There are hundreds, if not thousands, of free software programs and apps that can help you run and market your business. These free programs can help in various areas of your business in everything from handling payroll to building a website. Many of these programs and apps offer paid versions if you’d like more robust features, but the free versions may be sufficient depending on the size of your operation or if your business is just getting off the ground. Using the free versions is also a good way for your business to try new software and apps before committing to making a purchase.
Here are six free software programs and apps with different business purposes that might be a good fit for your company. Keep in mind that we’re not promoting any specific products and are just providing these to give you examples of what’s available. These are just the tip of the iceberg compared to what’s out there for free. With a little research, you’re bound to find many more free options that can help you manage your business.
1-Payroll4Free.com
This free payroll software integrates with QuickBooks and includes payroll processing, direct deposit or paper check forms of payment, earnings reports, tax calculations, tax forms, and more. The free version of Payroll4Free.com is available for employers that have 25 or fewer employees. For a minimal monthly fee of $15, the company will even file your payroll taxes for your business.
2-Mailtrack
Mailtrack is an email tracking tool that integrates with Gmail. The program lets you know if your emails have been opened or not and how many times. It’s great for helping you or your sales team to know whether a potential customer or client has actually opened your emails or not. You can set up Mailtrack to send you real-time notifications that alert you when an email is opened. The free version allows for unlimited email tracking.
3-Evite
Whether you are hosting a virtual or live event, Evite can be used for free to create invitations as well as to manage your guest list. It’s perfect for everything from networking events and employee events to job fairs.
4-Wordpress.com
If you still don’t have a website or need an additional site to promote specific products or services or to host a company blog, WordPress.com may be a good choice. It is a free website builder and content management that lets you build and host a website with 3GB of storage at no cost. All you have to purchase is the domain name for your website for a nominal fee. This is the name used in the web address after www. The best thing about building your website on WordPress.com is that it’s easy to transition your website later to the more robust WordPress.org site.
5-Wave
This accounting, invoicing and receipt tracking software has a free plan that includes unlimited income and expense tracking, bank and credit card connections, and the ability to create customized invoices. Upgrading to a paid version of Wave gets you additional features like payroll management, benefits calculation, and employee vacation tracking.
6-ABC Inventory
ABC Inventory is a free inventory management system by Almyta Systems that’s ideal for small- to mid-sized manufacturers. Although it’s an older program that’s PC-based, it has a lot of useful features and can be used for unlimited companies, warehouses, items, and locations. Free features range from bar code scanning and purchase order creation to warehouse appointments, invoicing, and shipping. If you need to upgrade to the paid version at some point, it requires a one-time fee of $435 for installation on a local drive or $635 for the cloud-based version with unlimited users.
