business plan software for mac

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5 Best Business Plan Software in 2022

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When you’re starting a business, developing a strong business plan will be one of the first steps you take. Your business plan will cover everything from a detailed explanation of your products or services and pricing model to at least three years of financial projections—plus much more. Therefore, whether you’re not sure how to get started or you’re just looking to make the process easier, you may want to turn to business plan software for help.

In this guide, we'll break down five of the best business plan software options—discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more—so you have all the information you need to decide which solution is right for your small business.

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The 5 best business plan software options

The right business plan software will make the process of writing your business plan much simpler. Like many business software solutions, however, there are a number of different business plan software options out there—each of which has a unique set of features, user experience, and price.

This being said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, you can explore the five top options below:

How much do you need?

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We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

1. LivePlan

Best overall business plan software.

If you want template-rich, modern-feeling business plan software, then LivePlan may be the right pick for you. LivePlan excels with their user interface, which feels updated and slick, and also offers intuitive, easy-to-use features and options.

Their step-by-step instruction will help you kick things off from the beginning, and you can take advantage of their online learning center to continue to gain business skills.

Affordable plans, including pay-as-you-go option

No long-term contracts or cancellation fee; 60-day money-back guarantee

Modern, intuitive interface; cloud-based, can be used on Mac, PC, as well as tablets

Ability to create unlimited plans in one account; over 500 customizable templates

Variety of business resources including video tutorials, step-by-step instruction, and general customer support

Limited integration options

Challenging to enter your own financial modeling projections

Can be difficult to learn

Ability to create an unlimited number of business plans on one account

More than 500 business plan templates spanning various industries

Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online

Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integrations

Ability to export your business plan to Word or PDF

Expert advice and step-by-step instruction included

Performance dashboards for tracking against budgets and sales goals

Ability to create and export a one-page pitch executive summary

Annual plan: $15 per month, billed every 12 months

Six-month plan: $18 per month, billed every six months

Pay-as-you-go plan: $20 per month, billed once every month

2. GoSmallBiz

Best for multiple business management tools in one platform.

Next on our list of the best business plan software options is GoSmallBiz, which is much more than just a business plan software. With GoSmallBiz, you have access to business continuity planning software with features that cover creating a roadmap, working through business and legal forms, building a website, and more.

In this way, GoSmallBiz is great for startups or newer businesses looking to access multiple business management tools through one platform.

Unlimited business consultation and extensive library of online resources

Multiple business tools in one software

Website consultation analysis and business assessment

Industry-specific business plan templates with emphasis on financial projections and statements

Expensive monthly cost compared to alternatives

Limited business plan features

Entire business plan can only be exported to Microsoft Word

Outdated interface

Industry-specific business plan templates with step-by-step building wizard

Ability to create financial statements and projections

Free website hosting and website builder

Customer relationship manager with integration with MailChimp

Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integrations

HR document builder

Corporate minutes writer

Business documents library

Business courses library

Unlimited business consultation

$39 per month, no contracts, free cancellation

Best for simple, fast business plan creation.

If you're looking for free business plan software, Enloop will be one of your closest options—they offer an all-inclusive seven-day free trial, no credit card required. Additionally, unlike some of the other options on our list, Enloop is strictly dedicated to business plan creation, including automated text writing, financial forecast comparisons, and a real-time performance score that tracks your progress.

This being said, if you'd prefer the most straightforward, fast, and simple way to write your business plan, Enloop will be a platform worth considering.

Simple and straightforward software, solely dedicated to business plan creation

Seven-day free trial

Automatic text generation available to streamline the writing process

Affordable plans with annual discount option

Limited additional educational resources

Only one template option

No integration options

Ability to create three business plans with customizable text, images, tables, charts, and over 100 currency symbols and formats

Includes automatic text generation for each plan section that you can then customize

Automatically generated financial statements

Includes financial performance comparison analysis (using three ratios with Detailed plan and 16 with Performance plan)

Real-time performance score to track your progress

Ability to invite users to edit (two with Detailed plan, five with Performance plan)

Pass/fail report and certificate to help you identify issues with your plan

Free plan: Seven-day free trial with no credit card required

Detailed plan: $19.95 per month or $11 per month, paid annually

Performance plan: $39.95 per month, or $24 per month, paid annually

Best for startups looking to acquire funding or find investors.

Part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan gets top marks for their user interface—it’s intuitive, easy to use, and modern. You’ll work with a step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you’d like from your business plan. It may remind you of a modern website builder, since it has drag-and-drop tools to build templates.

Moreover, for one subscription fee, you have access to all of the tools in the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, how-to guides, masterclass videos, and more. All in all, with a direct connection to Fundable, Bizplan is a top business plan software option for startups looking to acquire funding and find investors.

Subscription gives you access to all Startups.com tools

Lifetime access subscription option

User-friendly drag-and-drop business plan builder

Excellent educational resources

Connection to Fundable great for businesses looking for capital

No free trial

No templates based on industry

No mobile access

Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building

Financial command center to track all business financials in one place

Unlimited account collaborators

Ability to share business plan online with investors

Online resources including self-guided courses, masterclass videos, how-to guides, mentorship access

Unlimited software use for Fundable, Launchrock, and Startups.com

Monthly plan: $29 per month

Annual plan: $20.75 per month, billed at $249 per year

Lifetime access: $349 one-time fee

5. PlanGuru

Best for financial planning and budgeting.

Finally, for some of the strongest financial features among business plan software options, including budgeting and forecasting, you might check out PlanGuru. Whereas the other solutions we've reviewed were first and foremost focused on writing a business plan, PlanGuru is dedicated to business financial planning —providing the tools you need to create budgets, financial forecasts, reports, and more.

Therefore, if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial piece of your business planning processes, PlanGuru will certainly have the most to offer.

Extensive financial tools and detailed forecasting, budgeting, and reporting capabilities

Substantial library of resources

Cloud-based and desktop options

14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee

Expensive, especially for additional users

Only focuses on the financial aspect of business planning; no templates or tools for basic business plan writing

Difficult to use without prior financial knowledge

Cloud-based version of software, as well as locally installed Windows version (desktop version has a few more features)

Works with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Excel

Budgeting and forecasting for up to 10 years

Over 20 standard forecasting methods

Formula builder to create custom methods

Ratios and KPIs

Dashboard and reporting tools

Help guides, video tutorials, knowledgebase, and live U.S.-based customer support

14-day free trial

$99 per month (additional users $29 per month)

$899 per year (additional users $299 per year)

What to look for in business plan software

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide, which, if any, of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your business.

So, if you're trying to figure out how to choose between the various options out there, it might be helpful to compare your top choices based on the following criteria:

Features: As we've seen different business plan software solutions offer different features. You'll want to look carefully at the feature list of any software and determine what features are most important for your business needs. Do you need an extensive library of templates with detailed customization? Would you prefer software that includes an online learning center for business skills? Are you looking for a solution that combines business plan writing with other tasks? It may be useful to list out your ideal feature set, so you can compare individual software plans to that list.

Price: Although you might be able to find some free business plan software options (or at the very least, free trials), in most cases, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to access the platform you choose. Therefore, you'll want to think about what your budget is for this business tool and what type of software is most cost-effective for your needs.

User experience: User experience can vary widely among different business plan software options. You’ll find some programs that are newer or have been recently updated. Others might have the kind of interfaces that felt new years ago but are now pretty out of date—and, subsequently, make them a little harder to use. The right user experience for your needs is genuinely a matter of opinion and comfort—nevertheless, it's worth testing thoroughly testing out a platform to ensure that it can truly work for you before investing in a monthly or annual subscription.

The bottom line

There's no doubt that properly crafting your business plan is important for the future growth and success of your small business. Luckily, the right business plan software should make the process much simpler.

This being said, whether you opt for one of the best business plan software options listed here, or another platform entirely, you'll want to take the time to compare multiple solutions and ensure you choose the one that's right for your business.

As we mentioned, it can be helpful to think about the features you're looking for, your budget, and your user-experience preferences ahead of time—that way, you'll have a set of criteria in mind as you explore different solutions.

Ultimately, perhaps the best thing you can do to find the right software is to actually test out the platforms themselves—either by using a free trial or a money-back guarantee.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

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5 Best Business Plan Software For Mac of 2024

Starting a new business is an exciting venture but a well designed business plan is essential to give you the best possible chance of making it a success.

A business plan not only helps you clarify exactly how your business is going to launch (or how its going) but it’s also essential to attract investors, banking finance and attract talent on board.

In this article, we’ve looked at the best business planning software that you can use on your Mac to help you get off the ground.

In our research, we found that there’s actually not a single business planning software that offers a Mac desktop app. In fact, there are very few that even offer Windows desktop apps as almost all of them are web based.

However, the good news is we found some excellent Cloud based ones that work in any browser on a Mac and in some cases, integrate with desktop accounting software on your Mac too.

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Do You Really Need Business Plan Software?

1. liveplan, 4. planguru, 5. upmetrics, comparison table.

If you’re really on a shoestring budget, you can draw-up a business plan with word processing software or spreadsheet tools such as Excel and Numbers for Mac.

You can also use mind mapping software to help you brainstorm ideas and come up with a basic business plan.

However, using business planning software gives you a more detailed, structured approach and helps highlight your all important Unique Selling Points (USPs) better than a document or spreadsheet.

A business planner will help make it clearer what your strengths and weaknesses are and ultimately help you sell your idea more effectively.

If you’re not good with numbers, business planning software will also assist you in making financial forecasts which is something that word processing tools definitely can’t do.

However, a business planner is only as good as the data and figures you feed it. It can’t make an nonviable business idea sound viable and the effectiveness of it will of course depend on the financial estimates you give it being realistic.

With this in mind, here then are the best business planning tools that you can use on a Mac whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, seeking finance for an existing business or restructuring.

LivePlan has been around over 15 years and is one of the most widely used business planning tools available with around 1 million users.

LivePlan uses a series of over 500 templates to help you quickly get a plan started based on your industry or market.

Most recently it introduced an AI powered Live-Plan Assistant that can set the tone of your proposal such as by giving it an Academic or Professional Tone.

If you use Xero or QuickBooks, LivePlan is also integrated with them so that you can cut down on accounting admin if your business launches.

The software also features its own financials that can help you forecast and estimate profit and losses if you’re struggling to come up with figures.

Many professional business consultants use LivePlan to create business plans and the software gives you the best possible chance to sell your business idea.

You can try a live virtual tour of LivePlan to see how to works although unfortunately, there’s no free trial.

• Lender ready statements
• Over 500 templates
• AI Assistant
• Easy to follow
• Accounting software integration
• No free version or free trial

Pricing: Standard $15/m , Premium $30/m

The big attraction of Enloop for small startups is that you can use it free for seven days without any credit card. The free trial is definitely worth trying to see what it can do for you before deciding whether it’s actually worth paying for.

Enloop isn’t as glossy and slick as some of the other business planning software we’ve seen but it has got some powerful touches and even generates a lot of the proposal text for you.

Enloop can generate your financials with up to 36 month forecasts and compare your industry performance against up to 16 ratios.

The platform is easy to use and one of the few business planners that allows you to start for free before you decide whether it’s worth subscribing to a plan.

Enloop Plans start at $19.95 which is definitely reasonable compared to most other tools and allows you to share your plan with colleagues, investors and accountants.

• Free for 7 days without a credit card
• Financial forecasts up to 36 months
• Automatically generates proposal outlines
• Basic interface
• No sharing plans in the free trial version

Pricing: Free Trial / Plans start at $19.95 per month

If you want to put your business plan right out there in front of investors, then the big selling point of Bizplan is that it’s made by Startups.com. Bizplan claims to have helped raise over $500 million for startups it has helped draw-up business plans with.

Not only can you get advice from other entrepreneurs and investors but you may also be able to attract investment by putting it out through Funadable.com which connects you with investors.

The Business Plan Creator itself guides you through the planning process and has a web design style WYSIWYG style interface that’s easy to use.

There are also financial tools that give you forecasts, salary estimates, revenue projections and more.

The platform is also full of masterclass videos and tutorials giving you advice on how to make an effective business plan.

• Partnered with startups.com to help you get investment
• Slick, WYSIWYG business plan editor
• Lot of templates to choose from

Pricing: Plans start at $29/month

PlanGuru is a powerful business planning software aimed at businesses, non profits and advisors that need focus on financials and rolling forecasts.

PlanGuru can run “What If?” scenarios and forecast 3 different financial statements including income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement.

You can build an unlimited number of analysis per company, value a business and even setup a payroll.

There’s also integration with QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online, Xero and Excel accounting software.

If you’re struggling to put together a business plan, there’s also PlanGuru Launch which is a personalized service with business planning experts charged by the hour.

As you’d expect with a business planning platform on this level, pricing isn’t cheap starting at $83 per month going up to $250 per month for multi-department enterprises.

• Extremely powerful financial tools
• Suitable for multi department enterprises
• Integration with accounting software
• Free trial available
• Complex to use

Pricing: Starts at $83 per month

UpMetrics is an AI driven business planning platform with over 400 business plan templates that aims to help you formulate a business plan as quickly as possible.

UpMetrics uses AI more than any other business planning platform we’ve seen and is great for those that don’t have much confidence in their writing abilities but need a professional plan quickly.

You can choose from “Professional, Academic and Persuasive” tones so that your plan hits the right note for how you want it to sound.

The Business Plan builder guides you through putting a proposal together including clear Financial Forecasts by Month, Quarter and Year.

There’s also a Pitch Deck tool to help you sell your idea via a presentation and more effective visualizations of your plan.

The business plans created by UpMetrics are glossy and professional with minimal effort compared to some of the other tools we’ve seen. You can also invite colleagues or potential partners into the app to view and refine the finished product.

• Automates a lot of the planning with AI
• Lots of business templates
• Slick interface
• No free version or trial

Pricing: Starts at $7/month

Below is a pricing comparison of each option side-by-side to see how they differ in price.

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

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

We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our editorial guidelines and advertising disclosure .

A business plan can do a lot for your business. It can help you secure investors or other funding. It can give your company direction. It can keep your finances healthy. But, if we’re being honest, it can also be a pain to write.

Luckily, you don’t have to start from scratch or go it alone. Business plan software and services can help you craft a professional business plan, like our top choice LivePlan , which provides templates, guidance, and more.

You’ve got quite a few choices for business plan help, so we’re here to help you narrow things down. Let’s talk about the best business plan tools out there.

• LivePlan : Best overall
• BizPlanBuilder : Most user-friendly
• Wise Business Plans : Best professional service
• Business Sorter : Best for internal plans
• GoSmallBiz.com : Most extra features
• Honorable mentions

Business plan software 101

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

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LivePlan: Best overall business plan software

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

LivePlan has been our favorite business plan software for a while now, despite the stiff competition.

There’s a lot to like about LivePlan. It has pretty much all the features you could want from your business plan software. LivePlan gives you step-by-step instructions for writing your plan, helps you create financial reports, lets you compare your business’s actual financials to your plan’s goals, and much more. And if you ever need inspiration, it includes hundreds of sample business plans that can guide your writing.

LivePlan software pricing

But the best part? You get all that (and more) at a very competitive price. (You can choose from annual, six-month, or monthly billing.) While LivePlan isn’t quite the cheapest business plan builder out there, it’s not too far off either. And if comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. So there’s no risk in trying LivePlan out for yourself.

With a great balance of features and cost, LivePlan offers the best business plan solution for most businesses.

BizPlanBuilder: Most user-friendly

Need something easy to use? BizPlanBuilder fits the bill.

BizPlanBuilder doesn’t have a flashy, modern user interface―but it does have a very clear, intuitive one. You’ll be able to see your plan’s overall structure at a glance, so you can quickly navigate from your title page to your market trend section to that paragraph on your core values. And as you write, you’ll use a text editor that looks a whole lot like the word processing programs you’re already familiar with.

BizPlanBuilder software pricing

Data effective 3/13/23. At publishing time, amounts, rates, and requirements are current but are subject to change. Offers may not be available in all areas.

BizPlanBuilder also offers lots of helpful guidance for actually writing your plan. It gives you pre-written text, in which you just have to fill in relevant details. It offers explanations for what information you need to include in each section of your plan and way. It even gives you helpful tips from experts, so you’ll have all the information you need to plan like a pro.

So if you want planning software with almost no learning curve, you’ll like BizPlanBuilder.

Wise Business Plans: Best professional service

• Custom quote

Unlike all the other companies on this list, Wise Business Plans doesn’t offer software. Instead, it offers professional business plan writing services―meaning someone does all the hard work for you.

Now, you might think that sounds expensive―and you’re probably right (you have to request a custom quote for your plan). But there’s a lot to be said for expertise, and Wise Business Plans has plenty of that. Your business plan will get written by an experienced writer (with an MBA, no less). They’ll get information from you, do their own research, and then write your plan. You get one free revision, and you can always pay for more.  

Wise Business Plans service pricing

Your end result will be a polished, entirely original business plan. (You can even get printed copies.) And best of all, you won’t have to spend your precious time working on the plan yourself. Wise Business Plans takes care of all the hard parts, and makes your business look good while doing it. Sounds like a service worth paying for, right?

Put simply, if you want the most professional business plan possible, we recommend using Wise Business Plans’s writing service.

Business Sorter: Best for internal plans

Many businesses need plans to show to people outside the company (to get financing, for example). But what if you just need a plan for internal use? In that case, we suggest Business Sorter.

Business Sorter uses a unique card-based method to help you craft the perfect business plan. (You can watch a demo video to see how it works.) You’ll plan some of the usual things, like finances and marketing. But Business Sorter also lets you make plans for specific teams and team members. It also emphasizes more internal matters, like operations, that might get overlooked in a business plan for outsiders.

Business Sorter software pricing

After you’ve made your business plan, Business Sorter also helps you stay accountable to it. You can create tasks, give them deadlines, and assign them to team members―giving you basic project management tools to make sure your business plans become business actions. (Oh, and did we mention that Business Sorter has the lowest starting prices of any software on this list?)

It all adds up to a business plan software that works great for internal planning.

GoSmallBiz: Most extra features

Want to get way more than just business planning software? Then you probably want GoSmallBiz.

See, GoSmallBiz offers business plan software as part of its service―but it’s just one part of a much bigger whole. You also get everything from discounts on legal services to a website builder to a CRM (customer relationship manager) to business document templates. And more. In other words, you get just about everything you need to get your startup off the ground.

GoSmallBiz software pricing

Don’t worry though―you still get all the business planning help you need. GoSmallBiz gives you business plan templates, step-by-step instructions, and the ability to create financial projections. And if you get stuck, GoSmallBiz will put you in touch with experts who can offer advice.

If you want business planning and much, much more, give GoSmallBiz a try.

• PlanGuru : Best financial forecasting
• EnLoop : Cheapest tool for startups

We recommend the software above for most business planning needs. Some businesses, though, might be interested in these more specialized planning software.

Honorable mention software pricing

Planguru: best financial forecasting features.

PlanGuru is pretty pricey compared to our other picks, but you might find its forecasting features worth paying for. It has more forecasting methods than other software (over 20) plus it lets you forecast up to 10 years.

EnLoop: Cheapest tool for startups

EnLoop doesn’t have our favorite features or interface, but it does have really, really low pricing plus a seven-day free trial. It's the most affordable software for startup business planning and still provides all the essential features like financial analysis, team collaboration, charting, and more.

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

Several of our previous favorite planning software, including BusinessPlanPro and StratPad, seem to have gone out of business.

A business plan is a written, living document that tells the story of your business and what you plan to do with it. It serves as the source of truth for you—the business owner—as well as potential partners, employees, and investors, but it also serves as a roadmap of what you want your business to be.

Why you need a business plan

While some small-business owners don’t see the point of creating a formal business plan, it can have some concrete benefits for your business. For example, one 2016 study found that business owners with written plans are more successful than those that don’t. 1

Still too vague? Then let’s get specific.

If you ever seek business funding (from, say, banks, angel investors , or venture capitalists ), you’ll have to prove that your business deserves the money you want. A formal business plan―complete with financial data and projections―gives you a professional document you can use to make your case. (In fact, most potential investors will expect you to have a business plan ready.)

Even if you’re not seeking funding right now, a business plan can help your business. A formal plan can guide your business’s direction and decision making. It can keep your business accountable (by, for example, seeing if your business meets the financial projections you included). And a formal plan offers a great way to make sure your team stays on the same page.

What to include in your business plan

Not all business plans are created equal. To make a really useful business plan, you’ll want to include a number of elements:

• Basic information about your business
• Your products/services
• Market and industry analysis
• What makes your business competitive
• Strategies and upcoming plans
• Your team (and your team’s background)
• Current financial status
• Financial and market projections
• Executive summary

Of course, you can include more or fewer elements―whatever makes sense for your business. Just make sure your business plan is comprehensive (but not overwhelming).

How business plan software can help

With so many elements to include, business plan creation can take a while. Business plan software tries to speed things up.

Most business plan software will include prompts for each section. In some cases, you can just fill in your business’s specific information, and the software will write the text for you. In other cases, the software will give you specific guidance and examples, helping you write the text yourself.

Plus, business plan software can help you stay organized. You’ll usually get intuitive menus that let you quickly flip through sections. So rather than endlessly scrolling through a long document in a word processor, you can quickly find your way around your plan. Some software even lets you drag and drop sections to reorganize your plan.

Sounds way easier than just staring at a blank page and trying to start from scratch, right?

Choosing business plan software

To find the right business plan builder for your business, you’ll want to compare features. For example, would you rather write your own text, getting prompts and advice from your software? Or would you rather go with a fill-in-the-blank method?

Likewise, think about the elements you need. If your plan will have a heavy focus on finances, you’ll want to choose business plan software with robust financial projection features. If you care more about market and competitor analysis, look for software that can help with that research.

You may also want to find business plan software that integrates with your business accounting software . Some plan builders will import data from Xero, QuickBooks, etc. to quickly generate your financial data and projections.

And of course, you’ll want to compare prices. After all, you always want to end up with software that fits your business budget.

The right business plan software can make your life easier. With LivePlan ’s wide breadth of features and online learning tools, you can’t go wrong. Plus, BizPlanBuilder 's one-time pricing makes it easy to invest while Business Sorter has a low starting cost. And if you're business is looking to grow, GoSmallBiz and Wise Business Plans will scale with you.

But of course, different companies have different needs. So shop around until you find the software that’s best for you and your business.

Now that you've got a business plan, take a look at our checklist for starting a small business.  It can help you make sure you have everything else you need to get your startup off to a good start!

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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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The Best 7 Business Plan Software for Mac – Streamline Your Business Strategy!

• June 4, 2023

Table of Contents

In the world of business, having a well-drafted plan is critical. Business plan software helps users streamline their business strategy and create professional-grade plans that showcase their vision for their company. Business plan software is a powerful tool that can help entrepreneurs develop their ideas, pitch to investors, and track their progress. The right software can help simplify the business planning process, save time, and increase productivity.

However, with so many options available in the market, choosing the best business plan software for Mac can be a daunting task. In this post, we will introduce and compare the top 7 business plan software for Mac to help you make the right choice.

Video Tutorial:

What is business plan software.

Business plan software is an application that helps entrepreneurs create or improve their business plans. These plans typically detail a company’s overall strategy, goals, target market, competition, financial analysis, and more. Business plan software can help create professional-grade plans that showcase a company’s vision, mission, and goals. This software can help entrepreneurs get started with their business planning and provide guidance throughout the process.

Best 7 Business Plan Software for Mac Recommendation 2023

1. liveplan.

LivePlan is an award-winning business planning software that offers a step-by-step wizard to guide you through the entire process. It features easy-to-use templates, interactive forecasting tools, and a wide variety of customizable charts and graphs. You can also integrate your financial data with accounting software such as QuickBooks. LivePlan offers a 60-day money-back guarantee, making it a risk-free option for entrepreneurs.

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– Easy to use templates – Interactive forecasting tools – Compatible with QuickBooks – Live technical support available

– No free trial – Relatively expensive compared to other options – Limited customization options

Enloop is another popular business plan software that uses machine learning to assess the viability of your business plan. It offers easy-to-use templates, financial forecasting tools, and automated text writing tools. It also provides industry-specific data, such as market trends and competitor analysis. Enloop offers a free version with limited features, and paid plans with higher-end features.

– Uses machine learning to improve business plans – Offers industry-specific data – Free version available – Automated text writing tools

– Limited customization options – Limited financial forecasting tools in the free version – No technical support available in the free version

Bizplan offers a variety of business planning tools, including financial forecasting, team collaboration, and custom branding options. It also offers funding advice, with a network of investors and VC firms available to interact with. Bizplan offers a free trial period with access to all features, and paid plans are available with additional features and support.

– Custom branding options – Funding advice and investor network – Free trial available – Live chat and phone support available

– Relatively expensive compared to other options – No free version available – Limited customization options on lower-tier plans

4. StratPad

StratPad is a cloud-based business plan software that uses a step-by-step process to guide you through the planning process. It offers financial forecasting tools, team collaboration, and customized reports. StratPad also provides access to a community forum, where you can interact with other entrepreneurs and receive feedback on your plan. StratPad offers a free trial period, and paid plans are available with additional features.

– Community forum for feedback and collaboration – Customized reports – Free trial period available – Ability to export data to PDF or Excel

– Limited customization options – No 24/7 support available – No mobile app available

5. Business Plan Pro

Business Plan Pro offers a step-by-step wizard to guide users through the planning process. It provides industry-specific data, financial forecasting tools, and customizable reports. Business Plan Pro offers phone and email support, as well as a community forum for feedback and collaboration. A free trial is not available, but users can purchase the software with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

– Step-by-step planning process – Industry-specific data – Customizable reports – 60-day money-back guarantee

– No free trial available – Limited customization options – No mobile app available

6. PlanGuru

PlanGuru is a comprehensive financial forecasting tool that offers the ability to create detailed business plans. It also features a customizable dashboard that allows users to view data in real time and monitor their business performance. PlanGuru integrates with accounting software such as QuickBooks and provides a free trial for users to test out the software’s features.

– Comprehensive financial forecasting tools – Customizable dashboard – Integrates with QuickBooks – Free trial available

– Limited business planning features – Limited customization options – Does not offer support for non-financial metrics

7. GoSmallBiz

GoSmallBiz is a cloud-based tool that offers business planning features, along with numerous other tools targeted towards small business owners. It features a step-by-step planning process, financial forecasting tools, and customizable reports. GoSmallBiz also provides access to a customer support team for help with any issues or questions. GoSmallBiz offers a 30-day free trial, and paid plans are available with additional features.

– Step-by-step planning process – Numerous other tools for small business owners – Customizable reports – 30-day free trial

– Limited customization options – Relatively expensive compared to other options – No mobile app available

Comprehensive Comparison of Each Software

The table below provides a comprehensive comparison of each business plan software based on several evaluation criteria, including free trial, price, ease of use, and value for money.

Our Thoughts on Business Plan Software for Mac

Choosing the right business plan software depends on several factors, such as price, ease of use, and customization options. If you value simplicity and ease of use, LivePlan and Enloop may be good choices for you. If you’re looking for more advanced features and customization options, StratPad and PlanGuru may be better options. Finally, if you want access to a variety of other tools targeted towards small business owners, GoSmallBiz may be the right fit.

Overall, we recommend LivePlan for its user-friendly approach, interactive forecasting tools, and integration with QuickBooks. Additionally, LivePlan offers a money-back guarantee, making it a low-risk option for entrepreneurs.

FAQs About Business Plan Software

Q1: what should i include in my business plan.

A: A business plan typically includes an executive summary, company description, market analysis, competitive analysis, management and organization overview, product or service description, marketing and sales strategies, financial analysis, and funding request information.

Q2: How long does it take to create a business plan?

A: The length of time it takes to create a business plan varies depending on several factors, such as the complexity of the business, the amount of research required, and the availability of information. However, it typically takes several weeks to several months to complete a comprehensive business plan.

Q3: Can I use business plan software for a non-profit organization?

A: Yes, many business plan software options can be used for non-profit organizations, with some offering specific tools and templates tailored towards non-profits.

Q4: How much should a business plan cost?

A: The cost of a business plan can vary widely, with some plans costing as little as $10 and others costing several hundred dollars or more. The cost typically depends on the features and customization options offered by the software.

Q5: Can business plan software help me secure funding?

A: Yes, business plan software can help you create a comprehensive plan that showcases your business idea and financial projections to potential investors or lenders. However, securing funding is not guaranteed and ultimately depends on the viability and potential of your business idea.

In Conclusion

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Best business plan software of 2024

Better plan your business finances

• Best for speed
• Best general
• Best budget
• Best established
• 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.

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 full:

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.

Best business plan software for speed

1. Business Sorter

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

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 .

• ^ Back to the top

Best basic business plan software

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 .

Best general business plan software

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.

Best budget business plan software

4. 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. 

Best established business plan software

5. 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.

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 .

Best business plan software FAQs

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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