Small businesses buy software the hard way: a dozen browser tabs, a free trial that expires before anyone has time to test it, and a decision made on the vendor’s own comparison chart. The Ten Stack exists to shorten that. For each category we cover, we do the research once, apply the same four criteria to every option, and publish the ten worth your time in order.
What we cover
Software and services a team of fewer than roughly a hundred people actually buys: CRM, accounting, HR and payroll, email marketing, design tools, and design services, with more categories as we complete them. We do not cover enterprise procurement, and we say so when a tool on a list is really built for larger companies.
How we work
Every ranking names its author and shows the date it was published and the date it was last re-checked. The rubric is public on our How we rank page. Vendors cannot buy a place on a list or a higher position, and our editorial policy spells out how we handle affiliate links, corrections, and conflicts of interest.
Who writes the rankings
Dave Parsi, Editor. Dave researches, tests, and ranks every list on The Ten Stack and is responsible for every ordering decision on the site.
Contact
Corrections, category suggestions, and vendor questions all go through the contact page. We read everything; we reply to corrections first.