Small-business owners might not have enough capital to purchase all the apps and tools that will help their business run smoothly. But they can still access free and open-source software available online. Most free business software covers the minimum requirements of startups and self-employed people. Below is the list of free software tools for your business.

 

1. Google Drive

 

Our first tool among FREE software tools is Google Drive. It provides free access to spreadsheets and word processing. Gmail accounts are required to access the drive. Every user can access 15GB of cloud storage with a free account.

 

Although these tools aren't as robust as Microsoft's suite, they still offer many of the features small businesses need. The documents can be updated in real-time, making it a great choice for companies who collaborate on projects. You can upload and download documents using Drive. This will make it easy to share documents with customers, clients, or partners who use Office.

 

2. LibreOffice

 

LibreOffice, a free open-source office tool, gives users access to word processing and spreadsheets. To avoid computer viruses, it is important to only download the software from the LibreOffice website.

 

LibreOffice offers a solid alternative to Microsoft Office. LibreOffice Writer offers most of the same features as Microsoft Word. LibreOffice Calc has similar features as Excel. However, Microsoft macros and programming languages cannot be imported from Calc into Microsoft Excel. Similar compatibility issues exist with PowerPoint for Impress presentation software.

 

LibreOffice can be a great alternative to Excel files that contain macros or if you don't want to send PowerPoint presentations to people who use PowerPoint.

 

3. Evernote

 

Our third tool among FREE software tools is Evernote. It can be downloaded and used free of charge. It has the following features: word processing, slideshows, note-taking, document storage, and word processing. It allows you to store and organize multiple types of documents in one location.

 

The basic platform costs nothing and allows users to upload 20MB each month. Users can also sync their content across two devices. Although it's a great tool, I wouldn't recommend it to be your only project management software. The free basic plan does not offer robust ways to share documents both internally and externally.

 

4. Trello

 

Members can create unlimited lists, cards, checklists, and project management software Trello in the basic version. Members can upload files up to 10MB in size.

 

Trello's free version has only two major drawbacks. Basic accounts don't have the ability to organize cards and lists into collections, making them more intuitive to use. Users are unable to delete members from groups. The basic account is heavily dependent on the honor system and externally policing how people interact with it. You might consider investing in a paid organization and project management tool as your company grows. Let us hop on to our next FREE Software tools.

 

5. Prezi

 

Prezi online presentation software. An account that is basic and free allows users to create unlimited presentations but does not offer any other options such as offline sync or privacy controls.

 

Even though the tool is limited in scope, it's worth looking at because the presentation possibilities aren�t your typical slideshows. Large slides are used to present presentations. This gives the presenter smart capabilities such as zooming in on specific details.

 

6. Buffer

 

Buffer can be used as a marketing tool and social media management platform. Buffer accounts are free and allow users to manage three social media accounts simultaneously. Each account can contain 10 posts in the Schedule Queue.

This plan is not recommended for individuals or businesses that don't heavily rely on preplanning large numbers of social media posts. Unfortunately, the free plan does not allow users to access valuable analytics data that can be used to target social campaigns more precisely. It can still be useful for freelancers and small businesses, despite the restrictions. Loving this collection of software tools? Keep Reading...

 

7. SurveyMonkey or Google Forms

 

SurveyMonkey allows you to create surveys. Individuals can create a 10-question survey with the free version. Each survey can contain up to 100 answers. Which one should you choose, Survey Monkey or Google Forms? While Survey Monkey is more visually pleasing, Google Forms allows the survey to include more than 10 questions. If you frequently create lengthy surveys, I recommend Google Forms.

 

8. Wix

 

Wix allows you to design and build high-quality websites. Wix is a great tool for promoting your business and showcasing your work. Wix offers a drag-and-drop website builder that allows you to create small websites. There are hundreds of templates that you can choose from. Wix offers both paid and free web hosting. You can add additional functionality to your Wix website, such as photo galleries and e-commerce through the App Market.

 

9. ProfitBooks

 

ProfitBooks, free and growing accounting software that is easy to use, is fast-growing. You can create beautiful invoices, track expenses, and manage inventory with no accounting knowledge.

 

ProfitBooks accounting software allows you to create professional estimates and invoices, track outstanding payments, and much more with just a few clicks. ProfitBooks is able to manage all aspects of your business, including manufacturing, distribution, selling, servicing, and inventory management. It's easy to share transaction data with your accountant. This allows you to see what's happening with your business and make better decisions.

10. Zoom

 

Zoom is a cloud-based platform that allows for audio and video conferencing, chat and webinars. The free accounts allow unlimited one-on-1 meetings as well as group video conferences that last no more than 40 minutes each and can be attended by up to 100 people. SSL and AES256-bit encryption are used to secure all video calls.

 

Zoom's active speaker view is a unique feature. This dynamic technology shifts the video feed to the speaker at the moment. This eliminates the need for active video management. Zoom's free version lacks reporting capabilities. You can't see how many meetings you have in your organization, or how many people are there.

 

Zoom's free version is ideal for coaches and consultants who need to conduct one-on-one video meetings. You can share your computer screen during video meetings to teach and demonstrate. Your screen can be recorded for later viewing or listening by the client. You can also send links to Zoom's chat feature during the meeting.

 

11. Slack

 

Slack's main feature serves as an interface for team chats and collaboration. You can also make one-on-1 voice and video calls with the free version. It has 5GB file storage and lets you search through the history of 10,000 messages.

 

12. Audacity

 

Audacity, an open-source audio editing program, can be downloaded for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The official Audacity webpage is the only place to download the software.

 

Audacity lets users import and records audio files. After audio files have been uploaded or recorded, you can combine them and edit them. If a freelancer or business uses the software to create audio content, I recommend that they consult one of the many video guides on YouTube. Inexperienced recorders can be given tips by experts who might be able to save them hours of work.

 

13. Canva

 

Canva allows businesses and freelancers to create featured images or graphs that they can use on their blogs, websites, and promotional materials. Canva is available online and can be downloaded on many smartphones and tablets.

Canva accounts are free and offer 1GB storage. This account also gives access to up to 10 people in your team to the software. A guide can be used by novice image editors to simplify the process of photo editing. Canva allows users to upload images and purchase images. Canva is a great alternative to GIMP for photo editing.

 

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