--- title: "ESM+Strategy Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about ESM+Strategy Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Strategic Planning products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/126984/ESM-Strategy/" page_type: "product" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-09-28" --- # ESM+Strategy Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on September 28, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) ESM+Strategy ## What is ESM+Strategy? ESM+STRATEGY empowers teams to formulate, track, and communicate their strategic plan. ESM+OKR leverages Objectives and Key Results to help organizations tactically get work done. ESM+CYBER enables organizations to manage risk, compliance, and cyber security. ESM+PERFORM empowers employees to link goals to the organizational strategy. With automated Balanced Scorecards, strategy maps, dashboards, and instant reports, ESM brings strategy to life. ## What is ESM+Strategy used for? [Performance Management System](https://www.capterra.com/performance-appraisal-software/)[Reporting](https://www.capterra.com/reporting-software/)[Strategic Planning](https://www.capterra.com/strategic-planning-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 35 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 94% Neutral 6% Negative 0% Starting price $880 Per Feature, Per Month Free trial available Includes Free Version Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for ESM+Strategy?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/esm-software-group-esm-strategy/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### ESM+Strategy 4.7 (35) VS. [4.4 (3,046)](https://www.capterra.com/p/76113/Wrike/reviews/) Starting Price $880 Per Feature, Per Month Starting Price $10 Per User, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.8 (35) Ease Of Use 4.2 (2,694) Value For Money 5.0 (22) Value For Money 4.2 (1,980) Customer Service 4.8 (34) Customer Service 4.3 (2,134) ## ESM+Strategy alternatives [4.5 (15)](https://www.capterra.com/p/47491/Corporater-Business-Management-Platform/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 93% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars Highest Rated [4.8 (53)](https://www.capterra.com/p/135495/ClearPoint-Strategy/reviews/) Starting price $50.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 100% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.7 (21)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141509/AchieveIt/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 100% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Stratws](https://www.capterra.com/p/197505/STRATWs-ONE/) [4.5 (94)](https://www.capterra.com/p/197505/STRATWs-ONE/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/197505/STRATWs-ONE/) ## FAQs about ESM+Strategy Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from ESM+Strategy? ESM+Strategy is most used by strategy consultants, planning specialists, and change leaders who structure strategic plans, facilitate workshops, and track transformation initiatives. Executives, managing directors, and business partners use it to align priorities and review progress, while IT leaders, project managers, and QA teams coordinate process improvement, delivery work, and governance. Answer based on 34 reviews Overview ### What company size and specific industries is ESM+Strategy built for? ESM+Strategy is designed for strategy management professionals, executive leadership, business process managers, and do-it-yourself users in healthcare, insurance, government, utility, and financial services organizations. The description does not specify a particular company size, so it appears aimed at organizations in those sectors rather than a single business tier. Features and Usability ### What are the key features of ESM+Strategy? ESM+Strategy offers strategic planning, portfolio management, and project planning/scheduling, along with Gantt/timeline view, roadmapping, milestone tracking, and task management. It also includes risk management, compliance management, KPI monitoring, reporting/analytics, dashboards, and data integration features such as API, data import/export, and third-party integrations. Pricing ### How much does it cost and what fees or limitations are included? ESM+Strategy starts at $880 per month per feature for the Pro plan, which includes all basic-plan features and supports unlimited users. A free version and free trial are available. Pricing is by scorecard rather than by user, and one reviewer said the price is a little high for their situation. Answer based on 6 reviews Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does ESM+Strategy integrate with? ESM+Strategy integrates with Microsoft Excel and Zapier. These integrations cover spreadsheet-based analysis and access to a wide range of connected apps through Zapier, giving teams two core third-party options for data handling and workflow connections. Answer based on 3 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does ESM+Strategy offer? ESM+Strategy provides in person training, live online sessions, webinars, and documentation to help teams get started. In person and live online formats support guided instruction, webinars cover shared training sessions, and documentation offers written reference material for setup and feature review. Answer based on 4 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does ESM+Strategy offer? ESM+Strategy provides email/help desk, a knowledge base, phone support, 24/7 live rep, and chat. Users describe the customer service as excellent and helpful, with support that assists during setup and training and responds well when structural scorecard or KPI changes are needed. Answer based on 2 reviews Ease of use ### Is ESM+Strategy easy to use for strategic planning? ESM+Strategy makes strategic planning and scorecard management approachable through an intuitive interface, shared data entry, and clear links between goals, measures, and initiatives. Small business teams and enterprise users find daily reporting easy after setup. Initial configuration, training, and complex report formatting can require a dedicated administrator or workarounds. Answer based on 16 reviews ## Features AI summary Based on 3,958 Strategic Planning reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of data analysis software rank the following features as their top priorities: - **Multiple Data Sources** (**47%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Reporting/Analytics** (**47%**) - **Dashboard Creation** (**43%**) ESM+Strategy supports **Reporting/Analytics** and **Dashboard Creation**, giving teams the tools to track performance, monitor trends, and present insights in a clear format. However, it does not offer **Multiple Data Sources**. Instead, it provides other highly rated capabilities, including **Data Visualization** (**43%**) and **Data Import/Export** (**43%**), which help users present findings clearly and move data in and out of the system as needed, helping businesses make informed decisions and share results more effectively. Reporting/Analytics 4.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data Data Visualization 4.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Graphical representation of data Dashboard 4.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Assembly of graphs and charts for visualizing and tracking statistics/metrics Data Connectors 4.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Connect to big data sources KPI Monitoring 4.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Tracking the status of previously identified performance measurements Single Page View 4.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Display aggregated data points on one page for a bird's eye view assessment ESM+Strategy 65 features ### All Features - Activity Dashboard: Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities - Ad hoc Reporting: Generate one-off reports that meet information requirements - Alerts/Notifications: Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges - API: Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases - Benchmarking: Compare key metrics for the business against prominent players in the industry - Budgeting/Forecasting: Create budgets based on historical data and future projections - Change Planning: Planning training and tasks to facilitate the transition to new technology, process, or workflow. - Collaboration Tools: Provides a channel for team members to share AI models, media files, communicate, and work together - Communication Management: Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat - Compliance Management: Track and manage adherence to policies for any service, product, process, or supplier - Customizable Dashboard: Alter the layout and content of dashboards - Customizable Templates: Pre-designed layouts that can be customized to match preferences and requirements - Dashboard: Assembly of graphs and charts for visualizing and tracking statistics/metrics - Dashboard Creation: Creation and customization of dashboards - Data Capture and Transfer: Import, collect, and capture data from multiple sources - Data Connectors: Connect to big data sources - Data Import/Export: Import and export data to and from software applications - Data Integration: Combining data from different sources and providing a unified view - Data Management: Ability to handle large datasets - Data Visualization: Graphical representation of data - Drag & Drop: Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components - Financial Reporting: Generate reports to assess the financial performance of an organization - Forecasting: Form predictions based on past and present data/trends - Gantt/Timeline View: Visual representation of project's schedule, sequence and duration of tasks, benchmarks and dependencies - Goal Management: Allows employees to set and manage work or career related goals - Goal Setting/Tracking: Establish measurable goals and objectives and track their progress over a specific period of time - Idea Management: Create, collect, discuss, improve, and evaluate insights or alternative thinking before starting projects - Incident Management: Manage and track all disruptions and incidents - Individual Development Plans: Document completed by employee to assist with career and personal development to reach short term and long term goals - Key Performance Indicators: Quantifiable metrics to track objectives, gauge milestones, and evaluate the success of a particular activity - KPI Monitoring: Tracking the status of previously identified performance measurements - Learning Management: Organize and track educational activities - Metadata Management: Collect and maintain structured information that describes data or content - Milestone Tracking: Monitor task progress and planned accomplishments to better manage project status - Mobile Dashboards: View and present dashboard on mobile devices - Monitoring: Observe and track the demand, usage, progress or quality of a system, product, or user - Negative Feedback Management: Identify, track, and respond to negative feedback - Performance Appraisal: Evaluation process that provides feedback on an employee's job performance - Performance Management: Organize and manage the accomplishments and development of employees or performance of applications or systems - Performance Metrics: A set of indicators that tracks the performance of networks, applications, systems, teams, etc. - Performance Review Management: Create, fill out, and send performance reviews to individual employees - Predictive Analytics: Predict future data based on historical data sets - Prioritization: Arrange tasks based on the level of priority or urgency - Progress Tracking: Reporting on how each user, task or process has advanced since its initiation - Projections: Estimate or forecast of a future scenario based on the study of present trends - Real-Time Analytics: Analyze and gain insights into data in real-time - Real-Time Reporting: Active reporting of data and metrics - Reporting/Analytics: View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data - Review Cycle Tracking: Follow the progression of a task associated with performance reviews - Risk Assessment: Initiate collection and analysis of known risks - Roadmapping: Identifying desired outcomes and important milestones and creating a plan on how to achieve them - Scheduled/Automated Reports: Set a time to generate routine reports automatically - Scorecards: Visual representation of performance data, enabling users to monitor progress, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions - Search/Filter: Search and filter data across systems to locate required information by entering keywords or certain criteria - Self Assessment: An individual's evaluation of his or her own strengths, weaknesses, and skills - Self Service Portal: Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information - Single Page View: Display aggregated data points on one page for a bird's eye view assessment - Skills Assessment: Observe employees over a period of time to gain an understanding of their abilities to perform certain tasks - Step-by-Step Wizard: Organized process that walks users through each step of building a business plan - Strategic Planning: At a high level, visualize a preferred outcome, define goals and identify specific steps to achieve them - Task Management: Create, manage and track all task activities and progression - Third-Party Integrations: Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes - Trend/Problem Indicators: Visually identify direction of development and areas that require attention - Visual Analytics: Interact with data visualization elements, such as charts and graphs, to drill down into data - Weighted Performance Measures: Assess skills, outcomes and results using preset metrics and averages --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.9 (24) 4.9 Based on 24 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 5.0 (22) Free Trial Free Version [View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/126984/ESM-Strategy/pricing/) Basic $0.00 It includes: - Balanced Scorecard Designer - Create Objectives - Excel Exports - Measure and Strategic Initiatives - PESTEL - Porter's 5 Forces - SWOT Pro $880.00 Per Feature,Per Month It includes: - Balanced Scorecard Automation - Design Dynamic Strategy Maps - Initiative Prioritization - Strategic Initiative Project Management Enterprise Contact Vendor for Pricing It includes: - API Integrations - Configuration Training - Dedicated Account Manager - Free Data Buildout Without Onboarding - Multiple Scorecards Value for money 5.0 (22) 5.0 Based on 22 reviews ## Integrations [ Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/)[ Zapier](https://www.capterra.com/p/130182/Zapier/) Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.8 (34) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.8 (34) 4.8 Based on 34 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.7 Based on 35 reviews Filter by rating Counts reflect reviews available in this feed. 5(27) 4(6) 3(2) 2(0) 1(0) Mentioned topic Recent reviews first, then most helpful RE Reviewer Process Consultant - Planning and Strategy Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Leveraging ESM + Strategy for SMS Development" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 August 13, 2018 The value proposition of the tool consists of three things: 1. Transparency - Provides a holistic view of SMS work from which all stakeholders can glean insight and make decisions from. 2. Accountability - Instills discipline around the ownership and reporting of strategic objectives and initiatives. 3. Root-cause analysis - Gives leaders a lens into what forces drive the status of strategic objectives and corresponding metrics. Pros 1\. Excellent support during setup and responsiveness regarding inquiries 2. Flexible enough to accommodate the nuances of our SMS. 3. Ease of navigation and intuitive layout makes software easy to learn. Cons 1\. The Gantt chart view is not currently exportable, but I am aware that this is a function they are exploring. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Managing Director Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Strategy Review Tool" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 13, 2018 The ESM + Strategy is helping us to deliver positive results to our clients in their strategy management efforts. The ESM functionalities make all the strategy design process to be dynamic and proactive. Pros The ESM is pefectly aligned with the XPP methdology and makes the Strategy Review Process intuitive and easy to use for clients. Throughout all the ESM you have a very friendly environment that allows the users to get used to it easily. Cons At the moment there is no dislikes with the ESM. It may improve some risk and process management features. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Senior Strategist ### "New customer ESM 5.5 review" 3.0 January 3, 2017 Recommend ESM to those who are resourced contrained but need and will use a web-based software to better their organizational performance effort. Pros Easy to use, functionally represent the balanced scorecard methodology well. No learning required if you understand the BSC framework. Its affordable, scalable. Cons Lacks a robust initiatives prioritization; and initiatives resource allocation, comparison and refinement process. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Sr Director of IT Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Great software to support strategy execution and tracking" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 October 11, 2021 It was great to work w/ the ESM team during the initial implementation where they were very effective at working with the executive leadership to capture and formulate specific details to build out the scorecard. Several workshops were held to get the team aligned and comfortable using ESM as the backdrop and means to review the progress on a monthly basis. I was also part of the admin training sessions and those were very informative and covered the necessary features to support the tool in-house. Pros The software has an intuitive interface and helps ease the process of setting up the initial scorecard and strategy map as well as maintaining the information going forward. There is considerable flexibility to adapt it to your organization's vocabulary and planning model. Cons The hardest part of using the software was bringing new executive leaders up to speed on it after we had our initial workshops to get it in place. Not really a software issue, but more of a training and adoption issue. The ESM team was great about helping Ultivue bridge that gap. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Reconciliations Manager Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "software to increase the productivity of your team" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 June 28, 2021 We used it as a test to try if an incentive strategy worked with our collaborators, however we decided to use other free software that offer us the same. Pros The best thing about this software is that it allows you to create your KPIs from the same database that can enhance decision-making in your business. It can even be filled in real time to be able to make adjustments with your team of the strategy they are carrying out. additionally they can also see their progress so it becomes challenging and inventive Cons Having a systems team that can do the filling work in real time can make your job easier. in case you cannot have this, the tool becomes little useful because the information. shown will not be found on live Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Head of Strategy Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Used software for over 10 years" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 December 24, 2019 The ESM Team is fantastic to work with and the software continues to support our focused strategic planning and performance excellence culture. Pros ESM supports HRDC with our strategic planning and review. We have Balanced Scorecards that we manage with leadership through ESM. We are able to drive our goal for a high performance culture in the organization. It is very sophisticated but also easy for us to use. Cons We are very happy with the software so I'm thinking back about any issues we've have over the past 11 years of using ESM. We asked for better dashboards in 2018 and the ESM team launched new dashboard capabilities in 2019 and we love the new flexibility. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Afzul S. Director Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Integrated Solution" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 26, 2018 The software lives up to its claim of bringing strategy to life by making it accessible throughout the organisation. Pros The interface is sufficiently user friendly and is therefore easily learned. The reports are comprehensive and enable effective analysis of the data which makes for more meaningful strategy and performance review. Cons Really nothing to dislike. Enhanced functionality is being explored. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer CEO Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Aligned my Board of Directors and Employees" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 January 24, 2020 Aligned the Board of Directors, brought the strategic plan to life, and engaged employees with how they support the strategy. Pros User friendly, shows employees how they impact the strategy, helps set the agenda for Board Meetings, staff planning sessions and facilitates decision making and budget choices. Cons Challenged the status quo and forced us to rethink how we run the business. Very effective with exposing gaps in our strategy. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. VR Verified Reviewer Principal Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Top Tier Firm and Excellent Product" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 January 25, 2019 Empowered our team to take hold of our strategy and get the job done. Offers us the insight to make smart decisions around our investments. We were able to use the tool and methodology to avoid unnecessary expenses for projects that weren't aligned to our strategy Pros deep permission capabilities around user access, rapid scorecard design, great communication tool, rooted in Kaplan Norton best practices, great customer service team Cons Doesn't do P&L financial planning (but didn't really buy it for that purpose), Want to be able to display multiple strategy maps at the same time in the same scorecard (right now you have to select from a drop down list as to which gets displayed) Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer North American General Manager and Vice President of Sales Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Balanced Scorecard" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 December 10, 2018 It allowed us to turn our five year business strategy into sustainable actions! Pros The software was easy to use and allowed us to turn strategy into actions. Cons Overall it was very intuitive - not much not to like. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/126984/ESM-Strategy/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.