Anaplan Reviews

Name: Anaplan
Brand: Anaplan
Rating: 4.0 (28 reviews)

Vendor: Anaplan

4.0 out of 5

28 reviews
96% willing to recommend

413 followers

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What is Anaplan?

Anaplan is a cloud-based planning and performance management platform with documented use cases in finance, sales, supply chain, marketing, IT and HR. At the core of Anaplan's technology is a single hub where business users can build, deploy, maintain, and share models without coding or reliance on IT personnel.

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Anaplan is the #1 ranked solution in top Business Performance Management solutions, #4 ranked solution in top Predictive Analytics solutions, and #5 ranked solution in top Production Planning solutions. PeerSpot users give Anaplan an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. Anaplan is most commonly compared to Domo: Anaplan vs Domo. Anaplan is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 49% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 26% of all views.

Helped 849,600 peers since 2012

Featured Anaplan reviews

Antonio Flor

Lead Anaplanner at Chaucer Group

As a client developer and solutions architect, I use Anaplan for building modules and deploying logic end-to-end. I work closely with the business in an agile manner to ensure the model aligns with business needs Anaplan offers flexibility in building different options within the platform. The…

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James Myers

Founder and CEO at FP&A Strategy Consulting

Anaplan is a relatively expensive piece of software. It's definitely being applied to very complex problems, and if the price were to drop I expect it would be more broadly adopted. From a product point of view, they have launched some new reporting functionality, which is pretty basic compared to something like Power BI. What they have done to compensate for the reporting was to build native APIs into something like Power BI and Tableau, so that you can integrate your data into a reporting suite. The need to continue to develop this. There's new functionality all the time, however, some of the core functionality was lacking about three, four years ago. It's continuously getting resolved and improving, and I'm now pleased with the level of functionality, however, they need to keep going in this direction.

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Harish Bysani

Manager Cloud EPM at EY

* The sizing can be improved. * Need more subsets for Versions and Time. * Reporting can be vastly improved. Right now, if we build a module using 3 versions, 100 GL Accounts, 25 Cost Centers, and 13 periods (12 months + 1 Year), the sizing of the model calculated would be 3*100*25*13 = 97500, irrespective of the data present in the module. I mean, even if you have only 1000 cells with data out of those 97500 cells, and the remaining cells are null, still the sizing is calculated for all the 97500 cells. Further, we do not have an option of having only a few months or a few versions (Actual Forecast in module). We should either use them or not use them; if we can get a subset for the version and time, then we can reduce the sizing to some extent. In the above example, if the module was only for forecasting purposes, then the sizing could be reduced to 65000 instead 97500 by reducing the number of versions to 2 from 3. Sizing is the biggest challenge in providing solutions.

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Anaplan mindshare

Product category:

As of April 2025, the mindshare of Anaplan in the Business Performance Management category stands at 13.3%, down from 15.5% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Business Performance Management

PeerResearch reports based on Anaplan reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Business Performance Management	Apr 30, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Apr 30, 2025	Download
Comparison	Anaplan vs Oracle Hyperion	Apr 30, 2025	Download
Comparison	Anaplan vs IBM Planning Analytics	Apr 30, 2025	Download
Comparison	Anaplan vs Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud	Apr 30, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Domo	3.9	1.5%	84%	37 interviews Add to research
IBM Planning Analytics	4.2	8.7%	90%	25 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Anaplan is admired for its dashboards and Model Map, ease of integration with Salesforce, flexibility in sales forecasting models, and customization options. It provides a three-dimensional, cloud-compatible platform that supports real-time connected planning, allowing seamless collaboration and data integration. Its intuitive, user-friendly interface enables easy model building without coding. Features include machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. Users appreciate its scalability, fast in-memory calculations, and robust audit trails, enhancing operational efficiency and collaboration.

"Anaplan's connected planning feature is its most valuable aspect, allowing for seamless financial planning, HR planning, and updates."
"Anaplan offers flexibility in building different options within the platform."
"Anaplan's scalability stands out compared to other platforms, especially for scenario planning and what-if analysis."

Room for Improvement

Anaplan requires better integration capabilities, improved reporting and visualization tools, and enhanced performance for large datasets. Users express a need for more flexible graph options, improved dashboard presentation, and easier automation and connectivity with other systems. Limitations in pricing, machine learning features, and workspace sizes are also noted. Additional enhancements improving user experience, easing customization, and optimizing printing and formatting options are sought after.

"I would rate scalability between six and seven. Anaplan had issues before, but the new Polaris engine solves them, although its implementation is more challenging compared to the Classic engine."
"Anaplan could enhance its user interface by including a more user-friendly API."
"One key area of improvement is pricing."

ROI

Anaplan offers rapid ROI in sales and supply chain management, with significant personnel cost reduction and operational efficiencies. Users experience improved decision-making with better accuracy and less labor-intensive processes. The first year's ROI might be modest but increases in subsequent years as usage expands. Although some quantification challenges exist, clients notice bottom-line impacts and shrinking staff needs. Proper implementation and a long-term vision greatly enhance its value. Users report favorable outcomes when using Anaplan for financial automation and planning tasks.

Pricing

Anaplan pricing is perceived as premium, reflective of its market-leading capabilities. Entry-level costs range from $30,000 to $50,000 per year, with significant increases based on user numbers and storage needs. Administrator licenses cost substantially more than standard user licenses. Most users appreciate its value despite higher costs compared to competitor products like SAP and IBM. Licensing includes storage allocations, with additional fees for increased capacity or specific services like model optimization under certain tiers.

"The price of the solution is expensive."
"The tool’s pricing is reasonable and competitive with other solutions."
"A value-for-money product and a very reasonable price compared to competitors like SAP or IBM."

Popular Use Cases

Anaplan is primarily used for financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting in various sectors. It supports supply chain management, sales operations, and workforce planning. Users apply Anaplan for P&L, balance sheet, CapEx, and OpEx activities. Its applications span marketing, promotions, and commercial real estate development, leveraging its Excel-based interface for ease of use. Many choose Anaplan for its capabilities in supporting complex business scenarios and integrating with existing systems without requiring coding knowledge.

Service and Support

Users consistently find Anaplan's support responsive, skilled, and effective, with many satisfied even in complex situations. Technical assistance typically rates around 8 out of 10, praised for detailed analyses of intricate issues and swift response times. Anaplan provides excellent resources, such as community forums, and maintains a strong online presence for troubleshooting. However, some feel the support can occasionally take extra time due to the complexity involved in handling cases.

Deployment

Anaplan's initial setup is largely straightforward but can vary based on user needs and project complexity. Deployment time ranges from a few weeks to several months, depending on customization and market connections. Some users find setup quick with minimal IT involvement, while others experience complexity due to diverse planning methods. Training and having a skilled architect are essential to optimize model building. Agile implementation strategies are often employed to address specific business requirements efficiently.

Scalability

Anaplan demonstrates strong scalability across various industries, with organizations easily expanding usage. While storage capacity and cost may impact scalability, users find Anaplan capable of handling large-scale operations and numerous users efficiently. Proper architecture enhances its ability to scale without limits. Challenges like data center locations exist, but solutions like the Polaris engine improve performance. Many organizations employing Anaplan appreciate its flexibility and connectivity, making it suitable for diverse business needs.

Stability

Anaplan is noted for its stability, showing reliable uptime and minimal downtime. Users rarely encounter slowdowns, mostly stemming from model design rather than software faults. Financial planning exhibits high robustness, while larger datasets may challenge sustainability. Improvements are frequent, though some updates might not add user value. Reports indicate reduced manual efforts, enhanced performance, and strong managerial feedback. Stakeholders consistently rate its stability highly, with many rating it nine out of ten.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Anaplan Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

26%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Retailer

Insurance Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

University

Government

Non Profit

Real Estate/Law Firm

Media Company

Construction Company

Transportation Company

Legal Firm

Logistics Company

Performing Arts

Hospitality Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Outsourcing Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Marketing Services Firm

Compare Anaplan with alternative products

Learn more about Anaplan

With Anaplan You Can:

Accelerate revenue growth
Convert data into market opportunity
Drive higher sales performance
Gain market share
Improve customer satisfaction
See edge-to-edge across your company
Achieve business and technology goals
Become agile and resilient with continuous models and forecasts

The Anaplan Platform Is:

Flexible
Scalable
Collaborative
Secure
Multi-dimensional
Built to help businesses think ahead and rapidly adapt to change

Anaplan Benefits:

Illuminate blind spots and hidden opportunities.
Easily create a shareable, living representation of how your business actually works.
Dynamic planning allows you to continuously adapt to market changes and other changing circumstances effectively.
Information is always readily available and can be easily shared with all teams across your enterprise.
Anaplan provides intelligent decision-making. The platform gives you all the information you need to make business decisions and also gives you the ability to run several “what if” scenarios to determine which decision is best based on a large range of variables - at record speed, instead of it taking days or weeks to complete.
By using Anaplan, you can adapt to changes very quickly. You can consider all of the possible options before responding in real time.
Anaplan can be used remotely from wherever you are.
Anaplan will help your organization stay focused and on target. You can stay in control with the ability to run scenario calculations quickly and use the information to make adjustments as needed.
Anaplan provides accurate, real-time data so you don’t have to worry about the risk of bad data. In turn, this boosts shareholder confidence because Anaplan’s platform mitigates the risks associated with incorrect data.
Anaplan’s Connected Planning helps you meet regulatory requirements. All the relevant business data is held in one place, therefore making adjustments easier to implement quickly. With Connected Planning, results also have a full audit trail.

Anaplan Features:

Hyperscale computing: Anaplan eliminates the “messy middle” caused by out-of-date, siloed signals.
Integrated and dynamic signal set: This feature incorporates internal and external factors, relationships, and market context across functions which can all be seamlessly integrated.
Responsive unified system: Anaplan’s high-fidelity, responsive, and unified system for execution and accountability is reliable, accurate, and traceable.
Real-time insights: Detect signals hidden in your systems and gain insight into every asset, resource, risk, and change to help provide decision clarity.
Unlimited multi-dimensional scenarios: Anaplan helps your organization run unlimited multi-dimensional scenarios to identify ideal plans of action.
Synchronization: Using Anaplan, you can synchronize execution and readiness. Anaplan enables autonomous and coordinated in-market action by connecting headquarters to your most remote outposts.

Reviews from Real Users:

"Anaplan's in-memory calculation engine is super-fast compared to the old tools we previously used. You enter the data and everything shows up in one go.” - Sandeep A., Lead Analyst at a retailer

"This product has a very good modeling feature, and its graphical representation of visualizations has also been valuable.” - Raghavendra K., Lead Consultant at a tech services company

"Anaplan is a three-dimensional cloud platform that is good for analyzing data, visualization, integration, terrific for visibility.” - Anaplan model builder at a tech services company