Business Plan Pro
Classic desktop business planning software by Palo Alto Software
Best for: Small, medium, and large enterprises
Pricing: Discontinued
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Business Plan Pro
3.2/5.0
- 3.5 Business plan samples
- 3 Financial modeling
- 3.5 Supported languages
Other Users Choose
Upmetrics
4.8/5.0
- 4.8 AI business plan generation
- 4.6 Financial modeling
- 4.7 Customization
- 4.5 Collaboration
- 4.4 Support
- 4.6 Integrations
Overview
Business Plan Pro was one of the earliest business planning software developed by Palo Alto Software. Unlike today's SaaS tools, it was a desktop-based program compatible with Windows and Mac.
The software provided structured templates, financial forecasting tools, and industry-specific guidance to help users build detailed business plans. It followed a traditional, document-heavy planning style, which was once the standard for securing investment and lending.
While Palo Alto Software has since moved to its web-based platform, LivePlan, many long-time users of Business Plan Pro can still access it if they have the original installation and activation.
However, its rigid structure and lack of collaboration make it less practical for today's fast-moving businesses.
As the tool is discontinued, you cannot purchase it for your planning needs.
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Business Plan Pro Rating
Business Plan Pro Review
Positive- 500+ sample business plans across various industries that served as a valuable reference for the users
- Step-by-step planning wizard with detailed explanations and examples that can be customized as per your plan
- Intuitive financial model that helps you create accurate financial projections without extensive calculations
- Allows you to import financial data from Excel and QuickBooks
- Allows you to export plans in Word, PDF, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Offers multiple setup options to build a complete plan, a simple plan with a financial summary, or a standalone financial plan
- Supports multiple languages, i.e. English, Spanish, French, Italian, or German
Negative- The Palo Alto team has officially discontinued the support for Business Plan Pro
- Old-school design that appears outdated compared to modern business planning tools
- Lacks real-time collaboration making team planning inefficient
- Lacks AI-driven automation and insights, which are now standard in modern business planning tools
- Steep learning curve requiring at least some knowledge of business management
- With no new updates, users may face difficulties running it on newer operating systems
- Doesn't support integration with modern accounting and CRM tools
Business Plan Pro Pricing
Pricing is amongst the many criteria you consider while choosing a business planning tool.
In terms of pricing, Business Plan Pro offered a tiered pricing model based on the product version. The tool also offered a 60-day money-back guarantee in case a user was not satisfied with the tool.
Standard plan: This version included core business planning tools, such as a step-by-step planning wizard, 500+ sample business plans, and automated financial forecasting. It also provided industry-specific guidance and export options to Word and Excel. The Standard edition was ideal for small business owners looking for a structured, investor-ready business plan without advanced financial analysis.
Premier plan: The Premier edition included everything in the Standard version, plus:
- Funding tools
- Management dashboard
- Cash flow forecasting
- Business valuation analysis
- Financial scenario testing
Standard plan
$99.95
(one time payment)
Premier plan
$159.95
(one time payment)
Price Comparison
While Business Plan Pro's one-time plans were priced reasonably, it was still a huge amount for startups and entrepreneurs on a shoestring budget. Upmetrics, on the other hand, has its monthly plans starting at just $14.
Not only does the user get access to modern planning functionality and features, but they can also cancel their subscription anytime, once their purpose is solved.
Standard
$99.95 one-time payment
Premier
$159.95 one-time payment
Features
1. Detailed business plans
Business Plan Pro provided an extensive set of templates and structured guidance to help users develop detailed business plans. Its step-by-step wizard guided entrepreneurs in strategically planning their market approach, sales, operations, and financials.
However, the design, structure, and template are too outdated for today's investors. Its document-heavy approach lacks the flexibility modern businesses require.
2. Customizable templates
The tool offered access to over 500 customizable business plan samples each representing a diverse industry. However, one had to use their built-in sample plan browser to access those plans.
3. Knowledge bank and resources
A one-time purchase of Business Plan Pro granted users access to educational resources, including:
- Hurdle: The Book on Business Planning by Tim Berry
- A 1-hour instructional video tutorial by Tim Berry
- A 9-minute getting-started guide for using the tool
- Marketing tools to analyze industry trends
While useful at the time, these resources lack depth and interactive features. Modern business planning requires collaborative tools, strategic forecasting, AI-driven insights, dashboards, and comprehensive video guides to stay relevant.
4. Exportable plans
With Business Plan Pro, users can download their plans in PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The tool also allows you to import data from Excel and QuickBooks for in-depth financial modeling.
5. Charting
This feature allows users to create visual representations of their business data, such as financial forecasts and market analyses.
It helps in illustrating key metrics and trends through charts and graphs, making your complex data more understandable.
Conclusion
With that, you now have a detailed review of Business Plan Pro. And, while the tool was highly recommendable back in the time, it no longer meets the demands of modern businesses.
In fact, even if you need it, you can no longer purchase this tool.
Upmetrics, on the other hand, is a modern business planning tool that is specifically curated for small businesses and emerging entrepreneurs.
It offers everything, i.e. business planning samples, resources, and templates, that Business Plan Pro had to offer with more features and functionality to meet the current market needs. Plus, an AI plan generator that could generate the first draft of your plan in about 10 minutes.
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Try Upmetrics NowFrequently Asked Questions
Business Plan Pro is a software used to develop comprehensive business plans and financial models for your business. It helps small and large-scale businesses with their step-by-step guide, industry templates, and detailed financial forecasting.