We independently research everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›
Work · Buying Guides
The Best AI Tools for Small Business
ChatGPT Business is the best AI assistant for most small-business teams: $20 per user a month billed annually, with SSO and no training on your business data by default. Claude Team is a close runner-up, Canva Business covers marketing, and Zapier connects everything else.
The Research Score rates each product on its own merits. Our picks also weigh price and who the product is for, so a pick can rank above a higher-scoring product. How we score
Small-business owners don’t need dozens of AI apps. Most need three or four: a general assistant the whole team can use for writing, research and analysis; a design tool for marketing; something that automates the busywork between apps; and maybe help with meetings, customer support or the books. The question is which ones are worth paying for, and which ones you can trust with customer and company data.
For most small teams, we recommend ChatGPT Business as the shared AI assistant. It costs $20 per user per month billed annually (two-user minimum), includes Codex, SAML SSO and MFA, and OpenAI says it doesn’t train on your business data by default. Claude Team costs the same and makes a strong alternative, especially for Microsoft 365 users. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, start with the Copilot Chat that’s included at no additional cost. For marketing, Canva Business is the easiest way to keep a small team on brand. For automation, Zapier connects your apps and adds AI agents, with a free plan to start.
One rule runs through this guide: use business plans, not personal ones, for company data. Business tiers from OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Google and Canva all say they don’t use your content for training by default. Several personal tiers do, unless you opt out.
For this guide, we researched 14 AI tools across the jobs small businesses ask about most: a shared AI assistant, marketing and design, automation, meetings, customer support and bookkeeping. We read official pricing pages, trust centers, privacy hubs and legal pages, all checked in October 2026. We did not test these tools hands-on. Every price, limit and feature below comes from a page we opened while researching, and those pages are listed in the sources. We rate each pick with our published Research Score, which weighs features, value, privacy, compatibility and support. How we research.
Who this is for
This guide is for owners and managers of businesses with roughly 1 to 50 people who want AI to save time on writing, marketing, admin and customer communication, without an IT department to vet every tool. If you need help choosing a meeting note taker specifically, see our guide to the best AI meeting assistant.
How we picked
We sorted tools by the job they do and looked for:
Business-grade privacy: a clear statement on whether your data trains AI models, plus admin controls and a data processing agreement.
Per-seat prices a small team can afford: published prices, a monthly option, and a free plan or trial.
Team features: shared workspaces, central billing and SSO, so you can add and remove people cleanly.
Fit with your existing tools: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and the apps you already use.
We considered: ChatGPT Business, Claude Team, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Gemini in Google Workspace, Canva, Zapier, Make, Fin by Intercom, QuickBooks Online, and the meeting assistants from our meeting guide: Fireflies.ai, Granola, Fathom and Zoom’s built-in AI.
Business-plan privacy at a glance
Tool
Trains on your business data?
What the vendor says
ChatGPT Business
No, by default
“No training on your business data by default”
Claude Team
No, by default
No model training on your content by default
Microsoft 365 Copilot
No
Prompts and responses not used to train the underlying models
Gemini in Google Workspace
No, without permission
No training without the customer’s prior permission or instruction
Canva Business
No
Business, team and enterprise content not used to improve AI features
Zapier
Opt-out (Enterprise: off automatically)
Subprocessors barred from training on customer content
Top pick · The best AI assistant for most small-business teams
CB
ChatGPT Business
8.2/10
A shared, admin-managed ChatGPT workspace with Codex, SSO and no training on your business data by default, at $20 per user a month on annual billing.
A general AI assistant is the tool most small businesses will use every day: drafting emails and proposals, summarizing documents, analyzing a spreadsheet, writing product descriptions or a job post. ChatGPT Business turns that into a managed team workspace. According to OpenAI’s pricing page, it costs $20 per user per month for two or more users billed annually, or $25 per user per month billed monthly.
The plan includes ChatGPT and Codex, OpenAI’s coding agent, across desktop and mobile apps, larger virtual machines for cloud chats, and the option to extend usage with ChatGPT credits. For administration, OpenAI lists a secure, dedicated workspace with essential admin controls, SAML single sign-on and multi-factor authentication.
The key privacy difference from a personal plan: OpenAI says Business includes no training on your business data by default.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
You need at least two users, so a solo owner pays for a seat they don’t need or stays on a personal plan. The pricing page we read didn’t clearly say which connectors to other apps are included with Business, so confirm the integrations you need before you buy.
Data retention and data residency controls are listed for Enterprise and Edu, not Business. If you work in a regulated field or have customers who require data to stay in a specific region, you’ll need to talk to OpenAI’s sales team.
Who it’s for
Small teams of two or more that want one general-purpose AI assistant for writing, research, analysis and light coding.
Who should skip it
You're a solo owner who doesn't need admin controls, or your team lives in Microsoft 365 and already has Copilot Chat.
Pros
$20 per user/month billed annually; $25 monthly
No training on business data by default
SAML SSO, MFA and admin controls
Includes Codex on desktop and mobile
Cons
Two-user minimum
Advanced retention and residency controls are Enterprise-only
Connector details weren't clear on the pricing page
Research Score
8.2/10
Features (30%)9
Value for money (25%)8
Privacy & security (20%)8
Compatibility (15%)8
Docs & support (10%)7
$20 per user/month billed annually (2+ users); $25 per user/month billed monthly (at the time of research)
Affiliate link · price at the time of research, may have changed
Runner-up · The best alternative, especially for Microsoft 365 users
CT
Claude Team
7.8/10
Anthropic’s team plan matches ChatGPT Business on price, adds Microsoft 365 integration and Claude Code, and doesn’t train on your content by default.
Claude Team is the closest competitor to ChatGPT Business, and the choice between them often comes down to taste and the tools your team already uses. Anthropic’s pricing page lists Team for 2 to 150 people. Standard seats cost $20 per seat per month billed annually or $25 monthly. Premium seats, with five times the usage of a Standard seat, cost $100 billed annually or $125 monthly, and you can mix seat types.
The feature list is aimed at office work. Anthropic lists Claude Code, Claude’s document and slide tools, Microsoft 365 integration, enterprise search across your organization, central billing, SSO and admin controls for connectors. The plan also includes up to $500 a month in pooled API credits.
On privacy, Anthropic’s pricing page states “No model training on your content by default” for its business plans.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
According to the plan comparison, Team doesn’t include role-based access, SCIM, audit logs, the Compliance API, custom data retention controls or a HIPAA-ready offering. Those sit in Enterprise, which costs $20 per seat per month billed annually with a 20-seat minimum, plus usage at API rates.
Who it’s for
Teams of 2 to 150 that do a lot of long-form writing, document work or coding, or that use Microsoft 365.
Who should skip it
You need audit logs, SCIM or custom retention, which aren't included on Team.
Pros
$20 per seat/month billed annually; $25 monthly
No model training on your content by default
Microsoft 365 integration and Claude Code included
SSO and admin controls for connectors
Cons
No audit logs, SCIM or custom retention on Team
Premium seats cost $100 to $125 a month
Two-seat minimum
Research Score
7.8/10
Features (30%)8
Value for money (25%)8
Privacy & security (20%)8
Compatibility (15%)7
Docs & support (10%)7
Standard seat $20 per seat/month billed annually ($25 monthly); Premium seat $100 per seat/month billed annually ($125 monthly) (at the time of research)
Affiliate link · price at the time of research, may have changed
Budget pick · The best choice if you already pay for Microsoft 365
M3
Microsoft 365 Copilot
7.8/10
Copilot Chat comes with eligible Microsoft 365 plans at no extra cost; the Copilot Business add-on brings AI into Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.
If your business already pays for Microsoft 365, try what you have before buying anything else. Microsoft’s business pricing page says Copilot Chat is included at no additional cost with eligible Microsoft 365 plans, and people without a Copilot license can sign in with their work account to use it.
The paid Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on puts Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, with AI chat grounded in your work data, a choice of large language models, prebuilt agents for research and data analysis, and adoption analytics. On annual billing it costs $18.00 per user per month, shown as reduced from $21.00. Microsoft says that price applies to the first year only, requires an annual commitment, and is available to existing Microsoft 365 Business customers between July 1 and December 31, 2026. Monthly billing costs $25.20 per user per month.
Microsoft’s privacy commitments are the strongest of our picks. The pricing page says prompts and responses stay within the Microsoft 365 service boundary, aren’t used to train the underlying large language models, follow your organization’s existing Microsoft 365 security settings, and are logged according to your data retention policies.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The add-on sits on top of a Microsoft 365 subscription, so it’s the most expensive option here if you’re starting from scratch. Microsoft also says access to Cowork, Autopilot and some advanced AI experiences in apps like SharePoint is usage-based, which makes monthly costs less predictable.
Who it’s for
Small businesses already running on Microsoft 365 that want AI grounded in their own email, files and meetings.
Who should skip it
Your team uses Google Workspace, or you want one assistant that works the same regardless of office suite.
Pros
Copilot Chat included with eligible Microsoft 365 plans
Prompts and responses not used to train the underlying models
Follows your existing Microsoft 365 security settings
Cons
Promotional $18 price is first-year only, with conditions
Some advanced experiences are usage-based
Requires an existing Microsoft 365 plan
Research Score
7.8/10
Features (30%)8
Value for money (25%)7
Privacy & security (20%)9
Compatibility (15%)7
Docs & support (10%)8
Copilot Chat included with eligible Microsoft 365 plans; Copilot Business add-on $18.00 per user/month paid yearly as a first-year promotion (regularly $21.00), or $25.20 per user/month on monthly billing (at the time of research)
Affiliate link · price at the time of research, may have changed
Also great · The best AI tool for small-business marketing
CB
Canva Business
8.2/10
Templates, brand management, AI design tools and ad insights for small teams, and Canva says it doesn’t use business content to improve its AI.
For marketing, most small businesses need on-brand graphics fast, not a professional design suite. Canva Business is built for that. On Canva’s US pricing page, Business costs US$250 per person per year, and Canva describes it as designed for individuals and small teams. It adds more AI access, enhanced brand management, ad performance insights and a shared workspace on top of everything in Pro.
Canva’s AI works in two ways, according to the pricing page. Standard AI tools such as Translate and Magic Write can be used abundantly on paid plans without counting against your allowance, while more advanced tools draw from a shared monthly AI allowance that varies by plan. If you need more, Canva sells an AI Pass add-on.
Canva’s privacy terms are clear for business users. Its Trust Center says the AI-training control is disabled for Canva Business and Enterprise accounts, which means Canva doesn’t use business, team or enterprise content to improve AI-powered features and doesn’t allow third parties to do so. Business customers also get a Data Processing Addendum that includes the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Pricing is per person, so a five-person team pays five Business seats. Canva Pro, at US$144 a year, is cheaper, but only one person can use a Pro account. Security features such as SSO and SCIM are reserved for Enterprise, which has no published price.
On personal plans, Canva says it uses your content to improve AI features only if that’s consistent with your Privacy Settings, so solo owners on Free or Pro should review that page.
Who it’s for
Owners and small marketing teams who make their own social posts, flyers, ads and presentations.
Who should skip it
You're a solo creator who doesn't need team features; Canva Pro is cheaper.
Pros
US$250 per person per year
Business content not used to improve AI features
Brand management, ad insights and shared workspace
Free for eligible nonprofits (one team of up to 50)
Cons
AI tools share a monthly allowance
SSO and SCIM require Enterprise
Pro is limited to one person
Research Score
8.2/10
Features (30%)9
Value for money (25%)8
Privacy & security (20%)8
Compatibility (15%)8
Docs & support (10%)7
Free plan; Pro US$144/year for one person; Business US$250/year per person (at the time of research)
Affiliate link · price at the time of research, may have changed
Also great · The best AI automation tool for small businesses
Z
Zapier
8.2/10
Connects your apps, adds AI agents and chatbots, and has a free plan; enterprise data is opted out of model training automatically.
Automation is where AI saves a small business the most time, because it removes work rather than speeding it up. Zapier connects your apps with “Zaps” and now adds AI on top. Its pricing page lists a free plan with 100 tasks a month, one seat and two-step Zaps. Even the free plan includes basic Zapier Agents (400 activities a month), Copilot with a daily message limit, two chatbots, tables and forms.
Pro starts at $19.99 a month billed annually ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks and adds multi-step Zaps, unlimited Copilot messages and AI by Zapier, which bills AI steps against your tasks. Team starts at $69 a month billed annually for 2,000 tasks, with up to 25 seats and shared Zaps and connections.
Zapier’s legal pages are specific about AI. Enterprise customers are automatically opted out of having their content used for model training, other customers can opt out at any time through a form, and Zapier’s subprocessors are prohibited from using customer content for their own model training. Zapier says it has implemented OpenAI’s zero data retention feature, and its data-privacy page lists SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 3 reports.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
If you’re not on Enterprise, training is something you have to opt out of, not something that’s off by default. Do it on day one if your Zaps touch customer data.
Costs scale with tasks. The Pro plan with 10,000 tasks costs $129 a month billed annually, and annual prices are a third cheaper than monthly. Zapier keeps up to 69 days of Zap content and history by default; only Company and Enterprise customers can set a shorter custom retention period.
Who it’s for
Owners who want to automate repetitive work between apps, such as sending form leads to a CRM or drafting replies with AI.
Who should skip it
You need complex, high-volume workflows on a tight budget, or you want training opted out without filing a request.
Pros
Free plan with 100 tasks and 400 agent activities a month
Pro from $19.99/month billed annually
SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 3; subprocessors barred from training
Cons
Non-enterprise customers must opt out of training
Costs rise quickly with task volume
Free plan limited to two-step Zaps
Research Score
8.2/10
Features (30%)9
Value for money (25%)7
Privacy & security (20%)7
Compatibility (15%)10
Docs & support (10%)8
Free plan; Pro from $19.99/month billed annually ($29.99 monthly); Team from $69/month billed annually ($103.50 monthly) (at the time of research)
Affiliate link · price at the time of research, may have changed
Other good options
If your team uses Google Workspace: Gemini is built into Google Workspace plans. Google’s pricing page lists Gemini in Gmail and the Gemini app on every plan, and Gemini in Docs and Meet from the Standard plan up; Starter, Standard and Plus are available for up to 300 users. Google’s privacy hub says Workspace doesn’t use customer data to train models without the customer’s prior permission or instruction, that content isn’t human-reviewed outside your domain, and that Gemini holds SOC 1/2/3 and several ISO certifications. Google’s pricing page showed prices in euros from our location at the time of research, so see current pricing for your country.
For customer support: Fin, Intercom’s AI agent, answers customer questions and costs $0.99 per outcome on Fin’s pricing page, with a 50-outcome monthly minimum if you keep your current help desk. It works with Intercom, Salesforce, HubSpot, Freshworks, Zoho, Gorgias, Front and others. If you use Intercom as your help desk too, Intercom’s pricing page lists the Essential plan at $19 per seat per month (shown against $29, with a 35% saving for new customers), though it didn’t make the billing period clear. Fin’s trust center lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, GDPR and HIPAA, and its subprocessors (including OpenAI for AI processing) operate in the US or EU depending on the region you choose. Both offer a 14-day free trial.
For meetings: Our AI meeting assistant guide covers Fireflies.ai, Granola, Fathom and Copilot in Teams in depth, including which ones train on your recordings.
For bookkeeping: QuickBooks Online now builds AI into its plans. Its pricing page lists AI expense categorization and an AI chat (in beta) on Simple Start, accounting cleanup on Essentials, and anomaly detection on Plus. List prices are $38 a month for Simple Start, $85 for Essentials, $140 for Plus and $340 for Advanced; at the time of research, all were 50% off for the first three months.
For automation on a budget: Make offers a free plan with 1,000 credits a month and paid Core, Pro and Teams plans; see current pricing on Make’s site. It also offers 50% off for organizations with fewer than 20 employees through its start-up plan.
The competition
Personal ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini plans: Cheaper or free, but they lack admin controls, and several use your conversations for training unless you opt out. Fine for an owner’s private use, not for shared company data.
Make: A capable Zapier alternative, but its pricing page didn’t show plan prices clearly.
Intercom (full suite): Worth it if you’re replacing your help desk, but most small businesses should start with Fin on top of the help desk they already use.
What to look forward to
Canva says the ability for Business, Teams and Enterprise admins to opt in to AI training is coming soon; it’s currently disabled for those accounts. Microsoft’s promotional Copilot Business price runs through December 31, 2026, and Google lists introductory Workspace pricing from November 2026 to February 2027, so expect prices to change in the coming months.
FAQ
What is the best AI tool for small business owners?
For most small teams, a business plan of a general assistant such as ChatGPT Business or Claude Team, both $20 per user per month billed annually, covers the most everyday work. Add Canva for marketing and Zapier for automation as needed.
What is the best AI tool for small business marketing?
Canva Business, at US$250 per person per year, combines templates, brand management, AI design tools and ad insights, and Canva says it doesn’t use business content to improve its AI.
Is it safe to put customer data into AI tools?
Use business plans. ChatGPT Business, Claude Team, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Google Workspace and Canva Business all say they don’t train on your business data by default. Personal plans often do unless you opt out. This isn’t legal advice; check your own obligations under privacy laws.
Are there free AI tools for small businesses?
Yes. Copilot Chat is included with eligible Microsoft 365 plans, and Zapier, Canva and QuickBooks Online list free plans. Free plans have tighter limits and often weaker privacy defaults.
