IBM Planning Analytics vs. SAP Analytics Cloud

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
IBM Planning Analytics
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
IBM Planning Analytics, powered by IBM TM1®, is an integrated planning solution designed to promote collaboration across the organization and help keep pace with the speed of modern business. With its calculation engine, this enterprise performance management solution is designed to help users move beyond the limits of spreadsheets, automating the planning process to drive faster, more accurate results. Use it to unify data sources into one single repository, enabling users to build…
$825
per month 5 users
SAP Analytics Cloud
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
The SAP Analytics Cloud solution brings together analytics and planning with integration to SAP applications and access to heterogenous data sources. As the analytics and planning solution within SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP Analytics Cloud supports trusted insights and integrated planning processes enterprise-wide to help make decisions without doubt.
$36
per month per user
Pricing
IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP Analytics Cloud
Editions & Modules
Essentials
$825
per month 5 users
Standard
$1,650
per month 10 users
SAP Analytics Cloud for Business Intelligence
$36.00
per month per user
SAP Analytics Cloud for Planning
Price upon request
per month per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP Analytics Cloud
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional DetailsA 30-day trial with SAP Analytics Cloud is available, supporting analytics enterprise-wide. A trial can be extended up to 90 days on request.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP Analytics Cloud
Considered Both Products
IBM Planning Analytics
Chose IBM Planning Analytics
I am personally trying to explore the features of SAP Analytics Cloud in order to find if it's possible to integrate other sources of data and api based integrations, but I'm still on it while using the IBM planning analytics for my project currently. But looking at the intial …
Chose IBM Planning Analytics
Other options, namely Anaplan, Oracle ePm Cloud, and SAP Analytics Cloud, were also considered. Anaplan's interface lacked analytical depth. For product design metrics, flexibility was not as good in Oracle ePm Cloud. The final choice was moved by the fact that it was driven …
Chose IBM Planning Analytics
The overall tool is robust and complete in its capabilities.
It has an edge over other competitors and state of art technology.
Chose IBM Planning Analytics
Sandboxing,Integration and Flexibility
Chose IBM Planning Analytics
IBM allows to build flexible models from the scratch. IBM Planning Analytics with Watson does not include non-planning features in one package, so you don't pay for something you may not need.
Chose IBM Planning Analytics
IBM Planning Analytics was by far the most robust tool we evaluated among several top competitors. It stood out for its place in the industry to provide detailed, integrated, and aggregate integration for data governance. I was impressed with the approach from the sales team to …
SAP Analytics Cloud
Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
In the past, I did a bit of exploring of tools such as Tableau and Microsoft Power BI. However, these platforms have very good visualization capabilities, and SAP Analytics Cloud's integration with other SAP products is tightly woven and gives a very seamless experience that …
Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
Both Planning Analytics with Watson and Analytics Cloud are robust CPM tools offered by trustworthy vendors. However, unlike SAP Analytics Cloud, Planning Analytics with Watson [does] not allocate BI and CPM tools in a unified platform, it requires third-party applications …
Features
IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP Analytics Cloud
BI Standard Reporting
Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
7.6
108 Ratings
0% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.9
309 Ratings
3% below category average
Pixel Perfect reports7.495 Ratings7.6259 Ratings
Customizable dashboards7.4108 Ratings8.3301 Ratings
Report Formatting Templates7.8102 Ratings7.8277 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting
Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
7.7
114 Ratings
4% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.8
315 Ratings
3% below category average
Drill-down analysis7.9110 Ratings8.1306 Ratings
Formatting capabilities7.4112 Ratings7.6302 Ratings
Integration with R or other statistical packages7.486 Ratings7.2229 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration7.9110 Ratings8.4292 Ratings
Report Output and Scheduling
Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
8.0
108 Ratings
2% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.7
296 Ratings
6% below category average
Publish to Web7.9102 Ratings7.9253 Ratings
Publish to PDF7.9101 Ratings8.0283 Ratings
Report Versioning8.499 Ratings7.8244 Ratings
Report Delivery Scheduling7.992 Ratings7.7239 Ratings
Delivery to Remote Servers00 Ratings7.033 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization
Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
7.4
109 Ratings
4% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.8
303 Ratings
2% below category average
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)7.9109 Ratings8.0289 Ratings
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization7.0101 Ratings7.8278 Ratings
Predictive Analytics7.999 Ratings7.8278 Ratings
Pattern Recognition and Data Mining6.931 Ratings7.572 Ratings
Access Control and Security
Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
7.9
114 Ratings
8% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
8.2
311 Ratings
3% below category average
Multi-User Support (named login)8.0112 Ratings8.2285 Ratings
Role-Based Security Model7.5113 Ratings8.0294 Ratings
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.0114 Ratings8.0286 Ratings
Report-Level Access Control7.641 Ratings8.299 Ratings
Single Sign-On (SSO)8.4106 Ratings8.5291 Ratings
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
7.2
100 Ratings
5% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.5
262 Ratings
3% below category average
Responsive Design for Web Access7.596 Ratings7.5251 Ratings
Mobile Application6.961 Ratings7.0221 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile6.172 Ratings7.2247 Ratings
Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
8.7
123 Ratings
6% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
-
Ratings
Long-term financial planning8.3119 Ratings00 Ratings
Financial budgeting8.6122 Ratings00 Ratings
Forecasting9.2122 Ratings00 Ratings
Scenario modeling8.9121 Ratings00 Ratings
Management reporting8.3122 Ratings00 Ratings
Consolidation and Close
Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
8.4
114 Ratings
6% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
-
Ratings
Financial data consolidation9.2110 Ratings00 Ratings
Journal entries and reports9.1102 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-currency management8.2103 Ratings00 Ratings
Intercompany Eliminations8.2100 Ratings00 Ratings
Minority Ownership8.893 Ratings00 Ratings
Local and consolidated reporting7.3106 Ratings00 Ratings
Detailed Audit Trails7.9107 Ratings00 Ratings
Financial Reporting and Compliance
Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
8.4
115 Ratings
4% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
-
Ratings
Financial Statement Reporting8.0111 Ratings00 Ratings
Management Reporting8.6112 Ratings00 Ratings
Excel-based Reporting9.2114 Ratings00 Ratings
Automated board and financial reporting9.2104 Ratings00 Ratings
XBRL support for regulatory filing7.075 Ratings00 Ratings
Analytics and Reporting
Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
8.3
117 Ratings
3% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
-
Ratings
Personalized dashboards8.9116 Ratings00 Ratings
Color-coded scorecards7.9111 Ratings00 Ratings
KPIs8.3114 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost and profitability analysis8.0112 Ratings00 Ratings
Key Performance Indicator setting8.3112 Ratings00 Ratings
Benchmarking with external data8.283 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration
Comparison of Integration features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
8.7
115 Ratings
5% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
-
Ratings
Flat file integration8.4112 Ratings00 Ratings
Excel data integration8.9113 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct links to 3rd-party data sources8.7103 Ratings00 Ratings
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Product A and Product B
IBM Planning Analytics
-
Ratings
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.3
40 Ratings
5% below category average
REST API00 Ratings7.235 Ratings
Javascript API00 Ratings7.132 Ratings
iFrames00 Ratings7.327 Ratings
Java API00 Ratings7.327 Ratings
Themeable User Interface (UI)00 Ratings7.733 Ratings
Customizable Platform (Open Source)00 Ratings7.028 Ratings
Best Alternatives
IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP Analytics Cloud
Small Businesses

No answers on this topic

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Score 8.8 out of 10
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Score 9.5 out of 10
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Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
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Score 8.9 out of 10
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Score 9.5 out of 10
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User Ratings
IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP Analytics Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(123 ratings)
8.7
(327 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(5 ratings)
8.6
(14 ratings)
Usability
7.8
(69 ratings)
8.2
(252 ratings)
Support Rating
7.4
(93 ratings)
6.0
(70 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(7 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP Analytics Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
IBM
Very powerful modeling capabilities. It has a really good OLAP engine memory. Strong scenario planning for what if analysis. Flexibility of integration with ERPs or WM systems for both cloud and on premises. Centralized planning and alignment of governance is also a plus. Having one single system for many different functions.
Read full review
SAP
SAP Analytics Cloud is great for big companies that want advanced data analysis and planning, especially when they need to work together in real-time or when people need to access data on their phones. It's like a super tool for predicting future trends in industries like retail or finance. SAC also works well for companies that use different types of computer systems because it can easily connect them. But, for small businesses that only need basic reports or don't have a lot of technical resources, a simpler tool might be better. If a company doesn't always have a good internet connection or if they're just starting with analytics, there might be other tools that work better.
Read full review
Pros
IBM
  • Handle very large data volumes.
  • Scale to a large number of users.
  • Not having to compromise on business complexity.
  • It can be run by business users.
  • Availability of highly qualified consultants to support businesses.
  • REST API allows for an open eco system and a variety of solutions to extend the product.
  • Vast integration possibilities.
  • AI-infused engine with IBM Watson.
Read full review
SAP
  • It makes it easier yo analyse order and related records easily.
  • We can easily maintain and track the performance of employees in organisation.
  • Can easily track various aspects for the growth of an organisation thus allowing real time analysis and tracking of organisation's growth and performance.
Read full review
Cons
IBM
  • sometimes it is hard to produce pixel perfect reports from the Web UI. I know it is not made for this, but still, it'll be great
  • getting in e.g. an Excel file just by drag and drop, and the AI should "understand" what the data is all around
Read full review
SAP
  • Complexity in Data Modeling
  • SAC supports various data sources, but improvements in the ease of connecting to and integrating with certain data repositories, especially non-SAP databases, would enhance the platform's versatility and integration capabilities.
  • An offline mode for SAC could be valuable for users who need to access and analyze data without an internet connection. Additionally, optimizing performance for large datasets and complex visualizations would contribute to a smoother user experience.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
IBM
Since IBM Cognos Express is suitable only for medium data warehouse environment, we are not sure if this tool solves the long term need as the business keeps growing rapidly. So its a 50/50 ratio to renew Express license. But having said that, the components of IBM Cognos Express are also available in other Cognos BI suites like Cognos 10.x version. So we will probably upgrade our environment to IBM Cognos 10.x which comes with more new features.
Read full review
SAP
The platform has played a major role in reporting and planning. Integration with SAP S/4HANA, user-friendly dashboards, and collaborative planning capabilities that have significantly improved decision-making process. The ease of integration with non-SAP systems has been advantage overall, SAC delivers strong ROI and scope of a bit improvement is required when data is huge.
Read full review
Usability
IBM
IBM Planning Analytics is generally good in terms of functionalities. It can be used reduce time for budget planning, resource planning, demand forecasting, etc. The performance of IBM Planning Analytics is acceptable, but user interface can be improved. It would be good to see new features that allow users to customise the dashboard.
Read full review
SAP
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate 8 SAP Analytics Cloud's overall usability as a 7. SAC has a clean, modern user interface with drag-and-drop features. It is an integrated platform that combines reporting, planning, and predictive analytics in one tool. It has Real-time connectivity with SAP data sources like S/4HANA.


Self-service analytics capabilities allow non-technical users to build simple dashboards.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
IBM
No answers on this topic
SAP
I would rate SAP Analytics Cloud an 8 out of 10 for scalability. It offers a flexible, cloud-based architecture that supports expansion across departments and geographies. The platform adapts well to growing data volumes and user needs, making it a strong choice for organizations looking to scale analytics capabilities efficiently.
Read full review
Performance
IBM
No answers on this topic
SAP
I would rate SAP Analytics Cloud’s performance an 8 out of 10. Pages generally load quickly, and reports run within a reasonable time frame, even with complex datasets. Integration with other systems is smooth and doesn’t noticeably affect performance. Overall, it’s a responsive and efficient tool for business analytics. But
Read full review
Support Rating
IBM
IBM support has been very quick to respond and handle the very few issues we've had. We've had a third-party who partners with IBM to be our consulting team which has helped greatly reduce the need for us to contact IBM directly. I highly recommend researching and selecting a well-respected partner to help with an implementation as well as ongoing support as needed.
Read full review
SAP
Since the implementation stage, the support team has been very helpful and assisting. Even in the later stages, the tech team had quite a rapid response. In general, SAP has provided us with great customer support, let it be for a specific product of SAP or for integration of different modules.
Read full review
In-Person Training
IBM
No answers on this topic
SAP
Good videos and reference material available in SAP Portal.
Read full review
Online Training
IBM
No answers on this topic
SAP
it's ok
Read full review
Implementation Rating
IBM
No answers on this topic
SAP
SAC is a simple solution ad it works fine when connecting it to other SAP tools. On the other hand, connecting it to third party solutions brings difficulties when there's no previous design and the objetives are not clear. It is really important to integrate Business users from the start to provide with valuable business insights
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
IBM
As it is related to MS Excel, IBM Planning Analytics is a much more robust and complete solution for the CFO or COO in mind. Oracle Hyperion stacks up nicely against IBM Planning Analytics. However, IBM's investment in AI allows Planning Analytics users more options and speed.
Read full review
SAP
SAP Analytics Cloud vs. Microsoft Power BI:Cost: Power BI is often perceived as a cost-effective solution, especially for organizations already using Microsoft products. SAP Analytics Cloud might be seen as a higher-cost option.Integration: SAP Analytics Cloud may have an edge in integration with SAP systems, while Power BI is known for its broad integration capabilities, including seamless integration with other Microsoft tools.Usability: Power BI is often praised for its user-friendly interface and quick adoption, while SAP Analytics Cloud may be seen as offering more advanced features.
Read full review
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
IBM
No answers on this topic
SAP
unit pricing
Read full review
Scalability
IBM
No answers on this topic
SAP
I would rate SAP Analytics Cloud an 8 out of 10 for scalability. It offers a flexible, cloud-based architecture that supports expansion across departments and geographies. The platform adapts well to growing data volumes and user needs, making it a strong choice for organizations looking to scale analytics capabilities efficiently.
Read full review
Professional Services
IBM
No answers on this topic
SAP
very simple
Read full review
Return on Investment
IBM
  • Automate direct data connections to multiple data sources
  • One secured version of the the truth (for data and formulas)
  • Ability to scale to much more detailed planning with option to create predictive forecasts at detail
  • Business user friendly with powerful Excel integration
  • Very flexible and powerful modeling, can handle custom modeling needs at scale
  • Can make the same data available across finance and ops, but at the level of details and timeline that makes sense for them
Read full review
SAP
  • Many manual data manipulations and exports in Excel have been replaced by the tool, providing management with improved insight into the amount of time spent at each stage of an invoice's lifetime, allowing bottlenecks to be discovered.
  • We now have more insight into the data, and people with little technical experience can easily build stories.
Read full review
ScreenShots

IBM Planning Analytics Screenshots

Screenshot of Workflow managementScreenshot of Income statementScreenshot of Margin analysisScreenshot of Metrics managementScreenshot of Income statementScreenshot of Expense analysis