Are you facing freelance challenges with finding work and managing clients to get paid on time? Then, I have what you need: the 10 must-have apps for freelancers.
Thankfully, there is now a plethora of tools for freelancers available to help you streamline your workflow and run your freelance business more efficiently.
In this article, I explore the top 10 must-have apps that freelancers need in their toolkit to work smarter, stay organized, and grow their freelance careers.
The 10 Must-Have Apps For Freelancers
Whether you’re a writer, designer, developer, or consultant, these apps will help you manage your freelance projects seamlessly and productively.
App 1: Freelance Planning App
As a freelancer, you must carefully plan and schedule your time to complete client work and run your business. For this reason, I recommend Planzer.io for organizing your daily schedule.
Planzer.io is made for individuals, and I use it every single day. The app lets you add tasks to your calendar, set reminders, track billable and non-billable hours, manage deadlines, and automate invoicing.
With an intuitive interface and robust feature set tailored to freelancers, Planzer.io ensures you stay on top of your workload and get paid on time. Some key features are:
- Task Management: Planzer.io offers a user-friendly interface to create and organize tasks. You can list your to-dos, set deadlines, and assign tasks to team members if you’re working in a collaborative environment.
- Deadlines and Reminders: The platform merges with your calendar and notification system, which helps you stay on top of your deadlines and ensures you never miss an important task.
- Time Tracking: You can track your time on each task or project, which can be valuable for understanding where your time is going and improving productivity.
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App 2: Project Management App
One thing I’ve learned is that juggling multiple projects requires a foolproof system to stay organized, especially when it comes to time management.
The app for freelance work helps you collaborate with clients, assign tasks, track progress, and meet deadlines.
For a robust platform, ClickUp is an excellent choice. It offers valuable features like task lists, reminders, time tracking, file sharing, calendars, Gantt charts, and more. You can create projects, break them into tasks, set dependencies, and assign due dates.
With different permission levels, ClickUp makes it easy to collaborate with clients, too. Still, If you prefer a more straightforward, free setup, Trello is another excellent organizational tool to use in your precious time.
You can create cards for tasks and move them across lists to match project stages. With its intuitive kanban-style boards, Trello gives you an at-a-glance view of all your projects.
App 3: Billing App
Another crucial part of running your freelance business is Invoicing clients and tracking payments. You need a dedicated billing app to eliminate the headache of creating, sending, and organizing invoices.
Still, it does depend on your country. In Denmark, where I’m from, Dinero is a powerful tool. The billing app offers invoicing, expense tracking, billable hours, accounting overviews, and more. It integrates with your bank for easy payments.
But if you’re looking more worldwide, HoneyBook is a better option. It is a versatile freelance-focused billing platform. You can create professional invoices, accept online payments, track project finances, manage client communication, and run financial reports.
HoneyBook also offers contract templates, email automation, and website integration. Ideally, look for a local billing app that handles VAT taxes and complies with regulations in your country.
Alternatively, you can look at The 8 Best Accounting Software For Freelancers, which is highly recommended for keeping track of your accounts.
App 4: Communication App
Clear communication is vital when working with remote clients. Slack has become hugely popular for team collaboration and client conversations. You can also use it for daily tasks.
You can create different channels to organize projects, have group discussions, and share files and feedback in real-time. With Slack Connect, you can communicate securely with potential clients in Slack without sharing email addresses.
Furthermore, I recommend using a Gmail account paired with Google Business to operate your freelance email professionally using your domain name. At the same time, you can use Google Docs for writing in one place.
App 5: Client Portal App
Another crucial thing when it comes to freelancing is that you want your clients to be able to access relevant files, data, and communication, which can make collaboration smoother.
Client portal apps create a centralized workspace for each project. Here, I recommend two popular must-have apps for freelancers:
Zoho
Zoho offers a free client portal with 5GB storage, file sharing, task lists, calendars, and more. The Cloud-based software provides a lot of tools for businesses and individuals, as seen here:
- Diverse Suite of Applications: Zoho offers a comprehensive suite of apps covering a wide range of business needs, including CRM (Customer Relationship Management), project management, accounting, email, office productivity, marketing, and more. This extensive suite allows you to manage many aspects of your business within a single ecosystem.
- User-Friendly Interface: Zoho’s apps are known for their user-friendly interfaces—the application is very intuitive and easy to navigate, which reduces the learning curve for new users.
- Cloud-Based Accessibility: Zoho apps are cloud-based, meaning users can access them anywhere with an internet connection.
- Affordability: Many applications offer free plans or affordable pricing, making them accessible to small businesses and individuals. The tiered pricing structure also allows users to choose the features that best suit their needs and budget.
- Integration Capabilities: Zoho apps can be integrated, as well as with other popular third-party applications. This flexibility allows users to create customized workflows and enhance productivity.
- Mobile Accessibility: Zoho provides mobile apps for various platforms, allowing you to stay connected and manage your business on the go.
- Automation: Zoho apps often incorporate automation features, which can streamline repetitive tasks and boost efficiency. For example, Zoho CRM offers workflow automation and AI-powered sales insights.
On the other hand, you have the Moxo app.
Moxo App
Moxo is a more fully-featured client portal starting at $15/month with unlimited users, configurable roles, activity logs, project timelines, and integrated invoicing. Here are some of the main features:
- Video calling and messaging app for secure communication
- End-to-end encryption for privacy and security
- Allows creating private groups with up to 10 people
- Syncs across devices so conversations stay up-to-date
- Media sharing features for photos, videos, audio, documents
- Fun effects and filters for video calls
- Customizable avatars and user profiles
- Free to download and use with no ads or subscriptions
- Available on both iOS and Android platforms
- Simple and intuitive interface for easy usage
- Backed by solid security and privacy commitments
App 6: Cloud Storage App
As every freelancer needs a portal app, you need secure, reliable cloud storage for client files, deliverables, contracts, and invoices. Google Drive remains the most widely used option, with 15GB of free storage. You can upgrade for more space and easily share files with editing permissions.
App 7: Freelance Job Sites
While you may get clients by word-of-mouth.
Another great way to find clients is job sites that help you discover new freelance opportunities. Upwork is the largest global freelance platform with jobs across hundreds of categories.
You can build your profile, bid on projects, communicate securely, and get paid. Also, check out my article How to Get My First Client on a Freelance Job Portal.
App 8: Internal Organization
As important as it is to find work, running your freelance operation requires staying on top of deadlines, finances, content ideas, workflows, and more. Notion helps organize every aspect of your business in one tool.
It functions like a customizable database where you can create pages, lists, calendars, kanban boards, and wiki-style docs. Integrations like Google Drive and Trello make Notion a central command station for your freelance job.
App 9: Time Tracking
Tracking billable freelance hours is vital yet time-consuming. If your billing app doesn’t include time tracking, I recommend you use a dedicated tool like Clockify.
Just switch it on when you start work and off when you finish. If you are unsure how to work out your hourly rate, please read my How to Set my Hourly Rate as a Freelancer.
Clockify has valuable features:
- Personalization – The app provides customized recommendations and content tailored to freelancers based on their interests and browsing history, creating a more engaging experience.
- Simplicity – Clockify has a very intuitive and easy-to-use interface. Users can quickly browse and discover new content.
- Discovery – The app makes it easy to discover new websites, articles, videos, etc., based on their tastes. The recommendation engine suggests new things the user will likely enjoy.
- Sharing – Users can easily share content with friends through the app. This social aspect helps good content spread.
App 10: Proposal Software
Crafting project proposals for prospective clients can be tedious. To streamline the process, use proposal software like Prospero to create, customize, and e-sign bids in minutes.
You can build client profiles, import existing templates, customize questions, add media, and enable electronic signatures for fast turnaround.
Prospero makes it simple to respond quickly to opportunity leads with polished proposals.
What’s Important When Choosing An App For Your Freelance Work?
With so many apps aimed at freelancers now, it can get overwhelming to identify what’s suitable for your needs. Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating apps for your freelance toolkit:
- Key features – Carefully assess what core features you need for planning, billing, productivity, etc., and choose apps that offer those functions. Prioritize must-haves over nice-to-haves.
- Reliability – As a freelancer, you rely heavily on apps to operate your business, so they must be stable and secure. Check reviews and uptime records before committing.
- Ease of use – An app with a steep learning curve can hamper instead of help your productivity. Look for simple, intuitive interfaces that don’t require extensive training.
- Customer support – Issues will likely crop up occasionally, so check that the app offers multiple support channels like email, live chat, or phone.
- Integration – The ability to sync different apps can streamline your workflows. Evaluate which apps integrate with tools you already use.
- Cost – Freelancer budgets are tight, so opt for free or low-cost plans initially. But don’t compromise on core features to save money, either.
- Scalability – As your freelance business grows, you may need to upgrade, so see if the app offers higher-tier plans.
- Data security – Your client data and files need ironclad security. Carefully check how the app handles encryption, access controls, and permissions.
- Backups – Apps can unexpectedly crash, so see if your data is regularly backed up and easily restorable. Don’t risk losing all your freelance info.
- Time Tracking – The ability to accurately track time spent on client projects is essential for freelancers. Look for an app with easy time logging features, automatic time capture, and reporting. It will help you bill clients accurately and keep projects on budget.
- Invoicing – You’ll want an app that lets you quickly generate professional invoices, accept online payments, and manage billing and income. Automatic invoice generation and tracking overdue payments are valuable features.
- Project Management – Apps that provide an overview of your different projects, deadlines, and tasks in one place can help you stay organized. Other handy features include collaboration tools, file sharing, and customizable workflows.
- Expense Tracking – The best apps allow you to log business expenses like travel, software, supplies, etc., and link expenses to specific projects or clients. Good categorization and reporting make tax time easier.
- Portfolio – Having an online portfolio to showcase your work is crucial for freelancers. Choose an app that lets you create a professional-looking portfolio with examples of your services, experience, client testimonials, etc.
Wrap-Up
Juggling the demands of freelancing is challenging enough without tangled workflows slowing you down. The right apps can empower you to run your freelance business efficiently and expand your clientele.
The ten apps I’ve covered here are among the top-rated platforms freelancers rely on daily to manage their operations, collaborate seamlessly, stay productive, and get paid.
So, give these must-have freelance apps a try and see if they can help you work smarter, stay organized, and be more profitable.
The right digital toolkit can make all the difference in streamlining your freelance business.
