5 free tools every small business needs in 2025

Canva – Design Made Simple

Best free content creation tool for: Social media posts, presentations, branding materials, and website graphics.

Being able to create strong visuals is crucial for any digital marketing strategy. Whether it’s social media content, blog images, or pitch decks, design plays a huge role in attracting and engaging audiences. Canva’s free plan is an essential, easy-to-use, web-based tool and app that lets the small one-man band to 100+ businesses create stunning graphics. Perfect for the dedicated designer or someone who has never posted on social media before.

Why Canva?

• Access to thousands of free templates for social media, presentations, and print materials.

• A drag-and-drop editor that makes designing easy, even for beginners.

• A library of free stock photos, icons, and fonts to enhance designs.

How can you make the most out of Canva:

• Design engaging social media content for LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.

• Create polished pitch decks and client presentations.

• Develop branded marketing materials, including flyers, business cards, and infographics.

Once you get the hang of Canva, you can upgrade to their paid plan that offers premium features to take your assets to the next level.

Trello – Project Management Made Easy

Best free project management tool for: Managing tasks, tracking client projects, and organising workflows.

Organising projects and your team is critical for your day-to-day business, especially when juggling multiple clients and deadlines. Trello is a simple and powerful task management tool that helps teams stay on top of deliverables and collaborate effectively.

Why Trello?

• Uses an intuitive Kanban-style board to visualise workflows.

• Lets you create task lists, add due dates, attach files and assign tasks.

• Real-time collaboration so teams can stay aligned.

How to make the most of Trello:

• Organise content calendars for blog posts and social media campaigns.

• Track client projects from initial strategy to final execution.

• Manage internal workflows, from brainstorming to task completion.

Trello helps small businesses increase productivity, reduce missed deadlines and ensure smooth collaboration. The perfect free collaborative tool.

Google Analytics – Data-Driven Decisions

Best free seo tool for: Website performance tracking, SEO insights, and digital marketing analytics.

Data is everything in digital marketing and the health of your website. Without tracking performance, business is flying blind when it comes to website traffic, conversions, and customer behaviour. Google Analytics is the ultimate free tool for understanding how users interact with websites and refining marketing strategies.

Why Google Analytics?

• Provides deep insights into where traffic is coming from and how visitors behave.

• Helps agencies track conversions and measure ROI.

• Integrates seamlessly with Google Ads and other digital marketing tools.

How a Digital Agency Can Use Google Analytics:

• Monitor organic search performance and optimise SEO strategies.

• Track landing page performance to improve conversion rates.

• Identify which marketing channels are driving the most engagement.

Google Analytics allows your business to leverage data-driven decisions and refine campaigns for maximum impact.

Grammarly – Effortless Writing & Editing

Best for grammar & punctuation: Blog posts, email marketing, social media captions, and client communications.

Clear and professional writing is essential to get your ideas and thoughts across in a professional way. Whether it’s website copy, social media content, or client emails, poor grammar and spelling mistakes can damage credibility. Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that ensures everything you write is polished and error-free.

Why Grammarly?

• Fixes grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors in real-time.

• Suggests better word choices for clarity and professionalism.

• Provides tone analysis, ensuring that messages are engaging and appropriate.

How a Digital Agency Can Use Grammarly:

• Proofread blog posts, ad copy, and social media captions before publishing.

• Enhance email communication with clients and prospects.

• Maintain a consistent and professional brand voice across all content.

Even in its free version, Grammarly is a game-changer for content creation. For a high level of assistance, we would highly recommend the paid version.

ChatGPT – Content & Brainstorming Assistant

Best AI tool for: Content creation, email drafts, brainstorming, and ad copywriting.

Artificial intelligence is the new king! Whilst there is still much to learn, ChatGPT is the perfect collaborator to keep you moving. Businesses often need to produce high-quality written material quickly. Whether it’s crafting blog posts, schedules and plans, ChatGPT serves as an excellent writing assistant that can save agencies time and effort.

Why ChatGPT?

• Helps with brainstorming ideas.

• Can automate responses for e.g. customer support, FAQs and emails.

How a Digital Agency Can Use ChatGPT:

• Generate SEO-optimised blog content in minutes.

• Write engaging LinkedIn and Facebook posts.

• Brainstorm campaign ideas and email subject lines.

By integrating AI into content creation, agencies can work smarter, not harder.

Bonus: Livewire Marketing's Free Digital Marketing Audit

Best free audit tool for: Evaluating your website, SEO, and digital strategy at no cost.

Even with all the right tools, small businesses often need expert insight into what’s working and what’s not. That’s where Livewire Marketing’s Free Digital Marketing Audit comes in.

Livewire’s comprehensive free audit provides businesses with actionable insights into their:

• Website performance

• SEO strategy

• Social media presence

• Lead generation tactics

Why Get a Free Audit?

• Identifies weaknesses in your digital strategy and how to fix them.

• Provides expert recommendations tailored to your business.

• Helps you stay ahead of competitors by optimising key digital channels.

Get your free audit here: Livewire Marketing Free Audit

Taking advantage of a free professional audit can help businesses make smarter marketing decisions and drive better results.

Get ahead of the game

These hand picked free tools provide you with everything you will need to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and drive better results—all without adding to your budget.

By using tools like Canva, Trello, Google Analytics, Grammarly, and ChatGPT, agencies can create high-quality content, manage projects effectively, and make data-driven decisions. And with Livewire’s FREE audit tool as a bonus tool, agencies can stay ahead in the SEO game.