Best Business Software of 2025

Silhouette, an award-winning VFX tool recognized by both the Academy and Emmy Awards, is a top-tier, GPU-accelerated compositing software that offers unparalleled non-destructive paint and roto capabilities tailored for feature films and visual effects teams. Since its inception in 2005, Silhouette has played a crucial role in the production of some of Hollywood’s most iconic film and television projects, such as Avatar, Black Panther, and Stranger Things, among others. It is proudly endorsed by the Netflix Post Technology Alliance in the VFX category, positioning itself as the go-to artist tool for Roto, Paint, and Tracking. The latest release, Silhouette 2020.5, transcends conventional roto and cleanup methods, providing a professional stereoscopic-enabled node-based compositing environment with an impressive array of 146 nodes specifically crafted for various finishing tasks. Available as a standalone application for macOS, Windows, and Linux, Silhouette also offers flexible floating license options for enterprises. Additionally, the introduction of the new Silhouette Paint plug-in enhances the functionality of the paint tools, which are now seamlessly integrated into a multi-host plug-in compatible with Adobe and OFX platforms, and is provided free of charge to all owners of Silhouette 2020. This advancement underscores Silhouette's commitment to evolving and meeting the dynamic needs of visual effects professionals in the industry.

Optics serves as the ultimate digital toolkit for photography enthusiasts. Developed by expert visual effects artists from the film industry, it aims to replicate various optical camera filters, unique lenses, different film stocks and their accompanying grain, lens flares, optical lab techniques, color correction methods, as well as effects related to natural light and photography. By utilizing Optics, you can elevate your images to new heights, with the software currently available as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as a standalone application compatible with both macOS and Windows platforms. With Optics, users can explore a vast library of 160 filters and an extensive range of presets that enhance creative possibilities. The software allows for film-style color grading and the transformation of images from realistic to otherworldly with stunning lighting effects. Moreover, all filters can be applied selectively to specific areas of the image through user-friendly yet advanced masking controls. It also features a layering system for utilizing multiple filters simultaneously, along with a built-in painting tool for precise touch-ups, making it an indispensable resource for anyone looking to refine their photographic artistry. This comprehensive functionality ensures that every user can achieve their desired aesthetic with ease and precision.

Imerge revolutionizes professional photo compositing by allowing unlimited layers and maintaining RAW image data without baked-in alterations. This unique software stands apart from others by ensuring that every adjustment is live and adaptable. With its robust RAW engine, Imerge maximizes the potential of your photographs, delivering exceptional results. If you're pressed for time, rest assured that Imerge's specially designed, GPU-accelerated RAW engine enables rapid importing of any RAW file. You can effortlessly experiment with various backgrounds, foregrounds, and text all within a single batch process! The software intelligently applies the appropriate edge colors and light wrap to all green screen combinations, making it simple to switch between different options. Additionally, you can create Hot Folders that automatically incorporate content variations into your project as you capture images. A new era of vibrant colors and intricate detail in photo editing has arrived, empowering you to seamlessly import and modify RAW files directly within your compositing workspace. With Imerge, the possibilities for creativity and precision are truly limitless.

uPlan will dramatically reduce the time it takes to plan and consult. Get auto-generated documentation for your projects, including a wiring diagram, electrical cabinet layout, and bill of material. Discuss the project with your client and provide a personalized quote for the various solutions you could offer.

Nevron Vision for SSRS offers exclusive enhancements to all Reporting Services versions. No other solution for SSRS provides more data visualization power and features, performance, flexibility, and integration all within the native Reporting Services environment and designer. This suite of SSRS custom reports items significantly improves all aspects of enterprise reporting authoring. The suite features superior Chart, Gauge and Map custom report items (CRI), which offer unmatched flexibility, advanced visual editors and a feature set that surpasses native SSRS reports. The suite's CRI items integrate seamlessly with your data and offer 100% compatibility with forward and backward reports. This allows you to easily migrate reports between different versions of SQL Server. Nevron Vision is the only choice if you are looking for a set CRI items to extend the data visualization capabilities in SSRS.

Streamlining tight deadlines has become more manageable than ever before. The most comprehensive collection of plugins in the post-production sector offers nearly 350 creative effects across 20 categories, over 4000 presets, integrated Academy Award-winning Mocha for advanced planar tracking and masking, a beat reactor that syncs visual effects with music, and an FX Browser for easy navigation. Editors and creative professionals depend on Continuum to efficiently complete their projects. The 2021 iteration marks the largest release in the collection's extensive history, introducing over 80 new effects, more than 1000 professionally-crafted presets, 3 additional Unit categories, substantial enhancements to particle illusion, a new keying effect, improved Mocha planar tracking, and additional features. The Cinematographer’s Toolkit offers users 80 new effects, 3 fresh Continuum Units, and an impressive array of over 1000 new presets that evoke the classic charm of shooting on film. With the user-friendly FX Editor, artists can easily browse through presets and craft personalized options directly within the interface, making it a breeze to replicate iconic Hollywood aesthetics with just a single click. This innovative approach not only enhances efficiency but also inspires creativity among users.

InCopy enables collaboration between copywriters and editors, allowing them to style text, track changes, and make basic layout adjustments to documents while designers simultaneously work on the same files in Adobe InDesign, ensuring that everyone's contributions remain intact. Additionally, you can build a network and connect with inspiring creatives, potentially leading to your next career opportunity, on Behance, a leading global creative community. Adobe stands as the premier authority in digital media and marketing solutions, offering tools that empower everyone from budding artists to established global brands to transform their digital visions into reality and create engaging experiences tailored for their audiences. Ultimately, Adobe's influence is pervasive, and it is revolutionizing the digital landscape through innovative experiences that enhance productivity no matter where you are. By providing an interconnected suite of solutions, Adobe helps streamline workflows and fosters creativity across various industries.

Character Animator dynamically brings characters to life by capturing your facial expressions and movements in real time. This remarkable speed allows you to livestream your creative process, impressing viewers at every turn. Show off your best expressions, as your performance can truly animate a character. By utilizing your webcam and microphone, Character Animator brilliantly synchronizes your facial movements and lip movements to create animations instantly. You can easily create a character in moments, transforming any artwork into an animated figure with just your webcam, all thanks to the advanced Adobe Sensei AI. Whether importing designs from Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop or starting with ready-made templates, the process is seamless. You can control character gestures such as waving using your keyboard or a MIDI device, and save these movements as triggers for easy access. Both Hollywood studios and online content creators leverage the power of Character Animator to realize their creative visions in real time. Additionally, it integrates effortlessly with other Adobe applications like Premiere Pro and After Effects, enhancing your overall workflow. Thus, it provides a comprehensive solution for animators looking to innovate and engage their audiences.

Multifunctional dynamics simulator that seamlessly integrates into Autodesk 3ds Max or V-Ray. Chaos® Phoenix can create a wide variety of effects, including smoke, liquids and flames, explosions as well as rigid body simulations, ocean waves and mist. It is easy to set up and quick to use, and the powerful simulation engine allows for complete control over more complicated effects. Chaos® Phoenix is a one-stop solution for fluid dynamics. Simulate fire, smoke and liquids, as well as ocean waves, splashes and mist, and other fluid dynamics. Designed for 3D artists who need to create dynamic FX quickly using presets, quick setup and intuitive controls. Viewport allows you to preview and render interactively. You can adjust simulations as you go. You can create all kinds of fluid effects based on physical properties using flexible controls that allow you to quickly render, retiming, and refine simulations. Integrated seamlessly into 3ds Max, optimized to render with Chaos Vray®.

RhinoCAM is a plug-in for CAM Software that operates entirely within Rhinoceros versions 6.0 and 7.0, exclusively for Windows users. This innovative tool combines Rhino's exceptional freeform modeling capabilities with the renowned CAM features of VisualCAM, resulting in an unmatched product. With its seamless integration, RhinoCAM provides a user experience that feels like working directly within Rhino when creating CNC programs. Moreover, it is fully associative, meaning any changes made to the geometry in Rhino are automatically reflected in RhinoCAM. The software offers modules specifically designed for MILL, TURN, NEST, and ART applications. To accommodate the diverse requirements of its users, RhinoCAM is available in five distinct configurations, including Express (XPR), Standard (STD), Expert (EXP), Professional (PRO), and Premium (PRE). This range of options makes RhinoCAM ideal for newcomers to CAM programming, as it supports both 2-axis and 3-axis machining techniques while being equipped with robust manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, each configuration is tailored to meet the varying machining demands of customers, ensuring that there is a suitable choice for everyone.

Engineering calculations play a crucial role in the development of products, serving as a foundation for each phase of the design process. To excel in engineering, it is vital for teams to utilize a robust yet user-friendly application that ensures accurate calculations, facilitates traceability, safeguards intellectual property, and clearly presents their methodology. PTC Mathcad seamlessly combines the convenience of an engineering notebook with the capabilities of live mathematical notation and intelligent unit management. Most notably, the calculation power offered by PTC Mathcad yields results that surpass the accuracy typically achievable through standard spreadsheet applications. With PTC Mathcad's extensive range of mathematical features, documenting essential engineering calculations is as straightforward as penning them down. Users can showcase their work with appealing formatting options, integrating plots, text, and images into a single, professionally styled document. Importantly, engaging with PTC Mathcad does not require any specialized expertise, making it accessible for all users. By leveraging this tool, engineering teams can enhance collaboration and efficiency throughout their design processes.

RoboDK serves as an effective and affordable simulator tailored for industrial robots and their programming needs. With RoboDK's simulation software, users can maximize the capabilities of their robots without needing any prior programming expertise, thanks to its user-friendly interface. Programming any robot offline becomes a simple task that can be accomplished in just a few clicks. The software boasts a comprehensive library that includes over 500 different robot arms, catering to a wide range of applications. One significant benefit of utilizing RoboDK’s simulation and offline programming tools is the ability to develop robot programs away from the production floor, thereby minimizing the disruptions associated with on-site programming. This feature allows you to work directly from your computer, effectively preventing any production downtime. In addition, RoboDK enables you to operate your robot arm similarly to a 5-axis milling machine (CNC) or a 3D printer. It can simulate and convert NC programs into robot programs, including formats like G-code or APT-CLS files. Furthermore, RoboDK automatically optimizes the robot's path to prevent issues such as singularities, axis constraints, and collisions. Overall, the process of simulating and programming industrial robots with RoboDK has reached unparalleled ease and efficiency. Whether you're a novice or an expert, RoboDK's capabilities can significantly enhance your robotic programming experience.

VisualCAD/CAM stands out as a highly valued standalone CAD/CAM solution in today’s market. Serving as the foundational CAD platform for VisualCAM, it encompasses several specialized modules such as VisualMILL, VisualTURN, VisualNEST, and VisualART, each designed to meet the unique demands of different CNC manufacturing processes. The software is available in five distinct configurations, including Express (XPR), Standard (STD), Expert (EXP), Professional (PRO), and Premium (PRE), catering to the diverse requirements of our clientele. The 2020 version of VisualCAD/CAM also maintains these five configurations to effectively address various machining needs. This versatile program is particularly well-suited for hobbyists, makers, and students who are just beginning their journey in CAM programming. With its support for both 2-axis and 3-axis machining methods, this user-friendly package is not only efficient but also priced attractively, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious beginners looking to explore the world of CNC machining. Its combination of power and accessibility allows users to quickly adapt and thrive in their manufacturing endeavors.

Speed up your product design and manufacturing workflows with this comprehensive suite of professional applications. This collection serves as a cohesive platform that unites all stakeholders, from initial concept to final production, through shared tools that enhance the efficiency of your product development journey. Design high-performing products and optimize production layouts effectively. Enhance product functionalities while reducing the likelihood of failures. Foster connections among your team and ensure seamless data flow from design to manufacturing. Discover how this suite equips you with the tools needed to bring your boldest ideas to life, collaborate with greater efficiency, automate tedious tasks, and investigate a wider array of design possibilities. Boost your success rates and accelerate delivery times with an interconnected and automated toolkit, enabling quick configuration and delivery of products tailored to customer specifications. Implement advanced simulations to validate and refine both products and manufacturing processes. Additionally, focus on developing solutions that maximize material efficiency and cut down on waste, leading to a more sustainable approach in your operations. Embrace this opportunity to transform your design and manufacturing practices.

AWS IoT SiteWise is a managed service designed for the efficient collection, storage, organization, and monitoring of industrial equipment data at scale, enabling more informed, data-driven decisions. This service allows for the oversight of operations across multiple facilities, rapid calculation of key industrial performance metrics, and the development of applications that analyze equipment data to mitigate expensive issues and minimize production delays. By facilitating consistent data collection across various devices, it aids in the swift identification of problems through remote monitoring while enhancing multi-site operations with a unified data approach. Currently, extracting performance metrics from industrial equipment poses significant challenges due to data being confined within proprietary on-premises storage systems, often necessitating specialized skills to access and format it for analysis. AWS IoT SiteWise addresses this challenge by deploying software on a gateway located within your facilities, streamlining the data management process and making it more accessible for various stakeholders. As a result, businesses can focus on leveraging this data to optimize their operational efficiencies and drive innovation.

EZ VPNTM provides rapid and secure access to all of your remote network locations, enabling you to connect to your office for remote work, manage home automation systems, upgrade industrial control panels, and monitor webcams effortlessly. With EZ VPNTM, any resource behind a firewall is accessible without the need to modify your existing network settings. It establishes a secure VPN connection that allows you to control home automation, access remote desktops, and more, all while eliminating the hassle of complex router or firewall setups. This solution is compatible with any network environment, as EZ VPNTM comes preconfigured to ensure the highest level of VPN security. Enhanced safety features include a password-protected certificate, two-factor authentication, and notifications. You can manage all your connections through a user-friendly web interface, where traffic data, user status, and connection history are conveniently displayed on the dashboard, making it easy to monitor and maintain your network activity. This comprehensive approach to remote access and security simplifies the experience for users at all levels.

Inventor® CAM software streamlines the machining process by integrating CAD capabilities for 2.5-axis to 5-axis milling, turning, and mill-turn operations. The Product Design & Manufacturing Collection equips users with essential tools for both product design and manufacturing. With advanced technology, you can generate toolpaths that incorporate 3D adaptive clearing and a comprehensive array of finishing toolpaths. The ability to perform simultaneous 4- and 5-axis machining on intricate models is enhanced by features like tilt, multi-axis contouring, and swarf operations. Traditional operations such as turning, facing, grooving, and boring are also supported to boost productivity. The software facilitates live tooling mill-turning and allows for rapid generation of 2D profile cutting paths, with options to add all contours in a single plane, incorporate tabs, and define quality parameters. Additionally, it ensures the safe operation of CNC machines by automatically detecting and preventing collisions between your part and tool holders during the machining process. This combination of features makes Inventor® CAM an invaluable asset for manufacturers looking to optimize their workflows.

Bantam Tools specializes in creating desktop CNC machines that combine professional reliability and precision with affordability. We produce desktop CNC milling machines designed to deliver exceptional accuracy without breaking the bank. Our commitment to innovation blends cutting-edge hardware with user-friendly software and a supportive community, revolutionizing the design and manufacturing process. We envision a seamless transition from concept to creation, ensuring that every user can bring their ideas to life easily. With our extensive experience in CNC technology and software, our team is equipped to enhance the user experience and foster a community of enthusiastic creators. We are thrilled to introduce the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine alongside our brand new control software! This software allows users to swiftly and effortlessly initiate new projects, adjust speeds and feeds through our comprehensive tool library, and confidently visualize their designs before production. In doing so, we aim to empower makers and innovators to push the boundaries of their creativity.

ArtiosCAD stands out as the leading structural design software in the packaging industry. Tailored to enhance the efficiency of packaging experts who engage in structural design, product development, virtual prototyping, and manufacturing processes, ArtiosCAD simplifies complex design tasks. You don't need advanced mathematical skills to create intricate designs, as the software automatically manages all measurements for you. It efficiently constructs a perfectly fitting package around any 3D CAD product model you import, allowing you to concentrate on your creative vision. By transforming custom designs into adjustable templates and incorporating them into your corporate library, ArtiosCAD significantly reduces design time. Additionally, the seamless integration of structural and graphic design with production files helps to prevent expensive errors later in the process. You can even fold your design in 3D to identify any inconsistencies before proceeding to print, ensuring a smooth workflow from start to finish. This not only increases productivity but also fosters innovation within your design team.

Simplifying infrastructure and endpoint monitoring has never been easier! Following the discontinuation of Monitis after its acquisition by TeamViewer last year, we found ourselves in urgent need of an alternative solution. We explored various options, including Uptrends, Datadog, dotcom-monitor, CloudRadar, Pingdom, and Uptime, ultimately crafting our own solution with specific criteria in mind: a cloud-based SaaS platform, a compact and efficient agent, a quick setup interface, flexible pricing, effective maintenance windows, city-level geotargeting, embeddable graphs, real-time push notifications for alerts, comprehensive process monitors with rollup capabilities, and audible alerts on our dashboard. Central to our approach is a small, lightweight server agent, just 2.1 MB in size, which once installed and paired, initiates a "heartbeat" report every minute to our ingest API within your network. By leveraging this solution, users can effectively monitor, analyze, and enhance their website's performance along with the overall end-user experience, ensuring that all critical aspects are covered seamlessly. The combination of these features allows for a tailored approach to monitoring that meets diverse needs.

Tidal Migrations is utilized by clients at various points throughout their cloud adoption journey, starting from the identification of business objectives and portfolio evaluation, all the way to enhancing applications that are already hosted in the cloud. Understanding your current operating systems and server platforms is just a small part of what is required to effectively evaluate a cloud migration. Tidal Migrations offers an Application-Centric approach to discovery and analysis, equipping you with the essential data-driven insights needed to replatform and refactor your applications for a cloud environment. With the help of Tidal's migration tools, you will delve into your web technologies, analyze DNS, assess database configurations and usage, as well as conduct static source code analysis of your custom applications. The gathered data extends beyond technical aspects; the integrated interview process within the platform enriches the information by incorporating elements such as business value, operational expenses, privacy considerations, and other relevant factors. This comprehensive approach ensures that all critical aspects of cloud migration are thoroughly addressed to facilitate a smooth transition.

If you are still managing your server access through emails, tasks, tables, or notes, it's time to explore a better solution for providing temporary or one-time access without compromising your original credentials. How can you effectively monitor the activities on your server and maintain control? With features that allow you to create companies, add servers, manage user access, invite employees, audit activities, enhance server security, and execute programmable tasks, you will have a comprehensive toolset at your disposal. Begin by establishing a "company" and incorporating your servers into your profile. Once your server is integrated, add a public key and refresh the SSH settings. You can invite individuals to join the platform or utilize LDAP for streamlined access. Define specific access permissions based on time or geographic location to maintain security. Now, those invited can log in to your servers securely through a single sign-on with their private credentials. Furthermore, you will have the ability to oversee server activities, access detailed logs, and view screen recordings to ensure accountability and transparency in operations. This approach not only enhances security but also optimizes your server management process.

Empower IT teams to adopt a more proactive and agile approach with VMware Cloud Foundation Operations, previously known as VMware Aria Operations, which serves as a self-driving IT Operations Management solution tailored for private, hybrid, and multi-cloud settings, leveraging AI and predictive analytics. Streamline and automate your operations management tasks through VMware Cloud Foundation Operations, ensuring comprehensive visibility across physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructures—including Virtual Machines (VMs) and containers—as well as the applications they underpin. This platform facilitates ongoing performance enhancement, intelligent remediation that is aware of application contexts, and integrated compliance, making it a robust tool for modern IT environments. Available both on-premises and as a service, it is trusted by organizations for managing their most critical applications, having been recognized as a market leader by IDC for four consecutive years. VMware Cloud Foundation Operations can be utilized either on-site or in the cloud, and it can be consumed as a standalone product or as part of the Aria Suite, providing flexibility to meet diverse operational needs. This adaptability makes it an essential asset for any organization aiming to optimize their IT operations effectively.

Manage the efficiency and performance of your cloud operations seamlessly. With NetApp Cloud, you gain comprehensive insight into your applications and infrastructure. Utilizing Cloud Insights, you can effectively monitor, troubleshoot, and enhance all resources across your entire tech stack, whether hosted on-premises or in the cloud. Safeguard your most crucial asset—data—from ransomware attacks by leveraging early detection systems and automated threat responses. You can also receive alerts about potential misuse or theft of vital intellectual property by malicious actors, both from within and outside your organization. Maintain corporate compliance through audits of access and usage patterns related to your essential data, whether it resides on-premises or in the cloud. Achieve full-stack visibility over your infrastructure and applications from a multitude of collectors, providing a centralized overview. You won’t have to rush to discover new monitoring solutions each time a novel platform is integrated into your organization, allowing you to focus on innovation and growth instead. This streamlined approach ensures that you can respond promptly to any challenges that may arise.

The SQL Toolbelt by Redgate is the go-to suite of tools for developing and deploying SQL Server applications. This comprehensive package includes 13 essential products that enhance SQL Server development, backup processes, and monitoring capabilities. By utilizing these tools, you can significantly boost productivity, foster team agility, and ensure your data remains secure. Each day, countless SQL Server professionals depend on the SQL Toolbelt due to its dependable performance, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration with existing application development tools. With SQL Compare Pro, you can investigate the modifications made by your teammates, while SQL Source Control helps in sharing these changes across your team. Additionally, the SQL Toolbelt provides a complete record of alterations, detailing who made each change, when, and for what reason. Moreover, you can assess how your deployments affect the performance of your SQL Server through various deployment tools included in the SQL Toolbelt. Changes made during releases with SQL Compare or SQL Change Automation will be highlighted in SQL Monitor alongside critical performance indicators, ensuring that you stay informed about your database's health. Ultimately, these tools empower teams to maintain a high level of efficiency while managing their SQL Server environments effectively.