The best sales forecasting software predicts what you'll close from the pipeline you have, combining deal stages, history and buyer activity so the number you give the board stops being a guess: small teams often get enough from their CRM's built-in forecasting, while larger sales organisations add a dedicated forecasting tool. Eleven tools follow in no particular order.
Every sales leader knows the end-of-quarter feeling. The forecast said one thing, the deals said another, and the gap appeared in the last week when it was far too late to do anything about it.
Sales forecasting software is built to close that gap earlier. The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from CRMs with forecasting built in to dedicated AI forecasting platforms, and every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. If your pipeline stages need tidying first, my sales pipeline stage template will help.
Sales forecasting tools at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it or book a demo.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaplan | Connected planning platform | Sales forecasting inside company-wide planning | Not stated |
| Clari | Revenue forecasting | Forecast calls in Salesloft-run teams | Not stated |
| Coevera | Visual pipeline and AI sales CRM | Visual pipelines without a long build | Trial only |
| Collective[i] | Enterprise AI for revenue growth | Pipeline health and buyer relationships | Not stated |
| Forecastio | AI sales forecasting and revenue intelligence | HubSpot users wanting better forecasts | Not stated |
| Fullcast | Plan-to-pay revenue operations | Territories, quotas and forecasts together | Not stated |
| HubSpot Sales Hub | AI sales software and CRM | Small businesses already on HubSpot | Trial only |
| InsightSquared | Sales forecasting and revenue analytics | Forecasting plus pipeline analytics | Not stated |
| Pipedrive | Sales CRM and pipeline management | Small sales teams wanting a visual pipeline | Trial only |
| Salesforce Sales Cloud | CRM with sales analytics | Enterprises standardised on Salesforce | Not stated |
| Xactly | Sales performance management | Forecasting next to incentive pay | Not stated |
Eleven sales forecasting tools to look at
Anaplan
Best for: Large enterprises that want sales forecasting, territory and quota planning connected to finance and supply chain plans.
Clari
Best for: Sales leaders who want a dedicated forecasting tool that now sits alongside Salesloft in one combined revenue system.
Coevera
Best for: B2B sales teams that want visual pipelines and guided selling without a long custom build, from the team behind Pipeliner.
Collective[i]
Best for: Enterprise sales teams that want opportunity and pipeline health monitored with AI trained on how businesses buy.
Forecastio
Best for: HubSpot users who want AI sales forecasting, win-loss analysis and agents built on a native HubSpot integration.
Fullcast
Best for: RevOps teams that want targets, territories, lead routing, forecasting and commissions in one connected cycle.
HubSpot Sales Hub
Best for: Small and mid-sized businesses that want forecasting inside the same CRM as their marketing and service, with a 14-day trial.
InsightSquared
Best for: Revenue leaders who want sales forecasting, pipeline management and revenue analytics from one specialist tool.
Pipedrive
Best for: Small sales teams that want an easy visual pipeline with forecasting built in, with a 14-day free trial.
Salesforce Sales Cloud
Best for: Organisations on Salesforce that want forecast accuracy and pipeline growth tracked inside their existing CRM.
Xactly
Best for: Sales organisations that want forecasting next to planning and incentive tools on one intelligent revenue platform.
How sales forecasting tools work
The simplest method weights each deal by its pipeline stage and adds them up. Better tools look at how similar deals closed in the past, how long they've sat in each stage and whether the buyer is still engaged. AI tools combine all of that with reps' own calls on each deal.
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Some tools in this list are CRMs with forecasting built in. Others sit on top of a CRM and focus only on forecasting, while a few connect forecasting to territories, quotas and commissions.
Finance teams use financial reporting software for the same numbers.
Why the forecast matters beyond sales
The SBA says a business plan should provide a prospective financial outlook for the next five years, including forecasted income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements.
Every one of those starts with a sales forecast. If finance doesn't trust the sales number, it builds its own, and the business ends up running on two versions of the truth. Choose a tool whose method your finance lead understands and will happily use.
Deal data comes from revenue intelligence platforms.
Questions to ask a sales forecasting vendor
- Which CRM do you work with, and how much set-up does that take?
- How is the forecast calculated, and can reps add their own judgement?
- Can we see why a deal's flagged as at risk?
- How do you handle different products, regions or teams?
- Can finance see the same numbers in a format they can use?
- How accurate have forecasts been for companies like ours?
Signs your forecast needs help
- The number changes every week. Nobody knows why.
- Big deals slip at the end of the quarter. Every quarter.
- Finance builds its own version. It rarely matches.
- Forecast calls are guesswork. Reps defend their deals.
Do you make sales forecasting software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing sales forecasting software
Clean pipeline data beats clever forecasting. If deal stages, close dates and amounts aren't kept up to date, no tool will save you. Fix the basics in your CRM first, then see whether its built-in forecasting is enough.
Add a dedicated tool when forecasts keep missing despite good data, or when several teams and products need rolling up. For the wider case, my piece on why your business needs better financial forecasting explains what's at stake.
Frequently asked questions
What is sales forecasting software?
It's software that predicts future sales from your pipeline, deal history and buyer activity, often with AI and rep input.
Can I forecast sales in my CRM?
Most CRMs include basic forecasting by pipeline stage, which is often enough for smaller sales teams.
What is a weighted pipeline forecast?
It multiplies each deal's value by the likelihood of closing at its stage, then adds the results together.
How far ahead should a business forecast?
Sales teams usually forecast the current quarter in detail, while the SBA suggests business plans look five years ahead.
What's the difference between sales forecasting and revenue intelligence?
Forecasting predicts the number. Revenue intelligence looks at activity across deals, and often feeds the forecast.
Why do sales forecasts miss?
Usually because of out-of-date pipeline data, optimistic close dates or deals where the buyer has gone quiet without anyone noticing.
