Small business software means different things to different people. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, small business software is computer software that’s designed for some kind of business.
There are many types of small business software available, and some of them are designed specifically for the following:
Best Customer Support: FreshBooks
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FreshBooks used to be an invoicing software with a few bookkeeping tools tossed in. With the recent addition of double-entry accounting, FreshBooks is now a complete accounting solution for small businesses. The software is incredibly easy to use and free of accounting jargon.
FreshBooks is best for small businesses that are looking for simplicity, strong invoicing, proposals, and good customer support.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Good mobile apps
- Great customer support
- Numerous integrations
- Strong invoicing
Cons
- Expensive
- Limited users
- Limited features
FreshBooks Pricing
FreshBooks offers three pricing plans ranging from $15/month to $50/month. Most features are included in all plans, so each larger level mainly adds more billable customers.
FreshBooks only supports a single user (additional users cost an extra $10/month each).
FreshBooks Features
FreshBooks has always been easy to use, but a recent redesign has made the user experience even more straightforward and the UI more attractive. Setup is simple, and the software takes very little time to learn. In terms of features, you’ll find invoicing, expense tracking, contact management, and more.
FreshBooks offers two customizable invoice templates and a client portal where customers can pay their invoices directly online. One of FreshBooks’ coolest features is the ability to chat with your customers directly on their invoices.
Other features include:
- Project management
- Time tracking
- Reports
FreshBooks offers over 80 integrations, which is significantly more than most invoicing programs. There are also mobile apps available.
FreshBooks has great customer support. Representatives are friendly, helpful, and quick to respond. There is phone support, email support, a help center, and several other resources to help you learn the software.
For the most part, FreshBooks receives positive customer reviews; however, there are some recurring complaints.
The main drawback of FreshBooks is the cost. The software is expensive compared to other accounting programs, and the value of the software simply doesn’t match the price. FreshBooks also only supports a single user. Instead of purchasing additional users, you’d get more bang for your buck by choosing a less expensive program.
When To Use FreshBooks
This easy bookkeeping software is ideal for small businesses that need to save time on sending invoices, tracking expenses, and creating proposals. If the simplicity of FreshBooks sounds appealing to you, take the software for a spin with a free trial or read our comprehensive FreshBooks review to learn more.
BEST OVERALLQuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online is the best overall accounting software for small businesses of those reviewed. Not only do the majority of small business accounting professionals use QuickBooks Online, but there are also endless online training resources and forums to get support when needed. All accounting features can be conveniently accessed on one main dashboard, making bookkeeping more fluid and efficient.Pros
- Scalable
- Commonly used by accounting professionals
- Integration with third-party applications
- Cloud-based
- Mobile app
Cons
- Upgrade required for more users
- Occasional syncing problems with banks and credit cards
Intuit’s QuickBooks Online has been the most common accounting software used by small businesses and their bookkeeping and tax professionals. The software is cloud-based and can be accessed through a web browser or through the mobile app.
After the 30-day free trial, the four options for subscription plans include: Simple Start at $25 per month, Essentials at $40 per month, Plus at $70 per month, and Advanced at $150 per month. Typically there is a significant discount offered for the first few months, and some accountants are able to offer wholesale pricing to small businesses, as well.
The monthly subscription for this software can be upgraded as a business grows, and there are many customization options with the mobile app that can be used to receive payments, review reports, capture an image of a receipt, and track business mileage. For businesses looking for a payroll solution, QuickBooks Payroll fully integrates with QuickBooks Online.
Each plan offers more advanced features like inventory management, time tracking, additional users, and budgeting. Most service-based small businesses will find that Simple Start meets all of their needs. For product-based small businesses, Essentials or Plus will have more options for inventory and customizations. The Advanced subscription is a new offering and provides robust financial reporting that is powered by Fathom. Fathom is an elite online financial report analysis tool used by many large companies all over the world.
All plans allow integration with third-party apps such as Stripe or PayPal. QuickBooks Online’s app store breaks down all of their apps by function and provides helpful examples of the benefits of each app.
Best Easy Accounting Software For Beginners: ZipBooks
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ZipBooks is an up-and-coming accounting software program that launched in 2015. The software may be fairly new, but it has already mastered simplicity. ZipBooks is one of the easiest accounting programs out there. With a free plan, unlimited users, and ample automations, it’s not hard to see why this software gets a good rating.
ZipBooks is best for small businesses in need of affordable, strong accounting. The software is ideal for business owners with little previous accounting experience.
Pros
- Free plan available
- Easy to use
- Good customer support
- Attractive UI
Cons
- Limited invoice customizations
- No inventory feature
- Limited mobile apps
ZipBooks Pricing
ZipBooks offers three pricing plans ranging from $0/month to $35/month. Each plan comes with unlimited invoicing. Each pricing level adds more features and users, with the most expensive plan supporting unlimited users.
ZipBooks Features
ZipBooks offers a good number of features that are easy to use and has one of the most attractive interfaces out there. The software’s design is simple and intuitive, using automations to save you time. The UI is even color-coded to make navigation a breeze. ZipBooks offers the basics you’d expect from accounting software, including invoicing, contact management, and expense tracking.
One unique aspect of ZipBooks is that the software takes the data you input and uses it to provide helpful business insights, including a business health score and business recommendations specific to your financial situation.
Additionally, ZipBooks offers:
- Time tracking
- Project management
- Reports
- Category tracking
ZipBooks only comes with six integrations, so if you’re looking for ample add-ons, this may not be the software for you.
If you’re looking for good customer support, ZipBooks has you covered. Representatives are quick to respond to questions. Phone support is available for the paid plans. Other support options include email, in-software chat, a knowledgebase, and a blog.
Before purchasing ZipBooks, there are a few potential drawbacks to consider. Compared to the other choices on this list, ZipBooks has very limited invoicing and only a small number of accounting reports. There also is no item or inventory feature. Despite these shortcomings, ZipBooks receives many positive customer reviews.
When To Use ZipBooks
If you’re looking for easy accounting software, ZipBooks is hard to beat. With a great design and good learning resources, ZipBooks does everything it can to make accounting simple. If ZipBooks sounds like a good fit for your business, use the free plan to take the software for a spin. Read our complete ZipBooks review to learn more.
Wix
Wix was founded in 2006 by three entrepreneurs frustrated with the difficulty and expense of creating a website. Today, the company has a staff of 5,000 employees worldwide and 200 million users in 190 countries. We chose it for the best website builder since it lets users create professional-looking websites with no coding knowledge for an affordable price.
Wix comes with hundreds of professional templates and a drag-and-drop editor, making it easy to create a professional business site in just minutes. Every website is designed to look great on mobile devices and features engaging effects including animation, video backgrounds, and scrolling.
Businesses that want to sell online can take advantage of Wix’s advanced e-commerce features. Users can set up an online store, manage inventory and orders, and get revenue and conversion rate reports using a simple, intuitive dashboard. Wix also lets store owners accept payments via Wix Payments, PayPal, and Stripe and integrates with Instagram and Facebook.
Although creating a basic website is free, upgrading to a paid plan is the only way to unlock Wix’s business and e-commerce features. All of Wix’s paid plans include a 14-day free trial, free hosting, Google Analytics, and the ability to link a custom domain.
Business Basic Plan
- $23 per month
- Accept online payments
- Unlimited bandwidth
- 20GB storage
- Connect your domain
- Remove Wix ads
- Five video hours
- Google Analytics
- Free domain for one year
- $300 ad vouchers
- Site Booster app
- Visitor Analytics app
Business Unlimited Plan
- $27 per month
- 35GB storage
- All Business Basic Plan features
- 10 video hours
- Professional logo
- Social media logo files
Business VIP Plan
- $49 per month
- Accept online payments
- Unlimited bandwidth
- 500GB storage
- All Business Unlimited Plan features
- Unlimited video hours
- Priority Response
- VIP Support
Google Workspace
Formerly Google Suite, Google Workplace is a collection of online office tools, including email, document creation and management, cloud storage, calendars, chat, video meetings, and more. We chose it as the best document management software because it offers secure, branded, cloud-based document creation, storage, collaboration, and sharing.
Google Workspace is a great option for small businesses that want to create an efficient, collaborative, cloud-based work environment without having to pay for expensive software or worrying about everyone having the same computer. Because every tool in the Google Workspace platform is a Google product, users can move seamlessly from app to app.
Businesses can start by creating a branded email address using Gmail, one of the most popular mail apps on the marketplace. Other tools include Google Calendars for team scheduling; Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with real-time collaboration; Google Drive for cloud storage; Google Chat for team messaging; and Google Meet for video meetings.
Aside from the integrations between each app, Google Workspace also lets users connect to hundreds of third-party platforms, including Zoom, DocuSign, Salesforce, Trello, Asana, and many more. Google Workspace add-ons only access the minimum required data needed to complete an action to ensure that each business’s information stays secure.
Although anyone can get access to all Google Workspace apps by signing up for a free Gmail account, Google Workspace paid plans allow businesses to create business email addresses, get more cloud storage, and increase security. Google also offers a 14-day free trial on any Google Workspace paid plan:
Free Plan
- FREE
- Personal email account
- One-on-one chat
- Personal calendar
- Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides
- 15 GB Google Drive cloud storage
Business Starter
- $6 per user per month
- Business email accounts
- All Free Plan features
- Google Chat and Google Meet
- Shared calendars
- 30 GB Google Drive cloud storage per user
- Admin controls
- 24/7 standard support
Business Standard
- $12 per user per month
- All Business Start Plan features
- 2 TB Google Drive cloud storage per user
- Cloud Search 1st party data
Business Plus
- $18 per user per month
- All Business Standard Plan features
- 5 TB Google Drive cloud storage per user
- Vault and advanced endpoint management
- eDiscovery and Retention Policies
Enterprise
- All Business Plus Plan features
- Customizable with no limit on storage
- Cloud Search 1st & 3rd party data
- Security Center
- Enhanced management and compliance tools
- 24/7 enhanced support
Freshteam
Freshteam was developed in 2017 by Freshworks, a developer of communication, sales, and marketing tools since 2010. The software allows businesses to manage hiring, onboarding, time-off, and employee information. We chose it as the best hiring software because it helps small businesses hire new employees in an easy-to-use and affordable online platform.
Freshteam’s applicant tracking system (ATS) makes it easy for small businesses to post jobs, screen resumes, track applicants, and even send offer letters. Users get access to job description templates and can post positions on free job boards, including LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and Adzuna.
Freshteam helps users create custom workflows so they can track candidates from application, to interview, to hiring. The software can also automatically convert emails into applications and add senders as applicants. Finally, Freshteam lets users create a mobile-friendly career page and share job postings on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Once an employee is hired, Freshteam sends her all the paperwork she needs to sign electronically as well as employee handbooks, other internal documents, and a welcome letter. The software adds new employees to the business’s org chart, securely stores employee data, and can even manage employee time off.
Freshteam’s basic plan, called Sprout, is free for companies with fewer than 50 employees and lets users post up to three jobs. Every plan also comes with a 21-day free trial and 24/7 email and 24/5 phone support:
Sprout Plan
- FREE
- Three job postings
- Basic career site
- Recruitment team inbox
- Candidate application via email
- Employee directory
- Employee org chart
- Mobile apps (iOS and Android)
- Basic time-off management
Blossom Plan
- $50 per month per 50 users
- 10 job postings
- Customizable career site
- All Sprout Plan features
- Recruiting automations
- Custom interview scorecards and kits
- Custom hiring pipelines
- Interview scheduling with Google and Outlook Calendar
- Job board Integrations
- Time-off approval workflows
- Up to two holiday calendars
- Up to two time-off policies
Garden Plan
- $100 per month per 50 users
- Unlimited job postings
- Advanced career site
- All Blossom Plan features
- Social recruiting
- Offer management
- New hire onboarding
- Unlimited holiday calendars
- Sponsored job postings on Indeed
Conclusion
The complexity of modern businesses requires an even greater complexity of small business software solutions. There are thousands of software packages available in the marketplace to help you run your company’s operations, but finding the right solution to fit your needs can be a daunting task.