With so many complex responsibilities on your plate, what a relief you don’t have to run your business single-handedly! Check out the 30 best small business apps that will simplify your daily operations and free up time for you to focus on pushing your business forward!
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The 30 Best Small Business Apps in 2024
Connecteam is designed specifically for nondesk teams and field workers and is made primarily for mobile use.
Why I chose Connecteam: Connecteam has a clean, user-friendly interface plus all the features you need to manage your team and streamline day-to-day business operations.
Features are divided between 3 hubs: Operations, Communication, and HR. While it’s impossible to go over every single feature in one article, let’s take a look at some of the key features:
📚 You may also be interested in our article on the Best Team Management Apps.
Intuitive drag-and-drop shift scheduler
Connecteam’s employee scheduler includes an intuitive drag-and-drop scheduling tool so you can create weekly schedules with ease. You can automatically assign shifts based on employee qualifications, preferences, and availability.
The app also comes with scheduling templates to make the process even faster. Use Connecteam’s premade scheduling templates or customize your own however you need. You can also create and automatically assign recurring shifts.
Another perk is automatic shift conflict alerts so you can say goodbye to scheduling conflicts like double scheduling, assigning the wrong employee to a shift, or assigning an employee who’s scheduled for PTO.
Plus, you can now share read-only schedules with clients through a sharable link to ensure clients are always up-to-date.
GPS tracking time clock
The app offers both a GPS time clock and GPS tracking capabilities. Employees can clock in and out of work right from their phones with the employee time block and the app ensures employees are only doing so from their jobsites.
You also have the option to set up a digital geofence around your workplaces to limit the area from which your team can clock in and out.
Automated timesheets for expedited payroll
Employee hours are automatically recorded onto digital timesheets for payroll so you can eliminate manual data entry. You can easily view and edit all logged data, such as total work hours per day and payroll period, overtime, time off, and breaks. The app also flags irregularities, making it easy to spot and fix potentially costly payroll mistakes.
Employees can review their timesheets, request any changes, and send in their approval before you process payroll – all via the app. When you’re ready to process payroll, you can export timesheets directly to payroll processing software, including Gusto, Paychex, Quickbooks, and Xero.
Multiple communication channels
Even if you aren’t physically in the same place as your team, you can stay connected and available with Connecteam’s online team chat.
You and your staff can quickly and easily ask and answer questions, chat about schedules, tasks, and projects, and even share files and snap photos to share.
Or, take advantage of the social media-style newsfeed for company updates and announcements. Employees can view all communication from their phones to remain engaged and in touch with the rest of the team.
With the company employee directory, you can store all work related contact information in one place. You can search for contacts by name, location, branch, and more and contact them with chat, email, text, or phone call right from the directory.
Task management features
With this employee task management app, you can create tasks and subtasks with just a few taps and assign them to the right employee. On each task, you can share a description, due date, and time, as well as notes, files, and other attachments within a task so workers can access everything they need in one place.
Create recurring tasks for regular or repeat action items so you don’t have to create them manually every time. You can choose task frequency, too. For instance, assign tasks to be completed daily, weekly, or monthly. Plus, you can assign an end date to stop recurring tasks when they’re no longer needed.
And much more…
These are just a few of Connecteam features to make managing your team much more efficient. You can also create online training courses, store team documents, create quizzes and surveys, and much more.
Connecteam offers a completely free plan for small businesses with up to 10 employees and a two-week free trial for businesses of all sizes. Paid plans start at only $29/month.
Key Features
Pros & Cons
Price
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SAP SuccessFactors is a mobile app that makes it simple to engage your entire workforce and complete HR tasks.
Why I chose SAP SuccessFactors: A main feature of SAP is to boost productivity – connect all your team members so they receive key information and processes no matter where they are. It includes self-service tools for managers, employees, and HR, this way everyone stays on top of critical tasks.
With its HCM feature, “you can automate your people processes, improve visibility and efficiency, and transform your business turning strategy into execution every day.” If you’re interested, this small business app costs $84.53/year per user.
Chanty is both a business app and a team chat app that lets you communicate and collaborate with your team with ease.
Why I chose Chanty: You can get in touch with your employees using text and voice messages or make audio and video calls, and share your screen and communicate one-on-one or through public channels.
Besides communication, you can manage your projects by turning messages into tasks. Assign those tasks to your team and set deadlines so you can manage your work from Chanty. Finally, small business owners can see everything in one place: your Teambook. This is your central communication hub that stores all of your contacts, messages, tasks, files, and much more.
Workday boasts a single small business app for HR and finance so you can make better choices based on data and not guesswork.
Why I chose Workday: With this app, you can easily engage all your employees and it is customizable at any moment. As a manager, you hold all the cards to efficiently and effectively plan, recruit, and develop talent in just a click. This easy-to-use app for small businesses seamlessly takes your team members from day one to their last day. Chat with a representative to get a price quote.
EmailAnalytics is a mobile app that visualizes your team’s email activity, enabling users to see essential productivity KPIs at a glance, such as emails sent, emails received, and average email response time.
Why I chose EmailAnalytics: The mobile app automatically integrates and performs all the calculations for managers, and delivers a convenient daily or weekly email report so they can effortlessly keep tabs on their team’s workload and efficiency.
Pricing starts at $15/user/mo, but they also offer bulk discounts for teams of 5+ users, with pricing going as low as $5/user/mo.
Payment Apps For Small Businesses
Melio is a web-based account payable platform that lets users conveniently pay bills via bank transfer and credit cards for free, even for vendors who only accept check payments. It’s currently only available to small businesses in the US.
Why I chose Melio: Melio comes with payment scheduling features that help users set automatic payments so there is no need to worry about late payments or paying too early. It also has payment approval workflows so managers can invite users or accountants to access the platform while still having full control of transaction approvals.
Doesn’t matter where businesses sell, Square allows users to easily accept all payments; from accepting credit and debit card payments on phones to building a custom POS system on Square’s payment platform, or selling products online.
Why I chose Square: Square is an excellent app for small businesses due to its user-friendly point-of-sale system and comprehensive payment processing solutions, which make transactions smooth and efficient.
Key features include the ability to accept various forms of payment, track sales, and inventory, and access valuable analytics and reporting tools, all of which are crucial for the effective management and growth of small businesses.
Last on our list of payment business apps for small businesses is Venmo. Venmo isn’t just for splitting cab fares or sharing payments with friends. Their social commerce platform allows users to do so much more.
Why I chose Venmo: Venmo offers a convenient and swift way to receive payments, especially from customers who prefer digital and mobile payment methods. Its key features include easy-to-use money transfer options, social transaction feeds for enhanced customer engagement, and the ability to split bills, which makes it particularly appealing for businesses like restaurants and service providers.
Finance And Accounting Apps
Xero allows you to monitor your cash flow and manage business accounting in real-time.
Why I chose Xero: Xero has an intuitive interface and is a comprehensive financial management tools, which simplify bookkeeping and financial tracking. It offers real-time financial reporting, seamless integration with various banking and payment services, and robust invoicing and payroll functionalities, all designed to streamline financial processes and enhance business efficiency.
QuickBooks Online is an accounting software that makes it super easy to manage all business needs, no matter the size of the company. Easily track expenses, create and send forms (such as quotes, invoices, accounting reports, etc.), and know where cash flow stands – its user-friendly dashboard presents everything in a way that’s simple to
Why I chose Quickbooks Online: It’s incredibly robust and comes with automated expense tracking, efficient invoice creation, integrated payroll services, and insightful financial reporting, all of which are essential for accurate and simplified accounting, helping you manage the financial decision-making of your business.
Start a 30-day free version and then choose from a paid plan: simple start ($15 per month), essentials ($23 per month), or plus ($31 per month).
Wave is an exceptional accounting app for small businesses that includes essential financial management tools.
Why I chose Wave: Wave includes straightforward invoicing, expense tracking, receipt scanning capabilities, and direct bank account integrations, making it ideal for small business owners and managers looking for an efficient and affordable way to manage their finances.
Time Management Apps
Connecteam’s time-tracking clock has all the essential features to eliminate payroll errors, buddy punching, and time theft.
Why I chose Connecteam: Users can simply access the app and clock in from the comfort of their mobile device, any time, any place. Through tagged GPS locations, geofencing capabilities, and breadcrumbs technology, you can stay on top of where your workers are supposed to be while clocked in.
Save time and effort tracking work hours with an accurate, detailed timesheet app. Then save even more time and effort with Connecteam’s payroll integration with QuickBooks Online and Gusto, to streamline the processes from start to finish. Also, you can chat with employees from within the time clock, ensuring smooth communication across the app.
RescueTime runs in the background of mobile phones or desktops and tracks the time users spend on applications and websites so they have an accurate picture of their day, and it sends a detailed report based on activity.
Why I chose RescueTime: RescueTime will set alerts so users know how much time was spent on an activity and block distracting websites. Users can pause RescueTime at any time (while on vacation, for example) and provides detailed reports on how much time users spent reading emails, scrolling social media, etc.
Choose their free-for-life plan or choose their Premium plan that costs $9/month (includes a 14-day free trial) and is much more in-depth than the free version. Find out more about how RescueTime compares to its competitors.
With My Minutes, users can set personal time goals like the minimum or maximum amount of time they actually want to put into a task. For example, spending at least one hour on a task, or at most 30 minutes checking emails.
Set days for when tasks repeat, and My Minutes will remind users about them. As streaks change to green, employees will feel more motivated to tackle them again and again. This small business app is free to use and helps users manage personal time far more productively.
Toggl is an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that simplifies the management of work hours and project timelines.
Why I chose Toggl: I like that Toggl offers one-click time tracking, detailed reporting, and the ability to integrate with a wide range of project management tools. It’s great for improving productivity and ensuring accurate billing and time management.
Pricing starts at $9/month/per user, $18/month/per user, or chat with a representative about their Enterprise plan.
Project Management Apps
Monday is a project management app that clearly organizes all tasks and boosts team communication. Just create a project, add tasks to the said project, and finally, add steps to each task.
Why I chose Monday: As team members complete a task or steps of a task, the status is updated so everyone can easily see where a project or task currently stands. In addition, users can create knowledge bases to store documents and anything else project-related.
Monday is available on desktop and mobile for iOS and Android. Users can receive notifications in real time to never miss a beat. The pricing plans available differ by the number of users, for example, 5 users cost $29/month or for up to 10 users costs $59/month. There are also Standard, Pro, and Enterprise plans.
nTask is a cloud-based task and project management app that caters to small businesses and individuals. It provides business owners with tools that enable collaboration with team members on tasks, projects, issues, meetings, timesheets, and risks.
Why I chose nTask: Users can plan all projects in nTask with just a few clicks by adding descriptions, assigning resources, setting a budget, and creating tasks. Users can visualize project progress with beautiful interactive Gantt charts that can help in decision-making. nTask is available on the web, Android, and iOS devices.
Users can get started with nTask with the forever free plan. The Premium paid plan starts are $2.99 per user per month, and the Business package starts at $7.99/user per month.
Trello is a fantastic app for small businesses looking to manage tasks and projects, known for its easy-to-use, visually engaging layout that makes team collaboration and project organization a breeze.
Why I chose Trello: It offers flexible boards, lists, and cards for task prioritization, plus it integrates smoothly with other apps and sends instant updates, making it a handy tool for keeping all kinds of business projects on track.
Users don’t even need to use Trello just for work purposes. Choose from Trello’s two pricing plans: free or $12.50 per month per user.
Basecamp is a top pick for small businesses needing a straightforward yet powerful app to handle task and project management.
Why I chose Basecamp: It’s all about keeping things organized and stress-free with features like to-do lists, file storage, deadlines, and team chat rooms all in one place. Plus, the app sends out automatic check-ins and has a neat “Hill Charts” feature to visually track project progress, making it a breeze to stay on top of everything without getting bogged down in details.
Start a free 30-day trial, and then you need to choose if the $99/month for your entire team is right for you.
ProofHub gives business owners access to all their projects on the go. It is one place for all your projects and team collaboration. Managers can delegate from a distance and can assign tasks, check the current status of any task, and look at the planning aspect in no time with the ProofHub app.
Why I chose ProofHub: The features like in-app notifications help keep everyone on the same page regarding duties and task updates. With an Android and iOs app, everyone can join in the Discussions and chat whenever the need to communicate arises.
ProofHub is supported on Windows, Android and iOS platforms. And the fact that it’s super affordable doesn’t hurt either. It is available for $89 per month for unlimited users.
Job Scheduling Apps
Connecteam’s scheduling app makes it easy for managers to save time, money, and effort on planning.
Why I chose Connecteam: It’s easy to use, affordable and offers real-time oversight on where things stand. Not to mention, the app’s robust scheduling features allow you to reduce labor costs, improve employee morale and satisfaction, and eliminate the headaches that come with creating a schedule.
Connecteam makes it easy to manage your employee schedules even if you have multiple sites or departments. You can create schedules by week or month, duplicate schedules for future use, use scheduling templates, bulk actions, and you even communicate with your team directly from the app.
Schedule Planner is a game-changer for small businesses looking to take the hassle out of employee scheduling.
Why I chose Schedule Planner: It’s super user-friendly, offering features like drag-and-drop schedule creation, easy shift swaps, and real-time updates to keep everyone in the loop. Plus, it offers tools for tracking employee hours and availability, making it easy to manage everyone’s time without the usual scheduling headaches.
Chat with a customer service representative about pricing.
Everything a small business owner needs for job scheduling, like availability, time off, and shift swaps, is available on one app, ZoomShift.
Why I chose ZoomShift: You can use existing templates to create a schedule in minutes, users can also drag and drop shifts on the calendar. Share the schedule via text message, email, or push notification. All team members can view their schedules, set availability preferences, request time off, and can pick up open shifts.
If users are looking for business apps to replace Excel, then they should sign up for their free plan. Otherwise, pay either $2 or $3 per user every month, depending on exactly which plan is best.
Why I chose 10to8: 10to8 is built to help remote teams connect and organize meetings, like daily calls, virtual coffees, cross-department meetings, and more. And if teams spread among many time zones, there is a timezone management feature so managers are not stuck calculating the differing hours.
There is also a native Zoom Video integration that allows users to manage video calls easily.
Marketing Apps
Wix is a website builder that requires no coding knowledge to use. Any small business owner can easily create amazing websites.
Why I chose Wix: Choose from thousands of templates or start from scratch, then simply add content, and publish. With an amazing website, customers enjoy their online experience, and users can generate more leads.
With more than 110 million customers, Wix’s marketing apps help small businesses create their own stunning websites, “We have the only drag and drop website building platform with HTML5 capabilities, 500+ designer-made templates, top-grade hosting, innovative Apps, and 1000s of features for free.”
Wix offers a free version that users can start off with and then upgrade to “unlimited” to enjoy a whole lot more features to further their business at $12.50/month.
Buffer is a social media marketing app to help grow your audience online.
Why I chose Buffer: You can schedule and manage all social media posts from a single app, easily send messages to social platforms, without any of the added hassle, and create posts, analyze the data, and engage with followers.
Up to 25 users can be added to a Buffer account, and admins can choose who has full posting access or needs permissions. Choose from free or $15/month starter plans or their business plans. However, based on specific business needs, take a close look at each plan to choose the right fit.
With Hootsuite, users can monitor what people are saying about their brand and instantly respond. View streams from various networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ and post an update or reply directly.
Why I chose Hootsuite: Hootsuite lets you manage all your social media accounts in one spot, schedule posts in advance, track your performance, and even peek at what your competitors are doing, all with a few clicks.
For $19 per month, get one user and up to 5 social platforms with unlimited scheduling. $99 per month gets 10 social profiles with 3 users and unlimited scheduling. $559 per month gets 35 social profiles for 5 users (up to 10) and unlimited scheduling. If your business needs an Enterprise plan, chat with a Hootsuite professional.
Mention makes real-time media monitoring easy.
Why I chose Mention: Mention is like having a supercharged radar for small businesses, keeping an eye on the web and social media for any buzz about your brand. It’s awesome for tracking what customers are saying, spotting trends, and even keeping tabs on the competition, all in real-time and with super easy-to-digest analytics.
Choose from 3 plans: $25/month (2 basic alerts, 3,000 mentions, 2 social accounts, and 1 user), $83/month (5 basic alerts, 5,000 mentions, 5 social accounts, and 3 users) or $600+/month (Boolean alerts, custom mentions, 10+ social accounts and unlimited users).
Do you need apps for business promotion? Want to send out newsletters straight to a customer’s email? Or create landing pages, signup forms, and Facebook ads? Mailchimp is the solution!
Why I chose Mailchimp: The interface is easy to navigate, their unique templates are professionally designed, and users can even start for free. Easily reach clients and get new ones while increasing marketing efforts in a snap.
As audiences grow, Mailchimp grows with the users. This small business app has even more features that can help automate all marketing goals, and it isn’t complicated to understand. Their customer service is always available, and membership is free, costing users $10/month.
Org Chart Software
In terms of apps for business efficiency, Pingboard is an amazing tool that provides a real-time, collaborative org chart app so it’s that much easier to organize teams, plan for growth, and keep everyone on the same page.
Why I chose Pingboard: You can simply create multiple private org charts to better manage hiring, execute succession planning, build interactive charts with real-time data, and benefit from the employee directory that’s available on iOS and Android.
Users can start a free version and then choose a pricing plan that best suits their budget and needs. On Pingboard’s pricing page, it separates pricing by how many employees users have to get a more calculated total.
The Bottom Line On Small Business Apps
Handling any aspect of your small business with pen and paper is clearly not the efficient way to get things done. Virtually everything, from job scheduling and communication to training and time tracking, is easier to maintain with the right small business apps.
This comprehensive list demonstrates that there are a lot of apps for small business owners out there to meet your specific business needs – from project management to finance and accounting – and everything in between.
Scale your business with Connecteam
Easily communicate with all your employees, manage payroll, schedule shifts, track time, move all checklists and forms to digital, build professional skills, and so much more. Everything you need to grow your business is at your fingertips.
