Best apps for organising and planning

The life of a small business owner is a busy one. However, there's a wealth of online tools and apps that can help you improve your organisation and planning and keep on top of your workload. Here's our selection of the best free and paid-for small business apps that can help you stay more organised and manage your business more efficiently and effectively

So where do you start? With so many apps on the market it can be difficult to know which tools will be best for you and your business. Much will depend on what your business does and how you do it, where your current inefficiencies lie, the size of your team and your budget. There are free and paid-for versions of most apps. See our top apps for staying organised below.

**Note Prices/fees correct on 31/03/2025 (special offers may apply)

Best apps for to-do lists

Google Tasks

Praised for its simplicity, you can get things done more effectively with Google's plain but popular system for managing, capturing and editing your tasks. It integrates with Gmail and Google Calendar and can be synchronised across all your devices making it easy to take your to-do lists with you wherever you're working. Free Apple and Android apps.

Microsoft To Do

Never lose track of tasks, organise notes and improve productivity with this reliable cloud-based to-do-list app. Use the Task Manager to share lists with colleagues and colour-coded lists to distribute tasks. It’s one of the best free online planners around, from a brand that you can trust. Free.

Todoist

You can prioritise, set reminders, collaborate with others and plan the best way to tackle tasks with this highly popular to-do-list app. Start for free with a beginner plan for up to 5 projects. Pro plans start from $4 per user per month (billed annually).

Omnifocus

Omnifocus records and organises all your to-dos and syncs them so you can get an up-to-date state of play wherever you are. A business planning app powerhouse that's available for iPhone and iPad. Try Omnifocus with a 14-day free trial. Paid plans from $4.99 per month or $49.99 annually.

MeisterTask

The clear focus on core functionality makes this one of the easier packages to get started with. Visually appealing and easy to use, adding the optional MindMeister makes this a strong choice for creative teams looking to brainstorm ideas. Integrations offer the flexibility to build on additional tools if you need them. There's a free basic package for managing up to three projects and up to five notes and paid plans start at £10 per user per month.

Slack

Slack is a popular business planning app for managing digital teams and is free for small teams. It brings everything related to a project or team together in one place and gives you the ability to share files. There's also an app store where you can add a number of additional integrations. Slack also offers a free forever package with one workspace. Paid plans from £7 per user per month.

nTask

Whether it's planning a work project or a family event, ntask helps you stay organised and meet deadlines. See all your tasks and team tasks in a range of views and improve visibility and communication so that your tasks are completed successfully. There's a free 7-day trial. Paid plans for individuals and small teams starting at $3 per month.

Best apps for organising ideas

Mindly

Organise your mind with this free, intuitive mind-mapping tool. Capture ideas and store them in the cloud, or forward to friends and colleagues when inspiration hits.

Lucidchart

Quickly visualise processes, teams and systems with intelligent diagrams that help you simplify complex ideas. Lucidchart brings your plans to life with a common visual language that makes it easy to involve the right people at the right time. There's a free plan that includes Lucidchart and Lucidspark for up to three boards. Paid plans start at £18 per month for individuals and £20 per user month for team users.

Best apps for storing and sharing files

It’s essential that your staff have access to the files they need to complete their work, but they must be safe and secure while doing so. 

Google Drive

It’s simple to store, share and access files with Google Drive which is part of the Google Workspace suite (which includes collaboration tools like Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Chat, Drive, Docs, Sheets and Gemini). Drive integrates with and complements your team’s existing technology. Collaborate with and edit Microsoft Office files without the need to convert file formats. Available with 2-step verification and detailed document controls, it’s a robust system for small businesses. Personal accounts are free to use and business accounts start from just £5.90 per user per month.

DropBox

A simple drag and drop storage system, DropBox allows you to store all types of document, synchronising across devices when there’s a network connection. As well as storage, DropBox business has expanded its services, offering a smarter workspace for communication and collaboration. Prices start from just £7.99 per month for an individual user and £12 per user per month for business users.

OneDrive

A subscription-based online storage solution from Microsoft that securely stores all Office 365 file formats. This intelligent files app works across desktop, tablet and mobile. Prices for OneDrive for Business start at just £3.80 per user per month or get 1TB of storage per employee when you subscribe to Microsoft 365 Business Basic for £4.90 per user per month.

SugarSync

Automatically syncs files and folders across multiple computers, allowing you to access business documents, photos and music wherever you are. SugarSync also offers automatic, continuous backup for all your files. Free 30-day trial. Paid personal plans start at $9.99 per month for 250GB. Business plans start at $55 per month for three users.

Zapier

This nifty tool enables you to seamlessly transfer information, zapping data between common platforms like Gmail, DropBox and Slack. It allows you to create workflows, intelligently sharing files immediately with the staff that need them. There is a free plan for up to 100 tasks per month. Paid plans start at £19.99 per month.