18 Must-Have Apps if You Want to Grow Your Small Business in 2025

Want to run your business from anywhere? These days, your phone is your office, your meeting room, and your filing cabinet all rolled into one. As more entrepreneurs shift to mobile work and remote teams, having the right mobile apps isn't just convenient — it's crucial for business growth. 

From project management to accounting software, these business management apps will quickly become your favorite co-workers as you develop a system to streamline everything from finances to networking.

You're already checking your phone constantly throughout the day. Why not make those moments count? Managing a business from your mobile device means needing quick access to your team members, ongoing projects, and critical documents. But here's what most productivity gurus won't tell you — as a small business owner, you also need to balance efficiency with preventing burnout.

They say you are the apps you keep — so why not keep ones that actually help you grow? Here at Headway, we believe your phone should work as hard as you do. Our book summary app delivers bite-sized wisdom in just 15 minutes, turning those waiting-room moments into learning opportunities.  

With audio and text options loved by over 50 million users, we've created this guide to the best small business apps for 2025 to help even more business owners transform their devices into growth machines. Ready to work smarter, not harder? Download Headway and unlock bite-sized wisdom. 

Apps below will help you automate task management, communicate with your team in real-time, handle customer relationship management (CRM), track your business finances, process online payments, and maintain work-life balance. Whether you're running a startup from your kitchen table or managing an established company from the airport lounge, we have apps to match your business needs.

Quick answer: What are the best five apps for a small business?

1. Headway — Transform business books into 15-minute summaries for continuous learning and personal growth on the go.

2. QuickBooks — Manage all your accounting, invoicing, and finances from anywhere with real-time data and expense tracking.

3. Slack — Keep your team connected with organized channels, video calls, and seamless integration with other business tools.

4. Canva — Create professional marketing materials in minutes with drag-and-drop templates and AI-powered design tools.

5. Google Drive — Store, share, and collaborate on documents with your team from any device with automatic syncing and robust security.

Discover the 18 best apps for small businesses in 2025

Finding balance with wellness and productivity apps

Running a company isn't just about tracking cash flow or managing e-commerce — it's also about being an effective leader by taking care of yourself and managing your stress. Let's kick off this list with wellness and productivity apps that help entrepreneurs strike a balance between learning, leisure, and work.

1. Headway

Here at Headway, we make learning fun and easy on the go. Through our detailed book summaries, you can access the top non-fiction reads in an accessible way. We understand how essential it is to enrich your mind and diversify your approach as a business owner, but constant task-switching can limit your reading time. That's where Headway can step in. 

Features you should know about: We offer 15-minute audio or text summaries that provide practical business insights and advice. Prioritizing your mindset development also sets an excellent example, showing your team members how much you value growth and development. 

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 50+ million people.

With personalized reading targets and customizable topic selections, you'll discover resources to develop skills that matter for your workspace. Try it for yourself on either iOS or Android devices today!

2. Headspace

Did you know that regular meditation can ease stress, encourage meaningful breaks, and clear your mind of clutter? Headspace is an excellent meditation app for business owners, as you can tailor sessions to your specific needs. 

Many people find that these apps also enhance calm, productivity, and decision-making skills. Therefore, taking care of your well-being and practicing mindfulness could also lead to better outcomes for the company. 

Features you should know about: With Headspace for Work, you can sign up for a paid plan to extend these benefits to your team, which may:

• Promote stress relief 

• Better focus and productivity

• Improve employee retention

• Enhance more effective team collaboration

• Boost workplace wellness

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 70+ million people.

3. Forest

Forest is a productivity app that uses a unique approach to help people stay focused. The app gamifies productivity by allowing the user to 'plant a tree' in a virtual forest that grows while you work and dies if you leave during a session.

Features you should know about: It uses a timer to track work and rest intervals, encouraging users to take breaks and avoid distractions. While Android users can access a free version, Apple users get advanced functionality with the paid version. With this feature, you can maximize productivity while still accessing your most essential apps.  

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 40+ million people.

Effective communication apps for business management 

Modern businesses need robust communication and team collaboration tools. Here are the top apps for staying connected with your team members, clients, and customers.

4. LinkedIn

Networking is essential for every business owner, and there's no better app for professional networking than LinkedIn. Whether you're working remotely or on the go, LinkedIn makes it easier to connect with industry leaders, share your latest insights, assess potential employees, and stay current with industry news, all from your mobile device.

Features you should know about: LinkedIn in 2025 packs powerful tools that go beyond basic networking, especially for Premium users. For instance, you can send InMail messages directly to anyone outside your network — no more waiting for connection approvals when you need to reach that perfect mentor or client. Plus, you'll see exactly who's been checking out your profile over the last 90 days, turning curiosity into opportunity.

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 1.2+ billion people.

5. Slack

If you need to improve internal workflow, Slack facilitates user-friendly messaging and collaboration tools that work for businesses of any size. 

Features you should know about: Whether you have five employees or 150, this workspace app makes communication seamless with features like: 

• Voice and video calls

• Customizable channels for different projects

• Task reminders and scheduling

• Integration with project management apps like Asana and Trello

• Microsoft and Google Drive connectivity

Plus, Slack shows the team's availability and promotes transparency between business owners and employees. It is an excellent app for businesses that want to optimize communication and team collaboration.

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 10+ million people.

6. Canva

You don't need a design degree to create marketing materials anymore. Canva democratizes design with drag-and-drop simplicity, making it possible for any business owner to create stunning visuals in minutes, not hours.

Features you should know about: Choose from thousands of customizable templates for everything from Instagram posts to business cards, presentations, and even video content. The Brand Kit feature saves your colors, fonts, and logos so every design stays on-brand. The app also includes a massive library of stock photos, videos, and graphics you can use right now.

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 170+ million people.

7. GoToMeeting

When it comes to video conferencing, GoToMeeting provides advanced functionality for businesses with remote teams. Its cloud-based platform integrates smoothly with other business tools like Slack or Microsoft Outlook. Moreover, you can use the app on your desktop, phone, or tablet to connect with your team from anywhere.

Features you should know about: Beyond standard features like screen sharing and drawing tools, GoToMeeting truly shines in its valuable extras, including meeting transcriptions, recordings, and analytics, which help you assess the call's performance and troubleshoot any issues.

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? The exact total number of GoToMeeting downloads in 2025 is not stated, but the platform reports that it hosts over 80 million online meetings annually.

The best finance apps for companies to use on the go 

Managing business finances on the go requires reliable accounting software and payment processing tools. Here are some apps for handling your business accounting and cash flow from anywhere.

8. Microsoft 365 Copilot

Running a business means juggling dozens of documents, presentations, and spreadsheets daily. Microsoft 365 Copilot acts like your AI-powered assistant that works across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook to help you work faster and smarter.

Features you should know about: Copilot can draft entire proposals in Word based on your notes, analyze complex data patterns in Excel in seconds, and even create PowerPoint presentations from a simple outline. 

In Teams meetings, it summarizes key points and action items so you never miss important details. The AI learns your writing style and business context, making suggestions that actually sound like you. 

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 400+ million users.

9. QuickBooks 

As an industry-leading accounting app, QuickBooks offers paid plans for businesses of all sizes, from freelancers to growing teams. The mobile app offers several features to help you manage your finances quickly, such as expense tracking, inventory management, and multi-currency support (depending on your chosen subscription).

Features you should know about: The app is easy to navigate and provides precise, real-time data for all financial transactions. It's an all-in-one solution that simplifies the accounting process and helps businesses stay on top of their money. So, whether you need to send an invoice on the go or record an expense, the QuickBooks app is a valuable tool. 

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 7+ million people.

10. Wave

Looking for free business management tools? Wave can offer a great solution for you! Alongside free invoicing, accounting, and banking services, you can access a suite of features, including:

• Invoice creation and tracking

• Payment processing

• Credit card processing

• Receipt scanning

• Basic expense tracking

Wave is one of the best apps for small businesses managing their finances on a tight budget. 

Features you should know about: As your business expands, Wave lets you upgrade to advanced features like payroll and professional bookkeeping support through its app.

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 5.9+ million people.

11. PayPal

As a business owner, you want to ensure you're getting paid quickly and securely without any hassle. That's where the PayPal app comes in handy! Its intuitive interface for digital payments allows you to accept customer payments with just a few taps on your phone. But that's not all this nifty app can do. 

Features you should know about: You can create professional-looking invoices, track expenses, and manage cash flow from anywhere. Plus, with detailed reports and analytics, you can make informed decisions for your business. Say goodbye to tedious payment processes and hello to the convenience of the PayPal app!

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 434+ million people.

12. Square 

Square is a simple, secure, and affordable way to process payments for your business. This app offers competitive pricing, low transaction fees, and additional features like inventory management and appointment scheduling. With the Square app, it's easy to streamline your operations and get paid quickly. 

Features you should know about: Its customizable point-of-sale system works well for both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce businesses. It also has robust analytics and reporting tools that deliver valuable insights. In short, it is a must-have app for small business owners! 

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 4+ million people.

Streamline your workflow with task management apps 

The right task management app can help you meet tight deadlines and streamline your workflow. With them, you'll have a simple and effective way to organize your to-do list, delegate tasks, and track real-time progress.

13. Trello 

If you need a simple approach to task management, Trello might suit you. You can create project boards, task cards, and columns to sort and categorize your workflow. After assigning your team members to a task, you can add a description, a checklist, supporting documents, and a due date to ensure they know what to do. 

Features you should know about: You can design different boards for your to-do list, social media management plans, email marketing calendar, or team projects. If having a friendly user interface is vital to you, download the Trello app and access your task list on the go. 

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 90+ million people.

14. Asana

If you need a business management app to organize projects and team members, you should download Asana. With Asana, you can add subtasks, set start times and due dates, and assign responsibilities to team members to action long-term projects. 

Features you should know about: Whether you need to manage approvals, leave comments, or view calendars, it is a helpful app for team management. Asana can integrate with various other platforms, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack, and Zoom, adding flexibility and convenience to its functionality.

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? The company does not share the total number of people who have the app, but it reports having 2.5 million+ weekly active users

15. Evernote

Evernote is the ultimate app for business owners who want to make their notes paperless and categorize everything in one place. By combining notes, tasks, and schedules, Evernote helps you prioritize and complete tasks efficiently. It even has templates for professional documents to keep your note-taking clean and organized. 

Features you should know about: Integration with other platforms is a breeze, keeping all your information in one place. Moreover, it offers an offline mode, which allows you to access data even when there's no internet.

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 200+ million people.

16. Mailchimp

Email marketing is one of the highest ROI channels for small businesses, and Mailchimp makes it accessible to everyone. Beyond just sending emails, it's evolved into a marketing platform that helps you understand and grow your audience.

Features you should know about: The platform analyzes your audience behavior to suggest the best send times and subject lines for maximum engagement. You can create automated welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, and birthday campaigns that run on autopilot. The free plan includes basic CRM features, landing pages, and even a website builder. 

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 14+ million people.

Top business apps to optimize file sharing

File-sharing apps help entrepreneurs access and share documents from any device. Whether traveling to meetings or working from home, these tools will help keep your business files both secure and accessible.

17. Dropbox

If you need to share files across teams, Dropbox is a go-to app that works great on Windows, iOS, and Android. With Dropbox, business owners can collaborate with peers, share large files, and track changes with version control. 

Features you should know about: Dropbox has robust security features, such as two-factor authentication and encryption, to protect your data from unauthorized access. Dropbox is an ideal solution for any size company with remote workers, ultimately saving you time and boosting efficiency.

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 700+ million people.

18. Google Drive

If you're already using Google applications, like Google Sheets or Docs, the Google Drive app can help keep your business documents organized and accessible. 

Features you should know about: It holds all your spreadsheets, files, and media in one convenient place so you can easily access your team's work. Whether you're presenting in a meeting, making approvals, or taking notes, Google Drive keeps all the essential documents secure. 

As of 2025, how many people have downloaded the app? 2+ billion people.

Empower your team to develop their skills with Headway

Having the right tools at your fingertips can improve your workflow, communication, and mindset. However, opting for a business plan from these apps lets you extend these benefits to your team. From onboarding new team members to streamlining project management, there's an app for every business need. 

At Headway, we believe learning is vital to a balanced life. That's why we made it simple to continue learning in the workplace, at home, or when you're out. Taking just a few minutes to listen to a fresh perspective, learn a new idea, or revise industry tactics can do wonders for your productivity and creativity. 

Furthermore, investing in yourself better equips you to manage a team and grow a business. If you want to empower your team, add Headway to your business's toolkit and inspire your employees to take mindful breaks. Many companies are already using Headway as part of their internal wellness program and creating a culture of self-growth. One reviewer said it helped her to become more productive and focused.