan software offers seamless integration with accounting software . This feature allows users to import financial data effortlessly, saving time and reducing manual data entry.

While LivePlan excels in financial planning and user-friendliness, some users may find the customization options for design and layout to be limited. For businesses seeking highly tailored visual aesthetics, LivePlan’s template-based approach might be less ideal.

The standard plan is available at $20/month for monthly billing and $15/month for annual billing. For businesses seeking extensive financial tools to support their operations and growth, the Premium plan costs $20 for the first month and $40/month (monthly billing) or $30/month (annual billing) for subsequent months.

LivePlan facilitates seamless collaboration among users within your account, allowing multiple individuals to work on the same plan concurrently. To prevent conflicting edits, LivePlan restricts access to specific sections, allowing only one user to edit at a time while others observe the locked section.

You can export your business plan by using the print to PDF feature. This generates your plan content in a standard file format compatible with Adobe Reader and other free reader programs. Alternatively, you can export your plan to Microsoft Word (2007 or later).

A great tool for small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs looking for easy-to-use software with solid financial planning tools.

3. Upmetrics

Upmetrics is an AI-powered business planning software that helps businesses of all sizes and industries write their business plan.

With Upmetrics AI Assistant, you can write your plan faster, get answers to any business-related queries, and prepare financial forecasts in no time. 

Besides, the subscription includes access to 400+ sample business plans, various informative guides, and video tutorials to keep your business plan writing process on track. 

Additionally, it has collaborative features, so that everyone on the team can share their insights. Not just that, the software provides you with an AI pitch deck generator, so you can make a stellar pitch.

As an AI business plan builder , Upmetrics is suitable for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses to write their plans at any stage. Although it has various cover page designs and immense customization options, it might still lack visual appeal. 

Pricing plan options 

• Starter plan – $7 monthly 
• Premium plan – $14 monthly 

Yes, you can collaborate with your team members while using Upmetrics. It offers collaboration tools that allow you to work effortlessly with your team on the business plan. You can invite team members to collaborate, assign tasks, and track the progress together. 

You can download your business plan as a PDF or directly as a document in Word. Besides, you can share the business plan directly to any email, and they will get the viewer access to the plan. 

Upmetrics is a versatile business planning software suitable for startups and established businesses. But its financial planning features, step-by-step guidance, and AI Assistant make it more useful for startups writing business plans for the first time.

4. BizPlan by Startups.com

Source: Screenshot from BizPlan

If you’re a startup aiming to raise investments, BizPlan is the one for you. As a universal professional business plan builder, BizPlan offers the added advantage of seamless integration with all the tools within the Startups.com network.

Designed with startups in mind, BizPlan’s step-by-step approach allows you to break down the entire scope of work into manageable steps and the built-in Progress Tracker tool keeps you on track towards success.

Once you subscribe, BizPlan opens the door to utilizing all the tools offered by Startups.com, making it a one-stop shop for your entrepreneurial needs. Whether it’s lifetime access to the service, connectivity to Findable to attract financial investments, a wealth of online educational programs or the ability to connect multiple owners to a single account, BizPlan delivers comprehensive support.

While the business plan software offers an array of benefits, it’s essential to consider the possible downsides. The absence of a free version and a mobile app, along with a lack of industry-specific templates for business plans may be worth considering before making your decision

Pricing plan options:

• Monthly plan ($29 per month)
• Annual plan ($20.75 per month or $249/year)
• Lifetime access (one-time fee of $349)

Bizplan encourages collaboration with partners, team members, advisors and subject matter experts by allowing threaded comments throughout the entire plan. It provides control over who can access sensitive financial data and enables convenient cloud-based access from anywhere.

Bizplan provides multiple options for sharing your business plan with others. You can generate an online version of your plan, which can be set as private by default or made publicly accessible through a unique shareable URL. Additionally, Bizplan offers the option to create a custom-branded PDF of your business plan. 

BizPlan is great for entrepreneurs and small businesses who value a vast collection of resources and need support in financial analysis.

Source: Screenshot from Enloop

Enloop emerges as one of the best business plan tools for startups, catering to entrepreneurs who crave a streamlined planning process. With the ability to automatically generate basic text for each section of your plan, Enloop saves time and effort in crafting your business vision.

A highlight of the business plan tool is its automatic generation of financial projections, offering accurate insights based on your entered data. This powerful feature empowers entrepreneurs to make informed decisions and project future outcomes with confidence.

For those with a penchant for strategic thinking, Enloop’s “what-if” scenario analysis becomes an invaluable tool. It allows users to explore various business strategies and assess their potential impact on plan outcomes, enabling sound decision-making.

Enloop doesn’t stop at generating numbers; it goes a step further by providing a business plan grading system. This insightful feature assesses plan quality, giving users valuable feedback to refine and enhance their business plans.

However, it’s essential to consider the software’s limitations as customization and design options are relatively limited. Additionally, the basic version of Enloop might not meet the needs of all users, as it lacks certain advanced features. 

• Seven day free trial (no credit card required)
• Detailed plan ($19.95/month or $11/month when billed annually)
• Performance plan ($39.95/month or $24/month when billed annually)

Enloop’s online business plan writing app lets you invite and collaborate with anyone on your business plans using the ‘Invite & Share’ feature.

Enloop allows you to download your business plan in PDF format whenever you’re ready. The plans remain accessible in your paid account, encouraging regular updates to keep track of your business’s health and have an up-to-date plan ready for financing needs.

Suitable for entrepreneurs seeking a tool that simplifies financial forecasting and scenario analysis.

6. PlanGuru

Source: Screenshot from PlanGuru

PlanGuru’s standout feature lies in its ability to forecast all three financial statements – income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement so that users can make data-driven decisions.

Creating detailed analyses becomes a breeze with PlanGuru’s general ledger import utilities, allowing seamless historical data import. The software facilitates budget vs actual reporting and enables building rolling forecasts with just a few clicks each month.

Unlimited budgeting flexibility is another advantage offered by the business plan builder. Users can craft simple high-level small business budgets or delve into intricate multi-department operating budgets with ease.

With scenario analysis capabilities, PlanGuru empowers users to interpret the financial impact of specific events accurately. This feature enables making critical investments and strategic decisions with confidence, knowing thorough due diligence has been performed.

Given its sophisticated features, PlanGuru may be more suitable for financial professionals and analysts looking for in-depth financial analysis and budgeting tools. Users not familiar with financial modeling may face a steeper learning curve when utilizing Enloop’s robust capabilities.

• Single entity ($99/month or $75/month when billed annually)
• Multi-department consolidations ($299/month or $225/month when billed annually)

You can add up to 3 users with the multi-department consolidation plan. Additionally, all plans allow you to add on $29/month (billed monthly) or $25/month (billed annually) for each extra user.

What other apps does PlanGuru integrate with?

The cloud-based platform is also accessible as a Windows-based desktop version, giving you the freedom to choose the format that suits you best. Additionally, PlanGuru seamlessly integrates with MS Excel, QuickBooks Online and Xero, providing further flexibility and convenience in using the software.

The cloud-based version is suitable for SMBs or nonprofits budgeting for a single entity while the multi-department consolidations plan is for companies with multiple departments needing consolidated budgets.

7. Business Sorter

Source: Screenshot from Business Sorter

With Business Sorter’s card sort system, crafting the foundation of your plan becomes a breeze. Featuring 273 cards covering various business situations, the business plan generator offers flexibility, allowing users to customize their plan by adding their cards or modifying existing ones, tailoring the plan to their specific needs.

The platform also provides the convenience of viewing your plan on any device, including smartphones, which not many business plan apps have. Additionally, guidance is at hand with Business Sorter as the software provides valuable tips and advice for every key step, empowering users to implement their business strategy with confidence.

While Business Sorter excels in its interactive features, it may not offer as extensive financial analysis tools as other business plan software. For businesses requiring advanced financial modeling capabilities, Business Sorter might not fully meet their requirements.

• For small teams with up to 3 users ($10/month or $80/year)
• For medium teams with up to 10 users ($30/month or $240/year)
• For large teams with up to 30 users ($80/month or $640/year)
• For enterprises with unlimited users (custom pricing)

Your business plan can be edited by only one user at a time. When a user opens a plan, it automatically locks to prevent any data loss and remains locked until the user finishes their work and exits the plan.

You can print each business plan directly from the plan summaries on your dashboard. 

Suitable for both entrepreneurs and businesses looking for an interactive and visually appealing planning approach.

9. AchieveIt

Source: Screenshot from AchieveIt

AchieveIt stands as a versatile software for business plans, designed to simplify the planning process for businesses of all sizes and planning methods. With AchieveIt, you can easily build plans, ensuring alignment and engagement among your employees and optimizing plans for seamless execution.

Regardless of your preferred planning method, AchieveIt empowers you to construct plans effortlessly, providing a flexible solution for any planning use case. The software ensures your plans are well-aligned with your organization’s objectives, engaging all team members for successful plan execution.

The business plan tool provides robust tracking and reporting features, allowing businesses to monitor the progress of their plans and measure performance against set goals. Users can create customized dashboards to visualize key performance metrics, making it easier to identify trends and insights.

That said, In comparison to most business plan software, AchieveIt’s pricing might be relatively higher with its extensive features. On top of that, for users new to strategic planning software, AchieveIt may present a learning curve during the initial adoption phase.

The business plan software packages for AchieveIt varies based on factors like organization size, required functionality and the number of users. AchieveIt being an enterprise-level software offers custom pricing to cater to the specific needs of each business. For accurate pricing details, it’s best to contact their sales or customer support team.

AchieveIt allows team members, stakeholders and advisors to have shared access to the platform, providing them with visibility into the latest updates and progress on the plans. Users can assign tasks to team members and track their progress within the platform. 

Can AchieveIt integrate with existing systems?

AchieveIt’s Data Integration API lets you import key metric data from existing systems, saving time and reducing errors by eliminating the need for data entry in multiple places.

AchieveIt is best suited for medium to large-sized businesses and organizations that require a comprehensive and collaborative strategic planning platform. It caters to teams and enterprises seeking to improve their planning processes, track performance and drive organizational alignment to achieve business objectives effectively.

No idea what your business plan should look like? Check out these business plan examples for inspiration. 

When searching for the best business planning software, you may be wondering — what features should I look for in business plan software? You want to make sure it meets your specific requirements and streamlines the planning process effectively. Here are the top six factors to consider:

Ease of use

The software should have a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of creating a business plan. Look for intuitive navigation, clear instruction and a layout that makes it easy to input and organize your information.

Features and business plan templates

Check the range of features and business plan templates the software offers. Look for a diverse selection of business plan templates catering to various industries and business types. The software should provide essential sections like executive summaries, market analysis, financial projections and more.

Financial modeling tools

Your business plan software should allow you to input financial data and generate accurate and comprehensive financial projections. These business plan creation tools are vital for assessing the financial viability of your business.

Collaboration and sharing

If you’ll be working with a team or seeking feedback from others, consider software that enables real-time collaboration and easy sharing. The ability to work together seamlessly can enhance productivity and improve the quality of your business plan.

Built for fast-moving teams that need to be on the same page, Venngage’s real-time collaboration enables you to polish your design with your team in real time, leave comments on each other’s work,and save your designs in one shared folder. With your  Venngage Business  account, you can easily invite and manage your team members to collaborate on a design, all in real time.

Security and data protection

Since a business plan contains sensitive information, prioritize software that prioritizes security. Ensure that the software uses encryption and data protection measures to keep your data safe from unauthorized access.

Exporting and sharing options

Check the software’s export options. You’ll likely want to share your business plan with others, so ensure it can be exported in popular formats like PDF or PowerPoint.

Are you an entrepreneur starting a new business or expanding your existing business? This guide on how to create a small business plan might come in handy for you. 

Creating business plans can be a crucial step in setting your entrepreneurial vision on the right track. To help you through the process, here are 7 steps to guide you in crafting a comprehensive business plan:

Step 1: Executive summary

Start with an attention-grabbing executive summary. This section provides an overview of your business. In your executive summary, make sure to highlight your mission, goals, products or services, target market and the unique value you offer. Keep it concise, yet compelling.

Step 2: Company description

Give a detailed description of your company. Explain your business’s history, its legal structure (e.g. sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation) and the reasons why your business will succeed in the market.

Step 3: Market analysis

Conduct thorough market research to understand your industry, target market and competition. Identify your ideal customers, their needs and preferences. Analyze your competitors and highlight your competitive advantages.

Step 4: Products and Services

Describe your products or services in depth. Explain their features, benefits and how they meet the needs of your target customers. Emphasize what sets your offerings apart from the competition.

Step 5: Marketing and sales strategy

Outline your marketing and sales strategies to reach your target audience. Explain your promotional activities, pricing strategies, distribution channels and sales tactics. Detail how you plan to acquire and retain customers.

Step 6: Financial projections

Project your financial performance over the next three to five years. Include estimated revenue, expenses and cash flow. Detail your startup costs and funding requirements if applicable. Be realistic and supported by market research.

Step 7: Implementation plan

Create a detailed roadmap for executing your business plan. Set specific goals and milestones. Break down tasks and assign responsibilities. Include timelines and a plan for measuring progress.

A great tip here is to start with a well-structured outline. This guide on how to create a business plan outline will help you in creating your blueprint to easily identify your business’ resource needs, including finances, personnel and equipment. 

Is my business data safe with business plan software?

Most reputable business plan software providers prioritize data security and employ encryption and other measures to keep your business data safe from unauthorized access.

What are the benefits of using business planning tools?

Business planning tools offer time efficiency, professional presentation, error reduction, collaborative features and accessibility, making it easier to create a comprehensive business plan that impresses investors and stakeholders.

Do I need any specific skills or expertise to use business plan software?

No, many business plan software solutions are designed to be user-friendly, requiring no specific skills or expertise. They often come with templates and step-by-step guidance to assist you through the planning process.

In the dynamic landscape of 2024, businesses are on the lookout for innovative tools to stay ahead of the curve and drive their growth. These 7 business plan software picks for 2024 offer a wide range of features, from user-friendly interfaces and real-time collaboration to sophisticated financial analysis tools and customizable dashboards.

Whether you’re looking for user-friendly platform business planning tools that aligns with your business planning processes or a business plan writing software that allows you to tailor the business plan according to your industry, goals and unique requirements — I’m quite certain I’ve got them all covered. 

The value of these business plan software options lies not only in their efficiency but also in their ability to save time and reduce errors. By integrating with existing systems through Data Integration APIs, users can seamlessly import key metric data, eliminating redundant data entry and streamlining the process.

If you’re still unsure about which is the right business plan software for your business, you can always take advantage of free trials or video tutorials and demos offered by software providers. Testing the platform firsthand will give you a practical understanding of its usability and suitability for your business.

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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.

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.

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

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. 

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 .

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.

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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Home > Business > Business Startup

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

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

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

The takeaway, business plan software faq, compare the best business plan software.

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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.

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 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!

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• Best Project Management Software and Tools in 2023
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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

• Resources for Planning a Business
• Best Business Plan Software

Last Updated: April 26, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

What Is a Business Plan?

Lean Startup Business Plan Guide

Business Plan Mistakes to Avoid

Starting a Business | Buyer's Guide

6 Best Business Plan Software

Published June 10, 2020

Published Jun 10, 2020

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 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 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 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.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 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 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

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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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10 Best Business Plan Software and Tools in 2024

Do you know what’s common between a global IT firm and a small food truck business?

Like any other business on the planet Earth, they both require a  solid business plan  to make their business a runaway success.

Business plan. No entrepreneur is a stranger to this term, but do they all consider it seriously? Not sure.

Results? Spending a lot of time, money, and resources on the wrong marketing strategies, missing several growth opportunities, and of course, facing tough times raising funds. 

No one wants to be in this situation! 

That’s where a perfect business plan software can help you out. These tools make drafting an investment-ready business a breeze.

So how exactly can these business planning tools help?

Simply put,  business plan software  can help you create a winning business plan, develop marketing strategies, and predict your financial future—ultimately helping your business grow.

Now, how to choose a tool that will suit your business’s requirements and your budget too? The answer is right here.

In this article, we’ve narrowed down our search for the best business plan software to the 10 best paid and free software considering factors like—pricing, features, performance, and credibility. 

So you can easily pick the one that best suits your requirements.

All sorted? Shall we begin? Let’s roll.

Best Paid and Free Business Plan Software and Tools

Jump to section, 1. upmetrics.

Upmetrics  is a top business and financial planning software helping entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their businesses.

Its 200+ fully customizable sample business plans, video tutorials, well-written documentation, and go-to guides make writing a business plan a lot easier for someone new to business plan writing.

The best part about Upmetrics is—it’s affordable, reliable, and best for beginners. 

In fact, the creators of Upmetrics believe that creating a business plan requires no special qualifications, nor a degree in finance to draw financial projections.  

And the tool they’ve created speaks volumes of their words—making it a go-to solution for budding entrepreneurs. 

Let’s have a look at the features you get with Upmetrics—the #1 business plan software: 

• 400+ fully customizable business plan templates to get started.
• Easy-to-use business plan builder with drag and drop tools.
• Financial forecasting tool to plan and manage your cash flow with ease.
• Easy to share or collaborate with the team in real time.
• Pitch deck creator to create perfect pitches and impress investors.
• Createactionable business strategies using various business model canvases.
• Easily customize and edit cover pages.
• Real-time updates and cloud storage, eliminating the risk of data loss.
• Business resources, video tutorials, and guides to help get started.
• Intuitive, seamless, and responsive user interface.

The Upmetrics subscription starts at $7/month (billed annually) with one workspace; it also provides a free demo and a 15-day money-back guarantee —so no risk at all!

Create winning Business Plans with ultimate

AI Business Plan Generator

Plans starting from $7/month

What People Say About Us

2. Liveplan

LivePlan  is one of the best and most renowned business planning, budgeting, and performance-tracking software for startups and small business owners.

Whether you are a startup looking to attract potential investors or an established organization that needs help creating a forecast of your business’s financial future—LivePlan can help.

LivePlan simplifies the process of creating a professional business plan with its instruction manuals, tutorials, and expert guidance, whereas its automated financials built-in with formulas ensure precise financial forecasting.

LivePlan provides a wide range of features which may include:

• Business plan templates
• Budgeting and expense tracking
• Online learning tools & resources
• Collaborative planning
• Pitch deck creator
• Dashboard and reporting
• Integrated document storage

Though LivePlan has been in the market for a long time now, it isn’t suitable for short-term business planning. That’s why we recommend exploring some LivePlan alternatives.

LivePlan’s subscription model consists of two plans: standard and premium. The standard plan costs $20/month, whereas the premium plan costs $40/month. However, they do not have any free trial or demo as a part of their pricing plan.

What I didn't like about LivePlan?

Here are the average user ratings, comparing the experiences on Liveplan and Upmetrics.

Compare Liveplan with Others

Liveplan vs. Enloop: Which is Best for Your Business?

IdeaBuddy vs. Liveplan: Which is Best for Your Business?

Bizplan vs. Liveplan: Which is Best for Your Business?

Enloop  is an advanced business planning and financial forecasting tool helping business owners maximize the potential of their business venture.

Unlike Upmetrics and LivePlan—Enloop is designed for individuals with prior financial knowledge and business planning experience.

Understanding all of its functionalities is tough, but it has a lot to offer once you figure out its basic functionalities. Still, it’s not the most intuitive and user-friendly application in this space, so it may take a while to get used to it.

If you’re not a beginner and are willing to invest some time understanding and learning its functionalities—it’s well worth it. But, if you’re not, you may consider looking for a few other business plan software.

Enloop provides a wide range of advanced financial tools and business planning features, which may include:

• Business plan creation
• Automated financial forecasts
• Collaboration and sharing
• Funding and investor tools
• Exporting and integrations
• Auto-generated financial reports
• Automated text writing

Enloop’s monthly subscription plans range between $19.95 and $39.95, depending on your plan and functionalities. It also has a 7-day free trial with no credit card details required.

What I didn't like about Enloop?

Here are the average user ratings, comparing the experiences on Enloop and Upmetrics.

4. IdeaBuddy

Ideabuddy  is an innovative business plan software helping new-age entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful business plans.

Customizable templates, industry-based guides, and streamlined idea and business plan creation make it one of the most user-friendly applications on the list.

It is designed on a principle where users can develop, test, and launch their business idea—all in one place. While it’s great for idea creation, it may lack several comprehensive business planning features.

Financial forecasting is vital to a business plan, but IdeaBuddy may not provide all the necessary financial tools for accurate projections.

So if your business is in the idea stage—choosing IdeaBuddy could be a fair call, but if you plan to build a comprehensive business plan, you need another tool.

IdeaBuddy provides a wide range of features, which may include:

• Modern business plan with a click
• Export your plan and financials
• Mobile-friendly platform
• Customizable templates and industry-based guides
• Test to score your idea
• Step-by-step business guide
• Brainstorm ideas with your team

IdeaBuddy’s subscription model consists of four plans: free, dreamer, founder, and team pro.

Depending on the plan specifications and features, these plans may cost between $15 to $40 a month. You can also save up to 60% on annual memberships.

What I didn't like about IdeaBuddy?

Here are the average user ratings, comparing the experiences on IdeaBuddy and Upmetrics.

Planful  is a business planning and financial performance management cloud software. It provides a structured framework for industry-wide businesses to develop, track, and execute their plans.

The tool specializes in financial performance management with advanced features like—financial close management, reporting, and consolidation.

While the tool has numerous advanced features and functionalities—they all come with a high price tag as it’s mainly designed for medium and large-scale enterprises.

Let’s have a look at the extensive financial tools and features you may get with a planful subscription:

• Budgeting and forecasting
• Financial consolidation
• Scenario modeling
• Reporting and analytics
• Financial close management
• Data integration and connectivity
• Responsive web and mobile apps

Planful has no structured pricing model on their website; users may contact their sales team for a custom quotation.

What I didn't like about Planful?

6. iPlanner

iPlanner  is an enterprise business plan software that has been helping entrepreneurs develop their business plans since 2007. It is suitable for businesses looking to secure funding, better understand and manage risks, or communicate the company’s business model and strategy to the team.

Though the business plan software has been around for over a decade now, it didn’t seem to cope with the technological advancements, so it may not provide the most intuitive and visually appealing user interface.

But if you are searching for an affordable business planning and performance tracking tool with KPIs, analytics, and reporting features, iPlanner can be a good investment.

Here’s an overview of the key features of iPlanner—business plan software:

• Financial forecasting
• Secure and accessible
• Data security and backup
• How to articles and guides

iPlanner’s subscription model consists of two plans: professional and corporate. Professional subscriptions start at $24 for a 3-month subscription with one project, while corporate subscriptions start at $59 for a 6-month subscription with 12 projects

What I didn't like about iPlanner?

7. PlanGuru

PlanGuru  is a business planning software that helps entrepreneurs make better decisions, increase profits, and accomplish their business goals through strategic business planning and accurate forecasting.

Budgeting & financial analytics, rolling forecast, and strategic planning are three critical components of PlanGuru’s feature list.

PlanGuru specializes in forecasting financial statements, scenario analysis, budgeting, and gaining insights through reporting tools.

It offers many advanced financial forecasting features but is quite expensive— making it unsuitable for startups with limited investment capital.

PlanGuru provides a wide range of financial tools and business planning features to create business plans, which may include:

• Business valuation tool
• 20+ standard forecast methods
• Budget/forecast for up to 10 years
• Archive budget feature
• Standard report export to PDF, Excel, and Word
• Custom report builder for Excel
• Online dashboard, scorecard, and reporting tools

PlanGuru has two different pricing plans; one for businesses and nonprofits and another for business advisors. Depending on the plan specifications and features, these plans may cost between $99 and $299/month.

What I didn't like about PlanGuru?

8. The Business Plan Shop

The Business Plan Shop  is a business & financial planning and analysis platform for small and medium-sized business owners and financial advisors.

Its business plan templates make writing a business plan relatively easier for beginners. Despite its many features, the business plan software specializes in financial analysis, forecasting, and KPI tracking.

It surely has a few advanced features but can be expensive for startups and small businesses.

This business plan software provides a wide range of features, which may include:

• Financial forecasting software
• Sync accounting data
• Drag and drop templates and editor
• Integration with financial data
• Faster than Microsoft Word

The Business Plan Shop has two different pricing plans; one for businesses and CFOs and another for advisors. The business & CFO plan costs $25.50 per month, and the Advisor plan costs $94.20 per month.

What I didn't like about The Business Plan Shop?

Bizplan  is a comprehensive business plan software helping startups, entrepreneurs, and small business owners create business plans with direct access to planning experts. 

Financial tools help create detailed financial projections and financial and cash flow statements in no time, so entrepreneurs can spend more time growing and scaling their businesses.

The platform also has a fundraising tool to help startups connect with potential investors—which has already helped raise over $500 million for startups.

It has all the features to create a basic business plan but may lack industry-specific guidance or assistance.

Let’s have a look at the wide range of features that come with a Bizplan subscription:

• Financial modeling
• Integration and export
• Reporting and presentation
• Progress tracking
• Step-by-step guidance

Bizplan’s pricing plans start at $29/month, whereas the lifetime access costs $349. You may check their pricing page for more information.

What I didn't like about Bizplan?

Here are the average user ratings, comparing the experiences on Bizplan and Upmetrics.

Brixx  is a financial forecast software for cash flow, budgeting, and financial planning. Apart from helping users create a basic business plan, the platform also helps them with financial modeling, scenario planning, and goal tracking.

Its interactive charts and graphs can help you clearly present your financial data and cash flow statements for enhanced reader understanding.

Integrating Brixx and other accounting software automates the syncing of your actuals and forecasts, giving you a head start using Brixx.

The tool primarily focuses on financial projections and forecasting, so there are only a few features for other parts of the business plan.

Let’s have a look at the wide range of features that come with a Brixx subscription:

• 1-10 year financial forecasts
• Professional charts and reports
• Automated tax forecasts
• Quick-start templates
• Share plans in real-time
• Business Resources
• 3-way forecasting

Brixx has four packages in its subscription model: Foundation, Essentials, Professional, and Enterprise. The pricing for these packages may range from $0 to $66 per month.

What I didn't like about Brixx?

How to Choose the Right Business Plan Software?

All the business plan tools on our list are credible and can help you create a winning business plan. However, it’s critical to understand each tool specializes in certain aspects of business planning.

Let’s understand which factors to consider while choosing the right tool to help you create a professional business plan:

The most obvious factor. Ask yourself how much you can afford to spend on a business plan maker.

A free or low-cost tool may provide only some necessary functionalities to create a detailed plan. So, figure out your budget and shortlist the tools that you can afford to invest in.

2. Your specific requirements

The next step. Learn your specific requirement. For instance, if your business is in the idea stage, you may not require a tool with advanced financial features like—PlanGuru; Ideabuddy may work.

Both tools cater to specific audiences; if you are not sure, you may go with Upmetrics. It has pricing plans suitable for all business sizes.

3. Business plan templates

Custom designing a business plan can be tedious, so make sure the business plan software you choose has industry-specific templates to help you get started.

4. AI assistance

Artificial Intelligence has revolutionalized the way people get their things done. Make sure you select a platform that also provides AI assistance while creating a business plan.

With tools like ChatGPT and  AI business plan generator,  you can draft a business plan in a breeze.

5. Charts and graphs

Let’s face it, no one likes to read long paragraphs. The tool you choose must be able to turn your financial data and balance sheets into appealing and easy-to-understand charts and graphics.

6. Financial projections

Most critical section of a business plan. Understand your requirement regarding financial projections and the level of features the tool provides.

For instance, a large-scale organization may require a tool that can easily do business financials for ten or more years.

7. Contribution and sharing features

Make sure the tool you choose must provide the contribution and sharing features so that you can work with multiple team members.

8. Convenience and user-friendliness

A no-brainer. Ensure the software you choose has a user-friendly user interface and a manageable learning curve to understand all the working features.

9. Integrations

Some of the best business plan software integrates with accounting software. This feature can be handy while transferring financial details into your business plan.

10. Step-by-step guides

These user guides and tutorials can help you easily outline and prepare the first draft of your business plan, so make sure you consider this as one of the factors while selecting a tool.

11. Support

You are new to business planning software and may need help using some of its features. A responsive support team can help you get back on the right track.

Think of these factors as a checklist while researching the right business plan software. Once you have checked off all the boxes, you will have the right business plan software by your side.

Pros and Cons of Using Business Plan Software

Undoubtedly, business plan software can be a worth-it investment for your business, but it surely has a few disadvantages too. Let’s get to that:

• Time Saving: business plan software can be a big time-saving investment.
• Step-by-step guidance: These guides make it easier to get started for beginners.
• Accurate reporting: Good business plan software guarantee the accountability and accuracy of the reports generated.
• Customizations: Business plan tools also offer options to personalize your reports.
• Generic templates: These planning tools often provide generic templates that may not suit your requirements.
• Limited flexibility: In terms of formatting, content, design, and layout.
• Learning curve: Using these tools requires a learning curve to navigate the software.

There have to be a few disadvantages, but they are negligible when you look at the positive side of having a business plan software onboard.

And this section leads us to our conclusion!

That was the article for today with some of the best business plan software. Now over to you. Revisit the top business planning software on the list, do your research, and select the one that best suits your requirements.

Got any more burning questions in mind? The FAQ section starts right after we wrap this article up, feel free to explore. Happy business planning! 

Other Business Plan Software Alternatives

• Best 8 Liveplan alternatives
• Top Bizplan alternatives & competitors
• 8 Growthink alternatives
• Best Ideabuddy Alternatives
• Best Enloop Alternatives

Say No to Expensive Business Planning Software!

Get Affordable and Feature-Packed Business Planning with Upmetrics

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best business plan software for startups.

We’ve already mentioned the best business plan software in the blog post earlier; you may choose one amongst those depending on your specific needs.

However, Upmetrics can be a go-to business planning software for startups as it only costs $9 per month to get started—which is worth it against the value you get.

Which tool is used as a one-page business plan?

There are many business plan software providing features to create one-page business plans like—Upmetrics and Ideabuddy. You can use Upmetrics’ canvas modeling feature to develop actionable and entrepreneur-focused one-page business plans.

Can I write a business plan myself?

Of course, you can. It’s easier than ever to write a business plan with the emerging use of tools like ChatGPT. Though you can write a business plan, you need assistance making it presentable for your investors.

And business plan software providers like Upmetrics can help you do that. With 200+ sample business plans, you can easily write the first draft of your business plan.

What is the best way to write a business plan?

There cannot be a standard answer to this question. There are various business planning processes, and all of them might not work for you. Still, considering the time-saving approach, using an industry-specific template and editing it as per your requirements can be an easy way to write a business plan.

Using ChatGPT for business plan writing can also be one of the best ways to write a business plan. As mentioned, there can’t be a specific answer to this question; find a way that best suits your needs.

Is there any free business plan software available?

It’s really challenging to find the perfect business plan software, that too, for free. IdeaBuddy from our list has a free plan, but it comes with very limited features, not so helpful for creating a business plan.

Business plan software like Upmetrics, Bizplan, and LivePlan also have free trials, so you may try their features before purchasing. Furthermore, you can get a 30% off on an Upmetrics subscription if you are a nonprofit or student.

How much does business plan software typically cost?

The cost of a business plan software can widely depend on the level of features and functionalities they provide. Still, the monthly subscription of a business plan tool can range anywhere between $5 to $300.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

10 Best Business Plan Software for Startups (2024)

Access our list of top business plan tools. Learn about the benefits of business plan software, what types there are, pricing, reviews, and what sets each apart.

Dmytro Sokhach

8 minute read

A well written business plan can be the difference between success and failure. If you want your startup to succeed then the best thing you can do is write a detailed business plan that shows where you’re headed and your vision of how to get there.

There are so many tools available that it can make your head spin. It also makes it hard work to find the best business plan tool for your exact needs.

My goal for this post is to walk you through what to consider when choosing the best business plan software for your needs , and inform you about the benefits of using startup business plan software of each type.

I’ll help you narrow down your search by sharing with you my list of 10 best business plan software for startups and small businesses , so you can get started right away!

Types of business plan software

The main types of business planning tools differ mainly in the technology used to run the software. Some tools run directly on your computer (locally) and others run on a cloud platform.

These differences may define the pricing model. Local apps tend to be one-off purchases, and cloud-based SaaS products tend to be subscription-based.

It may also have implications on the processing power. Cloud platforms depend on your internet bandwidth, and local apps will depend on your computer's CPU.

Some services, such as BizPlanBuilder, offer mixed solutions that combine cloud-based software and a Windows application. This option usually gives you the best of both worlds.

• Cloud-based software
• Windows (local) application
• A mix of cloud and local software

Why do I need business plan software?

The benefits of using business plan software are improved workflow and better outcome. But there are many small but valuable benefits when creating your startup business plan with a specialized software, rather than using Word, Google Docs, or PowerPoint.

• Modeling convenience. A bespoke software for planning and financial forecasting allows you to create and customize business regulations and quickly update the hierarchy of processes;
• Ability to process a large amount of data. When the company expands, there is no compulsion to modify or copy large amounts of data manually;
• The calculation and modification of data in real-time. The changes made are immediately transferred to all connected plans. Thus, it is possible to have all the information about the company's activities at any time: reporting on profits and losses, the most accurate forecast of financial flows, etc.

With the right business planner tool you'll be able to cut the time you spend on starting your online business .

That's what Evisa Express claims to do. Not only do they promise to save their customers 85% of their time, they also reduce their working hours.

There are many options of such software specifically for startups. They contain all the necessary functions to easily create, customize, and update your business plan.

What to consider when choosing business plan software

Below are the most important business planning software features you should keep an eye for:

• Financial forecasts. This is a handy tool for generating a detailed financial forecast for investors based on information about your current and projected sales. It can be integrated into your existing accounting software , which is beneficial for aspiring business owners;
• Detailed reporting. This tool will help create an attractive report for investors and lenders;
• Presentation creation . You won't need to spend money on additional software to create a nifty and compelling business plan presentation for your investors;
• Business tips. Many services offer online tutorials and provide detailed step-by-step instructions on how to write a business plan. Beginners can also benefit from advice on running a business from professionals.

The software you choose should have a function of customization. Even if you're using a ready-made business plan template , with its help, the business plan is easy to update, as well as adjust to the needs of your particular company.

Best 10 business plan software for startups

Jump ahead to page section:

Take a look at our breakdown of each tool on the list below to find the software with the proper set of capabilities and features for your circumstances.

1. Storydoc

Storydoc is a business plan creator designed to help entrepreneurs and businesses create outstanding and innovative business plans as well as other types of presentations.

With an intuitive interface and a wide range of features, Storydoc makes it easy to organize and present your business roadmap, executive summary, go to market (GTM), competitors, financials, SWOT, and other aspects of your plan in a clear and concise manner.

What sets Storydoc apart is the fact it gives you ready-made interactive slide templates that are scientifically proven to bring high engagement, grab and hold attention, and let you guide viewers and readers to the next step.

• Intuitive and user-friendly interface;
• Templates that have been optimized for engagement;
• Robust integrations with your existing tech stack;
• The ability to pull company branding directly from your website;
• Extensive analytics panel where you can track the performance of your business plan.

Possible disadvantages include a lack of collaboration tools so that multiple users could work on the business plan together.

Some advantages would be the gallery of business plan templates and the extensive library of other critical business documents such as one-pager templates , sales deck templates , and proposal templates .

Pricing plan options:

• Starter ($40/month per user)
• Pro ($60/month per user)
• and custom Team plans with pricing available upon request.

*You can also save money with annual billing.

2 . LivePlan.com

LivePlan is software with an intuitive interface and plenty of ready-made templates. It’s useful for startups. With its help, you can easily create a one-page business strategy and then add any optional features you need.

The service contains more than 500 ready-made industry business plan templates approved by the SBA.

Source: Liveplan.com

It has some useful tools:

• A virtual training center for startup owners;
• Ability to integrate already installed financial software;
• Real-time financial data tracking;
• Performance tracking by various parameters;
• Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online services available;
• Export of the complete business plan to Word or PDF is enabled.

Possible disadvantages of this software for novice entrepreneurs are limited opportunities to integrate other tools and difficulty to create your own financial modeling projections.

• Annual ($15 per month, paid once a year);
• Six months ($15 per month);
• Pay As You Use ($20 per month, paid monthly).

*LivePlan does not offer any long-term contracts. A 60-day free demo period is available.

A possible disadvantage of the service for beginners is the complicated algorithm of financial software integration and limited opportunity for financial modeling.

3. BizPlan.com

BizPlan is a universal business plan builder with the additional feature of connecting to all the tools of the Startups.com network.

Perfect for startups that are based on raising investments. It lets you divide the entire scope of work into steps and then track progress using the built-in Progress Tracker tool.

It is a step-by-step builder with the ability to use all the tools of the Startups.com service after the initial subscription. A large amount of data can be divided into stages for convenience and then tracked with the Progress Tracker tool.

Source: BizPlan.com

• Possibility of issuing lifetime access to the service;
• Connectivity to Findable is available. This is important for companies that are interested in attracting financial investment;
• There are many online educational programs for entrepreneurs;
• Multiple owners can be connected to one account.

The possible disadvantages are the lack of a free version and the absence of a mobile version. Also, there are no industry templates for creating a business plan.

• Monthly plan ($29 per month)
• Annual plan ($20.75 per month or $249/year)
• Lifetime access (one-time fee of $349)

4. Upmetrics.co

Upmetrics is a handy builder with additional features for strategic planning. The cloud-based software simplifies the complex work of creating a business plan.

This includes handy worksheet tools and built-in templates to customize your plan or forecast for your specific needs.

Source: Upmetrics

• A wide choice of customized templates;
• Compatibility with social networks;
• Adjustable activity panel;
• Financial forecasting function.
• Individual plan ($9 per person/ month)
• Team plan ($14 per month)
• Premium plan ( $49 per month)

*They do not offer a free trial version.

5. Enloop.com

Enloop is a turnkey solution for creating business plans for investors, banks, and lenders. This is a cloud-based software with writing and text synchronization features.

Source: Enloop.com

• You can make 1 free business plan;
• There is a completely free version for testing the solution;
• It is available in several languages;
• Interactive PDF is available.
• Basic ($9 per person per month)
• Advanced ($11 to $20 per month)
• Professional ($24 to $40 per month)

6. GoSmallBiz.com

GoSmallBiz is an online support system specifically for small businesses and startups. An important nuance is that this software only works in the United States. There are online business training tutorials for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Source: GoSmallBiz

• Access to up-to-date management information for decision-making;
• Unlimited access to an online consultant;
• There is access to the database to collect current information and attract customers.

Possible disadvantages are a limited number of templates and sync available only with Microsoft Word or PDF.

• Monthly fee of $39

7. Business Sorter

Business Sorter is a handy constructor for creating internal business plans. It is suitable for entrepreneurs who don't need a presentation to attract investors.

This cloud-based software has ready-made solutions for all key areas of business planning: brand building, financial planning, sales, and more.

Source: businesssorter.com

• Card system with 173 digital cards;
• An unlimited number of team members can be added, tasked, and monitored;
• Access from multiple devices is possible;
• There is a built-in help function;
• Strong data protection.

Possible disadvantages are a small number of financial planning tools and educational materials presented only in Microsoft Word and PDF format.

The cost depends on the number of users. There is a special offer for companies with an unlimited number of team members.

8. iPlanner

iPlanner is a multifunctional platform for business planning. It can also be used for project management. This solution contains ready-made business plan templates for different startup options: restaurant, enterprise, venture capital project, and others.

Source: iPlanner

• Business plan creation wizard with step-by-step instructions;
• Several tools for creating financial forecasts;
• Integration with Microsoft Office and DropBox;
• Training content library with practical recommendations for creating a business;
• Support of an experienced mentor.
• All users can back up their data to the cloud storage.
• Professional Plan (supports 1 project, $55)
• Corporate Plan (supports 12 projects, $93)
• Corporate Plus (the price is set individually)

*They do not have a payment plan paid each month.

Cuttles is a fully interactive, cloud-based business planning software with ready-made templates. Developers have emphasized planning and the ability to manage budgets and make financial forecasts.

Source: cuttles.io

• A template for creating a one-page business plan for banks, investors, and lenders;
• The cloud service provides a high level of security;
• There is a convenient business plan export to PDF;
• Support is available in 6 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Danish, and Portuguese;
• There is a free version for 14 days.

Cuttles offers online training for startup owners: courses with video lessons and a library of tools/ useful resources.

• Seed Plan (one startup and one user, $8/year)
• Grow Plan (one startup, unlimited users, $16/year)
• Series Plan (unlimited startups and users, $48/year)

10. MAUS Master Plan Lean

MAUS is a business plan creation software created in Australia. Perfect for startup creators who want to move into strategic planning.

The service has everything for that: a business plan creation wizard with step-by-step instructions, tools for 5-year financial projections, and financial reports for budget planning.

Source: MAUS

• Strategic planning wizard;
• There is a tool for creating a step-by-step action plan, building and tracking tasks for maximum productivity;
• Function for creating schedules;
• Collaboration function;
• Marketing reports can be generated, and performance can be tracked in real time.

MAUS Master Plan has no free version, which can be a problem for small business owners and startup creators.

• Business planning & HR Pack ($97 per month)
• MasterPlan Learn ($299 per year)
• Business Planning Pack ($499 per year)

I hope that this list has helped you move forward with confidence to grow your business fast and effectively. Best of luck!

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Dmytro Sokhach is an entrepreneur and the 6-Figure Flipper Club member. Founded Admix Global (web agency) that builds websites, makes them profitable, and sells them as business.

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Best Business Plan Software: Our Top Picks for 2024

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...

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

Jump to Review

• 30-day free trial
• Valuation tool

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

• Business process monitoring
• Revenue projection tool

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

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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

1.LivePlan Review

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.

10+ Best Business Plan Software and Tools

Summer Nguyen | 02-16-2021

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If you ask any successful sports coach how they can win so many games, they will tell you that they have a unique plan for every single game they coach. To win any of their opponents, they need to prepare a specific game plan tailored to each of their opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, they will get crushed.

The same logic applies to doing business. If you want to start a business , developing a robust business plan will be one of the first steps you should take. It’ll cover everything from a detailed explanation of your products/ services and pricing model to at least three years of financial projections - plus much more.

So, whether you are not sure how to get started or you are just looking to make the process easier, you may want to turn to business plan software and tools for help .

In this guide, we’ll break down 10+ of the best business plan software and tools - discussing their key features, pros, cons, pricing plans, and more - so you’ll get all the necessary information to decide which one is right for your business.

We should begin right now!

Table of contents

What is business plan software?

Pros and cons of using business plan software, features to look for in business plan software, 1. liveplan, 3. planguru, 5. gosmallbiz.

• 6. Business Plan Pro
• 7. BizPlanBuilder
• 9. Upmetrics
• 10. iPlanner
• 11. Business Sorter
• 12. MAUS MasterPlan
• 13. The Business Plan Shop

Over to you

First and foremost, a business plan is a detailed road map highlighting the future of business operations. It’s not limited to established organizations but can be written for small businesses to forecast their operations.

Business plan software is specifically designed to guide you through each step of your business plan and fill any gaps. That way, you will be more efficient in clarifying direction, attracting financing, developing team members, and eventually reaching your business goals.

As a business owner, it’s essential to consider whether new software or tools will benefit your business or needlessly add to your overhead. So, before purchasing business plan software, thoroughly weigh the following pros and cons against your business needs.

As a matter of fact, business plan software offers several benefits, including:

Step-by-step guidance . Business plan software has a detailed step-by-step guide to help you make the right choices for your business. It takes the guesswork out of aligning your business’s structure and cash flow forecast with future goals. This is specifically helpful if you are not sure how to begin.

Statement and report generation . Many small business owners don’t have a strong financial background or understanding of the strategic aspects of a business plan. That’s where a business plan tool comes in handy - it creates reports, graphs, and documents based on the information you’ve entered. These generated statements and reports can undoubtedly save you a considerable amount of time.

Accurate reporting . Creating a business plan from scratch by yourself may result in missed mistakes, skewing the data, and rendering reports - and hours of work - useless. A well-designed business plan software often comes with guarantees for accountability and accuracy in any reports generated under that program.

Customization . Business plan tools typically offer the option to personalize your reports. It also gives you the freedom to test out multiple scenarios depending on your long-term business goals, providing you more confidence in your business.

Easy to update . It’s so simple to adjust or replace any ideas or numerical calculations for a different outcome using a business plan tool. Certain features also keep you up to date on your business’s current situation and give you an insight into your future endeavors.

However, business plan software can also come with a few downsides, such as:

Lack of flexibility . Some business plan software only allows for specific customizations, which could limit personalizing your business plan. This includes sticking to available templates the software provides and being unable to rewrite the script or customize certain points in the data (unless you upgrade to a more expensive subscription plan).

Missed industry insights . As you aren’t writing the base coding that makes up a business plan tool, there may be discrepancies between your industry and the developed software. This could lead to missing out on essential industry insights and practical experience.

Expensive price tag . Depending on each type, some business plan tools can be pricey. They can range from basic plans to premium versions; however, it’s difficult to know whether the premium plan will assist you or just create a dent in your budget.

There are a lot of reasons to buy business plan software, but there are also some drawbacks that might turn you away from the investment. Therefore, weigh your options according to your business’s specific needs and determine which is right for you.

If you decide to purchase business plan software, it’s worth considering several key features to make sure that the process of creating your plan is smooth. Below is more about the specific features to look for in a business plan software application.

Step-by-step wizard . Step-by-step wizards take much of the guesswork out of trying to decide which sections to work on and in which order. This feature can take you through each section and make sure you’re including everything your plan needs.

Templates . Setting up a business plan from scratch can be tough. That’s why it’s great to have a jumping-off point. Many tools include dozens, if not hundreds, of templates to choose from. Many templates are geared toward particular types of businesses, so you can pick one that is right in line with the business you’re planning.

Financial projections . Most software applications can provide you with financial tools, so you can lay out your case for a successful venture. With some options, you plug in the numbers for expenses, cash flow, revenue, etc., and churn our financial projections. The easier this process is, the better your business plan creation experience is.

Charts and graphs . The tool you choose should be able to turn the financial data into eye-catching charts and graphs automatically. This will make your business plan more enticing to potential investors.

Integrations . Some software integrates with popular accounting programs, such as QuickBooks or Xero . This is useful when transferring financial details from your accounting software into your business plan, so that your plan is free from mathematical errors.

Contributors . Many businesses aren’t being launched by one person only. When multiple people are involved, you’d like all of your collaborators to contribute to the development of your business plan. That’s why you need to verify the number of contributors who can make edits to the plan. Some software caps this number, while others allow for unlimited contributors.

Additional services . Some software providers offer access to additional services that new entrepreneurs may find helpful, such as digital marketing help, website design services, and direct contact with consultants who can provide knowledgeable advice.

10+ best business plan software and tools

LivePlan can be the right pick for you, in case you want template-rich, modern-feeling business plan software. With more than 500 free and full-length sample business plans for inspiration, together with step-by-step assistance, you can start without any hassle.

The platform offers advanced financial services that automatically calculate financial outcomes for the five upcoming years. Plus, if you’re a Xero or QuickBooks user, you can easily import your data into the system to gain an in-depth view of how your business is performing from a financial standpoint.

You can start with a one-page business plan before moving to a complete professional plan that can be used to pitch to investors. The final business is not only high-quality but also professional. As all the charts and graphs are well-organized and easy to understand, you’ll love them.

Key features:

• More than 500 templates
• One-page business plan with a fill-in-the-blank template to jot down your ideas
• Access to educational materials
• Availability of financial charts and graphs
• Industry benchmark comparison
• Intuitive, modern interface
• A huge number of customizable templates
• Bank-level security
• Affordable plans
• Able to work on multiple active plans simultaneously
• Variety of business resources, including step-by-step instruction, video tutorials, and general customer support
• 60-day money-back guarantee
• Require a learning curve
• Can’t customize financial projection dates
• Limited third-party integrations

Pricing plans:

• Standard plan: $15 per month if paid annually - $20 per month if paid monthly
• Premium plan: $30 per month if paid annually - $20 per month if paid monthly

VISIT LIVEPLAN

Specifically built for tech startups, Bizplan will help you create a customizable business pitch and plan that appeals to several investors.

As a part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan gets top marks for its easy-to-use, intuitive, and modern user interface. You will work with a step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you want from your business plan. It might remind you of a modern website builder , as it has drag-and-drop tools to build templates.

Moreover, if you’re a paying user, you’ll have access to all the materials in the Education corner, including online courses and more than 600 in-depth videos to help you explore more things.

In case you have an issue, you can contact its customer representative during business hours (from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m to 9 p.m), or send an email with all the questions you may be having.

• Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building
• Ability to track all business financials in one place with the financial command center
• Ability to access Fundable.com, an online fundraising platform that connects startups or small businesses to potential investors
• Unlimited account collaborators
• Availability of online courses, including tracks, master classes, guides, and expert answers
• Ability to control who can view or comment on your internal business information
• User-friendly, intuitive drag-and-drop business plan builder
• Excellent educational materials
• Subscription options give you access to all Startups.com tools
• You can easily integrate it with bookkeeping software
• Available lifetime pricing
• No free trial
• No mobile compatibility
• No templates based on specific industry
• Limited financial projection customization
• Monthly plan: $29/ month
• Annual plan (most popular): $20.75/ month
• Lifetime access plan: $349

VISIT BIZPLAN

PlanGuru is a cloud-based budgeting and business plan software that is all about financial planning. It offers more than 20 insider forecasting methods, allowing you to create projections for up to 10 years.

On top of budgeting and financial analysis, the tool lets you set goals and analyze performance. It also provides a rolling forecast, helping you understand the implications of spending on overall cash flow before you do it. Furthermore, strategic planning helps you manage your team and keep everyone accountable.

With its income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet, you can see how your venture will map out in a range of different scenarios. Furthermore, it enables you to harness turnkey methods and use business drivers to predict growth.

Unfortunately, PlanGuru doesn’t include the expert consultation function, so you’ll need to seek mentorship elsewhere. However, if you want a solution that can streamline the financial piece of your business plan, PlanGuru certainly has the most to offer.

• Budgeting and forecasting for up to ten years
• More than 20 standard forecasting methods
• Dashboard and reporting tools
• Formula builder to set up custom methods
• Ratios and KPIs
• Work with Quickbooks, Xero, and Excel
• Help guides, video tutorials, knowledgebase, and US-based customer support
• Extensive financial tools and detailed budgeting, forecasting, and reporting capabilities
• A substantial library of educational resources
• 14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
• No templates or tools for basic business plan writing
• Difficult to get started without prior financial knowledge
• Expensive, especially for additional users
• Single Entity: $83/month (paid annually) - $99/month (paid monthly)
• Multi-Department Consolidations: $250/month (paid annually) - $299/month (paid monthly)

VISIT PLANGURU

If you’re looking for an easy-to-navigate solution that can complete your business plan quickly, Enloop is there for you. It does this through its Autowrite feature and performance score that acts as a digital mentor.

Furthermore, Enloop has a strong focus on the financial aspect of the process, which is ideal for people with great ideas but aren’t necessarily financial wizards. Demonstrating profitability is crucial for raising capital from investors, and the software delves into this financial viability of your vision. It lets you add charts and graphs and analyze 16 distinct financial ratios.

It also allows you to compare financial projections with industry averages, so that you’ll get a clear picture of how your idea stacks up. You’re able to consult with an expert in case you need guidance. Enloop also offers business plan templates and an HR/ legal document builder, making it one of the strongest candidates for first-time start-ups.

Key features: *

• AutoWrite and TextSync features automatically create basic customized text for your business plan
• 16 different financial ratios indicate your financial health
• Performance score from 0-100 serves as motivation to complete the plan
• More than 100 currency symbols and number formatting
• Access to business templates
• Attractive interface
• Automatically populated text
• Well-explained financial ratios
• Instant access to all business reports
• 7-day free trial
• Affordable pricing plans
• Limited additional education resources
• Limited customer support
• Detailed plan: $11/ month (billed annually) - $19.95/ month (billed monthly)
• Performance plan: $24/ month (billed annually) - $39.95 / month (billed monthly)

VISIT ENLOOP

Initiated by NFL Hall of Famer and veteran entrepreneur Fran Tarkenton, GoSmallBiz offers hundreds of industry-specific templates that create the exact documents users need. Plus, its step-by-step wizard helps you set up a business plan by filling up business details in multiple segments.

Another helpful feature is its online calendar management. You can schedule events, meetings, and appointments and get automatic reminders. Besides, it lets you generate financial statements and projections. You’re allowed to create a range of insightful reports, such as profit and sales analysis, cash flow, balance sheets, and more.

For anyone new to business planning, GoSmallBiz offers a slew of online learning tools, including business courses, business mentoring, and weekly updates. It also provides help from a real CEO and business planning expert, so you can entirely rest assured knowing that you will never be steered in the wrong direction.

In addition to the business plan software, it provides a customer relationship management (CRM) tool , text-based business consultations, and legal business documents. No other business plan software offers this suite of tools - all for one cost.

• Step-by-step guide walks you through every single step
• Around 100 business templates
• Financial projections and statements
• Reports based on your financial data
• Integrate with major social media channels, such as Mailchimp, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter
• A wide range of industry-based templates
• Multiple educational videos
• Unlimited mentoring and business consultations
• Customized reporting
• Several additional business tools
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Outdated interface
• Limited business plan features
• Expensive monthly cost compared to alternatives
• Lack of an annual subscription package
• Only exports to PDFs and Microsoft Word

Pricing plan :

• Grow: $39/ month
• Guide: $49/ month
• GO: $199/ month

VISIT GOSMALLBIZ

6. BizPlanBuilder

As an intuitive business plan tool, BizPlanBuilder provides a simple wizard that walks users through step-by-step business planning. With its premade industry-specific templates, the software can help you craft a plan that reflects your business goals.

With a single link, you can share your plan with investors online. So, instead of sharing bulky attachments, you can present your plan directly in a browser using modern navigation.

If calculation is not your strength, don’t worry! BizPlanBuilder’s financial tools, including calculators, cost analysis, financial projections, budget sheets, charts, and graphs, will help you with that. It also lets users import financial data from different accounting software programs.

In addition to business planning and financial features, the software offers real-time collaboration, meaning multiple team members can simultaneously view and edit the business plan.

• Premade industry-specific templates for business planning
• Available financial tools, including calculators, chart and graph generators, and budget-feasibility tools
• The collaboration feature lets team members log in, view, and edit the business plan at the same time
• Available technical support, including email and telephone support, FAQs, and video tutorials
• Eye-appealing visuals
• Easy-to-use drag-and-drop templates
• Various industry-specific templates
• In-depth presentations
• No mobile-friendliness
• Difficulty in exporting PDFs
• BizPlanBuilder for startups/ funding/ MBA students: $97/ year (add as many team members as you want for $10/ year each)
• BizPlan Builder for growing the company/ strategic planning/ growth financing: $27/ month (add an unlimited number of team, advisors, investors for $1/ month each)

VISIT BIZPLANBUILDER

Cuttles is a fully interactive and guided business plan software that helps entrepreneurs build, understand and grow their business.

Their web app has all the features and in-app guides you need to create a startup pitch, write a business plan, define a startup team, do budgets and financial projections. It’s simpler, faster and more impactful than ever to start a business.

• Cloud-based web app
• Strong focus on simplicity with UX and design
• Freemium version
• Fully guided and customisable business plan
• One-page pitch section for investors
• Financial forecasts and budgets
• Team feature to showcase your team
• Available in 6 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, & Danish
• Share & Export options: Share with links, export to PDF, & invite members to view in the app
• Student discounts and diversity pricing initiatives
• Seed plan ( for founders who want to build and grow a startup): €8/ month - paid annually
• Grow plan ( For founders who want to collaborate with their entire team and stakeholders): €16/ month - paid annually
• Series plan (For serial founders and consultants who work with multiple startups): €48/ month - paid annually

VISIT CUTTLES

8. Upmetrics

Upmetrics is a well-rounded business demand planning software that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs find success in their business planning processes and growth strategies.

Are you just starting your business? Easily create a polished, professional business plan that lenders and investors will appreciate. Upmetrics simplifies the process of writing a business plan with step-by-step guidance, 200+ sample plans, and excellent customer support.

Are you looking to grow your business? Make confident decisions by forecasting your financials, and preparing your budget in Upmetrics.

Upmetrics is used by over 100K+ entrepreneurs all across the globe to plan their businesses and collaborate with remote teams to create growth strategies. Along with that, the software makes it easier to keep track of your projects and customize your plans as per your needs and requirements.

Key features: -Business Plan Builder -Financial Forecasting -Pitch Deck Creator -Business Models -200+ Sample Business Plans -Business Plan Cover Pages -Share With Pride -Comments & Feedback

• Business plan builder:- Guides you on creating your business plan at every step so you can have the clarity and confidence to excel in your business.
• Financial forecast:- Finance is the lifeline of any business. With our financial forecasting tool, create accurate financial sheets to convince investors & banks of your business viability and calculate your monthly & yearly financial projection.
• Pitch deck designer:- With our pitch deck designer, make your business pitch ready and present your business to investors & banks with confidence! -Business Model Canvas:- Business Model canvases bring planning and collaboration to the next level with great canvases and a great app.
• We dont have the real time live tracking of system
• Our business plan templates are kinda generic
• Our finanical forecast is limited to only 5 years
• Starter: $9/month ( paid monthly) - $7/month ( paid annually)
• Premium: $19/month ( paid monthly) - $14/month ( paid annually)

VISIT UPMETRICS

9. iPlanner

Launched in 2007, iPlanner has been helping many businesses raise finance for growth, manage risks, and improve internal communication. The software is designed as a planner for new enterprises, but it can also function as a project management tool.

The business modeling framework helps you generate a business model in real-time while collaborating efficiently with your team members. Plus, it offers various user-friendly business plan templates, such as venture capital business plan, restaurant business plan, elevator pitch, etc.

The software is also equipped with a financial engine to gauge different metrics, like sales, quantities sold, forecast price, and more. Moreover, all the projects have separate and secure URLs to protect your confidential business information.

You can integrate iPlanner with Microsoft Office and Dropbox, so collaboration and contribution are extremely easy. There’s also a huge library of how-to articles and business plan samples to help you stay on track.

• Business plan templates
• Step-by-step wizard to help you right from the start
• Financial templates and projections
• Integrate with Dropbox and Microsoft Office
• Expert mentors provide personalized assistance
• Available customer support via emails, how-to guides, and expert consultation
• Premade industry-specific templates to create custom business plans
• Feed-in content from different external sources, such as websites, MS Word, Excel, corporate intranets, etc.
• Regular backup of your data on the cloud
• Pretty old-school interface
• No monthly pricing option
• Professional plan: $55 (billed annually, 1 project)
• Corporate plan: $93 (billed annually, 12 projects)
• Corporate Plus plan: Custom pricing

VISIT IPLANNER

10. Business Sorter

Business Sorter is a cloud-based solution that offers the content to create plans you can share and keep track on. The content covers six key areas, including finance, sales, brand, people, operations, and goods and services.

The platform promises to simplify and speed up business planning via a novel 273 card sort system that covers many common situations. You can also include, edit the existing cards, delete, or add your own ones.

You can keep everything, including your ideas and thoughts, at a centralized location. It also offers tips and advice at every step to help you put your strategy into action. Unlike some software with videos, the educational resources here are provided as Word files and PDFs, which can be quicker to access, but harder to follow for some beginners.

• Card-based planning system with 273 digital cards
• Built-in tips and additional information
• Add team members and assign tasks
• Multi-device access
• Secure data protection
• Innovative, visual plan builder
• Unique card sort system to simplify planning
• Real-time collaboration with an unlimited number of users
• Regular updates for free
• Strong data security
• 14-day business trial
• Limited in financial planning needs
• No video educational resources

Pricing plans: From $10/month

VISIT BUSINESS SORTER

11. MAUS MasterPlan

MAUS MasterPlan is an Australian business plans solution with more than 60,000 clients worldwide. It aims to make the creation and implementation of your business strategy simple by offering templates, walkthroughs, and education for every step of the process.

You can generate detailed action plans based on your specific goals and projections for the future. Moreover, it’s possible to delegate tasks within the program and track progress.

If you want to calculate your finances, you just need to put the details, and it’ll do the rest. Other than that, it allows your team members to access your plans. You can invite them to help you with the business plan and invite your accountant to review once more once you’re done with the work.

MAUS MasterPlan includes information about segmentation, so it’s easy to break large markets down into smaller ones. According to that, you’re able to create different strategies for the various segments. More than financial reports for budgeting and projections, the tool can generate marketing and performance reports.

• Step-by-step wizard guides you through the whole strategic planning process
• Create cash flow and financial budgets & 5-year forecasts
• Market segmentation features
• Collaboration features
• Easy to use
• Detailed statement and impressive graphs
• Automated action plan monitors different tasks to keep the whole team on track
• Expensive for startups and small businesses
• Real-time errors occur sometimes
• Business planning & HR Pack: $97/ month
• MasterPlan Lean: $299/ year
• Business Planning Pack: $499/ year

VISIT MAUS MASTERPLAN

12. The Business Plan Shop

Last but not least, as one of the best business plan tools out there, The Business Plan Shop can help you generate a simple yet effective plan.

The software features a user-friendly interface and clean design. Once you sign up, you will enjoy an in-depth business plan together with instructions that you need to make one.

More than that, its financial forecasting section will collect your product and service information, so you can play around with the figures and come up with the right directions for your business. It can help you to forecast for up to 3 or 5 years.

• A financial forecast over 3 or 5 years
• Step-by-step guide with instructions and examples
• Exports to MS Word or PDF format
• Chart, break-even point analysis, financial analysis, and credit analysis
• Quite easy to use
• Clear instructions and examples for each section of your business plan
• Strong data protection
• Helpful educational materials
• Limited business planning features
• Can’t import financial information from spreadsheets
• Business & CFO: $25.50/month (monthly payment) - $14.08/month (annual payment)
• Advisor: $94.20/month (monthly payment)

VISIT THE BUSINESS PLAN SHOP

Create your business plan - step-by-step guide

Step 1: Craft a Powerful Executive Summary

Don’t let your business plan gather dust on a shelf! Start with an executive summary that captivates busy decision-makers. This concise overview introduces your company, highlighting its mission, goals, and what makes it stand out. Think of it as an elevator pitch – you only have a few floors (or sentences) to make a lasting impression.

Here’s how to craft a compelling executive summary:

Grab Attention: Start with a strong hook piques the reader’s interest. Briefly describe the problem you solve or the opportunity you present.

Define Your Mission: In a sentence or two, explain your company’s purpose and what drives you.

Showcase Your Offerings: Briefly describe your products or services and how they benefit your target market.

Target the Right Audience: Who are you trying to reach? Define your ideal customer and why they need your solution.

Highlight Your Value Proposition: What makes your business unique? Explain why customers should choose you over the competition.

Keep it Concise: Aim for one to two pages, focusing on the most critical information.

Source: Canva

Step 2: Create an attractive company overview

Provide a comprehensive overview of your company. Detail its history, legal structure (e.g. sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation), and the factors that will contribute to its success in the market. Here are some tips to help you create an engaging company overview:

Introduction : Engage with a captivating opening that sets the tone.

Company Background : Highlight key milestones, history, and achievements.

Products/Services : Clearly outline offerings and their unique features.

Target Market : Describe your audience’s needs and preferences.

Value Proposition : Clearly state what sets your company apart.

Differentiators : Emphasize unique selling points compared to competitors.

Success Stories : Include case studies or testimonials to validate claims.

Team Expertise : Showcase the qualifications and experience of key team members.

Vision/Goals : Share long-term objectives and strategic plans.

Visual Appeal : Use design elements to enhance readability and brand identity.

Step 3: Conduct Market analysis

Do thorough market research to understand your industry, your customers, and your competition. Find out what your customers need and like. Look closely at your competitors to see how you can stand out.

Step 4: Describe your products or services in depth

Provide detailed descriptions of your products or services. Explain their features, benefits, and how they fulfill the needs of your target customers. Highlight what makes your offerings unique compared to competitors.

Step 5: Make a marketing and sales strategy

Describe your marketing and sales plans for connecting with your target audience. Clarify your promotional efforts, pricing strategies, distribution channels, and sales methods. Explain how you intend to attract and keep customers.

Step 6: Project your financial performance

Forecast your financial performance for the next three to five years. This should cover projected revenue, expenses, and cash flow. Provide details on your startup expenses and funding needs, if relevant. Ensure your projections are realistic and backed by thorough market research.

Step 7: Implement business plan

Develop a comprehensive plan for implementing your business strategy. Establish clear objectives and checkpoints. Divide tasks and delegate responsibilities accordingly. Incorporate timelines and methods for monitoring advancement.

Now that you’ve read through the 10+ best business plan software available, it’s time to decide which one is best for you. It can be helpful to consider specific features you’re looking for, as well as your business budget. By doing so, you will have a set of criteria in mind when you explore different solutions.

For future recommendations, don’t forget to bookmark this blog post. We’ll continuously update it with juicy content that helps you create a solid business plan for any projects.

A data-driven marketing leader with over 10 years of experience in the ecommerce industry. Summer leverages her deep understanding of customer behavior and market trends to develop strategic marketing campaigns that drive brand awareness, customer acquisition, and ultimately, sales growth for our company.

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Project Management

• Small Business

15 Best Project Management Software for 2024

Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any earnings do not affect how we review services. Learn more about our editorial integrity and research process .

If you’re managing projects and aren’t using software to help you plan, organize and track projects and communicate with your teams and stakeholders, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re unsure where to get started or which platforms to trust, our best project management software guide is for you.

Last Updated: 06 Jun'24 2024-06-06T12:00:00+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

• monday.com — Simply the best project management software for most teams, thanks to a gorgeous interface, easy-to-use tools and affordable plans.
• ClickUp — The best choice for remote teams with robust real-time collaboration tools, powerful task management features and many project templates.
• Asana — An effective project management platform that’s built to connect with over 200 other apps, and it also offers one of the best free plans in the business.
• Zoho Projects — An easy-to-use and well-rounded platform that’s intuitive, affordable and expandable thanks to many first-party integrations.
• Trello — The best free project management software tool for large Agile teams who like using kanban boards to manage projects.
• Jira — The best software for software and product developers thanks to its kanban boards and backlog management tools.
• Wrike — Do-it-all project management software with plenty of task tracking tools and robust security and administration options that make it ideal for scaled projects.
• nTask — A wallet-friendly project management suite with tools for planning, organizing, tracking and scheduling.
• Leantime — The best software for leaders who need resource and project management tools, plus blueprints for planning simple and complex projects.
• Notion — The best software for managers and teams working in content creation fields, thanks to powerful real-time collaboration tools.
• Airtable — A highly customizable project management software suite that allows managers to create workflows for multiple projects.
• Smartsheet — Brings spreadsheets into the 21st century with powerful coding and task tools that are ideal for many project management methodologies. 
• TeamGantt — Gorgeous, easy-to-use Gantt charts make this suite ideal for teams who use traditional project management methods like Waterfall and the Critical Path Method.
• Basecamp — One of the best project management platforms for teams who need extensive communication and planning tools.
• Freedcamp — An easy-to-use platform with simple tools that’s ideal for small teams who are new to project management.

Projects can be hard to manage, with their many variables and moving parts. Fortunately, project managers these days don’t have to use paper or whiteboards to manage jobs thanks to software that can help plan, organize and track progress. In this roundup, we’ll share the best project management software to use for your next project.

Below, you’ll see that we have listed the best project management platforms for modern managers. We cover what they can do, the tools on offer, how easy they are to use and how much they cost. We know you’re eager to see our recommendations, so we’ll jump right in and help you pick the right project management software for your team. 

Our best project management software roundup has been rewritten with new information and a new format.

Removed reference to discontinued ClickUp Business Plus plan.

Our best project management software guide has been rewritten with new information and an easy-to-read format.

Updated the article to reflect changes in Leantime’s pricing fees and structure. 

Added new video ranking of the best project management software.

Updated the article to reflect monday.com’s latest pricing information.

Cloudwards Editor’s Choice: monday.com

Our team of experts picked monday.com as the best project management software. monday.com is one of the easiest project and task management tools to use, thanks to its intuitive user interface and fluid tools that suit many work styles. Add a great list of integrations, powerful automations and affordable plans, and you have a strong project management suite. 

You can try monday.com’s free plan, but we recommend using monday.com’s free trial of the Standard plan to utilize its best features.

Check out our project management courses and grab a limited-time offer. Registration available now!

How to Choose the Best Project Management Tool: Our Methodology

Our team of experts has spent countless hours testing project management software platforms that are used by small businesses and large enterprises. As we use the software, we carefully grade the platform’s features and how the software performs in critical areas before thoughtfully assigning each category a weighted score. Below are the categories we grade.

Features: We make sure that the software offers managers the views they need to track project progress, plus the tools needed for team collaboration, budgeting and resource allocation, risk management, task planning and more.

Pricing: We look closely at each platform’s plans and ask ourselves if there are robust free plans and paid plans that provide excellent value for money. We compare each platform’s plans against competing software before awarding a score.

User-friendliness: A project management suite that is supposed to help is no good if it’s challenging to use. We test every tool and feature, and spend lots of time with the software to see if the designers have created a user-friendly platform.

Security and Privacy: You can’t be too careful with data, so we dig deep into each piece of software to see what security and encryption tools are in place and what end-user security options are available. We also read every word of each platform’s privacy policy to see if they can be trusted with your data.

Customer Support: We ensure each platform has a support network to help customers in need. We check to see what contact options are available. We send help requests to see how long it takes to receive a response, and we thoroughly investigate help centers and knowledgebases to ensure they have the articles needed to help end users in a bind.

The 15 Best Project Management Tools

Now you know what we look for in project management software and what we grade it on, it’s time to dive into the meat and potatoes of this roundup. Below, we’ll cover the top 15 project management platforms for project managers.

1. monday.com — Best All-In-One Platform for Most Teams

More details about monday.com:

• Pricing: Basic plan starts at $12 per user per month
• Website: monday.com
• Beautiful, intuitive interface
• Comprehensive feature set
• Affordable plans
• Lackluster free & basic tiers
• Weak admin & security options in lower plans

monday.com is the best project management system for most teams, thanks to its friendly user interface. The tools — like the kanban boards, calendars, lists, Gantt charts and dashboards — are simple yet powerful due to the wealth of project information they can display. File uploads are easy to manage, and project portfolios help managers organize projects with ease. 

Additionally, monday.com offers a knowledgebase that features easy-to-read articles, a community forum and the monday.com academy that offers various courses and classes, which again enhances the platform’s usability. Security and privacy are also excellent, especially in the medium to high-tier plans. Overall, monday.com is a robust platform that project teams will enjoy using.

monday.com Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

Users will have no problems with monday.com thanks to well-designed menus, tools and templates that make managing projects easy. There are integrations and automations that can take care of time-consuming jobs, and they’re effortless to activate. If you want to hit the ground running, monday.com is the platform for you.

monday.com Pricing & Value

monday.com’s free plan is not great, and the Basic plan offers far too little for the price. However, monday.com excels when you move into the $12 per user per month (billed yearly) Standard plan and the $19 per user per month (billed annually) Pro Plan. You can use monday.com’s 14-day free trial and a pro-rated 30-day money-back guarantee. You can learn more in our monday.com review .

• Maximum users: 2
• Minimum users: 3; All prices per user
• Enterprise-level features.

2. ClickUp — Best for Remote and Work-From-Home Teams

More details about ClickUp:

• Pricing: $7 per user
• Website: clickup.com
• Feature-packed free plan
• Robust collaboration tools
• Plenty of features
• User interface can be clunky
• Some advanced tools can be confusing

ClickUp is a do-it-all project management system that combines task views like Gantt charts, kanban boards, informative dashboards and lists with project templates that can help managers set up projects with one-click, plus real-time collaboration tools that can make work for remote teams easy.

It offers excellent security features like two-factor authentication and SSO (single sign-on policies). There’s also a robust knowledgebase and university. Plenty of tools help round out ClickUp nicely, including file management, AI (a paid extra) that can help create project timelines, and portfolios that can help you track all the moving parts of your project.

ClickUp Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

ClickUp isn’t quite as intuitive as monday.com, but after a short time, you’ll be able to create projects, assign tasks and communicate with your team without fuss. Some collaboration tools, like mind maps, can be tricky to use, but they’re powerful and shouldn’t be overlooked. ClickUp also offers automations and integrations that connect the platform with other software. 

ClickUp Pricing & Value

If you want to try out ClickUp , you can start with its tremendous free plan. It offers most of ClickUp’s tools but limits their use, which makes it ideal for small teams. ClickUp’s paid plans are also affordable. The Unlimited plan costs $7 per user per month, while the Business plan costs $12 per user per month. ClickUp also offers an Enterprise plan. You can learn more in our ClickUp review .

• Basic functionality with some limitations
• All prices per user

3. Asana — Best Platform for Integrations

More details about Asana:

• Pricing: $10.99 per user
• Website: asana.com
• Integrations, reports & tools
• Robust free tier
• Excellent interface
• Paid tiers can be pricey
• Collaboration tools are not strong

Asana offers an uncomplicated suite of project and task management tools. The views — like Gantt charts, timelines, lists, calendars and kanban boards — make it an ideal platform for those who use traditional, Agile or hybrid project management methodologies. Other features — like file uploads, reports, time tracking and portfolios — help make it a capable platform.

This software really focuses on the overall user experience and goes above and beyond to offer training solutions that will help teams get the most out of the software. Project leaders and enterprises needn’t worry about security, either, as Asana provides multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, 256-bit encryption and SOC Type 2 compliance.

Asana Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

Overall, Asana is easy to use, whether you’re using it on the web, via its dedicated desktop app, or with mobile project management apps. Every tool and feature is front and center, and the menus are concise. Asana also offers one of the most comprehensive lists of integrations, supporting hundreds of apps that can help centralize all of your data in one place.

Asana Pricing & Value

You can get started with Asana’s free plan , which supports unlimited projects for up to 10 team members and offers multiple views and integrations. Asana’s paid plans are pricier than the competition. Asana’s Starter plan costs $10.99 per member per month (with annual billing). The Advanced plan costs $24.99 per member per month (when billed annually). You can learn more in our Asana review .

• Up to 10 users
• Price is per user. unlimited users, expanded features
• Price is per user. unlimited users, even more features
• Custom pricing, advanced security features

4. Zoho Projects — Best for New Teams

More details about Zoho Projects:

• Pricing: $4 per user
• Website: zoho.com
• Great value for money
• Easy to learn & use
• Many first-party integrations
• Lackluster free plan
• Sterile aesthetics

Zoho Projects is a no-fuss project management solution that’s ideal for new teams, thanks to its straightforward approach to managing projects. You’ll find everything you need for project tracking, including Gantt charts that support task dependencies, kanban boards and calendars, and tools like time trackers and time sheets that can help manage project costs.

It also offers resource utilization charts, reports and team collaboration tools, such as document creators and real-time chat. Zoho Projects might not be the prettiest platform, but it offers excellent resources for new teams who need guidance. Security is also strong, and Zoho offers top customer service with live chat, email and phone support.

Zoho Projects Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

There’s nothing complicated about Zoho Projects. The tools work exactly how you think they should, navigation is straightforward, and dashboards give helpful information. The killer feature, though, is that Zoho Projects integrates with other Zoho platforms, meaning you can make Zoho Projects what you need it to be, as long as you don’t mind signing up for multiple Zoho tools.

Zoho Projects Pricing & Value

Zoho Projects offers a free plan , but it’s only suitable for individual use. The paid tiers start with Premium, which costs $4 per user per month when you pay yearly, and Enterprise, which runs $9 per user per month when billed annually. You can use Zoho’s free trials on paid plans and or use the 30- and 45-day refunds for monthly and yearly memberships. Check out our Zoho Projects review for more details.

5. Trello — Best Trello Boards for Large Teams

More details about Trello:

• Pricing: $5 per user
• Website: trello.com
• Limitless integrations
• Best kanban board tool
• Incredible free plan
• Not as versatile as other software
• Not suitable for complex projects

Trello has excellent task management capabilities. This kanban-centric tool is ideal for large Agile teams that need to track and complete simple projects. The stars of the show are the unlimited users, kanban boards and unlimited integrations, all of which are available in the free plan. Meanwhile, Premium plan members will also find dashboards, Gantt charts, calendars and table views.

It offers templates that suit a variety of industries. There are good security options, including two-factor authentication, and a help section provides plenty of how-to articles. Trello isn’t the most versatile project management app, and communication options are limited, but if you only need kanban boards, there’s no better option for teams working on simpler projects.

Trello Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

Trello is easy to pick up and use. The drag-and-drop mechanics are so slick and Intuitive that you’ll be creating tasks in no time. Trello supports unlimited integrations and many automations. So although Trello is a fairly simple tool, it can be turned into a project management powerhouse thanks to how many tools it can interact with and how many tasks can be automated.

Trello Pricing & Value

Most teams will be able to use Trello for free , which is almost unheard of these days. You can opt for the $5 per user per month Standard plan if you need custom card fields. If you need the Gantt charts and other views, the $10 per user per month Premium plan is for you.

Trello also offers an Enterprise plan with additional security and admin features. If you want to try Trellos’ advanced features, you can get a free trial of the Premium plan. You can learn more in our Trello review .

• Unlimited users, 10 boards, Unlimited power-ups, Unlimited storage
• Price is per user, Unlimited boards, Custom fields, Invite guests
• Price is per user, Several new views
• Price is per user, Advanced admin & security settings

6. Jira — Best Platform for Product Developers

More details about Jira:

• Pricing: $22.05 per user
• Website: jira.com
• Good backlogs & Scrum boards
• User-friendly interface
• Great free & paid plans
• Not very versatile
• Discounts only for large teams

If you’re a Scrum master looking for Agile project management software suitable for software and product development, Jira is for you. It shines with excellent Scrum boards, unmatched product backlog management tools, issue trackers and seamless integration with Confluence, which lets managers create documents for Scrum events, like retrospective meetings.

On top of powerful boards and task cards, Jira offers file storage, dependency management, detailed reports and numerous security and admin options, including user permissions, disaster recovery tools and mobile device management. Overall, Jira is a one-stop for all things Scrum, and it deserves its place at the top of our best project management tools for Scrum roundup. 

Jira Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

Like its project-management sibling, Trello, Jira is easy to use and features boards that work with simple drag-and-drop mechanics and cards that can contain a wealth of data. Thanks to numerous templates, Jira should not pose problems to Scrum teams. Jira also supports integration, which supports links to other project management and productivity apps. Jira can also quickly automate tasks.

Jira Pricing & Value

You’ll find a comprehensive free plan that’s ideal for teams of 10 or fewer. The Standard plan costs $22.05 per user per month. Premium costs $49.35 per user per month. Teams with over 100 members (Jira can support tens of thousands of members) start to see plan discounts. You can use Jira’s free trials of its plans, and it also has a 30-day refund policy. Find out more in our Jira review .

• Max. 10 users. unlimited boards, reports and insights; backlog; basic roadmaps; 2GB of storage; community support
• Annual price is for 10 agents; with more than 10, annual pricing changes based on the number of users. Monthly pricing changes with teams over 100.

7. Wrike — Best for Scaled Projects

More details about Wrike:

• Pricing: $9.80 per user
• Website: wrike.com
• Ideal for enterprise projects
• Impressive security features
• Plenty of tools & features
• Bland user interface
• Expensive paid plans & extras
• Insufficient training materials

Wrike is a jack-of-all-trades tool that our experts appreciate for its ability to make task management simple and its detailed analytics and reports. Users will find many task management views, including kanban, Gantt, and spreadsheets. There are also AI tools, collaboration features, and resource management tools, like effort allocators and time trackers.

It also has one of the most comprehensive lists of admin and security options. Tools like controlled admin permissions, user types and access controls make this platform ideal for companies and managers who want to scale projects across multiple departments or entire organizations. With Wrike, you can easily track and manage simple and complex projects.

Wrike Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

Wrike looks bland compared to other project managers. Still, Wrike can be navigated quickly thanks to clean tools and logical menus. Reports can be generated rapidly, and third-party integrations can be activated efficiently. We’re not fans of Wrike’s choice to charge for first-party integrations, though they do add many features. Wrike can do many things, and it does them all rather well.

Wrike Pricing & Value

Wrike offers a free plan that supports unlimited members, has enterprise-grade security and many task management and AI tools. However, it starts to falter with its paid plans. The team plan, which supports up to 25 members, costs $9.80 per user per month and oddly removes free plan features. The Business plan jumps to $24.80 per user per month.

There are two more paid accounts, Enterprise and Pinnacle, which are geared toward large enterprises. You must contact Wrtike for a quote, as they’re customizable. You can get a free trial of Wrikes plans, which we recommend using as the company does not offer any refunds. You can learn more in our Wrike review .

• Unlimited users. Basic features.
• Price is per user. Plans for 5, 10 and 15 users.
• Price is per user. No monthly option. Plans for 5 to 200 users.
• Plans for 5 to an unlimited number of users.

8. nTask — Best for Teams on a Budget

More details about nTask:

• Pricing: $3 per user
• Website: ntaskmanager.com
• Shallow learning curve
• Many task management tools
• Incredibly affordable
• Clunky navigation
• Not many native integrations

nTask might not be on every project manager’s radar, but it should be. Not only is nTask affordable, but it has many of the same tools found in more expensive options. Regarding task management, you’ll find boards, Gantt Charts and lists that let you track project progress. nTask supports dependencies and subtasks, tracks budgets and monitors employee productivity. 

It offers real-time collaboration tools, issue and risk management tracking, and iOS and Android mobile apps. nTask also excels in security, offering two-factor authentication, SSO, custom roles and positions, and provides customers with great support. 

nTask Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

nTask offers a colorful user interface that many will like, but the overall user experience is lacking. Accessing tools and features often requires many clicks, and the menus aren’t the best designed. It also falls short regarding native integrations, but it does offer Zapier support. Should you become stuck, nTask’s knowledgebase will help you get out of a bind. 

nTask Pricing & Value

You can try nTask’s free plan , which supports up to five team members, unlimited workspaces and many tools. There are also three paid plans. Premium, which is ideal for new and small teams, costs $3 per user per month when billed yearly. Business, which is suitable for large teams, costs $8 per user per month when billed annually. There’s also a customizable Enterprise plan. To find out more, check out our nTask review .

• Maximum 5 team members.
• No minimum or maximum team members.
• Self-hosted option. 50 team members minimum.

9. Leantime — Best for Project Planning

More details about Leantime:

• Pricing: $4 per user per month
• Website: leantime.io
• Excellent planning tools
• Easy to use
• Cloud-based or self-hosted
• Limited integration support
• Limited customizations
• Weaker security

Leantime is a favorite of our experts, not only because of its project management functionality via easy-to-use kanban boards and Gantt charts, but also because it makes project planning a piece of cake. Leantime features blueprints, risk management tools, idea and business development boards, time trackers, wikis and retrospective tools. 

This project management software is versatile and is just as comfortable with Scrum and sprints as it is with Waterfall methods. Customer service is fantastic, and the help center gets users out of trouble. 

Perhaps the only downside is that Leantime’s security, while still very good, isn’t quite as robust as other project management software. It uses SSL instead of TLS, and it allows for self-hosting which means the responsibility for data security rests with the user. Still, Leantime is open source, which means it can be self-hosted and have its code audited regularly.

Leantime Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

Leantime’s user interface is dated and offers few customizations, but it’s simple to understand. The tools can be accessed quickly, and forms and features explain their use. Unfortunately, there are few native integrations, which holds the platform back a little. Still, most will find that Leantime offers plenty of tools to manage projects big and small. 

Leantime Pricing & Value

Leantime’s free plan supports unlimited users and offers all of Leantime’s core tools and views. It also has three affordable paid plans. The Essentials plan costs just $4 per user per month, Premium, which is ideal for big teams, costs $8 per user per month. 

The Ultimate plan tops out at $10 per user per month. You can try Leantime’s two-week free trial of all the plans. You can learn more in our Leantime review .

• Unlimited users Multiple Task Views Timelines / Milestones Strategy Boards Goal Management Idea Management Time Tracking & Management
• Price per user Whiteboards Strategic Vision & Descriptions Strategic Anchors (Focus Areas) Automated Goal Management Strategy Docs Strategy Level Files API Access
• Price per user Program Kanban Program Timelines Adv. Goal Management Program Idea Boards Program Strategy Boards Program Retrospectives Program Level Files
• Price per user AI Status Reports AI Status Updates AI Story Time Priority Support

10. Notion — Best for Content Creation and Collaboration

More details about Notion:

• Pricing: $8 per user
• Website: notion.so
• Powerful collaboration tools
• Good selection of features
• Competitive pricing
• Dreary design
• Weak free plan
• Pricey AI tools

Notion is a collaboration and communication tool first, but it has the chops to manage projects on the simpler side. Users will find basic task-tracking tools — like kanban boards, calendars and Gantt charts — that support dependencies and subtasks. Notion also has a great knowledgebase with articles that feature images and videos to help you learn the platform.

This tool shines in the collaboration department. Teams can discuss work, create documents, work on pitch decks, form wikis and more. Notion is secure and offers plenty of admin and security features. An AI tool can help create documents and notes, but it’s a rather pricey add-on. Still, Notion is easily one of the best platforms for content creators and design teams.

Notion Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

However, Notion is a platform that takes a little getting used to. Navigation isn’t the best, and it can be easy to get a little lost within the various tools. Notion also has a love-or-hate monochrome design. Notion offers many integrations for those who want to connect to other services, but automations aren’t as robust as those in different platforms. 

Notion Pricing & Value

You can use Notion’s free plan , which is ideal for individuals. Alternatively, ts most popular offering is the $8 per user per month annual Plus plan for small teams. There’s a Business plan for larger teams that costs $15 per user per month annually, and an Enterprise plan that requires a call to Notion for a quote. You can learn more in our Notion review .

• 1 user only, Up to five guests, 5MB file upload limit
• 1 user only, Unlimited guests, Unlimited file uploads, Version history
• Unlimited users, Unlocks workspace, User permission settings
• Advanced security features

11. Airtable — Best for Teams Who Need Custom Workflows

More details about Airtable:

• Pricing: $20 per user
• Website: airtable.com
• Incredibly user friendly
• Robust free plan
• Customizable workflows
• Can get expensive
• Few native integrations

Airtable is unique in project management as it is one of a handful of apps that thrust spreadsheets into the foreground. However, while spreadsheets are the star of the show, users will still find support for kanban, timelines (Gantt charts) and lists. There’s no denying Airtable’s ability to manage tasks, which is why it tops our roundup of best task management software . 

However, Airtable offers more than task-managing tools. Dig deeper, and you’ll find real-time collaboration tools, reports, dashboards, time tracking, app development and budgeting tools, and many admin and security features. Airtable is a do-it-all platform for project managers in product development, marketing, sales, finance and even human resources.

Airtable Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

Airtable is one of the easiest project management suites to use. The app is beautifully designed, the tools are intuitive, and the menus are logical. If you don’t like the workflows on offer, you can create your own and make the platform work how you need it to. There aren’t many native integrations, but Airtable has most of what everyone needs anyway.

Airtable Pricing & Value

You can use Airtable’s generous free plan for up to five editors (users) and includes most of Airtable’s core features. The first paid plan, Team, costs $20 per user per month (annually). The Business plan skyrockets in price to $45 per user per month with annual billing. There’s also a customizable Enterprise plan. Check out our Airtable review for more details.

• Up to five users. Unlimited bases. 1,000 records, 1GB of storage per base. Revision and snapshot history for two weeks. Views: grid, calendar, form, Kanban board, gallery and list. 100 automations per month.
• Everything in free, plus unlimited users, 50,000 records and 20GB of storage space per base. Adds Gantt charts and timeline views. 25,000 automations per month.
• Everything in Team, plus 125,000 records, 100GB of storage per base, 100,000 automation per month. Admin controls, single sign-on (SSO) and premium integrations with third-party services.
• Everything in Business, plus 500,000 records, 1TB of storage per base, and 500,000 automation monthly.

12. Smartsheet — Best for Spreadsheet Fanatics

More details about Smartsheet:

• Website: smartsheet.com
• Best spreadsheet around
• Great security & admin tools
• Plenty of learning resources
• Expensive paid plans
• Limited free tier

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-forward tool that’s slightly more traditional than Airtable. The spreadsheets look like those from yesteryear, and they function with formulas. Managers will also find Gantt charts, boards, dashboards, and calendars that help track progress and reports that show key performance indicators. There are also time-tracking and budgeting tools.

This tool excels at managing Agile and traditional projects at scale. There are countless administration and security features to help manage large teams, plenty of automations that allow things to tick along. There’s also a user-friendly knowledgebase and university that can help teams quickly get to grips with Smartsheet’s tools. 

Smartsheet Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

Unlike its direct competitor, Airtable, Smartsheet can be tricky to use. Navigation can sometimes be a click-fest, menus aren’t the cleanest, and the tools can be cumbersome. Smartsheet does offer over 100 integrations, though, which let you share data between platforms. Automations can also help take care of tedious tasks, which will help free up precious time.

Smartsheet Pricing & Value

Smartsheet offers a free plan , but its features are limited and supports only three team members. We suggest considering Smartsheet’s paid options. Smartsheet Pro costs $7 per user per month when paying annually, but it is limited to 10 users. Business costs $25 per user per month with annual billing. You can learn more about Smartsheet features and plans in our Smartsheet review .

• 1 user, up to 2 editors, Limited features, 500MB file storage,
• Prices per user, Max 10 users Basic features, 20GB file storage
• Prices per user, Three user minimum, Unlimited free users, Expanded features, 300GB file storage
• Advanced features

13. TeamGantt — Best for Easy-to-Use Gantt Charts

More details about TeamGantt:

• Pricing: per user
• Website: teamgantt.com
• The best Gantt chart app
• Intuitive & easy to use
• Many guides & classes
• Limited feature set
• Undesirable free plan
• So expensive

TeamGantt makes fear-inducing Gantt charts simple and easy to use. Like other specialty platforms, TeamGantt offers calendars, kanban boards and lists to complement the charts, which increases the platform’s versatility. TeamGantt also provides mobile applications that are as useful and well-designed as the web tool.

Aside from the task views, TeamGantt does offer time tracking, collaboration and resource management tools, portfolio management features, and templates for industries that idolize Gantt charts, like construction and RACI charts — but that’s about it. However, its security is excellent, and the platform’s knowledgebase and classes will help you get to grips with the tools and features.

TeamGantt Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

TeamGantt’s colorful interface, menus and tools make using the platform straightforward. You can be where you need to be within a few clicks. If you’re hoping for many native integrations, you’ll be disappointed, but you can use a service like Zapier to link platforms. Automations are supported in TeamGantt, but there aren’t many, which means more work for you.

TeamGantt Pricing & Value

TeamGantt would sit higher on this list if it weren’t for the cost. The free plan is lackluster and supports only three people and one project. You could consider the Lite plan , which costs monthly per manager (who can have five collaborators). Pro costs $49 per manager per month but features unlimited members. There’s also a scalable Unlimited Everything plan. You can learn more in our TeamGantt review . 

• 2 users (1 manager)

14. Basecamp — Best for Communication and Planning

More details about Basecamp:

• Pricing: $15 per user
• Website: basecamp.com
• Great communication tools
• Straightforward pricing
• Excellent mobile applications
• No free plan
• Busy user interface
• Few project management tools

Basecamp offers project management features, but isn’t the most comprehensive project management tool available. Still, it deserves its place on this list because it mixes simple project management and communication for small teams rather well. 

There are a few task-tracking tools, like to-do lists, kanban boards, lineups (Gantt charts) and hill charts. As simple as they are, they still work and let you assign and track jobs. Meanwhile, Basecamp shines when it comes to collaboration. There is no shortage of tools to communicate and share ideas with team members and clients.

Basecamp Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

However, Basecamp is let down by its interface, which relies heavily on dashboards. Fortunately, it’s easy to connect Basecamp to other project management tools like Airtable and Notion and many productivity suites, which expands Basecamp’s capabilities. If you need a solid communication tool with a few task-tracking features for your small team, Basecamp would be a good choice.

Basecamp Pricing & Value

Basecamp does not offer a free plan and has just two paid plans. The Basecamp plan costs $15 per user per month and includes all tools and 500GB of storage. Basecamp Pro Unlimited costs $299 per month when billed annually and features more storage and extra customer support. You can get Basecamp’s free 30-day trial of both plans . Find out more in our Basecamp review .

• Per user. Unlimited projects, Unlimited users, All features. 500GB storage.
• Unlimited users. 5TB storage. Priority support.

15. Freedcamp — Best for Small Teams

More details about Freedcamp:

• Pricing: $1.49 per user
• Website: freedcamp.com
• Inexpensive plans
• User-friendly tools
• Open-source software
• Few integrations
• Security behind paywalls
• Free plan for individuals only

Freedcamp is an open-source project management tool featuring a clutter-free interface that won’t trip up new or inexperienced teams. Users will discover many task views, including kanban boards, lists, dashboards and Gantt charts, time tracking, file editing, reports and storage, and password management tools.

On top of the tools mentioned above, there is the usual gamut of tools for enhanced security. Being open-source means Freedcamp’s code can be regularly audited for critical errors, which further enhances security. There are tools for collaboration, like wikis and a comprehensive knowledgebase for help. What makes Freedcamp impressive is its incredibly affordable plans.

Freedcamp Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

The strength of Freedcamp lies in its easy-to-use tools. Adding tasks, team members and due dates is simple. Reports are easy to find and read. Menus are indicated via icons, which teams familiar with apps will understand immediately. Views are hidden behind a frustrating cog, but it’s not a deal breaker. The biggest negative is the lack of platform integrations, which limits Freedcamp’s versatility.

Freedcamp Pricing & Value

Freedcamp offers a free plan for individuals . There are three paid plans: Pro, which costs $1.49 per user per month (billed annually); Business, which costs $7.49 per user per month when paying yearly; and Enterprise, which costs $16.99 per user per month with annual billing. You can try any Freedcamp plan free for 14 days. Check out our Freedcamp review for more details.

• Unlimited users, Unlimited projects, Basic functions
• Price per user, Storage integration, Table view
• Price per user, Templates, Gantt charts, Custom fields
• Price per user, Security options, 14-day trial

Upcoming Project Management Trend: Artificial Intelligence

The biggest trend in project management apps at the moment is AI tools that can help automate tasks, send emails, create notes and help generate project plans. Most of the top project management suites have already rolled out their tools, but even platforms like Leantime are getting in on the action. Be prepared to pay extra for the convenience of AI, though.

Benefits of Using Project Management Tools

Managing projects can be complicated at the best of times. Fortunately, project management software can take away some of the weight on a project manager’s shoulders. 

Below, we’ll list the most common ways modern software can help managers deliver projects and deliverables on time and within budget.

• Budget planning — These tools allow managers to set initial estimates, track expenses as they occur, and make sure the project doesn’t experience scope creep.
• Task management — Managers can quickly see where each task sits in the pipeline and can ensure that all tasks have an assignee, a due date and subtasks, if needed.
• Reports — Key performance indicators — such as unassigned, assigned and completed tasks, time spent on jobs, costs, and individual team member performance — can be tracked via reports. This information allows a manager to adjust workloads and projected end dates quickly. 
• Risk management — Thanks to risk-management tools, managers can list potential risks before the project starts, devise plans to overcome them, and share them with their team and stakeholders.
• Collaboration — Tools like chat apps, mind maps, whiteboards and document creation tools allow teams to work together to solve problems and share creative ideas.
• Resource management — Project management tools allow leaders to see where their resources are and if employees have too much or too little work.

Final Thoughts

Many project management software options exist for project managers and teams from all walks of life. All the suites have pros and cons, and are suitable for specific jobs or everything. The hardest thing to do is pick the right software for you. Hopefully, our roundup of the best project management software has helped you decide which way to turn. 

Have you used any of the tools we have mentioned? If so, which is your favorite? Do you plan to take any of the options listed above for a spin to see if they can do a job for you? Let us know in the comments, and as always, thanks for reading.

FAQ: Best Project Management Software

Projects with their many moving parts and variables can quickly get out of hand without proper management. A seasoned project manager can help keep simple and complex tasks on track, on time and under budget, and can help companies and their projects avoid scope creep.

Project management software helps project managers and their teams plan projects, organize resources, track and manage tasks, and communicate with team members far and wide. These software suites can increase team efficiency, reduce waste, manage risks and help teams produce high-quality deliverables on time.

monday.com is powerful project management software that’s the best overall tool thanks to its user-friendly interface and easy-to-use tools.

The most popular project management methodologies are Waterfall, for projects that need lots of structure; Agile frameworks like Kanban and Scrum, which champion collaboration, communication, and adaptability; and Lean, which helps eliminate waste and improve efficiency.

You made my day with that list and saved a lot of time. Thank you!

I found it rather subscription option tools, but do you have a list of one-time payment software with a lifetime license.

As an individual PM I prefer to be sure I will have my software when I need it.

MS Project has a license … Most of the good PM tools I’ve found are subscription-based now. There’s an advantage to that, though, which is that you don’t have to pay for new software upgrades.

Check out Project Insight and include it in your list! I have nothing but good things to say about them and I’m sure others may love it too!

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll take a look but have heard so many mixed reviews about Project Insight … That, and there are several dozen PM tools out there to review that it makes it hard to cover everything.

Found it useful how you listed the pros and cons of each. One size doesn’t fit all, after all.

Thank you for the analysis

This is great! Thank you!

Recommending Amazing Marvin for personal project management! It’s extremely powerful and on almost all platforms but somehow little known. The downside is that it’s not yet for teams and has a bit of a learning curve.

Looks like you messed up the subtitles of the software listings. Subtitle No.2 (“A Great Jack of All (Project Management) Trades”) obviously belongs to listing No.1 (Monday.com), Subtitle No.3 (“Great Project Management Features and Free Plan”) to listing No.2 (Asana) etc. Otherwise, great overview article.

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'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

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When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form .

The best email hosting services of 2024: Expert tested

Email has become a primary communication method for individuals and businesses, replacing everything from paper bills to channels for customer support. 

The number of email users worldwide has been steadily growing year by year. If you want to go beyond the free email offerings, present a professional email address, and have some level of control over your corporate email communications, you'll want to sign up with an email hosting provider.

Also:  Cloud-based email services: Everything you need to know

What is the best email hosting service right now?

Our favorite email hosting provider is Google Workspace . If you want a familiar email hosting provider that offers ample storage and gives customers a direct and easy-to-understand pricing structure, this is the right host for you. 

ZDNET has tested many email hosting providers over the years, and we keep an eye on market trends, pricing changes, and market improvements. Below, we have compiled our recommendations for excellent email hosting providers specializing in email and office productivity, as well as solid web hosts offering email packages with a personalized touch.

Best email hosting services of 2024

Google workspace, best email hosting service overall.

• Up to 5TB of storage
• Flexible pricing
• Familiar to free Gmail users
• Doesn't offer unlimited storage for enterprises

Formerly known as G-Suite, Google Workspace integrates an enterprise-level Gmail management interface with Google Docs, Meet, Calendar, and other tools. However, it's not just for the enterprise level -- far from it. 

Pricing is easier to understand with Workspace than with Microsoft Office 365. Microsoft offers a wide variety of plans and options that are integrated into its other licensing pricing structures. 

Google gives you three simple choices: $6 per month, $12 per month, or $18 per month per user on a yearly contract, depending on your desired management features. Features include custom and secure email, pooled storage ranging from 30GB to 5TB, and support. Enterprise clients can contact Google for tailored solutions. 

You can also test out the service for 14 days for free. Customers say Google Workspace is a reliable host, although some customer support issues should be ironed out. 

Google Workspace features: Your own domain name:  Yes |  Mailbox size:  30GB, 2TB, and 5TB |  Spam and virus protection:  Yes |  Aliases:  Yes |  24/7 support:  Chat, ticket, or phone |  Archiving and storage:  Depending on the plan | Free trial

Best email and web hosting combination

• Email hosting included in web hosting plans
• 24/7 support
• No archiving options
• No spam detection

We reviewed Hostinger positively when evaluating website hosting providers and consider this provider an excellent option for businesses of all sizes that want to combine email and web services. 

Android and iOS apps are available, alongside read receipts, aliases, email templates, inbuilt calendars and contacts, forwarding rules, two-factor authentication, anti-spam measures, and more, depending on your plan. 

Business plans combining web and email hosting begin at $2.99 per user monthly, or Business plans are priced at $3.99 per user monthly. Three months of free hosting are added to four-year contracts. Plans provide 1GB of inbox storage per user (up to 100 users). If you opt for business email hosting alone, for a $1.59/month starting subscription, you can enjoy up to 10GB of inbox storage. For $3.99/month, this increases to 50GB.

You can opt for one month to four years of hosting. 

Also:  Hostinger web hosting review: Good support and a killer entry-level price

The company's standard web hosting plan includes email accounts and mailboxes. Hostinger's dedicated hosting service goes further by using the customer-centric  Titan email hosting service . Titan email hosting services offer integrated calendars alongside email management and scheduling features.

Customers find this host provides the whole package with excellent support. 

Hostinger features: Your domain name:  Yes |  Mailbox size:  10GB to 50GB or 1GB per inbox |  Spam and virus protection:  Yes |  Aliases:  Yes |  24/7 support:  Chat, ticket, or phone (surcharge for priority support) |  Archiving and storage:  No

Microsoft 365 Business

Best email hosting service for microsoft customers.

• Starts at 1TB cloud storage
• Spam and virus protection
• Advanced security only included in Premium plans

Microsoft 365 encompasses all the Office desktop apps, Office online apps, Microsoft Teams, Exchange's benefits, calendaring, mobile apps, and more. If you are comfortable with the Outlook email client and Microsoft software, you will want to consider Microsoft 365 Business for your email hosting solution. 

Available in Basic, Standard, and Premium packages -- with prices starting at $6 per month, per user -- customers can opt for business-class email, security packages, webinar and large meeting virtual solutions, and access control, among other features. 

Microsoft 365 Business Standard is available for $12.50/month per user, and this may be a better option if you want Loop workspaces. Microsoft 365 Business Premium, priced at $22/month per user, includes enterprise-grade device protection. Customer feedback indicates that this option is great for businesses of all sizes, although some users prefer more control over update mechanisms. 

A one-month free trial is available. Individual home users can also opt for Microsoft 365 Personal, with subscriptions set at $69.99/year.

Microsoft 365 Business features :  Your domain name:  Yes |  Cloud storage size:  1TB |  Spam and virus protection:  Yes |  Aliases:  Yes |  24/7 support:  Chat, ticket, or phone |  Archiving and storage:  Depending on the plan | One-month free trial

A2 web hosting

Best affordable email hosting for small businesses.

• Long-term, simple plans
• Storage relatively low on basic plans
• Email sending limits

A2 web hosting is an excellent option for small businesses. It offers customers multi-account access, 24/7 support, a variety of migration tools, anti-spam filters, administrator tools, useful email templates, and between 10GB and 30GB of storage per account.

As a bonus, this email hosting service is cheap. Plans start at only $1.59 per month (10GB storage, up to 200 emails sent per hour limit, or 500 per day), as long as you agree to a 36-month contract. Premium plans begin at $2.59 monthly (30GB storage, up to 300 emails sent per hour limit, or 1000 per day). 

This email hosting service could be your best bet for a new business venture. Customers enjoy the speed and reliability of this host, but some express frustration at the level of emergency support offered.

A2 features :  Your domain name:  Yes  |  Inbox  storage size:  Up to 30GB |  Spam and virus protection:  Yes |  Aliases:  Yes |  24/7 support:  Chat, ticket, or phone, Guru Crew Support |  Archiving and   storage : Depending on plan | Money-back guarantee

Best email hosting service for cloud servers

• Collaborative document editing
• Long test period
• 10 users minimum for business plans

A great name aside, IceWarp is an excellent browser-based email hosting option that combines cloud and on-premise technologies.

Its offerings, in particular, are worth highlighting as they include shared contacts and calendars, collaborative document editing, mailing list management, web meetings, ChatGPT integration, audio and video calls, mobile apps and synchronization, and archiving. The dashboard, too, is an attractive interface for accessing emails, calendars, meetings, and files.

Regarding subscriptions, IceWarp offers a variety. The basic plan for startups and small businesses (up to ten user accounts) is priced at only $15/month, with 200GB of email storage and 1TB of file storage per user.

Business plans are the next step up, starting at $3.50/month per user. You will need to agree to 10 user accounts at minimum. This plan covers up to 500 users with 200GB of email storage and 1TB of file storage per user. Custom plans are also available.

If you decide you would instead go elsewhere within three months, IceWarp says you will not be charged. Customers find this service reliable and easy to use, although migration can take a while. 

IceWarp features: Your domain name:  Yes |  Mailbox size:  200GB + 1TB file storage |  Spam and virus protection:  Yes |  Aliases:  Yes |  24/7 support:  Chat, ticket, or phone |  Archiving and storage:  Included

Best email hosting service for migration assistance

• Unlimited mailbox size
• Microsoft integration
• Migration assistance
• Short trial

Rackspace is one of the original cloud infrastructure providers. The company offers many infrastructure-as-a-service options, including complete Exchange hosting, Microsoft 365 management, and traditional email hosting suitable for small to medium-sized businesses and beyond.

The company offers migration assistance from other hosts, a large team of MCSA-certified staff, and the ability to support an existing Microsoft Enterprise Agreement. Free migration is provided on all plans. 

Subscriptions start at $2.99 per month per user and increase to $3.99 monthly for premium service. If you want unlimited archiving, prices begin at $6.99/month. A trial is available, although you have to make up your mind within 14 days. Customer feedback indicates that Rackspace's migration help and uptime are notable, but customer support can be lackluster. 

Rackspace features: Your domain name:  Yes |  Mailbox size:  25GB mailboxes, 30GB storage |  Spam and virus protection:  Yes |  Aliases:  Yes |  24/7 support:  Chat, ticket, or phone |  Archiving and storage:  Depending on plan, additional fee | 14-day free trial

Proton Mail

Best email hosting service for security.

• Security focus
• Free plans available
• Family options
• Poor customer support reviews

Proton Mail should be in the running if you want a security-first email hosting solution.

Developed by the same organization that offers Proton VPN, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass, Proton Mail offers a wide range of options, including a free plan and a family plan. Email is end-to-end encrypted, and storage levels range from 1GB to a massive 3TB on shared family subscriptions. 

Mail Plus ($3.99/month) comes with 10 email addresses, 15GB of storage, and a custom email domain if you need a basic option. Proton for Business plans, starting at $6.99/month, includes secure business email, a calendar, and access to Proton VPN.

Customers say that they like the simple interface and security provisions but note that customer support needs improvement. 

Proton Mail features: Your domain name:  Yes |  Mailbox size:  1GB - 3TB |  Spam and virus protection:  Yes |  Aliases:  Yes |  24/7 support:  Email, online form | End-to-end encryption | Desktop app | Free option

What is the best email hosting service?

If you want a no-brainer decision, choose Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, depending on whether you're more tied to the Google or Microsoft ecosystem. That's it. Both are excellent offerings that provide solid services and support, if sometimes frustrating. 

However, there are other worthy options on the market. To help you decide, we've highlighted each email hosting provider's noteworthy features below.

Which is the best email hosting service?

There are countless email hosting providers, and we've done our best to highlight the top picks in the market. The best email hosting providers are listed below, depending on your need and use case.

Factors to consider when choosing an email hosting service

When you are on the hunt for a new email hosting provider, consider the factors below. 

• Features : Flexibility and different features are paramount when you select an email hosting service. Software bundles, sending tools, custom domains, billing options, and more could sway your choice, so you need to decide what features are the most important to you.
• Affordability : Most email hosting providers require customers to sign up for at least a year or more. You must consider the rolling fees over time and match your budget with the right host. 
• Reliability : Ensure you pick an email hosting provider with minimal downtime. There's no point in paying for an unreliable host that could impact your access to the services you have signed up for.
• Scalability : If you own a small or midsize business, you may need to expand your operation. Consider choosing a provider that can quickly scale to match your evolving needs. 
• Security : As email services are often the gateway to our other online services, choosing an email provider with a strong security record is worthwhile. Unfortunately, even the largest and best companies may eventually experience a breach, but you want to find a company that constantly works to improve its security posture. 

How did we choose these email hosting providers?

Many of us at ZDNET have decades of experience with email hosting providers. In making recommendations, we take this experience and combine it with crucial factors, including:

• Familiarity : We have included vendors that ZDNET authors are personally familiar with and feel comfortable recommending. After all, if we wouldn't use the service, it's probably not worth consideration.
• Pricing : We have included a range of email hosting providers that offer services and price points suitable for different clients. There's no point in paying for multiple inboxes or advanced features if you are unlikely to use them.
• Security : In today's world, filled with data breaches and cyberattacks, security must be at the forefront of your online communication channels. We selected providers known for their robust security practices and frequent upgrades, improvements, and audits. 
• Flexibility : We like to see various email and hosting plans, including family and business options. We also consider offering contracts with different time frames important. 
• Customer support : Signing up for a new email hosting service or switching providers can be stressful. We prefer to showcase companies that provide solid customer support over email, phone, and chat. 

Should I host my email?

While it is undoubtedly possible to self-host your email, and local backup options seem attractive, you will need some technological acumen and be willing to undergo the setup process, whether at home or by renting a server. For most users, signing up for an email hosting service is easier and quicker. 

Do you get free email with a GoDaddy domain?

Domain purchases alone will not net you free email services. Instead, you will need to sign up for hosting, of which some plans will grant you free, professional email hosting for a year. 

What is the best free email hosting service?

In most cases, you get what you pay for. Some robust and functional free email services are available, but keep in mind that they will likely have limitations. These could include the number of emails you can send daily, your email addresses, or the amount of storage available. 

Our best recommendation for a free email service is Proton Mail , which offers 1GB of storage, one user account, and one email address. 

How do I properly recover a stolen email account with a Google server?

This doesn't just apply if you're using Google for your email. If you're using another hosting provider, but also using Gmail, you might need to get this answered. It's easiest if you can still log in. But even if you can't, Google offers a set of steps for you to follow.  Here's Google's page  to get you started. 

But keep in mind that the best way to avoid recovering a stolen email account is to protect it properly. Set up  multi-factor authentication  and  get your recovery codes from Google .

What free email service ends in org?

There are free email services, but be careful: free services often come with other costs, including privacy. Since it's costly to maintain an email hosting service, those using free services may not get much support or may find the service disappears one day. Or, you may be bombarded with adverts every time you access your inbox.

Also, be careful of free services that are essentially phishing sites, capturing all the emails you get, including personal identifying information. That said,  mail.com  is a reasonably safe service that offers email addresses with the linuxmail.org and musician.org domains. Other free services, like Yahoo and Google, allow you to set up email aliases, so if you have another mailer that supports .org, you can get that email at your Yahoo or Gmail account.

My web-hosted email stopped forwarding to my phone. How do I fix it?

There's not one single answer. It generally depends on your email provider and phone OS. If you use any standard email providers, you can go to  this troubleshooting page  for iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and  this troubleshooter for the Google Android email app . Sometimes, you may need to update or reinstall your app.

Are there alternative email hosting services worth considering?

There are a tremendous number of hosting providers on the market. As we said, just about every web hosting provider also offers email. But here are more providers that provide excellent email hosting services and support.

ZDNET Recommends

The best web hosting services: expert tested, the best cheap web hosting services of 2024: solid support and security for less, the best wordpress hosting services: expert tested.

• Best overall
• Best for beginners
• Best for retirement savings
• Best for experienced investors
• Best for active investors
• Best for mobile
• Best for kids and teens
• Why You Should Trust Us
• Methodology

Best Online Brokerages of June 2024

Paid non-client promotion: Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate investing products to write unbiased product reviews.

A brokerage account is like a checking account for your investments. The difference, however, is that brokerage accounts act as a safe place to hold investable assets like stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, and crypto. 

Best Online Brokers

• Charles Schwab: Best online brokerage overall
• SoFi Invest: Best for beginners
• Fidelity: Best online brokerage for retirement savings
• TD Ameritrade: Best online brokerage for experienced investors
• Interactive Brokers: Best for active investors
• Public: Best online brokerage for mobile
• Stockpile: Best online brokerage for kids and teens

Compare Top Online Brokerage Reviews 2024

The best brokerage company for you depends on the kinds of assets you're looking for, your investment style, and how much you're willing to pay for top-notch trading tools like auto rebalancing, market trades, and real-time market data. 

Here are the best online brokerages as picked by Business Insider's editors in 2024. 

Charles Schwab

Open and fund your account and get $101 from Schwab to split equally across the top five stocks in the S&P 500

$0 ($5,000 for Schwab Intelligent Portfolios; $25,000 Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium)

0% ($0 Schwab Intelligent Portfolios; $30/month Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium)

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimums; commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs, and options
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Thousands of no-load mutual funds and 50+ Schwab-managed funds; fractional shares (Stock slices) available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Automated and advisor-managed accounts available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Multiple trading platforms; stock screeners and other trading tools
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $5,000 minimum for automated Schwab Intelligent Portfolios is on the higher end
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Schwab's no-load funds have a $100 minimum; some competitors offer lower minimums

Insider considers Charles Schwab to be the best online brokerage overall, as well as one of the best online brokerages for beginners. It's great for all types of investors — including active traders, passive investors, and retirement-focused individuals — in search of low costs and access to a variety of trading tools and platforms.

• App store rating: 4.8 iOS/3.8 Android
• Consider it if: You want a wide range of account types, with easy-to-use apps and web interfaces
• Awards: Investor's Business Daily recognized Charles Schwab as one of its Most Trusted Financial Companies for 2021.

Charles Schwab is a major discount broker and one of the largest investment management firms in the United States. Charles Schwab is one of the best brokers for trading commodity futures , offering a range of brokerage accounts and products that meet the needs of virtually any investor.

In addition to offering competitive accounts with no minimum balance requirements and no recurring fees, Schwab is a leader in low-cost pricing for retail investors. 

Hands-on investors are best served by the basic Schwab self-directed brokerage account, which gives you access to various investment choices. If you want more help, you can sign up for managed Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, one of the best robo-advisors . This account also doesn't charge any fees.

The investment platform has an annual percentage yield (APY) of 0.45% for at least $0.01 balances. 

What to look out for:  There are also high phone and broker-assisted trade costs. While online trades are commission-free for stocks and ETFs, you'll pay $5 extra for automated phone trades and $25 extra for broker-assisted trades. Online option traders cost about $0.65 per contract. 

Charles Schwab review

SoFi Invest

Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.

$0 ($1 to start investing); $5 fractional shares; $2,000 for margin trading

0% for active trading and automated investing

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No account minimum
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No account or trading fees, and low fees to own funds
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Access to Certified Financial Planners at no additional charge
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. IPOs available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. SoFi 1% IRA match
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No tax-loss harvesting, an advanced investing technique where you sell a stock or mutual fund at a loss for a tax benefit
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No option for stop-loss orders when actively investing. SoFi's active investing account only uses market orders
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Currently only available to US residents

SoFi Invest is a great platform for US investors who are looking for an intuitive online trading experience, an open active or automated investing account.

• Promotion: Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.
• Consider it if: You want an easy-to-use platform paired with rock-bottom pricing.

SoFi is an online brokerage featured in our guides for the best investment apps.  It charges almost no fees for its investment accounts, which include self-directed investing and automated investing (managed portfolios) with no recurring fees and a very low $1 minimum to get started.

SoFi 's self-directed "Active Investing" account has no fees for trading stocks and ETFs . You can buy fractional shares of stocks, which SoFi calls "Stock Bits." SoFi also has a few of its exchange-traded funds that could be a fit for your portfolio. Plus, it now offers options for trading and IPOs.

One SoFi login also gets you access to banking and lending services. Customers get free access to SoFi Relay, a personal finance data aggregator comparable to a lightweight version of Empower Personal Dashboard . Customers also get free access to career coaching and financial planning sessions.

What to look out for:  SoFi's account selection is also fairly limited compared to larger brokers that offer any type of retirement or business investment account under the sun.

SoFi Invest review

Fidelity Investments offers a wide range of investing products, including fractional shares.

$0 ($25,000 Fidelity Personalized Planning & Advice)

0% ($0 or 0.35% for robo-advisor)

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No account minimum or account fees
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No commissions for stock, ETF, and options trades; fractional shares available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Thousands of no-transaction-fee mutual funds and fee-free mutual funds
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Several research tools and trading platforms available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Fidelity Go accounts cost more for investors with higher account balances
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Representative-assisted trades are slightly more expensive than other brokerages

Fidelity is one of the best online brokerages for beginners and retirement savings. It has great features for all types of investors and traders.

• Promotion: None at this time
• App store rating: 4.8 iOS/4.4 Android
• Awards: Morningstar named the Fidelity HSA as the best HSA provider in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
• Consider it if: You're focused on long-term investing and retirement.

Fidelity offers multiple account types, a long list of available investments, and competitive pricing with industry leaders for low-cost investments. It has more than 200 locations nationwide.

The online stock trading app Fidelity has no minimum balances or recurring fees. It offers commission-free stock and ETF trades with fractional shares available. You can invest in stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, bonds, CDs, and precious metals. Fidelity offers international investing in foreign markets and foreign currency exchange between 16 different currencies.

It offers zero-expense ratio Fidelity Flex mutual funds and uses them for its robo-advisors, Fidelity Go. Fidelity Go now has unlimited one-on-one coaching calls for account balances of $25,000 or more. 

Fidelity can be a great choice for most investment needs, but it's especially strong for investors with a long-term retirement focus. The combination of low fees and a focus on helping investors reach a successful retirement helped make it the top choice for retirement brokerage accounts.

What to look out for: Fidelity gives you a lot for free, but mutual funds outside of the no-fee list cost up to $49.95 each, not including added fees for phone or broker-assisted trades. In addition, Fidelity charges higher margin rates than many competitors.

Fidelity review

TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade offers a large range of investment options, including stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, futures, bitcoin futures, and more.

$0 ($5,000 or $25,000 for managed accounts through Schwab)

0% ($300 one-time fee and $30/month for advisor-managed account through Schwab); $49.95 or $74.95 for no-load mutual funds, $2.25 per futures contract, and $0.65 per options contract

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Free commissions on stock, ETF, and option trades
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimum requirement to get started with brokerage account
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Large investment selection
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Research and educational resources available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No fractional shares
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Robo-advice and managed portfolios are more expensive
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No cryptocurrencies

TD Ameritrade is great for active traders interested in using multiple trading platforms. As one of the best online brokerages, TD Ameritrade offers secure storage for investments and other assets.

• Promotion: None at this time.
• App store rating: 4.5 iOS/3.6 Android
• Consider it if: You want multiple apps for different trading experiences and goals

TD Ameritrade is a discount brokerage that's great for both new and expert investors. Beginners will enjoy the simple online platform at TD Ameritrade's website. Experienced investors will want to take advantage of the advanced trading platform, called thinkorswim, and other expert resources TD Ameritrade makes available.

Like other large commission-free brokers, TD Ameritrade gives you access to almost any brokerage account you could want. It offers a list of tradeable assets bigger than most peers, another draw for experienced investors.

TD Ameritrade's thinkorswim provides a professional-style trading platform with advanced charting and order types. An embedded CNBC TV widget is a nice perk that keeps your trading strategy in sync with the markets. It's nearly Wall Street quality and comes included with TD Ameritrade accounts.

What to look out for: Charles Schwab acquired the company in 2020. TD Ameritrade has said on its website that it will continue to conduct business as usual while combining many components with Schwab. 

TD Ameritrade review

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers provides trading access to more than 150 markets in 200 countries/territories around the world, allowing you to invest in stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, futures, bonds, fractional shares, and more.

$0 ($100 Interactive Advisors automated accounts)

$0 for IBKR Lite; $0 IBKR Pro (per-share commissions apply)

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Low commissions and fees
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. International trading opportunities
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Competitive trading platforms and tools
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Several account types available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Thousands of no-transaction-fee mutual funds
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cryptocurrency investing available for bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ethereum, and litecoin
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Less active traders pay more for IBKR Pro
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Website can be tricky to navigate

Interactive Brokers is one of the best online brokerages for advanced, active investors who trade securities frequently and value access to market analysis and trading platforms.

Interactive Brokers is a top investment platform for all kinds of investors. Trade at higher volumes and get access to tools optimized for your investing needs. Typical investors may not care about the difference of a few seconds when entering and executing a trade. Very active traders, however, care about milliseconds.

Interactive Brokers has multiple pricing options depending on your level of trading activity and your personal trading needs. The basic account, IBKR Lite, gives you commission-free stock, ETF trades, and competitive fees for most other trades. 

IBKR Pro accounts use tiered or fixed pricing models. This means you won't get completely commission-free trades as you do with IBKR Lite. Pro accounts have additional access to market data. They also get access to the IBKR Web Trader platform and IBKR APIs for automated trading. Algorithmic trading, also known as algos, is included with Pro accounts.

With competitive pricing and an experience tailored to active traders, IBKR Lite could be a good place to test the waters before upgrading to IBKR Pro for the most advanced experience. You can also invest in cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, ether, bitcoin cash, and litecoin. It also offers bitcoin ETFs. Commissions for these assets range from 0.12-0.18%.

What to look out for: Not all accounts and trades are free. Choose the right account level for your investment goals and experience. 

Interactive Brokers review

Public offers a $0 minimum requirement and allows you to filter its investment selection to see the securities that best align with your preferences

0% stocks and ETFs; Crypto: 1% or 2% markup; Alternative assets: 2.5% per transaction; Public Premium: $10/month

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimums and commission-free trading on stocks and ETFs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cryptocurrency trading available for over 20 coins and tokens; alternative assets available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers fractional share investing for as little as $1; Premium plan includes advanced market data and insights
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Several community features that allow you to share insights and receive insights from other users; educational resources like live audio events also available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No mutual funds
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Not the best platform for day traders; it doesn't allow day trading of stocks

Public is best for active traders who want to invest in stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies while utilizing the expertise and insights of other Public.com members.

• App store rating: 4.7 iOS/4.3 Android
• Consider it if: You value portfolio diversification and want a social component to your investing experience.

Public is an investment app that uses a mobile-first experience. The result is a mobile investment experience that's somewhat unique but still easy to navigate for both beginner and experienced investors. You can now earn a $0.18 rebate per traded options contract with no commission fees.

As the name suggests, trades at Public allow you to connect with other investors on the platform. You can follow others and chat about investment ideas. You can even join a group chat for live interaction with other investors. In some ways, it's like a built-in social network for investors.

Another useful feature for newer investors is the ability to view various themes. These group stocks by industry or other major categories to help you zero in on companies that make sense for your investment strategy. Public uses a commission-free pricing model so most users won't pay any fees when they trade.

What to look out for: Public doesn't offer a robo-advisor for hands-off automated trades. It's account selection is also limited as you can't invest in retirement, education, or custodial accounts with Public. 

Public review

Stockpile offers brokerage and custodial accounts with no recurring fees, no minimums, and no gift card fees.

$4.95 monthly subscription fee

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimums and no gift card/funding fees
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 1,000+ stocks and ETFs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can fund account with bank transfer or stock gift cards
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Fractional shares available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Investment selection limited to stocks, ETFs, and crypto

Stockpile is a newer and smaller brokerage than some others on this list, but it's perfect for kids

• Consider it if: You want to invest with kids or teens

Stockpile is a top investment platform for kids to learn how to save and invest toward their future. Stockpile offers brokerage and custodial accounts with no recurring fees, minimums, or gift card fees. Invest in fractional shares for $1 and even trade popular cryptocurrencies. The online brokers have a $4.95 monthly subscription fee. 

Other investable securities include over 4000 stocks and ETFs in five different kid account options and one adult account. Cryptocurrencies are also available. Parents and kids will enjoy the built-in education resources, such as the "mini-lessons," which teach stock market basics that prepare anyone for a more successful future in the stock market.

Stockpile is great for kids and teens for a few reasons. The simple and easy-to-navigate platform shows kids the logos and companies they are familiar with in their investment portfolios . You can fund the account through a bank account or with stock gift cards. 

What to look out for: Other types of investments (such as mutual funds) are not supported.

Best Online Brokerage FAQs

Yes. You can have multiple brokerage accounts to access different investment options, account options, and trading features. Having multiple brokerage accounts can also be a great strategy for diversifying investments in your portfolio. However, managing multiple accounts requires you to keep track of all your information and may potentially lead to you paying higher fees. 

Yes. Trading within a brokerage account has tax implications, including capital gains taxes on profits from selling investments. Depending on the type of brokerage account and how it is funded, you may also unlock tax benefits such as tax credits or tax deductions. 

Retirement accounts are a kind of brokerage account specifically designed for people to invest money toward future retirement expenses. Retirement savings accounts have more limited investment options and strategies than other brokerage account options but offer more prominent tax advantages. 

The minimum investment to open a brokerage account varies by brokerage and the type of account. Some accounts may have no minimum investment requirement, while others require a substantial initial deposit. Make sure to look into the specific requirements of a brokerage before signing up. You should also be comparing fees in top brokerage accounts to find the best deals.

Brokerage accounts are generally secure, with most investment platforms providing users with SIPC insurance and other forms of coverage. Security measures like data encryption software and identity theft protection are also common. Always verify a brokerage's security measures and SIPC insurance status. 

How to Choose the Best Online Brokerage

The best online brokerages offer portfolio diversification, great customer support, low fees, and account flexibility. Here's how to choose the right online brokerage based on your risk tolerance, goals, and time horizon. 

Everyone's investment goals and preferences are unique, and not all brokerage accounts are a perfect fit. To choose the best online brokerage, start by looking at your investment style and what you want from a brokerage. Whether that's cutting-edge active trading tools or a long list of no-transaction-fee mutual funds, there's a good online brokerage for everyone.

For most investors, a long-term, passive investment strategy is ideal. Many experts suggest building a diverse portfolio of low-cost index funds over picking individual stocks and riskier active trading tools.

Newer investors may be overwhelmed by advanced trading strategies and market charting features. The best online brokerages for beginners have strong customer support, easy trading tools, educational resources, staking rewards, and low fees and minimums. 

Once you understand what you need, consider costs, platforms, investment account types, and available investments to decide what's best for you.

How to Buy Stocks with an Online Broker

You can buy and sell individual stocks through an online broker with most stock trading platforms and investment apps. Once you set up an online brokerage account with a stock trading platform, you can deposit funds into your account via bank or wire transfer. You also have the option to link your brokerage account and bank account directly. 

Before opening an account with an online broker, you familiarize yourself with what the platform offers. Not all online brokers allow you to pick and choose individual stocks. Robo-advisors, for example, often only invest in ETFs that are automatically selected based on your preferences and the platform's investing algorithm.

You'll also want to research the stock you're interested in by considering the company's history and market trends. Consult with a financial advisor for professional insight and guidance on investments. Once you've decided where to invest your money, you can place an online order and select several shares. 

How to Open a Brokerage Account

Online brokerage accounts are taxable investment accounts similar to a bank account but for your investable assets. Rather than stepping into a brick-and-mortar building to open a brokerage account and start trading, you can open an online brokerage account to access the market from your phone or computer easily. 

Here's you're opening a brokerage account checklist:

• Evaluate your risk tolerance, financial goals, and time horizon
• Explore different investment options in brokerage accounts to find the right one for you
• Compare fees, minimums, and investment features
• Determine what you need to open an account with that brokerage
• Gather the appropriate information and funds (if applicable) and start investing 

Some brokerages require a minimum deposit to open an account. Depending on the brokerage and the type of account, this minimum can range from $0 to $10,000 or more. Make sure you're comparing fees in top brokerage accounts as well. 

Security and insurance of brokerage accounts should also be considered before opening an account. Most platforms offer substantial coverage and security measures, but you'll want to check for any recent scandals or lawsuits in which the platform may be involved. 

You may also need to provide personal information like your name, age, address, social security number, and banking information.

Types of Brokerage Accounts

Online brokerage accounts are still licensed firms in which a broker is responsible for executing a client's orders. Types of brokerage accounts include: 

• Self-directed brokerage accounts
• Robo-advisors (aka automated accounts)
• Retirement savings accounts
• Education savings plans (like the best 529 plans )
• Custodial accounts
• Cryptocurrency trading accounts
• Health savings accounts

Why You Should Trust Us: Our Expert Panel For The Best Online Brokerage

We consulted financial advisors, investing experts, and our own wealth-building reporter to inform our choices for the best online brokerages. 

We interviewed the following investing experts to see what they had to say about online brokerages:

• Brian Fry, CFP, founder at Safe Landing Financial
• Charlotte Geletka, CFP, CRPC, managing partner at Silver Penny Financial Planning
• Kaysian Gordon, MBA, CFP, CDFA, CPA, wealth manager at Clarus Group

What are the advantages or disadvantages of opening a brokerage account?

Brian Fry, CFP:

A taxable brokerage account offers the flexibility to have funds available when needed and without a tax penalty. They offer transparency and freedom when considering costs and investment options.

Other account types may add more value and/or tax-efficiency depending on a household's financial situation. For example, if qualified, HSAs provide tax deductions, tax-free growth, and tax-free distributions if used for qualified medical expenses; retirement accounts may provide tax deductions, tax-deferred or tax-free investment growth, and potentially tax-free distributions.

Education accounts may provide tax deductions and/or tax-free distributions if used for qualified educational expenses.

Charlotte Geletka, CFP, CRPC:

The advantages include access to stock exchanges to buy almost endless options of investments. This is where you can purchase stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, options, and almost the entire inventory of the open markets.

The multitude of options can also be a disadvantage. Most retirement plans offer a curated list of choices that have been well-vetted by consultants and investment experts. When you go into a brokerage account, it is daunting to know where to start. The recent rise of social media blogs surrounding investing may increase interest, but be cautious about investing, as any investment comes with risk.

Kaysian Gordon, MBA, CFP, CDFA, CPA:

The advantage of opening a brokerage account is — if you're interested in investing in stocks or bonds, mutual funds, or ETFs, as example, a brokerage is a great way to do it. 

Savings accounts or checking accounts just do not have those features. So the disadvantage is [that] you have to be aware of what you're looking for. Lots of different brokerage accounts will provide you with different things, so it's a matter of specifically what it is that's important to you.

Who should consider opening a brokerage account? 

A taxable brokerage account can be a good fit for anyone and everyone. Before saving in a taxable brokerage account, it's important to consider where saving adds the most value to your unique financial situation. Make sure to have an adequate emergency fund.  

Charlotte Geletka:

Once you have set up an emergency fund and started funding a retirement account, then you might consider opening a brokerage account as a place to invest after-tax dollars.

Most often, the account you have set up in a brokerage will be a flexible investment. This is great because you have use of the money for various purposes, and you are not tied to specific withdrawal requirements the same way you would be in a retirement or college 529 account. 

Kaysian Gordon:

When you're looking to start the process of investing after you have saved the amount that you need for your emergency funds — and typically that's three to six months— you should start looking to invest other personal cash. Make it a point to contribute as frequently as you can, because that's how wealth is built over time.

Is there any other advice you'd offer someone who's considering opening a brokerage account?

Before saving with a taxable account, consider the order of where you should save first to accomplish your financial goals best. Are you comfortable taking responsibility in making investment decisions? How are you going to rebalance? How are you going to take emotion out of investing? Taxable accounts can be a good vehicle if you can check all the boxes.

There is a difference between trading and investing. Trading is exchanging [which is] usually short-term in nature. Investing involves time and is long-term in nature.

Do your research because that's very important. Think about the things that are important to you. Do a comparison of the different names that you hear and see what the benefits are of one company over another before making a decision. 

Nothing will have everything you need, but go with the brokerage account with the best of what you need.

Methodology: Criteria for Evaluating Brokerage Accounts

In evaluating the best online brokerage accounts available today, we rate investing products on various criteria. The most important factors for Personal Finance Insider rates and reviews products are pricing, account types, investment availability, platforms, and overall customer experience. Investing platforms are given a rating between 0 and 5.

Most brokerage accounts on this list have no minimum balance or recurring monthly fees. After a major shift in pricing in 2019, most brokerage firms on this list also offer commission-free trades for stocks and ETFs. They also removed base fees for options trades but charged per-contract fees in most cases.

Top brokerage firms offer different platforms for different investment needs. Some are best for beginners, and others are ideal for more advanced investors. Platforms were evaluated with a focus on how they serve in each category.

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