8 best small business apps for 2025

Running a small or medium-sized business means wearing multiple hats and juggling countless tasks. But what if you could automate the time-consuming parts of your day while boosting productivity? That's exactly what we'll explore in this blog.

We've curated eight essential tools that will transform how you manage your SME – from handling expenses and communications to streamlining customer relationships and project management. Each tool has been carefully selected to save time, reduce stress, and help your business run more smoothly.

Let's dive in to discover the solutions that could enhance your workday.

How to pick the right small business apps?

Before moving on to our selection of tools, let us explain how we picked them. As you know, there are thousands of tools on the market that you can choose from. To make our purchase decisions, we always look at the same five key elements.

Versatility

Why have different apps when one can do the trick? We love tools that can do it all! Take Notion, for instance. We use it as a project management tool, but you can also use it as a lightweight CRM, collaboration tool, planning tool, etc.  

Versatile tools are your best friends because:

• They save you precious time: You don’t need to learn a bunch of different tools.
• They are good for your wallet and your brain: Trying to make everything work together means more peace of mind.

Pricing

Software costs can be a challenge for small businesses. That’s why when selecting tools, we focus on:

1. Robust-free plans that give us room to grow.

2. If we can't find a great free option, we'll hunt for tools with free trials – after all, no one likes paying for something they might not end up using, right?

3. Ensuring fair pricing. We always make sure the pricing is fair and sustainable. We think ahead and ask ourselves, "How much will this cost us a year from now if we keep growing?".

Integrations

We prioritise tools that integrate seamlessly with our existing tech stack. This approach streamlines our workflow and ensures data integrity.

If direct integration isn't possible, we consider the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using Zapier to connect tools.

Ease of use

Whenever possible, we choose easy-to-use solutions that don't require a steep learning curve.

Our focus is on tools that offer a smooth onboarding experience, allowing users to quickly become proficient and productive. With this, we aim to reduce frustration and maximise efficiency, helping us to adapt quickly and maintain our workflow momentum.

Usability on mobile devices

Traditional desktop use is declining as employees increasingly demand flexibility and on-the-go access to their work tools and information. This is especially true for small business owners and employees who are often visiting their clients.

Now, without further ado, here’s our selection of the best small business apps of 2025.

1. Best expense management tool: Spendesk

Why Spendesk?

Expense management is a common challenge for many small business owners, similar to payroll or accounting.

Spendesk has developed an all-in-one platform solution that offers both virtual and physical cards, along with comprehensive software to facilitate expense tracking, procurement, and optimise financial processes. 

With Spendesk you can: 

• Manage various aspects of company expenditure, including corporate cards, invoice payments, and employee reimbursements.

• Get immediate insight into company expenses through instant notifications, approval processes, and adjustable spending limits to control costs.

Spendesk reviews

Spendesk received an average score of 4.5/5 on the G2 platform, where users repeatedly mention its ease of use and helpfulness in tracking all their business expenses. 

Pricing

Spendesk does not publicly disclose specific pricing on its website because it is customised based on each company’s specific needs and usage. Spendesk has a fixed monthly subscription fee, which can go up or down depending on a few things such as the amount of entities, transactions or level of spend on the platform.

2. Best payment solution: SumUp

Why SumUp?

SumUp is a mobile point-of-sale system (mPOS) that simplifies payment transactions for SMBs by allowing them to accept card payments using a smartphone or tablet.

We chose SumUp because of its simplicity and versatility. It supports major card networks like Mastercard, Visa, and American Express. The app also features management tools like inventory management, real-time financial reports, and more.

With SumUp you can:

• Accept credit cards, debit cards, and contactless payments.

• Make transactions with a compact card reader that connects via Bluetooth.

• Start selling your products or services online with the SumUp e-shop.

SumUp reviews

SumUp boasts a Trustpilot rating of 4.2/5, with users highlighting the frequent visits from Relationship Agents who assist with software updates and promptly resolve any issues with the platform or devices.

Pricing

SumUp offers a transparent pricing structure with no monthly fees.

Its price is based on transaction fees:

• In-person payments have 1.75% transaction fees.

• Digital payments have 2.5% transaction fees.

SumUp One is a subscription plan with a monthly fee of €19 (VAT exempt), with the benefits of having half-price rates on the transaction fees. 

You will also pay for the hardware machine, with prices starting at €39.

3. Best internal communication tool: Slack

Why Slack?

Slack makes internal communications smoother and reduces the need for long email threads. It offers a user-friendly internal chat system with extensive feature integration and excellent mobile functionality.

Its mobile-first approach ensures that users can stay connected and productive on the go making it a versatile choice for workplace communication. 

Strengths:

• Intuitive design: Slack offers a user-friendly desktop and mobile app. 

• Extensive integrations: Slack's key strength is its ability to connect with various tools, including live chats, calendars, and project management software.

• Generous free plan: The free version of Slack offers access to most features, with the main restriction being the duration of message history retention.

Slack reviews

Slack boasts a 4.5/5 score on G2. Its users agree that it is a tool that facilitates communication and is extremely useful for chatting, sharing documents, and connecting teams. 

Pricing

Slack offers a generous free plan that’s ideal for small teams, with the only limitation being a 90-day message history.

If you need more from Slack, the paid plans are reasonably priced: 

• Pro: £7 per month

• Business+: £11.70 per month

With the paid plans, you can automate time-consuming repetitive tasks with a workflow builder and manage projects and tasks using Slack lists, among other benefits.

4. Best phone management system: Allô

Why Allô?

Answering all your calls appropriately without disrupting your daily tasks can be challenging.

Allô acts as a virtual receptionist service designed to help businesses manage their incoming calls and customer interactions efficiently. 

This tool answers calls, provides call transcripts, allows leads to schedule meetings, book a table, and more. It's essentially an advanced AI answering service.

Allô stands out as the top choice for these key reasons:

1. Advanced AI capabilities: Allô manages calls, provides transcripts, and enables appointment booking. You can customise the AI agent's voice, messages, and greetings to your preferences.

2. Mobile-centric design: Allô's app works on both iPhone and Android devices. You can control all the settings directly from your smartphone, eliminating the need for desktop access or additional hardware.

3. Versatility: The app is a real multitasker! It handles different types of calls with ease, and when it’s uncertain, it connects callers directly to you.

Allô reviews

Allô has a 4.7/5 rating on the Apple Store, with users praising its impact on productivity.

Pricing

Allô doesn’t have a free plan, but plans are reasonably priced.

The Starter one has all the necessary features for SMEs including unlimited inbound calls, call recording, and AI-generated call summaries. 

• Starter: $19 per number, per month.

• Business: $34.99 per month, for 3 users.

5. Best project management tool: Notion

Why Notion?

Notion is classified as a "project management tool," but the reality is that it's much more versatile. 

It can be used as a lightweight CRM, collaboration platform, and planning tool. You can even use it to build and launch a basic website or use it for personal purposes.

Notion is the king because of its:

• Generous free plan: The free plan is usually enough, even as your company grows. The most exciting thing is that they don't push you for upgrades. 

• All-in-one platform: Notion's got your back for project management – set those deadlines, organise your data, and assign tasks. 

• Big community: Plenty of users are sharing cool templates, handy tutorials, and clever tips to help you make the most of Notion.

Notion reviews

Notion has an average score of 4.7/5 on G2. Reviewers praise the all-in-one solution and its user-friendly interface. 

Pricing

Notion has a best-in-class free plan that fits perfectly for small teams. With this plan, you can integrate with Slack and GitHub, have basic page analytics and automations, and more. 

If you need more, Notion offers paid plans:

• Plus: £8.50 per seat, per month 

• Business: £12 per seat, per month

6. Best CRM: Attio

Why Attio?

If you are a Notion fan, you will love Attio. 

Its user interface is quite similar to Notion, which makes it easy for Notion users to adapt to it. Also, it is highly customisable and very intuitive, so you can tailor your CRM to match your specific workflows and business processes.

We chose Attio because of its:

• User-friendly interface: Much like Notion, this interface is easy to use and highly customisable.

• Real-time collaboration: Attio emphasises real-time collaboration, allowing teams to work together seamlessly within the CRM.

• Data collection: A standout feature of Attio is its automatic contact data enrichment. It aggregates information from various sources, like email interactions and social media, to create up-to-date contact profiles.

• Integrations: While not as extensive as some competitors, Attio offers integrations with popular tools like Slack and Zapier, enabling connection with over 1,000 other apps.

Attio reviews

Attio stands out with a score of 4.8/5 on G2.  Comments highlight its intuitive and highly customisable interface and speed.

Pricing

Attio is generally more affordable compared to some of its competitors, making it an attractive option for small to mid-sized businesses or startups with limited budgets.

For example, its free plan is plenty enough for small businesses looking for an easy-to-use solution for their customer relationship management tool. 

For more advanced needs:

• Plus: £26 per user per month

• Pro: £54 per user per month

• Enterprise: £105 per user per month

7. Best e-signature solution: Docusign

Why Docusign?

Document processes are mainly digital right now, especially after Covid. It's become crucial to find an online tool to send and sign agreements securely.

Docusign is a leading electronic signature tool that offers several advantages for businesses looking to streamline their document processes. 

Docusign is our choice because of its:

• Legally binding signatures: The platform provides legally binding electronic signatures that are compliant with various regulations, ensuring the validity of your agreements.

• Improved security: Docusign offers robust security measures to protect sensitive information during the signing process.

• Integrations: Docusign connects easily with other apps like Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and Workday.

• Mobile-first approach: The platform offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, enabling users to manage and sign documents on the go.

Docusign reviews

Docusign boasts a score of 4.5/5 on G2. Users are commenting about the ease of being able to sign a document electronically and send it to other signatories. 

Pricing

Docusign offers a 30-day free trial.

It also offers a free plan designed for anyone who is signing documents and wishes to keep them stored within the DocuSign system for easy future access. 

Other plans are:

• Personal: £8 per month

• Standard: £20 per month

• Business Pro: £33 per month

8. Best appointment booking tool: Calendly

Finally, we wanted to include Calendly. 

Why Calendly?

Calendly gained popularity thanks to its streamlined meeting scheduling option and user-friendly interface.

The tool offers several advantages for SMEs and individuals looking to simplify their appointment booking processes.

Key features that we love:

• Simple scheduling: Calendly eliminates back-and-forth emails by allowing users to share their availability and let others book appointments directly.

• Integrations: The platform seamlessly integrates with popular calendars like Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud to prevent double bookings.

Customisable: Users can define specific time slots for different types of meetings and personalised booking links.

Calendly reviews

Calendly scores 4.7/5 on G2.  Users commonly share comments about its user-friendly interface and the easy way to communicate with customers by gathering information prior to meetings.

Pricing

Calendly offers a free plan that works perfectly for solo entrepreneurs, CEOs, and managers looking for basic scheduling features, including video conferencing and customisation of booking pages.

They also offer two paid plans:

• Standard: $10 per month, per user, removes Calendly branding and offers more event types.

• Teams: $16 per month, per user, suitable for team management and additional integrations.

Final thoughts

In today's fast-paced business environment, having the right tools can make all the difference for SME owners. We've carefully selected these eight solutions based on versatility, pricing, integrations, ease of use, and mobile accessibility.

From Spendesk's comprehensive expense management to Allô's innovative phone system, each tool addresses specific business needs while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Remember, the key is not to adopt every tool available, but to choose the ones that align with your business goals and integrate well with your existing workflow.

Start with the tools that address your most pressing needs, take advantage of free trials and plans, and scale up as your business grows. By implementing these solutions strategically, you'll be well-equipped to streamline your operations and focus on what matters most – growing your business.