The 11+ best Centage alternatives (updated for 2024)

Key takeaways:

• Centage Planning Maestro is a budgeting and planning software for finance and accounting teams.
• Centage’s key features offer budgeting, forecasting, and planning capabilities. 
• Medium to large-scale organizations might need a Centage alternative if they’re looking for more features, a quicker onboarding process, and smoother integrations with spreadsheets and other data/workforce management tools. 

Centage Planning Maestro review

Centage Planning Maestro is a budgeting and planning software with forecasting and financial reporting capabilities.

It was designed to replace error-prone, manual tasks with built-in modeling capabilities without requiring programming or formulas. 

The solution integrates with other cloud based financial planning and accounting platforms and a company’s general ledger. Businesses can use Centage to synchronize their three financial statements (balance sheets and cash flow statements), drill down into data, and enforce their chart of accounts, and facilitate strategic decision making.

Centage Planning Maestro features & benefits

• What if/scenario analysis capabilities
• Centralized database 
• Built-in accounting rules and business logic
• Role-based access with built-in safeguards
• Tracking of overtime, premium time, and shift differentials
• Sales performance tracking
• Visual reports and web-based dashboards
• GAAP-compliant calculations

Centage limitations

Despite the features and services Centage Planning Maestros offer, it still has some limitations as a platform. 

• Long and expensive implementation process
• The onboarding process can be challenging to understand for non-technical users
• Data duplication/deletion errors can occur when integrating or updating information
• There are limited features that large-scale organizations could outgrow 
• Finance teams experience difficulty generating financial statements, models, and reports 
• Slow customer support 
• Data exporting into Microsoft Excel can have some bugs

Centage pricing

The exact prices for each plan are not listed on Centage’s website, but sources estimate that plans start at $10,000/year.

Top Centage Planning Maestro alternatives & competitors 

Based on Centage Planning Maestro reviews, some businesses need a more seamless and reliable vendor. 

Here is a list of the market's top Centage Planning Maestro alternatives. 

1. Cube

Cube is a comprehensive financial planning and analysis (FP&A) solution that helps agile businesses streamline and improve their forecasting, budgeting, and analysis processes for better decision making.

Cube provides valuable insights through robust reporting and seamless integrations with other tools like HR, CRM, ERP, and HRIS systems. 

This means that Cube improves your general planning processes (because it's easier than ever to load your numbers and rest easy that they've been reconciled) and that your specialized planning, like workforce planning, becomes significantly easier.

For example, Cube integrates with your HRIS, so you can make plans in Excel (your preferred environment) and share them with People Ops and hiring managers in Google Sheets (their preferred environment).

Unlike Centage Planning Maestro, Cube allows finance teams to work exactly where they’re familiar: spreadsheets.

The best part?

Cube natively integrates with Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, making it easy for anyone to use and adopt.

Cube has plenty of user-friendly features—after all, you already know how to use Excel! So you know how to use Cube, too.

Validations, user controls, and audit trails provide peace of mind that your data is correct, secure, and in the right place.

Features & Benefits

• Scenario Analysis: What-if analysis and multi-scenario analysis capabilities allow finance teams to adjust their models based on different scenarios, such as increased hiring or productivity lags. 
• Customizable dashboards and reports: Dashboards and reports can be customized to display different data types from various sources. This makes it easy to organize and present all the data to internal and external stakeholders.
• Integration: Integrates with various HR, accounting, sales, and business intelligence software solutions such as Salesforce and ADP. 
• Foreign currency support: Supports multiple currencies for North American companies with international customers or clients. 
• Centralized platform: All calculations are centralized into one platform for easy access and knowledge sharing across an organization's teams.
• Bidirectional Excel and Google Sheets integration: Information can easily be imported and exported from and to Excel and Google. 

Pricing

• $1,250+/month for lean finance teams
• $2,450+ /month for companies looking to scale

Check out our pricing structure if you'd prefer investing in customized plans. Our in-house implementation team onboards most customers in two weeks.

2. IBM Planning Analytics

IBM Planning Analytics is an enterprise planning and performance management vendor built on the IBM Cognos platform. It offers a comprehensive solution that enables access to data and insights from multiple sources. 

IBM Planning Analytics’ machine learning, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) enable businesses to identify patterns and trends.

Features & Benefits

• Advanced what-if analysis
• Automated workflows
• Real-time data updates
• Customizable dashboards and scorecards
• Real-time visibility into financial data

Pricing

• Explorer: $70*/user/month
• User: $150*/user/month
• Modeler: $225*/user/month

3. Oracle Cloud EPM

Oracle Cloud EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) is a suite of cloud-based products that allow businesses to manage their financial planning, budgeting processes, and forecasting processes.

Organizations can improve collaboration between departments, streamline data collection, and identify opportunities for enterprise-wide cost savings. 

Oracle Cloud EPM provides predictive analytics capabilities that enable organizations to aid decision making based on predictive models.

Features & Benefits

• Connected planning and budgeting
• Risk assessment and response
• Automated consolidation and close
• Profitability analysis
• Dashboard  monitoring and reporting

Pricing

Oracle Cloud EPM does not list prices on its website.

Sources say it’s $250 per user per month for EPM standard and $500 per user per month for EPM enterprise.

4. SAP Analytics Cloud

SAP Analytics Cloud is a comprehensive business intelligence and data visualization platform that provides finance teams with insights into their agile business operations.

It integrates Microsoft SQL, Salesforce, and other data sources to provide users with capabilities such as ad hoc reports, planning and forecasting, predictive analytics, digital boardroom management, and KPI monitoring.

Features & Benefits

• Real-time data access and visualization
• Predictive analytics
• Customizable dashboards
• Automated insights and alerts
• Data Integration

Pricing

SAP Analytics Cloud offers a 30-day free trial with two levels of pricing. 

• Business: $36 per user/month
• Enterprise: Request for custom pricing

5. Prophix

Prophix is a corporate performance management platform that enables companies to track and manage their financial data.

It offers a comprehensive suite of planning, budgeting, forecasting, data analysis, and reporting tools.

Prophix provides native integrations with ERP, CRM, and analytics platforms.

Features & Benefits

• Automated budgeting processes and forecasting
• Security and compliance
• Task management
• Scenario planning
• Third-party integrations

Pricing

Prophix's pricing is not publicly available, but sources say it matches the industry average.

6. Planful

Planful is a cloud-based financial modeling vendor that provides data for agile planning, budgeting, consolidation, analytics, performance analysis, and reporting automation.

It enables finance teams to collaborate on budgets and strategically manage their company's finances.

Features & Benefits

• Real-time financial planning and forecasting
• Scenario planning
• Customizable dashboards
• Acts as a single, central hub for all the software used within the organization

Pricing

Planful does not publicly share its pricing information. But, sources indicate that it is one of the more costly options.

Like many other business budgeting software solutions, Planful's implementation process is done by a third-party provider, so factor that into your cost.

Also read: Anaplan vs Adaptive vs Planful vs Vena vs Datarails vs Cube

7. Workday Adaptive Planning

Workday Adaptive Planning (sometimes called Adaptive Insights) is a cloud-based planning and analysis tool that offers real-time insights into agile business performance.

It caters to large enterprises.

Workday Adaptive Planning can be used for budgeting processes, forecasting, resource planning, reporting & analytics, sales planning & execution, expense management & profitability analysis.

It integrates with other systems such as ERP, salesforce automation (SFA), customer relationship management (CRM), etc. 

Features & Benefits

• Budgeting, business planning, and forecasting
• Real-time analytics and visibility into financial data
• Data integration capabilities
• KPI monitoring
• Roadmapping and idea management 

Pricing

Pricing information for Workday Adaptive Planning isn't provided on its website, but sources suggest that it starts at $15,000, depending on the business size.

8. Anaplan

Anaplan is a cloud-based software organization that provides businesses such as financial institutions with tools to manage and analyze their data.

The platform enables companies to streamline processes, maximize data visibility, and generate insights.

It provides flexible modeling capabilities which finance teams can use to create financial, operational, and sales plans that account for numerous variables. 

Features & Benefits

• Real-time forecasting and scenario planning
• Data import/export capabilities
• Automated insights and visualizations
• Third-party integration
• Predictive analysis

Pricing

Anaplan's pricing plans come in three tiers - Basic, Professional, and Enterprise. While exact figures aren't listed, industry sources suggest that the cost can range from $30,000 to $50,000.

9. Vena Solutions

Vena Solutions is a cloud-based financial planning and analysis platform that helps finance teams analyze their company's financial health and financial performance across multiple departments, identify trends and anomalies, manage budgets and forecasts, and generate interactive reports.

Companies can conduct annual budgeting and ongoing performance analysis monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

Features & Benefits

• Automation and workflow management
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Automated data collection and integration
• Forecasting and budgeting processes
• KPI tracking and benchmarking

Pricing

Vena Solutions keeps its pricing details confidential, but, according to sources, it costs more than the market average.

10. Board

Board is a business intelligence and planning platform that leverages machine learning capabilities and predictive analytics to create financial analysis models.

It offers simulation capabilities so users can test various scenarios and see how they could impact the business. Board also has user friendly features and enables users to collaborate with other team members in real time.

Features & Benefits

• Forecasting and budgeting
• Comprehensive reporting features
• Customizable dashboards
• Task management 
• Extended planning for sales, finance, and HR

Pricing

Board's pricing is determined by the company's size, the licenses required, and any custom needs.

However, sources report that Board costs less than the average market price.

11. Solver

Solver is a hybrid corporate performance management (CPM) vendor based on the Microsoft platform.

Solver can be deployed in the cloud or on-premise and caters to organizations of all sizes. Solver integrates with several Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, enabling finance teams to access up-to-date real-time reports and data warehouse-based reporting.

It also provides both multi-organization and multi-currency reporting.

Features & Benefits

• Budgeting, forecasting, and modeling 
• Accessible through web and mobile interface
• Microsoft Power BI integration for visualizations 
• Comprehensive library of templates and tutorials
• Collaborative workspace

Pricing

According to various reviews, Solver has a starting price of $6,888 per year.

Conclusion: choose the best Centage Planning Maestro alternative

While Centage Planning Maestro can be a helpful budgeting and planning tool for small organizations, medium to larger-scale companies may need more extensive features and integration opportunities. 

If you’re looking for a tool with: 

• Better data analysis, processing, and visualization tools,
• Easy collaboration opportunities across finance, accounting, HR, sales, and more systems,
• Quicker onboarding and implementation, and 
• Slick customizable UI and reporting features

…then look no further than Cube. This next-generation platform handles integrating, organizing, and managing financial data.

It makes performing complex analyses easy and provides a clear understanding of the financial health of your business for more strategic decision making. 

Set yourself up for growth this year.