IBM Controller vs IBM Planning Analytics comparison

IBM Controller and IBM Planning Analytics are both solutions in the Business Performance Management category. IBM Controller is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.0, while IBM Planning Analytics is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2. IBM Controller holds a 1.0% mindshare in BPM, compared to IBM Planning Analytics’s 4.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM Controller users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of IBM Planning Analytics users who would recommend it.

IBM Controller

Read 1 IBM Controller review

309 Views
235 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Planning Analytics

Read 28 IBM Planning Analytics reviews

3,062 Views
1,286 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

IBM Controller

IBM Planning Analytics

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IBM Controller and IBM Planning Analytics based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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To learn more, read our detailed Business Performance Management Report (Updated: January 2026).

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Business Performance Management

January 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

IBM Controller

Ranking in Business Performance Management

20th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Planning Analytics

Ranking in Business Performance Management

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Business Performance Management category, the mindshare of IBM Controller is 1.0%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Planning Analytics is 4.5%, down from 9.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Business Performance Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Planning Analytics	4.5%
IBM Controller	1.0%
Other	94.5%

Business Performance Management

Featured Reviews

Tom Runar Lauritzen

Enterprise Architect at Veidekke

User support and consolidation capabilities have strengthened financial reporting

We primarily use IBM Controller for the consolidation of all our company results and yearly reporting IBM Controller appeals significantly to our user group led by the Chief Financial Officer and the team under them. The strong user support and capability in consolidation are standout features.…

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Gladys Njeri

Key Account Manager at DHL

Data-driven planning has transformed financial decisions and now saves major reporting time

IBM Planning Analytics helps with collaboration between teams by allowing us to gather data from various departments, analyze it, and collaborate on the data to make data-driven decisions between different departments easily. As I mentioned previously, I mainly use IBM Planning Analytics to visualize the existing data to generate meaningful report dashboards and use it during stakeholder meetings to arrive at the right decision. The best features IBM Planning Analytics offers include budgeting, forecasting, and what-if scenario analysis. The scenario modeling feature in IBM Planning Analytics is probably the most robust planning and forecasting solution we use, especially for what-if scenarios, where we are able to forecast using Watson Studio, which helps in better prediction. I really appreciate the Excel integration in IBM Planning Analytics because it keeps things familiar and adds more power.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The strong user support and capability in consolidation are standout features."

"IBM Controller appeals significantly to our user group led by the Chief Financial Officer and the team under them."

"Planning Analytics' best features include automatic updates and slicing."

"The most valuable feature is that it is able to slice and dice the data."

"We cut down on manual budgeting and forecasting work, which saved us between 50 to 70% of our time."

"It's a very stable, robust product."

"This level of stability is crucial for a product like Cognos TM1, as using an unstable platform would result in loss of time."

"The flexibility of IBM Planning Analytics is a great feature of this solution. The design flexibility with data rules and defining calculations The ability to combine online and offline calculations are a benefit. Additionally, the forecasting features and predictive analytics is very good."

"IBM Planning Analytics is easy to use and deploy. It is quick to develop. The calculation machine is also very fast."

"The tool is flexible."

More IBM Planning Analytics pros

Cons

"I am uncertain about the delivery model of IBM Controller and the direction it is headed."

"The tool's transport layer could be improved when promoting development between environments."

"The new frontend Planning Analytics Workspace is not very good, it could be improved. I like the Planning Analytics functionality but it would be helpful if it could be more customizable. You can create a prediction and receive information but you cannot do feature engineering regarding the predictive models. If this was added it would be helpful."

"It's wonky, and not super user-friendly with Excel."

"IBM is behind competitors like Tableau and Power BI in terms of visualization. Their visuals are less innovative and practical with fewer varieties."

"IBM Planning Analytics could be improved by avoiding frequent upgrades and planning a few limited upgrades throughout the year, so that bugs are not introduced and can be reduced."

"The workspace API should be improved and documented so we know better which objects are used."

"IBM Planning Analytics could be improved by simplifying the learning curve, as it requires a lot of time to learn and master it."

"The dashboard is very poor and needs a lot of improvement."

More IBM Planning Analytics cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Our licensing cost is approximately $50,000.00 per year."

"The license of this solution is paid annually. Most of my customers choose a license that includes support."

"IBM Planning Analytics is priced well, and licensing costs are yearly."

"Compared with the other tools in the market, IBM Planning Analytics is a bit expensive."

"It is a bit expensive, but you get what you are paying for."

"I would rate the tool's pricing a nine out of ten since it's expensive."

"IBM Planning Analytics is not the cheapest solution, but it's priced per the market standard for this type of solution. I rate the price at seven out of ten."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Financial Services Firm

17%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Retailer

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	15

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Controller?

I haven't provided a definitive opinion on pricing. However, knowing our CFO's cost-conscious nature, the pricing is likely very competitive and has never been an issue.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Controller?

I am uncertain about the delivery model of IBM Controller and the direction it is headed. While the delivery model includes both cloud and on-premises options, it causes confusion. A more straightf...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Controller?

We primarily use IBM Controller for the consolidation of all our company results and yearly reporting.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Planning Analytics?

The most valuable features of IBM Planning Analytics for streamlining planning processes include a unified database where all data are centralized.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Planning Analytics?

While IBM's solutions were costly before, the introduction of SaaS models has reduced prices significantly. Comparatively, IBM rates may be better than those of competitors, such as Hyperion ( /pro...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Planning Analytics?

IBM is behind competitors like Tableau ( /products/tableau-reviews ) and Power BI in terms of visualization. Their visuals are less innovative and practical with fewer varieties. IBM's visualizatio...

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Comparisons

IBM Cognos vs IBM Controller

Compared 40% of the time

Jedox vs IBM Controller

Compared 27% of the time

More IBM Controller Competitors

Microsoft Power BI vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 14% of the time

SAP Analytics Cloud vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 12% of the time

Anaplan vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 8% of the time

IBM Cognos vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 5% of the time

Oracle Hyperion vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Planning Analytics Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Business Performance Management

January 2026

Download IBM Controller product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Planning Analytics

January 2026

Download IBM Planning Analytics product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cognos TM1, IBM Cognos TM1

Overview

IBM Cognos Controller supports the close, consolidation and reporting process with the agility and affordability of a cloud-based solution. It enables finance teams to automate and accelerate the financial close with minimal IT support. It also helps finance teams deliver financial results, create informative financial and management reports and provide the chief financial officer (CFO) with an enterprise view of key financial ratios and metrics.

IBM

IBM Planning Analytics is an integrated planning solution that uses AI to automate planning, budgeting, and forecasting and drive more intelligent workflows.

Built on TM1, IBM’s powerful calculation engine, this enterprise performance management tool allows you to transcend the limits of manual planning and become the Analytics Hero your business needs. Quickly and easily drive faster, more accurate plans for FP&A, sales, supply chain and beyond.

IBM

Sample Customers

California Franchise Tax Board, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Mirle Automation Corp., Radware

ManpowerGroup, Convergys, AIG, Orchard Brands, Citibank, InterGen, Northwestern University, EF Education First, Ironside, Bazan Group, CSOB Insurance, Macquarie Group, Charles Stanley, SATO, Government of Sint Maarten, BMW Financial Services

Buyer's Guide

Business Performance Management

January 2026

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