27 Best Tools for Small Businesses in 2026

Scaling a small business is both exciting and demanding. Each stage of growth brings new challenges, such as building a team of qualified workers, reaching the right target audience, managing operations efficiently, and maintaining quality as demand increases. Achieving sustainable growth requires the right tools to turn vision and strategy into measurable progress.

Effective technology solutions can streamline operations, strengthen collaboration, and free up time to focus on strategic and creative priorities rather than routine administrative tasks. Learn how to evaluate and select the best tools for your small business in 2026. Also see a list of specific tools to consider across a range of categories, such as project management, hiring and human resources, communication, and more. 

What to look for in small business tools 

Choosing the right tools can have a significant positive impact on how efficiently a small business operates. The latest technology helps teams automate tasks, stay aligned, improve customer relationships, and access insights that drive smarter decisions, among other benefits.

Technology has become even more essential to businesses of all sizes in recent years. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, organizations have increasingly integrated artificial intelligence (AI) tools across business functions to drive efficiencies.

The Upwork Research Institute surveyed nearly 500 small and medium-sized business (SMB) C-level executives and found that highly confident SMB leaders were more likely to implement AI across business functions than their peers. In fact, 27% of highly confident SMBs fully implemented AI in sales, marketing, and customer service versus 13% of their peers. Additionally, 23% embedded AI in back-office functions like finance and operations versus 11% of others.

With so many options available, selecting the best small business tools can seem daunting. Taking the time to evaluate which tools align with your business needs, budget, team size, and long-term vision is important.

Consider the following factors when evaluating and selecting tools for your small business:

• Ease of use. Look for tools with intuitive interfaces and clear onboarding so your team can start working quickly. The right solutions should save time and simplify your workflows rather than add complexity.
• Affordability. Because small businesses often have tight budgets and resources, look for options that offer flexible pricing or free tiers. Transparent pricing and predictable monthly costs can also help you manage cash flow more effectively.
• Scalability. As your company grows, your tools should adapt to meet the needs of your business operations. Look for platforms that can handle additional users, features, and data without disruption.
• Customization. In addition to scalability, flexibility is important. Seek out tools that let you tailor workflows, dashboards, or templates based on your specific business requirements.
• Integration. Choose tools that connect seamlessly with others in your stack to avoid data silos. Integrated systems save time and ensure information flows smoothly across business functions. 
• Support. Reliable customer support is invaluable for small teams with limited or no IT resources. Search for technology vendors with responsive service and comprehensive help resources as needed. 
• Security. Protecting business and customer data is essential to building trust and reducing risk. Evaluate tools based on their security protocols, such as encryption, regular updates, and compliance with privacy regulations.

Best tools for small businesses

Whether you’re in the process of launching your small business or looking to scale, the tools you select and implement will play a role in your success. The right blend of tools can save time, streamline operations, and enable team members to focus more on strategy and growth.

Explore some of the top tools across categories to consider for your small business. 

Project management 

Strong project management and productivity tools keep your team stays organized, accountable, and aligned, especially when balancing multiple clients or deadlines. The right platform can help clarify responsibilities, centralize communication, and keep projects on track.

1. Trello

Trello is a visual, card-based platform that brings structure and flexibility to project management. A drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to track progress, assign tasks, and visualize workflows across teams. 

‍Key features:

• Customizable workflows and templates
• Multiple view options, including timeline and calendar
• Automation for repetitive tasks
• Integrations with Slack, Google Workspace, and more

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free plan
• Standard: $5 per user per month
• Premium: $10 per user per month

2. Asana

Asana helps teams organize, prioritize, and execute projects efficiently. With tools for task management, goal tracking, and automation, the platform enables leaders and team members to see exactly where projects stand.

Key features:

• Timeline, list, board, Gantt, and calendar views
• Task dependencies and milestones
• Workflow automation and AI features to generate summaries and answer questions about projects
• Reporting dashboards and goal tracking

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Personal: Free for up to 10 users
• Starter: $10.99 per user per month
• Advanced: $24.99 per user per month

3. ClickUp

ClickUp offers an all-in-one workspace for managing tasks, documents, and communication. The tool provides highly customizable views, enabling businesses to tailor workflows to their exact needs.

Key features:

• Real-time collaboration and comments
• Built-in docs and goal tracking
• Extensive customization and automation
• AI assistance for tasks, summaries, and content generation

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free plan for individual users
• Unlimited for small teams: $7 per user per month
• Business for mid-sized teams: $12 per user per month

Hiring and human resources 

Hiring and HR tools are essential for building and managing talented, motivated teams. These tools help small businesses find qualified workers, streamline onboarding, and maintain compliance, all while saving time on manual processes.

4. Upwork Business Plus 

Upwork Business Plus delivers instant access to prevetted freelancers and an AI-guided hiring experience that matches top freelancer profiles based on an organization’s specific goals. Teams can go from job post to project start in hours, enabling lean teams to tackle high-stakes work with confidence.

Key features:

• Access to prevetted freelancers representing the top 1% on Upwork 
• Shortlists of curated freelancer profiles that align with your specific needs, delivered by Uma Recruiter, an always-on hiring agent 
• Direct contracts to easily manage and pay all of the freelancers you work with in one place
• Priority 24/7 access to live, expert support via chat, phone, or email

Pricing:

• No sales call, subscription fee, or cost to join
• Simply pay a service fee of 10% on each payment made to a freelancer
• Qualified U.S. customers who use ACH payments will pay a reduced service fee of 8%

5. Gusto

Gusto is a user-friendly HR and payroll platform designed specifically for small businesses. The platform simplifies employee management by automating payroll, taxes, and benefits administration, freeing up time to focus on employee engagement and retention.

Key features:

• Automated payroll and tax filing across all 50 states 
• Employee onboarding and time tracking
• Self-service portal for employees to manage personal information, access documents, and view pay stubs
• Workforce analytics and reporting to power data-based decision-making

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Simple: $49 per month plus $6 per employee
• Solo: $49 per month plus $6 per employee 
• Plus: $80 per month plus $12 per employee
• Premium: $180 per month plus $22 per employee

6. BambooHR

BambooHR provides an organized and centralized HR solution for growing teams. The tool helps small businesses manage employee data, track performance, automate workflows, and measure engagement through intuitive dashboards, spreadsheets, and reports.

Key features:

• A centralized database to store all employee and workforce information
• An integrated applicant tracking system 
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Mobile app for employee self-service

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Custom pricing upon request, starting at $10 per employee per month

Communication

Clear communication helps teams effectively collaborate and stay connected. The right tools make collaboration seamless across time zones and departments, which is especially important in remote or hybrid work settings. 

7. Slack

Slack (from Salesforce) is a real-time messaging platform that keeps conversations organized and accessible. The platform enables teams to communicate via direct messages, create topic-based channels, share files instantly, and integrate other tools for centralized collaboration.

Key features:

• Seamless file sharing and searchable archives
• Integrations with Google Workspace, Asana, Canva, and more
• Huddles for quick audio chats
• Options to send and schedule messages at a future date

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free plan
• Pro: $7.25 per user per month
• Business+: $15 per user per month

8. Zoom

Zoom is one of the most widely used video conferencing tools for small businesses. The tool supports high-quality video collaboration and webinars, making Zoom an effective option for both internal meetings and client communications.

Key features:

• HD video and audio calls
• Breakout rooms and screen sharing
• Meeting recording and transcription
• AI companion for meeting summaries

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Basic: Free 
• Pro: $13.33 per user per month
• Business: $18.33 per user per month

9. Loom

Loom helps teams communicate asynchronously through quick, shareable video messages. The screen recording tool is a beneficial option for recording updates, walkthroughs, and feedback without the need to schedule a meeting.

Key features:

• Screen, camera, and microphone recording
• Instant sharing links
• Viewer insights and engagement analytics
• Integrated AI capabilities to automate video editing and transcript generation

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Starter: Free
• Business: $15 per user per month
• Business + AI: $20 per user per month

Customer relationship management (CRM)

CRM tools help small businesses manage leads, track interactions, and nurture relationships. These systems give teams visibility into sales pipelines and customer behavior, driving more personalized engagement.

10. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM provides a free and powerful foundation to manage customers and sales pipelines. The user-friendly interface and automation features help teams streamline follow-ups, track performance, and close more deals. 

Key features:

• Centralized contact and deal pipeline management
• Integrated email tracking and automation
• Live chat and chatbot tools
• Comprehensive analytics dashboards

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free foundational tools to get started
• Starter: $15 per user per month
• Professional: $50 per user per month

11. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM offers a cost-effective and comprehensive solution to oversee sales and marketing activities. Built-in automation features and AI-driven insights make Zoho CRM an effective solution for small businesses looking for scalability without added complexity.

Key features:

• Lead scoring and workflow automation
• Integrated AI sales assistant
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Omnichannel communication tools

Pricing (with annual billing):

• 15-day free trial available
• Standard: $14 per user per month
• Professional: $23 per user per month

12. Pipedrive

Pipedrive helps small teams organize leads and focus on closing deals faster. The simple interface and visual pipelines make sales tracking intuitive, even for non-specialists. Automation tools also reduce manual work so teams can focus on building client relationships.

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop deal pipelines
• Activity reminders and automation
• Email integration and tracking
• Revenue forecasting tools

Pricing (with annual billing):

• 14-day free trial available
• Lite: $14 per user per month
• Growth: $39 per user per month
• Premium: $59 per user per month
• Ultimate: $79 per user per month

Accounting and invoicing

Financial management is the foundation of any successful business. Accounting tools make it easy to track cash flow, manage expenses, and generate reports with accuracy and confidence.

13. Intuit QuickBooks

Intuit QuickBooks is one of the most well-known accounting software solutions for small businesses. The platform streamlines bookkeeping and tax preparation while offering advanced reporting features. Seamless integrations and a built-in mobile app make financial management accessible from anywhere.

Key features:

• Expense tracking and bank reconciliation
• Custom invoicing and payment processing
• Financial reporting and tax prep
• Access to a team of AI agents and live experts to streamline accounting and finance operations

Pricing (with monthly billing):

• Simple Start: $38 per month
• Essentials: $75 per month
• Plus: $115 per month
• Advanced: $275 per month 

14. FreshBooks

FreshBooks simplifies accounting for service-based businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, and freelancers. The software automates invoicing, tracks billable hours, and provides insights into profitability, all in an intuitive, easy-to-navigate dashboard.

Key features:

• Time tracking and project billing
• Recurring invoices and automatic payments
• Expense categorization
• Mobile invoicing app

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Lite: $21 per month
• Plus: $38 per month
• Premium: $65 per month

15. Wave

Wave offers a free and beginner-friendly accounting platform ideal for small businesses. The platform handles core accounting needs like invoicing and expense tracking without overwhelming users with unnecessary features.

Key features:

• Unlimited income and expense tracking
• Custom invoicing
• Bank integrations and reporting
• Payroll

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Starter: Free
• Pro: $15.83 per month

Marketing and email automation

Marketing automation tools help small businesses nurture leads and engage audiences effectively, all while saving time and boosting customer conversions.

16. Intuit Mailchimp

Intuit Mailchimp offers a user-friendly marketing platform with built-in automation and analytics. The platform is useful for small businesses looking to launch professional email marketing campaigns without requiring advanced technical knowledge.

Key features:

• Custom-coded email campaign templates
• Landing pages and A/B testing
• Advanced segmentation, analytics, and reporting
• Integrated generative AI capabilities to draft and design marketing materials 

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free 14-day trial available
• Free plan available for solopreneurs
• Essentials: starting at $13 per month
• Standard: starting at $20 per month

17. ActiveCampaign

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ActiveCampaign merges CRM capabilities with marketing automation, offering a robust platform for customer engagement. The tool enables businesses to personalize their messaging and streamline the buyer journey.

Key features:

• Automated customer journeys
• Advanced lead management, scoring, and segmentation
• AI agents to streamline planning, content creation, scheduling, performance analysis, and more
• Integrated performance analytics

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free 14-day trial available
• Starter: $15 per month
• Plus: $49 per month
• Pro: $79 per month

18. Brevo

Brevo is a marketing automation suite that combines email, SMS, chat, and workflow tools in one platform. The suite is designed to be a user-friendly, comprehensive solution for small to medium-sized businesses.

Key features:

• Email and SMS marketing campaigns
• AI-driven multichannel marketing and automation
• Landing pages, chat, and simple CRM tools
• Analytics and reporting to track campaign performance

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free plan for solopreneurs
• Starter: starting at $8.08 per month
• Standard: starting at $16.17 per month
• Professional: starting at $449.08 per month

Social media management

Social media management tools help small businesses plan, schedule, and analyze content performance, which helps organizations effectively reach target audiences and drive brand consistency and visibility. 

19. Buffer

Buffer is a social media workspace that simplifies social media scheduling and performance tracking. The platform is user-friendly, integrates across platforms, and provides analytics to measure engagement and growth.

Key features:

• Social media post scheduling and queue management
• Comprehensive analytics and engagement tracking
• Collaboration tools and a browser extension to streamline communication and posting
• AI assistant to generate social media content and campaign ideas

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free 14-day trial is available
• Free plan
• Essentials: $5 per month per channel
• Team: $10 per month per channel

20. Later

Later helps small businesses visually plan and publish social content across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. The platform is most beneficial for businesses and brands that rely on visual storytelling, influencer marketing, and creative planning.

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop social calendar
• Visual previews and link-in-bio tools
• Analytics and post optimization suggestions
• Integrated EdgeAI engine to predict performance, identify the best creators for campaigns, and drive results across the purchase funnel

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free 14-day trial available
• Starter: $18.75 per month
• Growth: $37.50 per month

21. Hootsuite

Hootsuite provides a unified dashboard for managing, scheduling, and analyzing social media activity. The platform is a helpful option for small businesses that want deep social media insights and multiuser collaboration.

Key features:

• Multiplatform post scheduling
• Social listening tools
• A social media AI assistant that shares personalized social media strategy advice and best practices 
• Integrated performance reports and analytics

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free 30-day trial available
• Standard: $149 per user per month
• Advances: $299 per user per month

Website building and e-commerce

A professional business website builds credibility and opens the door to growth. Website and e-commerce tools simplify the process of creating, customizing, and managing a small business’s online presence.

22. Shopify

Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform for building and running online stores. This tool supports many aspects of the e-commerce experience, from storefront design to inventory management, making Shopify a top choice for product-based businesses.

Key features:

• Storefront builder and templates, including AI-powered design capabilities
• Payment and shipping integrations
• Analytics and reporting dashboard
• Mobile app for on-the-go management

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free three-day trial available
• Basic: $29 per month
• Grow: $79 per month
• Advanced: $299 per month

23. Wix

Wix makes professional website design accessible to solopreneurs and businesses of all sizes. A drag-and-drop website builder builder, templates, and app integrations help small businesses quickly launch a polished online presence without needing coding skills.

Key features:

• An AI builder that generates a business-ready site within minutes
• Custom templates and SEO tools
• Built-in analytics
• App marketplace for integrations

Pricing:

• Free plan
• Light: $17 per month
• Core: $29 per month
• Business: $39 per month

24. Squarespace

Squarespace combines elegant design with powerful website-building features. The tool is ideal for creatives, consultants, and service providers looking to build a visually appealing online presence.

Key features:

• Modern templates and mobile optimization
• An integrated AI creative partner that generates tailored designs, images, and content
• Built-in blogging, e-commerce, and booking options
• Marketing and analytics integration

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Basic: $16 per month
• Core: $23 per month
• Plus: $39 per month
• Advanced: $99 per month

Cybersecurity and data protection

Cybersecurity should be a top priority for small businesses as digital threats continue to increase and become more sophisticated. Protecting sensitive data, managing passwords, and securing devices are essential steps in maintaining customer trust and operational stability.

25. Cyware

Cyware’s agentic AI-powered solutions help organizations transform threat intelligence into coordinated action. The platform focuses on unifying data from across a company’s security ecosystem and automating responses, helping even small teams act faster and more intelligently.

Key features:

• Real-time ingestion and enrichment of threat intelligence feeds
• Low-code orchestration of security workflows and automated incident response
• Unified view and case-management system across teams and tools
• Extensive integrations (400+), enabling connection of disparate security tools

Pricing (with annual billing): 

• Custom pricing (contact the Cyware team for a quote)

26. 1Password

1Password is a user-friendly password manager that helps teams securely create, store, and share credentials. The platform reduces risky practices like reusing passwords and emailing logins, while enabling seamless sign-in across devices. Admin controls and audit tools give owners visibility into security hygiene.

Key features:

• Encrypted vaults with shared and private spaces
• Password generator, breach alerts, and multifactor authentication (MFA) support
• Browser extensions and desktop and mobile apps
• Admin console with granular access controls and activity logs

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Free 14-day trial available 
• Teams Starter Pack: $19.95 per month for up to 10 users
• Business: $7.99 per user per month

27. Acronis Cyber Protect

Acronis Cyber Protect combines backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint protection in a single platform. The solution helps small businesses safeguard critical files and systems against ransomware and data loss, with rapid restore options to minimize downtime. The unified dashboard simplifies ongoing management and compliance.

Key features:

• Image-based and file-level backup with cloud and local storage
• Anti-malware, ransomware protection, and vulnerability assessments
• Fast restore and disaster recovery for endpoints and servers
• Centralized policy management and reporting

Pricing (with annual billing):

• Standard: from $85 per year
• Backup advanced: from $109 per year

Access skilled freelancers for your small business on Upwork

Many small business owners or leaders juggle multiple responsibilities, which can be overwhelming and time-consuming. The right selection of tools can help small businesses drive efficiencies, streamline operations, communicate effectively, protect data, and compete with larger organizations. 

If you need support evaluating and implementing tools at your small business or are looking to expand your team without the overhead of full-time, in-house employees, consider engaging freelancers on Upwork. Freelancers with more than 10,000 skills, including project management, human resources, marketing automation, social media marketing, web development, and cybersecurity are available on Upwork. Log in or create an account to search for freelancers or post a job on Upwork.

Upgrade to a Business Plus plan to reach the top 1% on Upwork across multiple categories and gain exclusive access to talent shortlisting powered by Uma Recruiter, an always-on hiring agent.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.