Free PEST Analysis Templates: PowerPoint, MS Word, Google Docs, Excel

By Kate Eby | October 10, 2022

We’ve collected the most effective political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) analysis templates for assessing how they relate to and impact your organization. Find options for marketers, analysts, business owners, students, and more.

Included on this page, you’ll find a simple PEST analysis template, a PEST diagram presentation template, a PESTEL analysis template, and a basic PEST matrix template, among others. You can also find details about a PEST analysis template, why to perform a PEST analysis, who should use it, and the difference between SWOT and PEST analysis.  Plus, we have tips on how to use each template successfully.

PEST Analysis Template

PEST Analysis Example Template

Download a PEST Analysis Template for
Excel | Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF | Google Docs | Google Sheets

Ensure that business analysts, marketers, business owners, and other stakeholders agree on how PEST factors might affect your organization with this easy-to-use PEST analysis template. List the political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) elements that are available for the strategic management of your company. This template is the perfect tool for you and your team to record key PEST components, and then assess how these factor into the current and future health of your business. 

For free resources and templates related to strategic planning, check out our definitive guide to strategic marketing planning.

PEST Diagram Presentation Template

PEST Diagram Presentation Template

Download a PEST Diagram Presentation Template for 
PowerPoint | Google Slides 

Use this visually dynamic, presentation-ready PEST diagram template to bring stakeholders up to speed on the results of your PEST analysis and the impact it has on your company. Use this template to list the political, economic, social, and technological aspects that influence your company, so that you can proactively address them and determine the future impact they’ll have on your business. Completing this template will help ensure that you account for all PEST components and be ready to show stakeholders a slide that details their current and future potential effects. 

Check out this article on how to use strategic planning framework and models to help ensure your team is on track.

PESTEL Analysis Template

PESTEL Analysis Example Template

Download a PESTEL Analysis Template with Sample Text for 
Excel | Microsoft Word | PowerPoint

Download a Blank PESTEL Analysis Template for 
Excel | Microsoft Word | PowerPoint  

Account for all PEST facets, as well as environmental and legal (PESTEL or PESTLE) factors, with this simple-to-apply PESTEL analysis template. Under each PESTEL representative letter’s section, list how each currently affects your organization and the potential future impact for political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal aspects. This all-in-one analytical template is available blank and with sample text. Use it to help your team stay updated on macro factors facing your company, and let it inform a strategy on how to address them, so that your business continues to flourish.

Basic PEST Matrix Template

Basic PEST Matrix Template

Download a Basic PEST Matrix Template for 
Excel | Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF | Google Doc | Google Sheets

Track the political, economic, social, and technological elements that face your business and better prepare for any significant shift in each. This basic template includes generous space for each PEST factor, so that you and your team can view them side by side and determine how considering them, in light of your business, might require a strategic course of action.  

To enhance your company’s internal audit and analyses of factors such as PEST and how they relate to the success of your business, check out these free competitive analysis templates.

SWOT and PEST Analysis Template

SWOT and PEST Analysis Template

Download a SWOT and PEST Analysis Template for 
Excel | Microsoft Word | PowerPoint  

Keep all business stakeholders in the know with this template that offers a comprehensive, comparative SWOT and PEST side-by-side analysis. While SWOT elements factor in your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, PEST components account for how external elements, including political, economic, social, and technological factors, relate to your company. By evaluating SWOT and PEST factors side by side, you gain an understanding of not only your organization’s strengths and vulnerabilities, but how external factors — most of which are out of your control, such as political and economic — affect your company and its future viability. 

For SWOT analysis templates and resources, check out this unique article with 14 free SWOT analysis templates.

What Is a PEST Analysis Template?

A PEST analysis template provides a framework for organizations to analyze the political, economic, social, and technological components facing them. Use a PEST analysis template to assess these factors’ current effect on your business and their future impact. 

A PEST analysis template includes space to list the following components and their relation to your company: 

  • P: Describe the political factors facing your company. These include regulations, taxes, government oversight, legal issues, trading and embargo policies, and more.  
  • E: List any economic factors related to your company. Look at such factors as inflation, interest rates, economic growth, business cycles, and employment rates.  
  • S: Consider the social factors that affect your company. Take into account how culture, race, demographics, education, lifestyle trends, and so on impact your organization. 
  • T: Include the technological factors that your company needs to consider, such as intellectual property, patents, licenses, manufacturing innovations, and recent technological developments.

Why Do a PEST Analysis? 

Perform a PEST analysis for your organization to consider the significance of the political, economic, social, and technological macro-environmental factors. Identifying these factors can help a business see their current and future effects on the company’s viability.

Who Should Do a PEST Analysis? 

Organizations that want to keep proactively aware of shifts in external trends should perform a PEST analysis. Without one, a company might seem on sound footing, but still needs to understand the overall business environment to plan for the future.

What Is the Difference Between SWOT and PEST Analysis?

A SWOT analysis factors in a company’s internal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A PEST analysis examines political, economic, social, and technological external factors. They both look at the current impact and future projections for a company.

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