As its name indicates, all-in-one business management software includes a set of applications to help you run your entire business in a more efficient way. This kind of software often integrates major business functions, such as accounting and invoicing, CRM, project management, collaboration, time tracking, and even in some cases email marketing, social media management, and website creation tools.
How do all-in-one business management applications help?
The primary advantage is that you can access, manage and use all of your business applications in one place, which translates into:
- Time and cost savings
- Simplified billing
- Reduced IT complexity
- No duplicate data entry
- Lower risk of errors
- Resolved data integration issues
- Automated workflows
- Better communication
- Improved productivity
- Simplified training
- Better company-wide visibility
- Real-time reporting
What do all-in-one business management applications do?
When you work with stand-alone applications from different vendors, your business can quickly become entangled in siloed business applications and inefficient processes, not to mention higher costs for redundant software.
However, because everything is integrated with the all-in-one business management software, you get to spend more time on managing your growth.
All-in-one business management applications tend to be cheaper than stand-alone applications, but it really depends on what you need and the pricing model of the application vendor. Some require that you buy licenses for all your employees, while others let you choose the applications you need à la carte. Make sure to re-evaluate your needs as your business expands.
Free, low-cost, all-in-one business management applications
If you’re looking for low-cost or free tools, you may want to consider the following:
Revised March 2023
Apptivo
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
Apptivo offers a suite of integrated business applications in one cloud solution. Apptivo stands apart through its flexibility and scalability, allowing you to customize the software to match your unique needs.
BQE CORE
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
BQE CORE organizes accounting, project management, time and expense information, all from one platform. The goal is to help businesses automate repetitive tasks and gain better insights into every aspect of their operations. The company is mostly known for its flagship product, BillQuick, which is still considered to be one of the leading time tracking and project management software programs on the market.
BlueCamroo
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
BlueCamroo is a flexible solution that allows you to choose an pay only for the features that your employees need to do their jobs well. CRM is the foundation of the entire BlueCamroo platform. You can then add other components, such as Sales, Projects or Support. Designed for small- and medium-sized businesses, BlueCamroo is a Canadian company based in Ontario.
ClickUp
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity tool built for teams of all types across any industry. Fully customizable, it provides a single, unified platform that includes project management, document collaboration, whiteboards, spreadsheets and goals. It also comes with advanced team collaboration features to help your team brainstorm ideas, plan projects and collaborate in real-time.
Kiwili
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
Kiwili brings together all the features an entrepreneur needs, no matter the business sector. This includes accounting tools, professional invoices and estimates, CRM, project and task management, time tracking, business reporting, and more. Kiwili is a Montreal-based company.
Monday.com
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
Monday.com brings together in one visual collaborative space your team, projects, sales and reports. Fully customizable, Monday.com allows you to track progress at a glance and offers multiple integration options. It is a particularly interesting option if you work with freelancers and third parties, because all plans offer unlimited users and boards.
Podio
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
Podio by Citrix® is a customizable work management solution. Praised for its flexibility, it lets you choose the Podio apps you want to work with to structure any business process or project. It integrates seamlessly with many apps and tools, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and GoToMeeting. Although Podio is available in French, some of the apps may only be available in English.
Scoro
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
Scoro business management software helps you organize your team’s time and projects, manage customers and get a visual overview of your sales funnel, send invoices, and keep track of your key performance indicators. Thanks to the mobile app for iOS and Android, you have everything you need no matter where you are. The subscription plans help you start small and add functionality as your business grows.
Zoho One
Free English French English support French support Data stored in Canada iOS app. Android Cloud or SaaS
Zoho One offers a comprehensive suite of web-based applications for sales, marketing, project management, collaboration, human resources management, accounting and invoicing, inventory management and much more. Depending on the number of applications you want to use, it may be more cost-effective to buy licences à la carte for Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, etc., rather than Zoho One licenses for all employees.
This table lists applications alphabetically and isn’t exhaustive. Hyperlinks to external sites do not constitute endorsement by BDC of those websites or any information, opinions, products or services expressed or described on them.
Furthermore, the list is only a starting point and excludes applications that are neither low cost nor free. When assessing all-in-one business management applications for your organization, you will probably consider many other factors.
BDC will review and edit this list regularly. If you are an all-in-one business management applications vendor and would like us to consider adding your solution, please contact us.
