Pick by who has to accept the number.
If it is a deal committee, an auditor or a client of an advisory firm, buy a valuation platform for advisors and deal teams such as Valutico. Platforms of this type combine methods, peer multiples and private transaction data in a documented workflow.
If it is a court, the IRS or another appraiser, buy appraiser software and data such as ValuSource or BVR. This type is built for credentialed valuation practices and the reports they defend.
If it is an investor in a startup or the owner of a small business, a self-serve tool such as Equidam or BizEquity gives a reasoned range at low effort.
If it is your limited partners and your fund auditor, buy a portfolio valuation platform such as 73 Strings or Chronograph.
A corporate development team that values a few targets a year in Excel, with comps data it already licenses, may need none of these.
Why business valuation software matter
Every valuation faces a reviewer. A deal committee asks why the multiple is 9 and not 7. An auditor asks how a fair value was reached. An investor asks why a startup is worth what the founders say.
Spreadsheets can do the math. They are weak at the rest: consistent methods across many valuations, a trail from each input to its source, peer and transaction data that refreshes, and a report a third party will accept. Each analyst's spreadsheet carries its own assumptions, and nobody can see them.
Valuation software standardizes the method and documents the inputs. The products differ in who they are built to satisfy, which is why the right choice for a fund's quarterly marks is the wrong one for a corporate development team pricing a bolt-on deal.
Who buys it
Valuation, transaction services and audit teams at advisory and accounting firms; independent business appraisers; corporate development and finance teams that value targets or business units; private equity and private credit funds that mark portfolios each quarter; startup founders and their investors; and wealth advisors who serve business owners.
Typical triggers: a rising number of valuations, an auditor's questions about how values were reached, a fundraise, a 409A or tax valuation requirement, or an advisory practice that wants consistent reports across its team.
Before you buy: what teams do without one
Without valuation software, corporate development teams value targets in Excel, using comps and transaction data from a terminal or a private company database they already license, and hire an independent valuation firm when a fairness opinion, audit or tax filing needs one.
That works when the team values a few companies a year. Buying software pays when valuations are frequent, when several people must apply the same method, when a third party has to accept the result, or when a fund must mark dozens of holdings every quarter with an audit trail.
What good looks like
| Capability | What good looks like | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Valuation methods | DCF, trading multiples, precedent transactions and other methods, with weightings and assumptions shown. | A reviewer accepts a number when the method and its weightings are visible. |
| Peer and transaction data | Public peer multiples and private transaction comparables, with the source and date of each data point. | Multiples drive most valuations, and stale or unsourced multiples undermine them. |
| Audit trail | A record of every input, change and reviewer, exportable for auditors. | Auditors and tax authorities test how a value was reached, not only the result. |
| Reports | Editable reports in Word, Excel or PDF that follow the standards your audience expects. | The report is often the deliverable a client, court or investor actually reads. |
| Financial data ingestion | Import of financial statements, tax returns or accounting data with mapping you can check. | Manual entry of financials is slow and a common source of errors. |
| Portfolio scale | Many valuations run on one framework, with period-over-period comparison and review workflow. | Funds and advisory firms need consistency across dozens or hundreds of valuations. |
How business valuation software are built, and who sells each kind
Vendors in this category can take a labeled Spotlight slot on this guide. How Spotlight works
Valuation platforms for advisors and deal teams
Web platforms that combine valuation methods, peer multiples and private transaction data with reporting and deal preparation tools.
Fits: Advisory, audit, corporate finance and private equity teams that value companies often and need consistency.
- ValuticoAdvisory, audit, corporate finance and private equity teams that want valuations, benchmarks and deal preparation in one platform.
Appraiser software and data
Desktop or web software, report writers and transaction databases built for credentialed valuation professionals.
Fits: Independent appraisers and valuation practices that produce reports for tax, litigation and transactions.
- ValuSourceValuation practitioners who want valuation and damages software, data bundles and Excel-to-Word report automation.
- Business Valuation Resources (BVR)Appraisers and M&A advisors who need private and public transaction comparables through DealStats.
Self-serve tools for owners and their advisors
Guided valuations from a company's own data with automated benchmarks, sold online or through advisors.
Fits: Startup founders, small business owners and the financial advisors who serve them.
- EquidamStartup founders and investors who want a 5-method valuation, benchmarks and an optional 409A report.
- BizEquityWealth advisors and broker-dealers who value clients' businesses for planning conversations.
Portfolio valuation platforms for funds
Platforms that collect portfolio company data, run periodic valuations across holdings and keep an audit trail for fund reporting.
Fits: Private equity, venture and private credit managers that mark many holdings each quarter.
- 73 StringsAlternative asset managers that want portfolio data extraction and audit-ready valuations across equity and credit.
- ChronographPrivate capital investors that want portfolio monitoring, quarterly valuations and reporting on one platform.
How to choose
Who must accept the result
Deal committees, auditors, tax authorities, courts and investors expect different methods and reports. Start from that audience.
Data included
Some products include peer multiples and private transaction data. Others expect you to bring your own from a separate subscription.
Transparency of method
Check that every assumption, weighting and data point is visible and editable, and that AI-generated inputs are labeled.
Volume and workflow
A single valuation, a practice running hundreds a year and a fund marking a portfolio each quarter need different review and approval tools.
Report output
Compare the final report formats and whether you can edit them to your firm's standards before they go out.
How pricing works
Self-serve tools for founders and owners publish prices and often have a free tier, with fees per valuation or per period of access. Tools for wealth advisors are sold to firms and their advisors.
Professional platforms and appraiser software sell annual subscriptions by seat or by valuation volume, with data sold as a separate subscription or bundle. Transaction databases may offer short-term passes for a single engagement as well as annual licenses.
Portfolio valuation platforms for funds do not publish prices; ask how the number of holdings, entities and modules changes the quote. Ask what an extra user, extra valuations and data access cost at renewal.
| Model | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Per valuation or access period | A fee for one valuation or a window of access, common for startup and small business tools. | What happens to saved work when access ends, and the cost of refreshing the valuation next year. |
| Annual seat subscription | A yearly fee per user for valuation software, sometimes with volume tiers. | Caps on the number of valuations or reports per seat. |
| Data subscription or pass | Access to transaction comparables and market data by annual subscription, day pass or data license. | License limits on using the data inside other tools or client deliverables. |
| Enterprise or portfolio license | A quoted annual fee for a firm or fund, set after a demo. | How the fee changes with holdings, entities, users and modules, plus implementation fees. |
Implementation
- Agree the methodologyWrite down the methods, weightings and data sources your team will use, and who signs off. Configure the software to match.
- Back-testRe-run 3 to 5 past valuations in the software and compare the results and the effort with your existing process.
- Load dataConnect financial data sources and set up peer groups and transaction sets for your sectors.
- Set reviewBuild a review and approval step, so every valuation that leaves the team has a second reader.
- Show the auditorWalk your auditor or reviewer through the audit trail and report before the first live use.
Confirm before you sign
- Methods supported, and whether weightings and assumptions are editable.
- Peer and transaction data included, or the cost of adding it.
- Source and date shown for every data point.
- Audit trail of inputs, changes and reviewers.
- Report formats and the ability to edit them.
- Import of financial statements and accounting data.
- Limits on number of valuations, reports or holdings.
- Data license terms for use in client deliverables.
- Security certifications and data residency.
- Renewal price cap and notice period.
Questions to ask in a demo
- Value a company we already valued last year. Where does your result differ from ours, and why?
- Show the source and date of every multiple in this valuation.
- Which inputs were generated by AI, and how is that shown in the report?
- Change one assumption. What else moves, and is the change logged?
- Export the report. Can we edit it to our format, and what does an auditor see?
- How many private transactions in our sector have financials and multiples in your data?
- What does the price include: users, valuations, reports, data? What does each extra cost?
- How do you handle a company with negative earnings or a complex capital structure?
Frequently asked questions
What is business valuation software?
Software that estimates what a company is worth using standard methods such as discounted cash flow, trading multiples and precedent transactions. It structures the inputs, applies peer and transaction data, documents assumptions and produces a report. Products range from self-serve tools for founders to platforms for valuation professionals and funds that mark many holdings.
Can software replace an independent valuation firm?
For internal decisions, often yes. When a third party requires an independent opinion, such as a fairness opinion, some tax and accounting valuations, or litigation, you still need a qualified firm or appraiser. Some self-serve tools sell compliance reports with expert review; Equidam, for example, sells an IRC 409A valuation report as a yearly subscription.
How much does business valuation software cost?
Self-serve tools for startups and small businesses publish prices and often have free tiers. Professional and fund platforms are quoted after a demo, with data often sold separately; ask whether the quote scales by seat, valuation volume or holdings. Transaction databases such as BVR's DealStats also sell short-term passes for a single engagement.
What valuation methods should the software support?
At least discounted cash flow, trading multiples of comparable public companies and precedent transaction multiples, with the ability to weight them. Startup tools add methods for companies without profits; Equidam, for example, combines 5 methods in one valuation. Check that each method shows its inputs and that you can change them.
Do private equity funds use different valuation software?
Often, yes. Funds need to mark every holding each quarter, collect data from portfolio companies and give auditors and limited partners a consistent trail. Portfolio valuation platforms such as 73 Strings and Chronograph combine data collection, valuation and reporting for that cycle, rather than producing one valuation at a time.
Sources
- Valutico: AI platform for valuations and deals
- BVR DealStats subscription and licensing options
- Equidam pricing
- BizEquity business owner planning platform
- 73 Strings $55 million Series B (Goodwin, February 25, 2025)
- Chronograph $140M+ growth equity investment from Sixth Street Growth (June 16, 2026)
- ValuSource valuation software
Written by Stratrix editors from public sources and checked claim by claim by a second AI model against those sources. Vendors named in the editorial sections did not pay to be included. Spotlight listings are paid and labeled. Methodology and corrections