How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Marketing planning splits into two jobs: budget and spend planning (Uptempo, Plannuh, Aprimo) and campaign execution planning (Wrike, Monday.com, Asana, ClickUp). Most teams need one more than the other.
- The budget planners are almost all quote-only: Uptempo, Plannuh, Aprimo, Hive9 and Allocadia publish no prices. Expect enterprise sales cycles.
- The execution planners publish prices and start cheap: ClickUp Core ($8/user/month), Monday.com Basic ($9/seat/month), Wrike Team ($10/user/month), Asana Starter ($10.99/user/month).
- Hive9 and Allocadia no longer exist as standalone products: both were acquired and folded into Uptempo, so evaluate them as part of that suite.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Uptempo | Mid-market and enterprise marketing teams needing planning, budgets and performance in one platform | See website (quote-based; third-party listings cite ~$2,000/month) | No (no free trial listed) |
 Plannuh (Planful for Marketing) | SMB marketing teams wanting marketing-specific planning and budget management | See website (quote-based; third-party listings cite ~$6,000/year) | Free trial (per review listings) |
 Aprimo (Aprimo Plan) | Mid-market and enterprise teams running complex multi-channel campaigns | See website (quote-based; third-party listings cite ~$30,000/year) | No (no free trial) |
 Wrike | Growing SMB marketing teams needing campaign structure beyond boards | $10/user/month billed annually (Team); Business $25/user/month billed annually | Yes (free plan for up to 5 users); 14-day trial on paid plans |
 Monday.com | SMB marketing teams wanting a visual campaign calendar this week | $9/seat/month billed annually (Basic); Standard $12; Pro $19 (3-seat minimum on paid plans) | Yes (free plan, up to 2 seats); 14-day Pro trial |
 Asana | SMB marketing teams and agencies living in timelines and deadlines | $10.99/user/month billed annually (Starter); Advanced $24.99/user/month billed annually (verified on asana.com/pricing) | Yes (Personal plan, free forever for up to 2 users) |
 ClickUp | SMB marketing teams wanting one tool for calendars, docs, sprints and dashboards | $8/user/month billed annually (Core, promo; regular $12); Business $17/user/month billed annually (promo; regular $25) (verified on clickup.com/pricing) | Yes (Free Forever plan, unlimited tasks); 30-day money-back guarantee |
 Hive9 (now part of Uptempo) | Enterprise B2B demand generation teams evaluating the Uptempo suite | See website (quote-based; now sold as part of Uptempo) | Via Uptempo (review sites list a trial as available) |
 Allocadia (now part of Uptempo) | Marketing organizations whose biggest pain is budget visibility | See website (quote-based; now sold as part of Uptempo) | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best marketing planning software
Marketing planning used to mean a spreadsheet and a calendar. Then budgets moved into dedicated planning platforms, execution moved into work management tools, and the two halves stopped talking to each other. In 2026 the category is really two markets: financial planning for marketing (budgets, spend, ROI) and work planning for marketing (calendars, campaigns, creative workflows). These nine tools cover both, from quote-only enterprise platforms to the $8-a-month work managers most SMB teams actually buy.
#1
Uptempo
Best for: Mid-market and enterprise marketing teams needing planning, budgets and performance in one platform
Visit uptempo.io
Starting priceSee website (quote-based; third-party listings cite ~$2,000/month)
Free planNo (no free trial listed)
Uptempo (formerly BrandMaker, now including Allocadia and Hive9) is the enterprise system of record for marketing: plans, budgets, campaigns, performance, work and asset management in one platform, trusted by 350+ enterprises. The spreadsheet-like budget UI with real-time reconciliation suits marketing ops teams replacing spreadsheet budgeting, and adapters pull actual spend and performance in automatically.
The honest catches are price and onboarding: it is the priciest option in this category, reviewers flag a steep learning curve and clunky navigation, and implementation is sales-led, not self-serve. Integrates with Slack, Teams, Adobe Creative Cloud and CRM systems. Best for marketing operations teams at mid-market and enterprise scale; SMBs should look at Plannuh or the work managers below.
What we like- Single system of record for marketing plans, budgets, campaigns and performance
- Spreadsheet-like budget UI with real-time reconciliation and predictive insights
- Out-of-the-box adapters pull actual spend and performance into the tool
Watch out for- Enterprise-oriented pricing puts it out of reach for small teams
- Dashboards and navigation feel clunky with a learning curve
- Implementation is a real project, not self-serve
#2
Plannuh (Planful for Marketing)
Best for: SMB marketing teams wanting marketing-specific planning and budget management
Visit planful.com
Starting priceSee website (quote-based; third-party listings cite ~$6,000/year)
Free planFree trial (per review listings)
Plannuh positions as the spreadsheet replacement for SMB marketing teams: automatic expense handling, apples-to-apples campaign ROI comparisons, and AI-driven budget automation, with a claimed 1-week implementation. For marketing leaders who need budget accuracy and fast setup rather than deep IT configuration, the pitch is clear.
It is marketing-only: creative execution, task management and cross-department projects live elsewhere, so pair it with a work-management tool if you need more than planning and spend tracking. The integration library is thinner than the big work platforms, and quote-only pricing adds a sales step. Best for SMB marketing teams whose core pain is budget planning, not task management.
What we like- Vendor claims 1-week implementation with a UI built by marketers
- AI-driven budget automation calculating campaign ROI down to the dollar
- Links plans, budgets, campaigns and spend in one centralized platform
Watch out for- Thin native integration library versus broader work-management tools
- Reviews note fiddly UI (filters/refreshes) and data integration gaps
- Quote-only pricing means a sales process before budgeting
#3
Aprimo (Aprimo Plan)
Best for: Mid-market and enterprise teams running complex multi-channel campaigns
Visit aprimo.com
Starting priceSee website (quote-based; third-party listings cite ~$30,000/year)
Free planNo (no free trial)
Aprimo combines planning with digital asset management and budget visibility, so brand and creative teams get planning plus content operations in one platform. Collaborative calendars filtered by brand, region, owner or status suit complex multi-channel campaigns across business units, with workflow automation covering briefs, approvals and dependencies.
Pricing starts in the tens of thousands annually with real implementation time and budget, and reviewers call the UI complex. If you only need calendar and budget tracking without DAM, lighter tools are cheaper and faster to adopt. Best for mid-market and enterprise teams where content operations and planning must live together.
What we like- Collaborative marketing calendars filtered by brand, region, owner or status
- Task and workflow automation with briefs, approvals and dependencies
- Native Aprimo DAM plus Slack, Teams, Adobe Creative Cloud and CRM integrations
Watch out for- Complex, unintuitive UI with a steep learning curve
- Enterprise-grade pricing, overkill for small teams
- Reporting flexibility and integrations can require technical help
#4
Wrike
Best for: Growing SMB marketing teams needing campaign structure beyond boards
Visit wrike.com
Starting price$10/user/month billed annually (Team); Business $25/user/month billed annually
Free planYes (free plan for up to 5 users); 14-day trial on paid plans
Wrike is the work-management pick with a genuine marketing identity: the Wrike for Marketers bundle adds proofing, an Adobe Creative Cloud extension and tailored workspaces, making it a real campaign-planning tool rather than a generic PM product wearing a marketing hat. Gantt, workload and resource management plus request forms suit teams doing lots of creative review.
Configuration overhead is real, and the Business tier (needed for resource planning) doubles the per-seat cost to $25. Seats sell in groups with annual-only terms on Business and above. Its strength is execution rather than spend management, so pair it with a budget tool if financial planning matters. Best for growing SMB marketing teams that need structure beyond boards.
What we like- Strong Gantt, workload and resource management plus request forms and approvals
- Wrike for Marketers bundle adds proofing, Adobe Creative Cloud extension and tailored workspaces
- 400+ pre-built integrations and API access
Watch out for- Needs real administration
- Setup can be heavy for small teams
- Best features (resource management, advanced reporting) sit in pricier tiers
#5
Monday.com
Best for: SMB marketing teams wanting a visual campaign calendar this week
Visit monday.com
Starting price$9/seat/month billed annually (Basic); Standard $12; Pro $19 (3-seat minimum on paid plans)
Free planYes (free plan, up to 2 seats); 14-day Pro trial
Monday.com is the fastest path to a visual campaign calendar: boards, timelines and templates that non-technical marketers adopt with minimal training, plus no-code automations from Standard up. Standard at $12 per seat per month is the realistic entry point for marketing use, since Basic lacks automations.
The 3-seat minimum sets a $27/month floor even for solo users, and monthly billing runs 18-33% higher than annual. Seat buckets can force paying for unused seats. Like the other work managers here, it handles planning and execution but not dedicated marketing budget planning. Best for SMB teams and agencies that value templates and speed over deep configuration.
What we like- Visual boards, timeline and Gantt views that non-technical marketers adopt quickly
- Large template library for campaign calendars and content planning
- Strong no-code automations and integrations on Standard and Pro
Watch out for- 3-seat minimum means paid plans start at $27/month even for solo users
- Key features (Gantt, automations, time tracking) locked behind higher tiers
- Per-seat costs climb fast as teams grow
#6
Asana
Best for: SMB marketing teams and agencies living in timelines and deadlines
Visit asana.com
Starting price$10.99/user/month billed annually (Starter); Advanced $24.99/user/month billed annually (verified on asana.com/pricing)
Free planYes (Personal plan, free forever for up to 2 users)
Asana is the simplicity pick for campaign planning: clean UX, Timeline and calendar views, and unlimited free guests that make client and stakeholder collaboration genuinely cheap. Starter covers most planning needs; Advanced adds the goal-tracking and resource balancing bigger marketing orgs want.
There is no native marketing budget planning, so pair it with a spend tool if budget control matters. Per-user pricing with no bundling climbs with headcount, and advanced reporting waits for Enterprise. Best for teams that value simplicity over deep configurability, especially agencies and distributed teams.
What we like- Clean, marketer-friendly UX with Timeline, Gantt and calendar views
- Goals, portfolios and resource management on Advanced tie work to objectives
- Unlimited free guests make client collaboration cheap
Watch out for- Portfolio, goals and workload features require the pricier Advanced tier
- Per-user pricing with no seat bundling gets expensive as teams scale
- Advanced reporting mostly sits in Enterprise
#7
ClickUp
Best for: SMB marketing teams wanting one tool for calendars, docs, sprints and dashboards
Visit clickup.com
Starting price$8/user/month billed annually (Core, promo; regular $12); Business $17/user/month billed annually (promo; regular $25) (verified on clickup.com/pricing)
Free planYes (Free Forever plan, unlimited tasks); 30-day money-back guarantee
ClickUp is the consolidation play: docs, goals, sprints, chat, Gantt, dashboards and time tracking in one workspace, so a marketing team stops paying for five apps. The Free Forever plan genuinely covers small-team planning, and Core at $8 per user per month (promo) is the cheapest entry here for a full work-management stack.
It does everything, so expect a configuration project and training to keep the workspace clean, and performance can lag in large workspaces. Promo pricing may revert at renewal, so budget against regular rates. Like its rivals, it plans and executes but does not do dedicated marketing budget management. Best for SMB teams that want one workspace for everything.
What we like- All-in-one: docs, goals, sprints, chat, Gantt, dashboards and time tracking in one workspace
- Generous Free Forever plan with unlimited tasks, docs and Kanban
- Lower entry price than Asana or Monday.com for comparable features
Watch out for- Feature breadth can overwhelm new users
- Setup takes effort to tame
- Promo pricing may revert to higher regular rates at renewal
#8
Hive9 (now part of Uptempo)
Best for: Enterprise B2B demand generation teams evaluating the Uptempo suite
Visit uptempo.io
Starting priceSee website (quote-based; now sold as part of Uptempo)
Free planVia Uptempo (review sites list a trial as available)
Hive9 no longer really exists as an independent product: acquired and folded into Uptempo, it should be evaluated as part of that suite rather than a standalone purchase. Its strength was the intelligent marketing calendar linking plans to budgets and expenses automatically, with a performance module aimed at B2B demand generation and marketing ops leaders.
For buyers, the practical meaning is simple: if Hive9's plan-to-budget linkage appeals to you, talk to Uptempo. Expect enterprise sales cycles and pricing, and a small standalone review base. Do not evaluate it as a separate vendor; the roadmap belongs to the suite now.
What we like- Intelligent marketing calendar connecting plans automatically to budgets and actual expenses
- Performance module with predictive insights on what is working
- Built for B2B demand generation and marketing operations leaders
Watch out for- Acquired and folded into Uptempo, so its standalone future is the suite
- Enterprise pricing well beyond SMB budgets
- Small review base as a standalone product
#9
Allocadia (now part of Uptempo)
Best for: Marketing organizations whose biggest pain is budget visibility
Visit uptempo.io
Starting priceSee website (quote-based; now sold as part of Uptempo)
Free planNo
Allocadia's story is now Uptempo's story: the budget-visibility specialist (rolling up regional budgets to a global view, aligning spend to strategy, proving ROI) was acquired and folded into the suite. Its spreadsheet-like interface and multi-currency global budget management remain the draw for marketing organizations whose biggest pain is seeing where the money goes.
Its strength is financial planning, not creative execution: teams needing task management and proofing will need more of the Uptempo suite. Quote-based pricing and enterprise onboarding make it a poor fit for teams under ~50 marketers. Evaluate the suite, confirm the modules, and get services scoped in the quote.
What we like- Out-of-the-box adapters flowing actual spend and performance into the tool
- Multi-currency global budget management without spreadsheet gymnastics
- Strong reporting engine for marketing investment analysis
Watch out for- Folded into the Uptempo suite, so evaluate as a suite purchase
- Reviewers note data integration can be fragile
- Expensive relative to SMB budgets
The budget-vs.-execution split: which half do you need
Ask your team where the pain actually lives. If the pain is "we don't know what we spent or whether it worked," you need budget planning: Uptempo, Plannuh, Aprimo, or the Allocadia/Hive9 capabilities inside Uptempo. These tools answer the CFO's questions. If the pain is "campaigns slip, assets get lost, nobody knows the launch date," you need execution planning: Wrike, Monday.com, Asana, ClickUp. These tools answer the team's questions.
Most SMB marketing teams feel the second pain first and should buy accordingly: a $10/user/month work manager beats a quote-only budget platform when the problem is missed deadlines. The budget planners earn their keep once marketing spend crosses roughly $1M a year and the CFO starts asking harder questions. Buying the wrong half is the most expensive mistake in this category: a beautiful calendar does not fix budget chaos, and a budget platform does not ship campaigns.
Frequently asked questions
What is marketing planning software?
Software for planning marketing work and money: campaign calendars, task workflows, creative approvals (execution planning) and budgets, spend tracking, ROI measurement (financial planning). Some tools do one half (Asana, Plannuh); enterprise suites like Uptempo and Aprimo do both. Know which half you are buying before comparing.
How much does marketing planning software cost?
Work-management tools: $8-25/user/month (ClickUp $8, Monday.com $9-19, Wrike $10-25, Asana $10.99-24.99). Budget-planning platforms: quote-only, from roughly $6,000/year (Plannuh) to tens of thousands (Aprimo, Uptempo). The quote-only tools require a sales process just to learn the price.
Can I just use Asana or Monday.com for marketing planning?
Yes, for execution planning: campaign calendars, content workflows, deadlines, approvals. Most SMB marketing teams do exactly this. What they do not do is marketing budget planning: no spend-vs.-budget tracking, no campaign ROI down to the dollar. Pair them with a budget tool (or a spreadsheet, honestly) if finance needs answers.
What happened to Hive9 and Allocadia?
Both were acquired and folded into Uptempo (formerly BrandMaker). They no longer exist as standalone products. If their capabilities (plan-to-budget linkage, marketing investment visibility) appeal to you, evaluate the Uptempo suite, not the old standalone brands.
Do I need the enterprise platforms?
Only when marketing spend and complexity demand it: multi-region budgets, formal campaign governance, DAM integration, or CFO-level ROI reporting. Under ~50 marketers, Plannuh plus a work manager covers most needs at a fraction of the cost and implementation effort. Enterprise platforms are transformation purchases, not software signups.
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: marketing planning software and marketing plan software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own pricing page, checked plan names and prices against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit, and compared feature lists, budget-planning depth, execution workflow and company-size fit. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing. The shortlist mixes budget planners with work-management execution tools, because planning the money and planning the work are different jobs.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://www.uptempo.io/pricing/
- https://planful.com/pricing/
- https://www.aprimo.com/pricing/
- https://www.wrike.com/price/
- https://monday.com/pricing/
- https://asana.com/pricing
- https://clickup.com/pricing
- https://www.g2.com/categories/marketing-planning
- https://www.capterra.com/marketing-planning-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.