Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.
David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.
Published on March 7, 2023
Starting a business requires completing countless tasks, and a key early hurdle is writing a business plan. Entrepreneurs who aren’t looking for funding often think they can skip it, but that’s never a good idea.
A sharp and detailed business plan is essentially a business owner’s commitment to and preparation for the road ahead, detailing the operations, revenues, and potential growth. It’s a lot of work, but quality business plan software can ease that burden by guiding you through the process, helping with financial projections and more.
Yet with so many options out there, how do you know which one is right for you? This handy guide reviews the top five software choices to ensure you select the best tool for you and your business.
5 Best Business Plan Software
LivePlan
4.3/5
Best Overall
Pricing: Standard Plan ($20/month) and Premium Plan ($40/month); annual discounts
LivePlan is a leader in business plan software that stands out with software that offers tips and advice for business planning, funding, and growth. LivePlan offers two competitively priced business plan software packages.
Features and Pricing
LivePlan’s Standard package costs $20 per month and includes step-by-step planning, lender-ready financial statements, a full financial forecast, and a one-page pitch builder. You’ll also have access to more than 500 sample business plans.
Their Premium package costs $20 for the first month and $40 per month thereafter and includes everything above plus industry benchmark data and “what if” guides to help you prepare for the unexpected.
It also includes performance dashboards, real-time profit and cash forecasting, an automatic forecast builder, the ability to export sheets to Excel, and syncing with Quickbooks or Xero. LivePlan offers a 25% discount if you pay annually instead of monthly, as well as a 35-day money back guarantee.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Clear, step-by-step business planning
All-in-one financial tools for budgeting
Clear pricing with a 35-day refund
Customizable built-in templates
Real-time partner collaboration
Cons
LivePlan’s subscription costs might deter some users
Exporting to Word or PDF formats can pose difficulties
LivePlan offers user-friendly business planning with valuable guidance at reasonable prices, backed by a 35-day money-back guarantee. We highly recommend it for business owners.
Founded in 2010, Enloop stands out with an automatically generated text tool that users can edit as they wish. Enloop offers a seven-day free trial and two paid plans.
Features and Pricing
The seven-day trial and the two paid plans (Detailed and Performance) all include a host of features. The Detailed plan costs $19.95 per month, while the Performance plan runs $39.95 monthly.
Automated Text Writing– Customized, editable business plan text
Text and Data Synced– Your financials auto-inserted into text
Real-time score of the strength of your business plan.
Pass / Fail Report – Understand and address shortcomings
Country Currency Formatting – 100+ currency symbols and formats
ChartsData – color charts
Text and Image Formatting – Automatically formats text, images, tables
With the Detailed Plan you can create up to three business plans and request an analysis of three of your financial ratios. You can also have two additional contributors.
With the Performance Plan, you can have 16 of your financial ratios analyzed and collaborate with five contributors.
If you make a single annual payment, you’ll get 55% off for the Detailed Plan and a 60% discount for the Performance Plan. All the Enloop plans offer a rich array of features at affordable prices.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Automatically generate text with all plans
Real-time score that helps you improve your plan
Compare your financial ratios to your peers
Discounts for paying annually
7-day free trial (no credit card required)
Cons
Limited number of business plans for all plans
Minimal assistance and guidance
Enloop offers cost-effective plans for creating up to three business plans but lacks full intuitiveness and support. If you prioritize an auto-text tool and affordability, Enloop is recommended.
BizPlan offers more than just business plan software. Signing up for their software also grants access to their crowdfunding site and other useful features.
Features and Pricing
BizPlan offers monthly ($29), annual ($249), and lifetime access ($349) payment options. Their business plan software offers full guidance as you write your plan and calculate financial statements.
Their crowdfunding platform, Fundable, can help promote your plan and raise funding from the public and investors. In addition, you can access self-guided courses and educational videos and talk with expert mentors.
A subscription also grants access to BizPlan’s Launchpad platform, which helps with customer acquisition. BizPlan is great for entrepreneurs who need guidance and access to crowdfunding sources.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Good price for access to many services
Lifetime access plan is a good value
Access to Launchrock (customer acquisition platform) and Fundable (fundraising platform) included
Quality educational resources
Good chat customer service
Cons
Lack of customization
Customers say planning software delivers poor quality
Bizplan simplifies business plan creation with guided prompts, visual charts, stakeholder collaboration, and unique access to the Fundable crowdfunding platform, offering varied pricing options including a lifetime access for $349.
The first thing to know is that PlanGuru is not business plan software, but rather a sophisticated financial planning tool that can help prepare your company’s budget and financial plan. It’s available as either a cloud-based or desktop app.
Features and Pricing
Both apps cost $99 per month or $899 annually and include the following features:
PlanGuru is expensive, but if you have complex financial needs it’s a good option.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Can handle complex financial planning
QuickBooks Online, Xero & Excel integration
Free trial (no credit card required)
30 day money-back guarantee
Good customer service
Cons
Aimed at established businesses
No actual business planning guidance
PlanGuru excels in financial planning and budgeting with user-friendly features and responsive customer service, making it ideal for complex financial needs rather than standard business plans.
GoSmallBiz offers many services for businesses beyond business plan software, including services to help businesses incorporate or maintain their business entity.
They offer one business plan software plan at a competitive monthly fee.
Features and Pricing
GoSmallBiz business plan software costs $15 per month and includes industry-specific business plan templates. You can fully customize your plan, and the software has a wizard that will guide you through the writing process.
You can also access video tutorials, and the software will help with financial statements and projections.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Great price
Extra business services offered
Industry-specific business plan templates
Step-by-step guidance with video tutorials
Simple software that’s easy to use
Cons
Software features are basic
Customer service reps lack product knowledge
GoSmallBiz is an affordable choice for entrepreneurs seeking basic business plan tools. While its customer service is quick, agents could be more knowledgeable about the software; other services appear prioritized. Nonetheless, for a simple business plan, GoSmallBiz is commendable.
When choosing business plan software, look for features that fit your needs. For example, if your business model is complex, you might prefer a tool that offers more guidance. If you’re just looking to create a standard business plan, look for an option that offers the basics at a reasonable price.
Be sure to check out customer reviews to get an idea of the service quality and product usability.
Pros and Cons of Business Plan Software
Business plan software comes with pros and cons, detailed below.
Pros
Guidance to help you through the writing process
Helps create financial statements and projections
Offer experts to answer questions
Cons
Pricier than free business plan templates
Some software options are difficult to use
How We Tested Business Plan Software
As a leading entrepreneurial advisory site, we take our responsibilities seriously. We understand that countless entrepreneurs, and potential entrepreneurs, rely on our judgments and insights, particularly when it comes to creating their business plan.
As a result, our writers do their utmost to gain a comprehensive understanding of the services offered and the actual customer experience. In this case, we:
Examined every single page of the business plan softwares’ websites
Reviewed all of their offerings
Put ourselves in the customer’s shoes, creating an account
Communicated with customer service via chat, email and phone
Gained a full understanding of the customer experience and service value
Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewer and team are able to provide the most complete and insightful review of these business plan softwares.
Which Business Plan Software is the Best?
After a thorough review of the top tools, we choose LivePlan as the best option. Their software is easy to use and offers guidance throughout the process. The software helps craft a polished business plan that’s ready to present to investors – and that’s just about the best possible compliment!
To top it off, LivePlan also provides quality customer service and solid value. As a result, we highly recommend LivePlan to all small business owners.
FAQs
Is it worth paying for business plan software?
Business plan software will offer guidance as you write your business plan. It’s more than just a template and can even help create a business plan that’s ready to present to investors. Most business plan software is inexpensive and thus worth the investment.
Where can I find free business plan software?
Some business plan software companies offer free trials, including Enloop. But most free tools are just templates that offer no guidance.
What should business plan software include?
Business plan software should be more than a template, offering guidance and financial projections. It should produce a polished business plan and the financial statements you need.
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