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IBM Planning Analytics vs SAS Visual Analytics comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.3
IBM Planning Analytics boosts budgeting productivity but faces challenges from rising costs, prompting some companies to explore alternatives.
Sentiment score
6.3
Organizations saw varied ROI from SAS Visual Analytics, noting improved efficiency and financial tracking despite initial cost challenges.
I have seen a return on investment because the software has been really helpful, especially for our financial team, in minimizing manual data entry by more than 80% and this enables them to focus on more holistic data analysis and other business strategies.
Sr. Data Analyst at Wells Fargo
The enterprise subscription offers more benefits, ensuring valuable outcomes.
Senior Manager: ICT Compliance at DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.2
IBM Planning Analytics support is positive, yet response times vary; documentation, training, and multi-level support are valued.
Sentiment score
6.8
SAS Visual Analytics customer service is mixed, with praise for technical support but noted gaps in business needs and regional availability.
We have a multi-level support system, with the initial level handled by the company we bought the license from and subsequent support from IBM.
Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees
Instead, we rely on third-party partners recognized by IBM, who provide cost-effective support.
Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
They provide callbacks to ensure clarity and resolution of any queries.
Senior Manager: ICT Compliance at DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
IBM Planning Analytics excels in scalability and real-time data, though complexity and pricing pose challenges for some users.
Sentiment score
7.8
SAS Visual Analytics effectively scales for large datasets and users, though high resource demands and expenses may concern some.
IBM Planning Analytics is very cost-effective, and it grows with my organization as it is a very scalable tool.
Sr. Data Analyst at Wells Fargo
Scalability is straightforward but it is pricey since it's a SaaS model priced per user.
Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Scalability is quite hard to implement in TM1, largely since the on-premise installation chosen back in 2014.
Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
IBM Planning Analytics is stable and reliable, praised for robustness, supporting budgeting in various industries with few issues.
Sentiment score
7.1
SAS Visual Analytics is generally reliable but can face performance issues with large data, often due to user practices.
This stability is really important as we use it for budget calculation, which is time-consuming.
Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees
IBM Planning Analytics is stable, but it sometimes shows a performance lagging issue whenever large volumes of data inputs are provided.
Sr. Data Analyst at Wells Fargo
SAS Visual Analytics is stable and manages data effectively without crashing.
Senior Manager: ICT Compliance at DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION
 

Room For Improvement

IBM Planning Analytics needs improved integration, pricing, visualization, user interface, functionality, automation, design, speed, and predictive analytics support.
SAS Visual Analytics is complex and costly, with challenges in integration, performance, user-friendliness, and external language support.
Some of the main challenges with IBM Planning Analytics are the installation, which requires multiple complex configurations, challenges, and training.
Sr. Data Analyst at Wells Fargo
IBM's visualization needs significant improvement.
Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
The abundance of features results in complexity, requiring strict guidelines for developers to ensure simplistic approaches are adhered to.
Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees
In terms of configuration, I would like to see AI capabilities since many applications are now integrating AI.
Senior Manager: ICT Compliance at DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise IBM Planning Analytics has setup costs from consulting fees and varied licensing, offering market-standard ROI and compatibility.
SAS Visual Analytics is costly for small enterprises, but offers strong analytics and simplicity, though consulting and scaling add expenses.
TM1 is quite expensive, and I'd rate the pricing as an eight out of ten.
Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees
The pricing is nothing compared to the advantages and productivity that we have seen over recent years since starting to use IBM Planning Analytics, so it is very cost-effective.
Sr. Data Analyst at Wells Fargo
While IBM's solutions were costly before, the introduction of SaaS models has reduced prices significantly.
Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

IBM Planning Analytics enhances planning with flexible design, Excel integration, sandbox testing, machine learning, and user-friendly interface.
SAS Visual Analytics excels in data visualization, advanced analytics, and user-friendly interface with rapid processing and seamless integration.
It also integrates machine learning and AI engines, enabling us to use algorithms for inventory forecasting which optimizes our inventory and replenishment rates.
Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Its stability helps controllers win time in their planning processes.
Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees
My financial team has enjoyed the software, which has helped minimize manual data entry by more than 80% and focus on more holistic data analysis and business strategy.
Sr. Data Analyst at Wells Fargo
In terms of reporting, it is easy to extract quick reports and provides graphical representations of the data, which is a great feature.
Senior Manager: ICT Compliance at DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Planning Analytics
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
Business Performance Management (6th)
SAS Visual Analytics
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Data Visualization (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Business Intelligence solutions, they serve different purposes. IBM Planning Analytics is designed for Business Performance Management and holds a mindshare of 4.9%, down 9.2% compared to last year.
SAS Visual Analytics, on the other hand, focuses on Data Visualization, holds 2.1% mindshare, down 4.8% since last year.
Business Performance Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM Planning Analytics4.9%
Anaplan7.4%
CCH Tagetik5.7%
Other82.0%
Business Performance Management
Data Visualization Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SAS Visual Analytics2.1%
Tableau Enterprise11.3%
Qlik Sense5.6%
Other81.0%
Data Visualization
 

Featured Reviews

Varsha Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Data Analyst at Wells Fargo
Automated budgeting has transformed our forecasting accuracy and decision-making speed
Some of the best features that IBM Planning Analytics offers include built-in reporting, a web interface with spreadsheet capabilities, predictive forecasting, simple integration, and real-time insights with TM1. Predictive forecasting and real-time insights have specifically helped my team in the following ways: using predictive forecasting has enabled us to predict with predictive and AI capability for faster and more accurate forecasts. Real-time insights with TM1 provide faster and flexible analysis with high performance at scale through built-in TM1 technology. The built-in reporting supports scorecards and metrics, which includes ad hoc reports and compelling visualization. IBM Planning Analytics has positively impacted my organization because it has been a very clear and helpful platform over the past five years that I have used it. It has helped us open new clients and provide insights into data that most of the tools we used before could not. My financial team has enjoyed the software, which has helped minimize manual data entry by more than 80% and focus on more holistic data analysis and business strategy. The software has also helped us understand real-time marketing dynamics and take decisions accordingly.
AN
Senior Manager: ICT Compliance at DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION
Enables effective data management and reporting with a straightforward setup
SAS Visual Analytics is helpful as it allows us to perform any queries we need. The ability to query information from our Excel data into SAS to view specific data is invaluable. In terms of reporting, it is easy to extract quick reports and provides graphical representations of the data, which is a great feature.
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Retailer
9%
Insurance Company
5%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise19
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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...
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...
What do you like most about SAS Visual Analytics?
The most solution's notable aspect, in my view, is the ability to integrate various data sources and harness advanced technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. This helps w...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAS Visual Analytics?
It's about an average of five. It's easy to scale, but it comes with cost.
What needs improvement with SAS Visual Analytics?
In terms of configuration, I would like to see AI capabilities since many applications are now integrating AI. It may be that our current subscription does not include AI-enabled features, but I wo...
 

Also Known As

Cognos TM1, IBM Cognos TM1
SAS BI
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
Staples, Ausgrid, Scotiabank, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Oklahoma Gas & Electric, Xcel Energy, and Triad Analytics Solutions.
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle, Anaplan, Domo and others in Business Performance Management. Updated: December 2025.
880,901 professionals have used our research since 2012.