There are countless small business software programs and tools out there that you can use to manage and grow your business.

But which ones should you use?

Whether you want to build a website, supercharge your marketing, or harness the power of cutting-edge management tools, this is the list for you.

We’ve cherry-picked 101+ top small business software programs and tools to give you a handful to choose from in each major category.

Buckle up — let’s dive in!

Start selling online now with Shopify

Start your free trial

Website Building Small Business Software

The Best Small Business Software Program: Shopify

1. Shopify

Wondering, “What is the best software for small business?” Then, look no further than Shopify. This all-in-one software for small businesses allows you to build a website, manage inventory, optimize your marketing, accept payments, and more.

2. Domain Name Generator

Free small business software that will help you discover a winning website domain name in minutes.

3. WordPress

Highly customizable software to manage small business websites, complete with a library of templates and plug-ins.

4. Squarespace

All-in-one software for small business websites, with pre-made templates and a simple drag-and-drop builder.

5. Wix

Similar to Squarespace, Wix can help you create a simple and professional website fast.

6. Exchange Marketplace 

One of the best tools for small business owners looking to buy and sell established websites and ecommerce businesses.

Best Tools for Small Business Payments

The Best Software for Small Business Payments: Shopify Payments

7. Shopify Payments

Arguably the best software for payments that integrates effortlessly with Shopify’s website builder, inventory tracking, and point-of-sale system.

8. PayPal

A great tool for managing credit and debit card payments online. 

9. PayFunnels

Software to take online payments, manage invoices, and set up auto-billing.

10. Stripe

A highly customizable infrastructure for online payments.

11. Amazon Payments

A tool to allow customers to pay through their Amazon accounts.

Marketing Software Programs

The Best Software for Small Business Marketing Automation: Kit

12. Kit

Software to manage small business marketing tasks — Kit is an automation tool that can create ads, send emails, share posts on social media, and more.

13. HubSpot

A suite of tools for small businesses that includes an advanced customer relationship management (CRM) tool.

14. Salesforce Essentials

Small business software to manage marketing and sales activities from the world’s leading CRM.

15. Keap (fka InfusionSoft)

Sales and marketing CRM software to run a small business.

16. Marketo

A suite of tools for running advanced marketing campaigns.

Best Software for Small Business Branding

The Best Free Small Business Software for Branding: Hatchful

17. Hatchful

Free business tools for small businesses wanting to create a logo and online branding materials.

18. Business Name Generator

The best free small business tool for finding a winning business name.

19. Shopify’s Free Slogan Maker

Free small business software to help create a catchy slogan in minutes.

20. Image Resizer

A free tool for resizing website images.

Email Marketing Small Business Software

Email Marketing Software for Small Businesses: MailChimp

21. MailChimp 

Simple software to manage small business email marketing, which integrates with most website builders.

22. AWeber

Highly flexible email automation small business software offering powerful integration with other online tools.

23. Get Response

Email marketing and landing page software for small business lead generation.

24. Constant Contact

All-in-one software for small business marketing and sales, including email marketing tools and a website builder.

25. Campaign Monitor

Advanced email marketing small business software with an intuitive drag-and-drop builder.

Social Media Marketing Tools for Small Business

Social Media Management Software for Small Businesses: Buffer

26. Buffer

Simple social media management software, perfect for scheduling posts across different platforms.

27. Hootsuite

All-in-one software for small business social media management, complete with scheduling, reporting, and social listening tools. 

28. Sprout Social 

Another leading program for managing social media marketing.

29. TweetDeck 

The best small business software program for supercharging your Twitter marketing.

Advertising Tools for Small Businesses: Facebook Advertising

30. Facebook Advertising

Program for creating highly targeted advertising campaigns.

31. AdWords 

Software to manage small business advertising campaigns across Google Search, YouTube, and the Google Display Network.

32. Bing Ads

Software to create and manage advertising campaigns in Bing search results.

33. Pinterest Ads

Program for creating and managing advertising campaigns on Pinterest.

34. LinkedIn Ads

Business software for small businesses wanting to run ads on LinkedIn — perfect for hiring or business-to-business (B2B) sales.

35. Twitter Ads

Program for running advertising campaigns on Twitter.

36. Outbrain

Software for running advertising campaigns across a range of websites online.

Content Marketing & SEO Software

Small Business Software for Content Marketing and SEO: Google Analytics

37. Google Analytics

The best software for small business website analytics.

38. SumoMe

A suite of tools for small business website optimization.

39. Moz 

An advanced software program for improving search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns.

40. Ahrefs

Software, resources, and tools for optimizing SEO performance.

41. Buzzsumo

Program for discovering top-performing online content.

42. Yoast

A simple program for optimizing your website’s SEO.

Content Creation Software 

Best Small Business Tool for Images: Burst

43. Burst

The best small business tool for sourcing free professional images for commercial and personal use.

44. Unsplash

Another top small business tool for sourcing free images online.

45. Loom

Free software for screen recording, webcam recording, or both.

46. Canva

A free, simple-to-use program for creating graphics and images.

47. Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is perhaps the best small business software for image editing and graphics creation.

Writing Tools for Small Businesses

Best Software for Small Business Writing: Grammarly

48. Grammarly

All-in-one, free small business software for checking grammar everywhere you write online.

49. Google Docs

The best program for small business writing and editing, hosted in the cloud.

50. Microsoft Word

Long-standing home business software for writing and editing.

Best Tool for Creating Branded Merch: Printful

51. Printful

One of the best tools for small business owners looking to create and sell merchandise online.

52. Printify

Another tool for small businesses wanting to sell merchandise online or through their Shopify website.

53. Vistaprint

One of the best tools for small business owners wanting to get print materials and merchandise.

54. Moo

Another great tool for small businesses needing print materials and branded stationary.

Public Relations Tools for Small Businesses 

Tool for Content Research: HARO

55. Help a Reporter Out (HARO) 

Find an expert to feature in your content or share your expertise to get featured in others’ content.

56. Google Alerts 

Create weekly or daily alerts to stay up-to-date with certain topics and mentions of your brand. 

57. Mention

Another social listening tool for small businesses looking to glean market and brand insights.

58. Buzzstream 

One of the best programs for small business direct outreach.

Customer Service Small Business Software

Best Software for Small Business Customer Service: Zendesk

59. Zendesk

Leading software to manage small business customer service tasks, tracking, and reporting.

60. Groove

All-in-one software for small business customer service management.

61. HelpScout

Another customer service tool for small businesses, packed with features.

62. Desk.com

Customer service software for small businesses from the leading CRM, Salesforce.

Communication Software for Small Businesses

Best Software for Small Business Communication: Slack

63. Slack 

A team messaging application — one of the best tools for small business team communication.

64. Skype

Microsoft’s communication application for audio and video calls.

65. Zoom

The most popular small business software for video calling.

66. Google Hangouts

Google’s messaging, calling, and video app.

67. Google Workspace

Use Gmail with a custom email address and access Google’s suite of business tools.

68. Mailtrack

Simple software to track email opens and click-through-rates in Gmail.

Project Management Small Business Software

Project Management Software: Trello

69. Trello 

Project and task management software for small business teams.

70. Basecamp

An all-in-one project management and internal communication tool for businesses working remotely.

71. Teamwork

A messaging, project management, and file management tool for small business teams.

72. Asana

Project management tool for small businesses that integrates with more than 100 other software programs and tools.

Productivity Software for Small Businesses

Best Program for To-Do Lists: Todoist

73. Todoist

The ultimate to-do list software to manage small business tasks.

74. Evernote

A feature-packed note-taking tool for small businesses.

75. Unroll.me

Free small business software to help you unsubscribe from email lists and clean up your inbox.

76. Boomerang

Schedule emails to send at a later date and set up email reminders in Gmail.

Small Business Tools for Focus

Tools for Focus: RescueTime

77. RescueTime

Time-tracking software for small businesses with in-built distraction blocking tools.

78. Freedom

One of the best tools for small business owners wanting to block distracting websites and apps to focus more.

79. Spotify Focus Playlists 

Curated playlists to enhance focus and productivity.

80. Brain.fm

Scientifically engineered music to improve concentration, relaxation, or sleep.

Ecommerce Tools for Small Businesses

81. Automizely

The best free small software for dropshipping products online.

82. Shopify Apps

A library of apps to improve and optimize virtually every aspect of your Shopify website.

83. JungleScout

Product research software for small businesses.

84. Shipping Label Maker

A free business tool for creating professional shipping labels on-the-fly.

85. Bill of Lading Maker

A free tool for businesses needing to create a complete bill of lading form for seamless international trading.

Hiring and Human Resource Tools for Small Businesses

Tools for Hiring: Upwork

86. Upwork

A platform for sourcing freelancers and agencies for contract work.

87. Fiverr

Find service providers in virtually every vertical and niche.

88. Freelancer

Another platform for finding freelancers to help your business grow.

89. Workable

Leading talent acquisition software for small businesses looking to hire remotely.

90. Workday 

Finance, HR, and planning tools for small businesses looking to scale into enterprises.

91. BambooHR

HR software for small businesses focused on people, not processes.

File Management Small Business Software

The Best Software for Managing Small Business Files: Google Drive

92. Google Drive 

The best software to manage small business files — which integrates seamlessly with Google’s other tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

93. Dropbox

Cloud file management software for small businesses to backup files, sync them across devices, and share them effortlessly.

94. Office 365

Microsoft’s complete suite of products (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.) and cloud storage to manage files.

Accounting & Bookkeeping Small Business Software

Tools for Accounting: Xero

95. Xero

Robust cloud-based financial management and accounting software for small businesses.

96. QuickBooks

Scalable financial solution for businesses with small business packages and advanced options.

97. FreshBooks

Accounting software designed with small service-based businesses in mind.

Tax Software for Small Businesses

Programs for Tax: TurboTax

98. TurboTax

Software to manage small business tax filing online — either alone or with the help of an expert.

99. TaxAct

Tax filing software program for small businesses with a maximum tax refund guarantee.

100. Jackson Hewitt Online

Simple, do-it-yourself online tax filing software with affordable pricing.

Entrepreneurial Growth Tools for Small Businesses

The Best Small Business Tools for Learning: Shopify Compass

101. Shopify Compass

Free online courses on how to start and scale a business, taught by industry authorities and renowned experts.

102. EDx

Free online courses from some of the top universities in the world.

103. Udemy

Affordably priced courses on virtually every aspect of business, marketing, and finance.

Final Thoughts: The Ultimate Small Business Software List 2021 

There are countless small business software programs out there to choose from — but remember, you don’t have to use them all!

When considering new tools, first identify your most pressing needs — what’s inefficient? What’s time-consuming? Where does miscommunication happen most? Then, look for the best software or tool to solve that particular problem.

Have we missed any great tools or software programs for small businesses? Do you have a favorite tool or program? Let us know in the comments below!

Start selling online now with Shopify

Start your free trial

Want to Learn More?