What software will your business need, and what will it cost?
Choose what you are setting up and how many people it is for. You will see the jobs your software has to do, a common pick for each, and the monthly and yearly cost before you sign up for anything.
- $35.00/mo
Email, calendar and documents
Business Starter, 5 seats, billed yearly
- $36.25/mo
Team chat
Pro, 5 seats, billed yearly
- $80.00/mo
Design
Professional (Full seat), 5 seats, billed yearly
- $54.95/mo
Projects and tasks
Starter, 5 seats, billed yearly
- $95.00/mo
Proposals and contracts
Starter, 5 seats, billed yearly
- $38.00/mo
Accounting
Simple Start
- $12.45/mo
Passwords
Teams Starter Pack, 5 seats, billed yearly
About $352 a month, $4,220 a year
$70.33 a month per person for 5 people, at list prices. Swap any tool to compare, or open the stack in the calculator to fine-tune plans and seats.
Common choices for this kind of business, not endorsements; no vendor pays to be listed. List prices in USD from each vendor’s pricing page, checked November 2026.
Start tracking it from the first renewal.
Subly tells you before each renewal and price rise and puts an owner on every tool. These tools come with you, and you check them before anything is added.
What software does a small business need?
Most small businesses start with the same core: email, calendar and documents, a place for the team to talk, accounting, and a password manager. On top of that comes the software for the work itself, like design tools for a studio, code hosting for a software team or a store for an online shop.
Cost depends less on which tools you pick than on how many people need a seat and whether you pay monthly or yearly. Start each tool on the plan you need today, put the yearly renewal dates somewhere you will see them, and review the list every few months as the team grows.
How it works
Three steps, no sign-up
- 01
Pick what you are setting up
An agency, a software startup, an online store, freelance work, a marketing team or a services firm.
- 02
Set the team size
Per-seat tools are priced for everyone. Choose lean or standard plans.
- 03
Swap and compare
Change any pick to see the difference, then fine-tune it in the stack calculator.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Are these recommendations sponsored?
No. They are common choices for each kind of business, and no vendor pays to be listed. Swap any of them for the tool you prefer.
How accurate are the costs?
They use list prices in US dollars from each vendor’s pricing page, on the date shown. Taxes, discounts and add-ons are not included, so treat the total as a planning number.
Should I pay monthly or yearly?
Monthly while you are still deciding, yearly once a tool has earned its place: most vendors charge less a month on yearly billing. Note each yearly renewal date, since that charge is large and easy to forget.
What happens if I send the stack to Subly?
You check the tools before anything is added. Subly then tells you before each renewal and price rise, and you can give every tool an owner. The Free plan tracks up to 20 items.
How is my data handled?
Your data is yours. It is encrypted in transit and at rest, never sold and never used for any other purpose. Bank connections are read-only. You can download all your data at any time, and if you ever decide to leave Subly, your data is deleted from our servers.