Guides & Updates

Practical guides built from the same verified tool data the directory uses. Every guide is reviewed and approved by a person before it appears here.

Business tools for UK small businesses: a verified shortlist by task

A shortlist of accounting, CRM, HR, email, documents, projects and security tools for UK small businesses, from verified vendor records, with the HMRC rules that shape the choice.

Reviewed 2026-09-25

Business automation tools for UK SMEs, compared

Zapier, Make, Power Automate, n8n and other automation tools compared for UK SMEs from verified vendor records: free-tier limits, self-hosting, and the UK GDPR data question.

Reviewed 2026-09-25

Open-Source Office Software: The Complete List

Every open-source tool in the OfficeToolGuide directory, with what each one is actually good at. Open source means no paid tier to be upgraded into and the option to self-host.

Office Software That Is Subscription-Only

Tools in the directory with no free tier and no one-time purchase — you pay monthly or annually or you do not use them. Worth knowing before you build a workflow on one.

Office Software You Can Use Without a Subscription

Tools that do not require a recurring payment: open source, one-time purchase, or genuinely free. Checked against each vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Word Processors

14 of the 15 word processing tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (93%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Time Tracking & Productivity Tools

14 of the 17 time tracking & productivity tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (82%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Security Utilities

9 of the 14 security utilities in our directory offer a genuine free plan (64%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Project Management Tools

16 of the 16 project management tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (100%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Presentation Software

10 of the 13 presentation software in our directory offer a genuine free plan (77%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free PDF Tools

10 of the 16 PDF tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (63%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Note-Taking Apps

16 of the 16 note-taking tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (100%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Forms & E-Signature Tools

10 of the 15 forms & e-signature tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (67%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Design & Diagramming Tools

13 of the 15 design & diagramming tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (87%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Team Communication Tools

12 of the 15 team communication tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (80%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Spreadsheet Apps

7 of the 8 spreadsheets in our directory offer a genuine free plan (88%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.

Best Free Cloud Storage

10 of the 12 cloud storage tools in our directory offer a genuine free plan (83%). Here is what each one actually includes, checked against the vendor's own pricing page.