Skip to content

Small-business tech, compared and priced

The right tools for a small team, compared and priced

Plain-English guides to the software and gear a small team runs on - automation, payments, meetings, backups, Wi-Fi and hiring - sized to your headcount and priced to the month.

Your business
Meetings Website Automation Backups Time tracking Team apps Hiring & HR POS Payments Wi-Fi & network
Head to head

The comparisons small teams ask for most

ZapierMake Which one is cheaper at your task count, and where each one breaks. Read the comparison SlackTeams Chat, calls and price per seat for a team of 5 to 50. Read the comparison WorkspaceMicrosoft 365 Email, storage and the plan each team size needs. Read the comparison SquareStripe In-person or online, and what the fees come to each month. Read the comparison TogglClockify Billable hours, timesheets and the free plan's limits. Read the comparison QuickBooksXero Invoicing, payroll add-ons and what your accountant expects. Read the comparison
Pick the job

Every guide, by the job in front of you

Meetings & Video Calls Cameras, speakerphones, headsets and transcription for meeting rooms and desks, sized to the room. 27 Website & Online Website cost, builders, domains, business email, security and email lists for a small business online. 26 Automation Zapier, Make, n8n and Power Automate compared and priced, and the jobs worth automating first. 26 Backup & Security Backups, NAS boxes, encryption and recovery plans that a small office can actually keep running. 25 Time Tracking Time trackers, time clocks and employee monitoring, compared for billing, payroll and fairness. 25 Team Apps Slack or Teams, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, Notion, ClickUp and the plan each team size… 25 Hiring & HR Applicant tracking, onboarding checklists, payroll and HR software for teams that hire a few a month. 22 POS & Card Readers Point-of-sale systems and card readers for shops, cafes and pop-ups, with the fees that come with… 17 Payments & Invoicing Card fees, payment processors, invoicing and accounting software, worked out for small volumes. 16 Office Wi-Fi & Network Routers, mesh Wi-Fi, PoE switches and VPNs for a small office, sized to the floor and… 14 AI at Work The AI tools that save a small team real hours - writing, meeting notes, video -… 13
In our guides

Tools our guides recommend, when they fit

Each one is recommended only where it solves the problem in that guide. They take turns at the front of this list.

Finance & AccountingInvoiless

Invoiless is an all-in-one invoicing solution that helps users create, send, manage, and track invoices from one platform.

  • Create and send invoices quickly and easily
  • Manage multiple businesses and clients in one place
  • Track income and expenses effectively
See how Invoiless works

One-time payment, lifetime access

Calendar & SchedulingTidyCal

TidyCal is a scheduling tool that helps users book clients, sell packages, and collect payments all in one place.

  • Create one-on-one, group, and recurring bookings without limits.
  • Sell packages and subscriptions for upfront payments.
  • Accept payments via Stripe or PayPal at the time of booking.
See how TidyCal works

One-time payment, lifetime access

Productivity & AutomationSheetXAI

SheetXAI is an AI-powered tool that automates spreadsheet tasks using natural language commands, eliminating the need for formulas or coding.

  • Automate spreadsheet tasks with simple commands in plain English.
  • Turn unstructured documents into organized spreadsheet data.
  • Generate marketing copy, research summaries, and media assets at scale.
See how SheetXAI works

One-time payment, lifetime access

Productivity & AutomationRobomotion RPA

Robomotion RPA is a robotic process automation tool that allows users to automate repetitive and data-intensive manual tasks using easy-to-use bots.

  • Automate web and desktop applications to streamline workflows.
  • Build automation flows using plain English without coding.
  • Schedule tasks to run automatically based on user-defined cadences.
See how Robomotion RPA works

One-time payment, lifetime access

Project ManagementStackby

Stackby is a no-code platform that allows users to transform spreadsheets into custom databases and applications with built-in automations.

  • Create and manage databases with various column types and views
  • Automate workflows without coding using Zapier-style integrations
  • Visualize data through customizable dashboards and reports
See how Stackby works

One-time payment, lifetime access

Productivity & AutomationPrismical

Prismical is a tool that records and transcribes speech into structured notes using AI, allowing users to capture conversations and extract key decisions and action items.

  • Record and transcribe meetings, voice notes, and lectures in real-time.
  • Auto-summarize conversations into structured notes with key decisions.
  • Share notes directly with team members without the need for exports.
See how Prismical works

One-time payment, lifetime access

Forms & App BuildersDeftform

Deftform is a form-building tool that allows users to create custom forms, automate workflows, and collect data efficiently.

  • Create unlimited forms and collect unlimited responses
  • Automate workflows based on form submissions
  • Manage data securely and ensure GDPR compliance
See how Deftform works

One-time payment, lifetime access

VideoFlexClip

FlexClip is an AI-powered online video editor that allows users to create, edit, and share professional videos using templates and stock assets.

  • Create and edit videos for various purposes including marketing and social media.
  • Access over 4 million royalty-free stock assets.
  • Utilize ready-made templates to streamline video production.
See how FlexClip works

One-time payment, lifetime access

Some links on this site are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products where they genuinely fit the problem.

What it really costs

Prices worked out for a small team, not a sales page

Start here

The guides readers open first

Meetings & Video Calls

All 27

Website & Online

All 26

Automation

All 26
How we size a tool

Your team size first, the feature list last

  1. 1Start from the headcount

    Every guide is sized to a real team - 3 desks, 12 staff, 40 laptops - because that decides the plan you need.

  2. 2Price it to the month

    Seats, tasks, card fees and add-ons from the vendor's own pricing page, added up for that team.

  3. 3Say what breaks

    Limits, lock-in and the point where a cheaper tool stops being enough, said plainly.

  4. 4Date every check

    Prices and plans change. Each guide says when it was last checked, and is updated when they move.

Jordan Ellis edits CircleBytes. Every guide is sized to a real team, priced from the vendor's own pricing page and dated, so you can see when it was last checked. About CircleBytes