LiveFlow vs Planful: which fits your firm?
LiveFlow and Planful both quote pricing on request; LiveFlow lists small and mid-size firms where Planful lists mid-size.
Prices and details verified May 25, 2026. Both records sit in FP&A and advisory reporting and are compared on vendor-published specifications, the same way across every tool.
LiveFlow vs Planful side by side
7 of 13 dimensions differ. Rows marked "Differs" are where the two records do not match.
| Dimension | LiveFlow | Planful |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Quoted on request | Quoted on request |
| Pricing model | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Free trial | Not listed | Not listed |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Firm size fitDiffers | Small, Mid-size | Mid-size |
| Built forDiffers | Firms and their clients | Small businesses |
| SpecialisationDiffers | Advisory, Bookkeeping | Advisory |
| Automation profileDiffers | High volume, routine work | Judgment-heavy work |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Geo availabilityDiffers | US, UK, Global | Global |
| Integrations listedDiffersBoth list: Excel, NetSuite. | 9 listed | 7 listed |
| Certifications | Not published | Not published |
| Support channelsDiffers | Phone, Email, Chat, Knowledge base | Phone, Email, Chat, Knowledge base, 24/7 cover |
Which one fits your firm
Choose LiveFlow if
- Multi-location businesses on QuickBooks or Xero that rebuild the same consolidated reports every month.
- Firms that produce management reporting for clients and want it to refresh live in Sheets or Excel.
- Finance teams that want dashboards and budget-versus-actuals without leaving the spreadsheet.
Think twice about LiveFlow if
- Firms that only need a one-off report. LiveFlow earns its keep on recurring, repeated reporting.
- Teams on QuickBooks Desktop or Sage. The live connectors target QuickBooks Online and Xero.
- Businesses wanting published self-serve pricing. LiveFlow is quoted by sales after a demo.
Choose Planful if
- Mid-market finance teams that have outgrown spreadsheet budgeting and need a structured planning process.
- Companies on NetSuite, Sage Intacct, or SAP that want actuals and plans in one reporting layer.
- Teams running consolidation and rolling forecasts across several departments or entities.
Think twice about Planful if
- Solo practitioners and small firms. Planful is priced and built for mid-market finance functions.
- Firms that want published pricing or a free trial. Planful is quoted per organization by sales.
- Teams that only need a dashboard on top of QuickBooks. Lighter reporting tools cost far less.
What each one does
About LiveFlow
LiveFlow pulls live data from QuickBooks and Xero into Google Sheets and Excel, so reports, dashboards, and multi-entity consolidations refresh automatically instead of being rebuilt by hand each month. It suits multi-location businesses and the firms that report for them, replacing the monthly export-and-paste with always-current numbers.
Most useful for multi-location businesses and their firms that rebuild the same QuickBooks or Xero reports every month and want them live.
About Planful
Planful is a financial planning platform for budgeting, rolling forecasts, financial consolidation, and management reporting. It pulls actuals from the ledger, structures the planning process across departments, and produces board-ready reporting, so finance teams run planning in one place rather than across dozens of spreadsheets.
A strong fit for mid-market finance teams that have outgrown spreadsheet budgeting and need structured planning, consolidation, and reporting.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, LiveFlow or Planful?
- Neither publishes a price, so there is no figure to compare. Both quote on request, which means the only way to see the cost is to ask each vendor for a quote built around your firm size and volume.
- Do LiveFlow and Planful both offer a free trial?
- No. Neither LiveFlow nor Planful lists a free trial. Neither publishes a permanently free plan.
- Which one integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, LiveFlow or Planful?
- LiveFlow lists QuickBooks and Xero. Planful lists neither. Across their full published lists the two share 2 integrations: Excel and NetSuite.
- Which suits a smaller firm, LiveFlow or Planful?
- LiveFlow lists small and mid-size firms and Planful lists mid-size firms. Firm size fit is the vendor's own positioning, so treat it as the starting point rather than a limit.