LivePlan Alternative for South African SMEs: An Honest Comparison
If you’re looking for a LivePlan alternative in South Africa, the right choice depends on what you need most. LivePlan is a mature, well-featured business plan and forecasting tool priced in US dollars. B.E.T is built for South African SMEs who want to diagnose their business first, then turn the plan into tracked tasks and team action. If detailed financial forecasting with accounting integration is your priority, LivePlan is strong. If your problem is knowing what to fix and actually getting it done, B.E.T is the better fit.
Many founders buy planning software, write a good-looking plan, send it to a funder and then never open it again. The plan was fine. The problem was that nothing connected it to Monday morning. That gap is worth keeping in mind as you compare tools.
What LivePlan offers (in its own words)
To keep this comparison fair, everything here about LivePlan comes from LivePlan’s own website and help pages, checked in September 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm on their site before you buy.
According to the LivePlan homepage, it is software for “business planning, forecasting and financial management”. Its main features include:
- An Idea Canvas for testing business ideas
- Market research drawing on industry benchmarks
- A plan builder with AI-assisted writing and a plan review
- Financial forecasting with connected income statement, cash flow and balance sheet, plus scenario analysis
- A pitch deck creator
- Plan vs actual tracking that connects to QuickBooks and Xero
LivePlan says over 1 million small businesses use it. It is a serious, established product, and for many businesses it does the job very well.
LivePlan pricing
LivePlan’s pricing page lists two main plans, billed in US dollars:
| Plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $20 a month | $15 a month | Step-by-step guidance, lender-ready financial statements, full forecast with scenarios, pitch creator, QuickBooks and Xero integration, budget vs actual dashboards |
| Premium | $40 a month | $30 a month | Everything in Standard plus more advanced financial analysis, research and scenario tools |
| LivePlan Expert (add-on) | $30 a month | Monthly only | One-on-one video support and priority help |
Both plans come with a 35-day money-back guarantee. The LivePlan FAQ says you can create as many plans as you need and that all plans allow up to five contributors per subscription.
Because it is priced in dollars, what you pay in rand moves with the exchange rate. That isn’t a criticism of the product, just something to budget for.
Using LivePlan in South Africa: what to check
LivePlan can be used from South Africa. A few practical points are worth knowing:
- Currency. Its help centre says you can set the currency symbol and number separator for each company, but that this “does not perform currency conversions”. You can show rand amounts; you just enter them in rand from the start.
- Financial year. You can start your forecast in any month, which suits a March year-end.
- Language. Section titles and labels can be set to UK English, among other options. The instructions and examples are in English.
- Local context. Check how well its guidance and examples fit South African requirements such as SARS obligations, VAT and what local funders like SEDFA, the NEF or the IDC ask for.
For a clear view of what those funders check, see our South African business plan template and funder checklist.
What B.E.T does differently
B.E.T starts from a different question. LivePlan’s core is writing a plan and forecasting its numbers. B.E.T’s core is working out what is really going on in your business, then helping you and your team act on it.
- Business diagnostic. A structured health check that shows your strong and weak areas before you start planning.
- Plan builder with guided prompts. Questions that walk you through each part of the plan, in plain language.
- Ready-to-use templates for common business documents.
- Dashboards to see progress in one view.
- Task and team tracking so actions from the plan are assigned and followed up.
- Business directory for finding and connecting with other businesses.
B.E.T is built with South African SMEs in mind, from the language it uses to the funders and challenges it has in view.
Side-by-side: which suits which business?
| What you need | LivePlan | B.E.T |
|---|---|---|
| Detailed three-statement financial forecast | Core strength | Not the main focus |
| Plan vs actual from QuickBooks or Xero | Yes, per its pricing page | Not claimed; B.E.T uses its own dashboards |
| Pitch deck creation | Yes | Not the main focus |
| Diagnosing what to fix before planning | Idea validation for new ideas | Core strength, via the business diagnostic |
| Turning the plan into assigned tasks for a team | Not described as a core feature on its site | Core strength, via task and team tracking |
| Built around South African SMEs | International product | Yes |
| Pricing currency | US dollars | Check current options on the B.E.T trial page |
Put simply: if your funder wants a detailed forecast and you already use Xero or QuickBooks, LivePlan is a strong option. If you are an owner who is stretched, unsure what to fix first and struggling to get plans done, B.E.T is designed for that problem.
Questions to ask before you choose any planning tool
- What is the plan for? A bank loan, a development funder, an internal roadmap or all three?
- Who will use it? Just you, or your team as well?
- How strong are your numbers today? If your books are messy, a forecasting tool will only be as good as what you type in.
- What happens after the plan is written? Is there a way to track actions, or does the plan sit in a folder?
- What will it cost in rand over a year? Include exchange rate movement and add-ons.
Our guide to what business plan software should do goes deeper on features worth paying for. If you’d rather work through the plan yourself first, read how to write a business plan without a consultant.
Can you use both?
Yes, and some businesses will. You might use B.E.T to diagnose the business, set priorities and run the plan week to week, and a forecasting tool (or your accountant) to build detailed financial statements for a funding application. The tools solve different parts of the same job.
Just be honest about whether you’ll maintain two systems. For a small team, one tool you use every week is worth more than two you open once a quarter.
Try B.E.T and compare for yourself
The fairest test is to use both. LivePlan offers a 35-day money-back guarantee. B.E.T has a free trial where you can run the diagnostic, start a plan with guided prompts and set up tasks for your team.
Start your free B.E.T trial and see whether a diagnose-plan-act approach suits your business better.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best LivePlan alternative for South African businesses?
It depends on your main need. If you want a tool built around South African SMEs that combines a business diagnostic, a guided plan builder and task tracking, B.E.T is a strong option. If detailed forecasting linked to accounting software is your priority, LivePlan itself may still be the better fit.
How much does LivePlan cost?
LivePlan’s pricing page lists Standard at $20 a month, or $15 a month billed annually, and Premium at $40 a month, or $30 a month billed annually. It also offers an Expert add-on at $30 a month. Prices are in US dollars, so the rand cost varies.
Can LivePlan show amounts in rand?
Yes. LivePlan’s help centre says you can set the currency symbol for each company. It notes that this changes only the display and does not convert currencies, so enter your figures in rand from the start.
Does B.E.T replace my accountant?
No. B.E.T helps you diagnose your business, plan and track action. Your accountant is still the right person for your financial statements, tax and compliance with SARS and the CIPC.
Is B.E.T suitable for a business that is just starting?
Yes. New founders can use the plan builder and templates to structure their idea, and the diagnostic becomes more useful once the business is trading.
Choose the tool that fits your real problem
Both tools are built to help small businesses plan better. The difference is where they put their weight: detailed forecasting, or diagnosis and follow-through.
If you’re not sure which problem is yours, take the free B.E.T health check first. It will show you.
