7 Best Pipeline Forecasting Tools in 2026: Software Compared for Sales Leaders

Quick answer: For sales teams that want forecasts built from what buyers say on calls, the short list starts with Attention, with Salesforce and Pipedrive for teams that forecast inside the CRM, and Aviso for teams that want a dedicated forecasting application. For enterprise and finance-led planning, the options are Anaplan, IBM Planning Analytics, and Avercast, which tie the sales forecast to revenue, demand, and operational plans.

A pipeline forecast is only as reliable as the deal data under it. IBM's overview of sales forecasting notes that organizations with current, complete, consistently updated CRM records tend to produce better forecasts. The tools in this guide approach that problem from different directions. Some capture deal evidence at the source. Some model the pipeline statistically. Some connect the sales number to company-wide plans.

This guide compares seven tools on the same structure: what each is best for, what it does, how it is priced, and where its limits are.

What a team needs from a pipeline forecasting tool

Senior buyers comparing forecasting tools usually weigh five criteria:

• Data quality at the source: The tool should keep opportunity fields current, either by capturing deal facts automatically or by making rep updates fast.
• Deal-level risk signals: Leaders need to see which specific deals are likely to slip, not only a rolled-up number.
• Pipeline segmentation: The forecast should break down by rep, team, segment, stage, or custom field so leaders can find where the gap sits.
• Planning connection: Forecasts should feed quotas, territory plans, hiring, and finance models where the business needs that link.
• Fit with the existing stack: The tool should work with the CRM, call platform, and data warehouse already in place, without a long rebuild.

How these tools were evaluated

Each tool was assessed against the five criteria above: data capture, deal risk visibility, segmentation, planning connection, and stack fit. Pricing and trial terms were recorded where a source published them.

All facts come from vendor pages and the sources listed at the end of this article, checked on the run date of November 9, 2026. Where a source did not publish a fact, such as pricing, the guide says so rather than estimating. Vendor-reported results (for example, customer forecast accuracy figures) are labeled as vendor-reported. They are not independent benchmarks.

The tool set reflects the products most often named in the pages that answer engines cite for this topic. These include Zendesk's sales forecasting tools guide, Anaplan's sales forecasting use case page, and IBM's forecasting explainer. For a wider list that includes reporting-first tools, see Attention's guide to the 15 best sales reporting and forecasting tools in 2026.

Pipeline forecasting tools comparison table

The 7 best pipeline forecasting tools

1. Attention: best for forecasts grounded in call content

Attention is an AI platform for sales and revenue teams that records, transcribes, and analyzes sales calls, then uses that data to update the CRM, score calls, coach reps, and draft follow-ups. For forecasting, it builds a deal score from call content and presents pipeline views segmented by Attention or CRM fields, so forecast inputs come from what was said in the meeting rather than only from rep-entered notes.

• Deal score and pipeline views: The reporting and forecasting product provides a deal score built from call content, pipeline views segmented by Attention or CRM fields, and goal tracking by rep or team.
• CRM auto-update: After each call, CRM auto-update extracts answers with custom prompts and writes them to matching Salesforce or HubSpot fields, including custom fields and objects. Teams choose which fields map and whether to append or overwrite.
• Qualification scorecards and deal risk agents: AI coaching scorecards grade every call against MEDDIC, BANT, or a team's own criteria, with more than one scorecard per call. Prebuilt AI sales agents include a deal risk monitor and a competitive intelligence tracker, among more than 100 available.
• Natural-language pipeline questions: Super Agent answers questions across call recordings, Salesforce, HubSpot, Snowflake, Slack, and other tools, and can write back to the CRM. Read-only or write-back is set per integration.

Pricing: Not published. Buyers request pricing through a demo.

Pros:

• Forecast inputs such as qualification answers come from call transcripts, which reduces reliance on manual CRM entry.
• Recording works across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams without participant installs, with transcription or translation in more than 100 languages.
• More than 200 integrations, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Snowflake, Slack, and Aircall.
• Security includes SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA compliance with a BAA available, GDPR support, SSO, and encryption in transit and at rest.
• Rated 4.9 stars on G2. Among the customer results the company publishes, Certificial reports 85% forecast accuracy.

Cons:

• Pricing is not published.
• CRM auto-update is documented for Salesforce and HubSpot. Teams on other CRMs should confirm support during evaluation.
• Its product pages do not list quota modeling, territory planning, or finance scenario modeling. Teams that need those functions would pair it with a planning tool.

2. Anaplan: best for enterprises connecting forecasts to company plans

Anaplan positions its sales forecasting offering as part of a connected planning platform that links sales forecasts with revenue, demand, and workforce forecasts. It offers a ready-to-deploy Sales Forecasting application alongside account planning, scenario modeling, and incentive planning.

• Single unified forecast: Delivers one forecast across GTM teams and revenue models, with scenario planning to manage risk against revenue goals.
• Live pipeline view: Moves from static reports to a live view of pipeline to spot deal momentum and risk, and manages forecast upside and risk down to each opportunity.
• Account planning: Identifies whitespace, builds pipeline, and closes coverage gaps, with territory and quota plans feeding account plans.
• Profitability and retention modeling: Models opportunity profitability, customer lifetime value, churn, and upsell potential.

Pricing: Not published. Buyers request a demo or contact sales.

Pros:

• Connects the sales forecast to incentives, GTM plans, and demand forecasts across the enterprise.
• Anaplan states it was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Sales Performance Management, with the highest Ability to Execute.
• Customer JLR's Head of Anaplan Center of Excellence is quoted on the vendor page as reporting short-term forecast accuracy of 90% or higher.

Cons:

• Pricing is not published.
• The source page does not describe call recording or conversation capture, so deal evidence still depends on CRM data quality.
• The scope covers planning across the enterprise, which suits organizations with a planning or RevOps function to own it.

3. Aviso: best for a dedicated forecasting application

Aviso appears in Zendesk's comparison of sales forecasting software as a forecasting-focused product. The comparison lists it with win probability forecasting, sales forecasting, advanced reporting, a pre-built deals dashboard with monthly forecast analytics, and custom forecast reports.

• Win probability forecasting: Assigns likelihood scores to deals to inform the forecast.
• Deals dashboard: Pre-built dashboard with monthly forecast analytics.
• Custom forecast reports: Reports configurable to the team's forecast structure.
• Advanced sales reporting: Reporting beyond the base forecast view.

Pricing: Contact for a quote. Zendesk's comparison lists a 30-day free trial.

Pros:

• Forecasting is the core purpose of the product, per the comparison.
• A 30-day trial allows testing against a live quarter's pipeline.

Cons:

• Pricing is not published.
• The cited source covers features at a summary level; teams should confirm CRM integration and data capture details directly with the vendor.

4. Salesforce: best for forecasting inside a large CRM

Salesforce is named in IBM's forecasting explainer as an example of a platform that pulls live deal data from the CRM, applies AI, and delivers real-time visibility into pipeline health. For teams already running opportunities in Salesforce, forecasting where the data lives avoids a separate sync.

• Live CRM deal data: Forecasts draw on opportunity records as they change.
• AI-driven pipeline health: IBM describes AI applied to CRM data for real-time pipeline visibility.
• Generative summaries: IBM notes that platforms in this category use generative AI to produce plain-language summaries, scenario explanations, and tailored recommendations.

Pricing: Not published in the cited sources.

Pros:

• No separate data pipeline is needed for teams already storing opportunities in Salesforce.
• Works as the system of record that other forecasting and call tools write to.

Cons:

• Pricing is not published in the cited sources.
• Forecast quality depends on how current reps keep opportunity records, a dependency IBM highlights for all CRM-based forecasting.

5. Pipedrive: best for small and mid-sized teams on a budget

Pipedrive is a CRM that Zendesk's comparison lists with a published starting price, which makes it one of the few options in this guide with transparent entry pricing. The comparison lists win probability forecasting, sales forecasting, advanced reporting, a pre-built deals dashboard, and custom forecast reports.

• Win probability forecasting: Probability-weighted deal values inform the forecast.
• Pre-built deals dashboard: Monthly forecast analytics out of the box.
• Custom forecast reports: Reports configurable by the team.
• CRM and forecasting in one product: Pipeline management and forecasting sit in the same tool.

Pricing: From $14.90 per user per month, per Zendesk's comparison. A free trial is available on request.

Pros:

• Published starting price makes budgeting straightforward.
• Combines CRM and forecasting, so smaller teams avoid buying two tools.

Cons:

• Per-user pricing means cost scales with headcount.
• Teams that already run Salesforce or HubSpot would need to migrate CRM data to use its built-in forecasting.

6. IBM Planning Analytics: best for finance-led planning

IBM Planning Analytics is IBM's planning product, presented on the IBM forecasting explainer through a DHL Group case in which the finance leader relies on it for fast, flexible planning. It suits organizations where finance owns the forecast and needs it connected to budgeting and cash flow.

• Financial planning: Supports the budgeting, cash flow, and investment decisions that IBM describes as downstream of the sales forecast.
• Flexible planning models: Positioned for fast, flexible planning across the business.
• Cross-functional alignment: Fits the shared-dataset model IBM describes, where sales, finance, and operations work from the same numbers.

Pricing: Not published. Buyers book a demo.

Pros:

• Built for finance teams that validate sales assumptions and turn the forecast into plans.
• Backed by a named enterprise customer story (DHL Group) on the IBM page.

Cons:

• Pricing is not published.
• The source describes financial planning rather than deal-level pipeline inspection, so sales leaders would pair it with a CRM or call-based tool for deal reviews.

7. Avercast: best for demand-side forecasting

Avercast appears in Zendesk's comparison with a published monthly price. The comparison lists sales forecasting, win probability forecasting, advanced reporting, and custom forecast reports.

• Sales forecasting: Core forecasting functions for revenue planning.
• Advanced sales reporting: Reporting on forecast performance.
• Custom forecast reports: Configurable report outputs.

Pricing: From $1,000 per month, per Zendesk's comparison.

Pros:

• Published flat starting price, which avoids per-seat cost scaling.
• Suited to organizations that tie sales forecasts to product demand and inventory, a use IBM describes for supply chain planning.

Cons:

• No free trial, per Zendesk's comparison.
• The cited source describes features at a summary level; teams should confirm CRM integration with the vendor.

How to choose a pipeline forecasting tool

Most teams narrow the list fastest by starting from their hardest constraint.

By team size

• Small teams with a single sales motion: start with Pipedrive, which combines CRM and forecasting with a published per-user price.
• Mid-market teams with managers running weekly deal reviews: look at Attention for deal scores from call content, or Aviso for a forecasting-specific application.
• Enterprises with multiple GTM teams and revenue models: look at Anaplan or IBM Planning Analytics, where the forecast feeds company plans.

By CRM

• Salesforce or HubSpot: Attention writes call-derived answers directly to fields in both, including custom fields and objects. Salesforce's own forecasting keeps everything in one system.
• No CRM yet, or ready to replace one: Pipedrive bundles the two.
• Mixed systems with a data warehouse: Attention's Super Agent connects to Snowflake alongside Salesforce and HubSpot; Anaplan connects sales forecasts to other enterprise forecasts.

By budget

• Published pricing: Pipedrive (from $14.90 per user per month) and Avercast (from $1,000 per month).
• Quote-based: Attention, Anaplan, Aviso, Salesforce, and IBM Planning Analytics. Request quotes for the same seat count and scope to compare like for like.

By what the tool replaces

• Spreadsheet rollups: any tool here replaces manual spreadsheets. Anaplan explicitly positions against "manual spreadsheets and reactive fire drills."
• Manual CRM hygiene and rep-entered deal notes: Attention's CRM auto-update fills fields from call transcripts.
• A separate call recorder plus a separate scorecard tool: Attention combines recording, MEDDIC or BANT scoring, and forecasting views. Attention's guide to AI sales tools for QA and feedback covers the scoring side in more detail.
• Disconnected sales and finance plans: Anaplan or IBM Planning Analytics.

Steps for a short evaluation

1. Pick one recent closed quarter and record what the forecast said at week 4, week 8, and the final call.
2. Ask each shortlisted vendor to show how its tool would have flagged the deals that slipped.
3. Check which fields the tool reads and writes in the CRM, and who maintains them.
4. Confirm security requirements (SOC 2, HIPAA, SSO) before procurement review.
5. Compare quotes on the same scope and seat count.

Forecasting tools work best on a pipeline that is already structured. Attention's 10 steps to build a sales pipeline and its list of the 15 best sales pipeline management tools in 2026 cover that groundwork.

Frequently asked questions

Which reliable tools help sales leaders forecast pipeline outcomes?

The tools most often cited for pipeline forecasting are Attention, Anaplan, Aviso, Salesforce, Pipedrive, IBM Planning Analytics, and Avercast. Attention builds deal scores from call content and updates the CRM after each call. Salesforce and Pipedrive forecast inside the CRM, Aviso is a dedicated forecasting application, and Anaplan, IBM Planning Analytics, and Avercast connect forecasts to wider business plans. Reliability depends on the fit between the tool and the team's data, CRM, and planning needs.

What makes a pipeline forecast reliable?

IBM's forecasting overview ties accuracy to data quality: CRM records that are current, complete, and consistently updated. It also describes shared ownership, where reps update deals, managers coach, and finance validates assumptions. Tools help by reducing manual entry, flagging deal risk early, and keeping sales and finance on the same dataset.

Is the forecast inside a CRM enough?

For teams with consistent rep updates and a single sales motion, CRM forecasting such as Salesforce or Pipedrive can be sufficient. The limit is that the forecast reflects only what reps enter. Teams that find CRM fields lagging behind real deal status often add a tool that captures deal facts automatically, such as Attention, which writes call-derived answers to CRM fields.

How does call data improve pipeline forecasts?

Calls contain the qualification facts that forecasts depend on, such as budget, decision process, and timeline. Attention grades each call against MEDDIC, BANT, or custom criteria and builds a deal score from call content, so the forecast reflects what the buyer said. Its deal risk monitor agent watches for risk signals across deals.

How much do pipeline forecasting tools cost?

Published starting prices in the cited sources are Pipedrive at $14.90 per user per month and Avercast at $1,000 per month. Attention, Anaplan, Aviso, Salesforce, and IBM Planning Analytics do not publish pricing in the sources reviewed, and buyers request quotes or demos. Aviso offers a 30-day free trial; Avercast does not offer a trial.

What is the difference between sales forecasting tools and planning platforms?

Sales forecasting tools focus on predicting which deals will close and when, using pipeline and deal data. Planning platforms such as Anaplan and IBM Planning Analytics take that forecast and connect it to quotas, territories, budgets, hiring, and demand plans. Many enterprises run both, with a deal-level tool feeding a planning platform.

Can AI forecasting tools act on risks, not just report them?

IBM describes agentic AI that monitors pipeline changes, alerts teams to risks or opportunities, and can trigger next steps. Attention's prebuilt agents include a deal risk monitor, and its Super Agent can write back to the CRM where write-back is enabled for that integration. Teams should confirm which actions each tool takes automatically and which require approval.

Sources

• Attention: Revenue teams solution
• Attention: Reporting and forecasting
• Attention: CRM auto-update
• Attention: AI coaching scorecards
• Attention: AI sales agents
• Attention: Super Agent
• Attention: Call recordings and transcription
• Attention: Security
• Attention: Integrations
• Attention: Customers
• Attention: Book a demo
• Anaplan: Sales forecasting AI-driven solutions
• Zendesk: The best sales forecasting tools
• IBM: What is sales forecasting?