FREEDOM251

Freedom251 › Business Operations

Free and open first

Best Innovation software in 2026

Innovation software helps capture ideas, run evaluation workflows, manage innovation portfolios and challenges, connect listed integrations, and handle deployment. This guide is for people comparing tools on a budget.

  1. 1

    IdeaGist

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4

    IdeaGist brings idea management and community features together with an incubation process for early-stage work.

    7.5 Free plan · paid from $9.99/mo Visit site
  2. 2

    Ideanote

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+2

    Ideanote brings idea collection, AI tools, workflow automation and reporting into one workspace. Review the free-plan limits and hosting options against your team's requirements.

    7.4 Free plan · paid from $6/user/mo (annual) Visit site
  3. 3

    Innovation Cloud

    Free plan APILinuxMac+3

    Innovation Cloud combines structured project workflows, idea capture, and portfolio analytics. Its listed plans vary by user count, idea allowance, and storage.

    7.3 Free plan · 30-day trial Visit site
  4. 4

    Planforge

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+5

    Planforge brings project execution and portfolio planning together, with resource views, scenario comparisons, and a range of listed integrations.

    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  5. 5

    Orchidea

    Free plan AndroidiPhoneWeb

    Orchidea combines idea collection and collaboration with evaluation and analytics, across web and native mobile apps.

    7.0 Free plan · paid from $695/mo Visit site
  6. 6

    Sideways 6

    Free plan APIWeb

    Choose Sideways 6 if your company wants structured employee idea campaigns, collaboration, and review, especially within Microsoft Teams.

    6.7 Free plan · paid from $3/user/mo · 14-day trial Visit site
  7. 7

    Brightidea

    Free trial AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Brightidea covers idea collection through program workflows, with several participation channels and integration options.

    6.6 Pricing on request Visit site
  8. 8

    HYPE Boards

    Free plan AndroidiPhoneWeb
    6.3 Free plan · paid from $79/mo (annual) · 14-day trial Visit site
  9. 9

    Hives.co

    Paid AndroidiPhoneWeb

    Choose Hives.co if your organisation needs structured idea evaluation, contributor updates and ways to collect input through mobile devices and workplace tools.

    5.8 From $795/mo (annual) Visit site
  10. 10

    IdeaScale

    Free trial Web

    IdeaScale covers idea intake through planning, implementation, and trend analysis, with reporting and AI tools along the way.

    5.8 Pricing on request Visit site
  11. 11

    innoCentrum Enterprise

    Paid APISelf-hostedWeb

    innoCentrum Enterprise combines idea collection, evaluation workflows, and reward management, with SaaS and on-premises deployment options.

    5.6 From $1.25/user/mo Visit site
  12. 12

    Planview AdaptiveWork

    by Planview AdaptiveWork
    Paid AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    AdaptiveWork brings portfolio planning, delivery tracking, analytics, and financial management into one product.

    5.5 Pricing on request Visit site
  13. 13

    Traction

    Free trial APIWeb

    Traction combines innovation workflows with AI scouting, research reports, and enterprise administration.

    5.5 From $4,000/user/yr · 14-day trial Visit site
  14. 14

    Qmarkets

    Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted+2

    Qmarkets covers idea programs, strategic innovation, and portfolio work with configurable processes and hosting.

    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  15. 15

    Exago

    Paid Web

    Consider Exago if your organization needs a configurable web platform to collect and advance ideas, with analytics, onboarding, and support included.

    5.3 Pricing on request Visit site
  16. 16

    Wazoku Platform

    Paid APIWeb

    Wazoku Platform focuses on structured innovation programs, from idea submission through evaluation and portfolio oversight.

    5.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  17. 17

    Accolade

    Paid Web
    4.6 Pricing on request Visit site
  18. 18

    Innovation Framework Ideas

    Paid Web
    4.1 Pricing on request Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

Compare free plans, trial terms and paid starting prices. Check supported platforms, the workflows you need, integration options and deployment requirements. If you need to read or change code, check the licence.

Questions

Is free innovation software available?

Yes. HYPE Boards, IdeaGist, Ideanote, Innovation Cloud and Orchidea list free plans.

Which tools offer free trials?

Brightidea and IdeaScale list free trials. HYPE Boards lists a 14-day trial, and Innovation Cloud lists a 30-day trial.

What is the lowest listed starting price?

innoCentrum Enterprise lists pricing from $1.25 per user per month. Ideanote starts at $6 per user per month on annual billing.

Which platforms can these tools use?

Platform options represented in the list are web, API, iOS, Android, self-hosted and Windows.

Do tools list pricing on request?

Accolade, Brightidea, Exago, IdeaScale and Innovation Framework Ideas list pricing on request.

More in Business Operations