This Arlington-based company helps businesses find software

When it comes to finding the right software, Claire Alexander takes pride in being ridiculously helpful.

“There are people who are using technology to make the world a better place, and we are about championing software and the people who display it to make the world a better place,” Alexander, the CEO of Arlington, Va.-based Capterra, told Technical.ly DC. “Equifax breaches and meddling in elections, all the bad news around computers and software. We are the counterweight to that.”

The company’s free web platform offers reviews of software, allowing for comparison of products across more than 500 categories.

Picking the right software is a critical decision for a growing business, and there are often a variety of options. If you’re a restauranteur, for instance, what is the best point of sale software for your budget? Or you simply could be interested in upgrading your systems to become more effective.

Alexander, 41, was hired as CEO in July, taking over for CEO Michael Ortner, who founded the company in 1999. Incidentally, the company makes most of its money from vendors who pay for clicks to their respective sites. Its directory of over 30,000 vendors ranges across more than 500 categories.

“Software makes the world a better place,” Alexander said. “Like anything, it can make things more frustrating by creating new problems, but when it works, it allows you to do so much more than if you operated without it.”