Carrie Morris
Business owners face a challenge when it comes to keeping up with the changing needs of their companies. Using modern tools and applications can simplify the process to find the right solutions to keep up with the preferences of your customers. The challenge is finding the best business app for iPhone and other devices to fit in with your company goals and situation.
By evaluating the options that are available to your business, you can cut back on unnecessary software, tools, and subscriptions that are not helping you grow and thrive. The key is clarifying the best options available and then looking for the apps that are the ideal fit to give your company the boost it needs to start improving your long-term goals.
Apps are ranked according to their:
- Price (for basic plan, not extras)
- Value (their usefulness vs cost)
- Ease of Use (ie learning curve, user-friendly interface, etc)
1. Wave
Finding the best iPhone business apps starts with clarifying your company’s specific needs. When it comes to your financial details, Wave is an excellent option to help your company grow. Wave assists with all of your company’s financial needs, so it works with your payroll, payments from customers, invoicing, and accounting. The software is free to download and use in your business. When it comes to payments, payroll, and related services, you will have some fees. Payments have a percentage fee for each transaction. You can also opt for a monthly service fee when setting up payroll for your employees.
- Price: $
- Value: 5
- Ease of Use: 5
2. Xero
Xero is one of the best apps for a small business with a strict budget. The application is designed to assist with the accounting needs of the business and helps simplify the process of putting in financial data for business documentation. It allows companies to keep track of cash flow, expenses, and profits from any computer, smartphone, or tablet. It has a low monthly subscription fee, and allows businesses to access the software as long as they keep up with the fee. Xero also offers a free 30-day trial, so it gives customers a chance to try it out before committing to the monthly costs.
- Price: $
- Value: 5
- Ease of Use: 4
3. PayPal
When you’re looking for the best business apps for iPhone or other smartphones, PayPal is a good option to help with your goals. The application is free for small businesses to sign up, so it helps keep the costs to your company low when you are looking for ways to make payments to a third party or your employees. You will need to keep in mind that selling or accepting payments in your merchant account will have some fees. The exact fees will vary based on the amount, so make sure you are aware of the costs when using PayPal.
- Price: $
- Value: 5
- Ease of Use: 5
4. Square
Square is among the best business apps for companies that are looking for a way to streamline their business. The application allows companies to accept payments from consumers, make payments to suppliers, and keep up with other details without wasting time using multiple platforms and services. Costs associated with Square depend on the services you need and want for your business. It sets a percentage fee for payments, but the exact percentage varies based on the type of payment system you need.
- Price: $
- Value: 5
- Ease of Use: 4
5. Connecteam
When you’re looking for the best small business app to help your company grow and thrive, Connecteam is a good option for your goals. The app focuses on helping with employee communication and makes it easier for your employees to connect and discuss business projects or activities. Connecteam offers a monthly service solution to help businesses with employee management, particularly when a company allows employees to work from home or from locations outside the office. You can start using Connecteam for free; however, you may decide to add services to the basic plan by selecting a monthly service option that fits the needs of your business. The costs for the monthly services vary based on the type of plan selected for the company.
- Price: $$
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 3
6. SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors is one of the best apps for business. The application focuses on helping improve human resource services when employees or business owners are not available in the office. The mobile app emphasizes productivity within the company and works on improving time management when working with employees. It allows you to customize the processes used by the company with a digital assistant. SAP SuccessFactors is a service you obtain through annual fees. You will want to evaluate your company’s budget to clarify if you are able to pay the up-front fees; however, it does allow you to use the application for a full year after you pay for the service.
- Price: $$$
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 3
7. Gusto
Gusto is one of the best small business apps for companies that want to simplify their HR strategies. The application focuses on assisting with the processes of hiring new team members by sending offer letters, keeping up with payroll, and providing employees with appropriate insurance based on their role within your company and their needs. Gusto has a base monthly cost, but also sets a per-person cost. You can also try out the app with a free one-month trial.
- Price: $
- Value: 5
- Ease of Use: 3
8. Workday
When you are looking for the best iPad apps for business, you will want to consider Workday. The application emphasizes the management of your employees through its human management resources. It allows you and your employees to use the application from a preferred device, so it offers flexibility to businesses that are using different technological tools or allow employees to bring their own devices. Prices are set on an annual basis based on the needs and goals of the company, so you can expect some variation in the actual costs.
- Price: $$$
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 4
9. Venmo
Businesses need a simple and secure way to send and receive money, and that is where Venmo is one of the best business iPad apps to help a company grow. The app allows business owners to send money without paying high fees or to receive money with limited costs. The exact costs depend on the methods used for transactions; however, the majority of transactions have zero fees or costs. You may have a small percentage fee when using credit cards to send money. There is also a small fee for out-of-network ATM services.
- Price: $
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 4
10. Quickbooks
When it comes to accounting, Quickbooks is a classic tool to help small businesses. It is among the best small business apps to get a business up-to-date with its accounting, financial details, and taxation information. The application offers a variety of different plans that range from options for self-employed professionals, simple plans for new businesses, or advanced plans to help a large company keep track of complex details as it grows and develops. The application offers a 30-day free trial, so you can try it out before you commit to a monthly plan.
- Price: $$
- Value: 5
- Ease of Use: 3 (QB does everything, so there is a lot to learn)
11. RescueTime
When it comes to the best iPad apps for business that focus on time management, RescueTime is a good choice. The application helps you stay on track as it relates to your time and allows you to set custom work hours so that you can work when it fits your schedule. Your employees maintain total privacy while working, particularly when they are away from the office. It also helps you find inefficiencies in your system. RescueTime offers a 14-day free trial for the Premium Plan and a 30-day free trial for the Organization Plan.
- Price: $
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 5
12. My Minutes
My Minutes is the best business app for iPad when you are looking for an option that helps you keep track of time. The application allows you to budget your time and motivates you to stay on track with your goals. The motivational streaks are designed to encourage you to keep trying to accomplish new goals as it tracks your success over time. My Minutes is a free application, so it is a budget-friendly option for your business.
- Price: $
- Value: 3 (does what it does well, but doesn’t do much)
- Ease of Use: 4
13. Toggl
The best iPhone business apps for companies on a strict budget offer a solution that helps with your costs. Toggl is a free time tracking tool that helps you keep track of your time management skills and gives you reports that allow you to make better choices with your future actions. Although the basic plan is a free option, you can opt for additional services. More advanced plans offer a 30-day free trial, so you can determine if the plan is appropriate for your needs.
- Price: $
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 3
14. When I Work
When I Work is one of the best apps for small business scheduling and messaging. It is designed to help small businesses keep up with employee activities, and it allows users to request time off or trade shifts with other members of a team. The business app is free for a team of 75 users or less as long as it only covers one location. You can opt for more advanced plans that are designed around multiple job sites or a larger number of employees if your business is growing.
- Price: $
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 4
15. Schedule Planner
Schedule Planner is one of the best business iPhone apps to help you organize important tasks for your company. The application helps you set priorities for your work and tracks your progress over time. It also informs you of the tasks you accomplished, as well as the differences of your accomplishments from your goals. If you are considering Schedule Planner for your business, then you will need to discuss pricing based on the needs of your business with a representative. The exact pricing depends on your company’s specific concerns and goals.
- Price: $$
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 4
16. Monday
If you are looking for the best iPhone apps for business, then Monday is a good option for your goals. The application emphasizes the process of developing, maintaining, and sharing projects in your company. It allows different departments in your business to work together to complete specific tasks and it works in any industry. The plans on Monday have a monthly cost and the price depends on the specific services you need for your business. You can start with a free trial to determine if the application is good for your company.
- Price: $$
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 4
17. Asana
Asana is a good application for businesses that want to improve the efficiency of a team. The app allows business owners to set plans and help a team get organized so each person is able to keep up with their roles and responsibilities. It also tracks information at each stage of a project so that a business is able to reach their goals and hit their deadlines. Asana allows you to try the application for free; however, it does have a per-user cost that is billed annually, so you will need to clarify the specific costs for your business.
- Price: $
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 3
18. Trello
Collaboration is a critical part of building your business and improving your capabilities. Trello is a business app designed to help you collaborate on projects and prioritize your projects to reach your goals as a company. The application has a productivity platform that helps you keep track of your productivity while working on a project. The app is free for you to start using it, but it does have a monthly cost.
- Price: $
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 4
19. Basecamp
Basecamp is a user-friendly application designed for project management. The app focuses on getting all of the information about a project organized in one place, and it allows everyone involved in the project to connect so that it is possible to stay on track. The application is designed to prevent the details from slipping through the cracks due to miscommunication or inadvertent disorganization. The application offers a free 30-day trial, but it has a flat monthly fee after the trial period.
- Price: $$$
- Value: 5
- Ease of Use: 4
20. ProofHub
ProofHub is a collaboration and planning application for businesses that helps you put all of your information about a project in one place. It focuses on collaboration and project management, so it allows you to set goals, track your progress, and prioritize tasks for a project. The application offers a free trial before it sets a monthly cost that is billed on an annual basis.
- Price: $$$
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 3
21. ZoomShift
ZoomShift is an application designed for small businesses that helps simplify the process of making a schedule, tracking employee work hours, and cutting payroll costs by ensuring accurate tracking. The application focuses on putting all work-hour related information in one place for your business. It allows you to set schedules and gives your employees an opportunity to ask for time off or to swap shifts with other works. All of the plans offer a free 14-day trial. It then sets a monthly cost per team member, so exact costs will vary.
- Price: $
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 4
22. Wix
The Wix application for small businesses is a website building tool. It allows you to create and develop a website that fits the needs of your company and provides a high level of customization based on your personal goals. The application offers a free plan for testing to allow you to try out the interface and process before you decide to move forward with your plans. The cost after the testing trial depends on the templates and details you select for your business and it is billed annually.
- Price: $-$$$
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 4
23. Buffer
Buffer is a social media tool that is designed to help you improve engagement online and to build up your company’s reputation. The social media management software and application allows you to publish content, evaluate and analyze the results of your social media posts, and engage with your customers through social media in one convenient application. The monthly plans offer a free trial for either seven or 14 days.
- Price: $
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 3
24. Hootsuite
Managing your social media accounts is a challenge for any business. Hootsuite is an application that helps you keep track of your social media accounts in one application. You are able to schedule posts onto a social media account and manage your content without signing into multiple accounts. The application provides a 30-day free trial and then you can choose a monthly plan that fits the needs of your business.
- Price: $
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 3
25. Mention
Mention is an application designed for businesses that focuses on the management and monitoring of social media accounts. It allows a business to monitor the web and then develop responses based on company goals, current events, or the response from a target audience and customers. The tool offers different plans and pricing based on the number of social media accounts and users that your business needs. For a single user with only three social media accounts, a free plan is available.
- Price: $$
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 2
26. Mailchimp
Marketing is a critical part of any business and Mailchimp is a marketing platform that helps your business grow. It puts all of your marketing tools in one convenient application. You are able to keep up with your social media marketing, email marketing, and online website marketing without wasting time on multiple tools. The application has a free startup plan, as well as monthly plans for additional services.
- Price: $
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 2
27. Pingboard
Pingboard is organizational charting software that simplifies the process of charting employee responsibilities within your company and on a project. The software allows you to create charts within minutes and keep your charts up-to-date automatically as information and plans change. The plan offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on its services and it has monthly plans that are paid annually based on the number of users and the needs of your business.
- Price: $$$
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 3
28. BlogIn
BlogIn is a business application that is designed to help you create an internal blog for your business. The internal blog allows your company to share news and keep your employees up-to-date with the latest information. The plans for the internal blog are available on an annual or a monthly basis, and you can start out with a free trial. The free trial does not require you to provide a credit card.
- Price: $$
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 3
29. Slack
Communication within your company is an important part of accomplishing your goals for growth and development. Slack is an application that helps you replace internal email systems and keep your company’s information organized for improvements in productivity. The application offers four different plans that start with a free monthly plan and move into a custom option with variable costs based on the needs of your business.
- Price: $
- Value: 4
- Ease of Use: 2
30. Hubspot
Hubspot is a marketing tool designed to help small businesses grow. It offers a variety of options for business growth that range from lead generation and inbound marketing to email tracking and customer feedback. While Hubspot does offer some free tools to help you get started, the service plans do have a monthly cost that varies based on the services that apply to a company’s goals and situation.
- Price: $$
- Value: 3
- Ease of Use: 3
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