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!
You know better than anyone that running a business is straight out hard.
From creating job schedules and managing workflows to tracking work hours and processing accurate payroll – responsibilities are endless and can get quite overwhelming.
But here’s the good news. There are countless tools out there specifically designed to take that weight off your shoulders and make your day-to-day a whole lot easier and more efficient.
Let’s dive into the best small business apps and find the perfect fit for your business needs.
The 30 Best Small Business Apps in 2023
Small Business Management Apps
Kicking off our list of small business apps is Connecteam’s all-in-one employee management app with everything you need to manage your team from anywhere. It’s an excellent choice for small business owners for the following reasons:
Streamlined employee management
You can efficiently manage your team and daily operations using one centralized platform – from scheduling, time tracking, and task management to internal communication, employee training, and information sharing. This simplifies your day-to-day and saves valuable time and money you can instead invest in growing your business.
Affordable pricing
Connecteam offers flexible pricing and allows you to pick and pay only for the feature sets you need. Paid plans range from $29 to $99 per month for the first 30 users. And if you have up to 10 employees you’re especially in luck with Connecteam’s entirely free small business plan!
Customizable features
The app is fully customizable to suit your exact business needs and speak your brand – from creating custom forms and surveys to adding your company logo and colors.
Easy to use
Connecteam has a simple and intuitive user interface and is designed to be user-friendly for both managers and employees. So no need to be tech-savvy to use it to its fullest!
Excellent customer support
Connecteam offers exceptional customer support, including 24/7 chat support and a dedicated customer success manager for businesses on paid plans. This ensures you get the help you need when you need it.
Key Features
Pros & Cons
Price
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Connecteam’s Pro Tip 🧠
Running a small business can be overwhelming, but Connecteam’s all-in-one solution can make it easier. From scheduling to time tracking, communication, and more, it’s the ultimate small business app. Say goodbye to manual processes and hello to streamlined efficiency.
Start now and watch your business thrive!
SAP SuccessFactors is a mobile app that makes it simple to engage your entire workforce and complete HR tasks. 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. Get in touch with them using text and voice messages or make audio and video calls. 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. With this app, you can easily engage all your employees and it is customizable at any moment.
Through their Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), 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.
This New Zealand company allows you to monitor your cash flow in real-time. Send invoices (and see when they’ve been opened), create expense claims, and import and categorize all your latest credit cards and bank account transactions. There are dozens and dozens of more features that Xero offers and it also integrates with over 700 small business apps, like PayPal.
Users can try out a free version and then choose from 3 plans: Early $9 per month, Growing $30 per month, or Established $60 per month. Carefully review what the different pricing tiers include, as each one suits different business sizes and needs.
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. 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 cred cards for free, even for vendors who only accept check payments. It’s currently only available to small businesses in the US.
Melio is a free solution business owners can use on any internet-enabled device such as a laptop or smartphone. This works perfectly for busy entrepreneurs and professionals who are looking for a way to pay bills and manage cash flow on the go without spending a huge portion of their budgets on expensive accounts payable software.
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.
Additionally, users can, “Get real-time analytics and sales data, send a marketing email and online invoices to [blank] customers, manage [blank] locations and employees, and even run it all on our hardware.” The app is suitable for Android and iOS. Business owners can check out their pricing page to know exactly what it will cost their business.
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.
When customers perform point-of-sale checkout on mobile or desktop, Venmo steps in to connect real friends who can share what they experienced and bought. That network of friends can then view, like, and comment on a shared purchase – which means companies gain a lot more brand exposure.
In other words, “Paying with Venmo allows customers on iOS and Android devices to make purchases using their Venmo account. Customers can connect their Venmo wallet to your mobile app or mobile website, and then seamlessly pay for all future transactions via Venmo without having to reauthorize in the Venmo app.” Standard pricing applies, 2.9% + $.30 per transaction.
Finance And Accounting Apps
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.), know where cash flow stands – its user-friendly dashboard presents everything in a way that’s simple to
Looking for apps for business payroll management? QuickBooks Online is an accounting software that makes it super easy to manage all business needs, no matter the size of the company. Easily access the platform, 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 understand.
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).
With Wave’s accounting software, users can track income and expenses, create and send invoices (from desktop or mobile), do recurring billing, and scan receipts from anywhere. The Wave dashboard is easy to navigate and was built especially for small business owners. Maybe that’s why this app for small businesses is completely free.
Time Management Apps
Connecteam’s online time tracker has all the essential features to eliminate payroll errors, buddy punching, and time theft. 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, it 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.
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), detailed answers on how much time users spent reading emails, scrolling social media, etc.
Choose their free-for-life plan to really understand how to spend time, or choose their Premium plan that costs $9/month (includes a 14-day free trial) and is way more in-depth than the free version.
Users can set personal goals like the minimum or maximum amount of time they actually want to put into a task. For example, spending “at least” one hour exercising, 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 be 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 can help boost productivity, it is “the simplest time tracker to help you get things done. Ideal for teams, freelancers & agencies.” All users need to do is push a button. Toggl will quickly break down the numbers and the data is presented in a clear, easy-to-understand format.
Plus, the Toggl Button browser extension efficiently allows users to track time in over 80 online tools. Once all the data is accessible and users see where all their time is spent, it’s easy to adjust. 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. 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.
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.
Business owners use Trello for all business needs like project management, a daily/monthly task list, organization, meal prep, maintaining a blog, and so on. All of their Kanban boards are shareable, flexible, and so much detail can be added to each card.
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 describes its product clearly, “Basecamp combines all the tools teams need to get work done in a single, streamlined package. With everything in one place, your team will know what to do, where things stand, and where to find things they need.”
Assign tasks and set due dates with a to-do list, create a message board on a single topic, schedules clearly display all projects, all files and documents are conveniently located in one place, chat in real-time, “check-in questions” allow you to ask questions daily, weekly or monthly, share access with your clients, hill charts show project status, Pings are a direct messaging option, forward emails into Basecamp, and SO much more.
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 is an employee management app that 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. They can assign tasks, check the current status of any task, and look at the planning aspect in no time with the ProofHub app.
Apart from this, 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. How so? 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.
If you’re on the go, Connecteam makes it easy to manage your schedule (even if you have multiple sites or departments), you can create the schedule by week or month, use features like duplicate, drag & drop, templates, bulk actions, and you can even communicate with your team directly from the app.
If small business owners need daily planning help, Schedule Planner, is the answer. All tasks are organized by category and priority. Schedule Planner is easy to use, practical, and has a sleek user interface. Businesses can create plans from scratch or choose a pre-existing one. 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. 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.
10to8 has a feature, Meeting Scheduling Software, 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
Within minutes, through Wix, any small business owner can easily create the coolest-looking websites. Choose from thousands of templates or start from scratch, then simply add content, and publish. It really is that simple. 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.
Schedule and manage all social media posts from a single app. Easily send messages to social platforms, without any of the added hassle. 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.
Out of all the business apps, Hootsuite is an ideal social media management system that helps small business owners track and manage all of their social network channels. 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.
What is best about Hootsuite is that business owners can really monitor multiple streams from one place, also making managing affiliate commission easier. Currently, it supports Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ Pages, Foursquare, Instagram, WordPress blogs, Vimeo, Tumblr, Evernote, Flickr, Mailchimp, Slideshare, Storify, and more.
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 on brands easy. Users can easily get live updates about brands from all over the web and social media. With Boolean alerts, closely monitor brands, competitors, and customers. This makes it easy to attract customers, build brand awareness, and improve the reputation of a business.
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! 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. 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.
We recommend going for an all-in-one solution like Connecteam. The wider variety of employee management features you have at your disposal, the more efficient and productive your team and business will become in the long run.
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.
