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Top 20 Free Tools You Need To Get Your Business Off The Ground In 2024

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Top 20 Free Tools You Need To Get Your Business Off The Ground In 2024

Table of Content

Doing business as a small business owner or solopreneur is not easy. There’s a lot to manage and to be taken care of. However, technology plays a great role in assisting you and making you perform better than your potential.

With the development and growth of the internet and the advent of AI, we now have some pretty solid tools to help conduct business more efficiently and effectively, from marketing to content tools to personal assistants to productivity apps. 

We have curated a list of the best free tools that you can use if you want to do business more efficiently. So, let’s dive right into them.

1. Google Workspace 

(https://workspace.google.com/)

Source: Google

Google Workspace is a collection of cloud computing, productivity, and collaboration tools developed and marketed by Google. It offers a suite of business applications that facilitate communication, collaboration, and productivity for organizations of all sizes.

It includes everything from Google Drive for storage to Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Google Docs, Slides, Calendar, Gmeet, and more. While this entire suite is paid, you can access all these tools separately for free with a Google account. 

Free Features:

  • Gmail access
  • Google Drive with upto 15 GB of storage, including cloud storage for files and collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
  • Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides: Online word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation tools for collaborative work.
  • Google Meet: Video conferencing for virtual meetings and collaboration.
  • Google Calendar: Shared calendars for scheduling and coordinating events.
  • Google Forms: Create surveys and forms to gather information.
  • Google Keep: Note-taking and organization tool.
  • Google Chat: Messaging and collaboration platform for teams.
  • Google Jamboard: A collaborative digital whiteboard for visualizing ideas

2. Notion 

(https://www.notion.so/)

Notion is a digital workspace and collaboration tool that combines various functionalities like note-taking, document creation, project management, and database organization into a single platform.

Its collaborative nature, real-time editing, and commenting facilitate teamwork. The Enhanced Free Plan offers substantial features for personal and small team use. Regular updates showcase a commitment to improvement. Notion's user-friendly interface makes it essential for streamlining workflows and indispensable for individuals and teams.

Free Features:

  • Unlimited Pages: With the free plan, you can create an unlimited number of pages to organize notes, to-do lists, and more.
  • Webpage posting: The free version of Notion allows users to share a page on the web, enabling other Notion users to comment on or edit it collaboratively. 
  • File Uploads: You can upload images, videos, and file attachments up to 5MB each on the free plan. The paid plans offer unlimited file uploads.
  • Collaborative Workspace: The free plan now provides a fully collaborative workspace with a team trial, enabling users to add colleagues and collaborate seamlessly.
  • Version History: Notion's free plan includes version history, allowing you to track changes made to their content.
  • Bulk Export: For backing up or transferring your data\

3. TestimonialDonut (Completely Free with Logo/Branding on Widgets)

(https://testimonialdonut.com/)

No matter which industry you are in, client and customer feedback is essential, and displaying that is even more important. Testimonials build trust and brand in authentic ways and boost sales.

Testimonial Donut simplifies the process of collecting and adding video testimonials to your marketing plan. It has an impressive collection of tools, templates, and strategies for collecting video testimonials. 

The process is simple. You simply register/login, get access to the user-friendly interface, find the link you can share with your customers, friends/family, etc., to submit testimonials in the form of text/videos/Google Reviews, and once they have submitted that, you can find and manage all the content on your dashboard. 

There’s no other business offering free testimonials services the same way that Testimonial Donut does at the moment, and their widget is also quite subtle, so you can easily integrate that on your website without having to worry about your brand getting intruded. 

Free Features:

  • Templates for Various Testimonials: The platform provides templates for Google reviews, written testimonials, and video testimonials, offering versatility in collecting different types of feedback.
  • User-Friendly Dashboard: Upon registering or logging in, ygain access to a user-friendly dashboard where easilymanage and organize all the collected testimonials, providing a seamless experience for testimonial management.
  • Video Recording Tools: Testimonial Donut equips y with video recording tools, enabling the seamless capture of video testimonials for your business.
  • Website Integration: The platform offers a subtle widget that can be seamlessly integrated into your website, ensuring a cohesive brand experience without intrusive elements.

4. Chat GPT 

https://chat.openai.com/

How could we not have included this?! If you’re living under a rock, Chat GPT is an AI-based chatbot and a Large Language Model that you can also use as your own personalized AI assistant. 

For business professionals, ChatGPT is a versatile tool offering support across various business aspects. It aids in idea generation, content creation, strategic planning, problem-solving, and decision support. 

Entrepreneurs can leverage ChatGPT for continuous learning, time management, and preliminary market research. It acts as a supplementary resource, enhancing decision-making and contributing to overall business success.

Free Features:

  • Access to Chat GPT 3.5 
  • Limitless messaging, history, and engagement with Chat GPT
  • Accessibility on iOS, Web, and Android. 
  • Add extensions

5. Canva 

(https://www.canva.com/)

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Canva stands out as an accessible graphic design platform, catering to both individuals and businesses seeking visually appealing content without extensive design skills. 

With an intuitive interface and diverse design elements, you can easily customize templates for various purposes, such as social media graphics and marketing materials. 

Collaboration is simplified with Canva's feature allowing multiple users to work on a design simultaneously, making it particularly valuable for remote teams. 

The platform offers an extensive library of professionally designed templates for different industries, and its mobile accessibility ensures flexibility in designing on a desktop or on the go. 

Free Features:

  • Access to Templates: With a free Canva account, users can access over 250,000 templates.
  • Media Library: The free version includes a media library with 200,000 photos and 57,000 graphic elements.
  • Design Elements: You have access to various design elements for creating graphics, presentations, and more.
  • Limited Brand Kit: Canva's free version offers a basic brand kit that allows you to save colors only.
  • Collaboration: While Canva Pro offers additional collaboration and support options, the free version still allows users to create and collaborate on designs.
  • 5 GB of cloud storage
  • AI-generated descriptive content

6. Asana 

(https://asana.com/)

Asana is a project management platform designed to streamline workflow and foster effective team collaboration. Its core features include organizing tasks into projects and providing a structured approach to managing work. 

The platform facilitates seamless teamwork through collaboration tools, allowing team members to comment on tasks, share files, and stay updated on project developments.

Asana's Timeline view offers a visual representation of project schedules, dependencies, and deadlines, aiding in efficient project planning. Additionally, the platform integrates with calendars, supports automation to streamline repetitive tasks, and provides reporting and analytics tools for data-driven decision-making. 

Asana ensures accessibility across various devices, including desktop and mobile, and offers integration with third-party applications, enhancing its functionality. With its user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature set, Asana has become a favored solution for teams and businesses seeking efficient and collaborative project management.

Free Features:

  • Unlimited Tasks: You can create and manage an unlimited number of tasks.
  • Unlimited Projects: The free plan allows for the creation of an unlimited number of projects.
  • Unlimited Messages: You can communicate and collaborate with team members through unlimited messages.
  • Unlimited Activity Log: The activity log captures and displays all actions within the workspace.
  • File Storage: Asana's free plan includes unlimited file storage, with a limit of 100 MB per file

7. Tawk.to (Completely Free)

(https://www.tawk.to/)

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Tawk.to is a live chat platform connecting businesses with website visitors in real time. It lets you customize the chat widget to match your brand, use automated triggers for proactive engagement, and enjoy file sharing during chats. 

With a mobile app for on-the-go responses and user-friendly analytics, Tawk.to can be the go-to platform for lively and personalized customer interactions.

Free Features:

  • Unlimited Agents: There are no limits to the number of agents you can add to a property. Each agent has their own account, and you can share properties.
  • Real-Time Monitoring: The platform allows you to monitor traffic on your website and be present when visitors need assistance the most.
  • Unlimited Concurrent Chats: Users can answer as many concurrent chats as they wish without any limits.
  • Data Security: The communication between users and their visitors is encrypted over the SHA-256 Secure Socket Layer, and all data is housed on encrypted servers.
  • No Ads: There are no annoying ads within the platform, and user data is not sold or used to promote third-party products

8.Tally.so 

(https://tally.so/)

Tally.so is a powerful and user-friendly online form builder. Users have rated Tally highly, with a score of 4.83 out of 5 based on 180 reviews, indicating its effectiveness and positive reception. 

The software is a game-changer, enabling effortless form creation, input gathering, and pre-filling. It is recognized for its simplicity, making it easy for users to create and manage forms without intricate complexities. 

Free Features:

  • Unlimited Forms and Submissions: Tally provides you with unlimited forms and submissions at no cost.
  • Customization: Customize and design your forms according to their needs.
  • Integration: Integrate your forms seamlessly with other applications.

99% of Tally's features are accessible to everyone for free and without limitations, including forms, submissions, and payment collection.

9. Slack 

(https://slack.com/)

Slack is a team collaboration hub, revolutionizing communication in the workplace. This intuitive platform brings teams together, offering real-time messaging, file sharing, and seamless integration with various tools. 

Slack Launches Redesign to Boost User Productivity - UC Today
Source

You can customize channels to organize discussions by projects, teams, or topics, creating a tailored workspace. With instant messaging and notification features, Slack ensures swift and efficient communication, fostering collaboration regardless of team size or location. Stay connected on the go with the mobile app. 

Slack's versatility extends with integrations, allowing for a smooth workflow and streamlined project management.

Free Features:

  • Single Workspace: The Free plan provides a single Slack workspace for small to medium-sized companies.
  • Message Access: Access to the last 90 days of messages.
  • Up to 10 Apps: The free subscription allows users to connect with up to 10 apps and services.
  • Slack Canvas: Curate content, including text, files, images, videos, and more, using Slack Canvas in the free subscription.

Mailchimp 

(https://mailchimp.com/)

Source

With Mailchimp, you can easily craft, send, and track your email campaigns, complete with cool templates and smart automation tricks. Keep your audience engaged using personalized messaging and automated workflows. 

Manage your contacts effortlessly with handy segmentation tools and get the lowdown on your campaigns with insightful analytics. Plus, Mailchimp plays nice with your website and social media, letting you create landing pages, forms, and ads seamlessly. 

With a mobile app for marketing on the move, Mailchimp brings the fun back into marketing—easy, effective, and oh-so-friendly!

Free Features:

  • Contacts: The Free plan includes up to 500 contacts.
  • Monthly Sends: Lets you send up to 1,000 emails per month.
  • Daily Send Limit: There is a daily send limit of 500 emails.
  • Website Features: The Free plan includes free website features, allowing users to build and publish a website.
  • Overage Charges: Price is subject to additional overage charges beyond the plan limits.

11. Zapier

(https://zapier.com/)

Zapier is a versatile automation tool that can be tailored to your business needs. It simplifies complex workflows by seamlessly integrating various applications, allowing for smooth data transfer and task automation. 

Source

With its user-friendly interface, businesses can create customized automated workflows, or "Zaps," to enhance productivity. This tool is especially beneficial for streamlining repetitive tasks, ensuring that different apps work in harmony. 

Free Features:

  • Limited Zaps: The free plan has limitations on the number of zaps you can create.
  • Single-Step Zaps: Free plan users are limited to single-step zaps, which are simpler automation workflows.
  • App Access: Free plan users have limited access to apps compared to premium plans.

12. Trello 

(https://trello.com/)

Trello transforms the way businesses organize tasks and collaborate on projects. This intuitive platform uses boards, lists, and cards to visualize projects, providing a clear overview of tasks and progress. 

Trello's simplicity belies its powerful capabilities—customize boards, assign tasks, and track updates effortlessly. Perfect for businesses of any size, Trello enhances collaboration by facilitating communication and ensuring everyone stays on the same page.

With a user-friendly interface, integrations with popular apps, and the flexibility to adapt to various workflows, Trello is your trusted partner for efficient project coordination.

Free Features:

  • Unlimited Cards: Create an unlimited number of cards to represent tasks or items within boards.
  • Up to 10 Team Boards: Collaborate on up to 10 team boards, allowing for organized project management.
  • Unlimited Activity Log: Keep track of changes and activities related to cards and boards without limitations.
  • Unlimited Storage: Store files and attachments with unlimited storage capacity.
  • Basic Automation: Access basic automation features to streamline repetitive tasks.
  • Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields to add specific information to cards.
  • Checklists: Create checklists within cards to manage tasks systematically.

13. Google Analytics 

(https://analytics.google.com/)

Google Analytics is an analytics tool that unveils valuable information about your website's performance, so you can track visitor behavior, measure engagement, and gain in-depth insights into your online audience. 

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Google Analytics provides a comprehensive overview of your website's traffic, user demographics, and conversion metrics, empowering businesses to make informed decisions. 

With user-friendly dashboards and customizable reports, it's easy for both seasoned marketers and business newcomers to harness the power of data analytics.

Leverage Google Analytics to understand your audience, refine your online strategy, and optimize your website's performance for a more successful online presence.

Free Features:

  • Understanding Customer Journey: Gain insights into the customer journey to enhance marketing Return on Investment (ROI).
  • Monthly hit limit of 10 million interactions
  • Free and Unlimited App Analytics: For mobile apps, Google Analytics for Firebase offers free and unlimited reporting on up to 500 distinct events, automatically capturing key events and user interactions.
  • 24 Hours Data Freshness
  • 20 custom dimensions and metrics
  • Integration: Integrates with standard Google products like Ads, Adsense, Ad Exchange, and Search Console.
  • Learning Resources: Utilize learning resources like "Google Analytics for Beginners" to understand basic features, create an account, implement tracking code, and analyze reports.

14. Wave 

(https://www.waveapps.com/)

Wave Apps offers a suite of tools to simplify your accounting processes so you can manage your invoices, track expenses, and gain insights into your financial health—all in one place. 

Wave Apps is quite user-friendly, making it accessible for both experienced business owners and those new to financial management. With features like customizable invoicing and easy expense tracking, this platform helps businesses maintain financial clarity. 

Free Features:

  • Expense Tracking: Track income and expenses easily and for free using Wave's accounting software.
  • Personalized invoices: Generate personalized invoices that mirror your distinct brand identity. 
  • Automated Reminders: Utilize automated reminders, taking on the role of the friendly reminder (while we handle the stern ones). 
  • Linking: The app can access credit cards, bank payments, and Apple Pay directly through your invoices.

15. Figma 

(https://www.figma.com/

Figma is more than a design tool; it's a cloud-based platform that enables teams to work together on projects in real time. Figma simplifies the design process from wireframes to prototypes, allowing multiple users to edit and comment simultaneously.

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Its cloud-based nature ensures everyone stays in sync, streamlining the iterative design workflow. This tool benefits seasoned designers and project managers overseeing creative processes. 

Figma facilitates efficient teamwork, allowing teams to iterate on designs, share feedback seamlessly, and enhance the collaborative aspect of the design process.

Free Features:

  • Design Tools: Access to Figma's design tools for creating and editing vector graphics, prototypes, and more.
  • Collaboration: Real-time collaboration allows multiple users to work on a project simultaneously.
  • Cloud Storage: Store and organize design files in the cloud, making them accessible from anywhere.
  • Version History: Track changes and revert to previous versions with Figma's version history feature.
  • Prototyping: Create interactive prototypes to visualize and test design concepts.
  • Developer Handoff: Simplify the handoff process by providing developers with design specifications and assets.
  • Community Access: Explore and use design resources from the Figma Community.

16. Hootsuite

 (https://hootsuite.com/)

Hootsuite is a comprehensive social media management platform designed for businesses seeking efficient online presence management. Hootsuite facilitates the centralized management of various social media accounts, providing a unified dashboard for scheduling posts, monitoring engagements, and analyzing performance metrics. 

This tool is for you if you’re looking to maintain a consistent brand image across different social platforms. With Hootsuite, you can efficiently plan and execute their social media strategies, engage with your audience, and gain insights into the effectiveness of their online efforts.

Free Features:

  • Manage Two Social Accounts
  • Schedule Up to 5 Posts
  • Engagement Calculator

17. Airtable 

(https://airtable.com/)

Airtable is a cloud collaboration service that acts as a hybrid platform, combining the intuitiveness of spreadsheets with the power and functionalities of databases.

Airtable empowers teams, regardless of technical skill, to create custom apps on top of shared data. The platform allows organizations to build purpose-built solutions to support their unique workflows. 

You can store and organize data in a spreadsheet-like format, and it provides features like relational databases and collaborative capabilities. Airtable is recognized for its versatility in managing data and facilitating collaboration within teams.

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Free Features:

  • Unlimited Bases: Create an unlimited number of databases (bases) to organize different sets of data.
  • 1,000 Records per Base
  • Up to 5 Editors: Collaborate with a team of up to five members who can contribute to and edit the data.
  • Basic Views and Fields: Access standard views and fields to visualize and structure your data.
  • 1 Attachment per Record: Attach files, documents, or media to individual records, facilitating comprehensive data storage.
  • Mobile Access: You can access and manage your data on the go with mobile applications.

18. Lastpass

(https://lastpass.com/)

LastPass is a password management service that enables you to store and manage passwords securely. It provides features like transparent security, customer data protection, and zero-knowledge encryption to ensure the safety of users' data and passwords. 

The service offers a free version as well as a premium version with advanced features such as unlimited device type access, one-to-many sharing, 1 GB file storage, a Security Dashboard & Score, and dark web monitoring.

Source

Free Features:

  • Unlimited Passwords
  • Cross-Device Sync: Access passwords seamlessly across multiple devices, ensuring consistent use.
  • Secure Notes: Safely store sensitive information beyond passwords using secure notes.
  • Password Generator: Create strong and unique passwords with LastPass's built-in password generator.
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enhance account security with two-factor authentication for an additional layer of protection.
  • Browser Extension: LastPass provides a browser extension for convenient password management within web browsers.
  • Password Audits: Assess password strength and identify weak or reused passwords with the password audit feature.

19. Grammarly 

https://www.grammarly.com/

Just install Grammarly as a Chrome extension, and you won’t need to worry about grammatical mistakes while writing emails, tweets, social media posts, articles, etc. 

It offers features such as communication assistance, confident writing for individuals and organizations, generative AI for writing support, and more. The core functionality includes fixing grammar mistakes and punctuation errors. The tool is available as an app or browser plugin.

Free Features:

  • Spelling and Grammar Check
  • Basic Writing Suggestions: Offers suggestions to improve sentence structure, word choice, and overall writing clarity.
  • Punctuation Correction
  • Browser Extension
  • Monthly Prompts: Provides a monthly allowance of prompts to utilize Grammarly's generative AI features across different apps and websites.

20. IFTTT

 (https://ifttt.com/)

IFTTT stands for "If This Then That," reflecting its functionality based on conditional statements. It is a versatile platform that enables the integration and automation of various apps, devices, and services. 

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You can create applets (formerly known as recipes) defining triggers and corresponding actions, allowing seamless interactions between different platforms. 

The name IFTTT emphasizes its core concept: if a specific condition is met (this), then perform a designated action (that). For example, an applet could automate saving email attachments to cloud storage.

IFTTT simplifies the complexity of connecting and automating services, making it accessible for you to customize your digital experiences. 

Free Features:

  • Simple No-Code Integrations: Allows you to create simple, no-code integrations known as "Applets."
  • Limited Number of Applets: As of recent updates, there is a limit of 2 Applets for free users.
  • Basic Automation

(Bonus)

21. Calendly

 (https://calendly.com/)

Founded in 2013, Calendly aims to streamline scheduling by eliminating the need for back-and-forth emails and messages. You can set your availability preferences, and others can easily book time slots that suit both parties. The platform offers features such as Workflows, Integrations, Embeds, and advanced security features.

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Free Features:

  • Online appointment scheduling.
  • 1 Calendar Connection
  • One-on-One Event Type
  • Video Conferencing: The free plan provides access to video conferencing capabilities for online meetings.
  • Event Type Customization
  • Meeting Polls: The free plan includes Meeting Polls, facilitating scheduling when multiple participants are involved.
  • Browser Extension Bonuses

22. Pexels (Completely Free)

(https://www.pexels.com/)

Pexels is a provider of high-quality and completely free stock photos and stock footage. Founded in Germany in 2014, Pexels maintains a vast library with over 3.2 million free stock resources. 

All photos on Pexels are not only of high quality but are also licensed under the Pexels license, allowing users to download and use them for free. The platform provides a user-friendly interface, making it easy to search and discover photos based on tags and descriptions.

Pexels is quite useful for crafting pictures in articles, social media posts, websites, emails, newsletters, and other forms of media.

Free Features:

  • Vast Library: Access to a vast library of high-quality stock photos and videos that are free to use.
  • Free Downloads: You can download and use any content from Pexels for free, both for personal and commercial purposes.
  • High-Quality Content: The platform offers high-resolution images and videos, ensuring professional quality for various projects.
  • No Attribution Required: Most of the content on Pexels does not require attribution, providing flexibility for users to utilize the media without giving credit to the creator.
  • Regular Updates: Pexels regularly updates its library with new and diverse content, ensuring a fresh selection for users.
  • Search and Filter Tools: You can easily search for specific content using keywords and apply filters based on orientation, category, and popular searches.

23. Coursera

(https://www.coursera.org/)

Coursera offers many free courses that businessmen, solopreneurs, and freelance professionals could take to upskill themselves. You can also apply for financial aid and get courses for free. 

Source

Free Features:

  • Financial aid for certifications
  • Audio and subtitles available in different languages 
  • Courses from organizations like Stanford, Harvard, IBM, Meta, Google, etc. 

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