Starting a business can be challenging. There's so many things to consider and if you're not careful, you can quickly start drowning in subscription costs before you even acquire your first customer.
Luckily there are some great free options available in each category to help you get your business off the ground. Here's a list of handpicked, top-notch software that won't cost you a dime to launch your start-up in 2024.
In this article, we will cover:
- Zoho Mail for business email
- Zoho Books for business accounting
- Loops for email marketing
- Fullstory for data analytics
- HubSpot for CRM
- HubSpot for free customer support
- Amazon, Vercel, and Fly.io for hosting
1. Business Email: Zoho Mail's "Forever Free Plan"
When it comes to business email, many rush to Google. However, did you know you can secure a free business email account for up to five users with Zoho Mail's "Forever Free Plan"? Is there a catch? The free plan doesn't include IMAP, POP, or Active Sync, but rest assured, Zoho Mail provides apps for all mobile and desktop platforms that function seamlessly. Check out the details of this game-changing plan here and sign up directly for the free plan here.
2. Business Accounting Software: Zoho Books
When starting Lynkle, finding compliant accounting software with a free tier took us a while, but we finally found Zoho Books. They offer a generous free plan for organizations with a revenue of less than USD 50,000 annually, which is excellent for most startups. Their paid plans are reasonably priced, too, when you need to upgrade.
3. Email Marketing: Loops.so - YCombinator-backed and brilliant
Look no further than Loops.so for your marketing and transactional email needs. Backed byY Combinator, this product is a game-changer for startups. Explore its capabilities here and watch your marketing efforts soar. With a generous free tier, you can send 2000 free marketing or transactional emails to 1000 contacts and get full access to everything else Loops has to offer.
4. Analytics: Fullstory - Session replays to improve user experiences
If you're already using analytics tools like Google Analytics or Amplitude, you're familiar with their benefits. However, FullStory takes it a step further by providing real-time session replays, giving you a clear view of how users interact with your product.
This deeper insight helps you identify and resolve user experience issues more effectively.
FullStory offers a generous free plan, making it an essential tool for ironing out UX issues of your new product without additional costs.
5. CRM: HubSpot's Free CRM
HubSpot's Free CRM offers a plethora of useful features to kickstart your sales. As a bonus, you also get a free email signature generator! Create your free HubSpot account here and transform the way you manage customer relationships.
6. Customer support: HubSpot Chatflow
Intercom is probably the name you know best when it comes to customer support. Although it is an excellent product, prices start at USD 39/month per user, so in this category, HubSpot makes another appearance with its free Chatflow feature. Add it to your website, allowing customers to quickly reach out with inquiries about your business or support needs. Dive into the details here and enhance your customer support game.
7. Hosting: Three incredible free options
When it comes to hosting, there are just too many great free options out there, so we've picked 3 of our favorites to support a variety of platforms/tech stacks.
AWS Activate Founders - $1000 USD in free AWS credits
If your startup is already operational, you may be eligible for a $1000 USD credit from AWS in 12 months. Applications are quick and easy, too.
AWS Free Tier - 12 months of free app + database hosting
Run your app and database for free for the first 12 months with AWS Free Tier. If things don't go as planned, no worries - just shut everything down and pay nothing.
Vercel- Quick and easy Next.js hosting
If you're familiar with Next.js, you probably know Vercel. Set up your hosting in just 10 minutes with this straightforward platform. The free version supports 35+ frameworks, a fast, global edge network, automatic CI/CD, KV/Postgres database, and much more. Learn more about pricing here.
fly.io- Ideal for startups with diverse tech stacks
Supporting a variety of tech stacks (Elixir, Rails, Laravel, Python, .NET, Go, and more), fly.io lets you deploy your project in a few minutes with Fly Launch. Then do more with Fly Machines. There's a generous free allowance that will let you run an app + database for free.
With these great free business tools at your disposal, launching a new startup has never been easier. Without breaking the bank, you can now build a solid foundation for your new business.
