Software

How do you choose the right software? The job matters more than the brand: the category pages here group apps by what they do, then set out each one's plans, free allowance and review scores side by side. The right pick is usually the cheapest plan that covers the work you do every week, not the plan with the longest feature list.

The section covers AI assistants and agents, email apps and inbox AI, meeting notes and calls, dictation and voice typing, screen recording and video, design and creative AI, website and app builders, newsletters and email marketing, social media and creator tools, marketing, SEO and AI search, scheduling and forms, CRM and contacts, customer support and chatbots, developer tools, productivity, notes and research, and health and fitness apps.

Review scores help most when they come from several sites. Buffer, for example, scores 4.5 on Capterra from 1,492 reviews and 3.8 on Trustpilot from 126, while Framer scores 4.8 on Product Hunt from 263 reviews and 1.5 on Trustpilot from 146. A gap like that usually means one site collects praise for the product and the other collects complaints about billing or support, so both are worth reading.

Which software has a free plan? Many of the apps here have a free-forever plan, but the limits vary a great deal, so the cap matters more than the word "free".

Cal.com is free for one person with unlimited event types and bookings. Fillout's free plan allows unlimited forms and seats and 1,000 responses a month. Buffer connects three social channels for free, beehiiv sends to up to 2,500 subscribers, and Knock covers 10,000 messages a month. Granola and Circleback both record unlimited meetings for free but show only the last 30 days of notes. Wispr Flow gives 2,000 words a week on desktop, while Superwhisper offers unlimited dictation with offline models.

Some free plans are narrower than they look. Durable's free plan cannot publish a website at all, and apps built on whacka's free plan go offline 14 days after publishing.

How do you pay less for software subscriptions? Annual billing is the biggest saving the makers themselves state, often 15% to 50% off the monthly price.

Krisp halves its price on yearly billing, taking Core from $16 to $8 a month per user, and Tella does the same for Pro, from $26 to $13. VoiceOS drops from $29.99 to $11.99 a month, Framer Basic from $15 to $10 and Cal.com Teams from $16 to $12. Yearly billing ties you in, though, and several makers, including Anything and LottieFiles, say annual payments are non-refundable.

One-off licences avoid a subscription altogether. CleanShot X Basic costs $35 once, Cap sells a $58 licence that never renews, and Superwhisper offers a lifetime licence for $249.99.

Per-seat pricing is the other cost to watch. Fillout includes unlimited seats on every plan, Buffer's Team plan has unlimited users, and Viktor charges per workspace rather than per person, while Copper and Superhuman charge for each member.

Do students and charities get software discounts in the UK? Yes, a good number of makers state student, education or non-profit pricing, though some need a .edu email that UK students may not have.

• Granola: UK students can apply for 12 months of Business free, and registered non-profits get 50% off
• Framer: students can get Basic free for a year
• LottieFiles: a free annual Education Plan for UK students and educators, for non-commercial use
• Wispr Flow and VoiceOS: 50% off Pro for students
• Circleback: 50% off for students and 30% off for non-profits
• Superwhisper: 40% off for verified students, educators and non-profits
• Tella: six months of Pro free for educators and students, then 50% off, and 50% off for registered charities, UK charities included
• Buffer: 50% off paid plans for nonprofits and charities
• Dex: 50% off for students for one year, or two years for MBA students

Are software prices in pounds, and is VAT added? Most of the apps in this section price in US dollars, so the cost in pounds moves with the exchange rate and card fees may apply.

A few state how UK buyers are charged. Buffer adds VAT at the standard rate for UK consumers and lets businesses add a VAT number for reverse charge. Granola adds VAT by billing address. Wispr Flow says it adds no VAT and sets the checkout currency by region, and the UK App Store lists its Pro plan at £15 a month. Watermelon, Peec AI and Papermark show euros to UK visitors, BetterPic and Riverflow show pounds, and pliability and Medal are priced in pounds on the UK App Store.

What happens if you want to cancel or get a refund? Refund terms range from a 30-day guarantee to no refunds at all, so they are worth reading before a yearly payment.

Superwhisper gives a 30-day refund window on individual plans, CleanShot X a 30-day money-back guarantee and Jace a 30-day money-back guarantee. Fyxer refunds in full within 7 days of a first monthly charge or 30 days of a first annual one. At the other end, AI Fiesta, Magica, Subscribr and Lindy all state that payments are non-refundable. Free trials that need a card, such as Dex, VoiceOS and pliability, usually convert to a paid plan automatically when the trial ends.