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Business Intelligence · head to head

Anaplan vs Holistics

Anaplan logo

Anaplan

Business Intelligence

Connected planning platform with an in-memory calculation engine for large multidimensional models

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Holistics logo

Holistics

Business Intelligence

Self-service BI for data teams

From
$800/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Anaplan workspace is licensed by memory consumed, so a model that grows as the business adds SKUs, regions or scenarios generates a bill increase without a single new user being added, and teams end up optimising models for licence cost rather than clarity.; Holistics the entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool
  • They diverge on capability: Anaplan covers Hyperblock calculation engine, Holistics covers Data Modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anaplan and Holistics actually diverge.

Attributes where Anaplan and Holistics differ
AttributeAnaplanHolistics
Starting priceOn request$800/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOSWeb, Cloud
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Business Intelligence).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Anaplan

  • Hyperblock calculation engine
  • Connected planning
  • Scenario and versioning
  • Model builder
  • Anaplan PlanIQ
  • Workflow and approvals
  • Application lifecycle management
  • Data integration

Only in Holistics

  • Data Modeling
  • Version Control
  • Scheduling
  • Caching
  • Embedding
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Anaplan

  • Sales territory and quota planning across thousands of reps where a change to segmentation must reflow quota immediatelynot Holistics
  • Demand and supply planning at SKU and location level for a manufacturer with tens of thousands of itemsnot Holistics
  • Workforce planning that ties headcount, cost and capacity to a revenue plan across dozens of business unitsnot Holistics
  • Replacing a spreadsheet estate where the master planning model has become too large and too fragile for Excel to open reliablynot Holistics

Holistics

  • Modelling business metrics in a code-defined semantic layer with Git version controlnot Anaplan
  • Self-service exploration and dashboards for non-SQL usersnot Anaplan
  • Embedding analytics into a customer-facing productnot Anaplan

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Anaplan

  • Workspace is licensed by memory consumed, so a model that grows as the business adds SKUs, regions or scenarios generates a bill increase without a single new user being added, and teams end up optimising models for licence cost rather than clarity.
  • Model building requires certified Anaplan modellers using a proprietary formula language, and the labour market for that skill is small, so most customers stay dependent on a systems integrator long after go-live.
  • Thoma Bravo took the company private in 2022 in a $10.7bn deal, and customers have since reported firmer renewal terms; a private-equity owner optimising for cash flow is a real factor in a multi-year planning contract.
  • Native reporting and visualisation are weak for anything beyond planning grids, so most customers push data out to Power BI or Tableau for executive reporting, adding another tool and another latency point.
  • Implementations are long. A connected planning programme across finance and supply chain routinely runs six to eighteen months before the first production plan, which is difficult to justify when the business wants a forecast this quarter.

Holistics

  • The entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool
  • Every plan includes only the first 10 users, with additional users charged at $15 per month each on Entry and Standard and $18 on the Security Compliance Suite
  • The Entry plan caps reports at 100, and each additional 100 reports costs $120 per month
  • Google SSO requires the Standard plan at $1,200 per month; enterprise SSO with SAML and SCIM provisioning requires the Security Compliance Suite at $2,400 per month
  • Row-based access control, IP whitelisting, pass-through authentication and user activity monitoring are all Security Compliance Suite features
  • Connecting Git version control to your own repository requires Standard; Entry only gets Holistics-hosted Git
  • White labelling, dynamic row-level permissions and unlimited dashboard viewers for embedded analytics are Custom Plan only, with no published price
  • Bank payments and custom payment terms are Custom Plan only, and custom infosec or legal paperwork is Enterprise plan only
  • The two months off discount requires yearly billing

Pricing, plan by plan

Anaplan

On request
  • Anaplan$undefined/year
    • Licensed by user tier and by workspace capacity
    • Workspace charged on memory consumed by models, independent of user count
    • Multi-year enterprise agreements are the norm

Holistics

$800/month
  • Entry$800/month
    • 100 reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Core self-service analytics
  • Standard$1000/month
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Custom charts
  • Security Compliance Suite$2000/month
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Granular access controls

Which should you pick?

Choose Anaplan if

  • You need hyperblock calculation engine.
  • You work on Web, iOS.
  • You also want connected planning.
Anaplan review

Choose Holistics if

  • You need data modeling.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want version control.
Holistics review

Questions people ask

Is Anaplan or Holistics better?
Neither clearly leads. Anaplan starts at On request and Holistics at $800/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Anaplan or Holistics?
Anaplan starts at On request and Holistics at $800/month.
Does Anaplan or Holistics run on more platforms?
Anaplan runs on Web, iOS. Holistics runs on Web, Cloud.
What is Anaplan best used for?
Anaplan is most often used for sales territory and quota planning across thousands of reps where a change to segmentation must reflow quota immediately, demand and supply planning at sku and location level for a manufacturer with tens of thousands of items, workforce planning that ties headcount, cost and capacity to a revenue plan across dozens of business units, replacing a spreadsheet estate where the master planning model has become too large and too fragile for excel to open reliably. Of those, sales territory and quota planning across thousands of reps where a change to segmentation must reflow quota immediately and demand and supply planning at sku and location level for a manufacturer with tens of thousands of items are not what Holistics is typically brought in for.
What can Anaplan do that Holistics cannot?
Anaplan covers Hyperblock calculation engine, Connected planning, Scenario and versioning, Model builder. Holistics covers Data Modeling, Version Control, Scheduling, Caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Anaplan: Why is Anaplan expensive even when user counts are low?

Because workspace is licensed on the memory your models consume as well as on users. Large models cost money regardless of how many people log in.

Holistics: How much do additional Holistics users cost?

Additional users cost $12.50 per month (yearly billing) or $15 per month (monthly billing) for Entry/Standard plans, and $15-18 per month for Security Suite.

Source
Anaplan: Do we need a systems integrator?

Almost always for the first implementation. The proprietary modelling language and the scale of typical models make an experienced partner or an internal certified team effectively mandatory.

Holistics: Can I purchase additional reports on Holistics?

Yes, additional 100-report blocks cost $100 per month (yearly) or $120 per month (monthly billing).

Source
Anaplan: Who owns Anaplan?

Thoma Bravo, which took it private in 2022 for $10.7bn.

Holistics: Does Holistics support multiple data centers?

Yes, Holistics supports multiple data centers in US, EU, and APAC regions with pricing available for embedded analytics with unlimited dashboard viewers.

Source
Anaplan: Can it replace our BI tool?

No. It is a planning and calculation platform; most customers still export to Power BI or Tableau for reporting and dashboards.

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