FP&A software helps finance teams plan, budget, forecast and explain variances. In 2026 the market splits into three groups: full EPM suites, dedicated FP&A platforms, and tools that run planning inside Microsoft Power BI. The right choice depends less on features than on where your data and reporting already live.
This guide compares ten tools across those three groups, with pricing model, data model, typical rollout time and who each one suits. We make accoTOOL, one of the tools on the list, and we say plainly where it is and is not the right choice.
How we grouped the tools
- EPM suites cover planning, consolidation and reporting in one platform. They are the most complete option and the biggest project.
- FP&A platforms focus on budgeting, forecasting and reporting for mid-size finance teams, usually as a separate cloud application.
- Planning in Power BI tools add data entry and planning to the Power BI reports a company already uses, so there is no second reporting platform.
Most lists only cover the first two groups. If your reporting already runs in Power BI, the third group is often the shortest path, so we include it as its own category.
FP&A software compared: the 10 tools at a glance
| Tool | Category | Pricing | Data model | Typical rollout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaplan | EPM suite | Quote | Separate platform | Months | Large, connected planning across many functions |
| Oracle EPM | EPM suite | Quote | Separate platform | Months | Oracle-centred enterprises with heavy consolidation |
| OneStream | EPM suite | Quote | Separate platform | Months | Groups that need consolidation and planning in one product |
| Jedox | EPM suite | Quote | Separate platform | Weeks to months | Mid-market to enterprise planning with Excel familiarity |
| Planful | FP&A platform | Quote | Separate platform | Weeks to months | Mid-size finance teams wanting a structured FP&A cycle |
| Cube | FP&A platform | Quote | Own data layer, works from spreadsheets | Weeks | Teams who want to keep planning in Excel or Google Sheets |
| Acterys | Planning in Power BI | Quote | Own planning model alongside Power BI | Weeks | Power BI teams that also want Excel integration and consolidation |
| Inforiver | Planning in Power BI | Quote | Works in the Power BI report | Days to weeks | Excel-like reporting and planning matrices in Power BI |
| Power ON | Planning in Power BI | Quote | Works in the Power BI report | Weeks | SQL-based writeback with room for customisation |
| accoTOOL | Planning in Power BI | From $6.7/user/month; viewers free | Uses your existing Power BI model | Days | Budgeting, master data and comments in the reports you already use |
"Quote" means the vendor does not publish a per-user price. Rollout times are typical ranges for a first planning process and vary with scope. Check current details with each vendor.
EPM suites
EPM suites are built for the full office of the CFO: planning, financial consolidation, close and statutory reporting. They bring their own data model and usually their own reporting layer. For a cost comparison with planning inside Power BI, see EPM software vs. planning in Power BI.
Anaplan · EPM suite
A connected planning platform used across finance, sales, supply chain and workforce planning. Models are built in Anaplan’s own modelling language and maintained by trained model builders.
- Good fit: large organisations that want one planning platform across many departments.
- Watch for: licence and partner costs, and the need for in-house model-building skills.
Oracle EPM · EPM suite
Oracle’s cloud EPM covers planning, consolidation, account reconciliation and narrative reporting. It is strongest where Oracle ERP is already in place.
- Good fit: enterprises with heavy consolidation and an Oracle-centred finance stack.
- Watch for: implementation scope and the time it takes to roll out every module.
OneStream · EPM suite
A unified platform for consolidation, planning, reporting and close, aimed at groups with many legal entities.
- Good fit: groups that want consolidation and planning in one product.
- Watch for: a substantial implementation and a platform your team must learn and own.
Jedox · EPM suite
A planning and performance management platform with a familiar spreadsheet-style front end and a multidimensional database underneath.
- Good fit: mid-market and enterprise teams that like working in an Excel-like interface.
- Watch for: a separate data model to keep in sync with your reporting.
FP&A platforms
FP&A platforms sit between spreadsheets and full EPM. They structure the budget and forecast cycle without the consolidation scope of an EPM suite.
Planful · FP&A platform
A cloud platform for budgeting, forecasting, consolidation and reporting, popular with mid-size finance teams.
- Good fit: teams that want a structured, repeatable FP&A cycle in one cloud application.
- Watch for: another reporting layer next to Power BI, if that is where your reporting lives.
Cube · FP&A platform
A planning tool that keeps finance working in Excel or Google Sheets while adding a central data layer and version control.
- Good fit: teams who want to keep spreadsheets as the front end.
- Watch for: planning stays in spreadsheets, so writing plans back into Power BI reports needs extra work.
Planning in Power BI
These tools run as visuals inside Power BI. Planners see actuals and plan values side by side in the report and type straight into it, and the entries are written back to a database. For companies whose reporting is already in Power BI, this avoids exporting data to a second platform and back.
Acterys · Planning in Power BI
Planning, budgeting and consolidation with Power BI and Excel front ends, backed by its own planning database.
- Good fit: Power BI teams that also want Excel integration and financial consolidation.
- Watch for: an extra application layer between your data and Power BI. Our accoTOOL vs Acterys comparison covers the trade-offs.
Inforiver · Planning in Power BI
A Power BI visual from Lumel for Excel-like reporting and planning matrices, with writeback, commenting and approvals. Lumel also co-engineered Planning in Microsoft Fabric with Microsoft; see accoTOOL vs Fabric Planning.
- Good fit: finance teams that want spreadsheet-style reporting and planning in one Power BI visual.
- Watch for: check where data is written and how writeback is licensed for your setup.
Power ON · Planning in Power BI
Writeback and planning for Power BI from insightsoftware, writing to SQL databases with room for customisation.
- Good fit: operational planning and data maintenance where customisation matters.
- Watch for: setup effort for more complex, customised scenarios.
accoTOOL · Planning in Power BI
Three visuals approved on Microsoft AppSource: accoPLANNING for budgeting, forecasting and planning; accoMASTERDATA for master data; accoCOMMENT for comments and approvals on the figures. They work on your existing Power BI model and write every entry to your own Azure SQL, Fabric or on-premise SQL Server database.
- Good fit: companies that already report in Power BI and want planning there, from $6.7 per user per month with free report viewers.
- Watch for: we are not built for statutory consolidation or complex multi-entity close. If that is your main requirement, an EPM suite is the better choice.
When accoTOOL is not the right choice
We would rather you pick the right tool than the wrong one from us. Choose an EPM suite or a dedicated FP&A platform instead if:
- Financial consolidation across many legal entities, with eliminations and currency translation, is the core requirement.
- You need statutory or regulatory reporting produced from the planning tool itself.
- Your reporting is not in Power BI and you have no plans to move it there.
- You want one vendor to own planning, close and reporting as a single platform.
How to choose FP&A software
- Start from where reporting lives. If it is Power BI, a planning tool that writes back into it removes the export and import step from every cycle.
- Count contributors, not just finance. Budget owners across the business drive licence cost. Per-user pricing and free viewers change the total a lot.
- Check the data model. A separate planning model must be kept in sync with reporting. Using your existing model avoids that.
- Ask where the data is stored. Your own database keeps plans reportable and under your governance.
- Be honest about consolidation. If you need it, budget for an EPM suite. If you do not, you may not need one.
Frequently asked questions
What is FP&A software?
Software that supports financial planning and analysis: budgeting, forecasting, scenario planning and variance analysis. It replaces or structures the spreadsheets most finance teams start with.
What is the difference between FP&A software and EPM?
EPM suites include FP&A plus consolidation, close and statutory reporting. FP&A tools focus on planning and analysis only, which usually makes them faster to roll out.
Can I do FP&A in Power BI?
Reporting and analysis, yes. Planning needs a writeback tool, because standard Power BI reports do not save user input. Tools such as accoPLANNING add a planning grid to the report and write entries to a database.
How much does FP&A software cost?
Most EPM suites and FP&A platforms price by quote. accoTOOL publishes its price: $15 per writeback user per month for 1–30 users, falling to $8 for 100+, and from $6.7 with a 12-month commitment. See pricing.
The short version
If you need consolidation and statutory reporting, shortlist the EPM suites. If you want a structured FP&A cycle outside your BI tool, look at the FP&A platforms. If your reporting already runs in Power BI and the goal is faster budgeting and forecasting, start with the planning-in-Power-BI group, and try accoTOOL free for 30 days.
