The 9 best sales forecasting software + essential features you need

Did you know that 52% of sales leaders report that their forecasts miss the mark by 10% or more? This gap highlights why sales forecasting software has become a core part of the modern sales toolkit.

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Yet choosing the right solution is far from simple. The market is crowded, feature lists look nearly identical, and every platform promises better accuracy and smarter insights. Amid all this noise, sales leaders still face the same fundamental challenge: clearly understanding whether their teams are on track to hit revenue targets on time.

So, how do you identify which forecasting tool will truly add value to your business? Which features actually matter, and which premium capabilities are worth paying for? Let’s find the answers.

Table of Contents

• What is sales forecasting software?
• How Sales Forecasting Software Works
• Benefits of Sales Forecasting Software
• The Best Sales Forecasting Software
• What to Look For in a Sales Forecasting Software
• Frequently Asked Questions About Sales Forecasting Software

What is sales forecasting software?

Sales forecasting software analyzes historical sales data, current pipeline, and market trends to predict future revenue with remarkable accuracy. Think of it as a revenue crystal ball — except instead of mystical powers, it uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to spot patterns humans might miss.

Accurate predictions through sales forecasting software enable effective planning. For business owners, this is essential for making proactive decisions and adjusting strategies before issues escalate. With AI-guided insights and automated data updates, sales forecasting software reduces manual reporting and offers a clearer picture of what future revenue is likely to look like.

How Sales Forecasting Software Works

Sales forecasting software uses historical data and AI to predict future sales. It provides real-time pipeline visibility and pulls data from multiple sources to create predictions:

• Historical Analysis. Examines past win rates, sales cycles, and seasonal patterns.
• Pipeline Intelligence. Evaluates current deal stages, engagement levels, and buyer signals.
• Predictive Modeling. Uses AI to identify which deals are likely to close and when.
• External Factors. Some advanced tools even factor in market conditions and economic indicators.

Sales forecasting software provides a centralized dashboard where sales leaders and reps can view forecasts, track deals, and monitor progress toward targets in real time.

Types of Sales Forecasting Methods

Here are the most common approaches modern software uses:

Sales Forecasting Method	What it does	Example
Opportunity stage forecasting	Assigns probability based on deal stages	A probability of 20% is assigned for qualified leads and 80% for negotiation. This method is simple but can be inaccurate if the sales process varies by deal type.
Historical forecasting	Looks at past performance to predict future results	If sales leaders closed $1M last quarter with similar pipeline metrics, they’ll likely hit that again. Great for stable businesses, but struggles to deliver in growth scenarios.
Length of cycle forecasting	Analyzes how long deals typically take to close	If enterprise deals average 90 days and one’s been open for 85, it’s probably closing soon. Particularly effective for businesses with consistent sales cycles.
AI-powered multifactor analysis	Analyzes various signals such as email sentiment, meeting frequency, and stakeholder engagement	The AI model analyzes deal size, rep performance, and buyer engagement. It identifies a deal with strong engagement signals and high historical conversion patterns. This way, it predicts a higher close probability, even if the deal is still early in the pipeline. This is where tools like HubSpot’s AI-powered sales forecasting really shine.

Benefits of Sales Forecasting Software

Sales forecasting inaccuracy is one of the most persistent challenges for growing businesses. Decisions based on poor data cause missed revenue targets. Inaccurate forecasts contribute to overhiring, inventory planning issues, and slow down growth initiatives.

The scale of the problem is significant. According to Xactly’s 2024 Sales Forecasting Benchmark Report, four out of five sales and finance leaders missed at least one quarterly sales forecast in the past year, and more than half missed their targets multiple times. That level of inconsistency makes reliable planning nearly impossible.

Meet Revenue Goals

The biggest benefit is the most obvious: hitting revenue targets. And honestly, this is a major challenge for most organizations.

The effects of inaccurate forecasts also go far beyond missing sales targets. In reality, these effects ripple throughout an organization in various ways — inventory shortages, poor resource management, inaccurate staffing, and so on. AI-powered forecasting software reduces lost sales by 65% by lowering the chances of inventory shortages.

That’s why having the right software makes such a difference.

Trustworthy Data

Sales forecasting software reduces manual spreadsheet maintenance. The software dramatically cuts down on those frustrating human errors in data entry and calculations that we’ve all made at some point. And 97% of sales and finance leaders agree that the right data would make delivering accurate forecasts a lot easier.

Real-time Insights

Whenever a team needs real-time information throughout the forecast period, they can access the data with their sales forecasting software. No more waiting until the end of the quarter to realize they’re off track. Using predictive analytics, a 10–15% increase in revenue can be seen.

More Time for Selling

Without dedicated software, sales teams have to rely on Excel sales forecasting. Excel spreadsheets require manual forecast data entry. In contrast, sales forecasting software automates this process, allowing sellers to spend less time on manual data entry and more time focused on closing deals.

Pro tip: With HubSpot’s AI-guided selling, reps can save even more time by following clear next steps prioritized by Breeze AI based on deal data.

The Best Sales Forecasting Software

CRM	HubSpot Forecasting Software	Aviso Predict	Salesforce Sales Cloud	Zoho CRM
Key Features	AI-powered sales tools, monthly/quarterly forecasts, easy interface, 1,600+ integrations, three forecast amount options, and custom categories	98% forecasting accuracy, Time Series AI engine, WinScore deal probability insights, scenario forecasting, data-focused analytics	Einstein AI automation, product family forecasting, four forecast types, opportunity scoring, customizable reports, and workflows	Custom forecasts, a warning system for discrepancies, drill-down analysis, AI predictive forecasting (Zia), and a complete CRM suite
Pricing	Free tier, Starter: $9/month per seat, Professional: $90/month per seat, Enterprise: $150/month per seat (Forecasting only available in premium editions)	Available upon request	Enterprise: $175/user per month, Unlimited: $350/user per month, Einstein 1 Sales: $550/user per month (Forecasting requires Enterprise plan or higher)	Starts at $14/user per month (Forecasting only available in Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate plans)
Free Trial	Yes (Free plan available)	Yes (90-day free trial)	Yes (30-day free trial)	Yes (15-day free trial + free plan for 3 users)

1. HubSpot Forecasting Software

HubSpot forecasting software allows sales teams to forecast across deal pipelines easily. Forecasting is a core feature within HubSpot’s Sales Hub that enables teams to generate accurate revenue forecasts and visualize the health of their pipeline.

HubSpot Sales Hub integrates with CRM, marketing, and service data. Inside HubSpot, there are two main forecasting methods: deal stage and forecast category.

Deal Stage

HubSpot’s deal stage is for entry-level forecasting. It estimates revenue based on the stage each deal is in within the sales pipeline, applying predefined probability percentages to calculate expected revenue.

Deal stage in HubSpot forecasting software works best for organizations with consistent sales cycles and predictable pipeline movement. It does not account for deal-specific nuances such as changing buyer behavior or external market factors.

Forecast Category

The forecast category is more sophisticated and allows forecasting across pipelines.

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Forecast category mapping helps businesses plan accurately, hit revenue targets, and avoid surprises. Inside each deal view, HubSpot allows reps to change the forecast category.

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Configure deal stages to enable automatic updating of the forecast category whenever a deal progresses to a specific stage.

Sales leaders can control which HubSpot users appear in the forecasting view, with each user able to submit their individual forecast. This submission represents the revenue amount that the sales rep confidently commits to achieving.

Inside HubSpot, sales reps can set up a weight or likelihood of closing for each of the deal stages.

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Breeze AI powers HubSpot’s sales forecasting insights. AI improves sales forecasting accuracy by maximizing efficiency through deal summaries, email follow-up generation, and task prioritization recommendations.

What I Like

• Forecasts are built directly into HubSpot’s CRM and leverage rich sales and pipeline data.
• Timely business forecasts on a monthly or quarterly cadence (helpful for both reps and leadership reporting).
• Easy-to-use interface for painless forecast planning.
• Fully customizable sales reports that pull real-time CRM data for more accurate forecasting.
• Customizable pipelines tailored to specific business models.
• Sales Hub’s Sales Analytics tracks team performance and productivity with detailed insights into individual and group metrics (this data can be used to predict the outcome reliably).

Reliable forecasting is essential for planning, budgeting, and scaling. HubSpot’s forecasting software gives teams clarity. It anticipates revenue, understands deal movement, and identifies potential risks early.

User Review

“I love how I can utilize this tool to forecast and track the progress toward achieving internal goals for our sales team. It also helps us navigate which deals need to be pushed along if anything has been stagnant.” – Katie B.

Pricing

Forecasting is only available in premium editions of the Sales Hub and Service Hub. Prices vary by tier and number of users:

• Free: $0/month
• Starter: $9 per seat/month
• Professional: $90 per seat/month
• Enterprise: $150 per seat/month

2. Aviso Predict

Aviso Predict is a revenue forecasting solution that enables highly customizable forecasts. It uses AI-driven pipeline insights to make predictions.

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Core Features

• A Time Series AI engine.
• “WinScore Insights” predicts the probability of successfully closing a deal and suggests levers that could influence deal success.
• Scenario forecasting, which allows factoring “what-if” situations into forecasts. Typically, this means creating best-case, likely, and worst-case forecasts to account for variables.

What I like: Aviso takes a very data-focused approach to revenue forecasting, which is visible in the amount of data the platform provides to users.

User Review

“Aviso replaces an extremely manual, painful, and repetitive process to collect sales forecasts at the rep, manager, and company level. It provides excellent visibility into the performance of the sales team and even highlights key deal movement throughout the pipeline.” – G2 review.

Pricing

Pricing is available upon request.

3. Salesforce Sales Cloud

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a sales automation software. It leverages data, automation, and artificial intelligence to help teams improve their efficiency.

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This suite includes a forecast management solution designed to help teams increase prediction accuracy.

Core Features

• The ability to factor product families into the forecasts.
• The ability to switch between four different types of forecasts, each with its own quota and adjustment data.
• The ability to leverage artificial intelligence to drastically improve forecast accuracy.

Salesforce is an advanced platform that’s helpful for large enterprises. As a small or medium-sized business owner, a simpler, more affordable tool is the best option.

What I like: Customers can use the Sales Cloud AI, Einstein, to determine new and existing opportunities that are likely to close during the current forecasting period. Reps can also access insights into how and why Einstein assigned the score.

User Review

“I love how Salesforce Sales Cloud provides a holistic view of our entire sales pipeline. The ability to customize reports, create automation through workflows, and track customer interactions makes managing sales processes incredibly efficient.” – Jigna K.

Pricing

To access forecasting features, teams need an enterprise plan or higher.

• Enterprise: $175/user per month
• Unlimited: $350/user per month
• Einstein 1 Sales: $550/user per month

4. Zoho

Zoho is a CRM that offers forecasting in its suite of performance management features. Zoho is a straightforward and easy-to-use tool.

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The platform allows sales teams to build custom forecasts based on conditionals specified in the CRM. They can also monitor forecasts (achieved deals, pipeline deals, pipeline shortages) and automatically create reports based on forecast numbers.

Core Features

• A warning system that alerts users about discrepancies in their forecasts, such as sales target mismatches and pipeline shortages.
• Drill down analysis to monitor pipelines and performance.
• AI-based predictive forecasting and recommendations.
• Includes contact management, sales funnels, workflow automation, task management, and more in one platform.

What I like: Zoho’s predictive AI, Zia, can be configured for custom predictions. As long as the prediction matches one of the supported data types (e.g., date/time, number, currency) and the user can provide 200 records to “train” Zia — the possibilities are endless.

User Review

“The analytics dashboards are particularly valuable for real-time insights, campaign tracking, and pipeline forecasting.” – G2 review.

Pricing

Prices start at $14 per user/month.

Note: Forecasting is only available in professional, enterprise, and ultimate plans.

5. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a CRM that’s particularly focused on building a healthy pipeline.

The platform’s revenue forecast view allows setting up and monitoring forecasts. Meanwhile, the forecast reports feature allows users to generate reports based on conditionals such as forecast periods, deal status, pipeline, probability, team, and more.

Core Features

• A visual sales pipeline with a drag-and-drop editor.
• AI-powered insights and activity recommendations to help sales reps prioritize tasks and improve performance.
• Focuses on activity tracking, encouraging teams to complete specific actions (calls, emails, meetings) that drive sales.
• Built-in communication tools (email and calling integration).

What I like: Pipedrive is very easy to use. The forecasting feature of Pipedrive gives the total potential value of open and won deals. Pipedrive makes forecasting look simple.

User Review

“I have been using Pipedrive since I joined this company, and, compared to all the previous CRMs I have used, it is most user-friendly and intuitive. Really like the integration offerings it provides, the speed, and the mutual coordination between teams.” – G2 review

Pricing

• Premium: $49 per user/month
• Ultimate: $69 per user/month

Note: There are less expensive plans, but revenue forecasting is only available in professional and enterprise plans.

6. Freshsales by Freshworks

Freshworks CRM is a popular CRM with strong AI capabilities, built-in communication tools, and flexible automation options, making it particularly popular with small to mid-sized businesses focused on optimizing lead management and sales processes.

The suite includes things like Freshservice (an IT and ops platform), Freshdesk (a customer support platform), and more. Freshsales is its sales forecasting feature. It’s powered by Freddy, an AI assistant that runs across the entire CRM.

Core Features

• A unified database that gives a real-time 360° view of leads to easily personalize interactions.
• Workflows and sales sequences.
• Lead scoring tools.
• Kanban-style board views.

What I like: Freshsales AI-based commit suggestions are unique to the platform. Freddy uses historical data to recommend deals that are likely to convert within a set period. The simplicity of Freshsales is a big draw for me, especially compared to the complexity of some other platforms.

User Review

“The platform’s pipeline and contact management have improved the way we manage our client relationships. Most of all, I like that Freshsales gives me the tools I need without overwhelming me with too much.” – Chris F.

Pricing

• Pro: $39 per user/month
• Enterprise: $59 per user/month

Note: Forecasting Insights by Freddy AI is only available at the enterprise level.

7. Outreach.io

Outreach is a leading sales engagement platform that focuses on improving sales productivity by automating and optimizing communication workflows.

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Core Features

• Accurately measures coverage using AI that analyzes past shortages and surpluses.
• AI that monitors over 100 signals to proactively identify at-risk deals.
• A scenario planner that can prepare sales teams for best and worst-case scenarios.

What I like: Many of the features in Outreach are very “proactive” — historical coverage analysis, scenario planning, deal signals, etc. This makes it a great tool for maintaining a healthy pipeline and reaching revenue goals.

User Review

“Easily the most robust and capable platform for sales engagement — sequences and governance are highly customizable, and it’s easy to ensure personalization at scale. Their growing platform, including Kaia and forecasting, is impressive. It was an easy choice to consolidate.” – Jordan G.

Pricing

Pricing is available upon request.

8. Gong

Gong is a sales conversation analytics and revenue intelligence platform. Its forecasting solution helps salespeople predict, deliver, and defend reliable forecasts.

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Gong is best for its ability to analyze and transcribe sales calls and meetings, so the forecasting feature is an added bonus.

Core Features

• Conversation analytics.
• Deal intelligence with real-time insights into deal health and potential risks.
• Opportunity scoring, which assigns a score to each deal based on the likelihood of closing, using conversation data to back up predictions.
• “Deal Boards” offer a customizable view of the pipeline, including the most important deals, metrics, and insights.

What I like: Gong offers users a reality-based approach to forecasting. With Gong’s insights, sales leaders can understand where they realistically stand with every opportunity in the pipeline.

User Review

“Gong’s forecasting and reporting truly simplifies what’s going on within your business from a sales perspective. Their dashboard is much easier to read and collaborate in than any report in Salesforce.” – Kristi F.

Pricing

Prices are available upon request.

9. Clari

Clari is another leading sales forecasting solution that allows users to build forecasts based on real-time data and predictive insights.

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Core Features

• Real-time forecast visibility for all users. Additionally, managers also have visibility into the entire team’s rollup.
• A deal inventory dashboard that allows reps to see information about the deals currently in their forecast.
• A mobile app that allows users to track and update forecasts on their mobile devices.
• History tracking allows users to see changes made to the forecast within a specific time frame.
• Multiple forecast rollups across teams, product lines, geographies, and market segments.

What I like: Clari instantly reflects changes in the user’s CRM. This means users can avoid the hassle of switching back and forth between the two platforms.

User Review

“Clari is by far the EASIEST forecasting tool out there. Coming from a smaller company with fewer sales tools and resources (where we forecasted verbally or in spreadsheets), Clari is a breath of fresh air!” – Chris R.

Pricing

Pricing is available upon request.

What to Look For in a Sales Forecasting Software

Must-have Features

These must-have features in sales forecasting software drive accuracy, visibility, and actionable insights. They include AI predictive forecasting, customizable reporting, scenario modeling, automated workflows, and real-time forecasting.

Predictive & AI-Driven Forecasting

What it does: AI-driven forecasting uses machine learning and advanced analytics to predict future sales outcomes based on historical data, pipeline signals, engagement metrics, and external factors. AI ranks leads and deals based on the likelihood of conversion, feeding directly into more accurate forecasts.

AI Capabilities

• Machine learning models that learn patterns from past closing trends.
• Confidence scoring and probability weights for pipeline deals.
• Real-time forecasting as data updates (e.g., buyer engagement, deal movement).

• Predictive scoring based on behavior, engagement, and demographic data.
• Continuous learning as conversion outcomes are logged.
• Multi-factor models that reassess scores automatically.

Integration Requirements

• Deep CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, etc.) to ingest sales and pipeline data.
• API access to reliable external data sources (market trend feeds, economic indicators).
• Accessible data warehouse or analytics layer for model training.
• Access to financial data (ERP systems, accounting platforms).
• Clean CRM data with standardized lead/contact attributes.

Evaluation Criteria

• Accuracy: Forecast error rates (MAPE, WMAPE) vs. historical methods.
• Adaptability: Ability to adjust predictions in real time.
• Explainability: Whether the AI system offers interpretable reasons for predictions.

The positive impact of using AI for forecasting is that it lets users get answers to questions like “What’s our forecast for Q2?” and spot unusual patterns that may indicate data issues or emerging trends.

Customizable Reporting & Dashboards

What it does: Translates complex data into automated dashboards, charts, and narrative summaries. Customizable dashboards are tailored views for executives, sales managers, and individual reps.

A good sales forecasting software has user access controls for secure dashboard sharing.

Example

• HubSpot Sales Hub centralizes performance insights and forecast dashboards.
• Zoho CRM (Zia) creates reports and insights based on AI analysis of data patterns.

Evaluation Criteria

• Clarity: How easy it is for non-technical users to interpret dashboards.
• Customization: Ability to tailor views for different stakeholders.

Scenario Modeling (What-If Analysis)

Scenario modeling lets sales teams compare best-case, worst-case, and most-likely revenue projections. This feature allows teams to model targeted changes (such as pricing adjustments and market shifts) and clearly quantify their downstream impact on revenue and profitability.

Example

• If taxes increase for companies in the technology sector, scenario planning can quantify how costs and margins are affected. It also enables “what-if” analysis, showing how adjusting prices could offset those increases and help maintain profitability.
• Leadership gains clear visibility into how external changes affect revenue, margins, and cash flow before those changes take effect. This reduces uncertainty and enables faster, more confident pricing and budgeting decisions.
• This results in measurable outcomes, allowing sales leaders to see maintained or improved gross margins despite higher tax costs. This, in turn, leads to faster decision cycles for pricing and budgeting adjustments.

Evaluation Criteria

• Flexibility: Can users easily change multiple variables?
• Clarity: How intuitive are the scenario outputs?
• Decision Support: Are actionable recommendations provided?

Automation Workflows

What it does: Streamlines forecast review and approval by automating sign-off processes and alerts. It proactively flags forecast slippage, stalled deals, and significant pipeline changes. The idea is that the sales reps and managers collaborate and share their inputs related to the forecast.

Example Use-Case

I worked with a technology-driven fulfillment company whose sales team targeted ecommerce businesses in need of fulfillment and delivery partners. Using HubSpot, I built automations that automatically assigned forecast categories to deals (Pipeline, Best Case, Commit, Closed, and Omit) based on deal criteria.

Automation workflows translated into shorter sales cycles. The result was that we started having faster response times on high-priority opportunities.

Pro tip: I also set up automated alerts to notify reps of high-priority opportunities, helping them focus on the deals most likely to convert.

Real-Time Forecast & Deal Intelligence

What it does: Continuously updates forecasts using live sales activity data (emails, calls, CRM activity) and applies AI to detect trends or risk signals. Demand shifts are also factored in. Having accurate, up-to-date numbers enables more confident, data-driven decision-making.

Example Use-Case

A technology solutions company uses conversation analytics and machine learning to evaluate deal health. As sales reps conduct calls and follow up with prospects, the system analyzes call tone, sentiment, engagement frequency, and response delays to identify early warning signs of risk.

Deals showing declining engagement or negative sentiment are automatically flagged, enabling managers to intervene with timely coaching or adjusted strategies. At the same time, high-engagement deals are prioritized in the forecast, helping the company maintain accurate revenue projections as demand and deal dynamics shift in real time.

The impact is that sales reps are able to prioritize their efforts on deals that show the strongest buying intent, rather than spreading time evenly across the pipeline. As market conditions and customer demand change in real time, the organization benefits from more reliable revenue projections, better resource allocation

Evaluation Criteria

• Intelligence: Does the sales forecasting software highlight deals that are likely to slip?
• Real-time updates: Are forecasts continuously recalculated as deals progress and pipeline data changes?

Nice-to-have Features

Some sales forecasting software features are helpful additions rather than essential requirements. These features are worth considering depending on business needs:

• Contextual Help & Tutorials - In-app guidance that explains forecasting features and best practices.
• AI-guided selling - Helps guide reps to high-value opportunities and the next best steps to close more deals.
• Knowledge Base/Training Resources - Access to documentation, walkthroughs, and forecasting strategy guides.
• Mobile Access - Lets users view forecasts on the go.
• Role-Based Permissions - Controls access based on user roles (e.g., rep, manager, executive). Users can submit forecasts for either themselves or their team, depending on their permissions.
• Pipeline Health Metrics - Provides visibility into deal stages, velocity, conversion rates, and risk indicators.
• Intuitive Interface - Ensures ease of use and reduces training friction.

Red Flags to Avoid While Selecting a Sales Forecasting Software

Most solutions will claim that they are AI sales tools and have a “revolutionary” AI assistant that will “transform” all processes. Don’t be distracted by the shiny claims.

Here are key warning signs to avoid a product when evaluating sales forecasting software:

• Tools without proven predictive accuracy. Tools that rely on basic historical averages rather than true forecasting models.
• Platforms that don’t integrate cleanly with the existing tech stack. Failing to connect with systems, such as CRM, finance, or billing, will lead to unreliable forecasts.
• Complex or cluttered dashboards. The higher the complexity, the lower the likelihood that sales teams adopt them in their daily workflows.
• Software that doesn’t update forecasts in real time or provide alerts. Outdated data can cause RevOps and sales leaders to make misguided decisions, potentially impacting revenue and strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sales Forecasting Software

What is the average ROI of sales forecasting software?

According to Forrester’s Total Economic Impact studies, organizations realize an average ROI of around 299% (roughly 3× the investment) over three years when implementing unified revenue platforms that include forecasting capabilities.

That said, ROI will vary depending on how well a tool is used to fit the company’s sales process. The basic way to calculate ROI for sales forecasting software is:

1. Add all costs (software, implementation, training, ongoing support).
2. Estimate financial gains from improved accuracy, retention, expansion, and productivity.
3. Apply the ROI formula to determine return and payback period.

ROI of software = (actual or estimated gains – actual or estimated costs) / actual or estimated costs

How long does it take to implement forecasting software?

Overall, implementation can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the data environment, the level of customization required, and internal readiness to adopt the new system.

Can small businesses benefit from forecasting software?

Research shows that organizations of any size using sales forecasting software see up to a 44% increase in win rates. Small businesses using forecasting software will see the biggest impact when software-driven insights are combined with human judgment.

Tools use capabilities such as predictive analytics to improve decision-making and overall sales performance. While revenue and sales leaders are responsible for interpreting insights, identifying patterns, and acting on trends, forecasting software provides the data foundation needed to make informed, real-time decisions.

How accurate are AI-powered sales forecasts?

In practice, the accuracy of AI-powered sales forecasts depends heavily on the quality of CRM data and how consistently deal stages are managed. When teams maintain clean data, follow a well-defined sales process, and use weighted pipelines with customizable forecast categories, finance professionals can get projections that are dependable.

That said, no AI system can guarantee perfect accuracy. HubSpot’s sales forecasting calculations, powered by Breeze AI, also depend on consistent deal stage management. Software such as Aviso reports forecasting accuracy rates as high as 98% for all of its customers.

What’s the difference between CRM forecasting and dedicated software?

CRM forecasting is designed to give a basic view of expected revenue based on deals in the pipeline. Dedicated forecasting software is built specifically for deep financial forecasting, modeling, and scenario planning.

Here are the main differences between each.

	CRM Forecasting	Dedicated Forecasting Software
Data Sources	Relies mostly on sales pipeline data (deals, stages, probabilities)	Pulls data from finance, operations, HR, marketing, and sales for a full business-wide forecast
Accuracy & Controls	Limited to rep inputs, which can be inconsistent	Uses advanced models, version control, audit logs, driver-based forecasting, and automated calculations, leading to more accurate forecasts
Capabilities	Pipeline forecasting Basic dashboards Simple weighted projections Collaboration workflows	Multi-scenario planning Rolling forecasts Budgeting & actuals comparison Driver-based modeling Granular reporting

How much does sales forecasting software typically cost?

Sales forecasting software pricing varies based on features and scale. For example, HubSpot Enterprise costs around $150 per user/month, while Salesforce Enterprise is priced at approximately $175 per user/month. Zoho has plans starting at $14 per user/month, and Aviso Predict has custom pricing that’s available on request.

Choosing the Right Sales Forecasting Software

Sales forecasting software uses data and AI to predict future sales, helping businesses plan accurately, hit revenue targets, and avoid surprises. The best tools offer real-time pipeline visibility, customizable forecasting methods, and seamless CRM integration.

Sales leaders should choose a forecasting platform that fits their unique sales process, team structure, and growth goals. Just as important, invest time in proper onboarding and data hygiene. With a clear implementation plan and team-wide adoption, forecasting becomes a reliable foundation for planning instead of a recurring headache.

When forecasts are accurate, teams can track performance against goals and make smarter, faster adjustments. The result is more predictable growth and better-informed decision-making across the organization.

When you’re ready to explore your options, check out HubSpot’s Sales Hub to see how powerful, flexible forecasting can help your team plan with confidence and hit revenue targets consistently.