Side by side
Business Start vs PlanForge
Both stand on business plan software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose Business Start if you want web-based business planning with financial projections, scenario planning, and section guidance. The Free plan lets you use the tools without saving or PDF export; look to Starter or Pro for those capabilities, with plan capacity depending on your choice.
Visit Business StartChoose PlanForge if you need business planning materials built around live market research, with editable financial scenarios and multiple outputs. Look elsewhere if you need a full plan, financial model or PDF export on the free Starter tier, or if you need team collaboration.
Visit PlanForgeThe facts
| Business Start | PlanForge | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Starter: €19 a month | Pro: £49 a month |
| Plans published | 3 | 4 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | businessstart.eu | theplanforge.com |
| On business plan software | #17 of 39 | #13 of 39 |
Business Start: what it does well
- Includes financial projections and scenario planning.
- Provides guidance for business plan sections.
- Exports documents as PDFs on paid plans.
- Pro supports three business plans in parallel.
- Paid plans can be canceled monthly.
What to know first
- The Free plan does not save work.
- The Free plan does not export PDFs.
- Starter is limited to one business plan.
PlanForge: what it does well
- Searches five live research areas before generating plans.
- Lists 18 outputs, including a pitch deck and financial model.
- Editable three-year P&L includes three recalculating scenarios.
- Covers 130+ countries and supports 12 languages.
- Users can delete plans or their account.
What to know first
- Starter excludes the full plan, financial model and PDF export.
- Team collaboration is not available as a listed feature.
- Generated content may be inaccurate and market data needs independent verification.
Alternatives to Business Start Alternatives to PlanForge The whole list