It takes a village to run and grow a startup.

And that village doesn’t only include your team of hardworking, competitive professionals but also the right tools and processes.

Using the right suite of tools can boost efficiency across your business, from managing customer relationships and team communication to graphic design, UX, and SEO.

Startup success depends upon smart planning and organization. Luckily, today’s market offers a wealth of tools that save you both time and money. 

While it’s not always easy to find the perfect tools right off the bat, many offer trial periods, so you can test them out and see if they’re the right fit for your startup.

In this article, I’ll talk about the 7 best tools for startups that help you grow and keep growing your business. 

7 Best tools for startups

To successfully launch and run a startup, you need a solid grasp on:

• Accounting
• Team management
• Lead generation and customer acquisition
• Social media management, and more. 

If you or your team handles all of these manually, you need the right tools to streamline your workflow. 

Here are the best tools for entrepreneurs, including some free tools for startups, that you should definitely check out. 

Slack

Whatever industry you’re in, smooth and fast communication is required. Sure, you can go back and forth on emails, but it’s not the most intuitive way, is it?

Slack solves this problem and allows you, your team, and your clients (if you add them to your Slack channel) to communicate easily.

Slack is a productivity app that centralizes business discussion and collaboration. For communication, it has options for calls, video meetings, one-on-one chats, and group discussions.

You can create topic-based channels and share files across teams easily. The best part about Slack is that it is free for most of your needs.

However, the paid version of Slack stores communication indefinitely and offers various apps and tech integrations. 

For external contributors, you can set up partner-specific workspaces.

Key features

Slack is one of the best collaboration software for startups with the following features: 

• Slack’s direct messaging and channels keep your conversations organized. Free users can access chat history for up to 90 days, while paid users have indefinite access

• Offers huddles, and instant voice or video calls directly in Slack, supporting up to 50 participants without extra apps

• Allows easy document sharing with drag-and-drop files or integrating with Google Workspace

• Connects with over 2,600 apps to centralize your workflow

• Has an interactive whiteboard, Canvas, to collaborate on ideas using images, videos, documents, and drawing features.

Pricing

Slack provides a free plan with essential core features. The paid plans include: 

• Standard plan for $7.25 per user per month

• Business+ plan for $12.50 per user per month

• Enterprise grid plan with the highest level of security and unlimited workspaces for custom pricing available upon request

Notion

While running a startup, you need to brainstorm ideas, organize them in documents, and present them in, well, a presentable manner. Notion helps you do all that and more.

Notion for startups is a comprehensive workspace with tools for collaboration and productivity. 

Eligible startups (non-paying, under 50 employees, raised under $10M) get 3-6 months free with unlimited AI, software discounts, access to the Notion Academy, and a supportive community.

Key features

With Notion, you can: 

• Outline your product's development journey, set milestones, and monitor progress in real-time

• Keep organized records of meetings and pitches from investors and venture capital firms

• Use Notion’s user persona template to identify and document your target customers

• Map out your startup’s business model and growth strategy using the business model canvas

• Link related concepts with relational databases for comprehensive tracking

• Use Notion AI, a generative AI model build within the platform to write, edit, search, etc.

Pricing

Notion provides a limited, free forever version. Other plans better suited to startups include: 

• Plus: $10/month/seat with unlimited blocks, 100 guests, and 30-day history

• Business: $15/month/seat with SAML SSO, private teamspaces, 250 guests, and 90-day history

• Enterprise: Advanced security and unlimited history for custom pricing

Formaloo

When it comes to running and growing a startup, having a reliable platform for creating forms and managing data is crucial. Formaloo provides a versatile and user-friendly solution that empowers startups to streamline processes and enhance customer interactions.

Whether you need to collect feedback, manage registrations, or automate workflows, Formaloo simplifies these tasks with its comprehensive features.

Key features

Here are some standout features of Formaloo for startups:

• Customizable Templates: Formaloo offers a wide range of templates, allowing startups to create personalized forms, surveys, and quizzes tailored to their specific needs without requiring coding skills.
• Integration Capabilities: The platform seamlessly integrates with popular tools like Google Sheets, Zapier, and Slack, enabling startups to enhance their workflows and keep everything organized in one place.
• Data Management and Analytics: With built-in analytics, startups can easily track responses and gain valuable insights, helping them make data-driven decisions to improve their offerings.
• User-Friendly Interface: The intuitive design of Formaloo ensures that even those without technical expertise can easily navigate and utilize the platform effectively.
• Collaborative Features: Formaloo allows team collaboration, enabling multiple users to work on forms simultaneously, which is perfect for startups with dynamic teams.

Pricing

Formaloo offers flexible pricing plans to accommodate startups of all sizes:

• Free Plan: It's free forever. Ideal for using the platform with limited features.
• Pro Plan: $12/month, which includes advanced features and integrations.
• Team Plan: $38/month, designed for growing teams with additional customization options.

With Formaloo, startups can easily manage their data and improve client engagement, setting a solid foundation for sustainable growth.

Zapier

In a startup, you use many different apps every single day. There’s one for communicating, one for lead generation, one for meetings, one for billing, and whatnot. 

Keeping a tab on all these apps can become a hassle in no time. But what if you can connect these apps together and automate your entire workflow? Zapier does just that!

Zapier links thousands of apps, even when native integrations between them aren't available. 

While many software systems offer integrations, these don’t always align with a startup’s tech stack or update consistently. 

Zapier fills this gap by connecting apps that lack direct integrations.

Key features

Here are the features of Zapier that will make you happier: 

• Integrations: Connect with over 5,000 apps, including Google Apps, project management tools, design apps, HR software, database management, marketing platforms, and sales/CRM systems.

• Multi-Step Zaps: Automate complex workflows by chaining multiple actions across different apps. 

• Path: Customize automation with conditional workflows using the if/then logic

• Filters: Control which actions are triggered by setting conditions that must be met, with options to add delays or set specific timing.

• Formatter: Organize and format data according to your preferences, like capitalizing product names or sending satisfaction surveys based on conditions.

Pricing

Zapier also has a free plan that allows for 100 tasks/month and basic, two-step zaps. Advanced features are available in the following plans: 

• Professional: $19.99/month

• Team: $69/month

• Enterprise: Custom pricing

HubSpot

HubSpot is a well-known B2B CRM software that offers sales, marketing, and customer support solutions for startups and growing companies. 

It unifies sales and marketing tools that streamline the customer experience while avoiding the hassle of multiple platforms. 

There’s also HubSpot’s Startup Program that provides tools and resources for startups to help founders market and grow their ventures with minimal upfront costs.

Qualified startups can get 30%-75% off on the AI-driven CRM used by over 228,000 rapidly growing companies. 

Key features

HubSpot offers several features to improve startup operations. You can: 

• Keep all your leads organized in one place, including their profiles, activity history, notes, and communications

• Track and customize your sales deals with various stages, probabilities, and forecast dates

• Create and send branded quotes with your terms via email or link

• Sync your calendar to let prospects book meetings with you directly, without the need for back-and-forth emails

• Access reports and metrics on sales activities, conversions, revenue, and customer satisfaction to monitor your business performance

Pricing

Hubpost has four key solutions and each is priced separately with a free limited version. Here’s the pricing rundown for small teams: 

• Marketing Hub—marketing hub starter ($15/month/seat) and marketing hub professional ($800/month/seat)

• Sales Hub—sales hub starter ($15/month/seat) and sales hub professional ($90/month/seat)

• Service Hub—sales hub starter ($15/month/seat) and service hub professional ($90/month/seat)

• Content Hub—content hub starter ($15/month/seat) and content hub professional ($450/month/seat)

Canva

In a startup, you need to design things, whether for your social media accounts, ads, blogs, or your website. Canva allows you to design like a pro even if you’re not one.

Canva is a design tool available as a web browser tool and a downloadable app for Mac, PC, Chromebook, iOS, and Android. 

It has four key functionalities

• Templates that provide pre-designed layouts for various uses like presentations, videos, and ads

• Elements, which include royalty-free photos, videos, and graphics

• AI tools that allow you to create fresh content

• A drag-and-drop editor for easy customization of templates

Key features

Canva has some great features tailored for startups. Here’s what you can expect: 

• Canva brings together design, marketing, and branding into one platform

• You’ll find tons of ready-to-use templates for company presentations, business plans, financial reports, newsletters, and more

• Canva’s got you covered with tools to create professional-looking prototypes and product mock-ups

• Canva offers over 100 million photos, templates, graphics, and videos to suit all your business needs

• You can quickly turn data into dynamic infographics and graphs using the Charts feature

• Canva Video lets you trim, edit, brand, and publish your product and marketing videos without any hassle

Pricing

Canva’s free forever plan comes with limited features and templates. The paid plans include: 

• Canva Pro: $15 per month (for one user)

• Canva Teams: $10 per month per user (with a minimum of three users being required to access this plan)

Intercom

Intercom is among the favorite help desk AI tools for startups and SaaS companies due to its tight integration with software products and customer success features, like in-product chats and proactive messaging. 

It blurs the line between help desk software and customer success startup tools. Plus, it offers a 93% discount to early-stage companies.

Key features

Here’s a rundown of Intercom’s key features for startups:

• Intercom’s Fin AI Suite offers AI-powered services like chatbots, agent reply enhancements, and conversation summaries, included at no extra cost in every plan

• You can create visual, no-code automation with Intercom’s workflow tools with pre-built templates and automated actions

• Allows for targeted in-app and email campaigns to improve onboarding and customer engagement

• Intercom supports various communication channels like iOS, Android, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, email, and SMS to meet customers where they are

• Out-of-the-box performance dashboards offer insights into team efforts and customer experiences, with options for custom reports if needed

Pricing

Intercom offers a 14-day free trial included with no credit card needed. The pricing tiers are as follows: 

• Essential: $29/seat/month

• Advanced: $85/seat/month

• Expert: $132/seat/month

Importance of tech toolkit for startups

As per Fundera, 50% of businesses fail by their fifth year, 30% collapse within the first year, and 20% fail in the second year. 

Overall, around 90% of startups end up failing due to limited resources and inability to juggle tasks efficiently among many other reasons.

A tech toolkit is essential for overcoming hurdles that lead to failure. The right toolkit for startups should include at least three kinds of tools. 

• Project management tools to help teams stay on the same page and track progress
• Communication tools to collaborate, share ideas, and resolve issues quickly 
• Financial tools keep track of expenses, manage budgets, handle invoicing, and maintain healthy cash flow.

Tech tools automate repetitive tasks and free up valuable time for startups to focus on strategic work. 

Formaloo: Your go-to startup toolkit

Formaloo provides essential tools for startups that empower business growth. You can create lead generation forms quickly with drag-and-drop customization and pre-built templates and analyze your results. 

It also offers real-time reports and dashboards to help you make data-driven decisions and manage your data effortlessly.

Formaloo is dedicated to helping as many startups as possible. If your startup meets these requirements, you qualify for a $1,000 credit: 

• Raised less than $5 million
• Launched less than 5 years ago
• Independent (not owned by a bigger company)
• Fewer than 50 employees
• New to Formaloo and using the Free plan

Apply now and start using Formaloo with the $1,000 credit!

FAQs

What are the best free tools for startups?

The best free tools for startups include Canva, Slack, Zoom, Mailchimp, Trello, Calendly, Asana, Google Analytics, and more.

What is needed for tech startup?

A tech startup needs a clear vision based on innovation and a solid business plan. To execute your plan, you also need skilled team members, reliable technology, effective marketing strategies, and adequate funding.

How to create a digital startup?

To create a digital startup, you need to identify a problem, develop a business plan that solves it for your customers, build a strong online presence, and leverage digital tools for startups for smooth operations.

Does Formaloo offer features specifically for startups?

Yes, Formaloo offers pre-built templates for lead generation forms and user onboarding flows for startups. Our pricing system is startup-friendly. You can also apply for a $1,000 credit if your startup meets the requirements.