Freelancing is great because you get to be your own boss, but being your own boss comes with an additional set of responsibilities that you didn’t have in the past. And when you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck eight hours a day, you can easily get side-tracked with other, often irrelevant, tasks.
So, to help you stay on course, we’ve devised a list of the 30 best, must-have tools to help make your life as a freelancer a hell of a lot easier.
Sounds too good to be true? Keep reading!
Invoicing / Finance
1. PayPal
PayPal is a very popular payment option among freelancers, allowing you to send invoices and collect payments through a variety of methods, including bank transfers and credit/debit cards. It’s super easy to use and you can transfer money to your personal bank account or use it for your online shopping sprees.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
2. Invoice2go
This handy tool has a ready-made invoice template which you can edit and send within a few minutes. But that’s not all. It can be linked to your Stripe account (if you already have one) to collect payments.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
3. FreshBooks
This convenient accounting tool allows you to manage all your finances through one simple app. You can collect and make payments, manage your expenses and track your time.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
4. QuickBooks
If you’re looking for accounting software to manage your business online, QuickBooks is all you need. This great tool even lets you send invoices while you’re on the go – perfect for any busy entrepreneur.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
5. Finovera
Do you want to keep all your finances, expenses and coupons in one place? If so, this highly secure tool is for you – it even alerts you if a bill payment is higher than usual, helping you keep track of your expenses!
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
Time Management
6. RescueTime
Guilty of procrastinating? This cool tool will run in the background of your computer and track what you’re spending most of your time on to help you identify any routine habits that may need changing – like a Facebook ban, for example.
Available on Android and desktop – free
7. Toggl
Like RescueTime, Toggl will analyse your daily habits to ensure that you’re using your time as effectively and efficiently as possible. It will also break down your hours by project to identify what's making the most income. After all, time is money!
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
8. Focus Booster
This awesome tracking tool has a built-in timer which connects to Chrome and notifies you when it’s time to take a break, ensuring your productivity levels are kept high throughout the day.
Available on desktop – free
9. Timely
Timely is great if you have a lot of deadlines to meet – you can track your hours automatically, control your project and view team performance (if you happen to be working with someone else on the job).
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
10. Freelancy
Freelancy is ideal for any freelancer working from home. It helps you keep track of your time and projects, as well as offers an array of invoice templates – all at click of a button!
Available on desktop – $29.90 (£22)
Project Management
11. Trello
This highly talked about project management tool is rightly listed as one of the best. Its user-friendly interface allows you to create separate projects and checklists for a neat and organised to-do list.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
12. Basecamp
Basecamp is ideal for startup companies and virtual managers and allows all members to communicate on discussion boards, assign tasks to different groups and keep track of project progress to make sure no one is slacking.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – $99 (£74) a month
13. MindMeister
If you’re the creative type who likes a good mood board, you can use this tidy online tool to capture, develop and share your ideas – without harming any trees in the process.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
14. Freedcamp
Freedcamp is a simpler version of Basecamp 3 – but as the name suggests, it’s free. It can be used by a single user or multiple users and lets you access task lists, mood boards and charts.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
Productivity
15. Evernote
Are you guilty of jotting down notes on post-its but then end up losing them? If so, Evernote is the perfect tool for you, which lets you capture, organise and share notes.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
16. LastPass
Do you regularly forget your passwords? If so, make way for LastPass! This nifty tool stores all of your passwords in a private keychain so you’re never locked out of important websites again.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
17. Notion
This cool tool helps boost your productivity by keeping everything you need accessible on one platform – from spreadsheets to calendars and task boards. You won’t need anything else to keep you going!
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
18. TeuxDeux
TeuxDeux is similar to keeping a handwritten to-do list, with the added option of adding alerts and reminders for tasks. Best of all, its simple design won’t distract you from getting things done.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
Social Media / Marketing
19. Pluggio
If you’re a Tweeter, you need this awesome app in your life! It helps you manage multiple accounts, get more followers and schedule your tweets for the right times.
Available on desktop – free
20. Buffer
Are you struggling with managing your online presence? If you answered 'yes', this cool software can save you. Buffer allows you to schedule posts across your social media accounts so you don’t miss the vital times to catch your target audience.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
21. MailChimp
If you want to send out professional marketing emails to your subscribers, MailChimp is the tool to use. It has a user-friendly design and is easy to navigate.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
22. Tweriod
Tweriod helps you discover when most of your followers are online so you can optimise your tweet times to ensure you’re talking to the right people at the right time – and, therefore, receiving maximum views.
Available on desktop – free
Legal
23. Docracy
Not the legal buff? Don’t worry – Docracy allows you to download free legal documents so you’re not scrambling for the right words. The plus side? It's free to use!
Available on desktop – free
24. Bonsai
Bonsai allows you to create and e-sign free documents from prewritten templates. It offers time-tracking functions, invoice templates, expenses and budget sheets, and contract agreements.
Available on iOS and desktop – free
25. Shake by LegalShield
Shake by LegalShield helps you create, sign and send new contracts at the click of a button. You’ll no longer need to physically mail a written contract, which will save heaps of time.
Available on desktop – free
26. RightSignature
If you want to get a legally binding document signed in no time, consider using a website like RightSignature which will transfer the document in seconds.
Available on desktop – free
Backup
27. Dropbox
Scared of losing any vital information? If so, store everything in the cloud using Dropbox – you can even create separate folders for different projects and clients, and access them from any device.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
28. Carbonite
This useful app not only stores your data on the cloud system, but it also backs it up automatically – just in case you forget to do it yourself! You'll also be able to securely access your files on any device, whether it's your phone, laptop or tablet.
Available on desktop – free
29. Oracle CX
Like Dropbox, Oracle CX offers storage space on the cloud system but you’re probably wondering what the difference is? The answer is: higher allowance of storage.
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
30. OneDrive
If you’re always on the go, you can rely on OneDrive to store your files in the cloud and lets you access them from any location and any device. Allowing you to ditch the USB sticks and hard drives for good!
Available on Android, iOS and desktop – free
What are your favourite freelance apps and tools? Join the conversation down below and let us know!