The most effective methods for freelancers to handle their time is by using free and paid digital purposes to assist them run their enterprise extra easily. There are tons of various choices on the market, so it may be onerous to separate one of the best apps for freelancers from the unhealthy ones.
I’ve been freelancing full-time for nearly a 12 months now, however have been freelancing as a aspect hustle for lots longer than that. With out a few of these useful apps for freelancers, my enterprise really wouldn’t be what it’s immediately.
Whether or not you’re simply beginning in what you are promoting otherwise you’ve been doing it for some time now, remember to look intently by this checklist of apps — which can assist what you are promoting run extra easily and effectively.
Listed below are one of the best 25 apps for freelancers this 12 months.
Greatest Time Administration and Productiveness Apps For Freelancers
First up on this checklist are a number of the finest apps for freelancers who need to handle their time and productiveness. These are a number of the most vital apps that I at present use or have tried in my enterprise. When you solely attempt one part of apps on this publish, make it these!
1. Clockify
Clockify is a time monitoring software that’s excellent whether or not you cost hourly or not. I’ve used it for fairly a number of hourly initiatives, however I nonetheless discover myself monitoring time only for myself since switching to project-based pricing.
That is important so to see in case you’re charging the correct worth in your work.
If one thing is taking you means longer than you initially thought it could, it is perhaps time to lift your charges. There’s each a paid and free model of Clockify, however as a freelancer, the free model is all you’ll want to trace time.
2. ClickUp
Subsequent up: ClickUp. If you’re somebody who struggles with staying on prime of all of your initiatives, then that is the app for you.
You may create separate workspaces for every a part of what you are promoting or preserve all of them collectively. I’ve discovered that having a special calendar for every of my shoppers appears to work finest for my very own productiveness.
What makes ClickUp higher than different productiveness and mission administration apps out there may be you can get far more out of the free model than different apps. You’ll almost certainly by no means want the paid model until you begin rising your staff and want so as to add extra customers.
3. Todoist
Todoist is a extra easy productivity app that many freelancers use and closely depend on. It really works rather a lot just like the reminders or note-taking app in your cellphone, so it’s rather a lot simpler to make use of in case you don’t have time to be taught a brand new app.
Todoist was launched again in 2007 however has persistently remained a favorite for job administration. There’s no higher technique to increase your productiveness as a freelancer than by guaranteeing the whole lot it’s important to do for the day is clearly outlined and written out someplace.
4. Asana
Asana is among the hottest productiveness instruments amongst freelancers, which is why it deserves a spot on this checklist of finest apps for freelancers.
It’s easy to make use of, and you may add some customers or friends free of charge, which could be nice if you want to talk with shoppers or staff members.
They’re at all times updating the app, with new options rolling out nearly each different month. The free model is ideal for freelancers. When you’re a social media manager, Asana is a superb software that can assist you plan out content material months upfront in your shoppers.
5. Toggl
Toggl, whereas it’s Clockify’s largest rival, continues to be price mentioning on this checklist. They primarily do the identical factor: observe your time.
You may add initiatives and shopper names, and on the finish of the week, you possibly can test the charts to see simply how a lot time you spent on every mission. That is nice so that you can reassess and consider the place your time is being spent.
When you’re in search of a time monitoring app, I recommend spending one week on Toggl and one week on Clockify to see which interface you most desire! As soon as once more, the free model is all you want as a freelancer.
☞ SEE ALSO: 20 Best Time Management Tips and Tools For Freelancers
Greatest Well being Apps
As a freelancer, well being is extremely vital. You not have a commute to work the place you may get in some further steps, and also you’ll almost certainly be working from residence, which could be difficult with the fridge close by…
Listed below are a number of the prime apps for freelancers that can assist you to stay healthy while working from home.
1. Nike Coaching Membership
When you hate developing with your personal exercise routines and would reasonably somebody simply inform you exactly what to do, then you definately’ll have to take a look at Nike Training Club.
I’ve been utilizing this app for nearly ten years now, and it’s crammed with tons of various trainings.
The free model is all you’ll have to exercise from residence. What’s so nice about it’s that there are some exercises the place all you want is your self — no tools obligatory. Though, there may be an choice for workouts with weights and different tools as effectively.
2. Peloton
Freelancers can simply make use of Peloton’s exercise app if they’ve a motorcycle at residence. I’ve lately began utilizing it and should say that it’s fairly unimaginable.
Not solely does Peloton have cycle exercises, however additionally they have stretching, meditation, and extra. Plus, in case you’re a first-time consumer of the app, you may get two months free of charge while you join. When you resolve it’s a superb match, you possibly can swap to the paid model after the trial for simply $12.99.
3. Yoga For Inexperienced persons
Yoga is the right technique to begin the day. As a freelancer, I understand how tense some days could be, particularly if you find yourself with a shopper that’s troublesome to work with. Yoga will help relieve that stress!
Yoga for Beginners is among the top-rated apps for at-home yoga. Each single exercise is free, so that you gained’t be pressured to start out paying or something.
You too can combine it with Apple Well being when you’ve got an iPhone or use an Apple Watch. This manner, you possibly can preserve all of your health-related data in a single spot.
4. WHOOP
Neglect Fitbit – WHOOP is the brand new child on the block. This health and well being monitoring band will inform you far more about your physiological state than different bands available on the market will.
Plus, there are all kinds of straps you can swap out to match no matter temper you’re in that day.
There’s a month-to-month membership charge of $30, however you get despatched the band free of charge with the membership worth. This model can be gaining recognition amongst skilled athletes, so it’s one thing price investing in.
As a freelancer, I like with the ability to test in on how my physique is doing, and WHOOP permits me to take action.
5. My Health Pal
Whilst you’ve most likely heard of My Fitness Pal, it’s possible you’ll not have realized how useful it may be to freelancers. Since freelancers are at all times working remotely, it may be difficult to remain wholesome and keep on prime of the meals and components we’re consuming.
That’s why My Health Pal is so useful. You may join it to different apps it’s possible you’ll use, just like the Well being app on the iPhone and even Fitbit. It’ll additionally assist you to observe the meals you’re consuming through the day, so you possibly can stick with your most popular weight loss program/way of life plan.
☞ SEE ALSO: How To Stay Healthy While Working From Home
Greatest Invoicing Apps
As a freelancer, it’s extremely pertinent to remain on prime of invoicing. You want to have the ability to observe if cost has been made, if it’s late, or if it’s overdue. You additionally want a dependable platform to ship invoices on within the first place.
Listed below are a number of the prime freelance apps for invoicing.
1. HoneyBook
HoneyBook is very rated and is among the finest apps for freelance jobs. In contrast to Dubsado (beneath), it has a cellphone utility, so you possibly can keep on prime of your entire communication with shoppers as an alternative of getting to test an internet site day-after-day.
HoneyBook means that you can arrange recurring invoices for shoppers which will have you ever on retainer, and you may customise how a lot every cost is and when it’s due.
Plus, it would mechanically ship reminders to your shoppers in your behalf, so that you don’t have to trace funds as intently as you may need to with different invoicing software program.
HoneyBook is what I take advantage of in my very own enterprise. They at present have a deal the place you solely should pay $1 a month in your first eight months with them! In any other case, it’s $40 per 30 days.
2. PayPal
This checklist of finest apps for freelancers wouldn’t be full with out together with good ol’ PayPal. As a result of PayPal is so trusted by customers worldwide (particularly as a result of it’s used on Shopify web sites), shoppers already know the best way to use it, and so they belief it.
PayPal means that you can arrange and ship invoices to shoppers, but it surely does take a small proportion of every bill.
Whereas I take advantage of HoneyBook for my social media administration and graphic design services, I truly use PayPal for all my freelance writing gigs. It’s easy, straightforward to make use of, and you may ship an bill in minutes.
3. Wave
Wave is a top-rated invoicing app amongst freelancers, particularly those that like to trace the whole lot intently. It sends invoices and is a monetary accounting software program, so if you wish to keep on prime of your numbers, that is the right app for you.
Many freelancers love Wave as a result of it additionally integrates seamlessly with different apps. You may join it with Sq., Stripe, Shopify, QuickBooks, HubSpot, MailChimp, Calendly, Acuity… just about all of the apps that freelancers use ceaselessly.
Wave has a number of cost plan choices, starting from free to a month-to-month charge. Relying on what you intend on utilizing inside Wave, you may get away with simply utilizing the free model!
4. QuickBooks
QuickBooks really probably the greatest apps for freelancers, however do you know that it additionally has invoicing? You may ship invoices on to your clients by it, which is usually a lifesaver in case you’re already paying the QuickBooks charge.
It’s easy to ship one and is a bit just like PayPal in that means.
What’s so nice about QuickBooks is you may also see your bill’s standing at any time. This implies you possibly can observe whether or not an bill has been considered, unopen, is paid, or overdue.
5. Dubsado
Final however not least is a prevalent invoicing software program amongst designers of all kinds: Dubsado. I’ve used Dubsado myself and have thought-about switching over, however it may be very time-consuming to arrange.
In contrast to different invoicing software program, you may make your invoices custom-made to your model inside Dubsado, which is why designers like it a lot.
Much like HoneyBook, Dubsado can be an all-in-one shopper administration system. You may observe your upcoming session calls, your financials, proposals, and shopper emails multi function place.
If you wish to give Dubsado a attempt, first-time customers can use it free of charge for his or her first three shoppers. After that, you’ll get switched to a $35 per 30 days charge.
Greatest Communication Apps
One of many important elements of getting a contract enterprise is staying on prime of shopper communications. Each freelancer has their very own opinion on the best way to finest be in contact with shoppers, however these are a number of the finest apps on the market for shopper communication.
1. Voxer
First up: Voxer. This app isn’t well-known however has lately began to make a comeback within the on-line enterprise group, making it probably the greatest apps for freelance jobs.
Whereas the corporate opened in 2007, I hadn’t even heard of Voxer till final 12 months.
Consider it as type of like a walkie talkie. You may ship voice messages and kind messages out, making it straightforward to remain on prime of shopper communication.
Many freelancers use Voxer to host workplace hours with their shoppers as a result of it’s straightforward to reply with a voice message.
Plus, Voxer is free! That is one of the best app for freelance work if you need fast communication.
2. Gmail
Gmail is a basic communication app that shouldn’t be ignored. Purchasers are at all times sending emails, generally even a number of inside a day to you, and also you’ll have to just remember to have some form of mail app to remain on prime of all of it.
The Gmail app is free. The one cause you’d should pay is if you need extra storage or want to make use of your area’s e-mail tackle, making you look much more skilled to your shoppers.
3. Slack
Slack has rapidly turn out to be probably the most widespread communication apps as a result of it’s virtually on the spot messaging. It’s higher than texting although since you don’t have to provide your shopper your cellphone quantity.
Inside Slack, you possibly can have non-public messages along with your shoppers and have group messages in case you’re working with a bigger group.
This can be useful in case you’ve began rising your staff, and you want to have one house the place all communication lives.
Slack has completely different pricing tiers, however in case you don’t have a big staff and aren’t persistently working with a excessive variety of shoppers every month, you may get away with simply utilizing the free model.
4. Zoom
Zoom has boomed into recognition the final 12 months, and the freelancing house is not any exception.
I take advantage of Zoom persistently for session calls with new potential shoppers. This manner, we will briefly meet face-to-face for 15 minutes to see if we is perhaps a superb match for one another.
I’ve discovered that communication can occur much more seamlessly when speaking to somebody (reasonably than emailing), which is why I like Zoom a lot. You too can combine it with a calendar schedule software that you just is perhaps utilizing, like Calendly, HoneyBook, or Acuity Scheduling.
5. Loom
As a freelancer, I’m ceaselessly getting requested by shoppers the best way to do one thing. It will possibly even be one thing so simple as including me as an Admin to their Fb Web page in order that I can observe their analytics from month to month.
Whilst you can merely ship over a written-out tutorial, I discover that it’s a lot simpler to ship a video tutorial. Loom is an app you can hook up with Google Chrome that does simply that!
Inside Loom, you possibly can document your display screen and your face concurrently, so you possibly can stroll your shoppers by completely something. There’s a paid model, however in case you aren’t making movies longer than 5 minutes, the free model ought to work completely.
Out of the whole lot on this entire checklist, Loom is really one of the best app for freelance work. It’s a hidden gem.
Greatest Group Apps
Time for one of the best group apps. When you aren’t organized inside your freelance enterprise, there is no such thing as a means that you just’ll achieve success. I’ll be the primary to inform you that!
1. Google Drive
Nearly everybody makes use of Google or its apps day-after-day. Whether or not you’re looking out the web or checking your e-mail, you’re almost certainly utilizing Google.
As a result of so many individuals use Google, I can’t suggest sufficient that you just make the most of Google Drive for storage. I’ve discovered that shoppers already know the best way to use it, so if I share one thing with them, they already know the best way to entry it themselves.
This makes it one of many best organizational instruments on the market for client-facing initiatives. Plus, in case you gained’t be utilizing a ton of storage otherwise you’re a newbie, you possibly can simply use the free model of it.
2. Goodnotes
If in case you have an iPad or one other pill, it is best to 100% make the most of Goodnotes in what you are promoting. It’s a note-taking app, but it surely’s nice for graphic designers as a result of you may also attract it.
There are tons of nice planners you can buy from Etsy, and even make your personal, to save lots of paper and have a digital planner too. I lately began doing this in my very own enterprise, and it’s stored me very up to the mark!
I additionally whip out my Goodnotes app every time I’m in a shopper assembly as a result of it’s simply really easy to take notes.
3. Evernote
As with the Clockify vs Toggle debate, Evernote and Goodnotes are comparable, but have completely different interfaces.
Evernote is one other note-taking app that’s excellent for shopper conferences or jotting your concepts down while you’re in a rush. There are tons of various pens and markers you can make your Apple Pen appear like, which solely provides to the enjoyable.
There are paid variations, however as a freelancer, you possibly can most likely simply use the free model.
4. Dropbox
Whereas Google Drive is superb for client-facing initiatives and sharing paperwork with individuals you’re working with, I a lot desire Dropbox for organizing my very own paperwork.
Inside Dropbox, you may also now use Paper Docs, that are just like Google Docs. You may write phrase paperwork and hyperlink them to your different Dropbox paperwork, making it nice to make use of in case you’re working with an inside staff.
There are paid variations of Dropbox, however I’ve been simply positive utilizing the free model for the previous eight months. The following tier up is simply $15 a month however gives you as much as 5 TB of storage, which is a lot.
5. LastPass
LastPass is among the finest apps for freelancers in case you persistently share passwords along with your staff or shoppers. As a social media supervisor, I take advantage of LastPass to obtain and retailer social media logins from my shoppers safely.
Whereas it may be a bit troublesome in your shoppers to make use of in the event that they haven’t ever used it earlier than, you may make a fast video utilizing Loom (on this checklist!) and educate your shopper the best way to use it seamlessly.
LastPass is a Google Chrome app and can be downloaded in your cellphone so to log in to something cellular. Oh, and did I point out it’s free?
On the lookout for extra Freelance articles?
- 20 Best Time Management Tools For Freelancers
- How To Make Money As A Freelance Social Media Manager
- 10 Ways To Make Money As A Graphic Designer
- How To Make Money On Upwork: An Expert’s Review
- 10 High-Paying Online Jobs
- How To Create a Freelance Website (Step by Step Guide)
- 15 Best Freelance Websites for Beginners
Conclusion
It’s crucial for freelancers to remain on prime of the whole lot since you’re working for your self. Oftentimes, freelancers are groups of only one, like me.
There’s no higher technique to keep organized, productive, and talk along with your shoppers than by using the apps and packages on this checklist — they’ll change what you are promoting for the higher.
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