90 tools and services to rock your freelance business
Running a freelance business can be challenging. At any one time you're pulled in a hundred different directions. So how do you stay sane? How do you keep things in order? Well structured work flows and a reliable set of freelance tools will help you to survive and thrive.
Below you'll find a collection of 90 apps and services that will help keep your freelance business organized. You'll be ready to take on anything the freelance gods throw at you.
Feel free to add any other freelance tools or services that I've missed below in the comments. Good luck!
Managing clients and projects
A freelance business won't last long without clients. Nusii is designed to help creative businesses write, send and manage proposals without fighting software or digging through old files. Win more projects in less time. Prices start at $29 per month.
Research, collect and organize information from all over the web and have it with you wherever you go. Another daily app for me. Plans start at $0.
Transistor is modern podcast hosting and analytics. Once you're done recording your audio, upload it to Transistor and they’ll help you distribute it to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and more! They also allow you to start unlimited podcasts, so you're free to create additional shows. Looking for private podcasts? They have those too!
Invision describes itself as a prototyping, collaboration & workflow platform. I've been a customer for several years and their service just keeps getting better. I use it in every project and my clients love it. Plans start at $0.
Another service I use on a daily basis. Send screenshots, short videos, documents and pretty much anything else you can think of straight from your desktop. Plans start at $0 but upgrading to the paid plan is money well spent.
Client Portal is a super simple, lightweight WordPress plugin that allows your clients to keep track of their project and get access to all their files at any time. No more "Can you resend me that proposal? – I've lost it!" emails.
If you edit videos and struggle with how tedious it is, this might save you hours. It removes the pauses, gaps, and silences automatically, and you can fine-tune as desired. It works with other editors too, so if you normally use something like Premiere, Resolve, or Final Cut, you can import the cut list from Recut. Pricing is a flat $99 for lifetime use and 1 year of updates.
ZipMessage gives you and your clients an easy way to swap video, audio or text messages without jamming up your calendars. Messages are threaded on one page. Simply share the link and clients can message you. Zero friction. Clients love it!
Finally, a scheduling tool both you and your recipients will love. Allow recipients to overlay their calendar on top of yours to easily find mutual availability. Connect all your calendars (Google, Outlook, and iCloud all available) and integrate your favorite tools with Zapier. Use time blocking, single-use links, and frequency limits to keep you in control of your calendar.
Reform is the fastest way to collect data from your users. You can build clean, branded forms and it's 100% free to get started.
Trello is a Jack of all Trades and but excels at very specific tasks. It can be used for virtually any organizational task your freelance business could need. And best of all… Plans start at $0.
Blue Cat Forms and Blue Cat Reports
Trello user? then you need to make use of their power-ups! Blue Cat Forms (one of the top new power-ups in 2021) lets you create forms which create cards on your boards. This is a great way to let your clients create tasks without them having to have full access to your Trello boards. You can also mark fields as required, capture files and load answers directly into your custom fields. Blue Cat Reports is useful for creating reports on your workflow to make sure nothing gets missed. You can create to-do lists for your team so they can see all their work across multiple boards as well as keep track of your whole process and trends with charts and reports.
Getting things done
Zapier automates your manual workflows. It supports over 300 web apps and connects them so you can easily move data between one service and another. Automate those tedious tasks. Prices start at $0.
If you want to know where and how you spend your time when working, then Time Doctor could be for you. Their analytics can help you evaluate and improve your productivity. It’s free to try for 30 days and prices begin at $0.
Wasted hours is billable time down the drain. Find out just how much of your week you spend on Facebook, Twitter, Photoshop and any other system you use. Prices start at $9.
No matter how you price projects, if you don't know how much time your spending on a given task, you could be losing money. If you're not tracking your time, I urge you to start. Prices start at $0.
Security is a concern for anyone on the internet. The more services we use, the more passwords we need to keep track of. 1Password does a great job of creating, storing and coordinating of all your sensitive data. Prices vary according to platform and country.
You're out at a business meeting and you pick up the tab, do you mess around with a receipt? You might do, but scan it to your smartphone and you're done. Keep your paper trail to a tidy minimum. Prices start at $2.99
If you're like me and have very little internet self-control, then you could probably use Freedom. Force yourself to focus by blocking out the pesky internet for any time period you choose. Prices start at $10
This isn't an app I've ever used but I know freelancers who swear by it. Text expander lets you create custom keyboard shortcuts that translate into regularly used text snippets and images. You can now stop typing your email address 30 times a day! Prices start at $35
Email Marketing and Services
If you send out newsletters then no doubt you already know of Mailchimp. It's a great place to begin your email marketing. However, depending on the complexity of your needs, you may outgrow it sooner than you think. Prices start at $0.
Userlist is an email automation platform built specifically for SaaS companies. They take extra care to match your customer data model, including account-level data. Perfect for SaaS, as you can handle both marketing and lifecycle email in one tool. Prices start at $149.
Bento is an all-in-one marketing automation tool run with an amazing little community where you can pop in, ask questions, and get responses from the team actually building the software. It's a great alternative to Klaviyo, MailChimp, and others as if you get stuck on any particular problem they'll ensure you get looked after and overcome it.
We all like to be at inbox zero. Sometimes this can be near impossible. Boomerang reminds you to follow up with people by sending an email back to your inbox in a set number of days. This allows you to keep track of your obligations and helps to keep your inbox nice and tidy. Prices start at$0.
A Gmail alternative for those concerned with privacy and Google's policies on data. Prices start at $10 per year.
Hosted Portfolios
Prices start at $6 per month.
Prices start at $119 for a one-time fee.
Prices start at $8 per month.
Prices start at $0 per month.
Prices start at $6 per month.
Business Tools
What did we do before Stripe? If you work with clients in another country then a secure, fast payment provider is a must. Stripe have made it beyond easy. Prices start at 2.9% + 30¢ per successful charge.
I use Plasso in conjunction with Stripe. It allows me to build a "store front" on top of Stripe. This makes collecting client or product payments even easier. Prices start at 0% per credit card transaction.
Managing clients is at the core of what we do. Knowing where in your funnel a client is at is fundamental to running a well oiled business. Contactually will help you achieve this. Prices start at $0.
Do you fly by the seat of your pants and hope that your finances will be OK in 3 0r 6 months? Wise Cash's financial forecasting can get you out of a jam before it ever happens. See how it can help your freelance business. Prices start at $24 per month.
Feature Upvote helps product managers collect and prioritize user feedback. It provides feedback boards where your customers and team can submit their ideas. They can also vote for and comment on other people’s suggestions. The most popular ideas rise to the top of the board, letting you know what features to build next. Prices start at $79/board/month. Free 30-day trial available.
Accounting sucks, there are no two ways about it. If you're also an avid numbers hater, or simply need to save time then check out their freelance account. Prices start at $20.
What with all this accounting, financial forecasting and proposal writing, you're going to need an invoice service to make sure you get paid. Hiveage is the new incarnation of Curdbee. It easy to set up, has a free plan and can be customized to match your branding. Prices start at$0.
Losing data can be a catastrophe. All of your work, personal information and not to mention time invested can go up in smoke if you don't have a backup plan. Crash Plan promises to keep your data securely backed up so you don't have to worry. Prices start at $0.
Marketing tools
Blog post ideas can sometimes be tough to come by. HubSpot's topic generator might be what your creative juices need to get kick started into action. Prices start at $0.
Content research, influencer and blogger prospecting and outreach CRM - this pretty much summarizes what Ninja Outreach does. Build a list of people to reach out to for your link building efforts and content promotion. Prices start at $29 per month.
Another idea generation tool (amongst other things) that works a little differently. Check out which posts are popular on other blogs in your sector. Just type in the URL and watch the results roll in. Prices start at $0.
Slideshare is a great way to get your content in front of a different audience. If you have an offline presentation or article that could be repurposed as a slide show, Slide Share could be a great fit. Prices start at $0.
Finding out what your customers or audience want can be difficult and time consuming. One way to reduce the friction is to create a quick survey, and that's where Survey Monkey comes in. Prices start at $0.
Appsumo are taking over! If you want to start building your tribe then Appsumo is here to help you. They have a huge collection of tools to help you build your audience and the majority of them are free. Go see!
Stock image sites
Free.
Prices start at $1.
Prices start at $10.
Prices start at $0.
Credit based.
Communication
Do you work remotely? Do you use a cell phone, do you use multiple phone numbers? Do you need a toll free number for customer support? Grasshopper can help you stay organized and maintain a professional appearance. Plans start at $12 per month and 6c a minute.
The app I love to hate. I use Skype on nearly a daily basis. Screen sharing is key to remote project presentations, making the premium plan worth it for that alone. On the downside, the UI seems to update on a weekly basis and every release seems to get buggier. Even still, Skype remains a constant in the freelance business. Plans start at $0.
As more and more freelancers form part of remote teams, (if only on a per-project basis) group communication has become more and more relevant. Slack does a great job. Right from the initial onboarding you feel good about using Slack. Prices start at $0.
The main alternative to Skype. I know a lot of people swear by it, but personally I've never had much luck. If you need video and chat it might just work. Prices start at $0.
Social Media Tools and Services
Dig into your Twitter analytics. Find out who's following you, where they're based and when they tweet. Prices start at $0.
Being able to schedule your tweets is genius enough, but seeing how far your social reach extends and other analytical data makes Buffer a must have. Plans start at $0.
Canva is a simple, drag-and-drop design solution for creating great looking social media visuals. It has a huge library of professionally designed templates that are free to use in your social media posts. Check it out!
I use Click to Tweet at the end of our Nusii newsletters. It allows you to create a handy URL that automatically opens up a pre-populated tweet, making it easy for people to spread your message. Prices start at $0.
Writing
I have a tendency to waffle when I write. Hemingway helps you remove all the fluff from your writing and keep your posts more focused. A handy writing companion. Prices start at $0.
Job sites/boards
Jobs for designers and developers courtesy of the premier design platform.
Creative jobs for freelancers.
Where companies and creative professionals meet to make a better web.
One of the best known online magazines for creatives also has a pretty large job board.
[Awwwards](https://www.awwwards.com/jobs/
Not content with showcasing some of the world's best design, Awwwards now helps you find your next star client.
Jobs with new and established startups.
The best place to find and list jobs that aren’t restricted by commutes or a particular geographic area.
Another great resource for remote jobs.
SEO Tools and Services
Moz are the kings, or at least the Grand Dukes of SEO. And they put a lot of their knowledge at your fingertips. With a wide range of free and paid tools, blog articles and a community setup, it's a place you should definitely check out.
I couldn't mention SEO without including GA, even if I don't understand half of its features. Google Analytics is the standard when it comes to analytics. Its free and easy to setup, even if it does take a lifetime to fully understand. Plans start at $0.
Are you certain that your SEO modifications are boosting your rankings? With SEOTesting, you can evaluate these changes for efficacy, ensuring that they're enhancing your SEO or identifying if any adjustments need to be undone. Plans start at $40 per month.
Podcasts
The Business of Freelancing Podcast
Better Clients. More Money. A Happier Life.
The podcast about the business side of web design, recorded live almost every two weeks.
A web design podcast for all those involved in designing, developing or running a website on a daily basis.