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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.

On a similar note...

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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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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10 Best Business Plan Software and Tools for Better Productivity

Fast fact: 70% of businesses that survive for 5 years follow a strategic business plan. 

That makes having a comprehensive and compelling business plan a no-brainer for long-term business growth. It serves as a roadmap for your venture and demonstrates your vision, strategy, and potential to investors and stakeholders. 

However, drafting a business plan from scratch can take time and effort, especially for those with limited experience and resources. Fortunately, many excellent business plan software solutions are available to make the process easier.

This article covers the top 10 business plan software options available in 2024. Each offers unique features, pricing structures, and capabilities to cater to diverse business needs. 

Let’s get right in!

10 Best Business Plan Software for 2024

1. Upmetrics 2. LivePlan 3. Enloop 4. BizPlan 5. GoSmallBiz 6. Business Sorter 7. iPlanner 8. Cuttles 9. MAUS Master Plan Lean 10. Storydoc 11. Retable

1. Upmetrics

Upmetrics is a modern and AI-powered business plan generator that simplifies the complexities of creating a comprehensive business plan. With its intuitive business plan builder and built-in templates, Upmetrics allows users to customize their plans and forecasts according to their specific needs.

The newly launched AI assistant can help users create a business plan from scratch within 10-15 minutes. All you need to do is enter some information about your business and see your plan coming through.

Key Features:

• 400+ customizable business plan templates
• AI Pitch Deck Creator
• Strategic Planning Tools
• Financial forecasting capabilities

Pricing: Starter plan at $7/month, Premium plan at $14/month. (annual billing)

2. LivePlan

LivePlan is a comprehensive and user-friendly business plan software that serves to businesses of all sizes and industries. It offers a user-friendly interface and step-by-step guidance to make the process of crafting a professional business plan easier.

• Customizable templates and industry-specific examples
• Financial forecasting and budgeting tools
• Pitch deck and presentation mode
• Real-time collaboration and sharing capabilities
• Expert advice and educational resources

Pricing: Starts at $20/month for the basic plan, with more advanced options available.

Enloop is a cloud-based solution designed specifically for creating business plans for investors, banks, and lenders. Enloop’s writing and text synchronization features can help you streamline business plan creation for you. Let’s check out some of its best features.

• Free version for testing the solution
• Available in multiple languages
• Interactive PDF export
• Step-by-step guidance and templates

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $9/month, with more advanced plans ranging from $11 to $40/month.

BizPlan is a versatile business plan builder that connects to the Startups.com network, making it an ideal choice for startups seeking investment. With its step-by-step approach and the Progress Tracker tool, BizPlan helps users stay organized and on track.

• Connectivity to Findable for attracting financial investment
• Online educational programs for entrepreneurs
• Multiple owner access to a single account
• A lifetime access option is available

Pricing: Monthly plan at $29/month, annual plan at $249/year, or lifetime access for $349 (one-time fee).

5. GoSmallBiz

GoSmallBiz is an online support system specifically designed for small businesses and startups in the United States. In addition to business plan creation, GoSmallBiz offers valuable resources and educational materials to help to aspire entrepreneurs succeed.

• Access to up-to-date management information
• Unlimited access to online consultants
• Customer database for attracting and retaining customers

Pricing: Monthly fee of $39.

6. Business Sorter

Business Sorter is a cloud-based solution that simplifies the process of creating internal business plans. Featuring a user-friendly card system and pre-designed solutions tailored to different business needs, Business Sorter is perfect for entrepreneurs who aren’t looking for investor-focused presentations.

• 173 digital cards for comprehensive business planning
• Unlimited team member access and monitoring
• Multi-device accessibility
• Built-in help function and strong data protection

Pricing: Cost depends on the number of users, with a special offer for companies with an unlimited number of team members.

7. iPlanner

iPlanner is a multifunctional platform for business planning and project management. The tool provides a variety of business plan templates and financial forecasting tools , making it suitable for a broad spectrum of startups, from restaurants to large enterprises and venture capital initiatives.

• Step-by-step business plan creation wizard
• Integration with Microsoft Office and DropBox
• Training content library with practical recommendations
• Experienced mentor support

Pricing: Professional Plan at $55 (supports 1 project), Corporate Plan at $93 (supports 12 projects), and Corporate Plus (custom pricing).

Cuttles is a fully interactive business planning software with a focus on planning, budgeting, and financial forecasting. With its ready-made templates and multi-language support, Cuttles caters to a global audience of entrepreneurs.

• One-page business plan template for banks, investors, and lenders
• High-level security through cloud storage
• PDF export for business plans
• Online training courses and resource library

Pricing: Seed Plan at $8/year (1 startup, 1 user), Grow Plan at $16/year (1 startup, unlimited users), and Series Plan at $48/year (unlimited startups and users).

9. MAUS Master Plan Lean

MAUS Master Plan Lean is an Australian-based business plan creation software designed for strategic planning. With its comprehensive toolset, MAUS Master Plan Lean helps users create actionable plans, track tasks, and monitor performance.

• Strategic planning wizard
• Step-by-step action plan creation and task tracking
• Schedule creation and collaboration tools
• Real-time marketing reports and performance tracking

Pricing: Business Planning & HR Pack at $97/month, MasterPlan Learn at $299/year, and Business Planning Pack at $499/year.

10. 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 its intuitive interface and a wide range of features, Storydoc makes it easy to organize and present various aspects of your business plan.

• Ready-made interactive slide templates optimized for engagement
• Robust integrations with existing tech stack
• Ability to pull company branding directly from website
• Extensive analytics panel for tracking performance

Pricing: Starter plan at $40/month per user, Pro plan at $60/month per user, and custom Team plans (pricing available upon request).

11. Retable

Retable  is a versatile and intuitive project management and data management software designed to streamline operations of all sizes of business. With its easy-to-use interface and robust feature set, Retable makes managing data sets, tasks and projects simpler and more efficient.

• Customizable templates for various use cases
• Advanced data views like grid, kanban, list, card, calendar, chart, map and form
• Collaborative workspaces with real-time updates
• Organization, team and role management
• Integration with popular productivity apps
• Over +30 column types
• Custom branding

Pricing: Starts at $12/month for the team plan.

Why use business plan software?

Using business plan software offers several advantages over creating a business plan from scratch. These software solutions are designed to streamline the process, provide guidance, and ensure a professional and well-structured outcome. Here are some key reasons to consider using business plan software:

Time-saving: Business plan software automates many tasks, such as formatting, financial calculations, and data organization, saving you valuable time and effort.

Guided approach: Most business plan software provides step-by-step guidance, prompts, and templates to ensure you cover all essential components of a comprehensive business plan.

Professional presentation: These software solutions offer built-in tools to create visually appealing and professional-looking business plans, increasing the chances of impressing potential investors or stakeholders.

Financial forecasting: Advanced financial forecasting tools help you create accurate financial projections, a critical component of any successful business plan.

Collaboration and sharing: Many software options offer collaboration features, allowing multiple team members to contribute to and review the business plan, ensuring a cohesive vision.

By using the power of business plan software, you can simplify the process, improve efficiency, and create a compelling and comprehensive business plan that effectively communicates your vision and increases your chances of success.

How to Choose the Right Business Plan Software?

With so many business plan software options available, choosing the right one for your needs can take time and effort. Here are some key factors to consider when selecting the best business plan software:

Ease of use: Look for software with a intuitive navigation & user-friendly interface to ensure a smooth learning curve and efficient workflow.

Industry-specific templates : Consider software that offers customizable templates and industry-specific examples relevant to your business sector.

Financial forecasting capabilities : Evaluate the financial forecasting tools and their ability to create accurate projections based on your business data.

Collaboration and sharing features: If you plan to involve multiple team members or stakeholders, prioritize software with robust collaboration and sharing capabilities .

Educational resources and support: Software that provides educational resources, such as tutorials, expert advice, and customer support , can be invaluable, especially for first-time business plan creators.

Integration with existing tools: Consider software that easily integrates with your existing platforms and tools, such as accounting software or cloud storage solutions.

Pricing and scalability: Evaluate the pricing plans and ensure they align with your budget and long-term goals, considering the potential for business growth and scalability.

By carefully assessing your specific needs and prioritizing the features that matter most to your business, you can select the best business plan software that will streamline the process and maximize your chances of success.

Creating a well-crafted business plan is similar to preparing a business proposal , it should be neat & clean, to the point, and engaging enough to attract investors or partners. The top 10 business plan software options discussed offer a wide range of capabilities to cater to diverse needs.

From user-friendly interfaces to advanced financial forecasting tools, collaboration features, and industry-specific templates, tools like Upmetrics streamline the creation of a comprehensive and professional business plan.

Selecting the right software requires careful consideration of factors such as ease of use, financial forecasting capabilities, collaboration features , educational resources, and integration with existing tools.

By utilizing the power of business plan software, you can present your vision with clarity and professionalism, increasing your chances of attracting the resources and support needed for long-term success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which business plan software is the best?

The best business plan software depends on your specific needs, goals, and budget. Some top options include Upmetrics, LivePlan, Enloop, BizPlan, each offering unique features and pricing structures. Carefully evaluate the capabilities of each software against your requirements to make an informed choice.

How do I create my own business plan?

Start by choosing a business plan software that provides templates, guidance, and tools for different components like executive summaries, market analysis, and financial projections. Follow the step-by-step process outlined by the software, filling in the necessary information and customizing as needed. Leverage the software’s features to create a comprehensive and professional business plan.

What are the different types of business plans?

The main types include standard business plans for presenting to investors or banks, lean business plans without extensive background information, and one-page business plans or pitches. Additionally, there are operational, tactical, strategic, and contingency business plans tailored to different purposes and business stages.

Is business plan software secure?

Most reputable business plan software solutions prioritize security features like multi-factor authentication, intrusion detection, data encryption, and regular security updates. However, it’s crucial to evaluate the specific security measures of the software you’re considering to ensure the protection of your sensitive business data.

Is it necessary for small businesses to use business plan software?

While not strictly necessary, using business plan software can significantly benefit small businesses by streamlining the process, providing guidance, and ensuring a professional outcome. It can save time, improve efficiency, and increase the chances of impressing potential investors or stakeholders.

What are the benefits of using Business Plan Software?

Key benefits include time-saving through task automation, a guided approach with templates and prompts, professional presentation tools, advanced financial forecasting capabilities, and collaboration features for multiple team members. Overall, business plan software simplifies the process and improves the quality of your business plan.

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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.

	Cloud-based software	$12.00/mo.	60-day money back guarantee
	Windows app and cloud-based software	$20.75/mo.	60-day money back guarantee
	Professional service	Custom quote	N/A
	Cloud-based software	$10.00/mo.	14 days
	Cloud-based software	$39.00/mo.	N/A

By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

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

	$12.00/mo.	$15.00/mo.
	$24.00/mo.	$30.00/mo.

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

$20.75/mo.	$29.00/mo.	$349.00

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

N/A	N/A	Custom quote

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

	$10.00/mo.	$80.00/yr.
	$30.00/mo.	$240.00/yr.
	$80.00/mo.	$640.00/yr.
	Custom pricing	Custom 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

	$39.00/mo.
	$49.00/mo.
	$199.00/mo.

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

	$899.00/yr.	$99.00/mo.	N/A
	$11.00/mo.	$19.95/mo.	N/A

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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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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Our mission is to help consumers make informed purchase decisions. While we strive to keep our reviews as unbiased as possible, we do receive affiliate compensation through some of our links. This can affect which services appear on our site and where we rank them. Our affiliate compensation allows us to maintain an ad-free website and provide a free service to our readers. For more information, please see our  Privacy Policy Page . |

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6 Best Business Plan Software Platforms (2024)

Read on for a list of our favorite software platforms for writing a business plan, plus advice on how to choose the right business plan software for your needs.

Every successful ecommerce business is supported by a foundation of solid business planning. A professional business plan sets the stage for your new business , acting as an internal and external roadmap for brand identity, financial planning, project management, and more.

Writing a business plan is an important and often difficult task for any entrepreneur or business owner. If you can't get your head around a business plan template , business planning software can help. If drafting a business plan from scratch sounds too daunting to tackle on your own, business plan software offers everything you need for business plan creation, including financial reports, sample business plans, how-to articles, and more.

Read on for a list of the best business plan software platforms, plus advice on how to choose the right business plan software for your needs.

6 best business plan software platforms for 2023

Affordable software with business plan templates and samples

• Pricing : standard plan is $15/month; premium is $30/month; annual discounts available
• Money-back guarantee : 60 days
• Capterra rating : 4.5/5
• G2 rating : 4.1/5
• Integrations : QuickBooks, Xero, open API

One of the most affordable pieces of business plan software on this list, LivePlan allows users to create unlimited business plans and offers more than 500 sample business plans and pages to start with. Get step-by-step guidance on how to write your plan and use templates for different types of business plans, making it easy to tailor your plan to your needs.

LivePlan also offers a robust set of financial forecasting tools, helping you to convert financial data like cash flow statements into easy-to-read charts and graphs.

Business plan software for entrepreneurs who struggle with writing

• Pricing : 7-day free trial; detailed plan is $19.95/month; performance plan is $39.95/month; annual discounts available
• Money-back guarantee : none, but no contracts are required
• Capterra : 4/5
• Integrations <: none

Enloop has many of the same features as other pieces of business plan software. It automatically syncs financial data and creates financial ratios. And when you write your plan, it assesses it and gives you a performance score, so you can improve it if needed. You can also add users for easy collaboration and sharing. Enloop is especially good if writing isn’t your strong suit, as you can plug in your metrics and let the software do the “writing” for you .

Business plan software for startups seeking investment

• Pricing : $29/month; $349 lifetime access; annual discounts available
• Money-back guarantee : 3 days
• Capterra : 4.4/5
• Integrations : Xero, QuickBooks

Bizplan is a business plan software that caters to small businesses and startups seeking external investment. The platform makes connecting with potential investors easy, and allows users to easily publish a business plan on Fundable, a popular crowdfunding platform.

Other standout features include drag-and-drop tools for creating business plan templates, access to self-guided business courses from Startups.com, and financial tools to help set salaries, forecast revenue, and track expenses.

Best business plan software for planning, forecasting, and scenario analysis

• Pricing : 3-day free trial available; app and desktop require separate subscriptions at $99/month each, plus $29/month per additional user; discounts available for annual billing
• Money-back guarantee : 30 days
• Capterra : 4.2/5
• Integrations : Xero, QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel

If the focus of your business plan is your business’s financial picture and potential, PlanGuru is an excellent option. In addition to offering most of the basic business plan software features you’d expect, PlanGuru offers tools for budgeting, financial forecasts and reports , strategic planning, and scenario analysis.

While PlanGuru supports additional users, each user also comes with an additional monthly fee of $29/month .

Best contract-free business plan software for new businesses

• Pricing : plans start at $15/month; Go service plan for $199/year; Guide service plan for $49/month; Grow service plan for $39/month; additional one-time services and recurring subscriptions available
• Capterra : n/a
• Integrations : MailChimp

While it may not have the longest list of business planning features, GoSmallBiz’s solution is part of a larger business continuity planning software platform that includes tools for everything from human resource management to tax payments. GoBizPlan also offers industry-specific business plan templates to kickstart your business plan creation. This is especially helpful if your business idea is destined for a specific vertical market .

GoSmallBiz users can create financial statements and projections for multiple years, including income statements , cash flow statements , and balance sheets . Finally, GoSmallBiz offers step-by-step guidance, prompts, and tutorials to help users get the most out of the platform .

Business plan software with the option to get help from professionals

• Pricing : free trial available; annual subscriptions available; PlanBuildr uses a custom pricing model; rates aren’t readily available on its website, but one landing page prices the business plan software at $3,500
• Money-back guarantee : none, but subscription may be canceled anytime within the first 30 days
• Integrations : various across accounting, CRM, and marketing tools

PlanBuildr is another user-friendly business plan software for people who aren’t as confident with the writing process. This software uses a fill-in-the-blank business plan creator to help you quickly build a simple but solid business plan. PlanBuildr also offers extensive financial reports and features, including charts and graphs and the ability to create various financial projections.

PlanBuildr has 10 business plan designs to choose from, and you can also hire PlanBuildr for additional business plan writing services .

Why use business plan software?

Entrepreneurs use business plan software to guide them through the process of turning a business idea into a complete business model. Only a select group of small business owners go into business for writing—the rest have stronger skills elsewhere. Business plan software can offer the exact support you need to get the wording, structure, and presentation just right.

Likewise, not every entrepreneur is good with numbers. Business plan software can help with financial forecasting by making sense of your cash flow and other financial data. Some software will even automatically generate financial statements for you, making it easier for you and your audience to understand the numbers.

Many business plan tools also offer a range of business plan templates . It’s almost always easier to follow a template or business plan example than to start with a blank page. Writing a business plan is a lot less intimidating this way. Plus, business plan templates can function as a checklist, ensuring that you don’t omit any important sections or information .

How to choose your business plan software

While most business planning software can accomplish the same end goal, each has its own pros and cons, depending on your needs. The best business plan software for you may be different than the best option for your fellow business owners. When shopping for business plan software, consider the following:

• Budget . Perhaps most obvious, the business plan software you choose needs to fit within your budget. Basic business plan tools may not have all the functionality you’re looking for, but more advanced features typically mean a higher price tag.
• Collaboration . If you’re collaborating on your business plan with a fellow founder, an accountant, or legal counsel, you’ll want a business plan tool that supports multiple team members. Some software also allow you to add users as viewers, which can be helpful for distributing the plan to shareholders, lenders, or potential investors, for example.
• Financial reporting . If business financials and reporting are important to you, choose business plan software that excels in this area. Look for business planning tools that offer financial forecasting features beyond basic data reporting, including marketing and performance reports and data visualization through charts and graphs. If you need more extensive financial tools, consider investing in accounting software .
• Interface . Every tool you use in your business needs to have an interface that’s easy to navigate. Choosing business planning software with a steep learning curve or difficult-to-navigate interface may make the process of creating a business plan more frustrating than it needs to be.
• Templates . One of the greatest advantages to using business plan software is access to business plan templates and examples. The best business plan software options offer a range of templates, enabling you to create business plans for multiple audiences and different contexts.
• Software integrations . If you have a tightly connected tech stack, it would behoove you to find a business plan software that can integrate seamlessly with other popular business tools, including Microsoft Office and popular platforms for marketing and accounting.
• Support. If you run into trouble with your business planning software, a great support team or library of business resources can help you get back on track. As a bonus, most business plan software providers also offer online learning tools to help you maximize your results, including video tutorials and built-in advice modules
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Business plan software FAQ

What is the best software to write a business plan, what are the 4 types of business plans.

• Startup business plan
• One-page business plan
• Internal business plan
• Strategic business plan

Is there a template for a business plan?

Do i need a business plan to start a small business.

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5 Best Business Plan Software Platforms

Back to Business Plans

Written by: Carolyn Young

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.

Edited by: David Lepeska

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 Updated on July 5, 2024

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. 

Best Overall

• Pricing: Standard Plan ($20/month) and Premium Plan ($40/month); annual discounts
• Integrations with Quickbooks and Xero
• 35 day money-back guarantee

Easiest to Use

• Pricing: Detailed Plan ($19.95/month) and Premium Plan ($39.95/month); annual discounts
• 7-day free trial (no credit card required)
• Real-time performance score

Best Support for Startups

• Pricing: $29 Monthly Plan, $249 Annual Plan, and $349 Lifetime Access
• Access to courses and videos to build your startup
• Access to Launchrock (customer acquisition platform) and Fundable (fundraising platform) included

Best for Financial Forecasting

• Pricing: Single Entity ($99/month) and Multi-Department Consolidations ($299/month); annual discounts
• Free trial (no credit card required)
• 30 day money-back guarantee

Best for Variety of Services

• Pricing: Single Plan ($15/month)
• Variety of other services offered including: business formation, expert consultations
• Industry-specific business plan templates

1. LivePlan

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

• 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
• 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.

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. 

All plans include:

• Financial Report Details – Financials generated automatically
• 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. 

• 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
• 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.

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.

• Good price for access to many services
• Lifetime access plan is a good value
• Quality educational resources
• Good chat customer service
• 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.

4. PlanGuru

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.

Both apps cost $99 per month or $899 annually and include the following features: 

• Unlimited number of scenarios per company
• Import up to 5 years of financials
• Quickbooks, Xero, and Excel imports
• Budget and forecast for up to 10 years
• Pre-built 3 way forecasting structure
• Automatically solved cash flow statement
• 20+ standard forecasting models
• Formula builder to create custom methods
• Budget archive feature
• Forecast using non-financial data
• Ratios and KPIs
• Payroll utility
• Group accounts with subtotaling
• Notes payable and line of credit tools
• Consolidate unlimited number of projections
• Breakeven tool
• Business valuation
• PlanGuru Analytics & Excel Add-in Reporting Tool
• Export Reports & Dashboards to PDF, Word, Excel

PlanGuru is expensive, but if you have complex financial needs it’s a good option.

• Can handle complex financial planning
• QuickBooks Online, Xero & Excel integration
• Good customer service
• 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.

5. GoSmallBiz

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.

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.

• Great price
• Extra business services offered
• Step-by-step guidance with video tutorials
• Simple software that’s easy to use
• 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.

• How to Choose a Business Plan Software 

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. 

• Guidance to help you through the writing process
• Helps create financial statements and projections
• Offer experts to answer questions
• 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.

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.

Some business plan software companies offer free trials, including Enloop. But most free tools are just templates that offer no guidance.

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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• Best Business Plan Software In Canada

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Best Business Plan Software In Canada For August 2024

Updated: Aug 1, 2024, 11:10am

Fact Checked

Writing a business plan not only helps you stay on track as you start a new business but it can also help you secure funding. You can create one from scratch with a simple template, but business plan software often has features to make it easier, more nuanced and overall better. It could even make the difference between bringing investors on board and going it alone. So, Forbes Advisor Canada found the best business plan software that has the features you need at an affordable price.

The Best Business Plan Software of 2024

Business sorter, forbes advisor ratings, methodology, how to choose a business plan software, benefits of business plan software, frequently asked questions (faqs).

• Best Project Management Software
• Best Free Project Management Software
• Best Task Management Software
• Wrike: Best overall
• Smartsheet: Best for goal management
• LivePlan: Best for financial forecasting
• Aha!: Best for roadmapping
• Bizplan: Best for beginners
• IdeaBuddy: Best for ideation
• iPlanner: Best for no-frills business planning
• Enloop: Best for automatic business plan creation
• AchieveIt: Best for consultant groups
• Business Sorter: Best for teams

BEST OVERALL

Starting price

Free; $9.80 USD ($13.17 CAD) per user

Team messaging

Roadmapping.

Wrike is a project management (PM) tool that works well as business plan software because it gives you tools to help you gather and compare your data. Wrike makes it easy to start your business plan with its collaboration tools, business plan templates, drag-and-drop interface and goal management features. Another benefit of using Wrike to build your plan is that you see your ideas and goals from multiple views: Gantt chart, calendar or board views.

There are a few reasons why it’s a good idea to use Wrike for your business plan. First, you can map out exactly what your business goals are in a project, invite teammates to collaborate and message business partners to discuss everything. Plus, you can export your data when you’re ready to put all the details into a presentation to hand over to potential investors.

Wrike offers a free plan that’s good for putting your vision down in task and project form, but you may want to upgrade to a paid plan to invite collaborators, get custom workflows and add more views and automations. Paid plan pricing ranges from $9.80 USD ($13.17 CAD) per user, per month, to $24.80 USD ($33.27 CAD) per user, per month, both billed annually.

Who should use it: Wrike makes it easy for any new business owner to create a business plan and collaborate with others on financial and operational goals. Plus, it provides value after you finalize your business plan because it’s a good pick for a PM tool.

• Roadmapping ability
• Multiple views (Gantt, calendar and board)
• Business plan templates included
• Goal management via projects and tasks
• Free plan available
• Affordable plans
• No pitching tools
• No financial tools

BEST FOR GOAL MANAGEMENT

$9 CAD per user, per month

(billed annually)

(added cost)

Using PM software like Smartsheet is a good idea for starting a business plan because it includes all the tools you need to collaborate and plan across multiple teams or stakeholders. It’s especially good for real-time goal management. Get your ideas in place, go over market and competitive research from other teammates and finalize everything together.

Smartsheet won’t help you write your business plan, but it does give you a place to compile all the data and then you can use one of its free business plan templates. As you figure out your milestones, you can invite an unlimited number of viewers to see how it’s going. The only downsides are that Smartsheet doesn’t have a native messaging app (you’ll have to use an integration), only commenting is allowed and there’s no free plan.

Paid plans from Smartsheet cost $9 CAD per user, per month, or $33 CAD per user, per month (billed annually for both). The low-priced Pro plan limits you to 10 editors, but the Business plan allows unlimited editors (but it also has a three-user minimum).

Who should use it: Smartsheet lets you make changes in real-time, so it’s a good option for those who are just starting to piece together a plan and looking for a way to manage ideas and goals before finalizing a business plan.

• Discounts for non-profits available
• Automations on every plan
• Popular integrations allowed on low-tier plan
• 30-day free trial
• No free plan
• Only 10 viewers allowed on low-tier plan
• Three-user minimum on Business plan

BEST FOR FINANCIAL FORECASTING

$15 USD ($20.12 CAD) per month

One of the strongest cases for using LivePlan to create your business plan is its financial forecasting. It isn’t just a single feature, rather it’s a tool that lets you turn your balance sheet and cash flow statements into charts, graphs and what-if situations to help you show possible investors the best- and worst-case scenarios for your business.

There are two plans available: Standard or Premium (there is no free plan). The low-priced plan, which costs $15 USD ($20.12 CAD) per month (billed annually), doesn’t limit your contributors or guests and includes instructions to help you complete a business plan. It even includes financial forecasting features and more than 500 sample plans to get you started.

The Premium plan costs $30 USD ($40.24 CAD) per month (billed annually), but it’s full-featured. You get a milestone planner and industry benchmark data, which can save you research time. Another timesaver: At this plan level, you can integrate QuickBooks or Xero to add your financial data seamlessly.

Who should use it: LivePlan is business plan software that includes prompts and accounting software integrations, making it great for new business owners that want easy financial forecasting.

• Unlimited guests and contributors
• Export finished business plan as PowerPoint presentation
• Includes step-by-step instructions with prompts
• 35-day money-back guarantee
• No free trial

BEST FOR ROADMAPPING

$59 USD ($79.12 CAD) per user, per month

Every business plan starts with strategy and Aha! makes it easier to map out what you plan to do to get from point A to point Z. Aha! is primarily roadmapping software that product teams use to plan features, products or bug fixes. Any business in any industry can use it to shape ideas and strategy into plans and milestones.

Much like product development, business plans have phases and Aha! is ideal for the first few phases of business planning. Although you won’t find a scorecard feature with Aha! Roadmaps, you can score and prioritize your business vision and goals. Finally, you can present your plan to viewers (stakeholders) before you create your official business plan and secure funding.

There are three plans from which you can choose: Premium at $59 USD ($79.12 CAD) per user, per month; Enterprise at $99 USD ($132.75 CAD) per user, per month; and Enterprise+ at $149 USD ($199.80 CAD) per user, per month, all billed annually. The only reason to upgrade to either Enterprise plan is if you want to add on automation, development tools and custom worksheets and tables.

Who should use it: Aha! Roadmaps is a great tool to help you strategize and get your ideas for your business in one place. You can use the presentation feature to share your business’s roadmap on your way to creating your finalized business plan.

• User-friendly interface
• Ability to score and prioritize ideas
• Share roadmaps with others
• Expensive for business plan creation
• Has a bit of a learning curve

BEST FOR BEGINNERS

$20.75 USD ($27.82 CAD) per month

Bizplan is specifically for business plan creation. It offers a guided walkthrough of each section you need for a complete business plan to use for funding or pitching to partners. Plug in the information, from your mission and goals to financial forecasts, and Bizplan will do the math and create the visual charts you need to get your point across.

Bizplan is very easy to use because it includes prompts and questions that take away the manual effort of figuring out what you need, so you can simply focus on providing the answers. When you’re satisfied you included all the data needed, you can invite stakeholders and consultants to look it over and add comments for approval or change requests. A unique feature of Bizplan is it gives you access to Fundable, a crowdfunding platform, on which you can share your business plan to try to generate funding.

Monthly pricing costs $29 USD ($38.89 CAD), but you can opt for annual pricing that averages to $20.75 USD ($27.82 CAD) per month. If you expect to need business plan software for much longer than a year, there’s a lifetime access option for $349 USD ($468.01 CAD) flat. All plans come with all features and access, including business courses, business planning tools and a route to investors.

Who should use it: If it’s your first time creating a business plan, Bizplan is a great choice to help guide you through all the sections you need to include in your plan for potential investors and partners.

• Monthly, annual and lifetime plans
• Unlimited business plans
• Unlimited collaborators
• Step-by-step instructions
• Modular, drag-and-drop interface
• Online business courses
• Access to Fundable
• Financial forecasting
• No roadmapping tools
• Lack of customization
• Only integrates with Xero

BEST FOR IDEATION

Free; $7 CAD per month

IdeaBuddy is a basic business plan tool that lets you start for free, which is great for beginners who aren’t quite ready to create a plan. The idea plan feature is great because it lets you lay out your business plan on one page, giving you an overview. There are built-in sticky notes for brainstorming and custom templates to start you off with a bit of a guide (or just create your own).

Another great feature of IdeaBuddy is the whiteboard, which lets you drag and drop various elements, draw on them and collaborate with others to come up with your perfect business idea. That feature is locked behind the highest tier, so you’ll have to pay $26 CAD per month (billed annually) to use it. However, that plan also gives you up to 10 collaborators and 10 ideas.

Other plans are more limiting: The free plan is for a solopreneur who has a single idea to work on and the Dreamer plan is $7 CAD per month while the Founder plan is $13 CAD per month, both billed annually. The Dreamer plan is also limited to one idea, but you get one collaborator, while the Founder plan gives you up to three ideas and three collaborators. Plus, you’ll get access to the paid plans to export and share your plan with viewers.

Who should use it: IdeaBuddy is just what it sounds like: It’s best for ideation. You can create a full-fledged business plan, but this program is best suited for the very beginning stages of business creation.

• Free forever plan
• Affordable paid plans
• Monthly and annual billing options
• Easy to use
• Export to Word, Excel or as PDF
• Flexible whiteboard feature
• May be too basic for some users
• Doesn’t offer much guidance

BEST FOR NO-FRILLS BUSINESS PLANNING

$59 USD ($79.12 CAD) for one year

Business plan software doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective, and iPlanner certainly fits that bill. It’s been around since 2007 and it doesn’t appear to have updated its look or functions. The browser-based business planning software gives you a place to build out your business model and a business plan.

There are two different software options from iPlanner: Strategy Designer and -Framework. The Strategy Designer costs $59 USD ($79.12 CAD) for three plans, but it’s a one-time fee for the year. Choose it if you want a more condensed and no-frills kind of business plan. You can export it to Word or as a PDF.

Who should use it: iPlanner is best for those who have created a business plan before and don’t need hand-holding or fancy features.

• Business modelling option
• Samples on site for demoing
• Export to Word or as PDF
• No free plan or trial
• Not a lot of guidance
• Outdated interface

BEST FOR AUTOMATIC BUSINESS PLAN CREATION

$11 USD ($14.75 CAD) per month

Enloop is a unique business plan app that generates a business plan for you based on the information you provide. You can edit the text Enloop writes for you to make it more specific or change numbers in your financial forecasts as you see fit. Enloop offers a scorecard that updates as you change things, finish sections and make your business plan overall better.

Then Enloop compares your financial forecasts to industry standards, so you don’t have to do the research. The software shows you up to 16 ratios, such as sales, inventory and payables and then shows you what the average is for your industry as it compares to your financials. Enloop then gives you either a pass or fail so that you can modify your plan before you put anything into play.

Although Enloop doesn’t offer a free plan, there is a free trial for one week so you can see if it’s right for you. The Detailed plan costs $11 USD ($14.75 CAD) per month while the Performance plan is $24 USD ($32.18 CAD) per month, both billed annually. The biggest difference between the two plans is how many financial ratios Enloop analyzes: The Detailed plan only gets three ratios and Performance plan gets 16.

Who should use it: Enloop is best for those who have some experience creating business plans, not necessarily for those who are starting from scratch as there are no brainstorming or strategizing tools included. Use Enloop to create business plans quickly.

• Three business plans for each tier
• Generates a business plan automatically
• Compares your financials to industry standards
• Seven-day free trial available
• Scorecards indicate odds of success
• No messaging team members through app
• Not meant for strategizing

BEST FOR CONSULTANT GROUPS

Contact sales

Not everyone wants to go it alone when creating business plans and consultants are often hired for industry expertise and business plan creation. AchieveIt offers generous plans that won’t limit the number of plans and projects you can create, so you can work on multiple business plans at one time.

Specifically, AchieveIt is planning software meant for medium to large teams to work on projects simultaneously. For business planning, it’s a great option for those strategizing and analyzing a variety of data points with multiple people—all of AchieveIt’s plans have a minimum requirement of 20 users.

Unfortunately, pricing is only available by contacting the sales department. There is no pricing listed on company’s website

Who should use it: AchieveIt is a good choice for large businesses that need planning software and for business plan purposes, it makes most sense for established consultant groups.

• Unlimited plans and projects
• Collaboration tools
• Goal management
• 20-user minimum
• Pricier than most competitors
• Integrations at added cost

BEST FOR TEAMS

$10 USD ($13.41 CAD) per month

When you’re ready to craft your business plan, it can help immensely to have business planning software like Business Sorter. The cloud-based app makes it easy for you to start a plan and kicks off your business planning with a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Then, you can follow a guide to build your plan with each section divided by areas. After which, you can choose cards to help steer you toward the right objectives and goals for your business.

You won’t find roadmapping tools in Business Sorter, but the card system keeps you on track (and even gives you goals you may not have considered). As you prioritize goals, you’ll find steps you need to take that guide you to completing your business plan. Every plan allows multiple users, so you can collaborate on what takes precedence.

Plans start at $10 USD ($13.41 CAD) per month, billed annually, and allow you to have three users on board. For 10 users, the Medium plan costs $30 USD ($40.23 CAD) per month, billed annually, and if you need 30 users, the Large Team plan will run you $80 USD ($107.29 CAD) per month, billed annually. It’s one of the most affordable business planning apps for teams.

Who should use it: Although Business Sorter doesn’t offer a messaging tool, it’s still one of the best options for teams. You don’t have to pay per person, but you can add multiple people to the account to work on creating business plans.

• Easy-to-use business plan templates
• Free trial available
• Card system helps guide your goal setting
• Create up to 40 business plans
• Plans limit user count
• No messaging in app
• Very limited integrations

Forbes Advisor carefully considered a variety of software to choose the right business planning apps for this ranking. We compared features, ease of use, costs and collaboration. We ranked each company based on these factors using a 5-star rating system. The highest possible score is 5 out of 5 stars.

Here are the details of the factors we considered:

• Features: We looked at general and unique features of each app and gave more credit to software that provides better functionality for business planning.
• Cost: Regardless of your business size, cost is an important factor to consider when you’re adding new software to your tech stack. We awarded a higher score to those that offer free trials, free plans and affordable options.
• Ease of use: Programs that have a steep learning curve aren’t likely to be adopted by you or your team, so we chose software that’s user-friendly. Drag-and-drop interfaces or guidance through features and tools are helpful for any team.
• Customer reviews: An important factor for any software is how the general public views the program. We considered other ratings and studied the pros and cons listed by other users of the software to help us with our ranking.

Technically, you don’t need business plan software, but using it can make the entire experience easier and you’ll have better odds of creating a solid plan. You don’t even have to choose software made specifically for business planning—project management software is great for roadmapping and goal management. Aside from looking for software that includes financial forecasting, you’ll want collaboration tools, a user-friendly interface, affordable plans and ways to brainstorm or roadmap for your business idea.

One of the most important sections of any business plan is the financials. If you haven’t already done the research and calculations, look for a business plan app that automatically calculates these numbers for you.

Collaboration is also key if you’re working with a partner, team or consultants. At the very least, look for software that lets you invite viewers to see the work you’re doing, but the best business plan software lets users leave comments or work on a plan in real-time simultaneously.

Ease of use is nearly as important as pricing. You’ll need software you and your team will use without spending too much downtime learning how to use it. And it makes no sense to choose a cost-prohibitive tool for creating a business plan—most of the software Forbes Advisor suggests is appropriate for small business budgets.

Finally, depending on the stage you’re in of business planning, you may want a tool that offers features that make it easy for you to create a roadmap for your business. If you’re in the early stages, these tools can help with brainstorming, prioritizing goals and managing your goals before you finalize your actual business plan.

Most business plan software helps guide you through the creation of a business plan with prompts, suggestions or tips. So, using business plan software is especially helpful for new business owners who don’t know all the sections to include to increase the odds of getting funding or luring a partner to join your operation.

Business plan software can also automate some processes, such as calculations of financials or comparisons of those finances with industry standards. Some business planning apps give you whiteboards or editable cards you can use for brainstorming. Other features may include scorecards to let you know if you’re on the right track or roadmapping tools to give you an overview of your business plan.

The biggest benefit of business plan software is that it helps you organize and prioritize all of your goals so you can more easily analyze and then compile the data you need to create your business plan. After that, you can create your plan from scratch or if you’re using business planning software made specifically for crafting plans, you can piece it all together and then export it as a PDF or to Microsoft Word.

Canadian specific editing and research (including pricing) conducted by Anna Rey.

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Which business plan software is the best?

Forbes Advisor suggests Wrike, Smartsheet or LivePlan to help you write your business plan. Depending on the stage you’re in of business planning, one tool or another may be better for you.

How do I create my own business plan?

There are several steps you should follow to create a good business plan, but there are different types of plans you can create. Every business plan starts with a strong executive summary and includes your business goals and financial forecasting. Follow a guide on how to create a business plan to ensure you include all the sections needed.

What are the different types of business plans?

There are many types of business plans you can create and the one that makes the most sense for you depends on your situation. A standard business plan is meant for when you need to present to investors or a bank for financial help. A lean plan doesn’t include all the summaries and background information a standard plan does, so it’s more suitable for established business owners. There are also one-page business plans that are more like pitches. You may also run across operational, tactical, strategic and contingency business plans.

Is business plan software secure?

As with most types of software, the best business plan software programs offer many levels of security. When choosing this type of software, you want to look for security features like multifactor authentication (MFA), intrusion detection, the monitoring of user activities, documentation that shows frequent security updates and patches, data encryption and privacy protection.

Amy Nichol Smith has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and editor, writing on a range of topics, including tech products and services, the gaming industry, and small business. She has been featured in Tom's Guide, L.A. Times, Business.com, Reader's Digest, and Investopedia. Her favorite tech product is a tie between her Roomba and gaming PC.

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“ LivePlan earns the top spot on our list of best business plan software —and for good reason. LivePlan’s slick and interactive service provides a step-by-step business plan approach, a rich collection of cloud-based features, and online learning tools.”

Brooke Hayes

Software Reviewer at Business.org

Here’s how LivePlan makes it surprisingly simple to write a convincing business plan

You get a step-by-step process to follow

LivePlan asks you questions about your business, you plug in the answers. It’s as easy as that. You’ll get straight-forward instructions with examples on:

• Writing a pitch that grabs investors’ attention
• What to include in your marketing plan
• Every other essential piece of your business plan

“ LivePlan is incredibly simple and easy to use. The financial sales forecasting tool is very intuitive and makes writing a business plan more fun.”

Helga Douglas

Owner, Svala

All the financials are calculated for you

LivePlan tells you exactly what financial information you need to enter and then does all the calculations automatically using built-in formulas. So you end up with razor-accurate financial statements that include all the tables that a lender or investor expects to see.

“I have such a better clarity of thought because I can see the impact of marketing by using LivePlan versus just using a spreadsheet.”

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JazzGuitarLessons.net

If you ever get stuck, we’ll help you out

Most LivePlan users are able to breeze through their first business plan. But if you ever have a question, there are 3 ways to get advice:

• Call a LivePlan expert at 1-888-498-6136.
• Chat with our advocacy team. Try it now.
• Browse 500+ sample plans & tutorial videos.

“It’s our road map, continually helping us stay on track. We wrote a business plan we can take to any investor , and it’s game on.”

Stacie Overman

Lavender Kisses Farm

LivePlan has helped over 1 million business owners build better businesses

It’s proven, companies that plan and track against their plan grow 30% faster than those that don’t. No matter your industry, location, or size — LivePlan helps you get your business off the ground and grow

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“Before LivePlan, I was making decisions that were poorly informed. Now I test everything through my business first, before I take it to my clients.”

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• Disaster recovery planning and management

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6 business continuity plan software providers to know

Business continuity planning software can help organizations create a plan that automates time-consuming processes and accounts for critical aspects such as regulatory compliance..

• Brien Posey

Developing a business continuity plan can be an overwhelming task, particularly for larger organizations. Business continuity plan software can help ease the process.

Business continuity encompasses the processes that get an organization back to normal operations after a disruption. Depending on the industry, the amount of downtime a business experiences can result in loss of reputation or even legal action from customers. Organizations can manually create business continuity plans , but might not want to risk the possibility of human error in a critical process.

Business continuity software does more than just outline the details that need to be included in an organization's planning effort. It can help identify key risks and existing single points of failure within the organization's operations. A good business continuity plan software package can help the organization maintain regulatory compliance as well as automate some of the more time-consuming tasks associated with the planning process, such as gathering data with a business impact analysis .

The sections below outline some of the more prominent software options for risk management. While some of these options might best be described as full-blown business continuity plan software suites, others focus on specific aspects of the business continuity planning process.

The following list is based on the writer's research and professional insights into the business continuity and disaster recovery market. In choosing featured vendors, the author focused on ease of use and range of features.

This list is unranked and published in alphabetical order.

Agility Recovery

Agility Recovery specializes in helping businesses acquire the resources they need in times of crisis. This might include replacement IT hardware or fuel for generators. In addition to business continuity testing and tabletop exercises, the company also offers Agility Planner.

Agility Planner is designed to be easy to use and helps organizations create a business continuity plan. Where possible, these plans are prepopulated, using the organization's own data, all with an eye toward maintaining compliance. A built-in reporting engine makes it easy to generate reports on the organization's emergency preparedness.

Agility Recovery does not publicly disclose pricing information.

Archer Engage might best be described as a collaborative platform that is geared toward risk management. The idea is that to be effective, risk management practices must be adopted throughout the organization, and Archer Engage provides a way for stakeholders to participate in the risk management process.

Risk management is all about balancing the potential financial impact of risks against the cost of mitigating those risks . Archer Engage provides decision-makers with information about the potential economic impact of various risks as well as an analysis of risk prevention options.

Archer does not publicly disclose pricing information.

Everbridge provides business continuity planning software, but also focuses on workforce safety, IT-related disruptions, physical security and public safety.

Everbridge provides options for developing business continuity plans, particularly for retail and manufacturing. Everbridge has designed its software so that business continuity plans become part of an end-to-end protective tool revolving around an interactive dashboard that provides risk intelligence. The company also offers a mass messaging feature designed to deliver notifications to employees who are affected by an incident.

Everbridge does not publicly disclose pricing information.

Fusion Risk Management

Fusion Risk Management provides risk management software options, but also focuses on operational resilience, third-party risk management, IT and security risks, crisis and incident management, and business continuity management.

The company's business continuity management software, Fusion Framework System, works by charting all of a business's processes. This helps the software map dependencies and identify business impact tolerances . The software also enables organizations to perform what-if analysis and various exercises as a way of improving operational resiliency . Recently, Fusion Risk Management also integrated generative AI-powered assistants as an additional tool that customers can use in the resilience planning process.

Fusion Risk Management does not publicly disclose pricing information.

LogicManager

LogicManager is designed to act as a comprehensive enterprise risk management suite. Business continuity is only one of the software's core functions. The software also helps with IT governance and cybersecurity, third-party risk management, compliance, internal audit management, financial controls and HR risk management. Users can manage all these areas through a central risk management hub.

Because LogicManager is designed for enterprise use, risks can be defined on a per-location basis; for example, an organization might have one location that is especially prone to flooding. LogicManager also provides native integration with more than 500 business applications, making it easier to work with an organization's existing data.

LogicManager does not publicly disclose pricing information, but the company does offer a 90-day free trial.

Riskonnect Business Continuity Management software is designed to assist organizations with disaster readiness.

Riskonnect's software is based around a series of KPIs and enables businesses to experiment with various what-if models. Perhaps more importantly, Riskonnect detects hidden vulnerabilities that an organization has not addressed. It also automates the review, update and approval cycle. This process is critical, since without regular reviews, business continuity plans quickly become outdated.

Riskonnect does not publicly disclose pricing information.

Brien Posey is a 22-time Microsoft MVP and a commercial astronaut candidate. In his more than 30 years in IT, he has served as a lead network engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America.

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Company	Forbes Advisor Rating	Starting Price	Team messaging	Learn More CTA text	Learn more CTA below text	LEARN MORE	Roadmapping
Wrike		Free; $9.80 USD ($13.17 CAD) per user, per month	Yes				Yes
Smartsheet		$9 CAD per user, per month (billed annually)	Yes (added cost)				Yes
LivePlan		$15 USD ($20.12 CAD) per month (billed annually)	Yes				Yes
Aha!		$59 USD ($79.12 CAD) per user, per month (billed annually)	Yes (added cost)				Yes
Bizplan		$20.75 USD ($27.82 CAD) per month (billed annually)	Yes				No
IdeaBuddy		Free; $7 CAD per month (billed annually)	No				No
iPlanner		$59 USD ($79.12 CAD) for one year	No				No
Enloop		$11 USD ($14.75 CAD) per month (billed annually)	No				Yes
AchieveIt		Contact Sales	No				No
Business Sorter		$10 USD ($13.41 CAD) per month (billed annually)	No				No

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Financial Cents launches $9 monthly plan

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Financial Cents announced a new $9 monthly plan for solo practitioners.

"Solo practitioners are the backbone of the accounting profession, yet they often face significant challenges when it comes to managing their practice effectively," said Shahram Zarshenas, CEO of Financial Cents. "Our solo plan is designed to provide them with the tools they need to manage their workflow efficiently and affordably, so they can focus on delivering exceptional service to their clients."

The solo plan is a less than a quarter the cost of the next most expensive tier, the $39 team plan, and less than six times cheaper than the $59 scale plan. It includes:

• A workflow dashboard that offers a clear overview of tasks and priorities;
• A client portal that offers a secure communication channel for updates, documents and requests with clients;
• Time tracking for billable hours
• A client CRM that centralized client information
• Streamlined collection and management of client information requests;
• File sharing to facilitate secure document exchange; and
• A document management system that centralized storage and facilitates fast retrieval and organization of files.

It lacks the integrated email, QuickBooks integration, AdobeSign e-signature integration, and unlimited tags, client groups and custom fields of the Team Plan. Meanwhile, the Scale Plan has everything the Team Plan has plus 11 other features meant for larger firms. To help solo practitioners experience the benefits firsthand, Financial Cents is offering a 14-day free trial of the solo plan. This trial allows users to explore the platform's features and see how it can enhance their practice management.

after the company said it added a new feature called ReCats to address uncategorized transactions with spreadsheets and emails. Financial Cents ReCats automatically pulls client's uncategorized transactions from QuickBooks; sends auto-reminders to get clients to respond to uncategorized transaction enquiries; collects notes, descriptions and documents from clients related to each uncategorized transaction; and categorizes transactions within Financial Cents and pushes uncategorized transactions to QuickBooks. Clients can also access ReCats via Financial Cents' integrated client portal. 

Regional Leader Yeo & Yeo is growing in Southeast Michigan, while two firms in New Jersey have joined forces.

The Ben Affleck-starring sequel will continue the saga of lethal and brilliant small-town CPA Christian Wolff.

Accountants are generally pessimistic about the economy as a whole, but feel much more confident when it comes to their own firm and clients.

The SEC charged electric vehicle company Ideanomics and three of its executives with fraud for misleading the public about its financial performance from 2017 and 2019.

Planners can help savers avoid higher taxes, IRS penalties and Medicare headaches by guiding them through the strict guidelines for the accounts.

Financial Cents, which makes practice management software for accountants, announced a new $9 a month plan for solo practitioners.

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MoSCoW Prioritization

What is moscow prioritization.

MoSCoW prioritization, also known as the MoSCoW method or MoSCoW analysis, is a popular prioritization technique for managing requirements. 

  The acronym MoSCoW represents four categories of initiatives: must-have, should-have, could-have, and won’t-have, or will not have right now. Some companies also use the “W” in MoSCoW to mean “wish.”

What is the History of the MoSCoW Method?

Software development expert Dai Clegg created the MoSCoW method while working at Oracle. He designed the framework to help his team prioritize tasks during development work on product releases.

You can find a detailed account of using MoSCoW prioritization in the Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) handbook . But because MoSCoW can prioritize tasks within any time-boxed project, teams have adapted the method for a broad range of uses.

How Does MoSCoW Prioritization Work?

Before running a MoSCoW analysis, a few things need to happen. First, key stakeholders and the product team need to get aligned on objectives and prioritization factors. Then, all participants must agree on which initiatives to prioritize.

At this point, your team should also discuss how they will settle any disagreements in prioritization. If you can establish how to resolve disputes before they come up, you can help prevent those disagreements from holding up progress.

Finally, you’ll also want to reach a consensus on what percentage of resources you’d like to allocate to each category.

With the groundwork complete, you may begin determining which category is most appropriate for each initiative. But, first, let’s further break down each category in the MoSCoW method.

Start prioritizing your roadmap

Moscow prioritization categories.

1. Must-have initiatives

As the name suggests, this category consists of initiatives that are “musts” for your team. They represent non-negotiable needs for the project, product, or release in question. For example, if you’re releasing a healthcare application, a must-have initiative may be security functionalities that help maintain compliance.

The “must-have” category requires the team to complete a mandatory task. If you’re unsure about whether something belongs in this category, ask yourself the following.

If the product won’t work without an initiative, or the release becomes useless without it, the initiative is most likely a “must-have.”

2. Should-have initiatives

Should-have initiatives are just a step below must-haves. They are essential to the product, project, or release, but they are not vital. If left out, the product or project still functions. However, the initiatives may add significant value.

“Should-have” initiatives are different from “must-have” initiatives in that they can get scheduled for a future release without impacting the current one. For example, performance improvements, minor bug fixes, or new functionality may be “should-have” initiatives. Without them, the product still works.

3. Could-have initiatives

Another way of describing “could-have” initiatives is nice-to-haves. “Could-have” initiatives are not necessary to the core function of the product. However, compared with “should-have” initiatives, they have a much smaller impact on the outcome if left out.

So, initiatives placed in the “could-have” category are often the first to be deprioritized if a project in the “should-have” or “must-have” category ends up larger than expected.

4. Will not have (this time)

One benefit of the MoSCoW method is that it places several initiatives in the “will-not-have” category. The category can manage expectations about what the team will not include in a specific release (or another timeframe you’re prioritizing).

Placing initiatives in the “will-not-have” category is one way to help prevent scope creep . If initiatives are in this category, the team knows they are not a priority for this specific time frame. 

Some initiatives in the “will-not-have” group will be prioritized in the future, while others are not likely to happen. Some teams decide to differentiate between those by creating a subcategory within this group.

How Can Development Teams Use MoSCoW?

  Although Dai Clegg developed the approach to help prioritize tasks around his team’s limited time, the MoSCoW method also works when a development team faces limitations other than time. For example: 

Prioritize based on budgetary constraints.

What if a development team’s limiting factor is not a deadline but a tight budget imposed by the company? Working with the product managers, the team can use MoSCoW first to decide on the initiatives that represent must-haves and the should-haves. Then, using the development department’s budget as the guide, the team can figure out which items they can complete. 

Prioritize based on the team’s skillsets.

A cross-functional product team might also find itself constrained by the experience and expertise of its developers. If the product roadmap calls for functionality the team does not have the skills to build, this limiting factor will play into scoring those items in their MoSCoW analysis.

Prioritize based on competing needs at the company.

Cross-functional teams can also find themselves constrained by other company priorities. The team wants to make progress on a new product release, but the executive staff has created tight deadlines for further releases in the same timeframe. In this case, the team can use MoSCoW to determine which aspects of their desired release represent must-haves and temporarily backlog everything else.

What Are the Drawbacks of MoSCoW Prioritization?

  Although many product and development teams have prioritized MoSCoW, the approach has potential pitfalls. Here are a few examples.

1. An inconsistent scoring process can lead to tasks placed in the wrong categories.

  One common criticism against MoSCoW is that it does not include an objective methodology for ranking initiatives against each other. Your team will need to bring this methodology to your analysis. The MoSCoW approach works only to ensure that your team applies a consistent scoring system for all initiatives.

Pro tip: One proven method is weighted scoring, where your team measures each initiative on your backlog against a standard set of cost and benefit criteria. You can use the weighted scoring approach in ProductPlan’s roadmap app .

2. Not including all relevant stakeholders can lead to items placed in the wrong categories.

To know which of your team’s initiatives represent must-haves for your product and which are merely should-haves, you will need as much context as possible.

For example, you might need someone from your sales team to let you know how important (or unimportant) prospective buyers view a proposed new feature.

One pitfall of the MoSCoW method is that you could make poor decisions about where to slot each initiative unless your team receives input from all relevant stakeholders. 

3. Team bias for (or against) initiatives can undermine MoSCoW’s effectiveness.

Because MoSCoW does not include an objective scoring method, your team members can fall victim to their own opinions about certain initiatives. 

One risk of using MoSCoW prioritization is that a team can mistakenly think MoSCoW itself represents an objective way of measuring the items on their list. They discuss an initiative, agree that it is a “should have,” and move on to the next.

But your team will also need an objective and consistent framework for ranking all initiatives. That is the only way to minimize your team’s biases in favor of items or against them.

When Do You Use the MoSCoW Method for Prioritization?

MoSCoW prioritization is effective for teams that want to include representatives from the whole organization in their process. You can capture a broader perspective by involving participants from various functional departments.

Another reason you may want to use MoSCoW prioritization is it allows your team to determine how much effort goes into each category. Therefore, you can ensure you’re delivering a good variety of initiatives in each release.

What Are Best Practices for Using MoSCoW Prioritization?

If you’re considering giving MoSCoW prioritization a try, here are a few steps to keep in mind. Incorporating these into your process will help your team gain more value from the MoSCoW method.

1. Choose an objective ranking or scoring system.

Remember, MoSCoW helps your team group items into the appropriate buckets—from must-have items down to your longer-term wish list. But MoSCoW itself doesn’t help you determine which item belongs in which category.

You will need a separate ranking methodology. You can choose from many, such as:

• Weighted scoring
• Value vs. complexity
• Buy-a-feature
• Opportunity scoring

For help finding the best scoring methodology for your team, check out ProductPlan’s article: 7 strategies to choose the best features for your product .

2. Seek input from all key stakeholders.

To make sure you’re placing each initiative into the right bucket—must-have, should-have, could-have, or won’t-have—your team needs context. 

At the beginning of your MoSCoW method, your team should consider which stakeholders can provide valuable context and insights. Sales? Customer success? The executive staff? Product managers in another area of your business? Include them in your initiative scoring process if you think they can help you see opportunities or threats your team might miss. 

3. Share your MoSCoW process across your organization.

MoSCoW gives your team a tangible way to show your organization prioritizing initiatives for your products or projects. 

The method can help you build company-wide consensus for your work, or at least help you show stakeholders why you made the decisions you did.

Communicating your team’s prioritization strategy also helps you set expectations across the business. When they see your methodology for choosing one initiative over another, stakeholders in other departments will understand that your team has thought through and weighed all decisions you’ve made. 

If any stakeholders have an issue with one of your decisions, they will understand that they can’t simply complain—they’ll need to present you with evidence to alter your course of action.  

Related Terms

2×2 prioritization matrix / Eisenhower matrix / DACI decision-making framework / ICE scoring model / RICE scoring model

Prioritizing your roadmap using our guide

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• Product Management
• Prioritization frameworks

Six product prioritization frameworks and how to pick the right one

Browse topics.

Prioritization is crucial during the product development process because it’s impossible to execute every idea in any given sprint. This makes it important to choose the concepts that will have the most impact on the business and customers.

A prioritization framework simplifies a product team’s decision-making process when choosing which opportunities to pursue. This guide examines six prioritization frameworks and explains how to select one that will help a product manager make better, more informed decisions. This, in turn, will make product roadmaps stronger.

What is a prioritization framework?

A product prioritization framework is a methodology that helps teams weigh their opportunities against various constraints, such as business goals, customer value, product requirements , and available resources. It provides a set of consistent principles and strategies that help teams decide what to work on next. 

By removing guesswork from the product management decision-making process, a product manager can make informed decisions instead of instinctive ones. Prioritized decisions balance customer needs with long-term business objectives.

Why are prioritization frameworks important?

Prioritization frameworks are an effective tool for product managers. They help align teams and resources during the product development process. Some benefits include: 

• Better resource management : Using a framework helps determine the best use of available resources. 
• Alignment with stakeholders : Prioritization ensures that roadmapping stays true to business goals and objectives.

Enhanced customer value : Frameworks keep the team focused on tasks that satisfy customer needs.

Common product prioritization frameworks

Out of dozens of frameworks available, here are six of the most popular options, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. All of these frameworks have their merits, but the one you use should depend on your team and project needs. Let’s dive in.

RICE framework

Reach, impact, confidence, and effort (RICE) are the four factors used to evaluate a product idea: 

• Reach : Identify the number of people or events over time, such as transactions per quarter or conversions per month.
• Impact : Determine whether an idea achieves business goals or meets customer needs. 
• Confidence : Measure the team’s confidence level in executing ideas with a percentage scale of high (100%), medium (80%), and low (50%).

Effort : Calculate the time it will take the team to execute the idea.

R each x I mpact x C onfidence

You can use the RICE method in Jira Product Discovery , a prioritization and roadmapping tool for your product team. As a project manager, you’ll be able to assess the impact of your projects with ease.

Pros of the RICE framework

The RICE framework enables product managers to gauge whether items are feasible. Data gathered from this calculation helps justify decisions to stakeholders.

Drawbacks of the RICE framework

RICE can be time-consuming and cumbersome to apply, particularly if multiple items require data and validation from multiple sources. Methods for determining each evaluation factor can change, making this method subjective, inconsistent, and potentially misleading. 

The Kano Model is a customer satisfaction-based prioritization framework. Researcher Noraki Kano developed the model to help product managers prioritize features and updates based on customer needs. It has three parts:  

• Basic features : Customers expect these essential functions in your product’s performance, such as the ability to share a post on a social network. 
• Performance features : These features increase customer satisfaction and make your product more enjoyable to use, like faster load times.

Delighters : Unexpected features make customers happy. Examples of delighters include whimsical in-app messaging or the ability to use GIFs in posts.

Pros of the Kano model

The Kano model prevents a team from building features that won’t appeal to customers. It also identifies areas where the product may need improvement. Increased customer engagement and satisfaction is the most significant advantage of this method because it puts customer needs first.

Drawbacks of the Kano model

The model is highly quantitative and potentially time-consuming, requiring heavy data research and analysis. It can also be a very manual process with the use of surveys. Tools such as Jira Product Discovery can help you aggregate, process, and manage the required data.

MoSCoW method

The MosCow Method is a four-step process for prioritizing product requirements around their return on investment (ROI). It stands for “must haves,” “should haves,” “could haves,” and “will not haves.” Apply this method company-wide to help frame discussions around what will increase revenue.

Here’s a breakdown of the model: 

• Must Have (M) : These are the requirements needed for the project's success.
• Should Have (S) : These are important requirements for the project but not necessary.
• Could Have (C ) :  These requirements are “nice to have.” But don’t have as much impact as the others. 

Will Not Have (W): These requirements aren’t a priority for the project .

Pros of the MoSCoW method

MoSCoW is easy to implement and practice. Project managers can use it to help resolve disputes with stakeholders. This method also ensures that the team builds a minimum viable product (MVP). It can help you prioritize your product roadmap as well (start with this product roadmap template ). 

Drawbacks of the MoSCoW method

The lack of clarity in the “will not have” requirements is a flaw in the method, especially around whether they should be part of the backlog. Criteria for a “must have” or a “should have” can also be hard to determine. If there is no consensus among stakeholders, then prioritization becomes ineffective and subjective.

Value vs. effect

Value vs. effect, or the value vs. effort matrix, prioritizes features based on their probable value and the effort necessary to implement them. A 2x2 matrix, measuring value on one axis and effort on the other, helps with the decision-making process. 

To determine value, consider how it affects users and impacts the bottom line. Effort is the complexity of implementation. Jira Product Discovery keeps track of customer pain points and product ideas, which the team can use to create a value vs. effort matrix. You can use effort ratings to determine how much labor an idea requires. 

You can use a prioritization matrix where the vertical axis measures value (low to high). The horizontal axis measures effort (low to high). It’s then divided into four quadrants: 

• Do first (upper right quadrant) : This is high value, low effort, and a guaranteed quick win. 
• Do second (upper left quadrant) : High value, high effort. 
• Do last (lower right quadrant) : This is low value, low effort. It’s best to wait until the value increases before tackling this. 

Avoid (lower left quadrant) : Low value, high effort. It’s not worth your team’s time.

Pros of the value vs. effect framework

This framework involves no complicated calculations, which makes decisions easier. The framework is clear and lets the team focus on customer value tasks. Because it’s visual, the team can quickly see which tasks bring high value for the lowest effort.

Drawbacks of the value vs. effect framework

Values can be imprecise with this method, which primarily uses instinct. The same goes for estimates, where a team might think they have more resources than they do. Another drawback is effort-sizing, which will vary from team to team. That makes planning more difficult with cross-functional teams that have different resources.

Opportunity scoring

Opportunity scoring identifies features that are important to customers but underperform. Customers rate both a feature's importance and their satisfaction.

Use the opportunity algorithm to calculate the score on a five or ten-point scale. This equation goes beyond normal gap analysis , giving twice as much weight to importance scores as satisfaction scores.

Here’s the weighted equation: 

Importance + Max (Importance - Satisfaction, 0) = Opportunity 

Here is the opportunity algorithm formula, where customers use a 1-to-10 to quantify the importance and satisfaction of an outcome:  

Importance + (Importance - Satisfaction) = Opportunity 

Features with high importance but low satisfaction are an opportunity for improvement. Opportunity scoring is great for backlog grooming , which you can do in Jira Software . Bonus : Jira Software has native integration with Jira Product Discovery, so everyone can work within the same platform throughout the entire process.

Pros of the opportunity scoring framework

The ROI outweighs the development costs. This allows a project manager to identify accessible opportunities regarding customer satisfaction, helping teams be more strategic with resource allocation.

Drawbacks of the opportunity scoring framework

Scoring models aren’t perfect. They don’t always work for every situation because they only provide a limited view of each idea’s scope. Scoring can be rigid, especially when quantifying an abstract concept. But mostly, scoring can't forecast how the market will respond to any changes in the product.

Cost of delay

Cost of delay is another calculation that prioritizes projects based on their economic value. This method determines the ongoing costs that result from postponing items on the backlog. 

To calculate: 

• Estimate a new project’s ROI in revenue per unit of time (monthly recurring revenue, for example).
• Estimate the time it will take to implement the project.

Divide the profit number by the time estimate.

The final number is the cost to the company for not pursuing the project. 

Pros of the cost of delay approach

Using the cost of delay method results in more accurate value and cost estimates. This is because it doesn’t focus on negative reasons for postponement. Knowing what has better ROI also eases the burden of resource allocation.

Drawbacks of the cost of delay approach

If a project manager underestimates the project size, the calculations could be inaccurate. Estimated time requirements may be incorrect as well.

How to choose the right prioritization framework

Choosing the proper prioritization framework for a team depends on several factors. Consider the project’s goals, the complexity of the product, the team’s expertise, and the available data. 

For instance, if the project aims to improve customer satisfaction, opportunity scoring may work well. But if the team is relatively new and still building their skills, value vs. effort might be a better choice.

Use Jira Product Discovery for effective product prioritization

Whatever framework you choose, Jira Product Discovery can help with project prioritization and presenting project roadmaps . It can help you gather and organize your product ideas, opportunities, features, and solutions in one centralized tool. There’s even a product roadmap template and product requirements template to get you started.  

With Jira Product Discovery, you’ll bring structure to your product management. And that’ll keep your team and stakeholders aligned on strategic goals. You can also seamlessly connect your ideas to epics in Jira Software , which makes it easier to provide project context and visibility from discovery to delivery.

Prioritization framework: Frequently asked questions

What are the steps involved in using a prioritization framework.

Prioritization frameworks help you and your team determine what to work on next. To do that, you need to follow a few general steps: 

• Identify tasks : Identify and prioritize tasks based on a few criteria, such as customer value and business needs. 
• Define criteria : These criteria will help you determine which tasks are feasible to pursue. 
• Assign scores : Scoring uncovers features that are underperforming but necessary for customers. 

Rank items : Ranking lets you order tasks based on urgency and highest impact. 

All these make it easier to decide which tasks your team should tackle.

How often should you review your prioritization framework?

Your team should review its priorities regularly. The cadence of that review depends on your team’s needs. You should also re-evaluate your prioritization framework if business objectives change. A different framework might work better than the one you’ve been using.

Can a prioritization framework improve team collaboration?

Prioritization frameworks are great to get everyone on the same page. You and your team can work with stakeholders to clarify goals. You can also use prioritization frameworks to make more informed decisions on which tasks to prioritize.

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Home » Agile Development » Prioritizing Requirements with MoSCoW Method: A Guide for Agile Projects

Prioritizing Requirements with MoSCoW Method: A Guide for Agile Projects

• Posted on March 28, 2023
• / Under Agile & Scrum , Agile Development , Project Management

The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique used in project management, software development, and business analysis. It helps to prioritize requirements based on their importance and urgency, and allows project managers to allocate resources and budget accordingly. In this article, we will explore the MoSCoW method and provide an example of its implementation.

What is the MoSCoW Method?

The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique that categorizes requirements into four groups: Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves, and Won’t-haves. The acronym MoSCoW stands for:

• Must have: critical requirements that are essential for the project’s success. These requirements are mandatory and must be included in the project scope.
• Should have: important requirements that are necessary for the project’s success but can be delayed if necessary. These requirements are important, but not critical, and can be deferred to a later phase of the project.
• Could have: desirable requirements that are not essential for the project’s success, but can enhance the project’s value. These requirements are optional and can be included if time and budget allow.
• Won’t have: requirements that are not needed for the project’s success and are not included in the project scope.

The MoSCoW method helps project managers prioritize requirements based on their importance and urgency. It allows them to focus on the critical requirements and allocate resources and budget accordingly.

Example of MoSCoW Method

Let’s consider an example of a software development project to understand how the MoSCoW method works.

Suppose a company wants to develop a new mobile app for its customers. The app should allow customers to order products, track their orders, and receive notifications. The company also wants to include some additional features to make the app more appealing to customers.

The project team identifies the following requirements:

• Must have: The app must allow customers to order products, track their orders, and receive notifications.
• Should have: The app should have a search feature that allows customers to search for products, and a payment feature that allows customers to pay for their orders using various payment methods.
• Could have: The app could have a loyalty program feature that rewards customers for their purchases, and a referral program feature that incentivizes customers to refer the app to their friends and family.
• Won’t have: The app won’t have a social media integration feature that allows customers to share their purchases on social media platforms.

Using the MoSCoW method, the project team has prioritized the requirements based on their importance and urgency. The must-have requirements are critical for the success of the project and must be included in the app. The should-have requirements are important, but can be deferred to a later phase of the project if necessary. The could-have requirements are optional and can be included if time and budget allow. The won’t-have requirements are not needed for the project’s success and are not included in the project scope.

Real-life Example – CRM System

Project Description: Development of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System

The objective of this Agile project is to develop a CRM system for a small business that specializes in providing customized solutions to its clients. The CRM system will be designed to streamline the sales process and improve customer interactions, allowing the business to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The project will follow the Agile methodology, which involves iterative and incremental development. The Agile team will work closely with the client to gather requirements, develop prototypes, and deliver functional software increments in short iterations, typically two weeks.

Identify a List of User Stories

To create the list of user stories, you can considered the different roles that would interact with the system, such as sales representatives, managers, and customers, and thought about the various tasks they would need to perform in order to achieve their goals. you can also considered the different types of data that would need to be stored and managed within the system, such as customer information, sales data, and marketing campaigns.

Based on this analysis, you can then generated a list of user stories that covered a broad range of functionality, from lead tracking and customer service, to sales proposals and reporting. The list of user stories is intended to provide a starting point for the development team to use in prioritizing and planning the development of the CRM system.

Here is a list of user stories for the CRM system development project:

• As a sales representative, I want to be able to track all of my leads in one place so that I can easily manage my sales pipeline.
• As a sales manager, I want to be able to view and monitor my team’s progress in real-time so that I can provide coaching and support as needed.
• As a customer service representative, I want to be able to view all of a customer’s interactions with our company so that I can provide personalized support.
• As a marketing manager, I want to be able to segment our customers based on their preferences and behavior so that I can target them with relevant campaigns.
• As a customer, I want to be able to view my purchase history and account information so that I can easily manage my relationship with the company.
• As a customer service representative, I want to be able to log and track customer complaints and inquiries so that I can ensure that they are addressed in a timely manner.
• As a sales representative, I want to be able to generate quotes and proposals quickly and easily so that I can close deals faster.
• As an administrator, I want to be able to manage user permissions and access levels so that I can control who has access to sensitive information.
• As a sales representative, I want to be able to schedule and manage appointments with my clients so that I can stay organized and on top of my schedule.
• As a manager, I want to be able to generate reports on sales performance, customer satisfaction, and other metrics so that I can make informed business decisions.

These user stories cover a range of functionality that the CRM system should provide. The development team can use these user stories to prioritize the most important features for the system, and to ensure that the system meets the needs of all stakeholders.

In table format, let’s present a clear and concise summary of the 10 user stories related to a business scenario to provide an overview of the user stories.

User Story	User Role	Goal
1	Sales Representative	Track all leads in one place to manage sales pipeline
2	Sales Manager	View and monitor team progress in real-time for coaching and support
3	Customer Service Representative	View all customer interactions for personalized support
4	Marketing Manager	Segment customers based on preferences and behavior for targeted campaigns
5	Customer	View purchase history and account information for easy management
6	Customer Service Representative	Log and track customer complaints and inquiries for timely resolution
7	Sales Representative	Generate quotes and proposals quickly and easily to close deals faster
8	Administrator	Manage user permissions and access levels for sensitive information
9	Sales Representative	Schedule and manage appointments with clients to stay organized
10	Manager	Generate reports on sales performance, customer satisfaction, and other metrics for informed business decisions

The table provides information on the user role, the specific goal they want to achieve, and the user story number to easily reference each story. By organizing the user stories in a table, it is easier to understand and prioritize the features that need to be developed to meet the needs of the stakeholders involved in the project. This table can serve as a reference for the development team to design and implement features that align with the needs of the end-users and stakeholders.

Prioritize the User Stories

It is important to prioritize the user stories based on their business value and impact on the project goals. This ensures that the development effort is focused on the most important and valuable features, and that the project can be delivered on time and within budget.

Prioritization can be done using various techniques such as the MoSCoW method, which categorizes user stories as “must-haves,” “should-haves,” “could-haves,” and “won’t-haves.” User stories categorized as “must-haves” are the most critical and should be developed first, while “should-haves” and “could-haves” can be developed later in subsequent iterations or releases.

Here’s a table for the 10 user stories mentioned earlier, with the relevant information and prioritization based on the MoSCoW method:

User Story	Description	Priority
1	As a sales representative, I want to be able to track all of my leads in one place so that I can easily manage my sales pipeline.	Must-Have
2	As a sales manager, I want to be able to view and monitor my team’s progress in real-time so that I can provide coaching and support as needed.	Must-Have
3	As a customer service representative, I want to be able to view all of a customer’s interactions with our company so that I can provide personalized support.	Must-Have
4	As a marketing manager, I want to be able to segment our customers based on their preferences and behavior so that I can target them with relevant campaigns.	Should-Have
5	As a customer, I want to be able to view my purchase history and account information so that I can easily manage my relationship with the company.	Should-Have
6	As a customer service representative, I want to be able to log and track customer complaints and inquiries so that I can ensure that they are addressed in a timely manner.	Should-Have
7	As a sales representative, I want to be able to generate quotes and proposals quickly and easily so that I can close deals faster.	Could-Have
8	As an administrator, I want to be able to manage user permissions and access levels so that I can control who has access to sensitive information.	Could-Have
9	As a sales representative, I want to be able to schedule and manage appointments with my clients so that I can stay organized and on top of my schedule.	Could-Have
10	As a manager, I want to be able to generate reports on sales performance, customer satisfaction, and other metrics so that I can make informed business decisions.	Won’t-Have

In this table, the user stories are listed in order of priority, with the “must-have” features listed first, followed by the “should-haves” and “could-haves.” The “won’t-haves” feature is not planned for implementation in this project, but may be considered for future development.

By prioritizing the user stories, the development team can ensure that the most critical features are developed first, providing value to the stakeholders and enabling the project to meet its objectives within the time and budget constraints.

Example: A Scrum Development Plan for the CRM

here is a high-level outline for a Scrum development plan to start the agile project. However, the specific details of the plan will depend on the project requirements, team structure, and other factors. Here’s an example of a Scrum development plan:

• Define the Product Backlog: The first step is to define the product backlog, which is a prioritized list of all the features, functionalities, and requirements that need to be implemented in the project. This backlog will be maintained throughout the project and will be continually refined and updated based on the changing needs of the stakeholders.
• Conduct Sprint Planning: After the product backlog has been defined, the team will conduct a sprint planning meeting to select a set of user stories from the backlog to be developed in the upcoming sprint. The team will estimate the effort required for each user story, and select the user stories that can be completed within the sprint timeframe.
• Conduct Daily Scrum Meetings : Once the sprint has started, the team will conduct daily scrum meetings to review progress, identify any obstacles or challenges, and adjust the plan as needed. The daily scrum meetings should be short and focused, with each team member providing an update on their progress.
• Develop the Product Increment: During the sprint, the team will work on developing the selected user stories, focusing on delivering a working product increment by the end of the sprint. The team will collaborate closely, with developers, testers, and other team members working together to deliver the product increment.
• Conduct Sprint Review: At the end of the sprint, the team will conduct a sprint review meeting to demonstrate the product increment to the stakeholders, gather feedback, and review the progress made during the sprint.
• Conduct Sprint Retrospective: After the sprint review, the team will conduct a sprint retrospective meeting to review the sprint process, identify areas for improvement, and plan for the next sprint.
• Repeat the process: The team will repeat this process for each subsequent sprint, continuing to refine and update the product backlog, and focusing on delivering a working product increment at the end of each sprint.

This Scrum development plan provides a framework for managing the agile project, with regular meetings and reviews to ensure that the project is on track and delivering value to the stakeholders.

The article discusses the MoSCoW method, which is a prioritization technique used in Agile project management to prioritize project requirements. The MoSCoW method divides requirements into four categories: Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, and Won’t-have. The article provides a real-life example of an Agile project and how to identify user stories for the project. The user stories are then prioritized using the MoSCoW method, with the Must-have requirements given top priority.

The article also outlines a Scrum development plan, which includes defining the product backlog, conducting sprint planning, daily scrum meetings, developing the product increment, sprint review, sprint retrospective, and repeating the process. The Scrum development plan provides a framework for managing the Agile project, ensuring that the project is on track, and delivering value to stakeholders.

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Defective Item	7 days from delivery	Vivo warranty policy (at Service Centre)
Wrong and Missing Item, Physical Damage	7 days from delivery	Replacement

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Purchase options and add-ons

Brand	Vivo
Operating System	Funtouch OS 13 Global
RAM Memory Installed Size	6 GB
CPU Model	Snapdragon
Memory Storage Capacity	128 GB

About this item

• Camera: Dual 50MP+2MP Rear Camera | 8MP Selfie Camera Rear flash, slow-mo
• Display: 6.56 inches (16.66cm) LCD Capacitive multi-touch display 90Hz refresh rate, 269 ppi
• Memory & SIM: 6GB RAM | 128GB internal memory; LPDDR4X | UFS 2.2
• Battery & charging: 5000 mAh Li-ion battery with 15W charging
• Side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor
• Processor: Dimensity 6020 5G processor (based on 7nm architecture)
• Camera features: Night,Portrait,Photo,Video,50 MP,Pano,Live Photo,Slo-mo,Time-Lapse,Pro,Documents

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• Model Y28 Documentation
• SIM Tray Ejector

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Price	-23% ₹15,494.00₹15,494.00 M.R.P: ₹19,999.00	-23% ₹18,499.00₹18,499.00 M.R.P: ₹23,900.00	-25% ₹11,999.00₹11,999.00 M.R.P: ₹15,999.00	-14% ₹17,999.00₹17,999.00 M.R.P: ₹20,999.00	-20% ₹15,998.00₹15,998.00 M.R.P: ₹19,999.00
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With Y28 5G, you can enjoy remarkable performance powered by a 7 nm 5G chip—the octa-core Dimensity 6020 . With SA2&NSA Dual-Mode 5G that works across mainstream frequencies and an antenna that wraps around the phone, always enjoy a strong signal, higher response speed, higher and more stable gaming frame rate, and better network connection.	Y28 5G features a 16.22cm (6.56 inch) HD+ high-brightness display with a typical brightness of 700 nits and reaching an estimated 840 nits in HBM mode. The display effect is enhanced in strong light, allowing easy screen viewing both in outdoor sunlight or bright indoor environments, allowing you to enjoy effortless browsing, entertainment and work.	Glitter Aqua : Y28 5G employs a golden ripple pattern technique in its exterior design that, when combined with crystal-clear mirror-like materials, creates a dreamy natural scene like ripples across the surface of water CrystalPurple : The subtle interplay of light and shadow upon the 3D crystal texture mimics the dance of amethyst. It exudes a profound and mysterious charm, making a statement without being overt

The exquisite and elegant appearance not only refines the minimalist style but also features a creative metallic double-disc design. The overall look manifests sophisticated texture and taste that aims to astonish you when you hold it in your hand.	Fitted with a 50 MP main camera, Y28 5G captures much more detail. Whether it's bright or dark, trust our outstanding image processing to deliver ultra-sharp images full of intricacies	Whether you're at a party or in a bar, thanks to the powerful night algorithms, Y28 5G effortlessly captures high-definition moments in various night scenes, ensuring exceptional photography day and night. When Night Mode is enabled, the lights are more focused and architectural objects are sharper

More Space for More Freedom. Y28 5G is equipped with the new-gen Extended RAM 3.0 that supports up to 8 GB of extended RAM. This effectively increases the number of active background apps and thus enables seamless app switching.	The 5000 mAh (TYP) battery provides lasting fun and juices up quickly with 15W1 Fast Charge. And thanks to MediaTek 5G UltraSave technology, the chip is as energy efficient as it is powerful, optimizing the underlying battery life for lasting fun. Now you can stay connected all day and don't worry about your battery

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Technical details.

OS	‎Funtouch OS 13 Global
RAM	‎6 GB
Product Dimensions	‎15.9 x 7.4 x 0.8 cm; 186 g
Batteries	‎1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included)
Wireless communication technologies	‎Cellular
Connectivity technologies	‎Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB
GPS	‎GLONASS
Special features	‎Bluetooth Enabled, Basic Phone, Dual Camera, Camera, Built-In GPS
Other display features	‎Wireless
Other camera features	‎Rear
Form factor	‎Bar
Colour	‎purple
Battery Power Rating	‎5000
Whats in the box	‎SIM Tray Ejector, Adapter, Model Y28 Documentation, Phone Case, USB Cable
Manufacturer	‎vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd
Country of Origin	‎India
Item Weight	‎186 g

Additional Information

ASIN	B07WGPJB3G
Customer Reviews	4.1 out of 5 stars
Best Sellers Rank	#27,201 in Electronics ( ) #921 in
Date First Available	7 January 2024
Manufacturer	vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd, vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd Tech-1 and Tech-2, World Trade Centre, Plot no-TZ-13A, Techzone (I.T. Park), Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Pin - 201308
Packer	Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd Tech-1 and Tech-2, World Trade Centre, Plot no-TZ-13A, Techzone (I.T. Park), Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Pin - 201308
Importer	Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd
Item Dimensions LxWxH	15.9 x 7.4 x 0.8 Centimeters
Net Quantity	1 Count
Generic Name	Mobile

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Customers like the camera quality and quality of the cellular phone. They mention that it has a clear camera and is easy to use. Some disagree on the battery life.

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Customers like the camera quality of the cellular phone. They say it has a clear and beautiful picture quality. Some customers also mention that the phone is fine but it has punch hole camera.

"Mobile is slim and good battery life. Processor speed is nice. Camera quality and pictures are very nice. Speed charging supports." Read more

"The phone is fine but it has a punch hole camera or it looks better.performance and Quality I think Good price range." Read more

" Picture quality:- Beautiful Quality :- GoodBattery life:- 40 hoursCharging:- 30 minutesScreen :- Awesome" Read more

"Very poor quality camera. Very bad quality from VivoYou will not be able to return this mobile as there is no return policy...." Read more

Customers are satisfied with the quality of the cellular phone. They mention that it is a nice mobile, easy to use, and has a good battery life. Some say that the processor speed is nice.

" Mobile is slim and good battery life. Processor speed is nice. Camera quality and pictures are very nice. Speed charging supports." Read more

" Nice mobile ...it's my 3rd vivo" Read more

"IT IS ESAY TO USE MOBILE , IT HAVE 5000MAH BATTERY , IT ISAL A GOOD PRODUCT" Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the battery life of the cellular phone. Some mention that it has a top quality battery with a 5000mAh capacity, while others say that it takes too long to charge and that the battery performance is poor.

"Mobile is slim and good battery life . Processor speed is nice. Camera quality and pictures are very nice. Speed charging supports." Read more

"this is a decent phone, but it takes too long to charge considering its price...." Read more

"...Top quality, battery life 100 , and certainly value for money...." Read more

" Battery performance poor it will not run even one day after full charged" Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the sound quality of the cellular phone. They mention that the full charge takes 2 hours, and the sound is not so good.

"Battery backup is poor and full charge to take 2 hr, sound also not so good " Read more

" Sound quality is bad at the talking time" Read more

"Calls gets disconnected automatically No sound in the calls " Read more

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Glorious Model O Wireless Gaming Mouse - Superlight, 69g Honeycomb Design, RGB, Ambidextrous, Lag Free 2.4GHz Wireless, Up to 71 Hours Battery - Matte Black

Minus (Small)

Model D 2 (Ergonomic)

Model O 2 (Ambidextrous)

Model O (Ambidextrous)

Model D (Ergonomic)

Brand	Glorious
Color	Black
Connectivity Technology	USB
Special Feature	Lightweight
Movement Detection Technology	Optical

About this item

• Lightning fast: Built with 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, the Model O Wireless has the lowest wireless latency of any mouse in its class. Get blazing-fast 1ms latency with a strong and stable connection, for super consistent performance.
• Customizable RGB: Choose from 16.8M possible colours, quickly adjustable without software using mouse buttons. Deeply customize it in Glorious CORE, to make it match the rest of your desktop.
• Battery life: Model O Wireless has the highest battery life of any mouse in its class. You get up to 71 hours* of playtime in wireless mode, and you can play while charging, using the ultra-flexible USB-C Ascended paracord charging cable (*with RGB off).
• Optimized for competitive gaming: Pinpoint precision with 400 IPS tracking speed, 19,000 Max DPI and up to 1,000Hz polling rate. The proprietary BAMF Senor gives you unrivalled performance, with lower power draw, for long wireless gaming sessions.
• Built to last: Model O Wireless' honeycomb design helps create the ultimate wireless lightweight mouse, without sacrifcing durability. State of the art Omron switches with 20M clicks in them, and top tier build quality makes the Model O Wireless built to last.

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The GLORIOUS story begins in 2014 with one man on a mission to disrupt an entire industry.

For too long, major corporations flooded the market with low-quality gaming mice, keyboards, and accessories at inflated costs.

Since then, we’ve helped countless gamers worldwide gain access to top-tier PC gaming gear designed to help them achieve peak performance at affordable prices.

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What's in the box

• USB extender dongle, Glorious G-Skates Premium Mouse Feet

Product guides and documents

Product description.

Model O Wireless - The original superlight wireless mouse

An ambidextrous 6-button lightweight wireless gaming mouse, with 69g honeycomb design, 2.4GHz wireless technology and pixel perfect tracking. Model O Wireless is the perfect gaming mouse for FPS, MOBA, MMO, Battle Royale and other competitive games.

DURABLE HONEYCOMB SHELL

The Honeycomb Shell achieves a feather-light weight while maintaining ultra-durable strength.

PROPRIETARY BAMF SENSOR

With 2.4GHz technology, the BAMF Sensor gives you perfect control with the lowest wireless latency.

BUILT FOR PLAYING

Enjoy up to 71-hours* of uninterrupted wireless gameplay on a single charge. (*RGB off)

ROUNDED EDGES NEVER SNAG

100% pure Virgin PTFE mouse skates, giving you perfect control even at the highest speeds.

DOWNLOAD GLORIOUS CORE

Change RGB, DPI, Lift-Off Distance, and map the 6 buttons to your own liking with intuitive software

The BAMF Sensor features 400 IPS Tracking Speed, 19,000 max DPI and a 1,000hz polling rate. Pinpoint precision with 71 Hours of wireless play-time.

SUPER RELIABLE MECHANICAL SWITCHES

Glorious Model O Wireless uses Omron Mechanical Switches, which are rated for 20M precise clicks. That way you won't have to worry about double-clicks in your next 75,000 games of StarCraft 2.

SUPERLIGHT SHELL

Our honeycomb-perforations helps bring the weight of the Model O Wireless down to only 69g, without compromising on the build quality. Low weight, high durability.

DEDICATED DPI SWITCHER

Press to instantly adjust mouse sensitivity (DPI) on-the-fly without opening software. The Model O Wireless comes with 4 pre-defined DPI settings: 400, 800, 1600, and 3200.

16.8M DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE IT YOURS

Pick from 16.8M colours and 8 different effects using custom software, to personalize the mouse to your liking

COMPLETE YOUR DESKTOP WITH GLORIOUS GEAR

Ascend your battlestation with a premium gaming keyboard that takes you to another dimension, or pick up the mousepad used by the pros, to make your new mouse even more effective.

GMMK 2: THE MVP OF KEYBOARDS

Complete your desktop with the GMMK 2. This keyboard combines premium-grade components and striking aesthetics for the most bang for your buck. The GMMK 2 raises the bar, not the cost.

THE #1 MOUSEPAD FOR SPEED & CONTROL

Get the Glorious Elements Mousepad to finalize your order. Used by pros and enthusiasts around the world, and famous for its extremely smooth surface, to give your mouse an exceptional glide.

DON'T SWEAT IT

Lightweight, anti-slip grip tape for Glorious gaming mice. Pre-cut for easy application. Shapes apply to both wired and wireless versions of our V1 mouse models. Not compatible with any V2 mice.

EXTRA FAST G-FLOATS MOUSE FEET

Swap the Model O and Model O-'s (Minus) PTFE feet with porcelain G-Floats for the fastest mouse glide possible.

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Customer Review: Amazing mouse for esports

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Product information, technical details.

Average Battery Life (in hours)	‎71 Hours

Brand	‎Glorious
Series	‎Glorious Model O Wireless - Matte Black
Item model number	‎GLO-MS-OW-MB
Hardware Platform	‎PC
Operating System	‎Windows, Mac, and Linux
Item Weight	‎2.4 ounces
Product Dimensions	‎5 x 2.6 x 0.1 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH	‎5 x 2.6 x 0.1 inches
Color	‎Black
Power Source	‎USB
Batteries	‎1 Lithium Ion batteries required.
Manufacturer	‎Glorious
ASIN	‎B098RDFP3J
Date First Available	‎July 6, 2021

Additional Information

Customer Reviews	4.5 out of 5 stars
Best Sellers Rank	#256 in

Warranty & Support

Amazon.com Return Policy:You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

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• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 76% 10% 5% 3% 6% 76%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 76% 10% 5% 3% 6% 10%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 76% 10% 5% 3% 6% 5%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 76% 10% 5% 3% 6% 3%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 76% 10% 5% 3% 6% 6%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the quality, weight and comfort of the mouse. For example, they mention it's a very high quality mouse, lightweight and ergonomically friendly. Some are happy with appearance, and value. That said, opinions are mixed on battery life, and sutterability.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers like the quality of the mouse. They say it's top tier, a good mouse, and a high-quality product. They also appreciate the slick build and look. Customers also say it is a sturdy choice for gaming and able to work out first nice in the hand.

"...The Dongle it comes with is good quality and I usually leave it plugged in on my desk so when I need to charge ill just unplug the dongle and plug..." Read more

"...Next up the build quality and quality control ; the build quality of this mouse is mostly good besides for a little side-play on the clicks and some..." Read more

"...The durability is pretty good for having holes in it but it is a white mouse so expect it to get dirty over time." Read more

"Very lightweight and sturdy choice for gaming , however if you want better battery-life get a Logitech g-pro whatever or something because the..." Read more

Customers find the mouse very light. They say the charging cord is one of the lightest and most flexible. Customers also mention that the lightweight build reduces fatigue during extended use and helps them aim when playing competitively.

"...The clicks and center wheel are fantastic. As far as I can tell its light weight ...." Read more

"...The weight is still good though!Onto the final question, “Would I recommend this mouse?” and the answer is surprisingly “no.”..." Read more

"The mouse is light weight , while not being the lightest mouse I used it is just enough for it to be not too light and comfortable to use...." Read more

" Very lightweight and sturdy choice for gaming, however if you want better battery-life get a Logitech g-pro whatever or something because the..." Read more

Customers find the mouse comfortable, ergonomic, and perfect for their hands. They also say the shape is perfect for gaming or browsing, and the materials are nice and prevent their hands from feeling clammy for long hours of gaming.

"...-Battery life-USB-C charging- Comfortable feel -Great buttons-Good RGB-Good Program for customization..." Read more

"...If you are right-handed, however the mouse shape feels amazing for palm and claw grip. For me I use a claw grip and this mouse is awesome!..." Read more

"...The buttons feel good when pressed , it is pretty loud but you are going to be wearing a headset while gaming which will nullify the noise of the..." Read more

"...I was able to rest my hand, relax my shoulders , and with only the slightest movements move across my entire double monitor...." Read more

Customers like the appearance of the mouse. They say it's well-designed, has a rainbow strip of RGB effects on the side, and coordinates nicely with their keyboard colors and mousepad. Some customers also appreciate the color-coded DPI indicator.

"...For $80 at the time, you get beautiful RGB , I do like it I mostly keep my turned off because it saves a bit of battery life as I use mine all day..." Read more

"...I also love the rainbow strip of RGB effects on the side of the mouse. The Zeus face logo on the side of the mouse also looks great...." Read more

"...The aesthetics are sleek and modern, appealing to those who appreciate a visually pleasing setup...." Read more

"...will give a significant net loss of battery life, but it is pretty to look at ...." Read more

Customers like the value of the mouse. For example, they mention it's worth the $80, has an amazing sensor, and is a cheap gaming mouse.

"TLDR: Fantastic mouse for the money . Good RGB, Program could be better, great feel, good battery life...." Read more

"...The scrolling is pretty good for the price with the ripple making it easier for me but it depends on the person...." Read more

"...(I don’t use it but it’s really cool for the price if you do actually need it)...." Read more

"It came really fast and the mouse is so good for the price " Read more

Customers are mixed about the battery life of the mouse. Some mention that it has a really good battery life all things considered, while others say that it's not great and has to be charged every night.

"...Logitech g-pro whatever or something because the battery does seem less efficient than advertised ." Read more

"...I just think its super cool, you can set it for battery life to if the battery gets to low you can have it adjust the RGB...." Read more

"The battery life could be a bit better , but otherwise a very high quality mouse with great ARGB effects." Read more

"...The mouse does last a while (I’ve been using it for 1 year at the time of making this review) and I haven’t had any big build quality issues...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the sutterability of the mouse. Some mention that it's highly responsive, with no lag at all. However, others say that it was very laggy and kept freezing. Some customers also report performance issues cropping up within months and lackluster software support.

"...With performance issues cropping up within months and lackluster software support, these products do not offer the reliability or value one would..." Read more

"...The glide is *okay* its not super-fast but it’s not too slow either...." Read more

"...Does seem to make it laggy when turning on ." Read more

"...On my 165 Hz refresh monitor, the mouse is extremely snappy and responsive . The light weight of the mouse is also great...." Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the click quality of the mouse. They mention that the left button is faulty and sometimes doesn't click. They also say that the mouse has a double clicking problem. Some customers also report that the right click feels weird and isn't able to fully click down.

"...build quality of this mouse is mostly good besides for a little side-play on the clicks and some side button wobble...." Read more

"...The left-click started to exhibit signs of double-clicking , and the overall responsiveness seemed to deteriorate...." Read more

"...Same thing. but now it doesn't click at all . The cursor moves on both PC's, but I can't click anything on either...." Read more

"...The clicks and center wheel are fantastic . As far as I can tell its light weight...." Read more

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Canada's 'shoestring' navy needs drastic changes to buy the new submarine fleet it wants

• Canada wants to build a larger submarine fleet than the UK.
• But buying 12 new boats may be a stretch at a time when it's having trouble operating four.
• Canada has the world's largest coastline, and subs could be crucial to defending it.

If Canada has difficulty operating four submarines, how easy will it be to operate 12 more?

That's one of the questions overhanging Canada's ambitious new plan to build up to a dozen new subs that would boost the desperately understrength Royal Canadian Navy, and give Canada a larger sub fleet than Britain , Germany and most other NATO nations.

The plan also faces numerous obstacles that could render it a pipe dream. At the least, it would require revitalizing Canada's neglected submarine force, which consists of just four aging and troubled Victoria-class diesel-electric attack subs, only one of which is fully operational at any moment.

"Everything is done on a shoestring, the results of which are evident," Paul Mitchell, a professor of defense studies at Canadian Forces College, told Business Insider.

For now, details of the submarine acquisition are sparse. The boats will be "conventionally-powered, under-ice capable," with a Request for Information to potential bidders being published this fall, according to the Canadian government. When asked by Canadian media, a government official "could not confirm how much the plan will cost, how many boats will be purchased or when they will arrive."

But the ability of these subs to operate under ice underscores the impetus for the program: safeguarding Canadian interests in the Arctic , where melting ice has created a race among nations — including the US, Russia and China — to secure new shipping routes and mineral resources. "Competitors are seeking access, transportation routes, natural resources, critical minerals, and energy sources through more frequent and regular presence and activity," warned Canada's Department of National Defense. "They are exploring Arctic waters and the sea floor, probing our infrastructure and collecting intelligence."

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Canada has the world's largest coastline , spanning 150,000 miles on three oceans — the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic. With so much territory to protect — plus commitments to NATO, the Royal Canadian Navy is already overstretched. Canada had the world's third-largest navy just after World War II: today its battle fleet includes just 12 frigates and four subs, plus various small patrol craft.

Submarines could be very useful for defense of Canadian territory, or asserting a presence in contested Arctic waters. "SSKs [diesel-electric attack submarines] would be excellent in patrolling the areas in which vessels might approach the entry points to the Canadian Arctic: the Davis Strait in the east, and the Beaufort Sea in the west," Mitchell said. Unlike nuclear-powered submarines, diesel-electric boats must surface to recharge their batteries but air-independent propulsion technology allows them to stay submerged for much longer periods.

Equipping new submarines with cruise missiles would also give Canada a potent land-attack capability. The Canadian frigates already have Harpoon anti-ship missiles, but the subs could also be armed with Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, like the ones American subs carry. Harpoon and Tomahawk would be "the only strategic attack capability that the Canadian armed forces have now or in the future," said Mitchell.

Submarines would also enable Canada to support NATO and even Pacific operations, such as contributing warships to any US-led coalition to defend Taiwan from Chinese invasion. The Victoria-class boats have deployed as far as Japan and Korea, the Barents Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.

But tripling Canada's submarine fleet will require more than buying new boats. For example, shore-based infrastructure such as maintenance and training facilities are lacking, and are split between the East and West coasts. To sustain submarine operations in the Arctic would require a new base in the region, said Mitchell, who noted that the distance between Canada's Pacific naval base in British Columbia and the western entrance to the North West Passage is almost 4,000 miles.

As in the US and other militaries, the Canadian armed forces are suffering a recruitment crisis. And even if enough enlisted personnel were available to man 12 submarines, there would be a lack of experienced officers. "Presently, there are only five qualified submarine captains in the RCN," said Mitchell. "One is a rear admiral and two are at the captain rank. Subs are generally commanded by lieutenant commanders, which are two ranks below captain."

Though Canada acquired its first submarine in 1914, its recent experience with undersea boats has not been a happy one. In 1998, the Royal Canadian Navy bought four used British Upholder-class diesel-electric subs that became surplus as Britain switched to an all-nuclear submarine fleet. Renamed the Victoria-class, the boats soon acquired a reputation for unreliability. "The Victoria class was underfunded in its history in terms of maintenance and sustainability," Mitchell said. Refits were snarled by bureaucracy and tardy work by defense contractors. Shortages of spare parts were exacerbated by the need to maintain stockpiles 3,000 miles apart.

"This scarcity often meant something needed on the West Coast was only in the spares inventory on the East," said Mitchell.

In addition, Canadian shipyards can't build submarines. Several foreign shipbuilders have expressed interest in selling subs to Canada, including South Korea's Hanwha Ocean and Sweden's Saab .

But importing foreign-made subs rather than supporting local manufacturers raises another question: is the Canadian public willing to pay foreign companies the $500 million or more that conventional submarines cost? Canada spent just 1.38%of its GDP on defense in 2023, well below NATO's goal of 2% for alliance members.

A massive submarine acquisition program would also face competing priorities. Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy will cost more than $100 billion, including 15 new destroyers to replace aging frigates by 2050, as well as Arctic patrol vessels and icebreakers. In addition, the Royal Canadian Air Force is buying 88 F-35 fighters that will cost nearly $75 billion in acquisition and sustainment by 2070.

National defense has rarely been a major issue in Canadian politics. "Our approach historically has been one of minimal effort," Mitchell said.

"Should Canada continue its historic practice of underfunding defense, the proposed 12 boats may become the biggest white elephants in defense history."

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn .

Watch: Colombia seizes 5,800 pounds of cocaine from a submarine

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