It doesn’t matter if you are freelancing full-time, or looking to earn some money on the side. As an ambitious freelancer, we assume that you want to keep your self-employed business organized and successful. What are some apps for freelancers to keep their focus on their job while maintaining a smart and sustainable workflow and customer acquisition, retention, or succession? Here, we have curated all of the best apps for freelancers.The world of freelancing is evolving rapidly, so you have to keep up with new improvements all the time. And you are always hunting for the best freelancing apps. You may know some of them or may have even used some of these apps for your projects.
Organization, productivity, and efficiency apps for freelancers
As freelancers, we need a platform to organize our projects and digital accounts. This helps us increase our productivity and manage our business seamlessly. If you could also use such platforms, look no further. Todoist, LastPass, SaneBox, Calendly, Boomerang, and Zapier are at the top of our list as the best freelance platforms for organization and productivity.
Todoist
As their motto suggests, Todoist is one of the best freelancing websites that help you ‘organize it all’.With Todoist, you can:
- organize your tasks
- share them with your contacts
- track the progress of your projects
- personalize list items
Todoist is one of the top freelance websites for beginners because of its user-friendly interface. The platform offers three packages, each at the service of freelancers andbusinesses with different needs. The starters package is free of charge while the pro package costs $3/month, and the package for larger teams costs $5/month.
LastPass
Our lives have been filled with one password on top of the other with each passing day. If you are one of those people who think that having this many passwords is overwhelming, then LastPass is here to help.One password for all the other passwords! LastPass is a premium manager of passwords that saves your passwords online. In LastPass your secure notes and passwords are protected by a master password.In addition to a free plan and a 30-day trial of the Premium package, LastPass offers:
- Premium plans at $3/month for individuals
- $4/month for families
- $6/month per user for businesses
SaneBox
SaneBox aims to keep your email box sane by analyzing your past emails and figuring out what is important to you. Later, it organizes your inbox and distinguishes between important mails and distractions. SaneBox is recommended for fellow freelancers whose inbox is ‘just a little’ messy.The three plans for SaneBox are Snack, Lunch, and Dinner, each with three sub-plans of payment. The most budget-friendly SaneBox plans start from $7/month.
Calendly
Hate wasting time finding meeting times that work for both parties? Calendly makes it easy to cut to the chase – just send recipients your unique scheduling link, which presents multiple meeting options based on your calendar availability. Calendly is the best calendar app for freelancers who want to stop wasting time finding meeting times that work for both parties – and it’s free. There’s no software to install and no complicated settings or configurations. Plus, the simple interface lets you schedule meetings in seconds. Just pick the date and time that work best for you and send your link to the people you need to have a meeting.
Boomerang
Boomerang app for Gmail and Outlook lets you take control of when you send and receive email messages; no more forgotten emails, unanswered quote requests, or follow-ups!This app has been used by our freelancers for two main purposes: As a scheduling software to automatically send reminders and follow-up emails to their clients in a set number of days, and to keep their inboxes clean and 100% responded.It’s free to use and believe us when we say that you as a freelancer will have a lot of room in your head with a cleaner inbox.
Zapier
Connect the apps you use every day to automate your work and be more productive. With 1500 apps and easy integrations, you can get started in minutes. That’s Zapier‘s value proposition: Much like its predecessor IFTTT, Zapier lets you choose triggers and actions: “Do this in this app if this kind of situation arises in this app.”Don’t underestimate this kind of power under the right hands that know what to do with this program. Many freelancers use Zapier as a quick solution across their platforms. Got a revision ticket from Zendesk? Post it in Trello and send an email through your Gmail, count the number of revisions, and put it as a note in Hubspot.This and many other ways to automate and integrate your freelancer tools and apps to remove the menial workload you might have, master workflow optimization, create more fast-paced communication with your customers, and keep track of what you are doing in general.Zapier’s free version lets you create two-stepped Zaps and a limit of 1.000 tasks a month. This is pretty generous for a freelancer when compared to what you can actually achieve in the free plan.
Project management apps for freelancers
There are other platforms that you can use while managing your projects. As project management tools for freelancers Trello and ClickUp can easily be placed on top of every freelancer’s list.
ClickUp
Fans of the Lord of the Rings series are not the only ones who will appreciate the slogan of ClickUp–“one app to replace them all”. The platform is also one of the most useful and free tools for freelancers. Whether you are working on marketing plans, creativeprojects, business reports, or strategies, ClickUp enables you to create rich-text documents.Last but not least, with ClickUp it is possible to collaborate on a document and edit it with your colleagues in real time.Depending on the number of tasks you are working on, the teams you are working with, the automation you need and many other qualities, ClickUp has five different packages. The simple package is entirelyfree, and the prices of other packages range between $5 to $19/month.
Trello
Don’t let the Kanban style of Trello discourage you, it is easier to use than you think! With Trello, you can create task boards and move your tasks between multiple custom-created columns. Tasks at Trello can be grouped under the default columns of To Do, In Progress, and Done. As one of the best project management tools for freelancers, Trello can come to your help for different purposes. Trello is handy for freelancers who wish to see all of their gigs organized neatly under categories.We are sure that one of the four packages of Trello will fit you just right. In addition to the free package which doesn't cost anything, the platform has three other packages:
- Standard package for $5/month per user,
- Premium package for $10/month
- Enterprise package for $17.50/month.
Cloud storage apps for freelancers
Are you tired of constantly being alerted of your storage filling up? You may want to start using one of the cloud storagetools such as Dropbox or SpinBackup. After all, no professional can say no to a bit of extra cloud space.
Dropbox
Dropbox was around when almost none of the cloud storage systems were present yet. One of the things this platform helps you with is storing and sharing your files and tracking file updates, but that is not all Dropbox can do. It also allows you to manage your tasks together with other people.Are you a freelancer looking for a smooth-working platform that can handle all of these operations with no hitch? Then you will see that Dropbox is made for you. Dropbox has five plans (two for personal use and three for business use) with prices between $9.99 and $20/month. The business plans also offer a free trial for users who wish to give them a try first and decide to buy later.
SpinBackup
When it comes to the cloud storage universe, SpinBackup holds a firm place alongside Dropbox. SpinBackup guards your SaaS data against damages and losses, and it has a cloud-to-cloud backup system with data recovery and migration solutions.We advise freelancers with a lot to store and not enough space to try SpinBackup for their business-related and personal data. You can benefit from this service without spending too much extra money. With different options such as SpinOne, SpinSecurity, and SpinBackup, the platform is easily viable for your specific needs, and budget-friendly. The cheapest subscription packages start at $3/month, and more comprehensive packages go up to $9/month.
Communication apps for freelancers
For freelancers, good and open communication with their clients is a must. Here, we presented two top communicationtools for freelancers that we feel all solo talents should know about.
Loom
Loom may seem unconventional for some freelancers who are used to texting and sending emails for professional purposes. But let’s warn you upfront, trying Loom and seeing how practical it is may turn you into a true Loom fan. The platform enables its users to send instantvideos to their colleagues, teams and clients. Loom is ideal for freelancers who think sending avideo is just better than texting or writing an email.Loom’s starter pack may be an ideal starting point for freelancers, and it’s completely free. Loom offers the same services for larger businesses, including various extra advantages for as little as $8/month and a free 14-day trial.
Slack
As a group messaging platform where users can shape separate workspaces and channels for different clients and teams, Slack is a convenient means for effective communication. For efficient and high speed communication with your colleagues and clients, Slack will meet your expectations as a platform for freelancers. The monthly fee for a Pro package is $6.67 and for a Business+ package, it is $12.50.
Kosy
Kosy is one of the best apps for freelancers looking for a non-traditional remote communication tool. With its spatial audio and video features, it allows you to collaborate with multiple people in similar ways to being in an actual office. What makes Kosy one of the best remote work tools is the customization options that enable users to organize and structure communications, including task boards, turn-taking during meetings, whiteboard, and different activity templates for brainstorming and remote collaboration.
Twist
Twist is a communication and collaboration tool tailored for asynchronous work. It aims to replace group chats, emails, and even meetings. How do they do it? Twist offers organized, topic-based threads and structured channels to neatly keep track of multiple issues and conversations at the same time.
Collaboration and online presentation apps for freelancers
Over the last couple of years, collaborative whiteboards and online presentationtools have become one of the founding blocks of the virtualbusiness environment and freelance community. Miro, InVision, and Rock are some of our favorite visual collaboration platforms for freelancers. Here is why:
Miro
Professionals who are in need of a virtual whiteboard with collaboration features must give Miro a chance. With more than 50 templates, chatting, commenting and screen-sharing options Miro is one of the most convenient presentation tools for freelancers. Miro costs $8/month for smaller teams and $16/month for larger enterprises.Ruulers who join the Miro Professional Network get access to:
- Free Consultant Plan for 1 year
- Unlimited free licenses to invite their clients to the Miro team
- Dedicated training materials and/or sessions
- Priority access to community events
- Discounts from Miro’s partners
InVision
With its various design features, templates and collaborative boards, InVision is headed towards being the next big hit among visual whiteboard platforms. InVision will surely be a convenient option for freelancers. Different templates and boards for various purposes and tweakable user access options make it perfectly versatile.Another thing that catches our attention as we look deeper into the advantages of the platform is its affordability. Other than its free trial, InVision Pro plan costs only $7.95/month per user.
Rock
Rock is an all-in-one collaboration tool where you can communicate, manage your projects, and integrate your favorite apps to keep your work organized and move things forward. What makes Rock great for freelance project management and collaboration is the ability to create different spaces for 1:1 communication, group conversations or projects. You can also add anyone to any of the spaces and manage access to files, tasks, and notes as you need.
Online event management and meeting apps for freelancers
Undoubtedly event management platforms occupy a special place within the general genre of freelancing websites. The reason is apparent: the freelancing community needs to organize events and participate in them. Keep reading to find out about the two top-shelf event management platforms below.
Airmeet
With a particular focus on hosting both small meetings and large summits, Airmeet is all about setting online events, hosting onboard speakers, dealing with registrations, and engaging with participants. For freelancers who are into a more interactive, life-like, and productive remote meeting experience with participants, Airmeet is a good choice.Two main categories in Airmeet are social webinars and events. While both categories have their unique pricing lists, the prices for extensive use are around $99/month with up to 100 registrations.Airmeet is currently a partner of Ruul and offers a 20% discount over all plans to Ruulers!
Join.Me
Join.Me contains tools through which users can change the URL links of meetings to their liking. Users are also able to choose whatever background they want for the display shown during virtual meetings.Freelancers who are seeking ease of integration with other worktools like Office 365 and Google Calendar will particularly find Join.Me useful. Join.Me offers its services for between $14 to $19/month with extra perks for additional costs and a 14-day free trial.
Writing tools and apps for freelancers
If you have tasks such as drafting projects, copywriting, editing, or proofreading, then writing tools like Grammarly, Copy.ai, and TextExpander are likely to take more work.
Grammarly
Grammarly does many things: it highlights grammar and spelling mistakes, it informs you when you have an extra word that shouldn’t be in that sentence or when you miss an article. As an assistant for writing, Grammarly is a great tool for freelancers who want to write faster and more accurately.The package options include:
- basic free package
- premium package for $12/month
- business package for $12.50/month
Copy.ai
Unlike some other writingtools, Copy.ai does not only focus on the linguistic aspect of what you write. It also aims to provide solutions in case you run out of words and sentences. This AI-based writing tool will especially be handy for freelancers who have lots of writing tasks to finish and feel like they are running out of ideas.The free plan doesn’t cost anything, and the Pro plan designed for small businesses and teams is $35/month.
TextExpander
As the name suggests, TextExpander is an app that allows users to save text that can later be expanded or recaptured. This app is perfect for freelancers who don’t want to spend too much time writing similar texts. You can automatize their repetitive tasks and master time management with the snippets feature.The pricing on this platform depends on what kind of user you are. For individuals, the TextExpander services start from $3.33/month, and for teams, the prices range between $8.33 and $10.83/month.
Marketing & business development apps for freelancers
A good base of clients paves the path to being a high-end freelancer. Combined with active social media profiles and networking on such platforms, using the best apps for freelance marketing and business development will increase the quality and quantity of your clientele.
Hunter
Freelancers that have a constantly growing client base may realize that as their portfolio grows, keeping track of all the email addresses becomes a rather laborious task. Complaining about this issue may not change anything–but using Hunter may.Choose the one that suits your needs the best among the five plans, starting from $49/month, and you’ll never have to worry about losing track of a potential client ever again. If the starter pack doesn’t cut it, then you can move on to a higher pack for $99 or $199/month.
HubSpot
HubSpot offers a full stack of software for marketing, sales, and customer service, with a completely free CRM tool at its core.Basically, this tool helps freelancers organize their prospects and client base. You can then act on it either with its ad management, automation, or funnel management features.Freelancers usually excel at what they do, but not very much so in client management and lead generation. This is where a CRM tool like HubSpot comes into the picture. It’s free, and it’s one of the best SaaS for sales & marketing.HubSpot shines its awesome light on customer relations management upon the freelancers who utilize free functions offered by this tool, be it with constant contact and detailing the insight they’ve gathered such as:
- whom they have talked with as stakeholders or decision-makers,
- when they are going to need the services or
- when their annual budget is getting set
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a marketing automation tool and an email marketing service program: And probably you’ve heard it up until now, right?If not, let’s cut it short. Sending emails manually is all good and well. But you need to let some automated tools take over your duties if you want to achieve that upper 5-figure annual income as a freelancer.With Mailchimp, you can send customized and segment-related email campaigns. In no time, you will see it reflected in your new customer acquisition and retention rates. Mailchimp offers its services for free up to 1.000 contacts. After that, it’s at what we call a “reasonable” price range.
Zendesk
Zendesk is a suite of support apps that helps transform your customer service into agents for customer retention and lead source. Well, you may be on your own and may not have so many customers to give support to. That doesn’t matter.Freelancers that are using Ruul reported that using Zendesk as a means of bug-tracking and revision tool and knowing the platform ourselves pretty well– that’s a genius move! This way, you can actually direct customer feedback and revisions on applicable projects to ticket forms, asking users to give sufficient information for you to process and solve.Unlike other tools, Zendesk comes with a small price. But all in all, it’s a fair price to pay for a program like this to get the revision process in a systematic funnel.
Prospero
Prospero lets you easily create beautiful proposals in half the time it would normally take with simple and polished templates and ready-made content. Prospero’s tools allow you to control typography and layout and add reusable snippets that help save time.Other useful features of Prospero include the ability to send and track all of your proposals from a single platform and get a digital signature from your clients. With a pricing of $10/month, a subscription to Prospero might be a wise investment to help you land new clients for your solo business.
Best apps for improving freelancers’ quality of life
We know that the list consists of so many items already. And surelyt takes time to digest all of these amazing tools. But hang in there a little more! Here, we have a section in which you will find platforms for anyone and everyone to improve their mental well-being and stay active while working as a freelancer.
Alo Moves
Who can say no to a yoga class or a fitness class after a long workday in front of the screen? Freelancers yearning for wholesome physical exercise will enjoy Alo Moves and its 3000+ classes available for streaming.After a 14-dayfree trial, you can begin your fitness regimen for $20/month for the first year of your membership.
Headspace
Headspace can guide you through various kinds of meditation and help you achieve stillness and calmness, and increase your self-awareness. This platform for guided meditation and mindfulness can be used in the morning before you start working on your next freelance project, or in the evening after the daily gigs are over.In Headspace, there is a 14-day free trial period, with $13/month afterward. With the annual subscription option, you can get a good deal that amounts to $5.83/month.
Finance and compliance apps for freelancers
Finally, let’s get to the core of the entire subject: finance and tax management. Considering how many of us make a living through freelance gigs, one of the most crucial parts of freelancing operations is the management of payments from clients and tackling tax filing. In a word, our platform of choice for finance and compliance solutions is Ruul!
Ruul
Ever since it was established in 2017, Ruul has provided compliant and easy invoicing solutions and payment features for freelancers. Ruul is the optimal choice for solo talents wishing to expand their business worldwide by working with clients located anywhere. With no costs of subscription and maintenance, the pricing of Ruul’s invoicing and payment collection features is measured by a commission rate based on:
- invoice amount
- payout amount
- the currencies selected
- the method of payment
Ruul is constantly expanding its set of solutions and resources to facilitate solo work. Among the upcoming features set to be launched in 2023 is the much-anticipated tax assistance solution. You can sign up for the waitlist to be the first to know when it’s ready, and get expert help in calculating and filing your taxes.
Keep following for current best apps for freelancers
We have hand-curated and provided a comprehensive list of the best apps for freelancers. As the needs of solo talents change and transform, many new tools and platforms emerge and make freelancing much more seamless. Keep an eye on this article, we will be updating and expanding it to keep it relevant and all-inclusive.
