Free option$8/month
An AI helper you can chat with. It can answer business questions, explain new things, look things up, write first drafts and help you think.
View details ChatGPTFounder Tools
Start free. Upgrade when you hit the wall.
Every tool we recommend, grouped by the kind of work it helps with. Most have a free plan. Start there, and move up one plan only when you keep using up its limits.
Find tools by kind of work
Pick the kind of work in front of you. Each one opens the full list at that spot.
- AI Assistants7 tools
- Business Formation & Legal5 tools
- Domains4 tools
- AI Website & App Builders5 tools
- Website Hosting3 tools
- Business Email & Productivity3 tools
- Banking3 tools
- Accounting & Bookkeeping3 tools
- Payments & Invoicing3 tools
- CRM & Customer Management4 tools
- Marketing5 tools
- Email Marketing4 tools
- Social Media4 tools
- Design & Creative3 tools
- Scheduling & Appointments3 tools
- Project & Task Management4 tools
- Documents & Knowledge Management2 tools
- Automation4 tools
- Customer Support3 tools
- Analytics & Reporting4 tools
- Security & Password Management2 tools
- Developer & Technical Tools1 tool
- E-commerce & Digital Product Sales3 tools
- Online Meetings & Communication2 tools
- Hiring & Payroll3 tools
- Sales Tools2 tools
AI Assistants
Claude
by Anthropic
Free option$20/month
An AI helper you can chat with. It can think through business questions, read your documents, write first drafts and check your work.
View details ClaudeFree option$4.99/month
Google's AI helper. It can look things up, write first drafts and help you think, and it works with other Google apps.
View details GeminiFree option$9.99/month
Microsoft's AI helper. You can chat with it on its own, or use it inside Word, Excel and Outlook.
View details Microsoft Copilot
Perplexity
by Perplexity
Free option$20/month
An AI helper for looking things up. It answers your question and shows the websites it got the answer from.
View details Perplexity
Free option$30/month
xAI's AI helper for looking things up, writing and asking about what is happening right now. It is also built into X.
View details Grok
Comes with SuperGrok Plus
xAI's AI helpers, called Bots. Each one gets its own computer online and keeps working on a task for you, even after you close the app.
View details Grok BotBusiness Formation & Legal
$0 + state fee
A company that can file the papers to set up your business for you, if you'd rather not do it yourself.
View details BizeeZenBusiness
by ZenBusiness
$0 + state fees
A company that helps you file the papers to set up your business. It also sells other services you may need later.
View details ZenBusinessNorthwest Registered Agent
by Northwest Registered Agent
$39 + state fees
A company that can set up your business and act as your registered agent (the official address that gets legal mail for your business).
View details Northwest Registered AgentLegalZoom
by LegalZoom
$0 + state filing fees
A company that helps with setting up your business and other common legal papers.
View details LegalZoom
Rocket Lawyer
by Rocket Lawyer
Free trial$149/year Standard
A website for common legal papers, like contracts, with lawyers you can ask for help.
View details Rocket LawyerDomains
$10.46 .com first year
A place to buy your website name (domain) at close to cost. Good if you also use Cloudflare for your website.
View details Cloudflare Registrar$11.25 .com first year
A place to buy your website name (domain). Easiest if your website already runs on Vercel.
View details Vercel DomainsNamecheap
by Namecheap
$11.28 .com first year
A place to buy and look after your website name (domain).
View details Namecheap.com $11.81 first year
Another simple place to buy and look after your website name (domain).
View details PorkbunAI Website & App Builders
Free option$10/month
A website builder. You drag and drop to make a good-looking page or simple site without writing code.
View details Framerv0
by Vercel
Free option$30/user/month
An AI builder. You describe the page or app you want, and it makes it. Then you ask for changes.
View details v0Free option$25/month
An AI builder that turns your idea into a working website or app quickly.
View details BoltFree option$18/month
An online place to build and test apps, with AI that helps write the code.
View details Replit
Free option$8/month
An AI code editor. It helps you write, change and understand the code behind a website or app.
View details CursorWebsite Hosting
Free option$20/month
A place to put your website or app online so people can visit it.
View details VercelCloudflare
by Cloudflare
Free option$20/month
A big set of website tools: it can put your site online, make it load fast and help keep it safe.
View details CloudflareFree option$9/month
A place to put your website or app online so people can visit it.
View details NetlifyBusiness Email & Productivity
Free trial$7/user/month
Business email with your own name, plus Google's calendar, file storage, Docs, Sheets and video calls.
View details Google WorkspaceFree trial$7/user/month
Business email with your own name, plus Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, file storage and Teams.
View details Microsoft 365Free option$1/user/month
Business email and office apps from Zoho. Another choice instead of Google or Microsoft.
View details Zoho WorkplaceBanking
Free option$0/month base account
An online bank for businesses. It gives you a separate place to keep and manage the business's money.
View details MercuryFree option$0/month
An online bank for small businesses. It helps you sort your business money into separate accounts.
View details RelayBluevine
by Bluevine
Free option$0/month
An online bank for businesses. Worth a look when you compare business bank accounts.
View details BluevineAccounting & Bookkeeping
Free option$38/month
Online bookkeeping. It keeps track of the money coming in and going out, and makes reports for tax time.
View details QuickBooks OnlineFree option$19/month
Simple bookkeeping and invoices for small businesses. An easy place to start.
View details WaveFree trial$27/month
Online bookkeeping for tracking money in and out, sending invoices and making reports.
View details XeroPayments & Invoicing
Free option2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card charge
A way to take card payments online, on your website or app.
View details StripeSquare
by Block / Square
Free option3.3% + 30¢ per online card sale on Free plan
A way to take payments in person, online or by invoice. Good for small shops and service businesses.
View details SquareFree option2.99% + 49¢ per standard credit/debit card transaction
A well-known way to pay online. It gives your customers one more way to pay you.
View details PayPalCRM & Customer Management
Free option$20/seat/month
A customer list tool (CRM). It keeps track of your customers, people who might buy, your talks with them and what to do next.
View details HubSpotPipedrive
by Pipedrive
Free trial$14/seat/month
A sales tool (CRM). It shows every possible sale and the next step for each one.
View details PipedriveFree trial$29/month
A tool for service businesses. It handles quotes, scheduling jobs, invoices and follow-ups in one place.
View details JobberFree option$14/user/month
A customer list tool (CRM). A good fit if you already use other Zoho apps.
View details Zoho CRMMarketing
Free option
A free Google tool that shows what people are searching for, and how that changes over time and by place.
View details Google TrendsAnswerThePublic
by AnswerThePublic
Free option$10/month
A tool that shows the questions people type into search about a topic.
View details AnswerThePublic$139.95/month
A big tool for showing up higher in Google search and seeing what other businesses do. Only worth paying for once search really matters to you.
View details SemrushFree option$29/month
A big tool for showing up higher in Google search. Only worth paying for once search really matters to you.
View details Ahrefs
Free option
Google's free tool that shows how people find your website in Google search.
View details Google Search ConsoleEmail Marketing
Free option$33/month
An email newsletter tool, made for creators and people building an audience.
View details KitMailerLite
by MailerLite
Free option$12/month
An email newsletter tool. It keeps your list of email sign-ups and can send simple follow-up emails for you.
View details MailerLiteFree option$9/month
An email tool for newsletters and other messages to your customers.
View details BrevoMailchimp
by Intuit Mailchimp
Free option$13/month
A well-known email newsletter tool. It keeps your contact list and sends your emails.
View details MailchimpSocial Media
Free option$5/channel/month
A tool to plan your social media posts and send them out on a schedule.
View details BufferFree trial$18.75/month
A tool to plan and schedule social media posts. Good for picture-heavy sites like Instagram.
View details LaterMetricool
by Metricool
Free option$20/month
A social media tool for when you post often. It schedules posts and shows you what's working.
View details MetricoolHootsuite
by Hootsuite
Free trial$99/user/month
A big social media tool for teams. It helps several people plan, approve and track posts.
View details HootsuiteDesign & Creative
Free option$144/year
An easy design tool for social posts, flyers, logos and more. No design skills needed.
View details CanvaFree option$9.99/month
Adobe's easy design tool for everyday business pictures and graphics.
View details Adobe ExpressFree option$16/full seat/month
A design tool for planning how a website or app will look, alone or with others.
View details FigmaScheduling & Appointments
Calendly
by Calendly
Free option$10/seat/month
A booking link. People pick a time that works for both of you, so you skip the back-and-forth emails.
View details CalendlyFree option$49/month per location
Online booking that also takes payment. Good when customers book and pay for a time slot.
View details Square AppointmentsFree option$12/user/month
A booking link tool you can change to fit how you work, including for more technical setups.
View details Cal.comProject & Task Management
Trello
by Atlassian
Free option$5/user/month
A simple board of cards for your to-do list. It keeps repeat work easy to see.
View details TrelloFree option$10/member/month
One place for your business notes, lists, documents and simple tables.
View details NotionFree option$10.99/user/month
A tool for projects and repeat work. It shows who is doing what, and when.
View details AsanaFree option$9/user/month
A tool for tasks, projects and notes that you can set up many different ways.
View details ClickUpDocuments & Knowledge Management
Free option$4/user/month
A place to store code and keep track of every change to it.
View details GitHubConfluence
by Atlassian
Free optionAbout $6.40/user/month
A shared place to write down how things are done, so your team can find it later.
View details ConfluenceAutomation
Free option$19.99/month
A tool that connects your apps, so when something happens in one, another app does a job for you.
View details ZapierFree option$10.59/month
A tool that connects your apps step by step, using a picture of how the steps link up.
View details MakeFree optionEUR 20/month
A tool that connects your apps and AI. It gives you a lot of control, but it's more technical.
View details n8nFree trial$15/user/month
Microsoft's tool for making repeat jobs happen on their own, across Microsoft apps and some others.
View details Microsoft Power AutomateCustomer Support
Help Scout
by Help Scout
Free option$25/user/month
A shared inbox for customer questions. It keeps support emails more organized than your own inbox.
View details Help ScoutIntercom
by Intercom
Free trial$29/seat/month
A customer chat and help tool, mostly for businesses that sell apps or software.
View details IntercomFree trial$19/agent/month
A big customer help tool for when a team needs to sort, pass on and track customer questions.
View details ZendeskAnalytics & Reporting
Free option
Google's free tool that shows how many people visit your website and what they do there.
View details Google AnalyticsFree option
A free tool that shows how people use your website pages, with recordings and maps of where they click.
View details Microsoft ClarityFree option$0/month to start
A tool that shows what people do inside your app, for businesses that make software.
View details PostHogFree option$9/user/project/month
Google's free tool for turning your numbers into charts and reports.
View details Looker StudioSecurity & Password Management
1Password
by 1Password
Free trial$3.99/month
A password manager. It makes and remembers a strong, different password for each account.
View details 1PasswordBitwarden
by Bitwarden
Free option$1.65/month
A password manager. It makes and remembers a strong, different password for each account.
View details BitwardenDeveloper & Technical Tools
Supabase
by Supabase
Free option$25/month Pro
The behind-the-scenes part of an app: it stores your data, handles sign-ins and keeps files.
View details SupabaseE-commerce & Digital Product Sales
Free option10% + 50¢ per sale
A simple way to sell a digital product, like an ebook or a course, without building your own online store.
View details GumroadLemon Squeezy
by Lemon Squeezy
Free option5% + 50¢ per transaction
A simple way to sell software and digital products and get paid.
View details Lemon SqueezyFree trial$39/month Basic
A tool to build and run an online store, with products, checkout and orders.
View details ShopifyOnline Meetings & Communication
Slack
by Slack / Salesforce
Free option$7.25/user/month
Group chat for a team, with channels for each topic and private messages.
View details SlackFree option$14.16/user/month
Video calls with customers, partners or your team.
View details ZoomHiring & Payroll
$35/month base + $6/person/month
Payroll for when you pay workers on a regular schedule. It also handles the tax forms.
View details Gusto$49/contractor/month
Payroll and contracts for paying workers or helpers, including people in other countries.
View details DeelRippling
by Rippling
$8/employee/month plus a monthly base fee
One place to manage hiring, payroll and staff tools as your team grows.
View details RipplingSales Tools
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
by LinkedIn / Microsoft
Free trial$119.99/month
A LinkedIn tool for finding people and companies who might buy from you.
View details LinkedIn Sales NavigatorFree option$49/user/month
A sales tool for finding business contacts and reaching out to them. Best once you know who you're trying to reach and how.
View details ApolloPrices were checked on 2026-11-02 and can change. Always confirm on the company's website before you pay. Some links may earn us a commission. Free options are always listed first.