Free Software & Tools for Your Business

Over the years, we’ve discovered tons of helpful (and free!) software and tools that make the job of running a business much easier. New links are added all the time, so check back often and be sure to save this page to your favorites.

PS: If you come across a link that doesn’t work or a site that is no longer in existence, please do email us and let us know.

Accting/Personal Finance
Anti-Spam
Anti-Virus
Article/Ezine Tools
Audio Tools
Blogging
Browsers
Calendars
Charitable Giving
Chatware/IM NEW
Computer Backup
Computer Cleaners
Computer Security
Copyright Protection
Copywriting NEW
CMS
CRM
Electronic Signature NEW
Email NEW
Employee Tools
Excel Tools
Fax
File Conversion
File Sharing & Transfers
Font Tools
Forums
FTP
Graphic Design NEW
Image Sharing/Hosting NEW
InfoGraphics NEW
Keyword Tools
Legal Case Mgmt

Marketing Tools
Media Players
Meeting Coordination
OCR
Office Apps NEW
Online Forms
PDF
Podcasting Tools
PowerPoint/Presentation Tools
Press Release Tools
Project Mgmt/Virtual Office NEW
Publishing Tools
Reference Tools
Remote Access
RSS
Screen Capture
Screen Recording
Shareware Sources
Shopping Carts
Social Networking NEW
Survey & Poll Tools
Task Tracking NEW
Telephony
Testing/Training/Tutorials NEW
Time Tracking
Transcription
Utilities NEW
Video Tools
Web Conferencing
Web Design
Wireless Internet

accounting/personal finances

Ace Money Lite
Debt Free Planner/Calculator
GnuCash (replaces MS Money, Quicken)
InvoTrak
Less Accounting
Manilla
Mint
Shoeboxed.com
The Invoice Machine
Wave Accounting NEW

anti-spam

ePrompter
JustHumans
Mailwasher
Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
Solve Media TYPE-IN (captcha service)
SuperAntiSpyware Free

anti-virus

Avast
AVG
Avira
ClamWin
Malicious Software Removal Tool
Malwarebytes
MS Security Essentials HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Panda Cloud
PC Tools Anti-Virus
ThreatFire
Trend Micro Housecall (virus scan)
ZoneAlarm (firewall)

article & ezine tools

Format Text/Articles
Format It!
Free Spam Check
Free Spam Checker Tool
Mad Mimi
Spam Check
Tiny Letter (free ezine builder/distribution)

audio tools

Audacity HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Blaze Media Pro
Online Converter
MixPad Multitrak Recording
Myna Audio Editor
PolderBits
Rapid Rip
RecordPad Sound Recording
Slice Audio File Splitter
SoundCloud
SoundTap Audio Recording
Stamp ID3 Mp3 Tag Editor
Switch Audio Converter
The Levelator
Wavepad Sound Editor

Stock Music & Sound Effects

ProductionTrax
Sound Snap

blogging

Blogger
LiveJournal
Movable Type OpenSource Project
Posterous
Qumana
Terapad
WordPress (self-hosted) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Misc. Tools & Accessories

CMS Matrix
Fotor (free photos for bloggers & creatives) NEW
Gravatar
Photo Bin (free photos for bloggers & creatives) NEW
Pixabay (free photos for bloggers & creatives) NEW
Solve Media TYPE-IN (captcha service)
Typealizer
Wordle

browsers

FireFox
Google Chrome
Internet Explorer
Safari (for Macs)
Safari (for PCs)

calendars (online & shared)

AirSet
Calendars.net
Google Calendar
SmartCal
SpongeCell
Yahoo Calendars
Zoho Calendar

charitable giving

ChipIn
DonationTracker
GoFundMe
GoodSearch
GoodShop
JustGiving
Kiva
ModestNeeds
UniversalGiving

chatware/IM

AliveChat
Blooie NEW
Envolve (free up to 25 people simultaneously)
Gaim (replaces AIM, Windows Messenger)
Trillian
VeriShow
Volusion

computer backup

ADrive
Backup995
Backupify
Mozy

computer cleaners

CC Cleaner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Easy Cleaner

computer security

Ad-Aware
MS Windows Defender
Spybot Search & Destroy
Spyware Doctor
Stopzilla Anti-Spyware

copyright protection

Article Checker
Copyright Spot
CopyGator
Copyscape
Creative Commons
Doc Cop
MyFreeCopyright NEW
Plagiarism Checker
Plagiarism Detect
Plagium
TinEye Reverse Imaging Lookup
Viper Anti-Plagiarism Scanner
What To Do When Someone Steals Your Content
WhoIsHostingThis

copywriting

Emotional Marketing Headline Analyzer
Lulu Title Scorer

CMS (content management system)

DropPages
Moodle (learning management system)

CRM (customer relationship mgmt)

FreeCRM
Karma

electronic signature

E-Sign Live
EchoSign
MyLiveSignature
SignNow NEW

email

BlueTie
Bouncr (address disguiser to help protect against spam)
BrandMyMail (personalized email templatesl)
Breeze
ClearContext
DeeMail Templatizer NEW
Email on Acid (email testing & preview)
Eudora
Fast Mail
Format-It
Gmail
Gmail Notifier
GTDInbox for Gmail
MailDrop
MailVU (video email)
Plaxo
SendInc (email encryption)
SproutIt
SquadMail NEW
Sunbird
Thunderbird
Zimbra

employee scheduling

Kappix

excel tools

ASAP Utilities

fax

Efax
Fax Free
HelloFax

file conversion

Google Swiffy (converts Flash to HTML5)
Zamzar

file sharing & transferring

AirDropper
Box
Cubby NEW
CuteSendIt
DropBox HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
DropPages
DropSend
HelloFax
JustBeamIt
MailDrop
SendSpace
SendThisFile
SideCLOUDLoad
SpiderOak
SugarSync NEW
Windows Live FolderShare/Windows Live Sync
YouSendIt

fonts

FontBrowser
Font Converter
Font Tester
NexusFont (Windows font manager)
SymbolAssist
WhatFont Tool

forums

SimpleMachines
phpBB

FTP

Filezilla
FireFTP
Fling

graphic design

Adobe Free CS2 Downloads NEW
ArtWeaver (replaces Photoshop)
ChocoFlop (Mac only)
CompressPNG NEW
Cropp.me NEW
Disketch Disc Label Software
Falcon Image Markup
Fotor NEW
Gimp (replaces Photoshop)
Gimp Photo
GimpShop (replaces Photoshop)
GiniPic
Google Plus Banner Creator
IconFinder
Image Size Calculator
Inkscape (similar to Illustrator)
Make Business Cards
Many Eyes (dataset chart visualizations)
Online Converter
Paint
PaintStar
Peacock Online Effects Editor
Phoenix Image Editor
Photo Pos Lite
PhotoBucket NEW
PhotoPad Image Editor
PhotoPlus
Photoscape
Photoshop Express
PicMonkey NEW
Picnik
Pixels 2 Inches NEW
Pixie Color Picker NEW
Pixillion Image Converter
Pixlr
PIXResizer
psdGraphics
Raven Vector Editor
Seashore
Shrink Pictures
StylePix
ThingLink
TinyPNG NEW
Toucan Swatch Editor
VCW VicMan’s Photo Editor
Vector Magic
Verticle Response Button Builder

image sharing/hosting

Flickr
Imgur
PhotoBucket NEW
Picasa
SmugMug

infographics

amCharts NEW
easel.ly NEW
Google Chart Tools NEW
Hohli Charts NEW
iChart NEW
Infogr.am NEW
Piktochart NEW
Visua.ly NEW
Wordle NEW

keyword tools

Google Keyword Tool
Keyword Envy
SearchBliss
Wordpot
Wordtracker

legal case management

Legal Case Management System

marketing tools

CloudFlood
Thumbtack
Tynt

Apps

Magmito (mobile phone app creator)

QR Codes

BeQRious (QR code generator)
GoQR (QR code generator)
JumpScan (all-in-one contact info QR code generator)
Kaywa (simple QR code generator)
Maestro (simple QR code generator)
PaperLinks (QR code generator)
QRStuff (QR code generators)