44 Best apps for freelancers to manage and grow their business

Productivity & Project Management

• Asana - a versatile project management platform that enables freelancers to collaborate with teams, track progress, and manage tasks effectively

• Toggl - a time tracking tool that helps freelancers monitor billable hours, track project time, and generate detailed reports for client invoicing

• Todoist - a popular task management app with intuitive features for creating to-do lists, setting deadlines, and organizing tasks efficiently

• Trello - a visual project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to help users organize tasks, track progress, and collaborate with team members efficiently.

• Noty.ai - a meeting transcription tool that highlights key points, summarises meeting notes and suggests actionable follow-up emails.

Business Management

• Onigiri - your personal hub for freelance success. At Onigiri we provide freelancers with an all-in-one solution, offering a range of essential features to streamline their business operations. With Onigiri, freelancers can efficiently manage their invoicing, project management, proposals, client portal, and customer relationships.

• PayPal - a widely-used online payment platform that allows individuals and businesses to send and receive money securely over the internet.

• Daylite - an apple mac based CRM, project management and sales tracking software for small businesses.

• Hubspot - an all-in-one CRM for tracking your contacts and customers, automating administrative tasks, and sending bulk email.

• ContractSafe a cloud-based contract management software that enables easy organization, tracking, and secure storage of contracts.

Calendar Management

• Google Calendar - a versatile and widely-used calendar app that seamlessly integrates with other Google services, such as Gmail and Google Drive. Features include customizable event reminders, sharing calendars with clients or team members, and syncing across devices.

• Bookafy - a scheduling software allowing clients to book real-time appointments with automated calendar syncing, text reminders, payments, video-conferencing and their features.

• Calendly - a modern scheduling platform that connects your calendars and provides a scheduling link feature to streamline the scheduling process.

• Cal.com - an event-juggling scheduler for everyone. It reads your availability from all your existing calendars ensuring you never get double booked! And it’s free for individuals.

Mindfulness & Well-being

• Headspace offers guided meditations, mindfulness exercises, and sleep sounds to reduce stress, improve focus, and promote relaxation.

• Simple Habit provides short, guided meditation sessions tailored for busy lifestyles, covering topics such as stress reduction, productivity enhancement, and improving sleep quality.

• Reflectly - a journaling app that uses artificial intelligence to analyze users' moods and provide personalized prompts for journal entries. Reflectly also offers features such as mood tracking, gratitude journaling, and goal setting.

• Five Minute Journal is based on the popular paper journal of the same name, this app encourages users to write daily entries focusing on gratitude, affirmations, and reflections on the day. The app also sends reminders to encourage consistent journaling habits.

• 10% Happier provides guided meditations, talks, and mindfulness exercises designed to increase happiness, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being, especially for skeptics or beginners

Creativity & Design

• Adobe Photoshop - an image editing and design tool with hundreds of features and capabilities, suitable for any image-based project.

• Canva - a browser-based design tool to create graphic designs, animations, and social posts with a large library of templates - no experience needed.

• Procreate - a digital illustration iPad app providing the tools to create detailed sketches, paintings, and animation

• Coolors - a web-based tool to generate beautiful color combinations and provide inspiration for your next design.

Writing

• Hemingway - a web-based tool for clear, concise writing. Highlights complex sentences and passive voice.

• Grammarly - a writing assistant tool that checks for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style errors in real time, helping freelance writers produce polished and error-free content.

• Scrivener - a comprehensive writing app that allows writers to organize research, outline projects, and write manuscripts or articles in a distraction-free environment. Scrivener also offers features for formatting, compiling, and exporting documents.

• Google Docs - a cloud-based word processing app that enables writers to collaborate with clients or editors in real-time, track changes, and access documents from any device with an internet connection.

Note-Taking

• Evernote - a note-taking app that allows writers to capture ideas, research, and inspiration on the go, organize notes into notebooks and tags, and sync across devices.

• Notion - a powerful all-in-one workspace that combines note-taking, project management, and collaboration tools. Notion offers customizable templates, databases, and kanban boards, making it ideal for freelancers managing multiple projects.

• Bear - a beautifully designed note-taking app for Apple devices, featuring a minimalist interface and markdown support. Bear allows freelancers to organize notes using hashtags, create to-do lists, and export notes in various formats.

Health & Fitness

• Yoga Studio - an app that offers a library of yoga classes and guided meditation sessions for all levels. Freelancers can use Yoga Studio to relieve tension, improve flexibility, and promote relaxation during breaks.

• Ergonomics - an app that provides tips and exercises to improve posture and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal issues associated with prolonged sitting. Freelancers can use Ergonomics to set reminders to take breaks and stretch regularly

• Nike Training Club - a comprehensive fitness app that provides workout plans, exercise videos, and coaching tips from Nike trainers. Freelancers can choose from a variety of workouts targeting different fitness goals and levels.

Communication & Networking

• Microsoft Teams - a collaboration platform that offers chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and integration with other Microsoft Office apps. Freelancers can use Microsoft Teams to communicate with clients or colleagues, collaborate on documents, and schedule meetings

• Slack - a popular messaging app for teams and freelancers, offering real-time communication, file sharing, and collaboration features. Slack allows freelancers to create channels for specific projects or topics, communicate with clients or team members, and integrate with other productivity tools.

• LinkedIn - a professional networking platform that allows freelancers to showcase their skills, connect with potential clients or employers, and discover new opportunities within their industry. Freelancers can use LinkedIn to build their personal brand, share content, and engage with their network.

• Discord - originally designed for gamers, Discord has evolved into a communication platform used by freelancers, communities, and businesses. Freelancers can create servers, channels, and voice chats to communicate with clients, collaborators, or fellow freelancers in real-time.

Freelance Job Sourcing Apps

• Fiverr - a marketplace for small freelance projects with a focus on cost effecitve work for clients.

• Upwork provides a marketplace for service-based freelance roles from a global client base

• Guru - a freelance platform that offers a wide range of job categories, including programming, writing, marketing, and administrative support. Freelancers can create profiles, showcase their portfolios, and bid on projects to find new clients.

• Toptal - a platform that connects freelancers with high-quality clients in fields such as software development, design, finance, and project management. Toptal offers a rigorous screening process to ensure the quality of freelancers on the platform.

Learning & Skill Development

• Skillshare - a platform offering a library of online creative skills courses. Offers courses for varying skill levels alongside community features.

• Coursera - an online learning platform offering courses, specializations, and degree programs from top universities and institutions around the world. Freelancers can enroll in courses on topics such as data science, project management, entrepreneurship, and more to acquire new skills and credentials.

• edX - a nonprofit online learning platform offering courses from universities and institutions worldwide. Freelancers can enroll in courses on subjects such as computer science, business management, language learning, and more to gain new skills and advance their careers.