16 Best Small-Business Apps of October 2022

Pros

• First magstripe credit card reader is free; free plan available.
• Transparent, flat swipe fees.
• No fees for early termination, PCI compliance, chargebacks or setup.
• Versions available for retail, restaurants or professional services; offers inventory management, table and menu management, multi-location setup, appointment scheduling and online orders.
• Live support available by phone, instant message or email.
• Subscription fees are generally month-to-month and easy to cancel if needed.

Cons

• Loyalty program and email marketing features cost extra; appointment-booking for more than one person is an additional fee.
• Ability to create and print barcodes isn’t available on free version.

Pros

• Promises no additional transaction fees or markups.
• Restaurant-friendly features for managing tables, inventory and employee performance.
• Multi-location management and the ability to publish different menus and set different prices at different locations.
• Live support available by phone, email or instant message.
• Pay-as-you-go plan with no monthly fee available.

Cons

• Some features, like online ordering and the loyalty program, may cost extra based on the package you choose.
• If you close your account before your contract term ends, you’ll have to pay the remaining subscription and software financing fees.

Pros

• Transparent, flat swipe fees; can also use POS with certain other payment processors if you don’t use the in-house option.
• Promises no complicated or cryptic fees on your statements. (Chargeback fees are $15.)
• A comprehensive inventory management system to keep detailed records of your products across multiple locations and set automatic reorder points so you don't run out.
• The restaurant POS features an adjustable floor plan, easy-to-edit menus, multi-location management and reports showing peak times and employee performance.
• Live support available by phone, instant message or email.

Cons

• No free plans available.
• Loyalty, e-commerce, accounting integrations and analytics features only included on more expensive plans.
• If you cancel your subscription, you’ll immediately owe the remaining installment fees in your plan, if any apply. Prepaid annual and monthly fees are nonrefundable.

Pros

• Inventory management feature allows you to forecast trends and automate reorder points so you don’t run out of stock.
• Unlimited users.
• Ability to add customer profiles and create custom loyalty programs.
• No transaction fees from Vend (though the payment processor you select will charge these fees).
• Live support available by phone or instant message.

Cons

• No free plans available.
• Loyalty program is only available on more expensive plans.
• Payment processing isn’t included, so you’ll have to shop for this separately; however, Vend has some payment processing partners that offer exclusive rates to their clients.
• Prepayments are nonrefundable; if you prepay for a year and don’t use the full term, you can’t get the money back.

Pros

• Easy sharing with accountants or bookkeepers.
• Reconciliation features help automate transaction matching and categorization.
• Very scalable and integrates with more than 650 business apps.
• Offers more than 50 accounting reports in the Simple Start plan and dozens more in higher-tier plans.
• Everyday phone support and 24/7 chat support in all plans.
• Offers paid, in-house bookkeeping support options.

Cons

• Learning curve.
• Expensive compared to the competition.

Pros

• Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
• Easy sharing with accountants or bookkeepers.
• Reconciliation features help automate transaction matching and categorization.
• Scalable; integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
• Offers more than 80 accounting reports in the U.S.

Cons

• No live phone support.
• Limits on bills and invoices with the entry-level plan (five and 20 monthly, respectively).

Pros

• Free.
• Unlimited partners, collaborators and accountants.
• Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
• Simple solution for small, service-based businesses.

Cons

• Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails and a more automated reconciliation process.
• Free plan doesn’t include customer support with a human.
• Offers fewer reports than some competitors.

Pros

• Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
• Easy sharing with accountants or bookkeepers.
• Reconciliation features help automate transaction matching and categorization.
• Email support in free plan; 24/5 phone and chat support in paid plans.

Cons

• Third-party app integrations are more limited than other choices.
• No plan includes more than 15 users.
• Offers fewer reports than some competitors.

Pros

• Benefits administration (401(k)s available in all 50 states; health benefits are available in 37 states and Washington, D.C.).
• Time-tracking features at higher-price tiers (limited at Simple level).
• Certified HR experts available (at the Premium level).
• Free account setup.
• Next-day direct deposit (at Plus and Premium levels).

Cons

• More expensive than some options.
• Limited hours for live support.

Pros

• Benefits administration at all levels.
• Time-tracking features available (Premium and up).
• Next-day direct deposit at Core level (same-day at Premium).
• HR support available (Premium and up).
• The option to choose a 30-day free trial or 50% off base price for first three months; terms apply.
• Easy integration with QuickBooks Online.

Cons

• Limited integration with non-QuickBooks products.
• Additional fees if you have employees in more than one state (Core and Premium).

Pros

• Time tracking available as add-on.
• HR support available as add-on.
• One-month free trial; terms apply.
• Covers up to 100 employees.

Cons

• Doesn't offer benefits administration.
• Extra fee for 1099 e-filing (at Basic level).
• Limited accounting integration options.

Pros

• Benefits administration available as add-on.
• Time-tracking features available as add-on.
• HR features offered at higher tiers, including HR help desk support.
• First three months free; terms apply.
• Ability to scale up for growing businesses.

Cons

• Opaque pricing.
• Limited HR support at base level.

Pros

• Automatic payment reminders.
• Integrates with popular payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal.
• Time-tracking tools, plus project management.
• Converts estimates into invoices.
• Recurring invoices and automatic billing for repeat clients.
• Client portal available.

Cons

• Limits users to 1,000 invoices per year.
• Not designed to accept in-person payments.