Best FP&A Software for Small Business

Anaplan is a cloud-based software platform designed for multi-dimensional data management and business planning across various sectors such as finance, sales, HR, and supply chain. Reviewers appreciate Anaplan's flexibility, its powerful calculation engine, and its ability to model complex business logic in a transparent, scalable way, as well as its user-friendly interface and real-time data updates. Reviewers noted that Anaplan requires a good amount of knowledge to use the pre-defined functions, has high license costs, a steep learning curve, and is not ideal for highly transactional use cases.

LiveFlow is a reporting tool for Google Sheets that provides real-time data and flexibility for internal processes like month-end closes and financial reporting. Reviewers like the automated, real-time data sync, the seamless integration with QuickBooks, the ability to customize reports, and the responsive support team. Reviewers noted some limitations in customization options, occasional connection issues, high pricing for some features, and challenges with complex report setup.

Workiva is a platform designed for real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously and automatically updating data across linked documents. Reviewers frequently mention the platform's real-time collaboration features, automated linking system, and the ability to centralize data and maintain real-time version control as key benefits. Reviewers experienced a steep learning curve for new users, high pricing for smaller companies, and issues with data processing speeds and initial setup complexity.

Vena is a software that integrates with Excel to streamline financial planning, reporting, and budgeting processes. Reviewers like Vena's user-friendly interface, its seamless integration with Excel, the automation of manual tasks, and the efficient customer support. Reviewers experienced issues with Vena's performance with large data sets, complex setup for new users, and limitations in certain features like data consolidation and error troubleshooting.

Acterys is a tool for organizations to automate their financial planning, reporting, and analytics within tools like Power BI and Excel. Users frequently mention the seamless integration with Power BI and Excel, the ability to automate data consolidation from multiple sources, and the write-back capabilities and customizable data models that make it highly flexible for financial and operational planning. Users experienced high consultancy fees, complexity in initial setup especially if the Power BI model isn't well structured, and a learning curve when building more advanced planning models, particularly for users unfamiliar with SQL or multidimensional structures.

IBM Planning Analytics is a tool that blends AI-driven insights with analytics for real-time analysis, forecasting, and financial consolidation. Reviewers frequently mention the product's ability to handle large, multi-dimensional datasets with zero latency, its integration with Excel, and its automation features that save time and improve efficiency. Users mentioned that the product's flexibility can lead to complexity, requiring technical expertise or consultants, and that the web interfaces can feel technical despite modernisation efforts, also the licensing cost is considered high by some users.

Datarails is a financial analysis tool that consolidates data from multiple sources, automates reporting, and integrates with Excel for ease of use. Users like Datarails for its ability to streamline financial reporting, automate data consolidation, and integrate seamlessly with Excel, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in financial management. Reviewers noted that the initial setup and data mapping can be time-consuming and complex, and the platform can be laggy when dealing with large datasets.

Board is a software solution that integrates data from multiple sources for planning, analysis, forecasting, and reporting, and also provides a platform for meeting management and document storage. Reviewers frequently mention the software's high flexibility, intuitive interface, and ability to streamline decision-making by providing a single source of truth for business performance. Users mentioned that Board can be complex to configure, especially for new users, and performance can slow down when handling very large datasets, updates occasionally require system reconfiguration, and the software can feel overwhelming for smaller teams due to its extensive features.

SAP Analytics Cloud is a platform that combines business intelligence, planning, and predictive analytics into one unified, cloud-based solution, with a focus on real-time data, interactive dashboards, and forecasting tools. Reviewers like the platform's real-time data, interactive dashboards, and forecasting tools, which make reporting faster, more accurate, and actionable, and its tight integration with the SAP ecosystem, which allows for reporting and planning to be combined in one platform. Reviewers experienced performance issues with very large datasets, as dashboards can sometimes load slowly, and advanced customization options for certain visualizations are limited compared to specialized BI tools.

Joiin is a financial software that provides a platform for compiling financials for multiple entities, offering real-time updates and seamless integration with QuickBooks Online and Xero. Reviewers like Joiin's user-friendly interface, its ability to compile financials for multiple entities, the real-time updates feature, and its seamless integration with QuickBooks Online and Xero, which enhances efficiency and streamlines workflow. Reviewers noted some limitations in Joiin's reporting functionality, such as limited chart types, issues with adjustment functionality, formatting issues in customer reports, and the need for improvement in the layout and format of reports.

Fathom is a reporting platform that automates financial reporting and provides customized and detailed reports, including forecasting and budgeting tools. Reviewers appreciate Fathom's versatility, automation features, and the ability to save templates for rolling financials monthly, with many praising its intuitive interface, visual presentation of data, and exceptional customer support. Reviewers mentioned that Fathom could be more customizable, struggles with handling and forecasting accruals, and that the process of uploading data via Excel and integrating with certain software can be complicated and time-consuming.