Independent software reviews · USA & Canada

Find the best software to run and grow your small business

Clear, honest reviews and comparisons of accounting, CRM, payroll, hosting and more — written by someone who runs real small-business sites, and clear about what we have tested and how we make money.

  • ✓ 29 in-depth guides
  • ✓ Hands-on experience clearly labelled
  • ✓ Affiliate links disclosed
  • ✓ 26 free SEO tools
Best Accounting Software for Small Business Featured guideBest Accounting Software for Small BusinessQuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave or Xero? Pricing, free plans and GST/HST support compared. We compare free plans, renewal prices and Canadian tax support so you can choose with confidence.Read the guide →

Alex’s picks — tools I actually use

Not sponsored rankings: these are the tools behind Kit SEO and Alex’s other sites. Each one links to the full, honest review.

Web hostingHostingerAlex moved Kit SEO here from SiteGround after sites slowed down under traffic.Read why →Business phoneGrasshopperClear calls, helpful support and built-in call recording.Read why →ShippingShipStation5+ years of daily use without problems. Not an affiliate — no commission.Read why →SEO toolSemrushUsed for keyword research, audits and competitor gaps.Read why →EcommerceShopify & WooCommerceReal stores run on both — here is how they compare.Read why →

Recently updated

Guides we have refreshed most recently.

Best Web Hosting for Small BusinessBest Web Hosting for Small BusinessIntro vs renewal prices, speed and support — and why Alex moved to Hostinger.Best Business Phone SystemsBest Business Phone SystemsGrasshopper, Quo, RingCentral and Dialpad — call quality and pricing.Best CRM for Small BusinessBest CRM for Small BusinessHubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho and Freshsales — free plans and pricing.Best Payment ProcessingBest Payment ProcessingStripe, Square, Helcim or PayPal? Fees and payout speed compared.Best Email Marketing SoftwareBest Email Marketing SoftwareMailchimp, Kit, Brevo and MailerLite — plus CASL-friendly options.Best HR SoftwareBest HR SoftwareGusto, Rippling, BambooHR and Humi — with Canadian compliance.

Browse every guide

29 guides across five areas of running a small business.

💵 Money & accounting 8

Best Accounting Software for Small BusinessBest Accounting Software for Small BusinessQuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave or Xero? Pricing, free plans and GST/HST support compared.Best Bookkeeping SoftwareBest Bookkeeping SoftwareQuickBooks, Wave, Xero and Zoho Books — including done-for-you options.Best Invoicing SoftwareBest Invoicing SoftwareFree plans, pricing and GST/HST support to get paid faster.Best Tax Software for Small BusinessBest Tax Software for Small BusinessSelf-employed options for US and Canadian business owners.Best Payroll SoftwareBest Payroll SoftwareGusto, OnPay, Homebase and more — plus Canadian T4/ROE support.QuickBooks vs FreshBooksQuickBooks vs FreshBooksWhich is better for your business in Canada and the US?Best Payment ProcessingBest Payment ProcessingStripe, Square, Helcim or PayPal? Fees and payout speed compared.Best POS SystemsBest POS SystemsSquare, Shopify POS, Toast and Lightspeed — plus the best picks for Canada.

🌐 Websites & hosting 7

Best Web Hosting for Small BusinessBest Web Hosting for Small BusinessIntro vs renewal prices, speed and support — and why Alex moved to Hostinger.Best WordPress HostingBest WordPress HostingSpeed, support and renewal prices for WordPress sites.Best Managed WordPress HostingBest Managed WordPress HostingWP Engine, Kinsta, Pressable and Flywheel compared.Best Website BuildersBest Website BuildersWordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and more — pricing and SEO compared.Wix vs SquarespaceWix vs SquarespaceTemplates, SEO tools, ecommerce and pricing side by side.Best Ecommerce PlatformsBest Ecommerce PlatformsShopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce? Fees and features compared.Shopify vs WooCommerceShopify vs WooCommerceReal monthly costs, transaction fees, setup and SEO compared.

📈 Sales, marketing & SEO 6

Best CRM for Small BusinessBest CRM for Small BusinessHubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho and Freshsales — free plans and pricing.HubSpot vs SalesforceHubSpot vs SalesforceWhich CRM fits a small and growing business?Best Email Marketing SoftwareBest Email Marketing SoftwareMailchimp, Kit, Brevo and MailerLite — plus CASL-friendly options.Best Marketing AutomationBest Marketing AutomationHubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Brevo and Klaviyo compared.Semrush ReviewSemrush ReviewIs it worth it for a small business? From hands-on use.How to Rank on Google & BingHow to Rank on Google & BingOur free, easy-to-follow SEO guide for small businesses.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Teams & operations 6

Best HR SoftwareBest HR SoftwareGusto, Rippling, BambooHR and Humi — with Canadian compliance.Best Project Management SoftwareBest Project Management SoftwareAsana, Monday.com, ClickUp and Trello compared.Best Scheduling SoftwareBest Scheduling SoftwareCalendly, Acuity, Cal.com and Square Appointments.Best Business Phone SystemsBest Business Phone SystemsGrasshopper, Quo, RingCentral and Dialpad — call quality and pricing.Best Shipping SoftwareBest Shipping SoftwareShipStation, Pirate Ship and Shippo — carrier discounts and Canada support.Best Backup SoftwareBest Backup SoftwareCloud and server backup with ransomware protection.

🧽 Industry software 2

Best Software for Cleaning BusinessesBest Software for Cleaning BusinessesJobber, ZenMaid, Housecall Pro and Launch27 compared.Best Software for ContractorsBest Software for ContractorsJobber, Housecall Pro, Buildertrend and ServiceTitan.

Free SEO tools — no login needed

Practical tools that run in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us.

🖥️SERP Snippet PreviewSee your page in Google before you publish.💡Keyword Idea Generator50+ ideas from one keyword.⭐Google Review LinkA direct link customers can tap to review you.☑️30-Point SEO ChecklistTrack your progress step by step.

See all 26 free tools →

Who is behind Kit SEO?

Kit SEO is written by Alex Reid (a pen name), who has done SEO for small businesses in Alberta for more than four years and runs real sites on WordPress, WooCommerce and Shopify. Every guide says which tools Alex has used and which were researched, and we explain exactly how we make money.

About Kit SEO · How we make money · Contact us

Frequently asked questions

Is Kit SEO free to use?

Yes — completely free. Every guide, review and tool is free. We earn a small commission when you buy through some of our links, at no extra cost to you.

Are your reviews honest or biased toward affiliates?

Each guide says exactly which tools Alex has used personally and which were researched. We include cons for every tool, label affiliate links, and recommend tools that pay us nothing when they are the better choice — ShipStation is one example.

Do you cover tools for both the USA and Canada?

Yes. Guides are written for US and Canadian small businesses. Where pricing, tax features (like GST/HST) or availability differ in Canada, we say so.

How often are your reviews updated?

We review guides regularly and update them when pricing or features change. Every guide shows its last updated date, and you can tell us about anything out of date.

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