Independent · Reader-supported
Find the right software for your small business, without the guesswork.
Side-by-side comparisons of the tools small business owners actually use, with real prices checked at the source and an honest note on who each tool is not right for.
The guides
Pick a category to compare
CRM
Track leads, customers and follow-ups without a sales-ops team.
6 tools compared →Email marketing
Newsletters and automations that stay affordable as your list grows.
6 tools compared →Website builders
Get a professional site live fast, and know what it will really cost.
5 tools compared →Scheduling & booking
Let customers book online, with reminders that cut no-shows.
5 tools compared →Invoicing & accounting
Send invoices, get paid faster and keep tax time painless.
5 tools compared →AI tools
Assistants that save real hours on writing, support and admin work.
5 tools compared →Project management
Keep every task, owner and deadline in one place your team will actually use.
5 tools compared →Payroll
Pay your team on time and let the software file payroll taxes for you.
5 tools compared →Business phone
A professional number on your cell, with calling, texting and voicemail.
5 tools compared →Password managers
Share logins safely and remove access in one click when someone leaves.
5 tools compared →Help desk
Turn customer emails and chats into tickets your team never misses.
4 tools compared →E-signature
Get contracts and quotes signed online in minutes, with an audit trail.
4 tools compared →Accounting
Keep clean books, reconcile your bank and be ready at tax time.
5 tools compared →Online courses
Turn what you know into a course you can sell again and again.
3 tools compared →Web hosting
Fast, reliable hosting for a WordPress site, with real renewal prices.
4 tools compared →LLC formation
Form your LLC for the lowest real cost, including renewals and registered agent fees.
4 services compared →Business banking
Free online business checking, interest rates and FDIC coverage compared.
4 accounts compared →Pricing cheat sheet
Real starting prices for 25 popular small-business tools on one free page.
Get the free sheet →Head to head
Popular comparisons and alternatives
Pricing explained
What popular tools really cost
Every plan, what you pay at your size, and the renewal prices and catches the sales pages bury.
Free tool: compare payroll costs for your team in our payroll cost calculator →
Get the Small Business Software Pricing Cheat Sheet
Real prices, renewal costs and catches for 25 popular tools on one page, plus an email when prices change or we publish a new comparison.
How we pick
What every guide gives you
Built for small teams
We judge every tool by what a business with 1–20 people needs, not by enterprise feature lists.
Real pricing
Prices are checked on each company’s own site, dated, and re-checked every month, including what you’ll pay after intro offers end.
Honest downsides
Every pick says who it’s not right for, so you don’t find out after you’ve switched.
How we research and price-check → · Editorial policy → · Meet the editor →
Not sure where to start?
Most small businesses get the biggest win from a CRM: one place for every lead, customer and follow-up.
Shortlist Software is reader-supported. When you sign up through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.