Top 10 Free Alternatives to Gust in 2025

In 2025, numerous free alternatives to Gust have emerged, each offering distinct features tailored to meet various startup needs, from cap table management to project management and customer service. Here's a detailed look at the top 10 free alternatives:

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1. YouCanBookMe

Description: A free scheduling app for startups. It integrates with calendars and automates booking.
Data Points:
Functionality: Allows clients and team members to book meetings in seconds.
Integration: Syncs with online calendars to avoid double bookings.
Customization: Highly customizable to match your brand.
Use Case: Saves time by automating meeting scheduling.
Cost: Free plan available. Learn more about YouCanBookMe

2. Trello

Description: A project management tool using Kanban boards for task visualization.
Data Points:
Functionality: Drag-and-drop task management, checklists, and boards for visual workflows.
Integrations: Integrates with Slack, Google Drive, and other tools.
User-Friendly: Simple and easy-to-use interface.
Scalability: Suitable for both small teams and larger projects.
Cost: Free plan available with limitations. Learn more about Trello

3. Google Workspace

Description: A suite of tools including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and Meets, useful for business communication and collaboration.
Data Points:
Functionality: Provides email, document creation, video conferencing, and cloud storage.
Collaboration: Enables real-time collaboration on documents.
Integration: Works well together and is often compatible with other tools.
Accessibility: Accessible from various devices and platforms.
Cost: Free for personal use, with paid business plans available. Discover Google Workspace

4. BoldDesk

Description: A free customer service software designed for startups.
Data Points:
Functionality: Manages customer interactions, tracks service requests, and analyzes feedback.
Features: Includes ticketing, live chat, task management, and omnichannel support.
AI Assistance: Offers generative AI features to support customer service teams.
Knowledge Base: Provides a platform for self-service customer support.
Cost: Free plan for startups with limitations. Explore BoldDesk

5. Carta Launch

Description: A free cap table management tool for early-stage companies.
Data Points:
Functionality: Helps manage cap tables, equity, and ownership.
Limitations: Free for companies with less than 25 stakeholders or under $1 million raised.
Market Leader: One of the leading cap table management software providers.
Reporting: Provides tools for equity reporting and compliance.
Cost: Free version available for eligible companies. Learn more about Carta Launch

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6. Pulley

Description: A free cap table platform for startups.
Data Points:
Functionality: Helps founders and employees make informed decisions about their equity.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan for companies with less than 25 stakeholders.
Key Feature: Equity management platform.
Market Position: A strong competitor in the cap table management space.
Cost: Free 'seed' plan available with limitations. Discover Pulley

7. Open VC

Description: A free platform for finding investor profiles.
Data Points:
Functionality: Provides access to hundreds of investor profiles, including their focus and investment stages.
Filtering: Allows users to filter investors by preferences, stages, and regions.
Free Resource: Open-source platform for finding investors.
Use Case: Helps startups find investors that match their business needs.
Cost: Free. Explore Open VC

8. Ledgy

Description: A platform to manage equity, cap tables, ESOPs, and HRIS integrations.
Data Points:
Functionality: Cap table management, ESOP management, HRIS integrations.
User Base: Trusted by high-growth companies.
Security: Provides best-in-class security and privacy.
Modeling: Includes scenario and exit modeling capabilities.
Cost: Free plans available, with paid options for scaling companies. Learn more about Ledgy

9. Mailchimp

Description: A free marketing campaign tool for managing email lists.
Data Points:
Functionality: Email marketing platform with automation capabilities.
Ease of Use: User-friendly interface for creating and sending emails.
Free Version: Offers a free plan with limitations.
Branding: Free plan emails include some Mailchimp branding.
Cost: Free plan for startups, with paid upgrades available. Discover Mailchimp

10. Capboard

Description: A digital equity management solution for startups.
Data Points:
Functionality: Cap table management, document storage, and fundraising simulation.
Automation: Manages equity plans automatically to save time for finance and HR.
Investor Access: Provides a portal for investors to track their portfolio.
Visibility: Employees have full visibility over their equity grants.
Cost: Free trial available and offers a free plan with limitations. Explore Capboard

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FAQ

1. What is a good free alternative for scheduling and booking meetings in 2025?

YouCanBookMe is an excellent free scheduling app for startups that integrates with calendars to automate bookings and avoid double bookings. It is highly customizable and saves time by automating meeting scheduling. Learn more about YouCanBookMe

2. What is an effective free project management tool?

Trello is a project management tool that uses Kanban boards for task visualization. It supports drag-and-drop task management, checklists, and integrates with tools like Slack and Google Drive. Explore Trello

3. Which suite of tools is best for business communication and collaboration?

Google Workspace offers a suite of tools such as Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and Meets for business communication and collaboration, providing real-time collaboration on documents and cloud storage. Discover Google Workspace

4. What free customer service software is available for startups?

BoldDesk is designed for startups, offering features like ticketing, live chat, task management, and AI assistance for supporting customer service teams. Check out BoldDesk

5. What is a good cap table management tool for early-stage companies?

Carta Launch is a free cap table management tool for companies with less than 25 stakeholders or under $1 million raised, offering tools for equity reporting and compliance. Learn more about Carta Launch

6. Which free platform helps with equity management for startups?

Pulley is an equity management platform offering a free plan for companies with less than 25 stakeholders, providing tools to make informed decisions about equity. Explore Pulley

7. How can startups find investor profiles for free?

Open VC provides access to hundreds of investor profiles, allowing users to filter by preferences, stages, and regions, helping startups find matching investors. Discover Open VC

8. What platform manages equity, cap tables, ESOPs, and HRIS integrations?

Ledgy is trusted by high-growth companies for managing cap tables, ESOPs, and HRIS integrations, offering best-in-class security and scenario modeling capabilities. Check out Ledgy

9. What free tool is available for managing marketing campaigns?

Mailchimp offers a free plan for startups to manage email marketing campaigns, including automation and a user-friendly interface for creating and sending emails. Learn more about Mailchimp

10. What is a digital equity management solution for startups with a free trial?

Capboard offers cap table management, document storage, and fundraising simulations, with a portal for investors to track their portfolios and full visibility for employees over their equity grants. Explore Capboard

References

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.