15 top marketing planning software solutions for ambitious CMOs

For CMOs, translating fresh ideas into measurable business growth that resonates at the executive level is challenging. When your team’s work lives in a patchwork of siloed apps and spreadsheets, even visionary strategies lose steam. This fragmentation makes it tough to demonstrate impact, optimize resources, and confidently report results to the C-suite.

That’s why dedicated marketing planning software is mission-critical for ambitious CMOs. In this guide, we’ll showcase the leading platforms (including monday work management), so you can compare, evaluate the features that matter for executive oversight, and choose the right system to drive alignment, accountability, and real business results.

What is marketing planning software?

Marketing planning software serves as the central playbook for your entire department, creating a direct link between high-level goals and the team’s daily work. It provides a dedicated space where strategy solidifies into a tangible, actionable plan that everyone can rally behind.

Built specifically for the unique pace and complexity of modern marketing, this software stands apart from generic project management tools. It empowers you to orchestrate multi-channel campaigns and allocate your budget with precision, ensuring every dollar and hour is invested for maximum impact.

The true advantage lies in total visibility. You can finally trace how each activity contributes to overarching goals, measure performance in real time, and make smarter decisions with greater speed. This capability transforms piecemeal efforts into a streamlined engine for growth.

Why CMOs need a marketing planning platform

Bridging the gap between your team’s brilliant but fragmented work and the C-suite’s demand for measurable business results is a primary challenge for modern CMOs. Without a central system, you are left to manually connect the dots between effort and outcome.

A dedicated marketing platform closes that gap by converting your strategic plan into a dynamic engine for execution. This grants you real-time visibility into ROI, enabling you to confidently shift resources toward what’s working and ensure every campaign directly supports business objectives.

This is more than just superior project management; it’s about establishing a single source of truth. By connecting strategy to day-to-day execution, the platform provides your team with essential direction and gives your leadership the data-backed confidence they require.

What your marketing planning software needs to deliver

The right marketing planning software must be the engine that powers your entire strategy. A capable platform elevates your team from simply being busy to executing with purpose, marking the difference between merely organizing work and actively driving results.

Real-time budget visibility

A clear, real-time view of where every dollar is going, from high-level campaigns down to individual tasks, is essential. This visibility allows you to track spend against goals, adjust budgets on the fly, and confidently reallocate funds to your best-performing initiatives without waiting for end-of-month reports.

A single digital workspace for teamwork

Your cross-functional teams, from creative to analytics, should operate within one shared space where everyone can communicate, share files, and provide feedback. When context lives with the work itself, handoffs become seamless, approvals accelerate, and your team remains aligned from kickoff to launch.

Smart automation that frees up your team

Effective automation handles the repetitive, manual work, allowing your team to focus on strategy and creativity. The best systems automate routine updates, reports, and handoffs, giving your top talent back the time they need to solve bigger problems and optimize campaign performance.

One dashboard for the big picture

Your platform must connect the dots across all marketing channels, pulling performance data into a unified dashboard. This central system of record provides the high-level oversight needed to spot trends and make quick, data-driven decisions, while still allowing you to drill down into the details when necessary.

Secure collaboration you can trust

Enterprise-grade security is non-negotiable for protecting your team’s work and sensitive data. With granular permission controls, you can confidently collaborate with external agencies and freelancers, giving them access only to what they need and maintaining total control over your information.

How to measure budget and ROI in a marketing planner

Strategic budget conversations should focus on growth, not just spending. When you can clearly connect every dollar to specific business outcomes, you shift the discussion from defending costs to planning for future success.

Here’s how to use marketing planning software to measure ROI effectively:

• Set campaign budgets upfront: Allocate spend for each channel or initiative directly in your platform.
• Track spend in real time: Monitor how budget is being used against goals as campaigns run.
• Tie costs to outcomes: Connect spend with lead volume, pipeline growth, or revenue impact.
• Use dashboards for visibility: Replace end-of-month reporting with real-time ROI insights.
• Adjust on the fly: Reallocate funds quickly to high-performing campaigns instead of waiting until after results are finalized.

Relying on disconnected spreadsheets for financial tracking means you’re always looking backward, attempting to piece together ROI long after a campaign has concluded. A unified platform provides a real-time view of performance, transforming delayed analysis into immediate, actionable insights.

15 top marketing planning solutions for ambitious CMOs

The best marketing planning tools bridge the gap between high-level strategy and your team’s daily execution. Whether you’re unifying cross-functional teams or proving ROI, each of the solutions in this section help translate complex strategies into actionable roadmaps that drive alignment and measurable results.

1. monday work management

monday work management excels at transforming patchwork marketing efforts into streamlined campaigns that drive real results. This comprehensive Work OS specializes in connecting marketing teams with powerful automation and visual workflows, making it a powerful solution for marketing teams who need both flexibility and enterprise-grade control.

Use case: Marketing teams seeking to centralize campaign planning, budget tracking, and cross-team collaboration in one scalable platform

Key features

• Custom marketing workflows and visual Gantt/calendar views to keep even the most complex campaigns on track
• Advanced dashboards offering real-time visibility into campaign performance, budget allocation, and resource management
• Seamless integrations with 200+ essential marketing tools to unify your tech stack

Pricing

• Free: $0 forever for up to 2 seats with 3 boards, basic features, and mobile app access
• Basic: $9/seat/month with unlimited items with 5GB storage (minimum 3 seats)
• Standard: $12/seat/month with timeline views, calendar, and 250 automation and integration actions per month
• Pro: $19/seat/month with time tracking, formula columns, and 25,000 automation and integration actions per month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with advanced security, 24/7 support, and 250,000 automation and integration actions per month
• Annual plans save 18% compared to monthly billing

Advanced AI features

• AI instantly generates detailed project plans with suggested tasks and phases based on your campaign objectives
• Automatically identifies potential bottlenecks across marketing portfolios before they impact deadlines
• AI categorizes and organizes marketing requests at scale, streamlining approval workflows

Automations

• Create custom workflows that trigger actions based on campaign milestones, budget thresholds, or approval status changes
• A wide variety of ready-made automation templates for common marketing scenarios like lead handoffs, content approvals, and campaign launches
• Handle up to 250,000 automation and integration actions monthly on Enterprise plans, perfect for high-volume marketing operations

Integrations

• Direct integrations with Adobe Creative Suite, Google Workspace, HubSpot, and other essential marketing platforms
• Custom integrations and data syncing capabilities for enterprise marketing stacks
• Bidirectional sync ensures marketing data stays current across all connected tools

2. Asana

For teams managing complex campaigns and timelines, Asana provides comprehensive work management software that connects strategic goals to daily execution. The platform excels at cross-functional collaboration through its intuitive interface and flexible project views, making it a valuable asset for marketing organizations of all sizes.

Use case: Growing businesses needing to align multi-departmental campaigns and connect daily tasks to company-wide objectives

Key features

• Multiple project views including timeline (Gantt), Kanban boards, and calendar views for different team preferences
• Advanced automation capabilities with 200+ pre-built recipes to eliminate repetitive marketing tasks
• Goals and portfolio management features that connect campaign performance to strategic business objectives

Pricing

• Personal: Free forever (up to 10 teammates)
• Starter: $10.99/month per user (billed annually) or $13.49/month (billed monthly)
• Advanced: $24.99/month per user (billed annually) or $30.49/month (billed monthly)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (contact sales)
• Enterprise+: Custom pricing (contact sales)
• Nonprofits receive 50% discount on Starter and Advanced annual plans

Considerations

• Requires third-party integrations for native time tracking and comprehensive project monitoring
• Best suited for individual task ownership, as deliverables can be assigned to only one user at a time

3. Wrike

Designed for teams that need deep customization and enterprise-grade features, Wrike offers comprehensive work management capabilities. The platform is particularly valuable for marketing teams managing multiple campaigns and stakeholders, as it excels at handling complex workflows and detailed reporting.

Use case: Enterprises managing complex campaigns and stakeholders who require deep customization, visibility, and detailed reporting

Key features

• Custom workflows and item types that reflect unique marketing processes and campaign structures
• Built-in proofing and approval tools for creative assets, with Adobe Creative Cloud integration for seamless creative workflows
• Advanced reporting and business intelligence through Wrike Analyze, providing deep insights into campaign performance and team productivity

Pricing

• Free: $0/month for basic project and task management with limitations
• Team: $10/month per user (billed annually) for small teams with unlimited projects and basic automations
• Business: $25/month per user (billed annually) for advanced automations, resource planning, and real-time reports
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with SAML-based SSO, advanced permissions, and enhanced security features
• Pinnacle: Custom pricing for complex work needs, including advanced BI, budgeting, and premium integrations

Considerations

• The extensive feature set is designed for deep customization and may require dedicated training for teams new to enterprise-level platforms
• Higher-tier pricing can become expensive for smaller marketing teams, especially with the requirement to purchase seats in groups for certain plans

4. Trello

With its visual, card-based system, Trello makes campaign management feel as simple as moving sticky notes on a board. The platform specializes in Kanban-style organization, making it a perfect fit for marketing teams who want to see their entire campaign pipeline at a glance.

Use case: Small to mid-sized marketing teams wanting a simple, visual way to track campaigns from ideation to completion

Key features

• Visual Kanban boards that display marketing campaigns across customizable workflow stages
• Butler automation that eliminates repetitive tasks like moving cards and updating due dates
• Power-Ups that integrate with essential marketing tools like Google Drive, Slack, and more

Pricing

• Free: $0 for up to 10 collaborators per Workspace
• Standard: $5/user/month (billed annually) or $6 billed monthly
• Premium: $10/user/month (billed annually) or $12.50 billed monthly
• Enterprise: $17.50/user/month (billed annually). Includes unlimited Workspaces, organization-wide permissions, and SSO with Atlassian Guard

Considerations

• Limited advanced project management features like Gantt charts and time tracking without paid Power-Ups
• Can become cluttered and difficult to navigate for complex marketing campaigns with hundreds of tasks

5. Smartsheet

By combining the familiar feel of spreadsheets with powerful automation and collaboration features, Smartsheet creates a unified command center for marketing planning. This platform is perfect for data-driven marketing teams who need structured workflows to align campaigns, budgets, and timelines. Its enterprise-grade security and scalability make it a go-to choice for Fortune 500 companies managing complex marketing operations.

Use case: Large organizations seeking spreadsheet-style campaign planning with enterprise-grade automation and budget visibility

Key features

• Multiple view options including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendar views for visualizing marketing campaigns and timelines
• Automated workflows that streamline approval processes, send notifications, and update project status based on conditional logic
• Real-time dashboards and reporting tools that provide visibility into campaign performance, budget utilization, and resource allocation

Pricing

• Pro: $129/month per member (1-10 members), includes unlimited sheets, 250 automations/month, and basic views
• Business: $24.19/month per member (3+ members), includes unlimited automations, 1TB storage, and team workload tracking
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for 10+ members, includes AI tools, SAML SSO, and advanced security controls
• Advanced Work Management: Custom pricing with premium features like Control Center and Data Shuttle

Considerations

• Steep learning curve for advanced features and customizations, which can slow initial adoption for marketing teams
• Higher per-user costs and minimum user requirements may be prohibitive for smaller marketing departments or agencies

6. ClickUp

As an all-in-one work management platform, ClickUp consolidates tasks, documents, goals, and communication into a single workspace. The platform’s extreme customization and flexibility make it ideal for marketing teams adapting workflows to complex, multi-channel campaigns. With over 15 different views and extensive automation, ClickUp aims to replace multiple marketing planning tools with one comprehensive solution.

Use case: Marketing departments looking to consolidate content calendars, campaign management, and goals into one flexible platform

Key features

• Multiple project views including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendar views for visualizing marketing campaigns across different perspectives
• Built-in goal tracking with automatic progress monitoring linked to specific marketing tasks and milestones
• Native document creation and collaborative whiteboards for campaign brainstorming and content planning

Pricing

• Free Forever: $0/month (unlimited tasks, basic features, 60MB storage)
• Unlimited: $7/user/month (unlimited storage, Gantt charts, goals, time tracking)
• Business: $12/user/month (dashboards, mind maps, workload management, advanced automations)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (white labeling, advanced permissions, SSO, dedicated support)
• Discounts available for nonprofits, students, educators, and startups
• 100% money-back guarantee within 30 days

Considerations

• The extensive feature set can overwhelm new users, creating a steep learning curve that may slow initial adoption
• Mobile app functionality is significantly limited compared to the desktop version, which can hinder on-the-go marketing planning

7. HubSpot Marketing Hub

Operating within an integrated CRM ecosystem, HubSpot Marketing Hub provides comprehensive marketing automation and campaign management. The platform specializes in the inbound marketing methodology, ensuring seamless data flow across marketing, sales, and service teams, which is ideal for businesses committed to unified customer experiences.

Use case: Businesses scaling inbound marketing and needing CRM-integrated planning to tie campaigns directly to sales results

Key features

• Campaign management with centralized asset organization and performance tracking across emails, social posts, landing pages, and ads
• Task management and collaboration tools with @-mentions, comments, and deadline tracking directly within marketing campaigns
• Marketing automation workflows that trigger task assignments and internal notifications based on lead activity and campaign milestones

Pricing

• Free Tools: $0/month for basic email marketing and limited marketing tools
• Starter: Starts at $20/month (billed annually) for 1,000 marketing contacts, including email automation, forms, and basic reporting
• Professional: Starts at $890/month (billed annually) for 2,000 marketing contacts, unlocking advanced automation, campaign management, ABM tools, and custom reporting
• Enterprise: Starts at $3,600/month (billed annually) for 10,000 marketing contacts, with advanced permissions, predictive AI, and revenue attribution reporting
• All paid plans scale in price depending on your number of marketing contacts

Considerations

• Work management capabilities are streamlined for marketing use cases and do not include advanced project management features like Gantt charts or complex task dependencies found in dedicated platforms
• Pricing can become expensive as contact databases grow, with higher-tier plans required for sophisticated marketing planning tools

8. CoSchedule

CoSchedule unites all your marketing efforts in one visual calendar, transforming uncoordinated campaigns into an organized, at-a-glance strategy. It’s an excellent fit for marketing teams focused on content and social media, helping streamline everything from blog posts to social campaigns with drag-and-drop scheduling and AI-powered tools.

Use case: Content-driven teams wanting a unified calendar to plan, publish, and optimize blogs, social posts, and campaigns

Key features

• Visual drag-and-drop marketing calendar for planning and scheduling all content and campaigns in one place
• AI-powered tools to generate social posts and optimize headlines for better engagement
• Automated content re-sharing to keep your top-performing social posts active and fill gaps in your social schedule

Pricing

• Free Calendar: A forever-free plan for 1 user with 1 social profile.
• Social Calendar: Starts at $19/user/month (billed annually) and includes up to 3 users and 3 social profiles.
• Agency Calendar: Starts at $59/user/month (billed annually) and includes up to 3 users and 5 social profiles.
• Content Calendar & Marketing Suite: Custom pricing for larger teams and advanced needs.
• All paid plans offer unlimited publishing to major social networks
• Additional profiles are $5/month each, while Twitter/X profiles cost $8/month on Social/Agency plans and $25/month on higher tiers.
• 30% nonprofit discount is also available

Considerations

• Pricing can escalate quickly as you add users, profiles, or need advanced features.
• Some workflow automation and analytics capabilities are less robust than specialized tools or are locked behind higher-priced plans.

9. Planable

By offering a visual content calendar that makes team approvals feel effortless, Planable transforms social media chaos into streamlined collaboration. The platform specializes in real-time content review and approval workflows, making it ideal for agencies and marketing teams managing multiple client accounts or complex brand campaigns.

Use case: Agencies and social teams needing streamlined content approvals and real-time collaboration across multiple accounts

Key features

• Visual content calendar with drag-and-drop scheduling across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube, and more
• Real-time collaboration tools with contextual comments and multi-level approval workflows
• WYSIWYG post creation that shows exactly how content will appear on each social platform

Pricing

• Free: $0 (50 total posts lifetime, unlimited users, no X publishing or analytics)
• Basic: $33/workspace/month (60 posts per month, 4 social pages, basic approvals)
• Pro: $49/workspace/month (150 posts per month, 10 social pages, advanced approvals)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (unlimited posts, users, and social pages)
• Analytics add-on available for $9/month per workspace
• Yearly billing includes 2 months free

Considerations

• Limited to social media content planning, lacking broader marketing planning capabilities for campaigns, budgets, or cross-channel strategies
• Analytics features require additional paid add-ons, which can increase overall costs for teams needing comprehensive reporting

10. Airtable

Airtable elevates marketing planning from disconnected spreadsheets into a powerful, database-driven command center. The platform’s strength lies in its flexible, customizable workflows that adapt to any marketing team’s unique processes, making it ideal for those who need more structure than basic spreadsheets but more flexibility than rigid planning tools.

Use case: Marketing teams wanting a customizable database-style system to link campaigns, assets, budgets, and performance data

Key features

• Database-powered marketing planning with linked records that connect campaigns, assets, budgets, and team members automatically
• Multiple view options including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendar views to visualize marketing timelines and campaign progress
• AI-powered automation and workflow building through natural language prompts, plus 1,000+ integrations with marketing tools

Pricing

• Free: $0/month for up to 5 editors with 1,000 records per base and basic features
• Team: $20/month per seat (billed annually) with 50,000 records, Gantt views, and advanced customization
• Business: $45/month per seat (billed annually) with 125,000 records, premium integrations, and admin controls
• Enterprise Scale: Custom pricing with 500,000 records, advanced security, and enterprise features

Considerations

• Learning curve can be steep for teams wanting to leverage advanced database features and complex automations
• Pricing can escalate quickly for larger marketing teams or those requiring extensive records and premium features

11. Nifty

Nifty provides an AI-powered, all-in-one project management platform that consolidates roadmaps, tasks, documents, and team communication into a single workspace. Its specialization in milestone-driven automation and visual progress tracking makes it particularly valuable for marketing teams managing complex campaigns and client projects.

Use case: Creative or client-focused teams seeking milestone-driven campaign planning with built-in communication tools

Key features

• Visual roadmaps with automated progress updates as marketing milestones are completed
• Built-in team chat and one-click video calls for real-time campaign collaboration
• Multiple task views including Kanban boards, timeline, and calendar for flexible campaign management

Pricing

• Free: $0 forever for unlimited members with 2 active projects
• Personal: $7/member/month with 40 active projects and time tracking
• Pro: $10/member/month with 100 active projects and workflow automations
• Business: $16/member/month with unlimited projects and advanced features
• Enterprise: Contact sales for custom pricing
• Free 14-day trial available with no credit card required
• Annual plans receive up to 45% discount

Considerations

• Reporting and analytics capabilities are less robust compared to specialized marketing planning solutions
• Limited native integrations may require reliance on third-party connectors like Zapier for some marketing tools

12. Anaplan

Anaplan is engineered to transform complex enterprise planning into connected, strategic decision-making for large organizations. The platform’s specialization in advanced forecasting and scenario modeling makes it ideal for enterprises that require sophisticated workforce and financial planning capabilities.

Use case: Enterprises needing advanced scenario modeling to connect marketing budgets with financial and workforce planning

Key features

• Advanced scenario planning and “what-if” analysis for workforce and budget decisions
• Connected planning approach that integrates HR, finance, and operational planning
• Real-time collaborative modeling with Excel-style functionality for business users

Pricing

Custom pricing available upon request.

Considerations

• The platform’s advanced capabilities and implementation are best supported by specialized expertise.
• High cost structure that may be prohibitive for mid-sized organizations.

13. Optimizely Content Marketing Platform

Optimizely Content Marketing Platform, formerly Welcome, is an all-in-one marketing orchestration platform that unifies content creation, campaign management, and digital asset management. It specializes in streamlining complex marketing workflows for enterprise teams, making it ideal for organizations managing global campaigns and distributed content operations.

Use case: Global marketing teams wanting to orchestrate content creation, asset management, and personalization at scale

Key features

• Centralized campaign planning with multi-view calendars and workflow automation for streamlined content review and approval processes
• Digital asset management with AI-powered tagging, version control, and centralized library for organizing marketing assets
• Seamless integration with Optimizely’s broader digital experience platform for A/B testing and content personalization

Pricing

Custom pricing available upon request.

Considerations

• Platform complexity may require significant implementation resources and training for smaller marketing teams
• Marketing-specific focus limits its usefulness for general project management or cross-functional team collaboration outside of marketing operations

14. Adobe Workfront

Adobe Workfront offers enterprise-grade work management designed to transform complex marketing operations into streamlined, automated workflows. With its deep integration into the Adobe ecosystem and sophisticated automation, it is ideal for large marketing teams managing multi-layered campaigns and creative processes.

Use case: Enterprise marketing organizations managing multi-layered campaigns that require robust workflows and Adobe integration

Key features

• Enterprise workflow automation with AI-powered campaign brief generation and customizable project templates
• Seamless Adobe Creative Cloud and Experience Manager integration for unified content creation and approval workflows
• Comprehensive portfolio management with real-time dashboards, resource allocation tools, and regulatory compliance features

Pricing

• Select: Contact for pricing (basic collaborative work management features)
• Prime: Contact for pricing (enhanced automation and security capabilities)
• Ultimate: Contact for pricing (advanced data management and enterprise features)
• Add-ons like Workfront Planning and Workfront Fusion available with custom pricing.

Considerations

• Steep learning curve and complex interface can overwhelm new users, requiring significant training investment
• Enterprise-focused pricing structure may not be cost-effective for smaller marketing teams or organizations

15. Basecamp

For businesses that value simplicity over complexity, Basecamp provides straightforward project management and team collaboration. The platform specializes in keeping all project communication, files, and tasks in one organized space, making it ideal for small to medium-sized marketing teams seeking to escape the chaos of scattered tools and endless email chains.

Use case: Small businesses seeking a simple, all-in-one hub for campaign tasks, files, and communication without complexity

Key features

• All-in-one project spaces that combine message boards, to-do lists, schedules, and file sharing
• Hill Charts for visualizing project progress and identifying what’s being figured out versus executed
• Automatic check-ins and real-time group chat to keep team communication flowing smoothly

Pricing

• Basecamp Free: $0/month (1 project, 1GB storage)
• Basecamp Plus: $15/user/month (unlimited projects, 500GB storage)
• Basecamp Pro Unlimited: $299/month flat rate (unlimited users, 5TB storage)

Considerations

• Limited advanced features like Gantt charts, time tracking, and detailed reporting compared to more robust marketing planning solutions
• Lacks customization options for workflows and dashboards that growing marketing teams often need

How AI and automation elevate marketing planning

Instead of reacting to the chaos of juggling campaigns, channels, and stakeholders, marketing teams can now use AI and automation to operate with data-backed confidence. These tools transform gut feelings into calculated decisions, allowing you to stop pivoting at the last minute and start proactively steering your strategy.

AI handles complex analysis, freeing your team to focus on their core strengths: creativity and strategy. It can predict campaign performance based on past results, optimize content for better engagement, and even suggest budget allocations for maximum impact. This provides a clear, data-driven path forward before a campaign even launches.

With monday work management, these capabilities are built directly into your workflows, helping you execute faster and with greater alignment. Your marketing plan becomes a living, intelligent guide that not only tracks progress but actively helps you make smarter choices. It’s how you build a marketing engine that doesn’t just keep up, but sets the pace.

Comparing free and enterprise options

The choice between a free and enterprise plan is a strategic decision about your team’s growth trajectory, not just a line item on a budget. While a free tool might suffice for a small crew with simple tasks, you can quickly hit a ceiling as your goals expand. You need a platform that not only keeps up with your pace but actively accelerates it.

This is where monday.com changes the game. Our plans are designed to grow with you, so you never feel stuck or forced into a premature, oversized commitment. You can begin with a powerful free plan to organize core work and, when ready, scale up to unlock the advanced automations, integrations, and security that enterprise-level teams depend on.

It’s not about choosing a tool for today versus a tool for tomorrow. It’s about selecting one platform that gives your team the confidence to execute brilliantly at every stage of growth.

Turn your marketing plans into powerful results

A marketing plan is only as valuable as its execution. To be effective, it must serve as the daily playbook that connects high-level strategy directly to campaign implementation. This is how you stop just planning the work and start winning with it.

Consider the time your team loses jumping between spreadsheets, documents, and disparate apps. A single workspace unifies everything, from content calendars to performance dashboards, giving everyone the clarity needed to move forward. This focus empowers your team to adapt quickly and scale their best ideas without the usual chaos.

It’s time to equip your team with a platform that enables confident and clear execution. See how monday work management helps you connect strategy to execution and drive real impact.