21 Must-Have Free Small Business Tools to Run Your Business in 2023

The 21 Best Small Business Tools of 2023

1. Connecteam — Best all-in-one business & employee management tool.

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   Start for free

   Without a doubt, Connecteam is the best free small business tool for you. Designed especially for deskless and remote teams, Connecteam is a leading business tool that makes your business and employee management absolutely seamless. With a free plan for up to 30 users, you’ll get all of the below (and hours of your time back!):

   You can easily –

   • Create and share an efficient job schedule when you easily assign a schedule (use drag & drop, templates, etc.) that’s based on different requirements. For each shift, offer additional key information so your team has everything available in a tap like address, tasks to complete, time, and more. Employees can accept or reject shifts, check-in when they show up to the site, and more – while on the go!
   • Track your employees’ work hours via a self-serve, GPS-tracked time clock that syncs automatically with QuickBooks Online, so when employees clock in and out from their phones, a real-time timestamp and GPS location is automatically tagged. This creates more efficient and easy to manage timesheets, not to mention, an 100% accurate payroll.
   • Create interactive communication with group or one-on-one chat and share GIFs, videos, and pictures. Let your team engage with your update with likes and comments or if it’s a one-way announcement to keep everyone on the same page.
   • Manage reports on the go and in real-time like an incident report, expense reimbursement, operational checklists, and more so you can ensure compliance from top-to-bottom.
   • Offer a better training and onboarding experience so your team has direct access to training resources, such as the employee handbook, safety protocols, benefits, etc.
   • Boost engagement through announcements, newsletters, and updates that you can segment per group and channel to avoid information overload. Share goals met, new sales landed, key protocols, and more.
   • Use the searchable employee directory to keep all work contacts on the app instead of your personal phone, easily find the contact needed with a quick search (name, job title, location, etc.) and quickly engage with the contact through action buttons like a phone call, email, or chat.

   Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Try Connecteam here!

   Key Features

   • Employee scheduling

   • GPS-time tracking

   • Dedicated work chat

   • Forms & checklists

   • Task management

   • Training & onboarding

   Pros

   • Intuitive and easy to use

   • All-in-one solution

   • Great customer support

   • Budget-friendly

   • 100% free plan for up to 10 users

   Cons

   • Integrations in development

   Pricing

   Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users

   Streamline your small business operations with Connecteam!

   Let’s Get Started
2. 

   Google Docs — Best for: Collaborating on documents.

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   When it comes to free tools for small business owners, you can’t avoid mentioning Google, so we’re going to start with the internet giant everyone knows. This is a great tool when you need to collaborate on files. 

   When it comes to sharing files and collaborating on documents, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are the way to go. The files are stored in your Google Drive and are a wonderful way to avoid those endless back-and-forth emails when collaborating on various documents.

   Learn more about Google Docs

   Key Features

   • Document creation
   • Collaboration tools
   • Comments
   • Project management

   Pros

   • Secure platform
   • Easy to share information

   Cons

   • Difficult to use with poor internet connection
   • Insufficient organizing tools

   Pricing

   Contact vendor for price Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes

3. 

   Join.me with GoTo — Best for: Digital meetings.
   

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Mac

   

   Gone are the days of conference calls. Well, maybe not gone but definitely changed. Solutions like the join.me conferencing tool let you present to multiple employees or clients from the comfort of your home or office chair, saving you long trips and even confusing team chats.

   Learn more about Join.me with GoTo

   Key Features

   • Direct messaging
   • Screen sharing
   • Recording
   • File Sharing

   Pros

   • User-friendly
   • Easy to navigate

   Cons

   • Prone to bugs
   • Less adopted compared to similar tools

   Pricing

   Starts at $12/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

4. 

   Hubspot — Best for: Customer relationship management (CRM).
   

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   One of our favorite small business tools of all time, Hubspot is a free CRM solution that promises to stay free forever and offers automation features that help track customer interactions. You can also create and follow sales-related tasks and get a good overview of your sales funnel at any given time. It’s a nice little productivity business tool.

   Learn more about Hubspot

   Key Features

   • Contract & license management
   • Lead distribution
   • Customer database
   • Performance metrics

   Pros

   • Easy to navigate
   • Clean user interface

   Cons

   • Geared toward enterprises
   • Expensive add ons

   Pricing

   Contact vendor for price Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

5. 

   Proofhub — Best for: Managing projects.
   

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   This easy-to-use project management and team collaboration software is a great small business tools option. By replacing the multiple tools required for task management, collaboration, employee time tracking, communication, file sharing, and reporting with a single all-in-one software, it gives teams a central source to find whatever they need.

   Learn more about Proofhub

   Key Features

   • Project scheduling
   • Productivity analysis
   • Issue management
   • Client Portal

   Pros

   • Feature-rich
   • Good collaboration tools

   Cons

   • Unintuitive user experience
   • Difficult to manage notifications

   Pricing

   Starts at $45/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: No

6. 

   Sellsy — Best for: Managing sales processes.
   

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   One of the challenges with managing sales processes can be combining sales process data from various channels (online, PoS and inside sales). Sellsy is a free small business tool that combines client relations and contact marketing, as well as inventory management and even employee time tracking.

   Learn more about Sellsy

   Key Features

   • Activity dashboard
   • Billing & invoicing
   • Collaboration tools
   • Campaign management

   Pros

   • Good analytical tools
   • Easy to use

   Cons

   • Unintuitive user experience
   • Lacking capabilities

   Pricing

   Starts at $25/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

7. 

   xTuple — Best for: Distribution management.

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Mac

   

   The path from product manufacturing to sitting in the hands-on of your customers can be complex. xTuple is a free small business tool that’s an open-source ERP solution with an integrated CRM system, intended mostly for companies producing products rather than services.

   Learn more about xTuple

   Key Features

   • Fixed asset management
   • Purchase order management
   • Quality management
   • Quotes & estimates

   Pros

   • Feature-rich
   • Customizability

   Cons

   • Insufficient capabilities
   • Complex to learn

   Pricing

   Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No

8. 

   IFTTT — Best for: Managing integrations.
   

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Mac

   

   “If This, Then That” is a much-loved free small business tool: it’s a simple but flexible automation system that integrates hundreds of apps and services to create automated processes for things, getting them ‘talking’ to one another. For example, you can create an IFTTT so that leads from your website turn into contacts in HubSpot, or even improve your internal communication via automated channels.

   Learn more about IFTTT

   Key Features

   • Integration management
   • Data security
   • Cloud data integration
   • Pre-built connectors

   Pros

   • Easy to set up
   • Frequent updates

   Cons

   • Prone to bugs
   • Limited capabilities

   Pricing

   Starts at $2.50/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

9. 

   Zapier — Good for: Automating workflows.
   

   Available on

   • Web

   

   Similar to IFTTT, Zapier is a more business-oriented automation tool that integrates with significantly more apps and services than IFTTT. So before selecting one or the other, you should ensure it communicates flawlessly with the small business tools and services you currently use.

    

   Learn more about Zapier

   Key Features

   • Compliance management
   • Business process automation
   • Workflow configuration
   • Access controls & permissions

   Pros

   • Easy to set up
   • User-friendly

   Cons

   • Limited capabilities
   • Lacks error handling functionality

   Pricing

   Starts at $19.99/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

10. Thunderbird

    Thunderbird — Best for: Managing business emails.
    

    Available on

    • Windows
    • Mac

    

    If you’re not a fan of Google’s free small business tools and prefer your email client and messages stored locally on your device? Thunderbird is your solution. It’s a free all-in-one email, tasks, calendar, and team chat, somewhat reminiscent of Microsoft’s Outlook experience of old.

    Learn more about Thunderbird

    Key Features

    • Email account
    • Address book
    • Attachment reminder
    • Message archive

    Pros

    • Good customizability
    • Lacks mobile access

    Cons

    • Insufficient spam detection
    • Unintuitive user experience

    Pricing

    Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: Yes

11. 

    MixMax — Best for: Scheduling email sequences.
    

    Available on

    • Web

    

    Keeping track of emails is time-consuming and often annoying. MixMax is a browser plugin that helps you track correspondence, schedule emails, and use sequences and reminders. Unfortunately, the free version is limited to 100 tracked emails and 10 scheduled emails per month, so if you’re looking for one of the best small business tools for your email communication, the paid version will likely work better for you.

    Learn more about MixMax

    Key Features

    • Activity tracking
    • Email monitoring
    • Event-triggered actions
    • Response management

    Pros

    • Feature-rich
    • Template options

    Cons

    • Insufficient reporting capabilities
    • Unintuitive user experience

    Pricing

    Starts at $49/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

12. 

    MailChimp — Best for: Email marketing.

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac

    

    Email communication with clients and partners is often based on regular newsletters, and few solutions do it better than MailChimp. With a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) template editor and tracking of open and click rates, this tool is the top free business tool for any business managing a newsletter. The service is free for up to 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails.

    Another cool feature worth mentioning is integration with the automation platforms we mentioned earlier which lets you get creative with how you maximize the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts.

    Learn more about MailChimp

    Key Features

    • Automated scheduling
    • Email tracking
    • Click tracking
    • Collaboration tools

    Pros

    • Good automation options
    • Great email marketing capabilities

    Cons

    • Complicated to use
    • Limited capabilities

    Pricing

    Starts at $11/month, for up to 3 users Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

13. 

    Asana — Best for: Managing team projects.
    

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android

    

    This simple and free task management solution (up to 15 users) is easy to use and rather flexible. Much like asanas in yoga. This free small business tool lets you create repeating tasks, assign them to team members, and keep track of the task progress from a single customizable dashboard.

    Learn more about Asana

    Key Features

    • Goal management
    • Due date tracking
    • Requirements management
    • Resource scheduling

    Pros

    • Engaging user experience
    • Intuitive interface

    Cons

    • Lacks recurring tasks functions
    • Limited notification options

    Pricing

    Starts at $10.99/user/month Trial: No Free Plan: Yes — Up to 15 people

14. 

    Wrike — Best for: Running multiple projects.
    
    

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android

    

    In real-time, Wrike is a top free small business tool that allows you to analyze performance insights with clunky spreadsheets. Customize everything to your needs, from the dashboard to automation, add comments, live edit, share information with stakeholders, look at individual tasks or team projects, and more. Wrike can also integrate with various tools like GitHub, Slack, Box, SalesForce, and more.

    If you like the sound of Wrike, then check out and get started with Connecteam’s free task management tool! It’s that much easier to allocate tasks, even on the go, to build transparency and hold your team accountable.

    Learn more about Wrike

    Key Features

    • Backlog management
    • Budgeting & forecasting
    • Business process control
    • Change management

    Pros

    • Feature-rich
    • Good functionalities

    Cons

    • Unintuitive user experience
    • Poor customer support

    Pricing

    Starts at $9.80/user/month, for 2-25 users Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

15. 

    Loyverse — Best for: tracking customers' purchase history.
    

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android

    

    This free POS tool, as the name implies, is a free small business tool that’s a POS and loyalty program solution for deskless businesses like beauty salons, florists, and small retail stores. It includes analytics as well as inventory management and is available for free on Google Play and the iTunes App Store.

    Learn more about Loyverse

    Key Features

    • Loyalty program
    • Point of sale (POS)
    • Sales reports
    • Delivery management

    Pros

    • Good reporting options
    • Easy to use

    Cons

    • Capabilities lack refinement
    • Some features can be confusing

    Pricing

    Starts at $5/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

16. KeyHut

    KeyHut — Best for: Processing timed sales.
    

    Available on

    • Windows

    

    If you’re more into old-style DOS desktop registers, Cash Register by KeyHut is your free small business tool solution. And if you’re not, it’s still worth checking out the grumpy humor and 90s-style website of the developer for the laughs, at the very least.

    Learn more about KeyHut

    Key Features

    • Discount management
    • Barcode scanning
    • Point of sale (POS)
    • Customer accounts

    Pros

    • Easy to set up
    • Good customer support

    Cons

    • Prone to bugs
    • Limited features

    Pricing

    Free Trial: No Free Plan: Yes

17. 

    Google Analytics — Best for: Analyzing customer website behavior.
    

    Available on

    • Web
    • Android

    

    Google shows up on our list once again because its capabilities are wide in scope, not to mention, free. Google Analytics shows you how and from where your customers are coming from on your website. This allows you to enhance your marketing strategy to generate more leads, while also not spending any money (but also knowing where you’re likely to make the most money, by reading the analytics!).

    Learn more about Google Analytics

    Key Features

    • Data aggregation
    • Website analytics
    • Customer journey mapping
    • Time-on-site tracking

    Pros

    • Easy to install
    • Good reporting options

    Cons

    • Unintuitive user experience
    • Difficult to learn

    Pricing

    Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: Yes

18. 

    SBA — Best for: Discovering business insights.
    

    Available on

    • Web

    

    Taking a look at the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website can really make a difference: it’s one of the best free tools for small business owners so you can learn more about writing up business plans, how to finance your business, insights and tips for entrepreneurs, and so much more. Whether you’re just starting out or have been running a business for years, SBA is a valuable source of information.

    Learn more about SBA

    Key Features

    • Business guide
    • Funding program
    • Learning platform
    • Federal contracting

    Pros

    • Good learning tools
    • Provides government-level insights

    Cons

    • Insufficient customer support
    • Prone to bugs

    Pricing

    Free Trial: No Free Plan: No

19. 

    SCORE — Best for: Receiving business consultation.
    

    Available on

    • Web

    

    SCORE, a non-profit, has been around for 50+ years and is an amazing resource for helping small businesses get off the ground. It offers free learning opportunities online, in-person mentoring, and more.

    Learn more about SCORE

    Key Features

    • Live webinars
    • Business training library
    • Mentor program
    • Startup roadmap

    Pros

    • Good customer relations
    • Consistent support

    Cons

    • Narrow service
    • Available on limited platforms

    Pricing

    Free Trial: No Free Plan: No

20. 

    Canva — Best for: Designing logos.

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac

    

    Hiring a professional graphic designer is a costly expense and one you might not be able to afford straight away. With Canva, you have pre-formatted templates for EVERYTHING. Including social media banners, marketing flyers, events, documents (presentations, letters, reports, etc.), and so much more. Canva is super easy to use and the results are stunning – it’s one of the most popular free small business tools online, and for good reason!

    Learn more about Canva

    Key Features

    • Business card maker
    • Logo maker
    • Menu designer
    • PDF editor

    Pros

    • Easy to use
    • Engaging user interface

    Cons

    • Features could use refinement
    • Poor customer support

    Pricing

    Starts at $10/month/user Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

21. 

    BoomTax — Employers looking for a simple tax filing solution.

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac

    

    This simple to use tax filing software enables employers to file their 1099, W-2 and
    Affordable Care Act forms in just a few steps. BoomTax has a step-by-step approach
    that allows users to easily complete their IRS reporting for a variety of form types
    without having to get specialized training or IRS testing and approval.

    Learn more about BoomTax

    Key Features

    • Completely Hands Off E-filing
    • Support for Popular Payroll/HCM Provider Data Imports
    • Free Unlimited Corrections for Filings
    • E-Delivery and Print and Mail Recipient Copy Options

    Pros

    • Intuitive and easy to use
    • Good customer support

    Cons

    • No multi-user access
    • Doesn’t have wide variety of form support

    Pricing

    Starts at $39 for 1099/W-2 filing and $349 for 1095-C Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes