6 Top-Rated Business Tools for Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur, you have to juggle multiple tasks—from handling accounts and scheduling appointments to selling your products or services online. Managing these recurring tasks every single day is no feat, but the right software tools can make your job easier and fast-track growth.

With a multitude of options to choose from, software selection can get confusing and time-consuming. The question is: How do you identify which software tools can add the best value to your business operations? 

To help you make the right choice, we looked at the search patterns of and thousands of reviews from entrepreneurs to identify the most viewed software categories on GetApp. Per our analysis, the top three categories are:

• Accounting software

• Appointment scheduling software

• eCommerce software

The article highlights two top-rated products from each category, listed alphabetically, based on verified user reviews. (Read how we shortlisted these categories and products at the bottom of the page.)

1. Bill4Time

Bill4Time is a legal time tracking and billing platform with trust accounting, expense tracking, and invoicing capabilities. It enables businesses to track their accounts payable, accounts receivable, outstanding balance, payment activity, and more. The software has a built-in timer to record billable and nonbillable hours and supports custom billing rates tailored to each client or project. It also includes pre-installed invoice templates that can be customized by adding line items for different services, expenses, and taxes.

Product features of interest*:

• Financial reporting: Generate comprehensive reports to analyze financial metrics such as outstanding balances, collections, and expenses. Users can export the data as a PDF or CSV file for additional analysis.

• Expense tracking: Capture and manage expenses by uploading images of expense receipts directly from a desktop or mobile device. This feature standardizes the process of recording transactions for reimbursement, saves time, and ensures accurate expense management.

• Self-service client portal: Offer clients access to a self-service portal to view their invoices, outstanding balances, and payment history. This portal also includes online payment options for clients to make partial or full payments using a desktop or mobile device.

Customer support options: Chat, email, knowledge bank, and phone

Starting price: $27 per user per month

Billing cycle: Annually

Who should consider Bill4Time?

Small-business owners or entrepreneurs in the legal sector can consider Bill4Time to track client hours and create invoices with detailed time entries. The software enables businesses to record both billable and nonbillable hours. It also standardizes the invoicing process by allowing them to include specific time entries, expenses, and taxes in the invoices. This feature ensures clients receive transparent and comprehensive billing statements.

*Analysis accurate as of October 2023

2. Konfio Gestion

Konfio Gestion is a business management software suite with accounting and billing capabilities. It enables companies to track incoming payments, check the payment status, and reconcile payments against invoices. It offers a unified dashboard to create digital invoices, payroll receipts, and consignment notes. It can also generate financial reports such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

Product features of interest*:

• Bank reconciliation: Reconcile bank statements by importing bank account transactions digitally and matching them with corresponding entries in the system. This feature lets businesses create reconciliation reports, showcasing reconciled transactions against outstanding balances.

• Chart of accounts (COA): Access a structured listing of all the accounts used to record financial transactions. This feature also helps categorize account types such as asset, liability, equity, and revenue accounts.

• Multi-currency support: Record financial transactions in different currencies. The software has a built-in exchange rate functionality that automatically converts amounts from a foreign currency to a company's home currency.

Customer support options: Chat, email, and help center

Starting price: $299 per month

Billing cycle: Annually

Who should consider Konfio Gestion?

Konfio Gestion has a Spanish interface, which makes it a viable option for small-business owners or entrepreneurs in Spanish-speaking countries or regions. Businesses can use the software to manage financial transactions and maintain accounting records. They can also categorize their assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, and expenses to create detailed budgets and financial forecasts for each category, optimize financial goals, and improve tax reporting.

*Analysis accurate as of October 2023

3. BookyWay

BookyWay is a time management and scheduling tool that caters to service firms in industries such as wellness, beauty, and fitness. The software lets businesses customize their profiles, set their business hours, and describe their services in detail. Customers can view the available services in the app, book appointments, and pay via in-app purchases. Additionally, businesses can limit the number of appointments or bookings a client can make within a week.

Product features of interest*:

• Waiting lists: Add clients to the waiting list whenever appointments are fully booked. This feature ensures if a slot becomes available due to a cancellation, the next person on the waiting list is automatically notified and offered the appointment.

• In-app payments: Leverage the integrated payment system, Stripe, to process payments directly within the app. In-app payments often serve as a way to confirm appointments. Clients make payments as part of the booking process, which secures their appointment slot. 

• Virtual bulletin boards: Use the bulletin board as an online information hub to share updates with clients. Companies can post their available time slots, announcements, business updates, and other relevant content. 

Customer support options: Email and knowledge base

Starting price: $1.50 per month

Billing cycle: Annually

Who should consider BookyWay?

BookyWay is worth considering for service-based businesses looking to centralize appointment management and client communications. With the virtual bulletin board, businesses can share their available time slots, service announcements, or special offers in one place, making it easier for clients to stay informed. They can also send appointment reminders and collect client feedback, reducing the administrative workload and standardizing appointment management.

*Analysis accurate as of October 2023

4. Sign In Scheduling

Sign In Scheduling, formerly known as 10to8, helps schedule, track, and cancel appointments from a unified platform. It allows businesses to create a custom website or online booking page where customers can check available time slots, schedule appointments, and make payments. It automatically syncs with calendar apps, including Outlook and Office 365, to minimize instances of double-booking. Businesses can add booking restrictions to decide when, how, and what services customers can book, as well as set up a notice period for appointments and cancellations.

Product features of interest*:

• Pre-registrations: Allow customers to choose their preferred appointment time slots in advance. This feature reduces the likelihood of double bookings or scheduling conflicts.

• Automated messaging: Send automated email or SMS messages about upcoming appointments. Businesses can embed a responsive link in the message for clients to cancel or reschedule appointments, preventing no-shows.

• Reporting and analytics: Access key performance indicators, such as the number of new customers in a period, visits on the booking page, and no-shows. Users can also pull up different reports, such as booking reports, service reports, staff appointment reports, and appointment monitoring reports.

Customer support options: Phone, email, and chat

Starting price: $436 per month

Billing cycle: Annually

Who should consider Sign In Scheduling?

Service-based businesses, such as medical practices, beauty salons, and fitness centers, can use Sign In Scheduling for appointment management and resource allocation. With features such as pre-registrations, calendar syncing, and appointment reminders, businesses can optimize resource allocation, plan staff shifts, and minimize scheduling conflicts. Additionally, the software provides a dashboard where businesses can view metrics such as total bookings, clients’ preferred time slots, top services, and top locations.

*Analysis accurate as of October 2023

5. Pixpa

Pixpa is a website builder tool that enables entrepreneurs to build an online store and sell both physical products (e.g., apparel, merchandise) and digital products (e.g., e-books, music, digital art). Businesses can choose a pre-installed website template and customize it to create a store that matches their eCommerce strategy. They can add, delete, or edit webpage elements, such as galleries, folders, separators, and menus. They can also access a digital gallery to view, purchase, and download images.

Product features of interest*:

• Product descriptions: Add up to 10 product images, videos, and links to product descriptions. Businesses can also display special labels such as “coming soon” and “on sale” to engage customers. 

• Online payments: Connect Paypal or Stripe account to take payments directly from client accounts. Businesses also have the option to accept offline payments, including cash and checks. 

• Blogging and marketing tools: Leverage built-in marketing tools, such as pop-ups, SEO tools, and announcement bars, to promote and increase business visibility. Businesses can choose a blog layout, publish and schedule posts, add categories and tags, embed image galleries, and enable comments and social media sharing. 

Customer support options: Call, email, FAQs, and help center

Starting price: $3.60 per month

Billing cycle: Annually

Who should consider Pixpa?

Pixpa is worth considering for small businesses with a diverse product catalog, including physical items, digital products, and services. The software supports a range of products and services, such as t-shirts, merchandise, prints, e-books, music, digital art, and downloadable images. Businesses can add product or service descriptions and use up to 10 product images, videos, and links to engage customers. Pixpa also offers marketing pop-ups to help businesses announce sales or events, promote blog posts, and capture visitors’ information.

*Analysis accurate as of October 2023

6. Zyro

Zyro is another website builder that helps entrepreneurs create eCommerce stores. The software has a drag-and-drop editor to add new items (e.g., blog, store, pages) and customize call-to-action buttons. Businesses can customize the color, font, logo, menu, and page sections of their online store. They can edit desktop and mobile page layouts separately and check how their store looks before publication. Additionally, the software has a built-in content management system for businesses to create blogs about their offerings or the latest trends. 

Product features of interest*:

• AI tools: Use AI-powered tools such as a content generator, an image enhancer, a logo maker, and a background remover to automate various aspects of the creative and marketing process.

• SEO tools: Modify page titles, meta descriptions, and alt text for images to optimize your eCommerce store for search engines. Integrate with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to track and analyze website performance, user behavior, and marketing campaigns.

• SSL certificate: Protect your eCommerce store with SSL certificates—digital certificates that establish a secure and encrypted connection between the web server and the customer’s web browser, safeguarding the data transmitted during the interaction.

Customer support options: Call, email, and knowledge base

Starting price: $2.99 per month

Billing cycle: Annually

Who should consider Zyro? 

Zyro is a viable option for small-business owners or entrepreneurs prioritizing data protection and information security for their websites. It deploys SSL certificates to encrypt the data exchanged between website visitors and the server, including personal information and payment details. Additionally, Zyro uses traffic filtering systems to distinguish between legitimate user traffic and malicious requests associated with distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. The platform filters out malicious traffic and ensures uninterrupted access for genuine customers.

*Analysis accurate as of October 2023

The cost of small-business software tools can vary based on the software type, core and key features, user count, business size and type, integrations, and storage. Most tools offer a free trial (no-cost plans ranging from 14 to 30 days) or a forever free version with limited features. Besides these, typical pricing plans include:

• Entry-level plans: These offer basic features and are suitable for entrepreneurs in the early stages of building their businesses that need a cost-effective solution.

• Mid-tier plans: They cater to businesses that have outgrown the limitations of entry-level tools but may not require the full suite of features offered by enterprise-level solutions. This tier is ideal for entrepreneurs seeking to scale and optimize their operations.

• High-end plans: These provide unlimited access to advanced features and are suitable for large, established businesses with more complex needs. They are designed for organizations that require advanced functionality, extensive support, and scalability.

Note: The table provides per user, per month pricing** details for each category.

Consider asking vendors these questions to ensure you pick the right tool for the needs of your small business:

• Is the software scalable? 

Scalability ensures the software can handle increased data, users, and functionality as your small business evolves. This means looking for key features such as user access control, data storage options, and performance enhancements. User access control allows you to manage who can access what data and functions as your team grows. Ample data storage capacity is crucial to prevent storage limitations as your small business accumulates more data. Performance improvements ensure the software remains responsive even as your operations scale up.

• How well does the software integrate with existing systems?

Assuming that you work with multiple software tools, you would want to invest in technology that integrates well with your existing software stack. Integrating software tools eliminates the need for manual data entry. For instance, customer information from your eCommerce platform can automatically sync with your CRM software, saving time and reducing the risk of manual data entry errors. Additionally, integration allows you to provide a more personalized customer experience. For instance, by integrating CRM software with your appointment scheduling tool, you can send targeted emails or text messages to specific customer segments based on their interactions with your online business.

• What is the disaster recovery plan? 

Understand how the software protects your data during unexpected events, such as system failures or downtimes. It should include regular data backups, redundancy, and security measures. Regular data backups ensure your data is routinely saved and stored securely offsite, making it recoverable in case of data loss due to hardware failures, human errors, or cyberattacks. Redundancy means the software has backup systems or servers in place to take over in the event of primary system failures, minimizing downtime. The disaster recovery plan should also detail the security measures in place, such as encryption, intrusion detection, and firewalls, to safeguard your data against cyberthreats.