free business plan software download

Business Plan Templates

Free Download

2 Essential Templates For Starting Your Business. Available as an interactive PDF or a Google Docs template.

With this business plan template, you'll be able to:

• Write a company description that sells your story
• Plan for the future: lay out goals and metrics for success
• Describe your product line in detail and plan for how to stand out from competitors
• Consider any legal formalities that require attention when starting your business
• Put together necessary financial projections to make a strong start
• Create your buyer persona and determine your product/marketing fit

Build A Business Plan That Works

Available as a one-page interactive PDF and a full template on both Google Docs and Microsoft Word!

Whether you’re starting a business or drafting a formalized document with  your current business goals, it’s important to clearly defi ne the scope of all aspects of the venture — from mission, to target customers, to fi nances, and beyond.

When just starting out, it can be tempting to think of a business plan as simply your company’s name and a description of your product or service. But in reality, planning a business involves thinking through a lot more details.

In this business plan template we’ll guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and fi nancial logistics. We've included a  plain text, designed , and  completed example version of this template. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you write a business plan.

A business plan is a formal written document that you can use to identify the purpose of your company, make important decisions about your future and help grow your company. HubSpot's free business plan templates provides guidance to establishing your company mission, customer research, competition, and a business strategy to profitability.

Why do I need to fill out the information requested?

We will always keep your personal information safe..

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Where can I get a free business plan template?

HubSpot's Free Business Plan Templates are the best way to create a professional, thorough business plan. The templates include instructions and everything you need to know about starting your company.

Is this really free?

Absolutely.

Just sharing some free knowledge that we hope you’ll find useful. Keep us in mind next time you have marketing questions!

What are the basic format of a business plan?

A business plan is a written document that outlines the company's goals, strategy and implementation. The format of the plan varies depending on the type of organization (e.g., for-profit or nonprofit) and size, but most plans share some common features such as an overview, executive summary, and financial information.

What is the best business plan template?

A great business plan template clearly defines the scope of the venture -- from mission, to target customers, to finances, and beyond. HubSpot's business plan template will guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and financial logistics.

What is needed to start a business?

If you're thinking about starting a business, you'll need to do some research first. You can't just start a business without doing any market research. Market research will tell you if there's an opportunity to turn your idea into a successful business. After that, write your business plan so that you know how much money and time it will take for the project to succeed. Use HubSpot's free business plan template today!

Set yourself up for success with this business plan template

Download the free business plan template.

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5 Best Business Plan Software in 2022

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When you’re starting a business, developing a strong business plan will be one of the first steps you take. Your business plan will cover everything from a detailed explanation of your products or services and pricing model to at least three years of financial projections—plus much more. Therefore, whether you’re not sure how to get started or you’re just looking to make the process easier, you may want to turn to business plan software for help.

In this guide, we'll break down five of the best business plan software options—discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more—so you have all the information you need to decide which solution is right for your small business.

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Tell us where you're at in your business journey, and we'll direct you to the experience that fits.

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The 5 best business plan software options

The right business plan software will make the process of writing your business plan much simpler. Like many business software solutions, however, there are a number of different business plan software options out there—each of which has a unique set of features, user experience, and price.

This being said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, you can explore the five top options below:

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

1. LivePlan

Best overall business plan software.

If you want template-rich, modern-feeling business plan software, then LivePlan may be the right pick for you. LivePlan excels with their user interface, which feels updated and slick, and also offers intuitive, easy-to-use features and options.

Their step-by-step instruction will help you kick things off from the beginning, and you can take advantage of their online learning center to continue to gain business skills.

Affordable plans, including pay-as-you-go option

No long-term contracts or cancellation fee; 60-day money-back guarantee

Modern, intuitive interface; cloud-based, can be used on Mac, PC, as well as tablets

Ability to create unlimited plans in one account; over 500 customizable templates

Variety of business resources including video tutorials, step-by-step instruction, and general customer support

Limited integration options

Challenging to enter your own financial modeling projections

Can be difficult to learn

Ability to create an unlimited number of business plans on one account

More than 500 business plan templates spanning various industries

Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online

Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integrations

Ability to export your business plan to Word or PDF

Expert advice and step-by-step instruction included

Performance dashboards for tracking against budgets and sales goals

Ability to create and export a one-page pitch executive summary

Annual plan: $15 per month, billed every 12 months

Six-month plan: $18 per month, billed every six months

Pay-as-you-go plan: $20 per month, billed once every month

2. GoSmallBiz

Best for multiple business management tools in one platform.

Next on our list of the best business plan software options is GoSmallBiz, which is much more than just a business plan software. With GoSmallBiz, you have access to business continuity planning software with features that cover creating a roadmap, working through business and legal forms, building a website, and more.

In this way, GoSmallBiz is great for startups or newer businesses looking to access multiple business management tools through one platform.

Unlimited business consultation and extensive library of online resources

Multiple business tools in one software

Website consultation analysis and business assessment

Industry-specific business plan templates with emphasis on financial projections and statements

Expensive monthly cost compared to alternatives

Limited business plan features

Entire business plan can only be exported to Microsoft Word

Outdated interface

Industry-specific business plan templates with step-by-step building wizard

Ability to create financial statements and projections

Free website hosting and website builder

Customer relationship manager with integration with MailChimp

Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integrations

HR document builder

Corporate minutes writer

Business documents library

Business courses library

Unlimited business consultation

$39 per month, no contracts, free cancellation

Best for simple, fast business plan creation.

If you're looking for free business plan software, Enloop will be one of your closest options—they offer an all-inclusive seven-day free trial, no credit card required. Additionally, unlike some of the other options on our list, Enloop is strictly dedicated to business plan creation, including automated text writing, financial forecast comparisons, and a real-time performance score that tracks your progress.

This being said, if you'd prefer the most straightforward, fast, and simple way to write your business plan, Enloop will be a platform worth considering.

Simple and straightforward software, solely dedicated to business plan creation

Seven-day free trial

Automatic text generation available to streamline the writing process

Affordable plans with annual discount option

Limited additional educational resources

Only one template option

No integration options

Ability to create three business plans with customizable text, images, tables, charts, and over 100 currency symbols and formats

Includes automatic text generation for each plan section that you can then customize

Automatically generated financial statements

Includes financial performance comparison analysis (using three ratios with Detailed plan and 16 with Performance plan)

Real-time performance score to track your progress

Ability to invite users to edit (two with Detailed plan, five with Performance plan)

Pass/fail report and certificate to help you identify issues with your plan

Free plan: Seven-day free trial with no credit card required

Detailed plan: $19.95 per month or $11 per month, paid annually

Performance plan: $39.95 per month, or $24 per month, paid annually

Best for startups looking to acquire funding or find investors.

Part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan gets top marks for their user interface—it’s intuitive, easy to use, and modern. You’ll work with a step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you’d like from your business plan. It may remind you of a modern website builder, since it has drag-and-drop tools to build templates.

Moreover, for one subscription fee, you have access to all of the tools in the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, how-to guides, masterclass videos, and more. All in all, with a direct connection to Fundable, Bizplan is a top business plan software option for startups looking to acquire funding and find investors.

Subscription gives you access to all Startups.com tools

Lifetime access subscription option

User-friendly drag-and-drop business plan builder

Excellent educational resources

Connection to Fundable great for businesses looking for capital

No free trial

No templates based on industry

No mobile access

Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building

Financial command center to track all business financials in one place

Unlimited account collaborators

Ability to share business plan online with investors

Online resources including self-guided courses, masterclass videos, how-to guides, mentorship access

Unlimited software use for Fundable, Launchrock, and Startups.com

Monthly plan: $29 per month

Annual plan: $20.75 per month, billed at $249 per year

Lifetime access: $349 one-time fee

5. PlanGuru

Best for financial planning and budgeting.

Finally, for some of the strongest financial features among business plan software options, including budgeting and forecasting, you might check out PlanGuru. Whereas the other solutions we've reviewed were first and foremost focused on writing a business plan, PlanGuru is dedicated to business financial planning —providing the tools you need to create budgets, financial forecasts, reports, and more.

Therefore, if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial piece of your business planning processes, PlanGuru will certainly have the most to offer.

Extensive financial tools and detailed forecasting, budgeting, and reporting capabilities

Substantial library of resources

Cloud-based and desktop options

14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee

Expensive, especially for additional users

Only focuses on the financial aspect of business planning; no templates or tools for basic business plan writing

Difficult to use without prior financial knowledge

Cloud-based version of software, as well as locally installed Windows version (desktop version has a few more features)

Works with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Excel

Budgeting and forecasting for up to 10 years

Over 20 standard forecasting methods

Formula builder to create custom methods

Ratios and KPIs

Dashboard and reporting tools

Help guides, video tutorials, knowledgebase, and live U.S.-based customer support

14-day free trial

$99 per month (additional users $29 per month)

$899 per year (additional users $299 per year)

What to look for in business plan software

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide, which, if any, of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your business.

So, if you're trying to figure out how to choose between the various options out there, it might be helpful to compare your top choices based on the following criteria:

Features: As we've seen different business plan software solutions offer different features. You'll want to look carefully at the feature list of any software and determine what features are most important for your business needs. Do you need an extensive library of templates with detailed customization? Would you prefer software that includes an online learning center for business skills? Are you looking for a solution that combines business plan writing with other tasks? It may be useful to list out your ideal feature set, so you can compare individual software plans to that list.

Price: Although you might be able to find some free business plan software options (or at the very least, free trials), in most cases, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to access the platform you choose. Therefore, you'll want to think about what your budget is for this business tool and what type of software is most cost-effective for your needs.

User experience: User experience can vary widely among different business plan software options. You’ll find some programs that are newer or have been recently updated. Others might have the kind of interfaces that felt new years ago but are now pretty out of date—and, subsequently, make them a little harder to use. The right user experience for your needs is genuinely a matter of opinion and comfort—nevertheless, it's worth testing thoroughly testing out a platform to ensure that it can truly work for you before investing in a monthly or annual subscription.

The bottom line

There's no doubt that properly crafting your business plan is important for the future growth and success of your small business. Luckily, the right business plan software should make the process much simpler.

This being said, whether you opt for one of the best business plan software options listed here, or another platform entirely, you'll want to take the time to compare multiple solutions and ensure you choose the one that's right for your business.

As we mentioned, it can be helpful to think about the features you're looking for, your budget, and your user-experience preferences ahead of time—that way, you'll have a set of criteria in mind as you explore different solutions.

Ultimately, perhaps the best thing you can do to find the right software is to actually test out the platforms themselves—either by using a free trial or a money-back guarantee.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

On a similar note...

The #1 Free Business Plan Software

Business Plan Software

Trusted By Over 30 Million Users & Leading Brands

Why edrawmax to make your business plan, write and design custom business plans for free with easy-to-customize templates..

Strategic planning: A business plan software helps plan a business's long-term strategy for growth and expansion.

Finances distribution: You need finance and capital to start and run a business; a business plan allows you to allocate the financial resources in the right place.

Marketing strategy: Marketing is the key to running a successful business. A business plan enables you to follow a definite course to grab funds, shares, and customers.

Creating business plans is a breeze

Professionally designed templates: EdrawMax offers users pre-designed business plan templates that require customization.

Handy canvas and symbols: The canvas is easy to handle, and symbols are dragged and dropped to the page; there is no need to follow unnecessary steps.

Eye-catchy brand colors: A business plan has a background theme and a business logo that reflects your brand image. EdrawMax provides a custom brand color palette to choose a custom color among all the color shades.

Share your Business Strategy

Share group folder: A group folder allows you to share a folder having files with your team members. You can add or remove any member from the folder.

Multiple export options: A business plan is shared with partners, employees, and stakeholders in different file formats. EdrawMax provides multiple formats like PDF, JPG, XLSX, PPTX, DOCX, HTML, SVG, VSDX, and PNG.

Send on social media: Share your Business Plan on different social media platforms and enable yourself to deliver all your business information to the relevant teams.

Deliver an engaging presentation

Accuracy checker: A business plan shout not have any mistakes and discrepancies because it is forwarded to officials. EdrawMax provides you with a spell-checker tool to achieve a mistake-free plan.

Find and review data: EdrawMax has a full-text search tool to compare your data and text across the document.

Detailed elaboration: Press the F5 key to enable full-screen mode. It will help you explain each point in detail and with more clarity.

More Features Of Business Plan Software

I make all the diagrams and maps using EdrawMax comprehensive tools and symbols, and these help me illustrate all my ideas and plans. I use connecting tools and drag and drop the symbols to the canvas. The export options have made my work a lot easier, and I can also export all my file into Visio format without any inconveniences.

I love how it is so easy to use and handle. The customer service is helpful, and I am learning new things to do with it. It has essential features like a spell-checker, community comment tool, team management.

The data import and export feature is so easy to do in EdrawMax. I can add my own saved data to the maps and diagrams, plus I can draw the required symbols if I don't find ones in the library. Using EdrawMax in multiple systems has made me work more efficiently.

How to Make a Business Plan?

Edraw Business Plan Templates

Business Plan FAQs

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Business plan maker.

Professional business plan templates for beginners and highly-customized drawings experience for experts!

Home > Business > Business Startup

• 5 Best Business Plan Software and Tools in 2023 for Your Small Business

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our editorial guidelines and advertising disclosure .

A business plan can do a lot for your business. It can help you secure investors or other funding. It can give your company direction. It can keep your finances healthy. But, if we’re being honest, it can also be a pain to write.

Luckily, you don’t have to start from scratch or go it alone. Business plan software and services can help you craft a professional business plan, like our top choice LivePlan , which provides templates, guidance, and more.

You’ve got quite a few choices for business plan help, so we’re here to help you narrow things down. Let’s talk about the best business plan tools out there.

• LivePlan : Best overall
• BizPlanBuilder : Most user-friendly
• Wise Business Plans : Best professional service
• Business Sorter : Best for internal plans
• GoSmallBiz.com : Most extra features
• Honorable mentions

Business plan software 101

The takeaway, business plan software faq, compare the best business plan software.

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LivePlan: Best overall business plan software

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *With annual billing

LivePlan has been our favorite business plan software for a while now, despite the stiff competition.

There’s a lot to like about LivePlan. It has pretty much all the features you could want from your business plan software. LivePlan gives you step-by-step instructions for writing your plan, helps you create financial reports, lets you compare your business’s actual financials to your plan’s goals, and much more. And if you ever need inspiration, it includes hundreds of sample business plans that can guide your writing.

LivePlan software pricing

But the best part? You get all that (and more) at a very competitive price. (You can choose from annual, six-month, or monthly billing.) While LivePlan isn’t quite the cheapest business plan builder out there, it’s not too far off either. And if comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. So there’s no risk in trying LivePlan out for yourself.

With a great balance of features and cost, LivePlan offers the best business plan solution for most businesses.

BizPlanBuilder: Most user-friendly

Need something easy to use? BizPlanBuilder fits the bill.

BizPlanBuilder doesn’t have a flashy, modern user interface―but it does have a very clear, intuitive one. You’ll be able to see your plan’s overall structure at a glance, so you can quickly navigate from your title page to your market trend section to that paragraph on your core values. And as you write, you’ll use a text editor that looks a whole lot like the word processing programs you’re already familiar with.

BizPlanBuilder software pricing

Data effective 3/13/23. At publishing time, amounts, rates, and requirements are current but are subject to change. Offers may not be available in all areas.

BizPlanBuilder also offers lots of helpful guidance for actually writing your plan. It gives you pre-written text, in which you just have to fill in relevant details. It offers explanations for what information you need to include in each section of your plan and way. It even gives you helpful tips from experts, so you’ll have all the information you need to plan like a pro.

So if you want planning software with almost no learning curve, you’ll like BizPlanBuilder.

Wise Business Plans: Best professional service

• Custom quote

Unlike all the other companies on this list, Wise Business Plans doesn’t offer software. Instead, it offers professional business plan writing services―meaning someone does all the hard work for you.

Now, you might think that sounds expensive―and you’re probably right (you have to request a custom quote for your plan). But there’s a lot to be said for expertise, and Wise Business Plans has plenty of that. Your business plan will get written by an experienced writer (with an MBA, no less). They’ll get information from you, do their own research, and then write your plan. You get one free revision, and you can always pay for more.  

Wise Business Plans service pricing

Your end result will be a polished, entirely original business plan. (You can even get printed copies.) And best of all, you won’t have to spend your precious time working on the plan yourself. Wise Business Plans takes care of all the hard parts, and makes your business look good while doing it. Sounds like a service worth paying for, right?

Put simply, if you want the most professional business plan possible, we recommend using Wise Business Plans’s writing service.

Business Sorter: Best for internal plans

Many businesses need plans to show to people outside the company (to get financing, for example). But what if you just need a plan for internal use? In that case, we suggest Business Sorter.

Business Sorter uses a unique card-based method to help you craft the perfect business plan. (You can watch a demo video to see how it works.) You’ll plan some of the usual things, like finances and marketing. But Business Sorter also lets you make plans for specific teams and team members. It also emphasizes more internal matters, like operations, that might get overlooked in a business plan for outsiders.

Business Sorter software pricing

After you’ve made your business plan, Business Sorter also helps you stay accountable to it. You can create tasks, give them deadlines, and assign them to team members―giving you basic project management tools to make sure your business plans become business actions. (Oh, and did we mention that Business Sorter has the lowest starting prices of any software on this list?)

It all adds up to a business plan software that works great for internal planning.

GoSmallBiz: Most extra features

Want to get way more than just business planning software? Then you probably want GoSmallBiz.

See, GoSmallBiz offers business plan software as part of its service―but it’s just one part of a much bigger whole. You also get everything from discounts on legal services to a website builder to a CRM (customer relationship manager) to business document templates. And more. In other words, you get just about everything you need to get your startup off the ground.

GoSmallBiz software pricing

Don’t worry though―you still get all the business planning help you need. GoSmallBiz gives you business plan templates, step-by-step instructions, and the ability to create financial projections. And if you get stuck, GoSmallBiz will put you in touch with experts who can offer advice.

If you want business planning and much, much more, give GoSmallBiz a try.

• PlanGuru : Best financial forecasting
• EnLoop : Cheapest tool for startups

We recommend the software above for most business planning needs. Some businesses, though, might be interested in these more specialized planning software.

Honorable mention software pricing

Planguru: best financial forecasting features.

PlanGuru is pretty pricey compared to our other picks, but you might find its forecasting features worth paying for. It has more forecasting methods than other software (over 20) plus it lets you forecast up to 10 years.

EnLoop: Cheapest tool for startups

EnLoop doesn’t have our favorite features or interface, but it does have really, really low pricing plus a seven-day free trial. It's the most affordable software for startup business planning and still provides all the essential features like financial analysis, team collaboration, charting, and more.

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. * With annual billing

Several of our previous favorite planning software, including BusinessPlanPro and StratPad, seem to have gone out of business.

A business plan is a written, living document that tells the story of your business and what you plan to do with it. It serves as the source of truth for you—the business owner—as well as potential partners, employees, and investors, but it also serves as a roadmap of what you want your business to be.

Why you need a business plan

While some small-business owners don’t see the point of creating a formal business plan, it can have some concrete benefits for your business. For example, one 2016 study found that business owners with written plans are more successful than those that don’t. 1

Still too vague? Then let’s get specific.

If you ever seek business funding (from, say, banks, angel investors , or venture capitalists ), you’ll have to prove that your business deserves the money you want. A formal business plan―complete with financial data and projections―gives you a professional document you can use to make your case. (In fact, most potential investors will expect you to have a business plan ready.)

Even if you’re not seeking funding right now, a business plan can help your business. A formal plan can guide your business’s direction and decision making. It can keep your business accountable (by, for example, seeing if your business meets the financial projections you included). And a formal plan offers a great way to make sure your team stays on the same page.

What to include in your business plan

Not all business plans are created equal. To make a really useful business plan, you’ll want to include a number of elements:

• Basic information about your business
• Your products/services
• Market and industry analysis
• What makes your business competitive
• Strategies and upcoming plans
• Your team (and your team’s background)
• Current financial status
• Financial and market projections
• Executive summary

Of course, you can include more or fewer elements―whatever makes sense for your business. Just make sure your business plan is comprehensive (but not overwhelming).

How business plan software can help

With so many elements to include, business plan creation can take a while. Business plan software tries to speed things up.

Most business plan software will include prompts for each section. In some cases, you can just fill in your business’s specific information, and the software will write the text for you. In other cases, the software will give you specific guidance and examples, helping you write the text yourself.

Plus, business plan software can help you stay organized. You’ll usually get intuitive menus that let you quickly flip through sections. So rather than endlessly scrolling through a long document in a word processor, you can quickly find your way around your plan. Some software even lets you drag and drop sections to reorganize your plan.

Sounds way easier than just staring at a blank page and trying to start from scratch, right?

Choosing business plan software

To find the right business plan builder for your business, you’ll want to compare features. For example, would you rather write your own text, getting prompts and advice from your software? Or would you rather go with a fill-in-the-blank method?

Likewise, think about the elements you need. If your plan will have a heavy focus on finances, you’ll want to choose business plan software with robust financial projection features. If you care more about market and competitor analysis, look for software that can help with that research.

You may also want to find business plan software that integrates with your business accounting software . Some plan builders will import data from Xero, QuickBooks, etc. to quickly generate your financial data and projections.

And of course, you’ll want to compare prices. After all, you always want to end up with software that fits your business budget.

The right business plan software can make your life easier. With LivePlan ’s wide breadth of features and online learning tools, you can’t go wrong. Plus, BizPlanBuilder 's one-time pricing makes it easy to invest while Business Sorter has a low starting cost. And if you're business is looking to grow, GoSmallBiz and Wise Business Plans will scale with you.

But of course, different companies have different needs. So shop around until you find the software that’s best for you and your business.

Now that you've got a business plan, take a look at our checklist for starting a small business.  It can help you make sure you have everything else you need to get your startup off to a good start!

Related content

• 7 Steps to Build a Successful Project Management Sales Plan
• Best Project Management Software and Tools in 2023
• 4 Cost Management Techniques for Small Businesses

Creating a business plan can take anywhere from a couple hours to several weeks. Your timeline will depend on things like the elements you choose to include, whether you use software or hire a writing service, and how much research goes into your plan.

That said, much of the business plan software out there brags that it can help you create a fairly detailed plan in a few hours. So if you’re going the software route, that can help you set your expectations.

If you want to get the most out of your business plan, you should update it on a regular basis―at least annually. That way, you can continually refer to it to inform your company’s strategies and direction.  

At the very least, you should update your business plan before you start looking for a new round of funding (whether that’s with investors or lenders).

Thanks to business plan software, you can easily write your own business plan rather than pay someone to do it for you. And in most cases, software will cost you less than a professional business plan service.

There are some times you might want to go with a service though. If time is tight, you might find that it’s worth the cost of a service. Or if you’ve got big investor meetings on the horizon, you might want the expertise and polish that a professional service can offer.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether business plan software or a business plan service will work better for your company.

Methodology

We ranked business plan software and tools based on features, pricing and plans, and connections to project management and other services. The value of each plan and service, along with what it offers, was a big consideration in our rankings, and we looked to see if what was offered was useful to small businesses or just extra. The final thing we looked at was the ease of use of the software to see if it's too complex for small businesses.

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Sources 1. Harvard Business Review, “ Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed .” Accessed March 13, 2023.

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Create Your Business Plan in Minutes

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How it Works

Questionnaire

Respond to a series of targeted questions about your business goals and objectives.

AI Business Plan Generator

The engine analyzes your responses and generates a business plan tailored to your vision.

SBA Approved Business Plan

Receive a detailed, tailored business plan that aligns with your requirements. Ready for funding.

WHO BENEFITS FROM Plannit?

Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Analyze your ventures through extensive business plans aligned with your vision and goals.

Business Owners

Back your business with a solid plan that aligns with your vision and goals. Perfect for startups and small businesses.

Educational Institutions

Develop your business understanding and vocabulary by analyzing your business idea and creating a plan.

Startups Accelerators

Work alongside your founders as they build their plan to ensure they have a solid roadmap for growth and scalability.

Try Plannit AI For Free

Funding ready business plan, executive summary, company overview.

Problem Statement

Business Description

Mission Statement

Business Model

Products and Services

Additional Features

Revenue Model

Market Analysis

Target Market

Market Size and Segments

Unique Value Proposition

Risks and Mitigations

Identified Risks

Mitigation Strategies

Financial Overview

Income Statement

Marketing and Sales Plan

Focus On Your Vision

Key features & benefits, ai editing companion.

Modify and regenerate sections of your business plan using premade or custom prompts. Our AI will help you refine your plan to perfection.

Multi-User Collaboration

Invite team members with easy sharing to collaborate on your business plan in real-time. Communicate and make changes together. Collaborate with your partners in real-time as you perfect your plan.

Education Center

Immerse yourself in a rich library of articles, tools, templates, webinars and resources for continuous business and professional growth. Learn all about the key aspects of starting, running and growing a business.

Powered by Chat GPT

Our algorithms are powered the latest in AI technology to ensure the most accurate and relevant output. We use OpenAI's GPT 4 and 3.5 engines for the perfect blend of accuracy and speed.

Business Resources

We recommend a variety of useful tools and resurces that help sustain your growth. We only recommend the best in the business. Filter your needs and equip yourself with the best tools.

Plan Samples

Explore a library of sample business plans we generated to get the idea of what to expect. Currently able to generate viable plans for 50+ industries.

Financial Projections

Take an additional questionnaire about your financial trajectory and get a detailed financial projection + 3 year income statement for your business.

Tools and Templates

Plannit's comprehensive suite that accompany business planning. From pitch decks to financial models, we have you covered.

Plan Export

Download your business plan in an editable .docx format. Fully edit & share your plan with investors, partners, and stakeholders.

Privacy & Security

Rest assured, your privacy is our top priority, and we're committed to keeping your information safe and confidential.

PLANNIT BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Initiate with Your Business Concept: Lay the Groundwork: Start by introducing your business idea into Plannit AI's Business Plan Generator. This first step is crucial, as it sets the tone for a tailored, insightful business plan that truly resonates with your vision. Capture the Essence: Our platform is designed to grasp the nuances of your concept, ensuring that the generated plan accurately reflects the core and potential of your business.
• Navigate Through the AI-Guided Questionnaire: Tailored Interactive Experience: Plannit AI’s AI-guided questionnaire is your interactive guide through the planning process. It meticulously gathers information about your business's objectives, strategies, and market positioning, ensuring a comprehensive and reflective plan. Intelligent Feedback and Suggestions: As you progress through the questionnaire, benefit from smart prompts and suggestions, ensuring that your plan is not just detailed but also strategically sound and aligned with industry standards.
• Generate Your Plan with Advanced AI: Intuitive Plan Creation: With the questionnaire complete, Plannit AI's advanced algorithms intelligently analyze your responses. They then craft a detailed, customizable, and strategically aligned business plan, providing you with a structured, coherent, and actionable format. Benefit from AI-Powered Insights: Plannit AI offers AI-driven insights and suggestions, ensuring your plan is not just a document but a strategic tool equipped with tailored AI prompts and an in-app plan editor. Get inspired by browsing through our sample business plans, a collection of successful strategies across various industries.
• Finalize Your Plan with Confidence: Dynamic Adaptation and Refinement: Plannit AI recognizes that a business plan is a living document. Our platform allows for continuous adaptation and refinement, ensuring your strategy remains agile, relevant, and aligned with your evolving business goals. Professional Presentation and Sharing: Once your plan meets your standards, utilize Plannit AI's export features to present your plan professionally. Choose between various formats for exporting your business plan, ready to impress stakeholders, attract investors, or guide your team. Review and Adapt: Ensure your business plan is a living document, ready to evolve with your growing business. Plannit AI's dynamic platform allows you to adapt your strategy as new opportunities or challenges arise.
• Roadmap for Success: At its core, a business plan acts as a strategic guide, providing detailed steps on how your business will achieve its objectives. It helps you navigate the startup phase, manage growth effectively, and tackle unforeseen challenges with a well-thought-out strategy.
• Securing Funding: For startups and businesses looking to expand, a business plan is crucial for securing loans or attracting investors. It demonstrates to potential financial backers that your business has a clear vision, a solid strategy for profitability, and a plan for delivering returns on their investment.
• Informed Decision-Making: A well-prepared business plan offers valuable insights into your market, competition, and potential challenges. This information is vital for making informed decisions, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic shifts.
• Market Analysis and Strategy: It allows you to conduct an in-depth analysis of your target market, understand customer needs, and position your product or service effectively. The marketing strategy outlined in your business plan helps in identifying the best channels and tactics to reach your audience and achieve market penetration.
• Financial Planning: One of the most critical components of a business plan is the financial forecast. It outlines your funding requirements, expected revenue, profit margins, and cash flow projections. This section is essential for budgeting, financial management, and ensuring the financial viability of your business.
• Goal Setting and Performance Measurement: A business plan sets clear, measurable goals and objectives. It provides a framework for monitoring performance, measuring success, and making necessary adjustments to stay on track.
• Aspiring Entrepreneurs: If you're at the idea stage, looking to transform your vision into a viable business, Plannit AI offers the tools and guidance to bring your concept to life. Our platform helps you articulate your business idea, define your target market, and develop a solid plan to turn your dream into reality.
• Students and Educators: For students delving into the intricacies of business planning and educators teaching the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, Plannit AI serves as an invaluable resource. It provides a practical, hands-on tool for learning and teaching how to create detailed business plans, analyze markets, and understand financials in a real-world context.
• Startup Founders: In the dynamic startup environment, Plannit AI is the ideal partner for founders looking to pivot quickly, secure funding, or understand their competitive landscape. With our AI-driven insights and market analysis tools, startups can make informed decisions and adapt their strategies to thrive in competitive markets.
• Small Business Owners: For small business owners seeking to optimize their operations, expand their customer base, or explore new markets, Plannit AI offers targeted solutions. Our platform simplifies the planning process, enabling owners to focus on growth while managing the day-to-day challenges of running their business.
• Consultants and Freelancers: Consultants and freelancers specializing in business development, strategic planning, or financial advising will find Plannit AI a powerful addition to their toolkit. It allows them to provide clients with comprehensive, data-driven business plans and strategies, enhancing the value of their services.
• Non-Profit Organizations: Leaders of non-profit organizations can leverage Plannit AI to plan initiatives, secure funding, and manage resources more efficiently. Our platform helps non-profits articulate their mission, set achievable goals, and measure their impact, ensuring they can make a difference in their communities.
• Innovators and Inventors: Individuals looking to commercialize innovative products or technologies can use Plannit AI to navigate the complexities of bringing new ideas to market. From patent strategies to go-to-market plans, our platform covers all bases, ensuring innovators can focus on what they do best.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Government Agencies: Government and SBA backed entities can greatly benefit from integrating Plannit AI into their services, enhancing their ability to support a larger number of clients more efficiently. By facilitating quicker, more in-depth business plan development, these organizations can spend more time assisting with plan execution and less time on creation, ultimately serving their communities more effectively.
• Anyone with a Business Idea: Ultimately, Plannit AI is for anyone with a business idea, regardless of industry, experience, or stage of business development. Our mission is to democratize business planning, making it accessible, understandable, and actionable for everyone.
• Interactive Questionnaire and ChatGPT Integration: Plannit AI transforms the business planning process into an engaging conversation. Through our advanced ChatGPT integration, we offer a questionnaire that dynamically adapts to your responses, ensuring your plan is personalized, comprehensive, and aligned with your business goals.
• Dynamic Planning Environment: Unlike static templates provided by many, Plannit AI introduces a living platform that grows with your business. It features real-time updates, strategic insights, and a feedback mechanism that keeps your business plan current and actionable.
• Extensive Educational Resources: Our Education Center is packed with articles, guides, and sample plans to bolster your planning process. It's designed to arm you with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of your industry confidently.
• Enhanced Collaboration and Customization: Recognizing the collaborative essence of business planning, Plannit AI supports team efforts with multi-user editing, annotations, and feedback features, ensuring a comprehensive approach to your strategy.
• Customer Success Stories: Our users' achievements are a testament to Plannit AI's effectiveness. These success stories illustrate how diverse businesses have utilized our platform for strategic planning and growth.
• Tailored Business Plan Creation: Our platform stands out with its tailored approach, featuring customizable templates that directly cater to your business type and industry, making plan creation straightforward and relevant.
• Content Generation:: ChatGPT helps draft various sections of a business plan, from executive summaries to marketing strategies, by providing structured and coherent text based on the prompts given.
• Strategic Insights: It can offer suggestions on business strategies by analyzing trends and providing examples from a wide range of industries.
• Financial Planning: While it can't replace professional financial advice, ChatGPT can guide the structure of financial projections and statements, helping you consider important financial aspects of your plan.

Take The First Step Towards Success With our AI-Generated Business Plans

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Business Plan Builder

A guided builder that’s simple & fun

Tackle your business plan in no time with AI assistance and step-by-step instructions.

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It’s like having a business coach guide you through the process

Expert Guidance

Get simple instructions every step of the way

LivePlan’s step-by-step instructions, examples, prompts and definitions of key business terms guide you through each phase of creating a professional business plan.

Access a library of over 550+ sample business plans for inspiration, chat with support for additional help, or join an expert-led webinar to get additional business planning tips and wisdom.

AI-Powered Planning

Welcome to a world without writer’s block

LivePlan asks you questions about your business, you simply plug in the answers. It’s as easy as that. Get expert guidance, instructions, and examples at each step.

Not sure where to start? The AI-Powered LivePlan Assistant will automatically generate ideas for each section of your plan and offer improved versions of your writing, adjusting for tone, voice, and grammar or spelling errors.

Automatic Financials

Forget the formulas and focus on your vision

Forget the complex formulas and spreadsheets — with automatic financials and drag-and-drop forecasting you can finish faster and be confident your numbers are accurate.

Instantly get tailored revenue and expense suggestions to add to your forecast using the AI-Powered LivePlan Assistant.

Growth Planning

Manage your growth with a data-driven process

Markets change faster than ever and technology evolves at breakneck speed. Be ready to adapt quickly, stay focused, and make decisions that are best for your business with growth planning.

LivePlan will teach you this simple, repeatable, four-step process to help keep your business healthy — no matter what stage you’re at.

How We’re Different

More than business plan software

LivePlan isn’t just a tool to easily create a business pitch, plan, and financials — it’s a comprehensive business planning system to help you plan, fund, and grow.

Plenty of support to help you succeed

Inspiration powered by ai.

Use the LivePlan Assistant to instantly generate ideas at each step of your plan. You can also access 550+ sample plans to find one that matches your industry.

Guidance from business experts

Stay on track with video walk–throughs, webinars, and more from business planning experts.

If you ever get stuck, our team will help

If you ever have a question, you can instantly chat with a LivePlan expert.

Create a plan and build your business dreams

Frequently asked questions, how does a business plan builder like liveplan compare to free templates or other tools.

LivePlan is way more than business planning software , and far more powerful than a business plan template. Not only does it guide you through each step of writing your business plan - which you won’t get from a template - you won’t have to use spreadsheets to do your financials or create charts and graphs. As your business evolves, LivePlan helps you track your performance, lets you define the tasks needed to grow your business, and contains competitive industry benchmarks. No other template or tool comes close to the support, guidance, and ease that LivePlan brings to creating a business plan.

Do I need to have anything ready, like research or financials, before using LivePlan to build my business plan

No! Using LivePlan you can dive right in to starting your business plan with no preparation necessary. Working through LivePlan, you’ll be guided through where you need to supplement your knowledge of your market and industry. Of course, as you create your business plan you may need to gather additional data to add important details to your plan.

What is SBA approved formatting and will LivePlan help me create a business plan for the SBA?

The Small Business Administration, or SBA, requires business plans to be formatted in a specific way and include details indicating your business is viable. All LivePlan business plans follow SBA-approved formatting so you can ensure they include everything the SBA would expect to see.

What are all the things I can do in LivePlan?

LivePlan contains a number of powerful tools packed into one easy-to-use software. With LivePlan you can: Build a pitch, write and share a business plan, hammer out financial forecasts, build a one-page business plan, compare your performance against industry benchmarks, and so much more .

Can I explore LivePlan before signing up?

Absolutely. To experience planning in LivePlan, visit our interactive product tour or watch some of our getting started videos .

Upmetrics AI Assistant: Simplifying Business Planning through AI-Powered Insights. Learn How

Entrepreneurs & Small Business

Accelerators & Incubators

Business Consultants & Advisors

Educators & Business Schools

Students & Scholars

AI Business Plan Generator

Financial Forecasting

AI Assistance

Ai Pitch Deck Generator

Strategic Planning

See How Upmetrics Works  →

• Sample Plans
• WHY UPMETRICS?

Customer Success Stories

Business Plan Course

Small Business Tools

Strategic Planning Templates

E-books, Guides & More

Transform your business ideas into action plans

Navigate the roadmap to success with our all-in-one business planning software that combines actionable planning, real-time forecasting, and insightful reporting.

Why Upmetrics?

Collaborative planning.

Team up for success. Our collaborative features allow you to work together with partners or advisors in real time, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Data-Driven Insights

Make informed decisions with our comprehensive data analysis tools. Get real-time financial forecasts to ensure your business strategy is backed by solid numbers.

User-Friendly Interface

Navigate the planning process effortlessly. Our platform is designed for easy entry, making the creation of your business plan as straightforward as possible.

Exceptional Support on Demand

Whenever you need assistance, Our support team is ready to help. With direct access to our team any questions or hurdles you encounter are quickly resolved.

AI-Powered Business Planning

Turn your entrepreneurial ideas into a solid business plan with our AI Business Plan Generator.

No Writer’s Block: AI-Powered Content Generation

Say goodbye to the blank-page dilemma. Let our AI help you write, translate, and enhance each section of your plan.

Step-by-Step Guidance to Professional Planning

Navigate your business plan creation with clear instructions, examples, and templated sections. 

Collaborate and Share Effortlessly

Invite stakeholders to review and contribute directly to the platform. Keep everyone aligned with real-time updates and version control.

It was such an easy platform to use and the AI made everything easy to complete with a professional tone. I needed a business plan quickly and Upmetrics was the first to help.

More than business plan software

Get started with Upmetrics today and experience the power of AI-driven business planning.

Financial Forecasting & Reporting

Effortlessly create detailed financial projections without the need for complex formulas, spreadsheets and number crunching.

Automatic Financials

Our automatic financials and AI-powered forecasting suggestions let you focus on strategy, not number crunching.

Dashboard and Reporting

Navigate your financial journey with an intuitive dashboard. Access essential reports to visualize your financial data with clarity and impact.

Financial Charts and Graphs

Enhance your business plan with easy-to-create charts and graphs that investors and lenders love to see in your business plan. 

Empower Your Financial Planning

Start your free trial today and explore the future of financial forecasting with Upmetrics.

Pitch Deck Builder

Create a standout pitch deck with our AI Pitch deck Generator. Our tool ensures you hit all the key points investors are looking for.

Generate Your Deck with AI

Leverage our AI to auto-generate a compelling pitch deck directly from your business plan. 

One-Click Presentation

Ready to present? Deliver a powerful online presentation to investors and stakeholders with just one click. 

Share and Download with Ease

Easily share your pitch deck online with investors and lenders, ensuring you’re always pitch-ready. Download your deck in PDF or DOC formats.

Elevate Your Pitch Today

Get started with our AI Pitchdeck Generator and turn your business plan into an impressive pitch deck ready to win over investors.

Every Feature You Need To Convert A Great Business Idea Into A Reality

Collaborative workspaces.

Team up in real-time with partners and advisors in collaborative workspaces designed for seamless planning.

Interactive Financial Dashboards

Customizable templates.

Choose from a range of customizable templates that cater to various industries and business needs.

Business Model Templates

Stunning cover pages, world class support.

Experience dedicated assistance with our world-class support team, ready to help you navigate any challenges in your journey.

Our Customer Success Stories

VWIEC was able to successfully support business owners in expanding their business using Upmetrics

With the help and support of Upmetrics, The Prep Institute was able to raise over $500,000

Our customers love us.

“Having complete control over our business plan has been instrumental in being able to raise funds from investors. Upmetrics is an invaluable product that keeps getting better.”

“Upmetrics simplifies the heavy lifting for planning for business plans. It comes with 400+ sample templates, helpful tips, and detailed documentation. The only tool you ever need!”

“I've tried most apps including LivePlan, Bizplan, and Cuttles, and found them all missing something critical. If you are a serious entrepreneur, Upmterics is the only app you need."

Upmetrics makes business planning wasy for.

Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners

110k+ entrepreneurs have successfully planned their businesses using our ready-to-use business plan templates

Accelerators And Incubators

400+ Fully customized business plan templates help create a value-packed program for your participants

Business Consultants & Advisors

Become a proficient business consultant- save your time & boost your productivity using Upmetrics.

Educate students with a hands-on tool built for higher collaboration & accurate planning

Give A Head Start To Your Business With 400+ Business Plan Templates

We have created a library of sample business plans to help you get started with your writing.

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Master Business Planning With These Resources

Advice, tools and tips curated by experts to help entrepreneurs plan & grow their businesses.

Comprehensive guide on writing a business plan

Write a financial section for your startup business plan?

The top 10 AI business plan generators

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The best free small business software in 2024

Whether you find them on basic cable or on your parents' Facebook timelines, the top-rated personal finance gurus all agree: free is good. Especially if you're launching a new business venture. To get your company off the ground, you'll need to make every inch of your runway count, which is why free business software can be an attractive—even necessary—option.

It's fair to be worried about quality. Free apps for business often mean undeletable watermarks that ruin your branding or unreliable functionality that can toss a wrench into your workflows at any moment. But if you know which apps to use and how to use them, free doesn't have to mean cut-rate. 

In fact, the right free small business app can give you the power to pull off a successful launch, and then scale up as your margins allow you to grow. Or, when the time's right, you can simply jump ship to another platform that makes more sense for your expanding business needs. 

To do that, you'll first need a solid start that won't bust your bottom line. Here's a roundup of the best free small business software. Since every business has different needs, I'll introduce you to categories of apps you should consider when putting together your small business tech stack, suggest apps along the way, and link you to more top apps within that category.

The best free software for small businesses

Free email marketing services

Free website builders

Free project management software

Free survey tools and form builders

Free graphic design software

Free keyword research tools

Free timesheet software

Free invoicing software

How we evaluate and test apps

Our best apps roundups are written by humans who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. Unless explicitly stated, we spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it's intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We're never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog .

The best free software for small businesses at a glance 

Free crm software like engagebay.

Any successful business is going to need to nurture its client relationships . Some of those relationships, if you haven't noticed, can be high-maintenance. You have to update prospects, coordinate your outreach, manage sales, provide customer support—the list goes on. To help you keep all those workflows humming, you need a CRM .

Don't be fooled into thinking that the high demands of customer relationship management mean high costs, though. EngageBay , for example, gives you the power to manage up to 250 contacts at no cost. Its free tier also includes a ton of useful features like a visual sales pipeline, a full marketing suite, a customer service suite, and live chat.

You can even use Zapier to connect EngageBay with your other apps to automate your business-critical workflows. Learn more about how to automate EngageBay , or get started with one of these workflows.

Add new EngageBay Marketing contacts to Google Sheets as rows

Add new EngageBay contacts from Typeform form

To get started with a Zap template—what we call our pre-made workflows—just click on the button. It only takes a few minutes to set up. You can read more about setting up Zaps here .

For more options, check out this list of the best free CRM software .

Once you've picked your free CRM software, use CRM automation to effortlessly manage leads and contacts, streamline your marketing campaigns, and support internal communications.

Free email marketing services like MailerLite

You won't have many customers to manage if you can't get your message across to your prospects. No need for billboards or skywriting—or even a fancy pay-per-click marketing platform . Instead, you can start with a free email service like MailerLite . Its free options include pre-designed content blocks that deliver dynamic, text- and image-rich content to your leads' inboxes. You can even include product details, embedded videos, blog posts, and RSS feeds—all for free.

MailerLite also integrates with Zapier, making it easy to automate your email workflows. Learn more about how to automate MailerLite , or kickstart your workflow with one of these Zap templates. 

Create/update MailerLite subscribers from new Squarespace form submissions

Create or update MailerLite subscribers from new Webflow form submissions

Beyond MailerLite, here are Zapier's other picks for the best free email marketing apps . 

No matter which app you choose, automating your email marketing helps ensure the right message is always getting to the right person at the right time, taking care of the important but repetitive work of managing subscriptions, segmenting subscribers, personalizing messages, and re-engaging cold leads. 

Free website builders like Wix

Once you've attracted attention with your dazzling email marketing, you'll need a place to send all that traffic. You can try to cut corners with that friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend who builds websites on the side until their pro League of Legends career takes off. Or you can opt for a more reliable, still affordable option by going with a website building platform. 

These apps, even in their free tiers, are customizable and easy to use—no coding required—allowing you to build a dynamic web presence that won't get buried in search engine results.

Take Wix as an example. It has an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that allows you to build a site using one of over 300 template designs that best match your business. Include a blog, live chat, forms, or even an online store. You'll also get predictive text when building your pages, as well as marketing integrations, SEO ranking assistance, and more—all for free.   

Learn more about how to automate Wix with Zapier , or get started with one of these pre-made workflows.

Add or update Mailchimp subscribers when a new Wix Form is submitted

Send private channel messages in Slack for new forms in Wix

And to explore your options, here are more of the best free website builders .

Free project management software like Trello

When looking at free software for small businesses, you need to think about your internal operations, too. For all your core processes, it's about organized projects that are planned and executed with maximum efficiency. 

To help pull that off, you can use a project management tool. Once again, free is a price point that provides you with more functionality than you might expect. An app like Trello offers a free tier that gives you up to ten Kanban boards per workspace, countless template options, and unlimited users, so you can keep using it even as your team grows.

Connect Trello to Zapier to streamline your project management workflows even more. Learn more about how to automate Trello , or use one of these workflows to get started. 

Create Trello cards from new Google Forms responses

Create Trello cards from new rows on Google Sheets

If Trello isn't right for you, check out Zapier's picks for the best free project management software .

Free survey tools and form builders like Google Forms

To make your business more relevant to current and prospective customers, you need to know what they want in the first place—or, at the very least, who they are. Once you have a budget, you can invest in complex market research surveys and customer feedback software. Until then, free survey tools and form builders will get the job done. These powerful platforms can help you register subscribers, segment audiences, collect lead data, and much more—again, for free.

Google Forms is unique in that it's all free. If you have a Google account, you can use all its features , including unlimited forms, questions, and submissions—not to mention collaboration options, customizable templates, and visualized data in the form of lists, charts, and graphs. 

Learn more about how to automate Google Forms with Zapier . These pre-made workflows are also a good place to start. 

Send new Google Forms responses to Notion databases

Share Google Forms responses in a Slack channel

And here are your other options for the best survey tools and form builders .

Once you've picked your app, gathering form responses is one thing—doing something about it is another. Follow up with respondents faster , add customers to your CRM, and track user feedback with automation. 

Free graphic design and photo editing software like Canva

You're likely already thinking about (or using) social media as a way to keep in touch and nurture customer relationships. More than just collecting likes and hearts, the right social media presence can boost customer engagement and drive traffic to your door. 

That kind of dynamic profile doesn't just happen, though. It takes creative vision and savvy planning. One thing it doesn't have to take: money. As you're getting started, take inspiration from others who've been able to make the most of social media without a budget .    

The main thing that can drain your budget is visuals. But there are plenty of apps that help you get brand-aligned graphics for free. Canva , for example, is a powerful design tool that gives you the power to create brand visuals for free . Craft logos, website banners, profile pics, and headers to create a consistent and eye-catching brand identity. It also offers a limited selection of high-quality free stock photos. If those aren't cutting it, though, consider taking advantage of free stock photo sites . 

If Canva doesn't fit the bill, here's Zapier's list of the best free graphic design software . Or, if you have original images that you want to tweak and share instead, check out this list of the best free photo editors .

Then, equipped with a library of beautifully designed graphics, use automation to share your content across social media , keep your followers in the loop, and track your profile performance.  

Free keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer

Another way to make sure your business is doing all it can to attract leads is keyword research. Finding out exactly how your prospects are searching for you (or your competitors) will help you make the most of your search engine ranking and keep you off that dreaded second page of results.

There are a number of free keyword research tools that can take that work off your plate. Moz Keyword Explorer is one, providing you with easy-to-grasp metrics that will help you fine-tune your web presence for maximum exposure. Generate a priority score that lets you know whether or not a keyword is worth including in your content. You'll also get a keyword gap feature that shows you all the keywords your competitors rank for that you don't.

For more options, check out the best free keyword research tools . 

F ree timesheet software like Toggl Track

If you're employing others, timesheet apps are an indispensable tool for equitable resource allocation, transparent invoicing, budgeting, and oversight. To track time effectively, however, you need user-friendly software that integrates into your workflows. 

Take Toggl Track . For the free plan, you get quite a few premium perks that other free plans tend to exclude, like a Pomodoro timer , idle time detection, automated time tracking triggers, team access level management, and exportable reports. Users can also track their time on the go from a browser, desktop, mobile app, or within over 100 third-party applications via browser extensions—or just by typing it into the timesheet or timer module manually, the way our ancestors did. Toggl doesn't give it all away, though. You'll have to pay if you want to change billable rates, save reports, use pre-populated project templates, and—notably—divide projects into tasks.

Connect Toggl Track with Zapier to streamline your timesheet workflows even more. Here are a few Zap templates to get you started. 

Create new Toggl Track entries for every new Google Calendar event start

Create new Toggl Track projects from new rows in Google Sheets

And if you're looking for more options, here are Zapier's picks for the best free timesheet software .

Free invoicing software like Wave

At the end of the day, you need to get paid for the goods and services you provide—hence the whole "business" aspect of launching a business. You can bring that money in the door faster, and with less effort, by using invoicing software.

Wave , for instance, saves you from manual accounting chores by tracking your expenses, relaying invoices, generating reports, and even reconciling accounts. Its free tier also handles payroll and tax filing, giving you all the benefits of an in-house accountant without any of the costs (and you also won't need to feed them at the holiday office party). 

Plus, you can connect Wave to Zapier , so you can automate even more of your invoicing workflows. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Create Wave customers from new Pipedrive deals

Create Wave customers from new changes to properties of HubSpot contacts

If you decide Wave isn't a good fit, here are your other choices for the best free invoicing software .

Once you've made your pick, you can make your free invoicing app even more dynamic by automating your payment processes . Manage contacts, log invoices, and stay on top of paydays effortlessly simply by activating a few well-placed integrations.

Connect your free small business apps with automation

The best free apps for small business owners can be a boost on their own. But to really move the needle, your apps need to talk to each other.

By connecting your software and automating your workflows, you'll have smoother operations early on and more opportunities for growth. And as your business grows, you'll be able to make more of an investment in automation to reap an even higher ROI. 

For now, though, it's free to get started with Zapier .

Zapier is a no-code automation tool that lets you connect your apps into automated workflows, so that every person and every business can move forward at growth speed. Learn more about how it works .

Related reading:

When is it time to start paying for software?

How to start a business with no money: 22 low-cost business ideas

Free business plan template—and how to write your own

Free small business budget templates

This article was originally published in February 2023. The most recent update, with contributions from Jessica Lau, was in February 2024.

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Toby Peterson

Toby Peterson is an educator, writer, and editor living in Portland, Oregon. He enjoys unironically British food and the Oxford comma. Visit him at tobiaspeterson.com.

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Improve your productivity automatically. Use Zapier to get your apps working together.

Compare work management offerings

Microsoft planner.

Originally starting from Included now starting from Included

Included Included

in Microsoft 365

Planner in Microsoft 365 includes:

Real-time collaboration, commenting, and sharing using the Planner app in Microsoft Teams or the Planner web app

Creation and management of content-rich tasks with features including files, checklists, and labels

Tasks organized by My Day, My Tasks, and Assigned to me

Basic plan templates

Ability to view reports and dashboards

List, Grid, and Board views

Ability to view task dependencies

Security, compliance, data privacy, accessibility, and Microsoft 365 customer support

Planner Plan 1

Originally starting from $10.00 now starting from $10.00

$10.00 $10.00

(Annual subscription auto-renews) *

Includes everything in Planner in Microsoft 365, plus:

Project goals

Backlogs and sprints

Premium plan templates

Timeline (Gantt) view

Task dependencies

Customization and integration

Project Plan 3

Originally starting from $30.00 now starting from $30.00

$30.00 $30.00

Includes everything in Planner Plan 1, plus:

Copilot in Planner (preview) 3

Task history

Baselines and critical path

Resources request capabilities

Program management

Project financials, budgeting, and costing

• Advanced dependencies with lead and lag

Project Online desktop client

Project Online

Project Plan 5

Originally starting from $55.00 now starting from $55.00

$55.00 $55.00

Includes everything in Project Plan 3, plus:

Portfolio management

Enterprise resource management and allocation

Project Standard 2021

Originally starting from $679.99 now starting from $679.99

$679.99 $679.99

(one-time purchase)

On-premises project management for those who do not need collaboration tools and other advanced features. 11

Project Professional 2021

Originally starting from $1,129.99 now starting from $1,129.99

$1,129.99 $1,129.99

A comprehensive on-premises project management solution. 11

Project Server

A flexible, scalable on-premises solution for project portfolio management and everyday project and work management.

Explore Planner resources

Discover more about the new planner, access support and learning resources, see upcoming features for planner, get the latest news about planner.

• [1] After your one-month free trial, you’ll be charged the applicable subscription fee. A credit card is required. Cancel any time to stop future charges.
• [2] Requires a Power BI subscription.
• [3] While final pricing for Copilot in Planner has not been announced, users with a Project Plan 3 or Project Plan 5 license will be able to preview Copilot in Planner capabilities once it is rolled out to their organization.
• [4] Requires a Microsoft 365 subscription to use Microsoft Teams​.
• [5] Requires a Viva Goals subscription.
• [6] Requires a Power Automate subscription.
• [7] See detailed information about Project .
• [8] See detailed information about Project for the web .
• [9] See detailed information about Project Online .
• [10] See detailed information about the Project Online desktop client .
• [11] Both Project Standard 2021 and Project Professional 2021 support Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC).
• [*] Subscription prices shown are per month. If you’re a global or billing administrator, an annual commitment is required to purchase online. You can choose to pay monthly or annually. Within the Microsoft 365 admin center, global and billing administrators can choose either annual or monthly commitment plans. All others may purchase a monthly subscription online.​

Follow Microsoft 365

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Available M-F 6 AM to 6 PM PT.

Experience new growth possibilities with Microsoft Advertising today >

Microsoft Advertising keyword planner

Keyword planner is a valuable tool for advertisers to create and maintain a successful search ads campaign, and to expand and improve the ads’ performance and reach.

Benefits of using keyword planner

Choose wide or narrow locations.

Keyword targeting settings help you simulate a narrow or wide campaign area — cities, metro areas, DMAs, states or provinces and nations.

Plan cross-border campaigns

Use keyword planner to research campaigns aimed at worldwide, all Microsoft Ads supported markets are now available with keyword planner.

Customize easily

Tailor results with filtering of historical statistics, inclusion or exclusion of phrases, and remove keywords already in use.

Free to use

It’s free to use this powerful keyword research tool once you have a Microsoft Advertising account.

Keyword planner features

• New keywords
• Insights for keyword bids

Find new keywords

Search for new keywords using a phrase or entering a page from your website.

Plan your budget and get insights for keywords

Get search volume data, trends, performance, and cost estimates, so you can control your advertising budgets.

Start using keyword planner

Log in to your account and go to Tools > keyword planner.

In the “Find new keywords” text box, type, or paste the words, phrases, or a URL related to your business to get keyword ideas and search volume data.

If you already have some keywords and want to know more about the traffic, search volume on the Microsoft network, please use “Get search volume data and trends” to learn more.

Ready to create a campaign? Try “Get performance and cost estimates” before you settle down everything like bid and budget.

Start using keyword planner for your campaigns now

Keyword planner helps you create campaigns from scratch – easily and efficiently – and get budget estimates so you are always in control.

Frequently asked questions

Where are my ads showing.

Whether the language selected affects the publisher where the ad appears. The answer is yes, the language selected determines the publisher where your ads will appear. For example, by selecting the French language, your ad will appear only on French publishers but not on publishers in the English language.

Which match type should I use?

If you’re not confident with what keywords can grow your business better, start with broad match makes your ad eligible for display when a search query includes the individual words in your keyword in any order, or even words related to your keyword. By covering more keyword variations, your campaign reaches a far wider variety of queries and a much bigger audience. Broad match helps you uncover new business opportunities, delivering impact on multiple levels without draining your budget and team resources.

Why does my campaign have better performance than what keyword planner shows?

The results in keyword planner are based on historical data and online algorithms. The estimate may vary due to ad copy, asset, or landing page quality. You may get better or worse results depending on a lot of things.

Chat with a Microsoft Advertising expert today

Receive help with account signup, campaign creation. or general support.

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