15 Best Small Business Productivity Apps

It can be quite hard to run a small business as you have to take care of several tasks. In fact, it requires multitasking that can leave people overwhelmed and result in delays and errors.

The best way to reduce the risk and ensure deadlines are met is to automate processes by turning to reliable business productivity apps. These apps can make it easy for businesses to stay focused, sane, and organized even through the most complex of challenges.

With the best business apps by your side, you will be able to create a centralized place to ensure you get things done in an efficient manner.

These apps for business productivity can do a variety of things including day-to-day tasks while offering you more time to focus on other duties such as taking care of your customers and growing your business.

How to Find Best Productivity Apps

This is an important topic since there are thousands of productivity apps out there and while they all claim to be the ‘best’, not all might be suitable for you.

Going through so many business apps can be tiring, especially if you do not know what to look for. You will never be able to find the right app if you do not know what you are looking for.

One app might not be able to do it all. Some excel at time management, some make collaboration easy, and some are designed to make invoices simpler. Most organizations will need all these tools, hence it isn’t uncommon for businesses to use multiple productivity apps at the same time.

To help you, we have covered some of the best apps for business productivity. Go through these and pick apps for business productivity that your small business needs:

#1 Billdu

Invoicing is an integral part of any business. You need invoices to get paid, file taxes, and keep a record of your transactions. Billdu is also among the excellent invoicing apps for tradies tailored to their specific business needs.

The average small business takes around 25 days to process an invoice manually. The process is not only slow but also tiring as it can result in late payments, missed discounts, high processing costs, and many more issues.

You can solve this problem by using an invoice management tool like Billdu that doesn’t only improve productivity but also offers several other benefits including faster payments and improved cash flow.

Designed for small businesses, the software comes with a free 30-day trial that requires no credit card. The software comes with pre-built templates that help save time.

You can use it to not only create and send invoices but also to accept PayPal and card payments, send reminders, and organize expenses.

#2 Asana

Asana is a project management app that makes it to the list of almost every best productivity apps list. Its aim is to help teams stay focused on projects, deadlines, and goals.

The tool comes with excellent integration tools with a deadline schedule that ensures you and your team are never late on projects.

Known to be easy to use, the project allows users to create projects, set individual or team goals, and then manage the process.

The program works on all devices and can be a great option for users looking to make task management easier. With this program, you will be able to create different boards and change progress status accordingly.

Asana is known to offer some tools that make it easy to visualize timelines so you can know exactly where you stand in your project.

Marketed as a project management tool, Asana provides business owners with the ability to manage goals and tasks in one place. It works with most other similar tools like G Suite, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.

In addition to exploring Asana as a project management solution, it is beneficial to consider alternative options that align with your specific requirements. Evaluating different tools can provide a broader perspective and help you find the most suitable alternative for your teams.

You can start with a free plan that comes with limited features. The paid plan starts as low as $10.99 per month billed annually.

#3 RingCentral

A cloud-based all-in-one communication platform, RingCentral gives users the option to send messages, have phone calls, and enjoy video conferencing in one app.

Known to be secure, the tool can be a great pick for users interested in privacy and security. With this tool, you will have no difficulty connecting with your customers, team, and prospects over the internet.

The app works on both computers and smartphones and offers excellent voice quality. This allows businesses to reduce expenses by eliminating the need for expensive office equipment. Moreover, it can help improve loyalty and business image as the use of technology gives the impression that you are serious about work.

The company can make you more productive by reducing the need to switch between multiple apps. It unifies communication so that employees don’t have to keep toggling between different apps. This makes it one of the best apps for business productivity.

RingCentral also has a VoIP Service, known for its feature-rich communications solutions that streamline business operations and improve customer interactions. Discover the best VoIP phone services that can improve your communication capabilities while saving you money on traditional phone bills.

You can start with a demo or get your hands on one of the paid plans starting as low as $19.99 per month.

#4 Google Drive

Google Drive needs no introduction since it’s associated with one of the most trustable names, Google. Known as the best free file sharing platform, Google Drive offers several other features including document collaboration and file storage.

The best thing about Google Drive is that it comes with 15 GB of free space, which is more than what competitors such as Dropbox offer for free. Those who want more can opt for a paid plan and buy more storage space, which can also serve as a means to deal with potential storage issues on your computer.

Don’t, however, stop at just space and take full advantage of what the platform has to offer including Sheets, Slides, and Docs. With this tool, you’ll be able to get rid of traditional Microsoft Office programs and get more features.

Google Drive makes it easy to collaborate as it gives users the option to share files with others and even leave comments or make changes as permitted.

It keeps a record of all changes, which makes it easy to keep tabs on projects. With this tool, you will not have to keep sending or attaching documents to your emails as one link will do it all.

The tool comes with some cool Sync and Backup features that ensure you never lose your files as they’re automatically stored. All these features come for free and you only need a Gmail account to access these.

#5 Evernote

If you search for productivity apps, you will come across Evernote, a tool that lets you save pictures, links, articles, screenshots, write-ups, and even travel documents. Unlike most productivity apps on this list, Evernote isn’t solely designed for small businesses and can also be used by individuals.

The concept behind this program is simple, to ensure you don’t miss out on important ideas and have the tools necessary to note them. The program lets you take notes along the way and makes things easier with features like annotation, markup, email notifications, search options, audio recording, geo-location, and reminders.

With this tool, you will not have to worry about keeping an eye on things as reminders are timely and can be sent in the form of emails. We also liked the search feature as it lets you search for what you need in just a second.

The program works on both web and mobile and offers single storage for online resources. You can use the program by getting your hands on the free version; however, paid plans start as low as $7.99 per month per user.

While it’s a great productivity tool, we must mention that it might not be suitable for all kinds of businesses. Consider this one if your job involves a lot of note taking.

#6 Expensify

Expensify is one of the best business apps for people looking to make it easy to track and note expenses. It works on both iOS and Android devices and comes with the ability to scan receipts and track mileage.

It can be a great pick for people with international clients as the tool can convert currencies, thus saving you time and trouble. There are plans for both companies and individuals starting as low as $4.99 per month.

Pricing depends on tracking and scanning capabilities. You can save money by signing up for the long-term.

#7 Tmetric

Those looking for the best free business app can try Tmetric, a simple solution that makes it easy to log work hours. With this tool, you’ll be able to measure productivity.

While there is a free plan, we must mention that it comes with basic functionality for analyzing data, time tracking, and project management. The free plan lets users manage up to five users. You’ll need to upgrade to be able to handle bigger teams and enjoy more features such as payroll, time off management, and screenshot capturing.

The paid plan starts as low as $5 per month. You can use the web version of the tool or download it on your mobile device, computer. Moreover, there’s also a browser plugin.

The tool is available in multiple languages including English, Russian, and German. This makes it perfect for international users. Plus, it’s very intuitive and easy to use with the option to integrate with most project and task management systems for better activity and time tracking.

#8 Canva

Canva isn’t found on most productivity apps lists as it is more of a visual communication tool; however, it deserves a mention due to how feature-rich it is.

Those who work in the graphics department can understand how beneficial this tool can be. Designing a simple logo or writing text over pictures can take a lot of time. This app makes such tasks easier by giving users the option to choose from multiple fonts, templates, and designs so you can create content in no time.

Despite all this, the tool is free to use for individual users. However, for business purposes, get ready to shell out at least $12.95 per month.

It’s simple, easy, yet highly beneficial with the ability to create compelling designs in no time.

Said to be suitable for beginners, the tool can be used by pros as well. Some of its defining features include design grids, charts, badges and stickers, and photo frames.

#9 Zapier

Few productivity apps are as fun and beneficial as this one. It has one purpose – to connect apps that you use for your business. While it supports a number of business apps, it appears more focused on online applications.

Some of the top names it supports include Gmail, Slack, and Dropbox. The tool can be a great time saver and is best for people who switch between a number of business apps. With this tool, you will be able to create workflows across several platforms.

Like most productivity apps discussed here, this one is free to use with some paid plans starting as low as $19.99 per month.

#10 Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a free scheduling app that makes it easy to schedule appointments. The tool can be a great pick for service providers such as dentists and lawyers. With this tool by your side, you will not have to rely on humans to schedule appointments and ensure slots are filled nearly.

It can reduce the need to send perpetual back and forth emails and send reminders or follow-ups via SMS or email to ensure your clients do not miss out on their appointments.

With this tool, you will be able to control your availability 24/7 as it works like a personal assistant and can even organize client information on your behalf.

While the basic tool is free to use, the company has some paid plans that come with advanced features. The cheapest plan starts as low as $14 per month.

#11 Focus@will

Focus@will is a focusing app that builds a sound profile based on your work. It is based on the theory that music can help you focus and stay productive.

The tool contains a collection of productive music that has been proven to be beneficial. The program chooses music based on your personality, work approach, and general work behavior.

Said to be one of the apps for business productivity, this service is suitable for people who work around a lot of distractions and find it difficult to focus on work. The paid app starts as low as $52.49 per year with the option to buy a lifetime license for $224.99.

#12 RescueTime

RescueTime is one of the best business apps designed to save time by allowing users to stay on track. Considered one of the top business apps, it comes with a central dashboard that can be set to yearly, weekly, or daily.

The best thing about this app is that it lets you track time spent offline as well as online. With this app, you will be able to create goals and see how close you are to achieving them and what needs to change to be more productive.

Those who want to remain productive can set notifications and alerts for goals reached. This trick can help people stay motivated. Moreover, there is also the option to block distracting websites to stay focused.

The tool comes with a free plan with the option to update for as low as $4.50 per month.

#13 Apploye

Apploye time tracking app is being used by numerous businesses to track their time, handle payroll, bill clients, document hours spent on various projects, monitor online timesheets, and run effective teams. You won’t have to worry about staff not reporting for work, wasting time, billing errors, chaotic project management, or improper payroll when you use Apploye TimeTrack Software.

Remote tracking feature of Apploye allows you to monitor screenshots, apps and URL usage of your employee.

Being one of the established market leaders in the time tracking app space, Apploye has excelled in a number of areas to win over business owners that value efficient processes, accurate timekeeping, and automatic worker monitoring.

Apploye provides four different pricing plans and you can always have trial free for 10 days before you grab a plan.

#14 Image To Text

When we talk about productivity apps, Imagetotext.info plays a key role for small businesses in managing documents. However, a tool to copy text from image is actually quite helpful for productivity.

Those who have to work with documents on a daily basis can appreciate this tool. There are many documents in a workplace that exist only as hard copies such as reports, receipts, invoices, and ID documents. However, in the modern day, most records are digital.

By using this Image To Text tool, people can automate the task of extracting the text from the image of a hard-form document and converting it into a digital format. This allows them to edit and save the documents in digital record rooms. Without a tool to copy text from the image, people had to manually transcribe documents into a digital format.  

This online converter lets them extract text from the images and then can edit them to make necessary changes in the converted file without any hassle. That is a very time-taking task but it can be sped up by using an image-to-text converter. It is free to use and supports multiple image inputs for faster extraction. It is quite suitable for beginners and pros alike.

#15 ChatSonic

ChatSonic chrome extension is the ultimate productivity tool for Chrome users. It is an advanced ChatGPT-like Chrome extension designed to save you time and effort, and increase your productivity. With real-time data, voice command integration, and AI art generator capabilities, ChatSonic is the perfect extension for professionals who want to streamline their workflow and improve their output. 

With ChatSonic, you can write from anywhere, get content suggestions without scouring the internet, generate summaries of long email threads, compose new LinkedIn posts, and generate ice-breakers to start a new conversation. The extension can also be used to boost productivity on social media and the web. 

ChatSonic is trusted by over a million marketing teams, agencies, and startups, and is the perfect productivity tool for anyone looking to get ahead. 

Apps for Business Productivity: Conclusion

These were some of the best business apps out there. Consider these if you are looking for apps for business productivity. While they all differ in terms of features, the aim of these best business apps is to help you save time and be more productive.

If you are looking for some extra productivity tools and apps we recommend taking a look at these 10:
1. Notion
2. Todoist
3. TickTick
4. Chanty
5. Harvest
6. Monitask
7. Loom
8. Twist
9. Cold Turkey Blocker
10. Hive