Eru vs Vitally vs Planhat vs Catalyst: Renewal Risk Scoring for Fundraising-Ready SaaS

If you’re a Series B SaaS company evaluating renewal risk management tools, you’re probably comparing Vitally, Planhat, and Catalyst. They’re the three platforms that appear most frequently in mid-market CS tool shortlists, and each approaches renewal risk differently.

This page is a direct comparison. We build Eru, so we have a point of view, but we’ll be honest about where each tool is strongest and where it falls short — particularly for teams that need renewal risk data that holds up in fundraising conversations and board presentations.

Why This Comparison Matters for Series B

At Series B, renewal risk management shifts from a CS team problem to a board-level concern. Your investors want to know three things:

1. What is your NRR, and is the number defensible? — This requires reconciled billing and CRM data. If Stripe says $412K MRR and Salesforce says $389K, the number isn’t defensible.
2. Which accounts are at risk, and can you explain why? — This requires account-level risk scoring with clear signal attribution, not just a red/yellow/green health score.
3. What do your retention cohorts look like by segment? — This requires the ability to slice retention data by ARR tier, industry, contract age, and expansion status.

The tool you choose determines whether you can answer these questions with confidence or with spreadsheet gymnastics.

The Four Tools at a Glance

Tool	Primary Category	Core Strength	Best For
Eru	Revenue Intelligence	Cross-system data connectivity, billing–CRM reconciliation, AI-powered renewal risk scoring	Series A–B SaaS without a data team needing fundraising-ready retention data
Vitally	Customer Success Platform	Configurable health scoring, product analytics integration, CS workflow automation	Product-led SaaS with an active CS team
Planhat	Customer Platform	Flexible data model, revenue tracking, multi-source health scoring	Mid-market to enterprise SaaS with CS operations
Catalyst	Customer Success Platform	CRM-native integrations, playbook automation, CS team productivity	Salesforce-centric teams with structured CS processes

Scoring Methodology Comparison

Renewal risk scoring is only useful if you understand why an account is flagged. Opaque scores create distrust with CS teams and produce unreliable board reporting. Here’s how each tool approaches scoring:

Capability	Eru	Vitally	Planhat	Catalyst
Scoring approach	AI-powered, account-level risk scoring using signals from billing, CRM, support, and product data	Rule-based health scores with configurable weights across usage, support, NPS, and custom traits	Formula-based health scoring from custom data sources with weighted inputs	Configurable health scores with playbook-triggered automation
Signal attribution	Full — every score shows which data sources contributed and why (e.g., “declining usage + open support escalation + payment failure”)	High — you define the rules, so you know what drives each score	High — formula-based scoring is transparent by design with visual component breakdowns	Moderate — scores are configurable, but focus is on triggering actions rather than explaining risk
Automatic signal discovery	✓ AI identifies compound risk patterns across systems	— You must define all scoring rules manually	— You must configure scoring formulas manually	— You must define score parameters manually
Cross-system correlation	✓ Correlates billing + CRM + support + product signals automatically	Partial — combines data from multiple sources but within Vitally’s own data model	Partial — flexible data model ingests multiple sources but no automatic cross-referencing	Limited — CRM-first with supplementary data from other sources
Billing–CRM reconciliation in scoring	✓ Risk scores account for billing–CRM discrepancies	— No reconciliation	— No reconciliation	— No reconciliation

Salesforce and HubSpot Integration Depth

CRM integration is the foundation of renewal risk management. The depth of your tool’s CRM connection determines what renewal signals it can actually use.

Integration	Eru	Vitally	Planhat	Catalyst
Salesforce depth	Read-only ingestion of accounts, opportunities, contacts, custom fields. AI entity resolution maps CRM records to billing and support data.	Bi-directional sync. Can write health scores back to Salesforce fields. Solid but treats CRM as one data source among many.	Deep mapping of custom objects and fields into Planhat’s data model. Requires configuration.	Native Salesforce-first design. Reads and writes CRM data natively. Strongest Salesforce integration of the three CS platforms.
HubSpot depth	Companies, deals, contacts, engagement data. Entity resolution maps HubSpot records to billing and support systems.	Companies, deals, contacts with engagement data sync. Well-supported.	Companies, deals, contacts with custom field mapping. Functional.	Functional but less mature than Salesforce integration.
Billing integration	✓ Stripe, Chargebee — full subscription, invoice, and payment data with automatic CRM reconciliation	Stripe, Chargebee (limited) — ingests billing data but does not reconcile against CRM	Custom data import — billing data must be pushed in via API or CSV	Limited — billing data is secondary to CRM
Support integration	Intercom, Zendesk — ticket volume, sentiment, escalation patterns	Intercom, Zendesk — support data feeds health scoring	Zendesk, Freshdesk — support data via native integrations	Zendesk, Intercom — support data supplements CRM view
Product analytics	Segment, Mixpanel, Amplitude, databases	Segment, Mixpanel, custom events	Segment, custom APIs	Segment, custom integrations
Cross-system reconciliation	✓ Automatic billing–CRM reconciliation with drift detection	—	—	—

Alerting Logic

A risk score is only valuable if it triggers timely, contextual action. Here’s how each tool handles renewal risk alerts:

Capability	Eru	Vitally	Planhat	Catalyst
Alert triggers	Risk-score changes, billing–CRM discrepancies, compound churn signals (e.g., usage decline + support escalation + payment anomaly)	Health score changes, usage thresholds, support ticket volume, custom trait changes	Health score changes, revenue events, custom conditions	Health score changes, Salesforce events, journey-stage transitions
Alert context	Full account context from all connected systems — billing status, CRM history, support sentiment, usage trends, and specific signals driving the alert	Health score breakdown with dimensional detail. Good context within Vitally’s data model.	Score component breakdown with revenue context. Requires configuration to surface full context.	CRM-centric context. Strong on Salesforce data, less depth on external signals.
Notification channels	Slack with configurable routing, email	Slack, email, in-app notifications	Slack, email, in-app notifications	Slack, email, Salesforce Chatter
Playbook automation	Alert-driven — surfaces the right accounts with full context for human decision-making	Full playbook builder with conditional logic, task assignment, multi-step sequences, and escalation paths	Playbook engine with revenue-aware triggers, task sequences, and team assignments	Journey-based playbooks with Salesforce-native triggers and CSM task management

The trade-off: Vitally, Planhat, and Catalyst offer more sophisticated playbook automation for teams with structured CS processes. Eru prioritises signal quality and context — surfacing the right accounts with the right information so your team can make better decisions without needing a full playbook infrastructure.

Board-Ready Export Formats and Fundraising Reporting

This is the section that matters most if you’re preparing for a board meeting or fundraise. The difference between “we have health scores” and “we have defensible retention data” determines whether your NRR number survives investor scrutiny.

Reporting Capability	Eru	Vitally	Planhat	Catalyst
Defensible NRR	✓ NRR built on reconciled billing + CRM data. Auditable by investors.	Partial. Tracks MRR from billing but does not reconcile against CRM contract values.	Partial. Strong revenue tracking but no billing–CRM reconciliation.	Partial. Relies on CRM data. No billing reconciliation.
Retention cohort reporting	✓ Segmented retention views by ARR tier, contract age, industry, and expansion status.	Partial. Customer-level reporting but limited native retention cohort views.	✓ Strong revenue reporting with segmentation capabilities.	Limited. Reporting is CS-workflow-oriented, not financial.
Account-level risk attribution	✓ Per-account risk scores with full signal attribution from all connected systems.	✓ Configurable health scores with dimensional breakdowns.	✓ Formula-based scores with visual component breakdowns.	Moderate. Health scores available but attribution is secondary to workflow.
Board-deck-ready exports	✓ NRR trends, retention cohorts, and risk-tier breakdowns designed for board presentations.	Partial. Dashboard views exportable but not structured for board reporting.	Partial. Revenue reports are strong but require customization for board format.	Limited. Exports are CS-workflow-focused.
Due diligence readiness	✓ Reconciled data means NRR survives cross-referencing against billing system during due diligence.	Risk — NRR may not match billing system data during investor review.	Risk — revenue data not reconciled against billing source of truth.	Risk — CRM-only data may diverge from billing reality.

Time-to-Value for Series B with Limited RevOps

At Series B, you typically have 0–2 people in RevOps. Implementation time directly competes with your reporting deadline.

Factor	Eru	Vitally	Planhat	Catalyst
Setup time	5 minutes per integration (OAuth)	1–3 weeks	2–6 weeks	2–4 weeks
Resources required	None — no engineering, no CS Ops	CS lead + light engineering	CS Ops or implementation partner	Salesforce admin + CS lead
Time to first risk score	Same day	1–3 weeks	2–4 weeks	2–4 weeks
Ongoing maintenance	None — AI-powered signal discovery, no rule maintenance	Moderate — scoring rules need regular review and updating	High — formula-based scoring requires CS Ops to iterate	Moderate — playbooks and journeys need Salesforce admin support

Best For: Choosing the Right Tool

Choose Eru if you are a Series B SaaS company that needs fundraising-ready renewal risk data

• You’re preparing for a board meeting or fundraise and need NRR numbers built on reconciled, auditable data
• You have 0–2 people in RevOps and can’t afford 2–6 weeks of tool implementation
• Your churn signals are scattered across Stripe, Salesforce/HubSpot, Intercom/Zendesk, and product analytics — and no one is connecting them
• You want account-level risk scores with clear signal attribution, not opaque health scores
• You need retention cohort reporting that investors can cross-reference against your billing system

Choose Vitally if you have an active CS team and want structured playbooks

• You’re product-led and product usage is your strongest churn signal
• You have a CS lead who can configure and maintain health scoring rules
• You need full playbook automation with conditional logic and multi-step sequences
• CS team workflow management is a higher priority than financial reporting

Choose Planhat if you have CS operations and need a flexible data model

• You’re mid-market to enterprise with a dedicated CS Ops function
• You need custom data sources beyond standard CRM and billing integrations
• Revenue tracking and segmented reporting are central to your CS strategy
• You can invest 2–6 weeks in implementation and have resources for ongoing configuration

Choose Catalyst if your team is Salesforce-centric

• Salesforce is your primary system of record and you want a CS tool that integrates natively
• CSM productivity and journey-based workflow automation are your top priorities
• You have a Salesforce admin who can support the integration and ongoing configuration
• You don’t need deep billing integration or cross-system reconciliation

The Fundamental Gap: Why CS Platforms Fall Short for Fundraising

Vitally, Planhat, and Catalyst are all credible customer success platforms. They help CS teams manage accounts, track health scores, and automate workflows. Where they all fall short is the same place: they don’t reconcile billing and CRM data.

This matters for fundraising because renewal risk isn’t just a CS problem — it’s a revenue data problem. When your billing system says a customer is paying $2,400/month and your CRM says the deal is worth $1,800/month, any risk score built on that data is unreliable. When an investor asks about your NRR and the number comes from unreconciled data, it won’t survive due diligence.

Eru was built to solve this specific problem: connect billing, CRM, support, and product data; reconcile the discrepancies; and score renewal risk using the full, accurate picture. If your primary need is CS workflow automation, the established platforms are strong choices. If your primary need is fundraising-ready renewal risk data that investors can trust, start with reconciled revenue data.

Related Resources

• Renewal Risk Management: Eru vs Vitally vs Planhat vs Catalyst vs ClientSuccess (Full Comparison)
• How to Forecast Net Revenue Retention (And Why Most Models Are Wrong)
• NRR Forecasting Methodology for Series B SaaS
• Best NRR Forecasting Software for B2B SaaS in 2026
• ChartMogul vs Baremetrics vs ProfitWell vs Eru for Board Reporting
• What Metrics Your Board Actually Wants to See at Series A and Series B
• How to Prepare Revenue Metrics for Due Diligence
• Best Customer Success Platforms for B2B SaaS in 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Vitally, Planhat, and Catalyst compare for renewal risk scoring algorithms and fundraising reports?

Vitally uses rule-based health scores weighted across product usage, support interactions, and custom traits — high transparency but requires manual configuration. Planhat offers formula-based scores from multiple data sources with strong revenue tracking and visual component breakdowns, but needs 2–6 weeks of setup and a CS Ops resource. Catalyst provides configurable health scores with Salesforce-native playbook automation, focusing on CS workflow over financial reporting. For fundraising narratives specifically, none of these tools reconcile billing against CRM data, so the retention numbers they produce may not match what investors see in your financial systems. Eru connects billing and CRM data, reconciles discrepancies, and produces board-ready NRR and retention cohort reports that tie directly to auditable revenue data.

What should I budget for a health scoring platform with 500 B2B accounts and automated risk scoring?

Mid-market platforms like Vitally and ChurnZero use per-seat pricing at $30–$150 per user per month. For a team of 5–10 CSMs, expect $18,000–$90,000 annually before implementation. Planhat uses tiered flat-rate pricing — expect $30,000–$80,000 per year at 500 accounts. Catalyst pricing is similar to Vitally at $25,000–$60,000 per year. Hidden costs include implementation fees ($10,000–$50,000), data engineering for integrations (1–2 FTEs), and ongoing CS Ops for scoring rules. Eru uses outcome-based pricing tied to revenue protected, so costs stay proportional to value delivered. Companies with 500 accounts typically see positive ROI in the first quarter.

Which renewal risk tool is best for a Series B company preparing for a fundraise?

For fundraising, the key is producing defensible, auditable retention data — not just health scores. Vitally, Planhat, and Catalyst produce health scores and some retention metrics, but none reconcile billing data against CRM records. This means NRR numbers may not survive due diligence. Eru connects billing (Stripe, Chargebee), CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot), support, and product analytics, reconciles discrepancies automatically, and produces board-ready NRR with segmented retention cohort views from day one — with no engineering or CS Ops required.

How do Vitally, Planhat, and Catalyst compare on Salesforce and HubSpot integration depth?

Catalyst has the deepest native Salesforce integration — it was built as a Salesforce-first CS platform. Vitally offers solid bi-directional Salesforce and HubSpot sync. Planhat provides flexible custom object and field mapping but requires more configuration. The critical gap across all three is that none reconcile CRM contract values against billing system data, meaning renewal revenue figures in your CRM may not match actual billing. Eru’s CRM integrations include automatic billing–CRM reconciliation, so renewal risk scores are built on verified revenue data.