Best Business Software Of 2024

What Is Payroll Software?

Payroll software helps businesses streamline and automate their payroll process and can even help with human resource responsibilities. For example, OnPay lets you automate a new employee onboarding process, efficiently manage payroll and pay employees for their work without breaking a sweat.

Expert Take

OnPay is a user-friendly payroll management suite that allows you to pay contract employees, freelancers and remote workers. It also provides many human resource and employee benefits solutions in one package. At $40 per month, plus an extra $6 per employee, OnPay should be within the grasp of many SMBs seeking a well-designed, intuitive, yet powerful solution for managing payroll in-house.

OnPay’s intuitive tools make processing payroll hassle-free.

For the cost of entry, you get unlimited monthly pay runs, onboarding support, support for W-2s and 1099s, federal, state and local tax filings, templates, 401(k) support and employee portals. While I appreciate the wealth of functionality, OnPay does not include global payroll or built-in time tracking, which could hinder remote teams. However, you can add functionality through integrations. OnPay’s versatility makes it my top choice for U.S.-based SMBs.

Learn more: Read our full OnPay review.

Specification	Details
Employee Portals	Employees can log in and see pay stubs and year-end tax information.
Tax Filing Support	Allows users to confirm tax payments and see previous filings.
Automations	OnPay can automate onboarding processes and other functions to increase productivity.
Direct Deposit	OnPay supports direct deposit, which can streamline payments.
Integrations	It can integrate with 14 platforms, including time tracking, tax preparation and insurance platforms.

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Check out our payroll services rating methodology to learn how we test and review payroll software.

What Is HR Management Software?

Human resource software helps SMBs manage recruitment, time and attendance, payroll tracking, onboarding, employee performance management and evaluations. SMBs using human resource management systems can enhance company communication, align teams and simplify complex workflows.

Expert Take

As well as being a project management software solution, monday.com is also a fantastic choice for human resource management software. Thanks to numerous HR-related templates, SMBs can quickly establish and manage onboarding workflows, generate employee databases, plan company events, create employee surveys and process time-off requests. To top it off, monday.com offers a free plan, and paid plans start at $12 per user per month (billed monthly).

The tables, Kanban boards and calendars on monday.com are intuitive and easy to use.

I have long lauded monday.com’s colorful and airy user interface. Navigation is a breeze, creating integrations and automated workflows takes seconds, and communication between managers and employees is easy to manage. SMBs, new and old, will be zipping between intuitive reporting dashboards, Kanban boards , lists and calendars and adding employee data in no time.

Learn more: Read our full monday.com review.

Specification	Details
Employee Database	Users can build employee databases that list which department they work in, their picture and their manager.
Organizational Charts	Organizational charts can be generated and displayed on reporting dashboards.
Reporting Dashboards	Customizable dashboards on monday.com can show key performance indicators numerically and graphically.
Applicant Tracking	The applicant tracking template enables HR managers to establish a recruitment workflow quickly.
Integrations	Thanks to integrations, you can connect monday.com with leading third-party platforms.

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To learn how we test and review HR management software, take a look at our HR software and services ratings methodology.

What Is Project Management Software?

Project management software enables business owners, project managers and Scrum Masters to plan, track, manage and complete simple and complex projects. The best project management software includes resource and financial management tools, multiple workflow views and real-time collaboration features and can integrate with numerous platforms for automated workflows.

Expert Take

I have been using ClickUp for many years and am still looking for another platform that performs as well in so many areas for the price. ClickUp offers intuitive Gantt charts, tables, calendars, Kanban boards that support traditional and Agile project management methodologiesand frameworks, and reporting dashboards. You’ll also find easy-to-use resource management and financial planning tools, an AI assistant and real-time collaborative documents.

ClickUp’s Kanban boards and other workflow views are highly customizable.

ClickUp also offers collaborative whiteboards, mind maps and an instant messenger, making the platform ideal for distributed teams. I appreciate how easy it is to create recurring tasks and automated workflows across platforms and that ClickUp can integrate with over 1,000 third-party business software solutions. ClickUp’s free plan is excellent for startups and provides access to many tools. The paid plans start at $10 per user per month, making it accessible to many SMBs.

Learn more: Read our full ClickUp review.

Specification	Details
Subtask and Dependency Support	ClickUp supports subtasks and dependencies, making it ideal for complex projects.
Multiple Task Management Views	You’ll find Kanban boards, Gantt charts, tables, calendars and timeline views to help you manage tasks throughout the project life cycle.
Resource Management	Users can keep track of project resources and use the available tools for capacity planning.
Real-Time Collaboration Tools	Remote teams can create project-related documents in real time across platforms (web, desktop and mobile). The instant messenger supports chat, voice and video messages.
Reporting Dashboards	ClickUp’s dashboards are customizable and can show multiple graphs, charts, to-dos and timelines.

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To learn how we test and review project management software, take a look at our project management software ratings methodology.

What Is CRM Software?

Customer relationship management (CRM) software enables businesses to grow customer relationships. The software allows users to organize and track customer data, automate customer interactions, manage leads and sales, close deals, enhance marketing campaigns, improve CRM practicesand enhance customer experiences.

Expert Take

Thanks to its robust feature set, affordable pricing and user-friendly interface, Zoho CRM is my number-one pick for CRM software. Small and large businesses will find the platform’s sales forecasting, workflow automation capabilities, deal and contact management tools and detailed analytical features invaluable. Zoho CRM’s ability to handle live chat, emails, phone calls with your VoIP provider and monitor social accounts in-platform also makes the platform stand out.

Zoho CRM’s analytics dashboards let you see key data quickly.

I love the Canvas feature, which lets you redesign Zoho CRM’s look. The ability to send quotes, create customer and partner portals, integrate with other software, use Zia AI and gamify sales also make Zoho CRM a tool that SMBs will actually enjoy using. Additionally, Zoho CRM supports multiple currencies. Zoho offers a limited free plan that supports three users and offers essential tools, while the most affordable plan, Standard, starts at $20 per user per month.

Learn more: Read our full Zoho CRM review .

Specification	Details
Sales Pipeline Management	Zoho CRM offers a full suite of tools that allow you to track every stage of your sales process.
Reporting and Analytics	Customizable dashboards and detailed reports are available so you can analyze every detail of your business.
Automation	Zoho CRM’s automation builder allows you to automate your sales routine and emails
Multi-Currency Support	Your business can conduct business globally, thanks to Zoho CRM’s ability to handle multiple currencies.
Lead Generation	Zoho CRM offers web forms, social media integrations and targeted emails, to name a few.

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To learn how we test and review CRM software, take a look at our CRM software ratings methodology.

What Is Accounting Software?

Accounting software enables organizations to receive, record and track the many financial transactions, liabilities, assets and expenses related to their business. The software can help with customer billing, state and federal tax compliance and financial report generation. If you’re looking for a way to track company finances, accounting software is what you need.

Expert Take

Zoho Books takes the best accounting software crown due to its ability to integrate with many leading platforms, bank accounts, e-commerce sites and payment processors. Zoho Books’ reports, multi-currency support and ability to efficiently manage quotes, clients, expenses, invoices, sales orders, POs and inventory elevate the platform. Add tax support, document management, portals, mobile apps and project management tools and you have a winner.

Zoho Books’ customizable dashboards can display plenty of data.

Everyone will find Zoho Books easy to use. I was fine creating customer accounts, billing, reconciling accounts, creating dashboards, tracking purchase orders and navigating the platform. The automation builder makes it straightforward to develop automated workflows while creating integrations with Stripe, PayPal, Google products, Slack and other platforms is a cinch. Zoho Books offers a limited free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per organization per month.

Learn more: Read our full Zoho Books review.

Specification	Details
Document Management	Zoho Books’ document manager allows you to scan documents, match them with transactions and increase collaboration.
Customer Portals	Customer portals allow you to share recent transactions, enable bulk payments and manage customer satisfaction.
Integrations and Automation	You can connect Zoho Books with many leading payment, business and collaboration platforms.
Invoicing, PO, Bill Pay, Mileage Recording Tools	Zoho Books enables SMBs to send and manage invoices, pay bills, track miles and manage purchase orders and expenses.
Multi-Currency Support	You can conduct business globally, thanks to multi-currency support.

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To learn how we test and review accounting software, take a look at our accounting software ratings methodology.

What Is POS Software?

Point-of-sale (POS) software allows businesses to accept payments from customers for their goods and services. The best POS software will enable you to accept payments, track inventory, manage customers and various aspects of your business, such as employees and table layouts, and offer detailed reports, to name a few. POS system costs can vary, as can features, so make sure you pick the right one for your SMB.

Expert Take

Retailers, e-commerce businesses and restaurants should consider my pick for the best POS system , eHopper. The platform offers a free plan; paid plans start at $14.99 (billed monthly). With eHopper, you can accept multiple forms of payment and manage inventory, employees, tips and taxes. The software can also be used as a self-serve kiosk and offers industry-specific features, such as restaurant table management and a kitchen display.

The eHopper application has a nice graphical interface.

I found eHopper’s touch interface and browser application very user-friendly. In no time, I created a business, added inventory and employees, adjusted prices, and created a customer loyalty program and split payment options. Android tablets, Windows PCs and Poynt systems can run eHopper. You can also buy eHopper hardware. If you need an all-in-one point-of-sale system that won’t break the bank, I recommend checking out eHopper.

Learn more: Read our full eHopper review .

What Is Inventory Management Software?

Inventory management software allows businesses to operate more efficiently by making it easier to manage warehouses, track and sell inventory, complete dropships, track shipments and automate processes. Any SMB managing inventories should make inventory management suites part of their software arsenal.

Expert Take

I found Cin7 to have a steep learning curve (don’t worry, there’s enough support to help you learn it). Still, it’s my pick for the best inventory management software. Cin7 offers many features, including AI, inventory and warehouse management, accounting tools, purchasing and sales tools, shipment tracking, and drop shipment and automations. Cin7 isn’t cheap. Plans start at $349 monthly, but the software’s capabilities make it a worthwhile investment.

Cin7’s interface is spartan but functional.

Cin7 offers numerous software integrations, warehouse stock synchronization and sales velocity-based purchase orders. One of Cin7’s standout features is its AI tools. Cin7’s generative AI tool, which can produce text and images, is free on nearly every plan. The real powerhouse is ForesightAI, an add-on that can automate ordering, eliminate out-of-stock items and reduce overstocked items. Use it correctly, and you’ll boost productivity and sales.

What Is Website Building Software?

Website building software allows businesses to make their presence known on the web. Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to design an eye-catching website, thanks to no-code, drag-and-drop building tools and templates, and it’s not as expensive as you might think. If you’re ready to make a small business website, you need a website builder.

Expert Take

Weebly takes the number one spot for website building software as it has simplified designing and launching professional-looking business websites and online stores. I found Weebly’s interface intuitive, and the drag-and-drop mechanic to add buttons, text boxes, photos and other page elements is a joy to use, even on mobile devices. If, like me, you’re design-challenged, you can lean on Weebly’s catalog of templates to get you started.

Building a website on Weebly is as simple as dragging and dropping elements onto the page.

Dig into Weebly, and you’ll find e-commerce solutions, hosting, unlimited storage, generous bandwidth, SEO solutions and integrations with business tools such as Stripe, PayPal, various shipping partners and social media platforms. You can also view engagement metrics and other site stats to see how your site is performing. You can get started for free or opt for a paid plan and use a custom domain. Weebly’s paid plans start at $13 per month (billed monthly).

Learn more: Read our full Weebly review.

specification	Details
Unlimited Storage	Weebly offers unlimited storage on its Professional and Performance plans.
E-Commerce Functionality	You’ll find shopping carts, inventory management and tax and shipping calculators.
Website Templates	There are plenty of templates to help get your website off the ground. You’re covered whether you’re launching a business page or a store.
Software Integrations	Weebly can integrate with shipping and payment partners, social media platforms, marketing and advertising tools, and communication platforms.
Website Builder	Weebly features a beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor that makes building a website pain-free.

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To learn how we test and review website builders, take a look at our website builders’ ratings methodology.

What Is Recruitment Software?

Recruitment software helps businesses of all sizes enhance recruitment strategies and streamline recruitment by helping them post open positions, find qualified candidates, set up interviews and offer applicants roles. When used correctly, recruitment software can save SMBs a great deal of time and money.

Expert Take

ZipRecruiter is my pick for the best recruitment software thanks to its database that houses over 48 million résumés, easy-to-navigate software and its ability to match open positions with qualified candidates. In no time, I was able to create job listings and search the résumé database. There’s nothing complex about ZipRecruiter. Every feature is self-explanatory. Even if you’ve never used software like this, you can hit the ground running.

ZipRecruiter provides users with an extensive résumé database.

I like that ZipRecruiter can integrate with applicant tracking systems (ATS) such as ADP, Workday, UKG and ApplicantPro, to name a few. I also appreciate TrafficBoost, as it can make a competitive position easier to fill by making your listing more visible across multiple channels. ZipRecruiter provides the option to post single standard posts at a daily rate of $24, or you can opt for a Team plan, which costs $1,259 per month for 10 simultaneous standard posts.

Learn more: Read our full ZipRecruiter review.

What Is VPN Software?

Virtual private network (VPN) software creates an encrypted connection between your computer, phone, tablet or other online device and a remote server. When using a VPN, your IP address is hidden and replaced with one from another location. VPNs allow you to browse the web securely, provide anonymity, bypass geo-blocks and keep your online data private.

Expert Take

NordVPN is my pick for the best VPN , thanks to its network of over 6,800 servers across 113 countries, specialty servers that offer double VPNs and obfuscation, and its split tunneling, kill switch, dark web monitoring, and ad and malware blockers. When online, I know I’m safe, anonymous and secure while enjoying fast connection speeds. Additionally, NordVPN bypasses geo-blocks easily, allowing me to view region-locked content on popular streaming sites.

NordVPN’s mobile interface is fine on tablets but can feel cramped on phones.

One of my favorite NordVPN features is the ability to connect 10 devices with one account. You can also install NordVPN on a router and protect every connected device; this is ideal for offices where all devices use the same router. The VPN is also easy to configure. NordVPN offers monthly, yearly and two-year plans. You save more the longer you sign up. Two-year plans currently start at $2.99 monthly (two years billed upfront) and you get three months free.

Learn more: Read our full NordVPN review.

Specification	Details
Security Features	You’ll find a kill switch, dedicated IPs, simultaneous connections, split-tunneling and double VPNs.
Privacy Features	NordVPN offers tracker, ad and malware blockers and dark web monitoring.
Server Count	Over 6,800 servers in 113 countries.
Geo-Blocks	NordVPN can remove geo-blocks on all major streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, Amazon and Disney+.
Encryption Protocols	AES-256-GCM encryption, NordLynx built on WireGuard, IKEv2/IPsec and OpenVPN.

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To learn how we test VPNs, check out our how we test VPNs guide.

What Is VoIP Software?

Voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) software enables its users to make phone calls over the internet. Many SMBs use VoIP for lower costs (compared to landlines), enhanced call quality, scalability, flexibility and better security. You can learn more about VoIP and how it works by reading our guide: What Is VoIP.

Expert Take

RingCentral’s price-to-performance ratio and impressive features make it my pick for the best VoIP service. RingCentral offers many plans, including a free plan that supports video calls and messaging. The Core plan starts at $30 per user per month and supports calling, texting, messaging, video, fax and visual voicemail. It also offers integrations and 24/7 support. I found RingCentral to provide everything needed to stay connected to customers and my team.

RingCentral’s messaging hub makes keeping in touch straightforward.

After digging deeper into RingCentral, I found collaborative tools, including whiteboards, breakout rooms and live transcription support. What’s impressive is that this AI functionality is available on every plan. You can even use AI to translate chat messages in real time, which is ideal for SMBs conducting business internationally. RingCentral is highly scalable and will grow to meet your business needs.

Learn more: Read our full RingCentral review.

Specification	Details
Call Quality	Call quality is of utmost importance. You’ll find that calls are always good quality.
Integrations	RingCentral can integrate with Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Google Workspace, HubSpot and many other platforms.
Call Controls	Users can screen and mute calls, place them on hold, transfer, add more users, choose specific devices for calls and forward calls.
Artificial Intelligence	RingCentral’s AI can transcribe calls and meetings, translate text, create messages and summarize recordings.
Voicemail	RingCentral offers virtual voicemail, voicemail forwarding and voicemail transcription.

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Check out our VoIP rating methodologyto learn how we test VoIP software.