one of the best ways for freelancers to manage their time is by utilizing complimentary and paid digital applications to help them run their service a lot more smoothly. There are tons of different options out there, so it can be hard to separate the best apps for freelancers from the bad ones.
I’ve been freelancing full-time for nearly a year now, but have been freelancing as a side hustle for a lot longer than that. Without some of these helpful apps for freelancers, my service genuinely wouldn’t be what it is today.
Whether you’re just starting in your service or you’ve been doing it for a while now, be sure to look closely through this list of apps — which will help your service run a lot more smoothly and efficiently.
Here are the best 25 apps for freelancers this year.
Table of Contents
Best Time management and productivity apps For Freelancers
best health Apps
Best Invoicing Apps
Best communication Apps
Best organization Apps
Conclusion
Best Time management and productivity apps For Freelancers
First up on this list are some of the best apps for freelancers who want to manage their time and productivity. These are some of the most crucial apps that I currently use or have tried in my business. If you only try one section of apps on this post, make it these!
1. Clockify
Clockify is a time tracking tool that is best whether you charge hourly or not. I’ve used it for quite a few hourly projects, but I still find myself tracking time just for myself considering that switching to project-based pricing.
This is essential so that you can see if you’re charging the ideal price for your work.
If something is taking you way longer than you initially thought it would, it might be time to raise your rates. There is both a paid and complimentary version of Clockify, but as a freelancer, the complimentary version is all you’ll need to track time.
2. ClickUp
Next up: ClickUp. If you are someone who struggles with staying on top of all your projects, then this is the app for you.
You can create separate workspaces for each part of your service or keep them all together. I’ve found that having a different calendar for each of my clients seems to work best for my own productivity.
What makes ClickUp better than other productivity and project management apps out there is that you can get way a lot more out of the complimentary version than other apps. You’ll a lot of likely never need the paid version unless you start growing your team and need to add a lot more users.
3. Todoist
Todoist is a a lot more straightforward productivity app that lots of freelancers use and heavily rely on. It works a lot like the reminders or note-taking app on your phone, so it’s a lot much easier to use if you don’t have time to learn a new app.
Todoist was released back in 2007 but has consistently remained a much-loved for task management. There’s no better way to improve your productivity as a freelancer than by ensuring everything you have to do for the day is clearly defined and written out somewhere.
4. Asana
Asana is one of the most popular productivity tools among freelancers, which is why it should have a spot on this list of best apps for freelancers.
It’s straightforward to use, and you can add some users or guests for free, which can be great if you need to communicate with clients or team members.
They are always updating the app, with new features rolling out nearly every other month. The complimentary version is best for freelancers. If you’re a social media manager, Asana is a great tool to help you plan out content months in development for your clients.
5. Toggl
Toggl, while it’s Clockify’s greatest rival, is still worth mentioning on this list. They essentially do the same thing: track your time.
You can add projects and client names, and at the end of the week, you can check the charts to see just how much time you spent on each project. This is great for you to reassess and examine where your time is being spent.
If you’re trying to find a time tracking app, I suggest spending one week on Toggl and one week on Clockify to see which interface you a lot of prefer! once again, the complimentary version is all you need as a freelancer.
☞ SEE ALSO: 20 best Time management ideas and tools For Freelancers
best health Apps
As a freelancer, health is exceptionally important. You no longer have a commute to work where you can get in some extra steps, and you’ll a lot of likely be working from home, which can be challenging with the fridge nearby…
Here are some of the top apps for freelancers that will help you stay healthy while working from home.
1. Nike training Club
If you hate coming up with your own workout routines and would rather someone just tell you precisely what to do, then you’ll have to check out Nike training Club.
I’ve been using this app for nearly ten years now, and it’s filled with tons of different trainings.
The complimentary version is all you’ll need to workout from home. What’s so great about it is that there are some workouts where all you need is yourself — no equipment necessary. Although, there is an option for exercises with weights and other equipment as well.
2. Peloton
Freelancers can easily make use of Peloton’s workout app if they have a bike at home. I’ve recently started using it and have to say that it’s pretty incredible.
Not only does Peloton have cycle workouts, but they also have stretching, meditation, and more. Plus, if you’re a first-time user of the app, you can get two months for complimentary when you sign up. If you decide it’s a good fit, you can switch to the paid version after the trial for just $12.99.
3. yoga For Beginners
Yoga is the best way to start the day. As a freelancer, I know how stressful some days can be, especially if you end up with a client that is tough to work with. yoga can help relieve that stress!
Yoga for beginners is one of the top-rated apps for at-home yoga. Every single workout is free, so you won’t be forced to start paying or anything.
You can also integrate it with Apple health if you have an iphone or use an Apple Watch. This way, you can keep all your health-related information in one spot.
4. WHOOP
Forget Fitbit – WHOOP is the new kid on the block. This fitness and health tracking band will tell you way a lot more about your physiological state than other bands on the market will.
Plus, there are a large variety of straps that you can switch out to match whatever mood you’re in that day.
There is a monthly membership fee of $30, but you get sent the band for complimentary with the membership price. This brand is also getting popularity among professional athletes, so you know it’s something worth investing in.
As a freelancer, I love being able to check in on how my body is doing, and WHOOP allows me to do so.
5. My fitness Pal
While you’ve probably heard of My fitness Pal, you may not have realized how helpful it can be to freelancers. considering that freelancers are always working remotely, it can be challenging to stay healthy and stay on top of the foods and ingredients we are consuming.
That’s why My fitness friend is so helpful. You can connect it to other apps you may use, like the health app on the iphone or even Fitbit. It’ll also help you track the food you’re eating during the day, so you can stick to your preferred diet/lifestyle plan.
☞ SEE ALSO: How To stay healthy While working From Home
Best Invoicing Apps
As a freelancer, it’s exceptionally pertinent to stay on top of invoicing. You need to be able to track if payment has been made, if it’s late, or if it’s overdue. You also need a reliable platform to send invoices on in the first place.
Here are some of the top freelance apps for invoicing.
1. HoneyBook
HoneyBook is highly rated and is one of the best apps for freelance jobs. Unlike Dubsado (below), it has a phone application, so you can stay on top of all of your communication with clients instead of having to check a web site every day.
HoneyBook allows you to set up recurring invoices for clients that may have you on retainer, and you can customize how much each payment is and when it’s due.
Plus, it will automatically send reminders to your clients on your behalf, so you don’t have to track payments as closely as you might have to with other invoicing software.
HoneyBook is what I use in my own business. They currently have a deal where you only have to pay $1 a month for your first eight months with them! Otherwise, it’s $40 per month.
2. PayPal
This list of best apps for freelancers wouldn’t be complete without including good ol’ PayPal. because PayPal is so trusted by consumers worldwide (especially because it’s used on Shopify websites), clients already know how to use it, and they depend on it.
PayPal allows you to set up and send invoices to clients, but it does take a small percentage of each invoice.
While I use HoneyBook for my social media management and graphic design services, I actually use PayPal for all my freelance writing gigs. It’s simple, easy to use, and you can send an invoice in minutes.
3. Wave
Wave is a top-rated invoicing app among freelancers, especially those who like to track everything closely. It sends invoices and is a financial accounting software, so if you want to stay on top of your numbers, this is the best app for you.
Many freelancers love Wave because it also integrates effortlessly with other apps. You can connect it with Square, Stripe, Shopify, QuickBooks, HubSpot, MailChimp, Calendly, Acuity… pretty much all the apps that freelancers use frequently.
Wave has multiple payment plan options, ranging from complimentary to a monthly fee. depending on what you plan on using within Wave, you might get away with just using the complimentary version!
4. QuickBooks
QuickBooks genuinely one of the best apps for freelancers, but did you know that it also has invoicing? You can send invoices directly to your customers through it, which can be a lifesaver if you’re already paying the QuickBooks fee.
It’s uncomplicated to send one and is a bit similar to PayPal in that way.
What’s so great about QuickBooks is you can also see your invoice’s status at any time. This indicates you can track whether an invoice has been viewed, unopen, is paid, or overdue.
5. Dubsado
Last but not least is a prevalent invoicing software among designers of all types: Dubsado. I’ve used Dubsado myself and have considered switching over, but it can be very time-consuming to set up.
Unlike other invoicing software, you can make your invoices customized to your brand within Dubsado, which is why designers love it so much.
Similar to HoneyBook, Dubsado is also an all-in-one client management system. You can track your upcoming consultation calls, your financials, proposals, and client emails all in one place.
If you want to give Dubsado a try, first-time users can use it for complimentary for their first three clients. After that, you’ll get switched to a $35 per month fee.
Best communication Apps
One of the essential parts of having a freelance service is staying on top of client communications. Every freelancer has their own opinion on how to best keep in touch with clients, but these are some of the best apps out there for client communication.
1. Voxer
First up: Voxer. This app isn’t well known but has recently started to make a comeback in the online service community, making it one of the best apps for freelance jobs.
While the company opened in 2007, I hadn’t even heard of Voxer until last year.
Think of it as kind of like a walkie talkie. You can send voice messages and type messages out, making it easy to stay on top of client communication.
Many freelancers use Voxer to host office hours with their clients because it’s easy to respond with a voice message.
Plus, Voxer is free! This is the best app for freelance work if you want quick communication.
2. Gmail
Gmail is a classic communication app that shouldn’t be overlooked. clients are always sending emails, often even multiple within a day to you, and you’ll need to make sure that you have some sort of mail app to stay on top of it all.
The Gmail app is free. The only reason you’d have to pay is if you want a lot more storage or need to use your domain’s email address, making you look a lot a lot more professional to your clients.
3. Slack
Slack has swiftly become one of the most popular communication apps because it’s practically instant messaging. It’s better than texting though because you don’t have to give your client your phone number.
Within Slack, you can have private messages with your clients and have group messages if you’re working with a larger group.
This can also be helpful if you’ve started growing your team, and you need to have one space where all communication lives.
Slack has different pricing tiers, but if you don’t have a large team and aren’t consistently working with a high number of clients each month, you can get away with just using the complimentary version.
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