Regardless of the scale at which you work in your business, whether local, statewide, national, or global, apps have changed how small businesses work. What’s the difference between an “app” and “software?”

Theoretically, apps have a narrower functional focus. For example, they only focus on videoconferencing. Software, on the other hand, comes with many more features and a wider range of functionality. Think of QuickBooks.

While many apps add value to your business by saving time or money or organizing things, it takes a lot of time to find the ones worth using. You have so many competitors and clones that it can take more hours than you have in the day just to use your apps.

That doesn’t make any sense. But reading this list of suggestions takes a lot of the effort out of the search. Check these apps out, and see if they don’t save you time or money, or at least inspire you to find other apps that do:

1. Keep All Your Messages in One Place with Pushover

If you’re the well-connected type who loves to network, you need Pushover. It sends you push messages any time you get a message on any of your devices. And it’s low-cost too.

After a 7-day trial, you pay a one-time purchase fee of $4.99 for lifetime use.

2. Have a Lot of Business Travel Expenses?

Expensify may be just the solution you’ve been looking for. You can track your expenses either of two ways:

1. By linking your credit or debit card to your Expensify account
2. Take pictures of your receipts while Expensify automatically takes the relevant info out

Best of all, Expensify is inexpensive – just $5 to $10 per active account.

3. Take Care of Payroll, Benefits, Time, and Compliance with Zenefits

Okay, so we lied a little. This isn’t an app. But this software’s so stinkin’ good that it’s a crime not to mention it.

Zenefits lets you track and streamline all the HR functions mentioned above – free. You can also administer paystubs, employee handbooks, contracts, job offer letters, and tax withholding forms. And it’ll likely stay free forever. The benefits providers that use Zenefits pay for the right to do so.

And you don’t have to pay anything at all!

4. Lots of Employees to Manage? Try KanbanFlow

With this slick app, you can assign tasks to your colleagues, upload documents, and schedule due dates. You’ll get a visual representation of your workflow and simplified communication too.

You can get the basic version free on iPhone and Android. And the premium version costs just $5 per month.

“There’s an App for That!”

If you’ve heard this cliché before, it’s true. Whatever business problem takes most of your time, you can reduce that with an app. Just start searching for your problem and you will find the solution.

And hopefully, you’ll get a ton of value out of these free and low-cost apps.