Anaplan vs Workiva Wdesk comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Anaplan and Workiva are both solutions in the Business Performance Management category. Anaplan is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4, while Workiva is ranked #16. Anaplan holds a 5.8% mindshare in BPM, compared to Workiva’s 3.1% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Anaplan users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 71% of Workiva users who would recommend it.

Anaplan

Read 36 Anaplan reviews

6,588 Views
3,953 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Workiva Wdesk

Read 7 Workiva Wdesk reviews

5,054 Views
1,314 Comparison Views

71% willing to recommend

Anaplan

Workiva Wdesk

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Anaplan and Workiva Wdesk compete in the enterprise software market focusing on planning and reporting. Anaplan appears to have the upper hand in scalability, while Workiva Wdesk excels in collaboration for real-time teamwork.

Features: Anaplan offers comprehensive planning and forecasting with robust modeling capabilities, making it appealing for organizations needing scalable solutions for complex scenarios. It provides extensive options for "what-if" analysis and seamless data integration. Workiva Wdesk is distinguished by its integrated reporting, compliance, and accurate data linkage across documents, which are crucial for regulatory requirements. Its standardized data flow allows easy document management and dynamic updates.

Room for Improvement: Anaplan could enhance its user-experience design to reduce the learning curve and streamline initial training processes. It's important to advance its collaboration tools to better support real-time teamwork across dispersed teams. Further improvements in its reporting capabilities could help bridge gaps in regulatory compliance. Workiva Wdesk might refine its integration with non-ERP systems to expand usability across diverse IT environments. Enhancing mobile accessibility could improve workflow efficiency for users on the go. Continued focus on improving scalability would better accommodate growing enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Anaplan provides a flexible SaaS model that supports easy integration and customization, although some users find the learning curve steep without proper training. Workiva Wdesk ensures seamless implementation and outstanding customer support, facilitating rapid onboarding and minimizing downtime, which benefits smaller teams needing quick adjustments.

Pricing and ROI: Anaplan's pricing reflects its rich feature set and powerful capabilities, often leading to a higher initial setup cost but delivering significant returns through improved process efficiencies over time. Workiva Wdesk, while perceived sometimes with higher subscription costs, offers value through accelerated compliance processes and reduced manual workloads, providing solid ROI, especially for clients in regulated industries.

To learn more, read our detailed Anaplan vs. Workiva Wdesk Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Anaplan vs. Workiva Wdesk

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Anaplan

Ranking in Business Performance Management

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Production Planning (2nd), Predictive Analytics (4th)

Workiva Wdesk

Ranking in Business Performance Management

16th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

GRC (10th), Financial Close Software (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Business Performance Management category, the mindshare of Anaplan is 5.8%, down from 11.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workiva Wdesk is 3.1%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Business Performance Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Anaplan	5.8%
Workiva Wdesk	3.1%
Other	91.1%

Business Performance Management

Featured Reviews

Segun Oladele

Associate Manager, Accounting at BIC

Reporting and forecasting have become more automated through intuitive data organization and flexible number calendarization

I do not have any improvements from my own end at this time.There are some specific features or functionality that I would like to see included in Anaplan in the future. From what we have been using, I do not think there is any specific one because we import and export numbers. Importing and exporting with CSV files is already available in Anaplan. I do not have any special requests from Anaplan. I still decided to give Anaplan an eight because I have not seen a specific dashboard on Anaplan. Anaplan could have a dashboard where you can see the flow of your numbers displayed on pictorials rather than just saying this is the number. Simple dashboards should be implemented.

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Thomas Edward Biller

Senior Financial Analyst at Bakelite Synthetics

Allows multiple users, each responsible for specific sections, to collaborate efficiently

One area where Workiva Wdesk could improve is by ensuring that its cloud-based system is fully compatible with the most current versions of PowerPoint and Excel. Sometimes, the features available in their versions of these applications fell short of the company's standards, which could be limiting. Having access to the latest versions might increase costs, but it is essential to keep up with the evolving technology landscape and meet the demands of companies that require faster reporting processes. This would make it easier to handle custom requests and adjustments, like creating specific data categories in Excel and seamlessly transferring them into Wdesk for presentations without the need for time-consuming manual adjustments.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Comparing to these, I think Anaplan is doing a great job."

"It's real-time connected planning, so the calculations are pretty much seamless as far as your model is connected."

"It's highly flexible. If you've got a complex environment with complex calculations, you can build that out. So that's a really good positive."

"The features that I have found most valuable are that it is web-based and easy to use."

"The solution improves forecast accuracy, drives up the quality of analytics, and frees up about 30% of finance people’s time during the planning cycle so they can focus on value-added analytics instead of just consolidating numbers."

"After we implemented it in Anaplan, it made the calculations much easier and at one time, multiple users could log into Anaplan and work simultaneously for different areas."

"Anaplan's in-memory calculation engine is super-fast compared to the old tools we previously used. You enter the data and everything shows up in one go."

"Anaplan has eased a major pain point in mapping multidimensional data by combining all the necessary dimensions into a single tool, making it much easier for managers to understand the data coming in from their reps."

More Anaplan pros

"Workiva Wdesk is pretty good in terms of getting the data from the system, automating the reporting schedules...It has a very good integration with ERP tools."

"It makes the compliance process more efficient and more effective."

"The collaboration within the platform is valuable."

"It helps you to maintain a backup of your data, including the connectivity with the tables, which provides a user-friendly way to handle and access your files."

"Workiva Wdesk has a flow diagram that is standardized, making it easy for people to file documents on ECDAs, which are in HTML format."

"The most valuable feature is its ability to easily upload and update financial results, creating a dynamic data sheet."

"The cross-functionality between connectivity, whether through API connections between different software platforms or the connection of data collection to the actual written ESG report, is highly valuable. The connectivity of all these aspects significantly aids in data assurance, which I consider a bonus."

Cons

"The solution should provide customization."

"I still decided to give Anaplan an eight because I have not seen a specific dashboard on Anaplan. Anaplan could have a dashboard where you can see the flow of your numbers displayed on pictorials rather than just saying this is the number."

"One area of improvement is conditional formatting. It's not very practical, and you need to specify additional formatting."

"Anaplan should come up with flexible options to connect to a data warehouse rather than an Anaplan hub, like a data decoupling layer with an option for customers to maintain their data on their own cloud."

"The visualization tools in the product are limited in comparison to other reporting tools."

"The dashboard could be better. Because within a dashboard or report, you have to do a lot of scrolling. You need to scroll down because the table doesn't fit in a single view. That's why even the users aren't happy with that kind of user experience. They need to scroll to see all the data, and it could be better if it fits in just one page. That way, you can see everything. In the next release, I want automation that's connected to Anaplan. For example, to load master data from SAP to Anaplan. I don't know if this already exists, but a log where you can see the progress and see if there's an error will also help. It would be better to give you the error message, for example, if there is an error within the automated process importing to Anaplan."

"Anaplan could enhance its user interface by including a more user-friendly API."

"Anaplan could be improved with a stronger consolidation module."

More Anaplan cons

"Regarding the solution, reporting has certain areas that can be considered for improvement."

"The tool's script encoding needs to be updated to make it more user-friendly and less of a manual process when changes are made to a company's program. Those changes happen frequently due to mandatory or voluntary reporting requirements, leading to lost linkage connections that must be manually reset each time a change is made. This aspect is not functional now, and I see it as an opportunity for improvement."

"At this point, I don't see a compelling reason to invest in Workiva. It may be necessary for compliance and controlling the version of SCC, but not everyone needs its high-end capabilities."

"The most critical issue is the need to shift between uppercase and lowercase."

"One area where Workiva Wdesk could improve is by ensuring that its cloud-based system is fully compatible with the most current versions of PowerPoint and Excel."

"With this product, it's more about the integrated data model where you can have a one-to-many/many-to-one relationship between your policies and processes, risks, and controls. They need to showcase how you can put those pieces together."

"The speed must be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is expensive."

"This is an expensive product and if the price were reduced then it would attract more customers."

"We are currently using a free workspace license for 90 days. We are satisfied with the price of the solution. There are additional costs if you want more storage, the default limit is 250 GB."

"A value-for-money product and a very reasonable price compared to competitors like SAP or IBM."

"The cost of Anaplan is a challenge for clients, especially if they don't have an ongoing long-term use case for it. It's a $50,000 licensing fee just to get started. Clients need a strong business case to switch from Excel to Anaplan. But if clients have used something similar in the past, such as Hyperion or other solutions, that's not a factor because they know what to expect."

"Anaplan is a bit pricier compared to its competitors - the license costs about $4,000 per user annually."

"The entry-level is anywhere from about $30,000 to $50,000 a year, however, it does go up significantly after that depending on the complexity and how much space you're using."

"This is a yearly subscription. So a customer initially buys a workspace and specifies how much GB they want. The minimum starts at around 30 GB. You can buy multiple workspaces."

More Anaplan pricing and cost advice

"Our clients in Asia think that the solution is too expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	18

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	1
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

What are your main use cases for Anaplan?

Anaplan is an industry-leading cloud-based corporate performance management (CPM) platform that combines business planning and analytics in a single solution. It is designed to assist organizations...

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Is Board better than Anaplan as a Business Intelligence (BI) solution?

We've had several FP&A departments include Anaplan in their analytics discussions, and while BI information IS generated, the focus is generally on compiling input from various sources and simu...

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Is Anaplan better than SAP ERP?

There are different aspects of both Anaplan and SAP ERP that I like and dislike. Anaplan improves forecast accuracy and drives up the quality of analytics. Rather than spending all of their time co...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Anaplan

September 2026

Download Anaplan product report

Buyer's Guide

Workiva Wdesk

August 2026

Download Workiva Wdesk product report

Also Known As

No data available

Wdesk

Overview

Anaplan delivers a comprehensive cloud platform designed for three-dimensional data analysis, visualization, and planning. Known for real-time integration with systems such as Salesforce, it enables efficient budgeting, reporting, and modeling without extensive coding knowledge.

The Anaplan platform enhances operational efficiency with its flexible and scalable capabilities, supporting financial planning, supply chain management, and sales operations among others. Users benefit from features like an advanced in-memory calculation engine, quick updates, and ease of integration with systems like SAP. While Anaplan offers a robust toolset, enhancements in dashboard capabilities and integration processes are needed, with improvements requested in visualization tools, more flexible graphs, and better API integration. Additional desires include machine learning features and streamlined data import processes to reduce latency.

What are the key features of Anaplan?

Three-dimensional Planning: Provides robust data analysis and visualization.
Real-time Integration: Seamlessly integrates with systems like Salesforce and SAP.
Advanced Calculation Engine: Enables quick updates across platforms.
Model Map: Aids easy model navigation and management.
Scalability: Adapts to companies of all sizes with ease.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Enhances planning and execution processes.
Ease of Use: Reduces the need for extensive coding knowledge.
Flexibility: Adapts to diverse business needs and industries.
Cost-effectiveness: Offers potential ROI by optimizing planning efficiencies.

In industries like financial planning, supply chain management, and sales operations, Anaplan facilitates scenario-based analysis, demand forecasting, and business execution. It is employed in marketing, commercial real estate planning, and integrates easily with existing systems. Users in these sectors find it valuable for improving planning accuracy and responsiveness.

Anaplan

Workiva Wdesk specializes in updating financial results with seamless API connectivity and strong data assurance. Valued for its effective compliance processes, the platform enhances collaboration, making it efficient for financial data handling and reporting schedules.

Known for its integration with ERP tools, Workiva Wdesk supports standardized data flow, easing management and document replication for updates. Its user-friendly interface facilitates efficient collaboration for tasks like SOX, internal audit, and SEC filings. However, users point out the need for better compatibility with PowerPoint and Excel features, improved search functionality, and enhanced data linkage management. There are also concerns regarding encoding, data loss during server refreshes, and workflow inefficiencies.

What are the key features of Workiva Wdesk?

Seamless API Connectivity: Allows for easy integration with existing systems.
Data Assurance: Provides robust backup and security.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies navigation and task management.
ERP Integration: Supports standardized data flow and document updates.
Collaboration Tools: Enhances teamwork with multiple contributors on projects.

What benefits should users expect?

Improved Financial Reporting: Streamlined report generation for SEC filings and financial reporting.
Enhanced Compliance: Effective processes for SOX and internal audits.
Efficient Data Management: Standardized data flow and document handling.
Increased Productivity: User-friendly interface aids swift adoption and use.

Workiva Wdesk is extensively used across industries for creating and managing board deck presentations, aiding teams in generating annual reports and preparing detailed reports including data tables. It facilitates collaboration in financial settings, addressing needs in compliance, risk management, and audit preparation.

Workiva

Sample Customers

HP, ForeScout, DocuSign, EAT, Pandora, Aviva, Intel Security, Zalora

Noodles Company, eBay, Winnebago, American Assets Trust, AmericanEnterprise, Calpian, Capstone Infrastructure, Cascades, Circor International, Coeur Mining, Davey, Dr Pepper Snapple

Buyer's Guide

Anaplan vs. Workiva Wdesk

September 2026

Free Report: Anaplan vs. Workiva Wdesk

Find out what your peers are saying about Anaplan vs. Workiva Wdesk and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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