Compared: LivePlan
A LivePlan alternative for the monthly report, once the plan is written
LivePlan is for writing the plan: a business plan builder, linked forecasts, budgets and what-if scenarios, a lender-readiness review and a pitch deck, with budget against actual once QuickBooks or Xero is connected. If the plan is written and what you need now is the monthly management report, Magic MIS is built for that. Magic MIS wrote this page.
Free to create. No subscription.
What LivePlan does well
From its own site:
- A business plan builder with step-by-step guidance and hundreds of sample plans, kept in step with the forecast.
- Linked forecasts: profit and loss, cash flow and balance sheet, where changing one number updates the others.
- Budgets and what-if scenarios, such as a new hire or a slow season, and a cash flow forecast that shows when cash gets tight.
- Performance tracking: budget against actual, updated when QuickBooks or Xero is connected.
- A lender-readiness review, market benchmarks, a pitch deck and AI help in drafting the plan and starting a forecast.
- Pages and partner programmes for accountants, consultants, lenders and incubators.
Side by side, as of October 2026
| Item | LivePlan | Magic MIS |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | Business plans, forecasts and lender readiness | The monthly management report and board pack |
| How data gets in | QuickBooks and Xero connections, or your own spreadsheet | The trial balance you export, from any system |
| Forecasting | Linked three-statement forecasts and scenarios | Budget against actual and a simple projection for the rest of the year |
| Monthly report | Budget against actual on a dashboard | A checked Excel workbook, a board changed by chatting, the month written up |
| AI | Help drafting the plan and starting a forecast | The AI writes words only; the engine fills every number, each opening to its ledgers |
| Pricing model | Subscription, with a money-back guarantee | Prepaid credits, no subscription |
We don't quote LivePlan's prices.
When LivePlan is the better choice, and when Magic MIS is
LivePlan fits when you are writing a business plan, raising a loan or pitching investors; when the forecast is the deliverable; and when the business is on QuickBooks or Xero and you want the plan tracked against actuals in one place.
Magic MIS fits when the plan is done and the board, lender or investor wants the monthly report: the P&L, balance sheet, cash, KPIs and what moved and why, the same each month, every figure opening to its ledgers; when the books are on a system LivePlan doesn't connect to; and when you would rather pay per report than subscribe. It doesn't forecast in depth, consolidate groups or support teams; if you need those, the tools above are the better fit.
Where the LivePlan information came from
Read on 30 October 2026 from liveplan.com: the home page and its features and integrations pages. Check their site for changes. LivePlan is a trademark of its owner. Magic MIS is not affiliated with or endorsed by LivePlan.
What owners and advisers comparing them ask
Can Magic MIS write a business plan?
No. It produces the monthly report from the books. For a business plan or a loan application, LivePlan is built for that.
Can Magic MIS show budget against actual?
Yes. Enter a budget by line and month, or fill it from last year or a spreadsheet, and the board shows the variance.
Does it work with QuickBooks or Xero?
From the trial balance you export from them, or from any other system. There is no live connection.
How is Magic MIS priced?
Prepaid credit packs, no subscription. Each action shows its standard price before it runs.
Read next
- Board pack and board packet: the monthly financial report for the boardWhat a monthly board pack contains — management accounts, KPIs, variances, commentary — how long it takes by hand, and how to produce it from a trial balance each month.Read
- Monthly financial reporting software for small businesses and their CPAsMonth-end reporting from your accounting system's trial balance: P&L with year to date, balance sheet, KPIs, A/R and A/P aging and commentary, in an Excel workbook you can audit.Read
- How do you calculate cash runway?Cash runway = cash at the month end ÷ the average monthly net burn of the last three months. The formula, a worked example, and why three months beats one.Read
Report the month against the plan you wrote
Create an account, load last month's trial balance, and get the report — paid per action.
Prepaid credits, no subscription.