Small businesses keep software stacks lean, Sonary data finds

Sonary says new data from 947 Booster users and a survey of 6,725 U.S. respondents shows most small businesses run on just one or two software tools and spend a median of $100 a month. AI tools are the fastest-growing category, but the median monthly cost is still just $24.

Why it matters: - Small businesses are spending less on software than many vendors assume, but the businesses that do overbuy can end up with bloated, hard-to-track stacks. - Sonary says the findings highlight a common blind spot: subscription sprawl often builds one low-cost tool at a time and goes unchecked. - AI tools are becoming a routine add-on in small-business stacks, but they remain low-cost relative to core business software.

What happened: - Sonary released the first data from Sonary Booster, its free software-subscription tracking tool. - The data comes from 947 businesses tracking 1,826 software tools. - Sonary also commissioned a Google Survey of 6,725 U.S. consumers and business decision-makers. - The company says the combined data shows small businesses are more disciplined about software buying than the industry assumes.

The details: - 90% of businesses tracking software in Booster monitor just one or two tools. - Only 3.6% track six or more tools. - Median software spending is $100 a month. - The top 25% spend more than $1,000 a month. - The top 10% spend more than $10,000 a month. - Elana Kirsh, editor in chief at Sonary, said many small businesses start with one cheap subscription and gradually stack on more tools. - Most Booster users are solopreneurs, so one person often carries the entire software decision. - Businesses spend the most on tools tied to revenue and compliance. - Median monthly cost per tool is highest for CRM at $230, bookkeeping at $180, accounting at $150 and ITSM at $140. - Merchant services sits at $100 a month, web design at $90 and graphic design at $80. - Lower-cost categories include project management at $44, eCommerce at $49, website builders at $48 and AI tools at $24. - AI tools are now the most-tracked category in Booster, ahead of accounting software and website builders. - Most users are adding AI on top of existing software rather than replacing other tools.

Between the lines: - The survey data suggests software discovery still runs heavily through peer trust and review platforms rather than formal procurement. - 61.4% of respondents said they research software with user reviews on websites or forums. - Another 61.4% cited comparison and review sites such as Capterra. - Peer and colleague recommendations were the biggest influence on purchases at 57.5%. - Expert reviews influenced 49.3%. - 85.7% said they at least sometimes prefer expert opinions over user reviews, and 31.5% said they always do. - 42.8% said they use tools like ChatGPT to research software products. - Software switching is often reactive, not proactive. - 37.2% only consider switching when performance issues arise. - 25.1% rarely consider switching. - Just 8% review software more than once a year. - 39.2% make software decisions independently, and 29.1% do so as a team. - External consultants account for fewer than 6% of decisions. - Sonary says the pattern points to a structural problem: small businesses make high-stakes software decisions alone and rarely audit what they already pay for.

What's next: - Sonary says Booster is available as a free tool for tracking subscriptions, spending by category and flagging tools that may no longer justify their cost. - The company expects the tool to help businesses spot unused or redundant subscriptions before costs grow further. - Sonary plans to keep using Booster data to track how small businesses buy and manage software over time.

The bottom line: - Most small businesses are not drowning in software tools, but the ones that lose track of subscriptions can still end up paying far more than they need to.