Business software buying guide
AI tools for small businesses and teams
Start with the job you need done, then compare allowances and total cost. These are researched options, not a ranking of tested winners.
Start with the question you need answered
Buying from the US, UK, Canada or Australia?
A price displayed with “$” does not establish whether it is USD, CAD or AUD. We preserve the vendor's currency and do not convert prices or assume country-specific availability. Confirm your checkout currency, billing commitment, taxes and plan eligibility before paying.
Use the international software buying checklist. The guided chooser checks paid USD budgets only when USD is explicitly documented; confirmed free plans can still qualify.
Marketing and content
Does the plan cover the content your team actually publishes?
1. Shortlist
Listed A to Z. The order is not an endorsement, and we have not tested these tools.
Copy.ai Free options not stated
Individuals who want one low-cost chat assistant across several model providers
Check first: No plan is listed between Chat ($29) and Growth ($1,000 a month on annual terms).
From $24/mo (currency not named), billed annually
Jasper Free trial
Marketing teams that need one brand voice across many writers
Check first: There is no free plan, and Pro costs $59 to $69 per seat per month, more than chat-style assistants.
From $59/seat/mo, billed annually
Writesonic Free trial
SEO-led teams that want article allowances plus AI-search tracking
Check first: There is no permanent free plan, and the prices shown ($79 to $399 a month) are annual-billing rates.
From $79/mo (currency not named), billed annually
2. Differences that decide it
Compare brand context, seats and output allowances. Review factual claims and brand wording before publishing.
What the data cannot settle: 2 of 3 options show prices without naming a currency. We cannot name a winner without your usage, seat count and currency, so use the next step.
3. Compare, then go to the vendor
Press Compare on up to three rows, then open the comparison. Each tool page links to the vendor's own site.
App automation and follow-ups
Can you connect the apps and approval steps your process needs?
1. Shortlist
Listed A to Z. The order is not an endorsement, and we have not tested these tools.
Lindy Free trial
Small teams that want an assistant to draft email replies and follow up after meetings
Check first: Credits do not roll over, every active user is billed, and the page does not describe an API.
From $29.99/user/mo (currency not named), billed monthly
Make Free plan
Multi-step scenarios where you want to pay by the credit and manage the platform through an API
Check first: Every module run costs credits; scenarios stop when credits run out.
From $9/mo (currency not named), billed annually
n8n Free trial
Technical teams that want unlimited users and workflows, or to self-host
Check first: Only annual-billing prices are shown, in euros, and the free Community Edition's licence terms are not stated on the pricing page.
From €20/mo, billed annually
Zapier Free plan + trial
Simple event-driven automations across apps, with a free plan to test
Check first: Free plan: 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps only.
From $19.99/mo, billed annually
2. Differences that decide it
Check execution or credit allowances, connected-app subscriptions and error handling. Test a small workflow before turning it on for customers.
What the data cannot settle: 2 of 4 options show prices without naming a currency. We cannot name a winner without your usage, seat count and currency, so use the next step.
3. Compare, then go to the vendor
Press Compare on up to three rows, then open the comparison. Each tool page links to the vendor's own site.
Meeting notes and follow-through
Do recording limits and storage fit your meeting schedule?
1. Shortlist
Listed A to Z. The order is not an endorsement, and we have not tested these tools.
Fathom Free plan + trial
Freelancers and sales teams who want unlimited free call recording
Check first: Team and Business plans have a 2-user minimum.
From $15/user/mo (currency not named), billed annually
Fireflies.ai Free plan
Teams recording many meetings that want unlimited transcription on paid seats
Check first: The free plan has 400 minutes of storage per team and limited AI summaries, and AI credits are small allowances (20 to 50).
From $10/seat/mo (currency not named), billed annually
Otter.ai Free plan
Individuals who want a free transcription plan with every limit itemised
Check first: Free plan: 300 minutes a month, 30 minutes per conversation.
From $8.33/user/mo, billed annually
2. Differences that decide it
Compare recording minutes, storage, imports and team seats. Establish your recording and data-handling requirements before choosing.
What the data cannot settle: 2 of 3 options show prices without naming a currency. We cannot name a winner without your usage, seat count and currency, so use the next step.
3. Compare, then go to the vendor
Press Compare on up to three rows, then open the comparison. Each tool page links to the vendor's own site.
Coding and software work
Does it fit your existing development workflow?
1. Shortlist
Listed A to Z. The order is not an endorsement, and we have not tested these tools.
Amazon Q Developer Free plan
Developers on AWS who want a free tier and IP indemnity on a paid plan
Check first: Free tier: 50 agentic requests a month and no IP indemnity.
From $19/user/mo (currency not named), billed monthly
Cursor Free plan
Developers who want an AI-first editor and will manage a shared usage pool
Check first: Exact request or token counts per plan are not stated, and third-party models are billed separately by usage on Premium and above.
From $8/mo (currency not named), billed monthly
Devin Free plan
Teams that want to delegate engineering tasks to cloud agents that return pull requests
Check first: Usage allowances refresh daily and weekly without published counts, and extra usage is bought at API pricing.
From $20/mo (currency not named), billing frequency not stated
GitHub Copilot Free plan
Developers who want AI completions and chat inside VS Code, JetBrains and GitHub
Check first: Free plan: 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month.
From $10/mo, billing frequency not stated
2. Differences that decide it
Compare editor support, agent allowances and review controls. Use a representative task and test generated changes before release.
What the data cannot settle: 3 of 4 options show prices without naming a currency. We cannot name a winner without your usage, seat count and currency, so use the next step.
3. Compare, then go to the vendor
Press Compare on up to three rows, then open the comparison. Each tool page links to the vendor's own site.
Compare plan limits before committing
Related reading: seat costs and annual commitments, worked out and how automation tools bill their usage.
Prices retain their original currency and billing period. Figures in different or unconfirmed currencies should not be ranked against each other. Some plans charge per seat; others add usage charges.
Show the full plan-limit table (14 tools)
Scroll sideways in the table to compare prices and tradeoffs.
| Tool | Free plan | Paid entry price | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy.aiChecked 20 Oct 2026 | Not confirmed | From $24/mo (currency not named), billed annually, or $29 (currency not named) month-to-month | No plan is listed between Chat ($29) and Growth ($1,000 a month on annual terms). |
| JasperChecked 20 Oct 2026 | No free plan | From $59/seat/mo, billed annually, or $69 month-to-month | There is no free plan, and Pro costs $59 to $69 per seat per month, more than chat-style assistants. |
| WritesonicChecked 20 Oct 2026 | No free plan | From $79/mo (currency not named), billed annually | There is no permanent free plan, and the prices shown ($79 to $399 a month) are annual-billing rates. |
| LindyChecked 21 Oct 2026 | No free plan | From $29.99/user/mo (currency not named), billed monthly | Credits do not roll over, every active user is billed, and the page does not describe an API. |
| MakeChecked 21 Oct 2026 | 1,000 credits a month; 1 MB data storage; 1 data store | From $9/mo (currency not named), billed annually | Every module run costs credits, so scenarios with many steps use them quickly, and scenarios stop when credits run out. |
| n8nChecked 21 Oct 2026 | Not confirmed | From €20/mo, billed annually | Only annual-billing prices are shown, in euros, and the free Community Edition's licence terms are not stated on the pricing page. |
| ZapierChecked 21 Oct 2026 | 100 tasks a month; two-step Zaps; 15-minute polling; 2,500 Table records; 10 form pages | From $19.99/mo, billed annually, or $29.99 month-to-month | Tasks are the billing unit, so busy automations can hit limits. With pay-per-task on, overage is charged at 2.5x (monthly) or 1.25x (annual) the base rate. |
| FathomChecked 20 Oct 2026 | Unlimited recordings and transcriptions | From $15/user/mo (currency not named), billed annually, or $19 (currency not named) month-to-month | Team and Business plans have a 2-user minimum, and the page leaves some "limited use" items unclear. |
| Fireflies.aiChecked 20 Oct 2026 | Unlimited transcription (asterisked on the page); limited AI summaries; 400 minutes of storage per team; 20 AI credits | From $10/seat/mo (currency not named), billed annually, or $18 (currency not named) month-to-month | The free plan has 400 minutes of storage per team and limited AI summaries, and AI credits are small allowances (20 to 50). |
| Otter.aiChecked 20 Oct 2026 | 300 monthly transcription minutes; 3 lifetime imports; 30 minutes per conversation; 25 conversations kept; 20 AI Chat queries per month | From $8.33/user/mo, billed annually, or $16.99 month-to-month | Basic keeps only the 25 most recent conversations and allows 3 lifetime file imports. |
| Amazon Q DeveloperChecked 21 Oct 2026 | 50 agentic requests a month; 1,000 lines of code a month for Java upgrades; no admin dashboard; no IP indemnity | From $19/user/mo (currency not named), billed monthly | Free usage is capped at 50 agentic requests a month, and the exact Pro limits are not stated. |
| CursorChecked 21 Oct 2026 | Limited agent and Chat requests | From $8/mo (currency not named), billed monthly | Exact request or token counts per plan are not stated, and third-party models are billed separately by usage on Premium and above. |
| DevinChecked 21 Oct 2026 | Light quota; limited model availability; unlimited inline edits and Tab completions; 1 member | From $20/mo (currency not named), billing frequency not stated | Usage allowances refresh daily and weekly without published counts, and extra usage is bought at API pricing. |
| GitHub CopilotChecked 21 Oct 2026 | 2,000 inline completions and 50 chat requests a month; limited agent usage | From $10/mo, billing frequency not stated | Heavier use draws down AI credits at $0.01 each, and the page lists no IP indemnity on individual plans. |
A practical pilot before purchase
- Choose one recurring business task and a representative sample input.
- Set a spending limit and decide who will review the output.
- Check required integrations, export formats and plan-specific usage rights.
- Test quality, effort and cost using the same task across your shortlist.
- Record the result before adding more seats or making an annual commitment.
We have not performed these pilots for you. Read the research methodology, compare up to three tools or explore confirmed free plans.