Copilot is a comprehensive client management solution tailored for service-based businesses. It streamlines communication, billing, project tracking, and collaboration, enabling professionals to deliver a seamless client experience while maintaining operational efficiency within a unified, easy-to-use platform.
Dext automates expense and invoice processing for small and medium businesses. By integrating with major accounting platforms, it provides real-time data capture, streamlines bookkeeping, and enhances financial visibility—allowing professionals to focus more on advisory and less on manual data entry.
Melio simplifies accounts payable for SMBs by enabling free ACH transfers and easy bill scheduling. It offers an intuitive interface for managing vendor payments, improving cash flow management, and reducing reliance on manual banking tasks—all without requiring costly infrastructure.
Moss is an integrated spend management platform designed to centralise expense reporting, corporate cards, invoice handling, and budgets. It delivers transparency and control over company spending, ensuring compliance and enhancing financial governance in real time.
Navan is a modern corporate travel management solution that consolidates booking, expense tracking, and policy enforcement into one user-friendly platform. It empowers finance teams and employees to manage business travel efficiently while maintaining budget compliance and improving traveller satisfaction.
Pilim is an AI-powered business management platform built for SMEs, offering intelligent automation across sales, finance, and operations. It centralises business processes, improves decision-making, and enhances productivity through real-time insights and smart recommendations.
An all-in-one accounting and inventory SaaS for small businesses. Automates bank feeds and invoicing; also includes CRM and inventory modules in higher plans. Mobile-friendly and geared toward entrepreneurs.
UK-based online accounting software popular with freelancers and micro-businesses. Simplifies invoicing, expenses, and project time tracking; supports UK tax filings (e.g. Self Assessment).
A hybrid accounting solution (cloud-enabled desktop) widely used in Australia/NZ. Offers small businesses payroll, BAS/GST reporting, invoicing, and job tracking with local compliance.
A cloud financial management platform (Sage). Suited for growing mid-sized businesses needing advanced accounting, multi-entity consolidation, and GAAP-compliant reporting. Integrates with many operational systems.
A free open-source e-commerce platform. Requires separate hosting, but favored by developers for its flexibility and zero license cost. Has a marketplace of extensions/themes. Suitable for tech-savvy small businesses that want control and are willing to self-host and maintain their store.
Simple, artist-friendly e-commerce platform designed for makers, artists, and small boutiques. Allows selling a limited number of products (free plan up to 5 products) with easy setup. Focuses on simplicity and creative community, not as feature-heavy as others but very easy to use.
A powerful e-commerce system for more advanced needs. Magento Open Source is free (self-hosted) and highly customizable, while Adobe Commerce (paid) provides cloud hosting and support. It offers rich features (multi-store, complex product options) and scalability for growing businesses – though it requires technical expertise to set up and maintain.
Another popular open-source shopping cart. Particularly strong in Europe, PrestaShop allows extensive customization and has a wide range of modules. Good for SMBs that need flexibility and own hosting. Offers a hosted option (PrestaShop Edition) for easier start.
Long-standing SaaS e-commerce solution focused on small businesses. Provides store templates, inventory management, and marketing tools. Volusion has no transaction fees and offers straightforward pricing, but has lost ground in recent years to Shopify/BigCommerce. Still a viable option for basic online stores.
Part of GoDaddy’s website builder, tailored for quick web store setup. great for very small businesses or brick-and-mortar stores going online. Offers integration with GoDaddy’s domain and hosting, and a unified dashboard to manage orders, inventory, and even sync with marketplaces like Amazon/eBay.
E-commerce platform by Lightspeed (known for POS systems). Geared towards retailers who want an omnichannel solution – it ties in with Lightspeed’s in-store POS for unified inventory and sales. Good in verticals like retail and restaurant (after acquiring Upserve). Focus on integrated online/offline operations.
A global online marketplace (not a SaaS platform you host, but a service) popular for handmade and vintage goods. Entrepreneurs can open an Etsy shop to reach Etsy’s large customer base. While not a standalone e-commerce site builder, it’s an important online sales channel for craftspeople and small brands.
Amazon’s marketplace platform allows businesses to list and sell products on Amazon’s site. While not traditional SaaS, it’s a crucial online channel for many SMBs. Offers huge customer reach, fulfillment services (FBA), and tools for inventory/pricing. Sellers must comply with Amazon’s rules and fees, but gain access to millions of customers.
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that transforms websites into customizable online stores. It offers product management, payment integration, and extensive extensions. Ideal for businesses wanting flexibility and control. Requires hosting, technical setup, and ongoing maintenance, which may challenge beginners.
An integrated HCM (Human Capital Management) platform covering HR, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent. Dayforce’s single database approach (real-time calculations for things like pay as schedules change) sets it apart. Suited for mid-market companies, including those with complex hourly workforce needs (e.g., retail, manufacturing).
Part of Zoho’s business software suite, Zoho People is an affordable HR management system with core features like leave management, timesheets, employee database, and performance reviews. Good for small businesses seeking basic HRIS functionality with integration to Zoho’s other tools (Payroll, Recruit, etc.). Offers per-user pricing with a free plan for small teams.
A modern HR software for growing businesses, from the makers of Freshdesk. Freshteam covers applicant tracking (recruiting), onboarding, time off, and employee data. The UI is fresh and easy, aligning with startups and tech companies that want an HR system that’s not overly complex. Integrates with Freshworks’ suite of customer and IT tools as well.
A platform focused on global HR and payroll – enables hiring and paying international employees or contractors easily. Deel handles localized contracts, compliance, and payments in 100+ countries, which is valuable for small businesses engaging remote talent worldwide.
A top-tier cloud HCM system used by larger midsize enterprises. Includes HR, talent, payroll, and financial management in one platform. Workday is praised for its analytics and continuous innovation (including machine learning for HR). While often used by big companies, scaled-down versions or Workday partners cater to mid-market; likely too complex for very small businesses but worth noting for scaling companies.
An HR and team management tool tailored for hourly teams (retail, hospitality, etc.). Homebase offers employee scheduling, time clocks, timesheets, and basic HR (hiring, onboarding) in one. Notably, it has a free tier for scheduling and time tracking. great for small businesses needing to manage shift workers and payroll prep easily.
An all-in-one HR platform known for ease of use and dedicated support. Combines HR database, benefits administration, payroll sync, and onboarding in a simple interface. Aimed at small businesses that want to move away from spreadsheets but need something less complex than enterprise HRIS.
A fast-growing HR platform out of Europe, designed for SMBs. Covers applicant tracking, core HR, leave, and payroll in certain regions. Personio emphasizes an intuitive experience and has gained popularity among startups/SMBs in Europe (especially the UK/Germany). Good choice for companies needing a localized European HR solution.
A modern HR platform (“bob”) targeting mid-sized international companies. Focuses on engaging employees with a social-media-like interface and features for culture and performance, in addition to core HR. HiBob is known for quick deployment and a friendly UI, making advanced HR features accessible to smaller HR teams.
A scheduling, time & attendance platform (Australia-founded) used globally. While not full HR, it solves a critical part of operations – scheduling shifts, managing time clocks, and labor compliance. Often used alongside an HR or payroll system. great for businesses with hourly workers (hospitality, healthcare) to streamline workforce operations.
A personal productivity/time management tool that runs in the background and tracks how you spend time on your computer and phone (which applications, which websites). It then provides reports and insights to help you understand and improve your focus (e.g., how much time spent on email or social media vs. doing design work). It even allows setting alerts or focus mode to block distractions. Many professionals use RescueTime to self-manage and ensure they’re allocating time to their most important work.
A password manager might not seem like a productivity tool, but it greatly improves efficiency and security. LastPass stores and autofills passwords for all your apps and websites, so you don’t waste time resetting passwords or trying to remember them. With a tool like LastPass (or 1Password, etc.), a small business team can also easily share credentials securely among members. It also often includes a password generator, freeing you from coming up with (and managing) strong passwords yourself.
Similar to LastPass, 1Password is another leading password manager. It’s very popular with tech startups and Mac users. By using 1Password, teams can maintain a central vault of logins, credit cards, and secure notes. Besides the obvious security benefit, it saves time – onboarding a new employee is as simple as sharing a vault of credentials, and they can log in everywhere without tedious setup. It also supports storing software license keys, sensitive documents, etc., making many routine accesses one-click.
A cloud file storage and sharing platform that simplifies accessing files from anywhere and collaborating. On the productivity front, Dropbox Paper (its lightweight document editor) allows teams to co-author notes and project docs. But even just the core file sync saves time – ensuring you always have the latest version of files on whichever device. Many small businesses run on Dropbox as their informal file server, increasing productivity by eliminating “emailing attachments to ourselves” and reducing lost files.
Similar to Dropbox, Box is a cloud content management service but geared slightly more to business/enterprise with advanced admin controls and compliance. It enables teams to store, share, and collaborate on documents securely. Productivity is enhanced by integrations (Office 365, Google Docs can edit files in Box) and features like comments and tasks on files. Companies that need strict data governance but still want cloud convenience often choose Box to empower users without sacrificing security.
An AI-powered writing assistant that checks grammar, spelling, and clarity in real time as you write (in emails, documents, social media, etc.). For professionals, it’s like having an editor watching over their shoulder, helping produce clear, mistake-free communications quickly. The premium version also suggests style improvements and tone adjustments. Grammarly saves time in proofreading and prevents embarrassing errors, thereby streamlining the writing tasks that occupy much of knowledge workers’ days.
A popular to-do list and task manager app that works across devices. Todoist allows you to capture tasks, set due dates and recurring reminders, and organize by projects and labels. It’s lightweight yet powerful (with natural language processing for dates and integration into email/Slack). For personal and team productivity, Todoist helps ensure nothing falls through the cracks. It’s often the entry point for individuals trying to get more organized and then scales up with them (it has sharing features for small teams).
(Duplicate entry removed — see Collaboration)
Google’s sticky-note app for capturing quick notes, lists, and reminders. Keep is simple but effective for productivity — you can jot down ideas on the fly (especially via mobile), set location or time-based reminders (“remind me to call the client at 10am”), and color-code or label notes. It integrates with Google Drive (notes can be dragged into Google Docs). Many people use Keep for day-to-day personal productivity alongside the broader Workspace tools, because of its speed and ease of use for ephemeral info.
Microsoft’s note-taking application, part of Office. It mimics a spiral notebook with sections and pages, allowing rich text, images, and ink (handwritten) notes. OneNote is great for meeting notes, research gathering, and brainstorming. Syncs via OneDrive so notes are accessible across devices. For those in the Microsoft ecosystem, OneNote serves as a central productivity hub for collecting information and ideas – often pre-installed, it’s a powerful tool that many don’t realize they already have.
Zoek Marketing provides web design, SEO, social media, and paid ads for small businesses seeking affordable online growth. It emphasizes personalized strategies and ongoing support. Effective for startups and local businesses, though limited scalability and advanced enterprise features may restrict larger companies.
SurveyMonkey enables businesses to create, distribute, and analyze surveys with customizable templates, advanced logic, and real time reporting. It integrates with CRM and collaboration tools, making data collection simple. Free version is limited, and advanced analytics require higher tier plans.
SurveySparrow offers engaging surveys, chat like forms, and feedback tools to boost response rates. It includes automation, recurring surveys, and integrations with business apps. Great for customer experience management, but advanced features and higher response volumes require premium pricing plans.
WhatConverts tracks calls, forms, and chats to show which marketing channels generate leads. It provides detailed reporting, call recording, and integration with CRM and ad platforms. Great for agencies and marketers, but advanced setup and higher tiers may overwhelm smaller teams.
Storylane enables businesses to create interactive product demos without coding. It helps sales and marketing teams showcase products through guided, personalized experiences. Easy to use and integrates with CRM tools, though customization depth and pricing may limit startups or very small teams.
Wistia provides video hosting and marketing tools designed for businesses. It offers branded players, lead capture, analytics, and integrations with marketing platforms. Great for engaging audiences and generating leads, though pricing is higher and features are more limited than YouTube or Vimeo.
Surfer delivers AI‑powered content optimization tools like real‑time Content Editor, SERP Analyzer, Keyword Research, internal linking, and audits. Ideal for marketers and agencies aiming for data‑driven SEO. Intuitive and feature‑rich, though pricing may exceed budgets for smaller teams.
Customer feedback survey software with easy setup and integrations.
Business development referral platform.
Thryv provides small businesses with an all in one platform for CRM, scheduling, payments, email marketing, and reputation management. It streamlines daily operations and improves client communication. Feature rich but pricing is higher, and the learning curve may challenge beginners.
