As an FP&A professional, your goal is to drive business success. You aim to stay agile in the face of market changes, align departments with organizational objectives and strategize ways to stay competitive.
For that to happen, though, you need a clear understanding of where your business is right now—how it’s performing and how you’re measuring up to future goals. And that means having real-time visibility into your business performance.
That’s where corporate performance management (CPM) comes in. Gartner defines CPM as “an umbrella term that describes the methodologies, metrics, processes and systems used to monitor and manage the business performance of an enterprise.” And for businesses today, it’s a critical part of driving success.
Choosing the right corporate performance management software for your FP&A team, then, is just as critical. Yet the process of purchasing the right CPM software can be long and arduous, as you explore your business needs and research the solutions that will meet them.
To make it easier, we’ve started the work for you, offering a breakdown of what to look for in CPM software, and the top solutions available on the market today.
After all, as a solution most likely to be used by the FP&A teams, it makes sense that you should be the one leading the CPM software search. And we hope this gives you a good place to begin.
CPM software empowers the methodologies, metrics, processes and systems that make up corporate performance management. The best solutions deliver secure, user-friendly functionality that powers business planning processes and helps you track, manage and optimize performance by:
Connecting data sources to create a single source of truth.
Helping you build reports and dashboards that allow you to report on key performance indicators (KPIs).
Streamlining business processes and automating manual tasks and workflows across your FP&A processes.
Enabling better cross-functional collaboration and empowering workflows so teams can work better together and processes continue to stay on track.
In other words, the right software solution can make your FP&A team more agile, efficient and collaborative, while ensuring data is standardized and accurate across FP&A use cases. And crucially, CPM software gives you a better view of performance—not only financial, but operational, sales and more—so you can make more impactful business decisions.
So how do you go about choosing the right corporate performance management software for your FP&A functions? After all, every business has different needs, so every FP&A team will have different requirements when it comes to their CPM software.
Here are five tips to streamline your search and help you find the right solution for your requirements:
Even though the FP&A team may be leading the search for a CPM solution, users from other departments will probably use the software as well—including C-suite leaders, budget owners and other operational teams. With that in mind, be sure to get cross-functional leaders involved in the selection process.
Bells and whistles are meaningless if the software isn’t easy to use. In fact, a PwC report found that 88% of executives struggle to capture value from their technology investments—with 84% having trouble training talent on new technology. And according to BPM Partners, 87% of companies with other FP&A software still end up using Excel anyway. By making sure your entire team feels confident about the solution’s usability before taking the next step—and even choosing software with a familiar Excel interface—you can avoid some of these common issues.
Asking questions is a critical part of finding out if a solution is right for you. And while you’ll want to compile your own list of questions based on your business needs, here are few basic questions to get you started as you approach vendors and try to choose the best CPM software for you:
Have you helped other companies similar to ours? If so, what results have you delivered for them?
What is the typical adoption rate for your software?
What do your support, training and implementation options look like?
Send an email, take a phone call, read some marketing materials—and don’t be shy about asking your vendor questions about their company culture, strategic priorities and product outlook. After all, you always want to be sure you're partnering with the right company.
Requesting a demo—specifically one that’s tailored towards addressing your unique requirements—is a key step in the evaluation process. A demo will give you a chance to see the product in action, ask any questions you may have and build some trust in your potential partner.
By putting all these tips into action, you can begin to focus your search process and narrow down the CPM solutions to those that meet your business demands—then make a final choice from there.
To get you started, we’ve compiled an overview of the top CPM software solutions available on the market today—with their key features, pros, cons, reviews and more.
Software |
Best For |
Vena |
Businesses looking to work in a native Excel environment |
Anaplan |
Large enterprise businesses |
Cube |
Businesses looking for basic budgeting, forecasting and reporting use cases |
Datarails |
Early-stage businesses primarily looking for support with financial reporting |
Jedox |
Businesses with large datasets |
OneStream |
Businesses that want to customize |
Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (ERP) |
Businesses with an existing Oracle tech stack |
Planful |
Businesses working with a lot of data and looking for third-party services support |
Prophix |
Businesses that want some Excel functionality but aren’t looking for an Excel-native experience |
Workday Adaptive Planning |
Businesses looking for flexible reporting and with existing Workday tech stack |
Want to see how the top CPM solutions compare? Here’s how each platform rates on a variety of fronts, according to G2 reviewers.
Platform |
Overall |
Ease of Use |
Ease of Setup |
Quality of Support |
Vena |
4.6/5 |
8.7/10 |
8.2/10 |
9/10 |
Anaplan |
4.6/5 |
8.6/10 |
8.1/10 |
8.3/10 |
Cube |
4.5/5 |
9/10 |
8.8/10 |
9.2/10 |
Datarails |
4.7/5 |
8/10 |
7.8/10 |
9.5/10 |
Jedox |
4.4/5 |
8.1/10 |
7.9/10 |
8.6/10 |
OneStream |
4.6/5 |
8.6/10 |
7.9/10 |
9.2/10 |
Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (ERP) |
4.1/5 |
8/10 |
7.6/10 |
8.2/10 |
Planful |
4.3/5 |
8.1/10 |
7.2/10 |
8.3/10 |
Prophix |
4.4/5 |
8.4/10 |
7.7/10 |
8.9/10 |
Workday Adaptive Planning
|
4.3/5 |
8.1/10 |
7.3/10 |
8.1/10 |
Built with deep integrations with the Microsoft 365 suite of tools–including Excel, PowerPoint, Power Automate, Azure AI Services and Power BI—Vena empowers CPM processes across the board, from budgeting and planning to forecasting, modeling, financial consolidation and reporting.
A centralized database provides a single source of truth for all your reports and dashboards, and artificial intelligence-based assistance lets you unlock productivity, enhance decision making and extend the potential of your FP&A and operations teams.
In BARC’s Planning Survey 24—based on the world’s largest survey of planning software—Vena was the most recommended platform compared to 20 other solutions. It ranked highest for project length, customer satisfaction and product satisfaction, second in price to value and third for workflow. Vena customers also have good things to say, with G2 reviewers giving Vena a 9.1/10 for corporate performance management.
Vena has two pricing plans, with pricing available upon request.
Key Features |
Vena |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
✅ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
✅ |
Central Database |
✅ |
Integrations |
✅ |
Workflow Management |
✅ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
✅ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
✅ |
Security and Compliance |
✅ |
Easy to use, with a native Excel interface familiar to FP&A professionals.
Collaboration tools make it easy to coordinate work with the rest of your team.
It’s easy to integrate across source systems.
There can be a learning curve at first and when setting up new models.
Large data files can be slower to load.
Has a robust implementation process which requires a solid upfront plan.
Vena is ideal for FP&A teams who want to continue working in an Excel environment, but hope to expand their CPM functionality and centralize their data.
Anaplan helps connect data sources across your organization, empowering FP&A teams with streamlined processes for financial close, financial planning and financial analysis. Their HyperBlock technology also lets FP&A teams view real-time performance and forecast future outcomes for more informed decision making.
In BARC’s Planning Survey 24, Anaplan was ranked third in project length, product satisfaction and price to value, fourth in customer satisfaction and ninth in workflow. G2 reviewers, meanwhile, give Anaplan an 8.3/10 for its corporate performance management functionality.
Anaplan’s pricing isn’t publicly available.
Key Features |
Anaplan |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
❌ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
⚠️ |
Central Database |
⚠️ |
Integrations |
⚠️ |
Workflow Management |
⚠️ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
✅ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
✅ |
Security and Compliance |
✅ |
Anaplan has flexible functionality that can be applied across use cases.
The platform offers many self-serve options to end users.
It’s easy to use, with the ability to assign different levels of access.
The software can be sluggish when processing large datasets.
Integrations are limited without purchasing an add-on license for their data orchestrator tool.
Reviewers suggest prices are high compared to those of competitors.
Anaplan is best for larger organizations that can afford the higher price point and make use of the different levels of access across their team.
Cube’s spreadsheet-native FP&A platform enables corporate performance management by connecting data sources and helping teams build drag-and-drop reports, with ad hoc reporting and dashboarding capabilities available.
Cube has also recently introduced AI-driven forecasting, scenario planning and collaboration capabilities, with flexible use cases across CPM, financial analysis and financial close processes. G2 reviewers give it an 8.5/10 for its CPM functionality.
Cube pricing is not available publicly.
Key Features |
Cube |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
✅ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
✅ |
Central Database |
⚠️ |
Integrations |
⚠️ |
Workflow Management |
❌ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
⚠️ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
✅ |
Security and Compliance |
⚠️ |
The Cube platform is flexible across multiple use cases.
It has high ratings for ease of use.
It’s compatible with both Excel and Google Sheets.
Cube can be slow to load data, especially larger datasets.
Some customers report having trouble with the Excel integration.
Data visualization capabilities are limited.
Cube is best for small to mid-market businesses looking for a flexible platform with basic support for core FP&A processes such as budgeting, forecasting and reporting.
Datarails automatically consolidates data across ERP, GL, CRM and HR systems and allows users to continue working in Excel through a plug-in, while accessing more insights through real-time dashboards, visualizations and integrations with other business intelligence tools. It empowers financial consolidation, reporting and monthly close, as well as budgeting, forecasting, scenario modeling and analysis. Datarails’ AI tool helps you even dig deeper into your data.
G2 reviewers give Datarails an 8.9/10 for CPM. Pricing for the platform is not available publicly.
Key Features |
Datarails |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
⚠️ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
⚠️ |
Central Database |
✅ |
Integrations |
✅ |
Workflow Management |
⚠️ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
✅ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
⚠️ |
Security and Compliance |
⚠️ |
A Flex add-in allows users to work in an Excel interface.
The solution offers easy-to-use report creation, mapping and consolidation.
Datarails has high ratings for its customer support.
Permission management can be time consuming, according to reviewers.
It has limited workflow and collaboration features.
The Excel add-in does not allow you to access Excel’s full range of features.
Datarails is good for early-stage businesses primarily looking for support with financial reporting.
A business intelligence and corporate performance management software solution, Jedox enables real-time planning, with budgeting and forecasting capabilities and pre-built models for integrated enterprise planning. Its modeling engine allows teams to build tailored enterprise performance management solutions, while collaboration features and the embedded Jedox AI engine allow for better decision-making and automation support.
In BARC’s Planning Survey 24, Jedox ranked fifth for workflow, sixth in terms of price to value and customer satisfaction and eighth for project length and product satisfaction. G2 reviewers give Jedox an 8.3/10 for CPM.
Jedox has three different plans to choose from, though pricing is not available publicly.
Key Features |
Jedox |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
⚠️ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
✅ |
Central Database |
✅ |
Integrations |
✅ |
Workflow Management |
⚠️ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
⚠️ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
✅
|
Security and Compliance |
✅ |
Integrations are easy, allowing for the importing and exporting of diverse data.
Jedox has a central database and can handle large datasets.
Their customer support gets good customer reviews.
Many customers report a steep learning curve for new users.
Implementation can be complex and time consuming.
Creating custom reports and dashboards can be complicated.
Jedox is good for businesses who have in-house support for implementation and training and want a solution that supports large amounts of data.
An enterprise finance management platform, OneStream enables CPM by consolidating data from across sources, empowering financial close, planning and account reconciliation, and allowing for better FP&A decision-making. It offers AI and analytics functionality, while an Excel add-in allows for some consolidation of Excel spreadsheets and workbooks.
In BARC’s Planning Survey 24, OneStream ranked second for product satisfaction, customer satisfaction and workflow, but fourth for price to value and eighth for project length. G2 reviewers give it an 8.8/10 for CPM.
OneStream pricing is not available publicly.
Key Features |
OneStream |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
⚠️ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
⚠️ |
Central Database |
⚠️ |
Integrations |
⚠️ |
Workflow Management |
✅ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
✅ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
✅ |
Security and Compliance |
✅ |
OneStream offers a range of customization options.
A unified platform combines both financial and operational data.
The platform is finance owned, and the implementation team is very helpful.
There can be a learning curve for new users.
Integrations are limited.
Setting up the solution can be complicated.
OneStream is good for teams that want a finance-owned solution, but need a lot of customizations to meet their needs.
Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (ERP) empowers financial processes such as planning, budgeting, forecasting, account reconciliation, financial close and reporting. It consolidates financial and operational data to support better decision making, unifies financial management tasks and simplifies account reconciliation.
Oracle Cloud EPM also offers embedded AI and machine learning to monitor plans, forecasts and variances, with predictive planning and personalized navigation flows. G2 reviewers give the platform an 8.3/10 for CPM.
Pricing for Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (ERP) is not available publicly.
Key Features |
Oracle Cloud EPM |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
⚠️ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
✅ |
Central Database |
⚠️ |
Integrations |
✅ |
Workflow Management |
⚠️ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
✅ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
✅ |
Security and Compliance |
✅ |
Integrates especially easily with other Oracle solutions.
Oracle Smart View integrates with Microsoft Office solutions like Excel.
Offers robust security and access controls.
May require some IT involvement for implementation and administration.
Some customers find the user interface can be clunky.
It can be difficult to navigate.
Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (ERP) is good for businesses already using Oracle in other areas of the business or looking to in the future.
Planful’s financial planning software automates and accelerates FP&A processes, including corporate performance management functions such as planning, budgeting and forecasting. Collaboration tools, modeling capabilities and pre-built templates help empower better decision making and more streamlined processes, while integrations to your other solutions ensure data is accessible.
The Planful Predict tool offers AI-enabled functionality designed to make it easier to find patterns and errors in the data, automate and forecast future trends. G2 users give Planful a 7.9/10 for CPM.
Planful pricing is not available publicly.
Key Features |
Planful |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
⚠️ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
✅ |
Central Database |
❌ |
Integrations |
⚠️ |
Workflow Management |
⚠️ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
⚠️ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
✅ |
Security and Compliance |
✅ |
Reviewers say Planful is easy to use.
It can work with large amounts of data.
It’s easy to personalize and customize reports.
Implementation can be complex and time consuming.
ERP data can be difficult to connect to, according to customers.
It has a fragmented platform and disconnected planning and reporting, mixing legacy database technology with a different database for dynamic planning.
Planful is best suited for FP&A teams working with large amounts of data, with IT support to help implement and manage the platform.
Prophix’s financial planning software empowers reporting and analytics, financial close, integrated business planning, forecasting, modeling, scenario planning and more. It offers real-time performance insights, centralized processes and predictive forecasting, with AI insights that let you explore self-service analytics and real-time decision making. Financial reports and dashboards help FP&A teams visualize their findings.
In BARC’s Planning Survey 24, Prophix rated fourth for project length and workflow, fifth for customer satisfaction and seventh for price to value and product satisfaction.
Prophix pricing is not available publicly.
Key Features |
Prophix |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
⚠️ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
⚠️ |
Central Database |
✅ |
Integrations |
⚠️ |
Workflow Management |
✅ |
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
✅ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
⚠️
|
Security and Compliance |
✅ |
The platform is flexible across modeling and dashboarding needs.
Prophix’s customer support gets good reviews.
It centralizes data and makes it easily accessible.
The user interface can be complicated for some.
Implementation can be time consuming and complex.
It lacks some of the formatting capabilities available in Excel.
Prophix is good for businesses with internal IT support, who want some ability to work with Excel, but aren’t looking for an Excel-native experience.
Workday Adaptive Planning’s enterprise performance management solution enables financial planning, workforce planning, operational planning, and close and consolidation processes. It connects data for better decision making and advanced data visualization—with built-in AI and machine learning solutions.
The platform offers collaboration solutions, with financial modeling, scenario planning and forecasting functionality, to let you dig deeper into the data and work across your team. G2 reviewers give it an 8/10 for CPM.
Pricing for Workday Adaptive Planning is not available publicly.
Key Features |
Workday Adaptive Planning |
Native Microsoft Excel User Interface |
❌ |
Collaboration and Sharing |
✅ |
Central Database |
⚠️ |
Integrations |
⚠️ |
Workflow Management |
⚠️
|
Forecasting |
✅ |
Scenario Modeling |
✅ |
Data Visualization |
✅ |
Embedded AI Capabilities |
✅
|
Security and Compliance |
✅ |
It offers flexible reporting and modeling functionality.
Users can create customized financial models and forecasts that adapt to unique needs.
It has integrations with Workday HCM and Core Financials.
The platform can be difficult to learn and navigate through.
Training is limited and implementations can be complex.
It can be challenging to work with large datasets.
Workday Adaptive Planning is good for businesses that want to integrate a range of reports and modeling, but have internal experts for training and implementation.
Your corporate performance management software can play a critical role in how your FP&A team operates—and, ultimately, in your business success. By empowering essential processes and adding efficiencies to your team, it fuels your business goals and keeps you ready for whatever comes next. Choosing the right CPM software is an important decision, then—one that will impact the way your FP&A team works for years to come. So, getting that choice right is just as key.
A good place to start your search is by considering the initial use cases you hope to support with the CPM solution you ultimately decide on—then putting together your future wish list of use cases from there. At that point, it’s about narrowing down the vendors that can keep up with both your current and future needs. This will help you unlock value quickly, but continue to build additional use cases when you’re ready. (Learn more about starting small and growing your CPM usage in our Guide to Successful CPM Implementation.)
We hope we’ve helped put you on the right track to making that happen. Armed with the right information to start you on that journey, we know you’ll make the best choice for your business needs.
Learn more about Vena’s corporate performance management solution. Request a demo today.