Essential Startup Tools 2024

Discover 200+ essential startup tools and software with $500K+ in free credits and discounts. Everything you need to build, market, and scale your startup efficiently.

$500K+ Free Credits200+ Tools15 CategoriesStartup Verified

Startup Tools Statistics (as of October 2025)

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6

Development & Engineering

Essential tools for building and deploying your product

GitHub

Free Tier

Code hosting and version control

Saves up to
$4-21/month
Get Access →

Visual Studio Code

Free Forever

Code editor and IDE

Saves up to
Free
Get Access →

AWS Activate

Startup Program

Cloud infrastructure credits

Saves up to
$100K
Get Access →

Heroku

Free Tier

Platform as a service

Saves up to
$7-25/month
Get Access →

DigitalOcean

Credit

Cloud hosting

Saves up to
$200
Get Access →

MongoDB Atlas

Free Tier

Database as a service

Saves up to
$9-57/month
Get Access →

Design & Prototyping

Design tools for UI/UX and marketing materials

Figma

Free Tier

Design and prototyping

Saves up to
$12-45/month
Get Access →

Adobe Creative Suite

Startup Discount

Professional design tools

Saves up to
$52.99/month
Get Access →

Canva Pro

Free Credits

Graphic design platform

Saves up to
$12.99/month
Get Access →

Sketch

Discount

Mac design tool

Saves up to
$9/month
Get Access →

InVision

Free Tier

Design collaboration

Saves up to
$15-95/month
Get Access →

Principle

One-time

Animation and interaction

Saves up to
$129
Get Access →

Marketing & Growth

Tools for customer acquisition and brand building

HubSpot

Startup Program

CRM and marketing automation

Saves up to
$45-3200/month
Get Access →

Mailchimp

Free Tier

Email marketing

Saves up to
$10-299/month
Get Access →

Google Analytics

Free Forever

Web analytics

Saves up to
Free
Get Access →

Mixpanel

Startup Credits

Product analytics

Saves up to
$25-833/month
Get Access →

Buffer

Free Tier

Social media management

Saves up to
$5-99/month
Get Access →

Typeform

Free Tier

Forms and surveys

Saves up to
$25-83/month
Get Access →

Sales & CRM

Customer relationship and sales management tools

Pipedrive

Free Trial

Sales CRM

Saves up to
$14.90-99/month
Get Access →

Salesforce

Startup Program

Enterprise CRM

Saves up to
$25-300/month
Get Access →

Intercom

Startup Credits

Customer messaging

Saves up to
$39-899/month
Get Access →

Calendly

Free Tier

Meeting scheduling

Saves up to
$8-12/month
Get Access →

DocuSign

Free Tier

Electronic signatures

Saves up to
$10-40/month
Get Access →

Zoom

Free Tier

Video conferencing

Saves up to
$14.99-19.99/month
Get Access →

Finance & Accounting

Financial management and payment processing

Stripe

Free Tier

Payment processing

Saves up to
2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
Get Access →

QuickBooks

Discount

Accounting software

Saves up to
$25-180/month
Get Access →

Brex

Free Card

Corporate credit card

Saves up to
$12-49/month
Get Access →

Mercury

Free Tier

Banking for startups

Saves up to
$0-20/month
Get Access →

Carta

Startup Credits

Cap table management

Saves up to
$25K+
Get Access →

ProfitWell

Free Core

Subscription analytics

Saves up to
$0-599/month
Get Access →

Operations & Productivity

Team collaboration and workflow management

Slack

Free Tier

Team communication

Saves up to
$6.67-12.50/month
Get Access →

Notion

Free Tier

All-in-one workspace

Saves up to
$8-16/month
Get Access →

Google Workspace

Startup Credits

Business email and docs

Saves up to
$6-18/month
Get Access →

Microsoft 365

Startup Credits

Office productivity suite

Saves up to
$6-22/month
Get Access →

Asana

Free Tier

Project management

Saves up to
$10.99-24.99/month
Get Access →

1Password

Free Trial

Password management

Saves up to
$2.99-7.99/month
Get Access →

Major Startup Programs

$100K

AWS Activate

Cloud computing credits, technical support, and training resources

$200K

Google for Startups

Google Cloud credits, Workspace, and AI/ML platform access

$120K

Microsoft for Startups

Azure credits, Office 365, and technical mentorship

$50K

HubSpot for Startups

CRM, marketing automation, and sales tools with training

How to Choose the Right Tools

By Startup Stage

Pre-Revenue

Focus on free tiers: GitHub, Figma, Google Analytics, Slack, Notion

Early Revenue

Add paid tools: CRM, email marketing, customer support, accounting

Scaling

Enterprise tools: Advanced analytics, automation, security, HR systems

Selection Criteria

  • Strong free tier or startup program
  • Scales with your growth and usage
  • Integrates with your existing stack
  • Active development and support
  • Positive reviews from similar startups

?Startup Tools FAQs

What categories of startup tools are included?

Our startup tools database covers 15 essential categories: Development & Engineering (GitHub, VS Code, AWS), Design & Prototyping (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite), Marketing & Growth (HubSpot, Mailchimp, Google Analytics), Sales & CRM (Salesforce, Pipedrive, Intercom), Finance & Accounting (QuickBooks, Stripe, Brex), Operations & Productivity (Slack, Notion, Zoom), Analytics & Data (Mixpanel, Amplitude, Tableau), Customer Support (Zendesk, Freshdesk), HR & Recruiting (BambooHR, Lever), Legal & Compliance (DocuSign, PandaDoc), Cloud & Infrastructure (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean), Communication (Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams), Project Management (Asana, Monday.com, Trello), Security & Privacy (LastPass, 1Password), and Specialized Industry Tools.

How much money can startups save using these tools?

Startups can save $500,000+ in their first few years by leveraging free tiers, startup discounts, and accelerator programs. Major savings include AWS Activate ($100K in cloud credits), Google for Startups ($200K in Google Cloud and Workspace credits), Microsoft for Startups ($120K in Azure credits), HubSpot for Startups ($50K in CRM and marketing tools), and dozens of other programs offering $1K-25K each in software credits and discounts.

Are there tools specifically designed for early-stage startups?

Yes, we highlight tools with generous free tiers perfect for bootstrapped startups: GitHub (unlimited public repositories), Figma (free for small teams), Google Workspace (free Gmail and basic features), Slack (10K message history), Notion (unlimited personal use), Canva (free design tools), Mailchimp (2K contacts free), and many others that scale with your growth without upfront costs.

How do I access startup discounts and free credits?

Most tools offer startup programs with specific eligibility criteria. Common requirements include being less than 5 years old, having raised less than $5M in funding, and being a first-time customer. Apply through accelerator partnerships (Y Combinator, Techstars), direct startup programs, or third-party platforms like AWS Activate, Google for Startups, and Microsoft for Startups. We provide direct links and application instructions for each program.

Which tools should I prioritize as a pre-revenue startup?

Focus on tools with strong free tiers and immediate ROI: Essential infrastructure (GitHub, Google Workspace, AWS free tier), design and prototyping (Figma, Canva), basic analytics (Google Analytics, Hotjar free), communication (Slack, Zoom basic), project management (Notion, Trello), and customer feedback (Typeform, Google Forms). Avoid expensive enterprise tools until you have revenue and specific needs.

How do I know which tools integrate well together?

We provide integration guides and recommended tool stacks for common startup workflows. Popular stacks include: Development (GitHub + VS Code + AWS + Slack), Marketing (HubSpot + Mailchimp + Google Analytics + Canva), Sales (Pipedrive + Calendly + DocuSign + Zoom), and Operations (Notion + Slack + Google Workspace + Zoom). Most modern tools offer API integrations and work with platforms like Zapier for workflow automation.

Are there industry-specific tool recommendations?

Yes, we provide specialized tool recommendations for different startup types: SaaS startups need development, analytics, and customer success tools; E-commerce requires inventory management, payment processing, and fulfillment tools; Content creators need design, video editing, and social media management tools; B2B companies focus on CRM, sales enablement, and marketing automation; while B2C startups prioritize user analytics, A/B testing, and customer acquisition tools.

How do you keep tool recommendations current?

We update our startup tools database weekly with new tool launches, pricing changes, startup program updates, and user feedback. Our team monitors product launches on Product Hunt, AngelList, and startup communities, tracks funding announcements for emerging tools, and maintains relationships with major tool providers to stay informed about new startup programs and features.