Managing, cascading, and tracking corporate strategy with paper or spreadsheets is complicated, laborious, and unscalable.
For small-scale project management, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Google Sheets may suffice. However, they do not have essential features and capabilities to meet your needs as your team grows.
You’ll have to contend with duplications, errors, delayed inputs, and poor version control (the ability to track who made specific changes).
These deficiencies make collaboration and data analysis difficult and sometimes impossible.
In cases where you can run some analysis, you’ll most likely end up with inaccurate reports and insights.
Over time, the spreadsheet will become unusable, and you’ll have to create new ones every few months.
Corporate strategic planning software is a better alternative to using spreadsheets for strategy management or any serious database implementation.
These tools offer multiple use cases, seamless dashboards, and reporting functions, integration with other tools, zero-coding, ability to incorporate structured governance alongside essential spreadsheet functionality.
In this article, we’ll examine the 15 best Excel alternatives for strategy management, providing their main features and pricing.
1. Kippy
Kippy is a well-thought-out cloud-based software for many use cases, including strategy execution or management; KPIs, OKRs & project management; and HR appraisals.
When choosing any strategy or project management software, two primary factors to consider are the speed you can get started and how easy it is to set up.
Kippy ticks these two boxes well. It’s extremely easy to set up and use and requires little to zero coding for most use cases.
One key feature that sets Kippy apart from its competitors is its AI-driven KPI suggestions. You can set up strategies and KPIs to track them in minutes.
Monitor progress with intuitive dashboards and report templates on Kippy and gain valuable insights on performance towards macro and micro goals.
Another quality of Kippy is its ability to grow with you. Whether you’re a team of 5 or 5,000 and above, its output and performance remain the same.
More importantly, Kippy is cost-effective, which makes it suitable for all kinds of organizations looking to keep strategy at the heart of everything they do.
Key features
Task management
Strategy management
Team collaboration
AI strategy consultant for AI-driven KPI suggestions
Objective setting
KPI tracking
OKRs
Multiple languages
Voice control
Automated alerts
Role-based access control
Auditing and governance
Built-in chat
Bulk import
APIs and adapters to connect with other apps
Real-time updates
Live dashboards
Task management
HR performance management
Risk management
Pricing
It has a free version
Free Trial
Starts at $4.00 monthly per user
You may also like: Kippy Customer Case Study: GRI Tires
2. Cascade Strategy
Cascade Strategy is a SaaS-integrated strategy execution platform. Its use cases include strategic planning, OKRs, portfolio management, and transformation strategy.
You can quickly get started with Cascade using its numerous templates that you can customize to your needs.
Key features
Connect to other platforms with over 1,000+ integrations
Gauge performance with dashboards and report
Track and align dependencies
Delegate goals
Goal deck
KPIs and OKRs
Cascade maps
Projects
Metrics library
Permissions and user roles
Pricing
Has a free tier for up to four users
Premium starts at $24 per month per user for up to 25 users. There’s a free trial to test-run the premium features
Larger teams will need to contact the sales team for a price quote
3. ClearPoint Strategy
ClearPoint Strategy is an encompassing solution for strategic planning and organizational alignment. It also has critical project management features to assist you in linking your company projects to strategy.
It’s easy to create reports and live dashboards. However, there’s limited customization, especially for graph creation and reporting.
One of the strongest attributes of ClearPoint is the resources available to you to transition from a measured initial use to other possibilities.
Key features
Collaboration
OKRs and KPIs
Dashboards
Ad hoc analysis
Report exporting
Integrate with numerous data sources
Project management
Advanced analytics and automated evaluations
Real-time notifications
Custom reports
Microsoft Teams integration
Reminders and on-page discussions
Pricing
ClearPoint Strategy has no fixed pricing like per-user or usage fees.
Every company’s payment structure is different, depending on the number of users and the functionality you need.
You may also like: Implementing Corporate Strategy (Complete Process Overview)
4. Lucid Software
Lucid Software is another alternative to Excel or other spreadsheet programs. Lucid provides a suite of solutions (Lucidchart, Lucidspark, and Lucidscale) geared towards visual collaboration.
In particular, you can use Lucidchart to improve processes, optimize organizations, visualize technical teams, and create strategy maps.
Key features
Business process maps
Map data flows
Plan and organize scrum teams
User flows
Data import
Integrations and two-way sync
Real-time or asynchronous collaboration
Voting on ideas
Pricing
Pricing for all the products in the suite is not available on the Lucid website. You’ll have to contact sales to get a quote.
Pricing for Lucidchart starts at $119.40 per year for the Individual tier, $108 per person per year for Teams, and $219 per person per year for the Enterprise tier.
5. Wrike
Wrike is primarily a comprehensive project and resource management tool and, secondarily, a collaborative work management tool.
It is a versatile tool with many application areas like marketing, information technology & engineering, operations, professional services, and more.
Key features
400+ integrations
Automated workflows
Dashboards
Proofing
Project resource planning
Custom item types
Gantt charts
Cross-tagging across multiple streams
Kanban boards
Mobile and desktop apps
File attachment and storage
Personal task and project history
Data visualization tools
Real-time reports
Pricing
Has a free plan for a single user
Premium starts at $9.80 per user per month for the Team tier and $24.80 for the Business tier. Max of 25 users under the Team tier and no more than 200 users on the Business plan.
You’ll need the Enterprise or Pinnacle plan for above 200 users.
6. Hive
Hive is a strategic planning and project management tool with multiple use cases and workflows. Other popular workflows on Hive include company goal tracking, resource management, time tracking, client engagement, cross-company collaboration, and project planning.
While Hive also has an AI tool, HiveMind, you can primarily use it for brainstorming ideas, jumpstarting creative ideas, editing content, and translations.
Key features
Tasks and sub-task management
Project templates
Custom dashboards & analytics
Project summary and Kanban views
Automatic and manual time tracking
Task priorities
Collaborative and private notes
Hive Calendar
Team news board
Pricing
Has a free tier for up to 20 users
$12 per user per month for the Team plan
Enterprise plan with flexible add-ons
7. AchieveIt
AchieveIt is a tool that helps you automate project planning and execution. You can build plans, manage progress, assess project performance, focus attention on important tasks and goals, and achieve more.
You can easily connect all your plans to ensure there’s synergy across the organization. Additionally, you can automate emails to ensure you don’t miss a beat.
Key features
Unlimited plans
Automated updates and report compilation
Automated dashboard creation
Access controls and permissions
Data connectors
Benchmarking
Business plan templates
Pricing
No free plan, but you can book a free demo or ask for proof of concept
Has three premium plans: Core, Plus, and Pro. All plans include a 20-user minimum
8. MPOWR Envision
MPOWR Envision is a cloud-based strategy execution software developed by MPOWR, a provider of multiple solutions. In addition to the strategy execution platform, MPOWR also offers a coworking center, strategy consultation, and the MPOWR Community® tool.
MPOWR Envision is strategy methodology-agnostic, which makes it suitable for organizations of all sizes.
Key features
Automated health algorithms for enhanced project tracking functions
Notifications and reminders via email
Progress notes
Individual and global KPIs
3,000+ integrations
Multiple plans
Critical Success Factors (CSF) tracking
Real-time updates
Pricing
There are no per-user fees
Premium pricing starts at $500 per month when billed annually
9. ClickUp
ClickUp presents itself as a one-stop shop for your project management needs. You can manage tasks, whiteboards, documents, dashboards, and goals with ClickUp.
You can leverage ClickUpAI to write, summarize, and edit documents and for other currently unreleased features. The downside is that you’ll have to pay for this feature separately.
Key features
Customizable tasks
Nested subtasks and checklists
ClickApps
Automated routines
Templates for different use cases
1,000+ integrations
Real-time reporting
Pricing
Free plan best for personal use
Unlimited plan at $7 monthly per user
Business plan at $12 monthly per member
Business Plus plan at $19 monthly per user
Enterprise plan; contact sales for tailor-made prices
10. Anaplan
Anaplan offers multiple solutions and software, mostly related to solving complex planning challenges. Its strategic planning software helps connect your company’s plans to people and data, making the strategic decision-making processes quick and easy.
The advantage of this tool is the ability to estimate the financial impacts of your strategic objectives. As such, the tool’s target audience is finance teams and users.
Key features
Real-time modeling
Predictive analytics
Central repository for team collaboration
Planning models
KPIs
Data integration from multiple sources
Create and test scenarios
Pricing
Contact Anaplan directly for pricing information
11. Airtable
The solutions offered by Airtable include creating custom workflows for marketing, building roadmaps for products, linking data and processes for all business operations, and more.
Its operations solutions enable you to track initiatives and quickly spot gaps and timeline conflicts.
Key features
OKRs and SLAs
Linked records
Timeline views
Calendar views
Automated workflows and alerts
Performance data audits
Multiple integrations
Real-time customizable dashboards
Pricing
Has a free plan for 1,200 records/base
Plus plan starts from $12 per user/month or $10 per month when billed annually for 5,000 records/base.
Pro plan starts at $24 per user/month or $20 when billed annually for 50,000 records/base.
Contact sales for additional power and scale
12. Any. do
Any. do is a simple tool to manage tasks, projects, work by a team, lists, reminders, and calendars all in one place. It’s more of a project management tool than a strategy management software.
You can use it to create boards and workflows to track and manage projects and collaborate with team members.
Key features
5,000+ integrations
Project management templates
1-click import
Notes
Due dates and sub-tasks
Pricing
Free for personal accounts
The Premium plan starts at $3 monthly per user, while the Teams plan starts at $5 monthly per user.
You can start a free trial without a credit card.
13. Jedox
Jedox touts itself as the “world’s most adaptable planning and performance management platform.” You can use the cloud-based app for integrated business planning, financial planning and analysis, sales performance management, and more.
Integrated planning ensures all teams are united toward the company’s strategic goals.
Key features
Data integration from multiple internal and external sources
Jedox AIssisted Planning™ for predictive forecasting and planning
High-level summaries
Detailed analytics
Automated standard reports
Self-service reporting
KPIs and ROIs
Automated notifications
Comment functionality
Pricing
No free plan
No free trial
Four premium plans: Essential, Business, Professional, and Performance. You’ll need to contact the sales team to get a quote for your peculiar needs.
14. Workday Adaptive Planning
Workday Adaptive Planning by Workday is a strategic planning software for faster innovation.
The key capabilities of this software include capacity planning, portfolio planning, and budgeting, spend modeling, and self-service reporting.
Key features
AI and machine-driven insights for informed strategic decisions
Project dependencies and constraints
Connect with data from multiple sources (ERP, HR, CRM, and PSA)
Flexible driver-based models
Built-in rules engine
Custom capacity plans
Monitor projects in real time
Unlimited what-if scenario analysis
No-code modeling
Pricing
Free trial available for 30 days
Price not available on the website.
15. Betterworks
Betterworks is a performance management software tailored primarily for increasing employee engagement and manager efficiency.
Its Goal & OKR component helps you foster strategic alignment across the organization so employees can focus on important goals.
Key features
Easy self-service implementation
Multiple integrations with external tools like Gmail and Slack
HR and manager insights
Feedback and recognition
APIs
Localization
1:1 Meetings
Real-time employee feedback
Pricing
Betterworks Go, for small businesses with 5-1000 employees, is priced at $7 monthly per user (when billed annually).
Mid-market plan for businesses with 1000-5000 employees. Price is unavailable
Enterprise plan for businesses with 5,000+ employees. Contact Betterworks for price information suitable to your business.
Takeaway: Ditch the spreadsheets for more efficient strategy management
Strategy management with a spreadsheet program may suffice in the short term, but they’ll fail you when your team and business needs grow.
Strategy management tools like Kippy offer superior features and capabilities to encourage collaboration and drive company-wide alignment.
These tools also have powerful data analytics and reporting functions to make tracking goals seamless.
Of the 15 tools we reviewed, Kippy stands head and shoulders above the rest thanks to its superior usability, integration capabilities, collaboration features, reporting capabilities, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and customer support.
Book a free demo today to get started.