By 
Freelancers have a wide selection of tools to increase productivity – now the Internet is filled with paid and free applications with a wide variety of tariffs, ranging from time tracking programs to financial accounting tools.
The site of any application advertises its product and calls it the best on the market. However, some of them are not particularly useful or not worth the money. In this article, you will find 25 effective applications for freelancers. Anyone who is looking for tools for remote work and the comfort they bring should read it!
First of all, you need to thoroughly understand what exactly freelancers do, as well as what types of activities are repeated in almost all types of work. A freelancer (sometimes referred to as an “independent worker”) is a self-employed entrepreneur who provides services to organizations that need to complete a project.
Many things can be understood by the word “freelancer”: some work at a construction site and they have to go to the site every day, others can stay in the comfort of home and send completed tasks to the client by e-mail.
It turns out that freelance is very similar to regular work with one huge difference – the absence of long-term obligations in relation to one customer or work. Most freelancers depend on the amount of work in the field of activity and the number of orders available.
Many people wonder why freelancers need applications and tools if they don’t have a specific job to invest in.
Here’s the thing:
Even if freelancers do not have a “traditional” job, they are still the same employees as everyone, and face similar difficulties and tasks. To understand what specific specialized applications a freelancer needs every day, it is worth listing the difficulties typical for such a job (especially when it comes to a professional career):
- Time management
Probably the most difficult moment in the work of a freelancer: short deadlines, different time zones, the inability to accurately determine the timing for the task, and much more. Freelancers are especially difficult to manage with time, because they rarely set work hours and plan their work themselves, and this is difficult to do at home.
- Procrastination and laziness
Office staff are occasionally monitored by the boss. This motivates and forces you to do the work on time. Freelancers are their own bosses, which greatly complicates the matter. It is not easy to discipline yourself and not be distracted by trifles, especially when working at home. Laziness and procrastination are very distracting, so freelancers need to gather their courage and overcome them, no matter how hard it is.
- Financial management
To spend your money, you need to make sure that you can afford it. Therefore, each freelancer, regardless of specialization, should be a good financial manager and accountant.
Unfortunately, there are worse problems:
- Customer interaction
As a rule, bosses and colleagues help full-time employees to manage nasty customers. But freelancers have no one to rely on in tense situations with customers. This can seriously undermine the workflow, especially with busy schedules.
To summarize, we will see that time and financial management, laziness and procrastination, as well as problems with clients are the main reasons for freelancers to worry.
Since time management is one of the biggest difficulties for most remote workers, specialized applications can be very useful to plan projects, not waste time and complete tasks before the deadline. Since the question concerns freelancers from all fields of activity, this part of the article will be the longest to provide you with the necessary information.
1. TopTracker
It meets the needs of freelancers of different directions and specialties, as it is not connected with any platform. One of the biggest advantages of this time tracking application is that it’s free, which is surprising for the number of available functions (timers, screenshots and webcam snapshots, image blur, task descriptions, and so on). TopTracker can be used on all kinds of devices and operating systems (surprise: even on Linux).
2. Timely
At the same time, a planning assistant and time tracking application. Particularly suitable for beginners who are torn between applications for self-management of projects. It is flexible enough for use by small teams of up to five people. Thanks to synchronization with Apple and Google Calendars, Timely users can keep track of projects without interrupting the workflow.
3. Hours
If you are a fan of Apple and prefer to use only their technology for remote work, Hours is your choice. A simple interface pays a lot of attention to functionality, so you can easily manage different projects with color shortcuts and timestamps.
4. TrackingTime
Easy application with which you can manage time with just one click. This time tracker integrates perfectly with any device, and with the help of the Google Chrome extension, you can more effectively manage projects. As a result, TrackingTime is an ideal application for freelancers with a small amount of work who are trying to reduce time consumption.
5. Due Time Tracking
Absolutely free and uncomplicated application for tracking time by tracking inactive intervals. In addition, Due Time Tracking allows you to generate invoices based on hourly rates. The application will also help sort customer information.
6. Harvest
It has an intuitive interface for convenient accounting of time and income. What is comfortable in the application is the ability to install on any platform (for example, Apple Watch or PC). It can be integrated with more than 70 services for business management (including Quickbooks and Slacks), and the application also has technical support to take care of users.
7. Tick
Tick is not just a time tracking application, but also a tool to streamline your workflow. Here you can cope with the work, using temporary cards to account for various tasks, as well as integrate the application with almost four hundred platforms.
8. Toggl
A simplified version of the average time tracker. Toggl provides key functions for similar applications, but is suitable for use by project teams and freelancer groups that work with a minimal budget and cannot afford a more expensive tool.
9. Hubstaff
It offers a large selection of tariffs, which vary depending on the size of the team, and not on the number of launched projects. In the application, you can easily open and edit time tables, as well as invite customers for viewing only.
10. Klok Desktop Application
One of the most affordable time tracking applications in the context of the options offered. In addition to the standard functions for time management, in the application, you can store data from previous projects, sort by category and study how much time was spent on self-promotion and interviews.
11. RescueTime
An easy-to-use application that will show novice freelancers how they distribute time if you do not need to report to the manager. The application is suitable only for those who are interested in this information.
12. Everhour
A time tracking web application designed for freelance developers and teams. It uses special algorithms to create brief descriptions and reports. The application is an excellent choice for those who have just started a career in freelance, as it gives users the opportunity to grow.
13. Paydirt
A web application that can track time, create bills, and issue quotas. It will especially appeal to freelancers who want this work done for them.
14. TimeCamp
Designed specifically for use by teams and mainly focused on schedules and a flexible interface. TimeCamp is one of the best time tracking applications and is suitable for teams that need to control time, but do not want to overload their attention with unnecessary functions.
15. Paymo
A great design app designed for project management. Includes all the necessary functions, such as billing, team management, time tracking and many others. In addition, the application has a PaymoPlus tool that can be used to work on a joint project.
Now that we’ve figured out time tracking applications for freelancers, let’s talk about a few innovative programs for daily remote work.
And here’s where we start:
Since time management and procrastination are of primary interest, we have put together applications for writers, newcomers to the business sector, as well as those who find it difficult to manage finances and forgetful people.
Here is the list:
16. OpenOffice
A terrific tool for freelance writers who need to do something better than Microsoft Word to complete tasks. With it, you can easily export files, as well as create brochures and guides. What is really cool is the incredibly large selection of fonts.
17. Zen Writer
Although the application is slightly expensive (from $ 9 per month), it has an aesthetic design, so it is easier for the writer to focus on the task. Here you can change the lighting and fonts to your liking and enjoy working on the text in a relaxing atmosphere.
18. Logline App
Positions itself as a scripting application, however, it can also be used to create long e-books or detailed instructions. The application will help to store written material in chapters, so you do not have to create separate files for each part.
19. Dropbox
An amazing application for freelancers, with which you can synchronize files with any device, simply by dragging and dropping them into the program window. Dropbox creates cloud storage with all your files, so you can easily open them from any device.
20. Remember the Milk
One of the most popular scheduler applications, not only for freelancers, but for everyone else. Not so long ago, an extension for Google Chrome was added to it, and since then the application has attracted remote workers. It can remind you of anything — for example, a meeting place or buying milk. If you are looking for a good planner, Remember the Milk is one of the best options.
21. BzReminder
An application for those who often procrastinate and like to put off tasks. It will annoy with loud sounds and constant reminders until you pick up the device. With BzReminder you will not forget about any important task.
22. MindMaster
Mind mapping or mental maps is a phenomenon that has reached extraordinary popularity. This application makes it possible to create mental maps on any device and will become a better place to store than notepads or pieces of paper. The free version will suit the requirements of almost everyone. But if you are one of those freelancers who draw up thorough maps for all projects, you can upgrade to Premium at a very affordable price ($ 6 per month).
23. Evernote
A useful tool for freelance tasks that require storing large amounts of information. Especially suitable for storing creative ideas (images, videos, audio clips).
24. Mint
Mint is one of the best options for those who are looking for a free application with a nice interface for managing finances. Since freelancers themselves perform the duties of an accountant and try to optimize costs as best as possible, such applications are simply necessary. In addition, Mint maintains one of the best freelance blogs – an excellent source of information for beginners with useful practical cases and infographics. It will be difficult to find an accounting application that can compare with Mint.
25. Rocket Lawyer
An application for freelancers who plan to open a business and are looking for a resource for storing legal documents in good quality. In the application, you can also share files, buy them, search, view and download.
At the beginning of the article, we mentioned that the main problems on the professional path of a freelancer are time management, laziness, accounting for finances and interaction with clients.
In the list of time tracking applications you will find a wide variety of sources that will help:
- Understanding How To Be A Remote Freelancer
- Become a specialist in financial accounting
- Remember about work in moments of procrastination
- Provide the client with evidence that you will finish the work by the deadline
There are many freelance applications to use while working, so we put the most popular ones on the list. Such applications can significantly improve your workflow and elevate you to the status of a “freelance guru.”
Comments