The Top 11 AI Tools for Small Business Owners

Modern AI tools aren’t just for enterprise-level companies. They’re accessible, cost-effective, help automate complex tasks, and streamline the process of getting your business up and running. Investing in certain AI programs and tools could save you time and money in the long run, letting you focus more on your business’s day-to-day operations.

Why you should use AI tools when starting a business

Unless your company is backed by a major investor, you’ll likely be dealing with limited resources and a tight budget. Incorporating AI tools into your business can help you take care of many tedious tasks that keep you from being able to focus on your business’s core offerings. Incorporating AI tools for small businesses into your startup can help:

• Streamline your operations. AI automates repetitive and time-consuming administrative tasks like note-taking, data entry, email drafting, and scheduling. The best tools will help you spend less time and labor on those tasks so you and your team can do more meaningful work each day.
• Enhance decision-making. Every decision you make as a new business can impact your bottom line. AI tools can help you sort through and analyze data to make better decisions about your company.
• Reduced expenses. Since AI tools automate time-consuming tasks, your team will be able to dedicate more time to their core duties, saving you on labor costs. You may also be able to free AI tools to improve productivity without breaking the bank.

To see more pronounced returns on your investment, you’ll need to choose tools that have the greatest impact for your business. 

The top 11 AI tools for small businesses

Here are some of the top AI tools that small business owners can use immediately.

1. Wix

Wix is a market-leading AI website builder that enables anyone, regardless of technical skill, to create a professional and fully functional online presence. Its Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) asks a series of simple questions about your business type, goals, and style preferences, then automatically designs a website, complete with stock images and industry-specific text. Founders can leverage Wix’s AI Text Creator to generate initial content and the AI Portfolio Creator to organize media.

Pros

• User-friendly drag-and-drop editor for web pages.
• Built-in SEO tools and free web hosting.
• Marketing features built into the platform.

Cons

• Can’t change to new website template once site is live.
• Limited storage space on lower-tier plans.
• Restrictive for businesses that need lots of custom elements. 

Pricing

Wix offers several pricing tiers.

• Free: $0/month with limited features and storage for your site.
• Light: Starts at $17/month.
• Core: Starts at $29/month and includes additional storage space and site features.
• Business: Starts at $39/month and includes more storage, more eCommerce features, and supports additional collaborators. 
• Business elite: Starts at $159/month and includes unlimited storage, advanced marketing and eCommerce features, and allows for up to 100 collaborators.

2. Design.com

Design.com is a logo, graphic and branding platform that provides an array of easy-to-use design tools powered by AI, making professional branding accessible to non-designers. The tool excels with its AI-powered logo design tool, which generates thousands of customizable logo options in seconds based on your industry and name. Beyond logos, the platform offers tools for business cards, social media graphics, full brand identity kits, and even an AI website designer to take your marketing materials to the next level.

Pros

• Original and exclusive, high-quality logos.
• Easy-to-use design platform with 50+ design tools and over 1 million templates
• High-resolution files for print and web use.
• More than 380,000 logo templates to choose from.
• Extended licenses that let you buy your logo and remove the design from the library.
• AI logo editing via an intuitive chat-based interface

Cons

• No native mobile app.
• No phone-based customer support.
• No ability to purchase more than one logo at a time.

Pricing

Design.com has a generous free offering. Download the same high-res logo files as a premium logo absolutely free. You’ll also get access to a free website builder, link in bio creator and digital business card maker. If you want full access to their design tools, you’ll need to pay a low rate of $5 per month. If you want to purchase exclusive rights to use your logo or buy the design out of the template library to keep others from using it in the future, you’ll have to pay more, but the price depends on the licensing agreement you choose.

3. Motion

Motion is an AI-powered project and task management system and project management tool that helps you manage scheduling and planning. It uses AI to analyze over 1,000 scheduling parameters to create an optimal, automatic schedule for all your tasks, projects, and meetings. If you like timeboxing or rely on your calendar to tell you what to work on each day, the tool is a great fit. Its core strength is its intelligent scheduling feature, which automatically prioritizes tasks by urgency and deadlines and reschedules your day when conflicts arise.

Pros

• Automatic scheduling to save time and reduce decision fatigue.
• Unified workspace that syncs with multiple calendars and project boards.
• Easy meeting and booking management.

Cons

• Expensive monthly fees.
• Limited integrations with other programs.
• Time-consuming setup.

Pricing

Motion offers six pricing tiers. Though you can pay monthly, paying annually will save you up to 33%. 

• AI workplace: $29/month for one user.
• AI Employees Starter: $49/month per user.
• AI Employees Light: $99/month per three users.
• AI Employees Standard: $299/month per 10 users.
• AI Employees Plus: $599/month per 25 users.
• Enterprise: Pricing based on business’ needs and size.

Each pricing tier gives you access to Motion’s core functionality while the Enterprise level lets you create tailored solutions for your business. 

4. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an email marketing and marketing automation platform that makes it easier for small businesses to build an audience, manage contacts, execute outreach, and track performance. The AI integration helps you generate content and analyze performance with the push of a button. The tool can suggest send times, segment your audience by behavior to better create emails they’ll open, rate your subject lines to help you improve your open rate, and more.

Pros

• User-friendly drag-and-drop email editor and comprehensive template library.
• Strong suite of automation features, including customer journey mapping.
• Excellent analytics and reporting to track open rates, click-throughs, and revenue.

Cons

• May not scale with businesses that grow rapidly.
• Advanced features limited to higher-tier plans.

Pricing

Mailchimp offers a wide range of pricing tiers for businesses of all sizes.

• Free: The free plan lets you create emails for up to 500 contacts and lets you send up to 1,000 emails per month.
• Essentials: Starts at $13/month for and lets you send up to 10 times the number of contacts you have on your email list.
• Standard: Starts at $20/month and lets you send up to 12 times the number of contacts you have on your email list.
• Premium: Starts at $350/month and lets you send up to 15 times the number of contacts you have on your email list.

The higher pricing tiers include features like additional users or seats, SMS messaging, and access to Mailchimp’s creative assistant AI tool. You can always start at a lower pricing tier and upgrade as your business grows.

5. Zendesk

Zendesk is a customer service and engagement platform that uses AI to provide scalable support for businesses of all sizes, making it ideal for startups struggling to answer questions and respond to customers quickly. The platform offers AI-powered chatbots to provide 24/7 support, automated ticketing to streamline the customer experience and help your team provide better help as needed, as well as interaction analytics to help you identify weaknesses and strengths in your customer support processes.

Pros

• Creates a centralized system for customer conversations from all channels.
• Improved agent efficiency with pre-written responses, simplifying routine tasks.
• Ensures timely responses for urgent customer issues.

Cons

• Limits advanced AI tools to higher tiers.
• Complex interface that may be too much for brand-new teams.
• Pricing per agent can make Zendesk too expensive.

Pricing

Zendesk offers tiered Suite plans, which bundle support and AI tools. All prices are per agent, per month, billed annually:

• Support Team: Starts at $19 per month (basic ticketing, no AI features).
• Suite Team (AI Included): Starts at $55 per month.
• Suite Professional: $115 per agent, per month.
• Suite Enterprise: $169 per agent, per month. 

6. Grammarly

Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps businesses ensure clarity, consistency, and professionalism in all written communications. Its core toolset checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but its advanced features leverage AI to enhance content creation by recommending tone adjustments and improving readability. As your content creation needs grow, you can add your brand’s style guide to help writers and Grammarly’s AI tool make sure each piece you write aligns with the company’s preferences and voice. The tool works in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, internet browsers, and even your business’s email platform.

Pros

• Integrates with all major platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft Office.
• Aids in content brainstorming and drafting at all levels.
• Helps maintain quality control for internal and external communication.

Cons

• Some inaccurate recommendations.
• Only works for written content and transcripts.
• Limited free-tier features.

Pricing

Grammarly’s pricing tiers are designed to support businesses of all sizes. 

• Free: Basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks.
• Pro: Starts at $12 per month (billed annually) or $30 per month (billed monthly). Includes tone detection, advanced suggestions, and plagiarism detection.
• Grammarly Business: Starts at $15 per user per month (billed annually for 3-149 users). Includes team-specific features like style guides and an analytics dashboard for management oversight.

If you’re working with a dedicated writer or your team already has strong communication skills, the free tier may be all you need. However, if you’re proofreading AI-generated content, the premium packages may be a better choice.

7. 6sense

6sense is a sophisticated, AI-powered marketing and sales platform that’s ideal for well-funded B2B startups that need to track and manage large or complex deal closures. The system helps with lead capture and intent data to help you better understand each prospective customer at all stages of their journey. It identifies anonymous website visitors and accounts that are actively in the market for your solution, predicting who to target, when to engage, and what to say.

Pros

• Powerful predictive analytics and buyer intent data.
• Acts as a single source of truth for sales and marketing teams.
• Reduces wasted resources by focusing effort only on high-value accounts.

Cons

• Extremely limited tools in the free tier.
• Complicated onboarding process.
• Steep learning curve even for those with experience in similar platforms.

Pricing

6sense offers several packages that make it easier for businesses to tailor their subscriptions to their unique needs. However, pricing varies dramatically depending on the tools you need and the systems you want to integrate into your business. You’ll need to contact 6sense to discuss your options.

8. Otter

Otter is an AI meeting assistant that automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings, making it a critical tool for business owners juggling consultations, sales calls, and internal syncs. Otter can automatically join virtual meetings (Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet) and uses AI to perform several key functions. Keep in mind that if you already have a paid Zoom account, Zoom’s AI meeting assistant could be a better choice since it’s included in most paid and premium accounts.

Pros

• Reduces split focus in meetings.
• Creates a searchable database for important business conversations.
• Integrates with calendars to join scheduled meetings.

Cons

• Low accuracy with heavy accents or technical terminology.
• Generic speaker identification.
• Limited video playback options on low pricing tiers.

Pricing

Otter’s AI meeting assistant is available at four pricing levels and the company lets you save up to 51% by paying annually.

• Basic: The basic plan is free, with limitations on total transcription minutes.
• Pro: The Pro plan costs $8.33/month and includes additional AI features and higher transcription limits.
• Business: The Business plan costs $19.99/month and includes additional transcription minutes and additional features ideal for medium-sized businesses.
• Enterprise: The Enterprise plan lets you customize your package to fit your company’s needs. Pricing varies based on the size of your company.

9. Salesforce Sales Cloud with Einstein Copilot

Salesforce Sales Cloud is the world’s leading CRM, and Einstein Copilot is its embedded conversational AI assistant. This combination is designed for scaling businesses that need a powerful, centralized platform for their sales process. Einstein uses AI to automate your data entry process, provide actionable insights to your sales team, and determine the likelihood of a lead converting or a deal in progress reaching the closing stage. This can help you improve customer service and ultimately close more deals.

Pros

• Provides a comprehensive view of the entire sales pipeline.
• Accurate sales forecasting with predictive analytics.
• Improves productivity by automating administrative tasks.

Cons

• High monthly cost that may be out of reach for some businesses.
• Complex implementation and onboarding.
• May offer more features than some businesses need.

Pricing

Though Salesforce offers different pricing points, AI features, including Einstein AI, are limited to the Enterprise and Unlimited packages.

• Starter Suite: $25 per user per month (Basic CRM).
• Professional: $100 per user per month.
• Enterprise: $175 per user per month.
• Unlimited (Einstein Copilot Included): $350 per user per month (Includes the full suite of Einstein AI, advanced analytics, and Premier support).

10. Sprinklr

Sprinklr is a comprehensive social media management platform built for small businesses and enterprise-level organizations alike. It’s ideal for startups with high-volume, multi-channel customer engagement needs. The platform's strength lies in its AI-powered sentiment analysis and audience insights, which monitor billions of conversations across over 30 social and messaging channels. That means you can analyze the performance of your social media posts almost in real time.

Pros

• Broad channel coverage for all major social and messaging platforms.
• Allows for publishing, engagement, advertising, and customer service in one dashboard.
• AI tools for content optimization and real-time risk monitoring.

Cons

• Steep initial learning curve.
• High cost for smaller teams.
• Minimal technical support on lower-priced plans.

Pricing

Sprinklr offers different pricing packages, but they don’t advertise them on their website. You’ll need to schedule a demo and speak with one of their sales representatives to learn more about their packages. Since each package can be tailored to your business’ needs, pricing will vary.

11. Zapier

Zapier is one of the top workflow automation tools on the market, and with good reason. Once the system is set up, things work almost flawlessly and make it easy to automate repetitive tasks that eat into your ability to do your job. The platform includes an AI Copilot that helps you build workflows by describing what you want rather than having to create the structure yourself. 

Pros 

• Supports integrations with most major apps.
• Eliminates manual data entry and notification tasks.
• No coding experience needed.

Cons

• Low task limits on free tier.
• Difficult to create multi-step workflows.
• No dedicated mobile app.

Pricing

Zapier’s pricing is based on the number of tasks automated per month:

• Free: $0 (Up to 100 tasks per month).
• Professional: Starts at $19.99 per month (billed annually). Unlocks multi-step Zaps, filters, and premium apps.
• Team: Starts at $69 per month (billed annually). Includes collaboration features, shared connections, and unlimited users.

What to consider when incorporating AI tools into your workflow

The right AI tools for small businesses can help you streamline your operations and take the stress out of your workday. But that doesn’t mean that every tool will help your business. Some can end up creating more work and more time-consuming tasks than they solve. Before you invest in any tools, keep these things in mind.

Define the problem before searching for tools

Start by identifying your biggest pain points. This could be something as simple as spending 5 hours a week manually entering contact data or something more complex like needing 24/7 customer support. Once you know which pain points you want to solve for, you can start looking for tools that create real solutions. 

If you’re not sure what your biggest pain points are, either wait to invest in AI tools or talk to your team. They may have a better understanding of what’s slowing you down.

Always use the free trial

Most small business AI tools offer free trials that let you and your team experiment with the tools for at least a week. Use these trials to your advantage. When you gain access to the platform, put it through its paces and make sure your team feels that it’s a good investment. If the tool doesn’t solve your problems, look for an alternative. You may need to try several tools before finding the right fit.

Understand what data you’re sharing

Many AI tools protect sensitive data, especially when small business owners sign up for paid versions of the tool. But before you start integrating the tools into your workflow, make sure you understand the information and data you’re sharing with the platform. If you think the platform won’t protect your information adequately or uses your company’s data to train its AI, you may want to keep looking. You may want to implement additional security measures like multi-factor authentication and strong passwords on all AI tool accounts to further protect your data.

How LegalZoom can help you with your new business

The best AI tools for small businesses can transform your workflows and make you more productive, but investing in those tools isn’t the only thing you can do to set your business up for success in the long term. You’ll also want to make sure your business is protected and structured in a way that supports your future growth and goals.

LegalZoom’s business formation services can help you structure your business in a way that sets your company up for future growth while still protecting you and other owners from unnecessary risk. Depending on your needs, you can choose between starting an LLC or forming a corporation, and let LegalZoom help you with all the necessary paperwork.

If you have questions that you need to run by an attorney, LegalZoom’s Business Advisory Plan can help. When you sign up, you’ll gain access to unlimited 30-minute consultations on new legal matters and have an attorney you can trust to review contracts and other important legal documents.  

The best AI tools for small businesses FAQs

Are AI tools safe for small businesses to use?

Yes, AI tools from reputable vendors are generally safe, but they carry inherent risks. The main threat comes from human error—specifically, employees feeding sensitive proprietary data into public AI models, which can expose it to data leaks or the vendor’s model training set. Safety is ensured through smart usage: choosing tools with clear privacy policies, implementing encryption and MFA, and never blindly trusting an AI output.

Will using AI tools improve my productivity and efficiency?

Absolutely. AI's core benefit is its ability to take over tedious, time-consuming tasks like data entry, scheduling, summarization, and initial content drafting. This automation frees up the business owner and their staff to focus on high-priority tasks, dramatically boosting overall productivity and reducing errors.

How much do AI tools for small businesses typically cost?

The cost of AI tools largely depends on the type of tools you’re using and the needs of your business. Some platforms like ChatGPT offer free AI tools to help you get started. However, those free AI tools typically use your data to train their system. This can potentially put your data at risk. 

Paid tools are typically more secure than free AI tools, but the cost will vary from tool to tool. Consider your needs and your security concerns before signing up for any tool. Always start with free versions of the tool or use the free trial to make sure the tool does what you need it to in a way that works for your business.

What are the main data privacy and security concerns with AI?

The main privacy and security concerns are data leakage, unauthorized third-party access, and compliance violations. These concerns are especially common with free AI tools since your data is used to train their systems. Review each tool’s privacy policy in detail and consider how the company will use your business and customer data before incorporating the tool into your workflow.

Will AI replace my employees or reduce my need for staff?

Not necessarily. AI tools primarily help your team be more productive by automating repetitive tasks. The tools still need human oversight. However, when you implement tools correctly, you’ll likely see an increase in productivity in your team, which could keep you from needing to hire additional staff. 

Can I use multiple AI tools together?

Yes. Many tools are designed to work with other AI tools and business-specific programs to simplify workflows. For example, you may need one app to write copy and another AI tool to turn that copy into emails or social media posts that get sent to your customers on a regular schedule. Keep in mind that some tools have limitations on the types of programs they integrate with. Take your time when choosing an AI tool and make sure it can integrate with the programs you use daily.