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Showing 1 - 25 of 172 products

Jira Product Discovery

Jira Product Discovery is the prioritization and roadmapping tool purpose-built for product teams. By providing a structured (but flexible) approach to ideation, prioritization, and planning, it empowers product teams to focus on delivering their best, hig...Read more about Jira Product Discovery

5.0

(1 reviews)

ITONICS

The AI-powered ITONICS Innovation OS is your fastest path to sustainable growth, from strategic opportunities to portfolio execution. Unlike traditional and often fragmented innovation management software, ITONICS brings all your innovation intelligence to...Read more about ITONICS

Aha!

Aha! Suite is a comprehensive suite of tools designed to assist in every stage of the product development lifecycle. It aims to facilitate the creation of valuable software by enabling teams to strategize, plan, build, and deliver products efficiently. Cov...Read more about Aha!

Wellspring Innovation Management

Wellspring Innovation Management is a cloud-based solution designed to help small to large businesses track internal innovation projects, discover disruptive startups and search emerging technologies for the market. Features include data filtering, project...Read more about Wellspring Innovation Management

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Lucidspark

Lucidspark is a cloud-based software designed to help businesses of all sizes record and share ideas, discuss projects and organize information on a virtual white-board. The platform enables organizations to capture suggestions and team insights using colo...Read more about Lucidspark

Jira

Jira Software is a business process management tool used by agile teams to plan, track and release software. Jira Software supports Scrum, Kanban, a hybrid model or other unique workflows. Jira enables users to create project roadmaps to map out all proje...Read more about Jira

Confluence

Confluence is a project management solution that enables organizations to create, collaborate, organize and review project documents. The system offers both cloud-based and on-premise deployment. Confluence’s editor feature allows employees to create ...Read more about Confluence

innosabi software suite

innosabi software suite – Covering innovation End-to-End. Our software suite is a refined set of specialized solutions to tackle the specific steps of the innovation process, from the beginning to end. innosabi Insight – Access the latest patents, compet...Read more about innosabi software suite

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Padlet
Padlet

Dostoevsky said that beauty will save the world. Padlet offers beautiful boards and canvases for visual thinkers and learners. Use boards to collect, organize, and present anything. Use sandboxes for whiteboarding, lessons, and activities. Over 40 mill...Read more about Padlet

SignMaster
SignMaster

SignMaster is a software that helps users create signs, logos, lettering, pinstripes, and more using the desktop vinyl cutter module. Some features of the solution include photo enhancement, 3D cut modeling, image editing, presentation tools, preloaded pie...Read more about SignMaster

MeisterTask
MeisterTask

MeisterTask is a web-based task, project, and work management software perfect for teams of any size. Its easy-to-use interface, intuitive functionality, built-in project documentation, and seamless integration with other business tools make it the ideal...Read more about MeisterTask

Miro
Miro

Miro is a visual workspace for innovation that enables distributed teams of any size to dream, design, and build the future together. Miro enables distributed teams to come together to synthesize information, clarify complex ideas, and make decisions fast...Read more about Miro

Ideanote
Ideanote

Ideanote is the world's #1 Innovation-Led Growth Platform for businesses of all sizes. Combining feature rich enterprise idea management with a hint of playful simplicity. Ideanote is a new, more efficient and effective way of bringing ideas to life for em...Read more about Ideanote

ClickUp
ClickUp

ClickUp is a cloud-based collaboration and project management tool suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries. Features include communication and collaboration tools, task assignments and statuses, alerts and a task toolbar. Users can assign ...Read more about ClickUp

VinylMaster
VinylMaster

VinylMaster is a cloud-based software that makes graphic designing easy for businesses in education, government, sign shops, print shops, and other industries. It helps users design logos, shapes, posters, lettering, and other marketing documentation from ...Read more about VinylMaster

Cacoo
Cacoo

Cacoo is an idea management software that helps businesses create wireframes and share work schedules with staff members. The platform enables managers to create layouts, mind maps, organizational charts, unified modeling language (UML) diagrams and more o...Read more about Cacoo

Bordio
Bordio

Bordio is a new project management solution designed to optimize team productivity and streamline project workflows. Here you can create projects, schedule tasks, and collaborate with team members and external partners. The unique feature of Bordio is a w...Read more about Bordio

Nolt
Nolt

Nolt is a cloud-based feedback solution for businesses and creators. It makes feedback collection and management easy by providing a custom feedback board and roadmap tool that users and teammates can submit feedback to. The software offers a range of powe...Read more about Nolt

Ideawake
Ideawake

Shockingly simple idea management platform proven to transform ideas into impact. Return on Investment Guarantee, fast and easy onboarding, 24x7 customer support, and enterprise grade security. Ideawake is a cloud-based solution that helps medium to larg...Read more about Ideawake

Planbox Innovate
Planbox Innovate

Planbox Innovate is an idea management tool designed for teams across all industries. Key features include a configurable setup centered around a four-level structure: initiatives, projects, items and tasks. Users can create unlimited initiatives and ...Read more about Planbox Innovate

monday.com
monday.com

monday.com is an award-winning work and project management platform that helps teams of all sizes plan, prioritize, manage, and execute their work more effectively. The platform offers solutions for a wide range of use-cases such as marketing, sales, oper...Read more about monday.com

LaunchNotes
LaunchNotes

A Product Success Platform connects the core parts of the development flywheel—comms, feedback, and planning—into one platform. Advancing and accelerating the product teams of today, so they can be even more successful in building the technologies of tomor...Read more about LaunchNotes

Milanote
Milanote

Milanote is an online platform that helps designers and writers organize the various components of their projects. It can be used to create mood boards, mind maps, briefs and more, all in one place. Milanote lets users create private boards to share with ...Read more about Milanote

Canny
Canny

Canny is a feedback management platform designed to help businesses collect and analyze insights from customers and account holders, plan roadmaps and announce product updates. Administrators can automatically link feedback to existing user accounts, group...Read more about Canny

CrowdWorx Innovation Engine
CrowdWorx Innovation Engine

CrowdWorx is an idea management solution that caters to small and midsize businesses and provides tools for crowdsourced idea evaluation. It can be deployed on-premise or hosted in the cloud. CrowdWorx allows users to build a configurable website wher...Read more about CrowdWorx Innovation Engine

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Your Guide to Top Idea Management Software, March 2024

Software Advice uses reviews from real software users to highlight the top-rated Idea Management products in North America.

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“Usability” includes user ratings for Functionality and Ease of Use.

“Customer Satisfaction” includes user ratings for Customer Support, Likelihood to Recommend and Value for Money.

Reviews analysis period: The reviews analysis period spans two years and ends the 15th of the month prior to publication.

Buyers Guide

This detailed guide will help you find and buy the right idea management software for you and your business.

Last Updated on January 27, 2025

“There's no good idea that can't be improved on.” Michael Eisner, CEO of Walt Disney Corporation 1984-2005.

Ideas come and ideas go. Some live, some die—and some need to be chased down. The trick to profiting from the good ideas is, as Eisner implied, to continually improve them. But given their intangible nature, identifying and improving upon good ideas is much easier said than done.

Idea management software—also called ideation management software—is a new collection of tools designed to help companies do just that: identify and develop the best ideas they come across, whether from customers, employees or members of the public. This Buyer’s Guide will help you understand how idea management software works and how it can help your business. It covers:

What Is Idea Management Software?

Common Features of Idea Management Software

Software Market Trends You Should Understand

Example Idea Management Workflow

What Is Idea Management Software?

Idea management software is designed to help collect, develop and collaborate on ideas that are relevant to your business. The software helps companies categorize ideas and even open up idea submission and development to customers and other interested third parties.

Home-page-in-Wazoku's-Idea-Spotlight

Home page in Wazoku’s Idea Spotlight, showing four categories of ideas for an example company

It’s not always immediately obvious if a new idea is actually worth pursuing. But, few new ideas seem worthy until they’re developed at least a little. Not wanting to waste time on fruitless ideas, most companies are forced to ignore all but the most obviously great ideas. This leads to missed opportunities or, worse yet, competitors developing the same idea at a later date.

The main goal of idea management software is to prevent good ideas from going to waste. It does this by systemizing the process of idea management, so that new ideas can be vetted with less effort. This helps the company consider more of them and miss fewer opportunities.

Common Features of Idea Management Software

Idea management software has elements in common with other genres of software, like mind mapping software, knowledge management software, even project planning and project management software.

But despite some general similarities, idea management software is purpose-built for the workflows, processes and permission controls needed for idea submission, collaborative development and selection. It is available in many forms and different packages that will contain some or all of the following applications:

Idea campaigns

Organize ideas by grouping them into specific campaigns and challenges. Campaigns can be open to the public, employees or select groups.

Idea funnels

Set up discrete stages for ideas to pass through as they progress from initial idea to final approval, helping systemize, monitor and benchmark the entire process.

Mind mapping

Visualize how the various elements of an idea (or several ideas) relate to one another. These are graphical tools, usually with drag-and-drop UIs.

Collaboration tools

Many idea management platforms come with tools that help teams work together, like document and file sharing, collective to-do lists and automated notifications.

Custom branding

Some idea management platforms allow for custom visual branding, so the interface can match your website and the look and feel of your brand.

Gamification

Make idea sharing and development part of a contest, competition or on-going game. Gamification can encourage people to help in the ideation process.

Customizable workflows

Rearrange and configure the various stages of the idea management process and control which users get to participate in which stages.

Organizing-ideas-by-category-with-Qmarkets-idea-management-software

Organizing ideas by category with Qmarkets idea management software

Software Market Trends You Should Understand

Cloud-based software, or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), is an SMB’s best friend. Compared to on-premise installations, cloud software can usually be expected to be more:

  • Affordable: It typically uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model—meaning no large investment is needed to get started. Services are also easier to cancel.

  • Accessible: Cloud-deployed software can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection.

  • Integratable: It’s also often easier to integrate applications. Since the apps are deployed from the vendor’s servers, you won’t need to set up or maintain your own.

For these reasons, most idea management systems suitable for SMB use are cloud-based. It’s the best option for a majority of SMBs, excluding only those with very specific IT integration requirements.

Example Idea Management Workflow

Idea management software typically allows for a lot of workflow flexibility. This is helpful, even necessary, given the fact that companies have very different approaches to and requirements for idea management. That said, the idea of idea management might be entirely new to you, so below is an example of the types of stages that could be used.

  1. Collection. The company puts up a public-facing website with a description of the problem it’s trying to solve. The company invites its customers, employees and members of the public to submit ideas directly on the website.

  2. Vetting. The company’s management looks over the submitted ideas, eliminating any that are impractical or don’t sufficiently address the problem. They create a shortlist of five of the best ideas. All five ideas could work, but management is unsure which would work best.

  3. Voting. The company creates a new page online to present the five best ideas, each with a short explanation. Employees and customers are asked to vote for their favorite idea and add any additional comments.

  4. Selection. Management reviews the comments and tallies the votes, selecting two finalist ideas. Potential problems and downsides are listed for each idea. Company employees are invited to comment on the ideas, adding any potential problems and solutions of their own.

  5. Refinement. The company uses its idea management software to internally collaborate on, improve and implement the remaining ideas.

Idea-Funnel-overview-in-Qmarkets

Idea Funnel overview in Qmarkets’ idea management software. It shows the quantity of ideas being actively considered as they progress through the various stages.