Anaplan vs. SAP Analytics Cloud

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Anaplan
Score 8.7 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Anaplan is a scenario planning and analysis platform designed to optimize decision-making in complex business environments so that enterprises can outpace their competition and the market. By building connections and collaboration across organizational silos, the Anaplan platform surfaces key insights.N/A
SAP Analytics Cloud
Score 8.4 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
AnaplanSAP Analytics Cloud
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
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
AnaplanSAP Analytics Cloud
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional DetailsGet started on your 30-day trial with SAP Analytics Cloud, supporting analytics enterprise-wide. Extend it up to 90 days if you want to.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AnaplanSAP Analytics Cloud
Considered Both Products
Anaplan
Chose Anaplan
- Flexibility & connected planning across all the functions of the organization
- Business owned tool
- Easy to acquire skills to maintain & enhance the application
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan and these other tools are very similar. I cannot say that I selected Anaplan over them as I have worked with and been involved with setting up a number of tools for clients. They all have their advantages and Anaplan is a very strong tool in the cloud planning space.
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan system/structure is not a far departure from Microsoft Excel which many people are most familiar with - this allowed for an easy transition during our first implementation as well as onboarding new users. Anaplan presents itself in a somewhat familiar structure while …
Chose Anaplan
We selected Anaplan because of the breadth of their vision and their approach to tackle "planning" of all kinds and integrate planning processes into a true Connected Planning ecosystem. We found that their flexibility and ease of use ultimately provided a better avenue to …
Chose Anaplan
Ease of use, intuitive design, business user friendly, quick implementation time
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan has a clear advantage comparing to Excel when it comes to complex planning and forecasting, especially for bigger companies. Anaplan can perform much smoother but still is giving the same amount of flexibility.

SAC is much more analytical comparing to Anaplan. SAC can …
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan's UX and calculation engine tend to perform better. Regarding the UX, Anaplan's is very customizable and end-user-friendly. Some of the other solutions' UX looks very dated. Regarding the calculation engine, when an input is made in Anaplan it will calculate real-time …
Chose Anaplan
Flexibility in modeling capability sets Anaplan apart from other competitors. You are tied to cookie cutter solution, which needed to be customized for others. Once customized, it does not change as business changes. It requires them to come in and changes. We needed a …
Chose Anaplan
I have used all of the above tools in previous companies. I have seen the limitations and what makes each tool shine. I have seen exactly why Anaplan beat the competition, and why the tool is critical for any FP&A team. From the things I mentioned previously, there is no reason …
Chose Anaplan
We ultimately picked Anaplan because it allowed us the flexibility that we needed as well as we could see how there were other use cases for the tool.
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan provided a whiteboard that allowed us to set up our unique business as we saw fit. Other programs had built-in forecasting modules that we needed to adapt to. Our company is retail but also collections so flexibility was the key when making the final decision. Plus, …
Chose Anaplan
Overall better, quicker process. Lack of space in Anaplan is a pain point as compared to Host where we have been able to keep prior years worth of data with no problem.
SAP Analytics Cloud
Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
Great integration with sap. Not good for customization.
Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
While SAP Analytics Cloud is not the most affordable tool in its category, it is capabilities and ease of integration make it more desirable.
Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
When we talk about SAP, what you are looking for is not the best price but a complete integration with the other products of the brand. But even in the same brand, their updates are more frequent and allow the addition of several improvements that are not yet found in other …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
AnaplanSAP Analytics Cloud
BI Standard Reporting
Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
7.6
213 Ratings
3% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
8.0
247 Ratings
2% above category average
Pixel Perfect reports6.57 Ratings7.9204 Ratings
Customizable dashboards8.5213 Ratings8.1242 Ratings
Report Formatting Templates7.96 Ratings7.9220 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting
Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
9.1
8 Ratings
10% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.9
257 Ratings
4% below category average
Drill-down analysis9.18 Ratings8.1248 Ratings
Formatting capabilities9.08 Ratings7.9245 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration9.08 Ratings7.9235 Ratings
Integration with R or other statistical packages00 Ratings7.8190 Ratings
Report Output and Scheduling
Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
8.5
220 Ratings
3% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
8.0
242 Ratings
3% below category average
Publish to Web8.67 Ratings8.0208 Ratings
Publish to PDF8.4218 Ratings8.2233 Ratings
Report Versioning9.2191 Ratings8.1202 Ratings
Report Delivery Scheduling7.98 Ratings7.8194 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization
Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
8.1
8 Ratings
6% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.8
250 Ratings
2% above category average
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)9.07 Ratings7.7239 Ratings
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization8.97 Ratings7.7232 Ratings
Predictive Analytics6.43 Ratings8.1236 Ratings
Pattern Recognition and Data Mining00 Ratings7.934 Ratings
Access Control and Security
Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
9.3
223 Ratings
7% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
8.2
256 Ratings
6% below category average
Multi-User Support (named login)9.18 Ratings8.1235 Ratings
Role-Based Security Model9.6223 Ratings8.1242 Ratings
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)9.18 Ratings7.9233 Ratings
Report-Level Access Control9.672 Ratings8.145 Ratings
Single Sign-On (SSO)9.18 Ratings8.6236 Ratings
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
7.7
212 Ratings
1% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
8.0
219 Ratings
3% above category average
Responsive Design for Web Access8.4203 Ratings7.9208 Ratings
Mobile Application7.7189 Ratings7.8180 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile8.0197 Ratings8.1203 Ratings
Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
9.0
321 Ratings
8% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.9
274 Ratings
5% below category average
Long-term financial planning9.3296 Ratings7.8233 Ratings
Financial budgeting9.4300 Ratings7.9239 Ratings
Forecasting9.3309 Ratings8.2246 Ratings
Scenario modeling9.2311 Ratings7.5237 Ratings
Management reporting8.0310 Ratings8.4265 Ratings
Consolidation and Close
Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
7.8
275 Ratings
2% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.7
229 Ratings
4% below category average
Financial data consolidation8.3255 Ratings7.5183 Ratings
Journal entries and reports7.5211 Ratings7.9173 Ratings
Multi-currency management7.312 Ratings7.5188 Ratings
Intercompany Eliminations7.39 Ratings7.4143 Ratings
Minority Ownership7.38 Ratings7.6129 Ratings
Local and consolidated reporting8.3244 Ratings7.9180 Ratings
Detailed Audit Trails8.5256 Ratings7.7170 Ratings
Financial Reporting and Compliance
Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
8.1
292 Ratings
0% below category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
8.0
254 Ratings
2% below category average
Financial Statement Reporting8.9271 Ratings8.0213 Ratings
Management Reporting8.2283 Ratings8.4244 Ratings
Excel-based Reporting7.8261 Ratings8.0225 Ratings
Automated board and financial reporting8.214 Ratings8.2203 Ratings
XBRL support for regulatory filing7.31 Ratings7.6114 Ratings
Analytics and Reporting
Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
9.1
312 Ratings
12% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
8.2
277 Ratings
2% above category average
Personalized dashboards8.7306 Ratings8.2270 Ratings
Color-coded scorecards9.2290 Ratings8.2255 Ratings
KPIs9.020 Ratings8.4261 Ratings
Cost and profitability analysis9.3269 Ratings8.3243 Ratings
Key Performance Indicator setting9.4280 Ratings8.4246 Ratings
Benchmarking with external data9.114 Ratings7.7206 Ratings
Integration
Comparison of Integration features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
8.5
318 Ratings
2% above category average
SAP Analytics Cloud
7.5
258 Ratings
11% below category average
Flat file integration9.3308 Ratings7.6244 Ratings
Excel data integration8.2286 Ratings7.8247 Ratings
Direct links to 3rd-party data sources8.0268 Ratings7.0226 Ratings
Best Alternatives
AnaplanSAP Analytics Cloud
Small Businesses
IBM Planning Analytics
IBM Planning Analytics
Score 8.2 out of 10
IBM Planning Analytics
IBM Planning Analytics
Score 8.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Centage
Centage
Score 9.5 out of 10
Centage
Centage
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Prophix
Prophix
Score 8.9 out of 10
Prophix
Prophix
Score 8.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
AnaplanSAP Analytics Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(335 ratings)
8.3
(298 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(35 ratings)
7.3
(7 ratings)
Usability
8.9
(62 ratings)
8.1
(219 ratings)
Availability
8.7
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
5.6
(27 ratings)
5.7
(75 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.9
(6 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
8.0
(6 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.0
(27 ratings)
2.6
(6 ratings)
Configurability
9.1
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.4
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.3
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
7.1
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
AnaplanSAP Analytics Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
Anaplan
Anaplan is great for enterprise clients that want to pursue a path of connected planning. If designed correctly, a data hub can be your central data repository which acts a shared dataset across your organization. From Marketing and Sales, to HR and Finance - Anaplan will be the one source of truth as individuals contribute to the business process.
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
Anaplan
  • Anaplan has a very fast calculation engine which is able to model across multiple dimensions in real time across huge data sets. This helps in calculating complex scenarios instantaneously
  • Easy to maintain by business teams which reduces dependency on IT teams within the organization and also on external consultants
  • Advanced Tenant controls which allows administrators to manage security and access across various models
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
Anaplan
  • I would like there to be additional visualization improvements/features for reports
  • Additional technical support resources would be great to quickly resolve bugs
  • I would like for improvements around the ability to have a lot of dimensions in a table of data and the speed around processing those calcs.
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
Anaplan
Anaplan is a very strong multi-dimensional modeling tool that provides a calculation engine to empower a complex planning process. It is fairly easy to learn for those with experience in similar tools, or excel. It forces structure and auditability that spread sheets do not have, along with extensive security capabilities
Read full review
SAP
There’s no doubt I will renew SAP Analytics Cloud. It is the most vital tool in our organization that makes it seamless to make rapid business decisions by collecting, modeling and visualizing data in real-time.
Read full review
Usability
Anaplan
Anaplan is very usable from a user perspective. Anaplan's level 1 and level 2 training courses are great resources and I highly recommend any power users of the platform consider completing both. These courses showcase, and therefore unlock an understanding of the platform which allows for quick and easy, agile, and iterative front end design
Read full review
SAP
Considering the feedback and improvements made over time, users often rate SAP Analytics Cloud's usability in the range of 7 to 9 out of 10. Positive aspects include its integration capabilities, collaborative features, and the ability to create visually appealing dashboards. Some users, however, may note a learning curve or desire additional customization options.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Anaplan
There are very few outages. Maintenance is scheduled on two or three Saturdays per month, so as not to affect businesses. When there is an outage, users are kept informed of progress to restore the platform and typically this takes no more than an hour. Anaplan customer support is very responsive if we ever have questions about platform issues
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Performance
Anaplan
Everything is calculated in memory in the cloud. It's nearly instantaneous updates when you make changes. The only time things get a little slow is when you have a massive model with very intricate calculations...but "slow" for Anaplan is not what I would call "slow" for something like Hyperion. We used to have Hyperion calcs that ran for 60 mins before you could use data. The equivalent would be 60 seconds in Anaplan.
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Anaplan
Support quality has dropped since Thoma Bravo has taken over. I think some serious re-focus needs to happen here -- part of the beauty of being in the Anaplan community was how involved you felt in it before. Before I didn't dread sending a support ticket, now I am starting to.
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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.
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In-Person Training
Anaplan
In my opinion, in-person training is always the best if you have the option to do so. This allows real-time interactions with the instructions, whereas the online training I took required me to write-down questions, email them, and wait for responses. This slows down the process, as you can imagine. That said, in-person training is an extra cost and it likely isn't needed for everyone. I would suggest selecting a small number of people to take in-person training and then having them act as mentors to the rest of your team. That way, as the rest of the team takes the online training, they have a resource to help them in real time.
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SAP
Good videos and reference material available in SAP Portal.
Read full review
Online Training
Anaplan
Anaplan training materials are clear, simple, easy to understand and to follow. Visuals are excellent. The vendor is good at updating training materials in a timely manner and encouraging users and administrators to keep coming back to Academy site for refresher courses or new feature courses. I really like their interactive diagrams
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Anaplan
The platform allows a flexible implementation mechanic to be put in place, since the possibilities and functionalities are vast and there are very few things the tool cannot do well. The solutions for the financial planning and the integrated business planning we put in place were easily adopted by the end users and their day-to-day work was made easier.
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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
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Alternatives Considered
Anaplan
Compared to OneStream and Venna Anaplan offers a more modern look and feel of the platform. It is better situated and maintained in regards of platform updates as it's a full SaaS software there are never any issues with the system version as it's always automatically up to date with no backward compatibility issues. Due to the flexible nature of the modelling engine, it is also better suited to perform larger multi-department use cases, like IBP (Integrated Business Planning)
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SAP
SAP is a product/solution that contains extra capabilities that might be considered an enhancement; SAP Analytics Cloud models are based on a huge data collection, and numerous models can be integrated. When coupled with different SAP systems, Analytics Cloud has a common dataset architecture; this software also includes improved analytics capabilities.
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Scalability
Anaplan
We have managed to leverage Anaplan for financial planning and forecasting across the business. It is now used by almost every department, with more than 50 users (but I know of companies that have hundreds of users) and still the platform is quick and reliable. It is easy to make changes to divisions and departments or add users and apply different user settings - the core part of the model is not affected and end users can continue their work without any disruption
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Anaplan
  • We've typically seen an average of 40% removal of time from processes using Anaplan an enabler
  • Though difficult to quantify, we consistently find our processes less error prone than in the past. Essentially, we've removed a previously "hidden cost" of risk due to poor data quality that was buried in our processes.
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SAP
  • In general, SAC is a comprehensive analytics platform that offers a range of capabilities for data visualization, reporting, planning, and predictive analytics. It is particularly well-suited for businesses that use SAP systems and are looking to gain insight into their data in a single, integrated platform.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Anaplan Screenshots

Screenshot of Platform: The Anaplan platform is a unified cloud-based solution that connects people, data and plans to enable complex scenario modeling.Screenshot of OpEx Planning. This is where users review revenue-target-setting goals by brand, season, and capacity all on a visual dashboard.Screenshot of Supply Planning. This visualization breaks down costs across assembly production to project profitability and align an organization's supply chain to market opportunities.Screenshot of Territory and Quota Planning. This dashboard is used to track of sales goals and quotas across territories and industries to optimize sales performance.Screenshot of Headcount Planning. Here, users can align workforce plans with strategic plans, and see where the best qualified talent resides to fit an organization’s staffing needs.Screenshot of Marketing. This interface drives efficiency across planning, and is used to budget against planned activity.