{"id":45849,"date":"2024-06-16T15:32:28","date_gmt":"2024-06-16T22:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=45849"},"modified":"2025-11-18T06:24:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T14:24:29","slug":"free-business-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/","title":{"rendered":"The best paid and free small business software in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Running an SMB (small-to-medium-size business) is as challenging as it is rewarding \u2014 and one of the biggest hurdles is keeping operating costs under control.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Software is often a major expense. A $10 or $20 monthly subscription might seem small, but with multiple users and add-ons, those costs can quickly add up to hundreds or even thousands each month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news? SMBs now have more choice than ever. There\u2019s a growing range of affordable paid solutions built for small teams that can handle everything from sales and marketing to accounting, payroll, and collaboration within <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/business-phone-app.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one app<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as well as powerful free tools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The smartest approach is to mix and match \u2014 using free tools where they deliver enough value, and investing in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/solutions\/small-business.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">paid business solutions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> where they save time, improve efficiency, or help you grow faster.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this guide, we\u2019ll show you the best free and budget-friendly business software to streamline your operations and keep costs in check without sacrificing performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#software-for-communication\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 paid and free business software options for communication<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#software-for-sales\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 free business software tools for sales<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#software-for-marketing\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 free business software alternatives for marketing<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#project-management\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 free business software tools for project management<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#software-for-accounting\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 free business software choices for accounting\/payroll<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#options-for-hr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2 free business software options for HR<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#what-software\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What software tools do small businesses need?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\">\ud83d\udd0d\u00a0 Are you thinking about purchasing a new communication tool and unsure how to get started? Here&#8217;s a checklist to help you pick the right one for your business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/checklist\/communication_tools.pdf\" data-id=\"69e384cc54309\" id=\"69e384cc54309\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:69e384cc54309.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\u2705  Get the checklist<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">\ud83d\udc40 \u200a Get this free checklist to pick the right communication tool for your business. <\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:69e384cc54309.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Enjoy! <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"software-for-communication\"><\/a>Paid and free business software: Communication<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether free or paid, collaboration tools are essential for keeping teams connected, especially when working across different locations. The best platforms combine chat, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video calls<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, file sharing, and project updates in one place, making communication seamless and efficient.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll look at some of the top communication and collaboration software options \u2014 from powerful free tools perfect for small teams to premium solutions worth the investment when you need advanced features or scalability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. RingCentral RingEX<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want one app to handle calls, texts, video meetings, team chat, and even fax, RingEX is the powerhouse to beat. It\u2019s built for businesses that don\u2019t just need a video call link \u2014 they need every conversation and every message in one place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56590\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/video-AI.png\" alt=\"RingCentral provides a range of free software for a small business and greatly facilitates company-wide communications, both internally and externally.\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1522\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingEX doesn\u2019t just connect your team, it makes them smarter. The built-in AI assistant takes notes during calls, summarizes meetings, and even helps rewrite messages so they\u2019re clear and professional. That means less scrambling, fewer follow-ups, and more time getting things done.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For businesses looking to extend this unified experience to customer communications, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/products\/customer-engagement-bundle.html\">RingCentral&#8217;s Customer Engagement Bundle<\/a> can be added to RingEX as an optional add-on. It brings together calls, texts, and queue management in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/products\/customer-engagement-bundle.html\">a single, unified workspace<\/a>, enabling teams to deliver faster and more personalised customer engagement.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why teams love it:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HD video<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">File sharing and collaboration<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-45850 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/glip-file-sharing-e1608131649612.png\" alt=\"Free tools for your business include the RingCentral video conferencing and team messaging app that provides a variety of features.\" width=\"900\" height=\"563\" \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li>Screen sharing in online meetings<\/li>\n<li>Unlimited meeting durations<\/li>\n<li>And more\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/alternatives-to-slack\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Slack<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-44151 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/slack-chat-app-e1604590290789.jpg\" alt=\"Slack is a B2B messaging application that offers a free tier.\" width=\"900\" height=\"579\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Slack is a popular B2B messaging application. Its interface is similar to other messaging applications (WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, for example), but it offers business-friendly features to streamline virtual team meetings. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Threaded messages\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">File transfers and screen share<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audio and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\">video call<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shared channels<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instant and asynchronous messaging\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrations\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fun fact: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/ringcentral-for-slack-bring-teams-together-with-messaging-video-and-phone\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingCentral has partnered with Slack<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bring RingCentral phone and video solutions into the Slack environment and help enable seamless remote working.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/zoom-alternatives\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoom<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-43754 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zoom-group-video-chat-app-e1604001172801.png\" alt=\"One of the types of software for a business that enables video conferencing is Zoom.\" width=\"900\" height=\"584\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoom is a software for businesses that enables video conferencing. It became a household name in 2020, and it\u2019s known for making communication via video conferencing quick and easy. Other features include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoom Phone<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In-line translation and transcription\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conference and waiting rooms\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hand-raising features<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Question and answer features<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/alternatives-to-webex\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cisco Webex<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-44849 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cisco-webex-video-conferencing.png\" alt=\"Types of software for businesses that enable cognitive collaboration include Cisco Webex.\" width=\"818\" height=\"537\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cisco offers a business collaboration software that combines messaging, file sharing, and voice calling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cisco comes with features such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Secure end-to-end encryption\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integration with Cisco equipment\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Video and audio conferencing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Screen and file sharing <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Integrations with third-party apps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"software-for-sales\"><\/a>Free business software: CRM and sales tools<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Sales software helps businesses optimize their sales lifecycles, from prospecting to demos to closing and beyond. Good sales software should speed up the selling process and give sales representatives the tools they need to hit their number, every month.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a look at some of the best free CRM and other business software for sales on the market today:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.\u00a0 Spotler CRM\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spotler CRM is an entry-level customer relationship management system (CRM) with prospect-tracking features that help sales reps generate more sales by making sales pipelines more visible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The software is completely free for up to two users. It boasts instant invoicing and quotes from its opportunities dashboard, as well as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversion estimations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opportunity histories<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opportunity lines<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Powerful report writing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weighted value forecasts<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Freshsales by Freshworks<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-45366 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/freshworks-crm.png\" alt=\"The free business software provided by Freshworks lets managers see where their employees are interacting with customers.\" width=\"637\" height=\"583\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This CRM software from Freshworks lets managers see where their employees are interacting with customers. It\u2019s designed to help you track your pipeline status and has a handy automated data entry feature. Even better, the Freshworks CRM software has an integrated phone and email sync.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The free plan, however, is designed for only the smallest businesses of up to only three users. Support, too, is only offered 24&#215;5.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Streak\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Streak is sales software that\u2019s built right into Gmail and helps companies achieve efficient pipelines on autopilot. Users add data to the app\u2019s spreadsheet tool and can filter through customer information and create any necessary notifications.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This drives sales by allowing sales reps to capture customer data from emails and contact lists. Other features include full integration with other Google apps and view tracking, which allows users to see if their emails have been opened and send follow-ups accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Streak is rapidly growing in popularity, and in its standard form, it\u2019s a completely free business software option that you can get as an add-on for Microsoft Edge.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Some of Streak\u2019s other great features include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automated data collection\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Send-later scheduling\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email snippet templates<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mail merging\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Agile CRM<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/agile-crm-ringcentral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-43852 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/agile-crm-RingCentral-integration-1-e1605641925200.png\" alt=\"Agile CRM is a full-service CRM software solution.\" width=\"900\" height=\"494\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agile CRM is a full-service CRM software solution, boasting features such as custom appointment calendars, drag-and-drop automation, email reports, widgets, and plugins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The free plan and software option is wide ranging, offering email-campaign tools, web-engagement analytics, email tracking, milestone alerts, and unlimited documents, deals, and tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"software-for-marketing\"><\/a>Free business software: Marketing<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marketing software helps businesses run successful marketing campaigns by tapping into their target markets to convert leads in sales, and is a staple tool for any business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many different types of marketing software, from website and SEO management to advertising and email campaign management. Let\u2019s take a look at some of the best free marketing-software on the market today.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Screaming Frog SEO Spider<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Screaming Frog specializes in free tools for small businesses. Their SEO software will audit your business website and offer insights to help you create and optimize your SEO strategy. The free version lets you audit up to 500 URLs. Other features include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Troubleshooting links and servers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Website redirects<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO auditing across page titles and metadata<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Duplicate content removal\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data extraction for reports<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">XML sitemaps<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Canva<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canva is a great option if you need to do digital and email marketing. The tool is a simple editing and graphic design solution offering templates for social media posts and websites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This helps SMBs customize their assets and content with up-to-date graphic design elements. Canva offers an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface and an extensive library of graphics. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other features include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Infographic designs\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Templates for charts and case studies<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A library of more than one million images\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canva.com\/website-builder\/\">One Page Website Builder<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canva.com\/draw\/\">Online Drawing Tool<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Hotjar<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-44721 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/hotjar-customer-experience-app-e1608132346161.png\" alt=\"Hotjar is an example of free business software that analyzes your customer behavior to uncover what content on your website they\u2019re most interested in.\" width=\"900\" height=\"597\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a website, a tool like Hotjar is extremely useful because it lets you analyze your customer behavior and see where they click and which pages they interact with the most. This helps SMBs make strategic decisions when developing their content. The software includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heatmaps to track where customers are spending the most time on your site<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversion funnels to show you the steps users take before purchasing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surveys and polls to generate even more qualitative data<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recordings to use in training <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Optimizely\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimizely is another free business tool that helps boost marketing ROI by helping SMBs get the most out of their marketing campaigns. Optimizely lets you run A\/B and multivariate tests so you can see how one type of messaging or graphic performs against another. Features include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marketing experiments<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Activity tracking\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A\/B testing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual editing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Workflow experimentation\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"project-management\" class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"project_management_software\"><\/a>Free business software: Project management<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most vital things for any small business owner is keeping the plates spinning when it comes to all those different tasks and projects occupying your team. Project management software is designed to help with precisely that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are just a few examples of project management software available for free to small businesses:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.monday.com<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">monday.com is one of the best-known project management platforms around. It boasts an easy to learn and user-friendly interface, and is designed for giving at-a-glance insight into how projects are progressing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news for small businesses (especially solo entrepreneurs and the smallest teams)? There\u2019s a so-called \u201cfree forever\u201d plan to get started with. Features of the free tier of monday.com include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access for up to two users<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up to three boards for organizing work and data<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlimited documents<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choice of over 200 customizable templates<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Android and iOS apps<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Wrike<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wrike is another project management platform that aims to streamline workflows across organizations. The interface allows businesses to customize dashboards and projects easily, and is also designed to scale with growing companies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are advanced project management features available at the higher price points. However, businesses with budgetary restrictions will be most interested in the free plan for teams getting started. Its features include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlimited users<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simple project and task management tools<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The choice of a board or table view<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a02GB storage space<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Web, desktop, and mobile apps<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Miro<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Miro describes itself as an \u201cAI-powered visual workspace\u201d. At its foundation, it\u2019s virtual whiteboard software which helps businesses to visualize teams, projects, workflows, and more\u2014with AI-powered features to make things more intuitive and efficient.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most advanced features are reserved for the higher priced plans, as you\u2019d expect. The free tier of Miro, however, does boast some useful features for small businesses to take the hassle out of project management. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A workspace with three editable boards<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 2500 templates to use as a basis for those boards<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrations with other tools like Slack, Google Drive, and more<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Five \u201cTalktrack\u201d interactive video walkthroughs of boards.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"accounting_software\"><\/a>Free business software: Accounting<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accounting software helps your Finance team manage your accounts payable and receivable, expenses, online payments and other transactions, and more of your bookkeeping tasks. This saves an inordinate amount of time and energy that used to be spent on manually updating and creating spreadsheets and other repetitive tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a look at some of the best free accounting software on the market today:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. ZipBooks<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ZipBooks is a free business software option with invoicing, accounting, and business intelligence features. The free Starter plan lets businesses send unlimited invoices and manage an equally uncapped number of vendors and customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starter plan users can also accept digital payments from Square or PayPal, connect one bank account, and access basic reports.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other features at the free tier include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sending custom quotes and estimates<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding taxes and discounts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invoicing in multiple currencies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. ProfitBooks<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ProfitBooks sells itself as free software you can use to stay on top of cash flow and business finances with no accounting knowledge. You can also use the toll for no outlay, if you choose the Startup plan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that free plan, you get one user and can create professional invoices in a range of currencies. You can also:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Track receivables<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manage business expenses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get tax reports<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As well as being limited to one user, you can also only create 25 invoices per month, manage up to 100 customers, and track up to 25 products or services.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Wave\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56592\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/image1-1.png\" alt=\"Free software for small businesses includes Wave, which is for money management.\" width=\"900\" height=\"631\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wave is free business software that is extremely small-business-friendly. Users can sign up with Google or create a new account to access free reports and expense tracking. It\u2019s a great option for creating professional invoices, recurring billing, and automated payments. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other features include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Checkout and payment management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Business health reports<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Annual and monthly comparisons<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encryption\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shopify tracking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Various payment options\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"options-for-hr\" class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"hr_software\"><\/a>Free business software: HR<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve left this category of free business software to last for a reason. HR is often seen as something only larger organizations need to worry about, but smaller businesses also have essential HR tasks\u2014like managing employee schedules, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deputy.com\/blog\/why-employee-time-and-attendance-is-important\">tracking attendance<\/a>, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This pair of free HR software tools can help:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.Homebase<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Homebase is a small business software solution primarily to help with employee scheduling, time tracking and similar tasks. Other elements such as payroll management, compliance, and more are added at the higher price points.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small businesses signing up to the free plan, though, can enjoy features including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basic scheduling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basic time tracking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A built-in POS integration<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Connecteam<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/peoplemanagingpeople.com\/tools\/connecteam-review\/\">Connecteam<\/a> is a solution pitched at small businesses with so-called \u201cdeskless teams\u201d. It claims to be able to help companies to manage entire teams in one app, by helping with time management, scheduling, payroll, and other common HR operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like other software options on our list there are a range of Connecteam pricing plans, starting with a free plan for small businesses. Features of that free plan include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capacity for up to 10 users<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Real-time clocking-in and clocking-out<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payroll integration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scheduling tools<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Task management features<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-software\" class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"small_business_software\"><\/a>What software do small businesses need?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No small business is the same. When it comes to deciding what software is best for your business, think about your organization\u2019s unique pain points and requirements.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The features that your business needs will depend on the size of your company and the particular needs of the industry you operate within. Most small businesses require tools that can help handle these common processes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Operations management \u2014 a tool like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/call-center-management.html\">call center management<\/a> might be useful<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accounting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marketing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Productivity \u2014 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/contact-center\/workforce-management.html\">workforce management<\/a> feature could help here\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaboration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re in the process of sourcing new SMB software, prioritizing these features is a good place to start. Based on these operational needs, here are the most important types of software for small businesses:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication software lets you share files, audio, text, and video communications. Software like RingCentral\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/rcapp.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">desktop and mobile apps<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> gives you team messaging, video conferencing, and a phone service\u2014all in one app.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer relationship management software helps analyze customer data. CRM software manages interactions with past, current, and future clients. This allows companies to analyze and strategize their own interactions in a data-driven way.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A business hack: Find a CRM that integrates with your communication platform, and it\u2019ll let you dial your prospects and customers right from your CRM dashboard on your computer\u2014like this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/ringcentral-salesforce\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salesforce integration with RingCentral<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-57454\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image8-1.png\" alt=\"Salesforce can be integrated with RingCentral.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"642\" \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payroll software helps process employee payrolls, salaries, and wages. These software applications automate employee payment and maintain payment records. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accounting software helps you manage the financials, track expenses, manage forecasts, and optimize workflows and operations for long-term profitability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Time-tracking software allows employees to accurately record time spent on projects. Time-tracking software is great for professionals who bill customers by the hour, as well as freelancers and workers paid by the hour. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Project management software helps managers control their costs and meet deadlines. This type of software can help plan, organize, and manage resources and tools in order to develop accurate project goals and financial estimations.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a unified workspace is vital here, as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/whyringcentral\/casestudies\/lake-expo.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lake Expo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found when implementing RingCentral\u2019s solutions to manage the team\u2019s workflow.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Website-building software helps SMBs create websites from scratch without coding. <a href=\"https:\/\/cybernews.com\/best-website-builders\/wix-vs-squarespace\/\">Squarespace and Wix<\/a> are some of the most common types of website-building software out there\u2014or, your web-hosting company might have a website builder too. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payment transaction software helps process customer payments in person or online, and needs to handle most payment methods, including credit cards and PayPal. Think of Square or Stripe. This is usually a stand-alone application that records all the payments made by a customer and allows businesses to view payments alongside the customer\u2019s details. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sales and marketing software lets businesses launch ad campaigns, send email newsletters, track customer journeys and sales funnels, and more. Depending on how much your SMB is investing in this area, you can easily have three to five (or more) tools, just for sales and marketing.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our list above included a range of options to satisfy all those types of software, but just what benefits can you expect once you\u2019ve chosen the right free solutions? <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"business_software_benefits\"><\/a>The benefits of business software\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Good software is a must-have for small businesses as they start scaling their operations, and finding the right software\u2014that has a free plan\u2014is no easy task.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if you\u2019re able to source these free or low-cost software solutions that have the features that your business needs, the pay-off\u2014streamlined workflows, more time saved, and reduced costs\u2014is worth it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some benefits of the right software that can help grow your SMB:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Simplifies tasks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The right tools can streamline your workflows and make day-to-day tasks quicker and easier. Time-tracking software is one example. It helps employees complete timesheets and helps businesses track them. Managers and supervisors can then stay on top of their employees\u2019 progress, and small businesses can integrate appropriate software to help improve workflows accordingly. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Helps with capturing and following up with sales leads:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Software can make it easier for sales reps to find, log, and track sales prospects. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Improves customer relations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer relationship management (CRM) software helps both sales and support teams. Sales teams use CRMs like Salesforce to keep track of prospects and sales cycles, while support teams can use contact center software to take calls and messages from customers and troubleshoot problems. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Makes your business more competitive:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Small business software that can help your SMB improve service quality and efficiency will make your business more competitive and stand out from the crowd. Why write out paper invoices when you can use software that automatically fills out all the details and customer information for you?\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implementing the right software can also help your business scale, as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/whyringcentral\/casestudies\/24-hour-tees.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chais Mayer of 24 Hour Tees<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found after migrating to RingCentral.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019d estimate this automation with the RingCentral API has saved us the need to hire about four additional full-time employees.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chais co-founded <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/24-hour-tees-customer-story\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">24 Hour Tees.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> As we can see from the name, the company creates custom T-shirts within a day, so any automation is\u00a0 greatly beneficial.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start building your business tech stack today<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you run a small-to-medium-sized business, the right software can completely change how you work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free tools are a great starting point, but paid plans unlock the features that actually move the needle: advanced automation, deep integrations, and scalability as your team grows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re ready to streamline your tech stack, RingEX gives you one app for calls, messaging, video meetings, and AI-powered insights so your team can focus on getting work done.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"faq_business_software\"><\/a>Free business software <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FAQs<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it really possible to find free business software that\u2019s worth using?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, very much so. It\u2019s certainly the case that paid solutions tend to come with additional features, so if you can stretch your budget, you may find it\u2019s worth doing so. But it\u2019s not essential, particularly for smaller companies that might only need basic functions for a few users.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are there any other advantages to using free business software other than cost?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes. Often, it can be difficult to know in advance whether a particular software application or platform will be a good fit for your business. With free software, you can try it out and simply ditch it if it\u2019s not for you. In fact, even a lot of software companies that don\u2019t provide free versions do actually offer free introductory trials for exactly this reason. So, that\u2019s another possibility you might want to consider.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is free software right for my business?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free software is a sensible choice for businesses on a very tight budget. After all, the more you can get for no upfront outlay, the better. What you need to keep in mind, however, is that features and functions of free software are\u2014understandably\u2014limited. As your business scales, you may find you quickly outgrow free tools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why tools like RingCentral Video, which have a free plan but also more comprehensive paid plans are a great choice. You can simply upgrade to a more comprehensive version as and when you need to.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What features should I look out for with free business software?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The features to look out for with free business software will differ depending on the type of tool. Things to always keep your eyes peeled for, though, include any user limits imposed on the free plan, hidden charges or fees for add-ons, and whether you\u2019re truly signing up for a free <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">plan <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or simply a free <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">trial <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with an expiration date. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do I choose free business software?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When choosing free business software, first be sure that the solution meets <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business needs. A free tool with lots of bells and whistles is all very well, but if you don\u2019t actually need many of those functions, it\u2019s no good to you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s better is a solution that does precisely what you need now <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which has a paid plan to upgrade to, which could fulfill your future requirements. \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.streak.com\/pricing<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Running an SMB (small-to-medium-size business) is as challenging as it is rewarding \u2014 and one of the biggest hurdles is keeping operating costs under control. Software is often a major expense. A $10 or $20 monthly subscription might seem small, but with multiple users and add-ons, those costs can quickly add up to hundreds or &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":56589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Free Business Software Tools to Optimize Your SMB in 2024<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the best free business software for optimizing your SMB processes in 2024. We explore RingCentral, Streak, Slack, and many more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The best paid and free small business software in 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover the best free business software for optimizing your SMB processes in 2024. We explore RingCentral, Streak, Slack, and many more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RingCentral Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-16T22:32:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-18T14:24:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1366\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"RingCentral Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"RingCentral Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"18 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"RingCentral Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/65a168321317ffd562e0d77745f1b358\"},\"headline\":\"The best paid and free small business software in 2025\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-16T22:32:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T14:24:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/\"},\"wordCount\":3627,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Business &amp; leadership\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/\",\"name\":\"Free Business Software Tools to Optimize Your SMB in 2024\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-16T22:32:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T14:24:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"Discover the best free business software for optimizing your SMB processes in 2024. We explore RingCentral, Streak, Slack, and many more.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1366,\"caption\":\"Young female interviewee seeking for a professional career job opportunity. HR manager and businesswoman conducting a job interview of a vacancy at startup office.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The best paid and free small business software in 2025\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"RingCentral Blog\",\"description\":\"Intelligent Communications\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"RingCentral\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ringcentral-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ringcentral-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":309,\"caption\":\"RingCentral\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ringcentral\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ringcentral\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ringcentral\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/65a168321317ffd562e0d77745f1b358\",\"name\":\"RingCentral Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"RingCentral Team\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\"],\"url\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/author\/ringcentral-team\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Free Business Software Tools to Optimize Your SMB in 2024","description":"Discover the best free business software for optimizing your SMB processes in 2024. We explore RingCentral, Streak, Slack, and many more.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The best paid and free small business software in 2025","og_description":"Discover the best free business software for optimizing your SMB processes in 2024. We explore RingCentral, Streak, Slack, and many more.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/","og_site_name":"RingCentral Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral","article_published_time":"2024-06-16T22:32:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-18T14:24:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2048,"height":1366,"url":"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"RingCentral Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ringcentral","twitter_site":"@ringcentral","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"RingCentral Team","Est. reading time":"18 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/"},"author":{"name":"RingCentral Team","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/65a168321317ffd562e0d77745f1b358"},"headline":"The best paid and free small business software in 2025","datePublished":"2024-06-16T22:32:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T14:24:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/"},"wordCount":3627,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Business &amp; leadership"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/","url":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/","name":"Free Business Software Tools to Optimize Your SMB in 2024","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-06-16T22:32:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T14:24:29+00:00","description":"Discover the best free business software for optimizing your SMB processes in 2024. We explore RingCentral, Streak, Slack, and many more.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#primaryimage","url":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg","width":2048,"height":1366,"caption":"Young female interviewee seeking for a professional career job opportunity. HR manager and businesswoman conducting a job interview of a vacancy at startup office."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"\/us\/en\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The best paid and free small business software in 2025"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/","name":"RingCentral Blog","description":"Intelligent Communications","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization","name":"RingCentral","url":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ringcentral-logo.png","contentUrl":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ringcentral-logo.png","width":2048,"height":309,"caption":"RingCentral"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral","https:\/\/x.com\/ringcentral","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ringcentral\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ringcentral"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/65a168321317ffd562e0d77745f1b358","name":"RingCentral Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"RingCentral Team"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com"],"url":"\/us\/en\/blog\/author\/ringcentral-team\/"}]}},"rc_img_url":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1355656443-scaled.jpg","rcblog_by_author":"<a href=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/author\/ringcentral-team\/amp\" data-dl-events-click=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"link\"><span class=\"image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a8d989fa7e72af5bd5cf487cf7080318b695de4be89de382c5e64305dd0249c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\" alt=\"\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\" layout=\"fixed\"><\/img><\/span><span class=\"by-author-name\">RingCentral Team<\/span><\/a>","rc_author_full_name":"RingCentral Team","rc_author_avatar":"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ringcentral-logo-new.png","rc_author_link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/author\/ringcentral-team\/amp","rc_post_categories":"<a href=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/category\/trending\/business-leadership\/amp\">Business &amp; leadership<\/a>","amp_link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/free-business-software\/amp","excerpt_title":"The best paid and free small business software in 2025","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}