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Business Intelligence · head to head

Anaplan vs Whimsical

Anaplan logo

Anaplan

Business Intelligence

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Whimsical logo

Whimsical

Technology

Where great ideas take shape

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Whimsical has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Whimsical the free plan is capped at 3 team boards, 3 teams and 10 guest seats
  • They diverge on capability: Anaplan covers Hyperblock calculation engine, Whimsical covers Flowcharts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anaplan and Whimsical actually diverge.

Attributes where Anaplan and Whimsical differ
AttributeAnaplanWhimsical
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOSWeb
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceTechnology
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Whimsical

  • Flowcharts
  • Wireframes
  • Mind maps
  • Sticky notes
  • Docs
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Templates
  • Keyboard shortcuts

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

Whimsical

  • Product planningnot Anaplan
  • UI/UX designnot Anaplan
  • Brainstormingnot Anaplan
  • Process documentationnot Anaplan
  • Project visualizationnot 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.

Whimsical

  • The free plan is capped at 3 team boards, 3 teams and 10 guest seats
  • File uploads are limited to 5MB per file and 1GB in total on the free plan
  • Version history on the free plan goes back 7 days
  • Voting, the timer, private teams, the GitHub integration, password-protected files and watermark removal all need Pro at $10 per editor per month
  • SSO and SAML are Business tier only at $20 per editor per month

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

Whimsical

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 4 boards
    • Unlimited viewers
    • 7-day version history
  • Pro$10/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited version history
    • Advanced permissions
  • Org$20/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • SSO
    • User management

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 Whimsical if

  • You need flowcharts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want wireframes.
Whimsical review

Questions people ask

Is Anaplan or Whimsical better?
Neither clearly leads. Anaplan starts at On request and Whimsical at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Anaplan or Whimsical?
Whimsical has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Anaplan and Free for Whimsical.
Does Anaplan or Whimsical run on more platforms?
Anaplan runs on Web, iOS. Whimsical runs on Web.
Can I use Whimsical for free?
Yes. Whimsical has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Anaplan starts at On request.
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 Whimsical is typically brought in for.
What can Anaplan do that Whimsical cannot?
Anaplan covers Hyperblock calculation engine, Connected planning, Scenario and versioning, Model builder. Whimsical covers Flowcharts, Wireframes, Mind maps, Sticky notes.

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.

Whimsical: What are Whimsical's pricing tiers?

Whimsical offers three plans: Free at 0 dollars per month per editor, Pro at 10 dollars per month per editor, and Business at 20 dollars per month per editor.

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.

Whimsical: What is included in the Free plan?

The Free plan allows creation of up to 50 board objects and 50 doc blocks per month, includes watermarked exports, and provides 7-day version history. Storage is limited to 1GB.

Source
Anaplan: Who owns Anaplan?

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

Whimsical: What features unlock in the Pro plan?

The Pro plan removes the object creation limits, provides unlimited board objects and doc blocks, removes watermarks from exports, extends version history to 90 days, and offers 100GB of storage.

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.

Whimsical: What security and team features come with Business?

The Business plan adds private teams, SAML single sign-on, SCIM and advanced security controls, unlimited version history, priority support, and a dedicated success manager. Storage starts at 2TB.

Source
Whimsical: Do discounts apply for annual billing?

Yes, annual billing offers a 17 percent discount compared to monthly rates. Additionally, nonprofits receive a 20 percent discount and students and teachers get full access.

Source
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