Before you pay for software
Paying for your tools: one-off costs versus subscriptions
A sole trader’s tools fall into two piles: things bought once, like a laptop or a site build, and charges that renew every month. In Poland a short loan from a lender such as Wandoo Biznes can carry a one-off purchase until a client pays, while a subscription paid with borrowed money simply returns next month with a repayment attached.
Guides readers come back to
The questions that bring the most people to this site.
Browse by section
Small business tools
6 guides, 2019–2026
Web, security and privacy
6 guides, 2019–2021
Windows and gaming
6 guides, 2019–2020
Android
2 guides, 2019
About Tab Stop
Tab Stop answers the kind of question that turns up halfway through a working day or a weekend of tinkering. How do you turn a Word file into a PDF? Will Windows 10 recognize an old PS3 controller? What does a pricier SSL certificate get you over a cheap one? Is a free security app worth the permissions it asks for on your phone? Each guide names the options that existed on its date, says what each one suits, and flags the catch before you run into it.
The guides sit in four sections. Small business tools covers website builders, online store platforms, project planning software and marketing a small rental business. Web, security and privacy deals with certificates, VPNs, email accounts, throwaway addresses and places to host video. Windows and gaming takes on controllers, emulators, video editing, Steam logins and the old question of iMessage on a PC. Android looks at phone security apps and at resharing other people’s posts with credit.
Prices, free tiers and whole products change quickly in this field, so read every guide with its date in mind. Every guide on the site is listed in the archive.