What do users say about Anaplan?

As a long-time implementation partner of Anaplan, I can definitely vouch for its native cloud system where it is built for ease of implementing building of models as well as intuitive and collaborative UX features which make business users understand and use Anaplan efficiently. Latest features like workflow and ADO have been incorporated which allows data management and loading in-house leading to greater data quality loaded into models and also managing tasks like approvals and automation easily. Vast customer support portal and community wherein there are new ideas as well as readily available solutions. Integration to and from Anaplan for database and well as BI tools and also custom integrations possible using API. Excellent safety and security features to ensure role as well as granular access for users can be managed. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

In the initial phase, it can be a bit tricky to get around, especially for users with new/limited experience. Essentially a planning tool, not a data and BI tool completely, so for BI features, you need to link to external tools for rich reports and charts, although the new UX provides great options. Bulk adding of users in a workspace is not possible. Lesser use of AI features for now. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Bespoke model development – With Anaplan, you can develop models that specifically address your particular planning challenges and then work with your userbase to quickly iterate on these initial designs.

Ability to integrate the planning activities of different teams – By connecting models together, you can integrate the results from different teams in your organization in a fast and robust way without needing to deal with the typical issues that result from a process of sending spreadsheets to each other.

Auditability of output results – Anaplan includes a number of features that allow you to quickly trace the output results back to discover the logic of the underlying calculations as well as what input changes have been made (including by who and when).

Efficient front end design studio – Anaplan have developed a front-end design framework that, while limiting some of your options, enables you to produce well-formatted front end screens very quickly. I feel the trade-off is net-positive given you can quickly produce, and subsequently update, many well-formatted screens in a relatively short space of time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

While the Anaplan platform provides a sandbox of customization, the flipside of this is that models can easily be constructed in a way that results in reduced performance if best practice techniques are not used. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Connected planning is where Anaplan truly shines. We've built a centralized courier demand planning model that acts as a single starting point for recruitment targets, operational planning, equipment planning, and top-down financial target comparisons. The calculation engine handles complex driver-based forecasting across multiple countries in one model. ALM with structures DEV-to-PROD deployment and data archives with cloudwork integrations gives us a disciplined, auditable cycle. After nearly 10 years on the platform, I'm still a genuine believer in what it can do for enterprise performance management Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Scenario modelling UX is the biggest gap - planners still can't fluidly compare alternative demand or supply assumptions without custom NUX page engineering. Performance under heavy multi-dimensional load is inconsistent; optimization requires deep expertise. Native reporting for downstream workstreams requires significant manual effort. There's also no automated architecture documentation, which concentrates knowledge in a small team Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I have been using Anaplan for over five years across various workstreams such as budgeting, headcount planning, open role management, regulatory, and more. I find Anaplan's ability to consolidate large quantities of data invaluable in creating single source of truth reports on an enterprise scale. It also allows me to run large scenario calculations quickly, which is essential for our operations. Anaplan's high-performance calculation engine stands out as a powerful tool that I rely on heavily. Additionally, over the last year, I have noticed significant improvements in the reporting capabilities, particularly the release of combined grids. This enhancement has been a major help as there is now a significant focus on improving the cosmetic capabilities within the tool for generating clean-formatted reports, which I truly appreciate. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find Anaplan's reporting capabilities to still be an area of weakness compared to other tools, despite the tangible improvements. The limitation in the New UX, where there is a 'six card' maximum across a dashboard, is also restrictive. Additionally, the initial setup of Anaplan requires a significant amount of time, effort, and expertise, which can be challenging. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Anaplan stands out for its flexibility, ease of use and ability to adapt to different business needs. It is user-friendly for both developers and end users, while still supporting complex planning processes. Performance is excellent, particularly with Polaris, and the Classic Engine also performs very well. ADO makes data integration straightforward, and in many cases Anaplan helps significantly reduce the time needed for planning after implementation. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Anaplan’s pricing is relatively high, and costs have continued to increase. The AI capabilities are still developing, although the roadmap looks promising. The addition of MCP capabilities would also be a great step forward and could further strengthen the platform. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Connected Planning in the True Sense:-

Anaplan empowers organizations to break down silos by enabling real-time, cross-functional planning across all business units. It’s not just about building individual use cases in finance, supply chain, sales, HR, or marketing — it’s about connecting those use cases to create a unified planning ecosystem.

When teams operate in isolation, decision-making becomes fragmented and slow. With Anaplan, data and insights flow seamlessly between functions, allowing for agile, aligned, and forward-looking decisions. For example:

Finance can instantly see the impact of Sales forecasts or Supply Chain disruptions on financial plans.

HR can align workforce planning with growth targets and territory realignments from Sales.

Operations can proactively adjust inventory based on real-time demand signals and promotional plans.

This interconnected planning environment drives not just efficiency, but strategic clarity, allowing the entire organization to pivot quickly and respond to change with confidence.

Anaplan delivers Connected Planning in the truest sense — helping businesses turn complexity into clarity, and plans into action.

Agile Development, Truly Enabled by Anaplan:-

Anaplan empowers organizations to build and evolve planning applications rapidly by embracing Agile methodology in its truest form. As a low-code platform, Anaplan allows both developers and business users to collaborate in real time, iterate quickly, and deliver value fast.

Short implementation cycles mean solutions can go live in weeks, not months.

Business users are hands-on from day one, enabling true co-creation and ownership.

The platform encourages continuous iteration, so models evolve as business needs change — not after the fact.

This makes Anaplan more than just a planning tool — it’s a dynamic platform for innovation, where teams can experiment, prototype, and refine solutions without being bogged down by heavy IT cycles.

In a world where speed, adaptability, and alignment are essential, Anaplan brings the Agile mindset to life across the enterprise.

Anaplan’s Hyperblock Engine: Speed and Scale Redefined:-

At the core of Anaplan lies its proprietary Hyperblock engine — a powerful in-memory calculation engine designed for high-speed, complex modeling at enterprise scale. Whether you're running millions of calculations, adjusting multi-dimensional scenarios, or realigning global plans, Hyperblock processes changes in real time, delivering immediate insights. Handle complex, large-scale calculations with speed and precision. Instant recalculations across massive datasets — no waiting, no lags.

Support for multi-dimensional modeling enables deeper, more dynamic analysis:-

This isn’t just about fast spreadsheets — it’s about enterprise-grade agility, where strategic decisions can be modeled, tested, and deployed in minutes, not days.

With Hyperblock, speed becomes a strategic advantage, helping organizations respond to change with confidence and clarity. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Integration with External Systems: Progress Made, Room to Grow:-

Anaplan has taken meaningful steps toward improving integration capabilities, particularly with the introduction of Anaplan Data Orchestration (ADO) and CloudWorks. These tools provide native connectors to popular platforms like Salesforce, Google BigQuery, Azure, and more — making data movement smoother and more automated than ever.

However, the ecosystem of native connectors is still not fully comprehensive. Organizations working with less common or industry-specific systems often need to rely on:Custom integrations via APIs/Third-party middleware tools (e.g., MuleSoft, Boomi, Informatica)/Manual data uploads for certain cases

As connected planning continues to evolve, there's a clear opportunity for Anaplan to expand its library of native connectors — especially to ERP systems, data lakes, and modern analytics platforms — to further streamline end-to-end planning workflows.

The foundation is strong, but enhancing integration flexibility and coverage will unlock even greater value for enterprises aiming for truly connected ecosystems.

Workflow Functionality: A Good Start, but More Depth Needed:-

Anaplan’s Workflow functionality has introduced basic process governance and task tracking, helping organizations begin to formalize approval steps and user collaboration within planning models.

However, many real-world business scenarios require more advanced capabilities, which are not yet fully supported by the current Workflow feature set. For example: Multi-level approvals/Conditional task routing based on user input or data/Role-based branching logic/Integrated notifications and escalation paths/Granular task tracking and history logs

Today, teams often need to rely on external tools or custom workarounds to manage complex workflows, which creates friction and reduces the seamless experience that connected planning should enable.

There’s a strong opportunity for Anaplan to evolve Workflow into a more robust orchestration engine, aligning it more closely with enterprise process management needs — and truly enabling end-to-end planning governance inside the platform.

Missing Native Current Date/Time Functionality: A Basic Need Still Unmet :-

Anaplan excels in real-time modeling and scenario planning — yet it lacks a native function to retrieve the current date or timestamp, which is a surprisingly basic feature in most modern platforms.

For many business use cases, this capability is essential: Timestamping data changes or user actions/Driving time-based logic (e.g., deadline tracking, aging, escalations)/Automating workflows based on the current day/

Creating dynamic dashboards or alerts

Currently, to use the current date or time, teams are forced to: Pull the value from an external system or script/Set it manually — which defeats the purpose of automation/Build custom integrations just to pass in today’s date — adding overhead and frustration

For a platform that enables connected, real-time planning, the lack of such a foundational feature feels like an unnecessary limitation. Adding a native TODAY() or NOW() function would eliminate the dependency on external systems and significantly enhance the modeling experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Ability to create models that speak to each other whenever necessary. The tool is flexible enough for us to design models that enhance the user experience over excel and provide ability to perform calculations in real-time across much larger data sets. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Anaplan's calculation engine and models are robust, but visuals are still lacking. Having multiple UX options creates inconsistency across the user base and inflexibility of visuals requires exports of data to excel for reporting. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Flexibility and Customization: Anaplan is highly flexible and can be customized to model various business processes, from finance and sales to supply chain and HR. This adaptability makes it suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Connected Planning: Anaplan excels at connecting different parts of the business, enabling better collaboration and alignment. Changes made in one area automatically update across the platform, ensuring everyone works with the same data.

Ease of Use: Despite its powerful capabilities, Anaplan is designed with a user-friendly interface that is relatively easy to learn and navigate. This allows users to quickly build and modify models without extensive technical expertise.

Scalability: Anaplan can handle large and complex datasets, making it suitable for growing businesses with increasing data needs.

Strong Community and Support: Anaplan has an active user community and provides comprehensive support resources, including training materials, documentation, and forums. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

My experience with Anaplan has been positive overall. I haven't encountered any significant issues. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The calculation engine, first and foremost. One driver changes and every dependent module, dashboard, and report recalculates instantly, without dragged formulas or broken references. Dimensionality lives at the module level, so the logic remains readable long after it's built. It's a model you maintain instead of a spreadsheet you babysit. Add the newer UX enhancements, which make things noticeably easier for end users, plus solid integration with upstream and downstream systems and the recently introduced AI features, and it's a strong package. It has been pretty steep investment but the results have been sustainable. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Honestly, nothing significant. It's a well-rounded tool that covers everything I need it to do. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I really value the platform’s flexibility in translating complex business processes into scalable planning models. The UX and intuitive model-building experience help speed up development, and the strong integration capabilities make data flows simpler and more reliable. Real-time calculations, a connected planning approach, and its growing AI capabilities also support faster insights and better overall planning outcomes. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Anaplan’s biggest challenge is managing model size and performance as solutions scale. Complex formulas and large data volumes can require significant optimization effort. Integration setup can also be dependent on surrounding tools and expertise. The platform’s licensing cost may feel high for smaller implementations, particularly when ROI is harder to quantify. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.