The success of your freelancing career depends almost entirely on the self-employed apps you use.
Let’s be real—freelancing is not all sunshine and rainbows.
From juggling deadlines, tracking hours, sending invoices, and trying not to burn out, the daily grind of freelancing can take its toll. But, with the right tools, you can simplify your business operations, boost productivity, and ultimately, make your life easier.
We’ve done our homework and compiled a list of the 10 best self-employed apps for freelancers in 2024.
In this blog post, we’ll break down each app’s key features, drawbacks, and pricing plans so that you can make informed decisions in minutes.
10 Best Self-Employed Apps and Tools for Freelancers in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in Self-Employed Apps?
What you need in a self-employed app can vary significantly based on your service offerings and industry. However, we have identified some universal aspects to consider:
- Time tracking: Make sure the app can accurately record the time you spend on projects and tasks so that you can bill your clients accurately
- Invoicing and billing options: Pick an app that has invoicing tools to create and send professional invoices, track payments, and manage client billing
- Expense tracking: Look for features that make it easy to capture, organize, and manage business expenses and receipts for tax deduction purposes
- Project and task management: This is a no-brainer. Your app should be able to help you organize your tasks and track your freelance projects and workflows efficiently
- Integration with accounting software: Freelancers also need to handle their own finances and tax deductions, so ensure your self-employed app can connect with popular accounting apps such as QuickBooks Online or Xero
- Reporting and analytics: Opt for an app with detailed reporting and analytics features to gain insights into your business performance, income, business expenses, and tax-related data
- Mobile accessibility: Look for something that comes in the form of mobile apps so that you can access and manage your work and finances from any device, anywhere
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Self-Employed Apps to Use
Whether you’re looking to create proposals, track billable hours, issue invoices, or draw up legal contracts, there’s an app out there to help you do it better.
We’re on a mission to help you find it!
Take a look at our list of the top 10 self-employed apps to consider in 2024, curated to cover all aspects of your freelancing business:
1. ClickUp
As a self-employed individual, you might find yourself switching between emails, tasks, projects, and reminders across multiple apps.
What if you could do it all in one app? Enter ClickUp.
The ClickUp Project Management software brings all your tasks, data, and team together in one place. It is designed for teams of any size and with any budget.
The best part? ClickUp’s Freelancer Project Management Software offers a wide range of features specially made for freelancers to track time, set estimates, manage workloads, and even simplify invoices—all in one easy-to-use screen.
ClickUp also has project management features with 15+ customizable views that adapt to individual needs, allowing freelancers to visualize and track their work in a way that suits each project or client.
These views include the List view to get a high-level overview of your projects, the Kanban view for status-specific updates, and the Calendar view to plan your workload—all of these and more give you the flexibility to organize and focus on tasks the way you prefer.
If the tasks on your dashboard need more attention than others, use ClickUp’s Task Prioritization features to set urgency levels and deadlines to complete them on time.
You can also use ClickUp’s Project Time Tracker, a convenient tool for freelancers that accurately records hours spent on projects for invoicing clients, easing the billing process and ensuring everyone gets paid fairly.
Does that mean you still have to create your own invoices? Nope. Access ClickUp’s massive library of customizable freelancer templates, and pick the invoice template of your choice.
For example, with the ClickUp Freelance Invoice Template, you can easily create professional invoices, track your payments, and securely store all your client info in a single workspace.
The benefits of using this template include:
- Customizable invoices can be tailored to the needs of any client or project
- Tracking payments made easier, ensuring no invoices fall through the cracks
- Automated billing reminders for timely payments and reducing the time you spend following up with clients
ClickUp best features
- Use start dates, due dates, and exact times in your tasks for precise scheduling
- Add time estimates to your tasks to plan your workload
- Get accurate billable hours and reports with Time Tracking
- Use Mind Maps to brainstorm ideas and break down complex projects
- Quickly launch and execute your projects with ClickUp’s pre-made templates
- Set custom access rights for your clients based on project needs
- Connect 1000+ apps such as QuickBooks, Google Drive, Teams, and Zoom
ClickUp limitations
- Slight learning curve for new users
- The mobile app doesn’t have all the features as the desktop version
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/user per month
- Business: $12/user per month
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp Brain is available on all paid plans for $5 per member per workspace per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9450+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (4050+ reviews)
2. Apploye
Apploye combines three of the essential freelancing processes within an easy-to-use hub: time tracking, project planning, and scheduling.
It tracks time spent on tasks, helping you stay focused with cool tools such as the Pomodoro timer. You can manage your time and budget spent on individual projects with features such as projects & budgeting.
Plus, Apploye can automatically calculate your work hours and generate time-billed invoices for you when it comes to billing clients.
Apploye best features
- Track time in both online and offline modes
- Keep an eye on tasks with the help of the time tracker dashboard
- Generate activity reports to understand your performance
- Integrate it with project management apps such as ClickUp and Asana
- Maintain security with Amazon AWS hosting and SSL encryption
Apploye limitations
- Other features, such as task scheduling and leave management, are under development
Apploye pricing
- Standard: $5/user per month
- Elite: $7/user per month
Apploye ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (10+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.9/5 (30+ reviews)
3. Clockify
Clockify is a free time tracking software that can grow into a full-fledged time management tool, making it a good option for self-employed professionals.
You can easily keep track of your projects, log your hours, and make neat timesheets for billing your clients.
Clockify also helps you understand where your time goes. You can look at detailed reports to see what you’re doing, compare it to what you thought you’d do, and see how well you’re doing over time.
The platform also connects with lots of other apps, so you can combine it with your favorite tools and maintain your productivity without having to switch tools all the time.
Clockify best features
- Track time manually or automatically from any device
- Make better decisions with real-time reports
- Connect with teams with in-app messaging
- Manage and approve timesheets with ease
- Sync all your calendars by integrating Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook
Clockify limitations
- Some users find the interface outdated
- Rigid pricing structure
Clockify pricing
- Basic: $4.99/user per month
- Standard: $6.99/user per month
- Pro: $9.99/user per month
- Enterprise: $14.99/user per month
Clockify ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (160+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (4800+ reviews)
4. QuickBooks
Looking for a full service accounting software that can manage your finances while you focus on growing your business? Try QuickBooks.
This simple and effective app for self-employed people helps you track what you earn and spend, deal with taxes and write offs, send invoices to clients, and see reports about your finances.
QuickBooks stands out by streamlining your bank accounts. If you import your bank transactions into the software, it’ll automatically sort the entries and save you time. It also lets you upload receipts easily by taking photos instead of typing them all in.
Meanwhile, its custom report builder makes it easy to organize your financial reports in any way you want. And if you’re keeping track of things you sell, QuickBooks will let you know when you’re low on items and which ones sell the most.
QuickBooks best features
- Track income and business expenses with accuracy and ease
- Get tax support through mileage tracking, quarterly tax estimation, and tax filing and return preparation
- Create invoices, automate recurring invoices, and track all your payments
- Generate custom reports with details such as profit and loss statements and VAT returns
- Handle multiple currencies
- Keep financial details private with passwords and encryption
QuickBooks limitations
- Lacks direct bill payment from the platform
- Some users have reported poor customer support
- Relatively expensive for freelancers
QuickBooks pricing
- Simple Start: $30/month
- Essentials: $60/month
- Plus: $90/month
- Advanced: $200/month
QuickBooks ratings and reviews
- G2: 4/5 (3200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (6400+ reviews)
5. Rocket Lawyer
Whether freelancing solo or running a small company, having a legal team is key to keeping your business strong. And Rocket Lawyer might just fit the bill.
From preparing legal documents to getting advice from pros, Rocket Lawyer takes care of the legal front when you start your own business.
Once you sign up, you can talk to as many lawyers as you want whenever you need help and get them to review your documents. Plus, there are over 300 form templates to pick from, covering lots of different legal requirements, such as renting a place or writing a letter requesting a service.
Rocket Lawyer’s best features
- Connect with an attorney to respond to document disputes
- Create customized contracts, LLC formation documents, trademarks, etc.
- Easily navigate with guided interviews, clear instructions, and custom templates
- Access 300+ templates to deal with several legal needs
Rocket Lawyer limitations
- Requires credit card information to sign up
- Limited membership options
- Lacks basic LLC packages
Rocket Lawyer pricing
- Rocket Legal: $39.99/month, billed monthly
- Rocket Legal+: $19.99/month, billed annually
Rocket Lawyer ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (6400+ reviews)
6. Evernote
If you need a place to gather all your brilliant ideas, thoughts, and plans in one organized hub, consider Evernote.
You can jot down ideas, tasks, and important details in notes, making sure everything is easy to find across all your devices. Evernote organizes your write-ups into notebooks and tags, so you can keep different parts of your business separate and tidy.
Share notebooks and collaborate on projects with teams in real-time, digitize and store images of bills, receipts, and business cards with Evernote’s document scanner, and keep your workspace clutter-free.
Evernote best features
- Grab web pages, articles, and pictures with web clipper
- Scan and digitize documents with an in-built scanner
- Record audio notes instead of always jotting them down
- Stay on top of tasks with to-do lists and reminders
- Kickstart projects with customizable templates
Evernote limitations
- Cannot annotate scanned PDFs
- Complicated organization makes it hard to locate files
- Limited space in the free version
Evernote pricing
- Free
- Personal: $14.99/month
- Professional: $17.99/month
Evernote ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (2000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (8200+ reviews)
7. Trello
Trello is a popular project management tool with a visual layout to help you keep track of tasks and deadlines. You can organize everything into boards, lists, and cards and move them around easily.
It’s not just for solo work, though—you can also use Trello to collaborate with other freelancers, teams, and clients. Plus, you can customize your workflows to fit your specific needs, making it even easier to manage your projects.
You can also connect Trello to other apps, automate repetitive tasks, and make your workflows more efficient.
Trello best features
- Visualize projects, tasks, and milestones on Kanban boards
- Track your deadlines using the Calendar view
- Access a bunch of different templates to save time
- Integrate with 200+ apps through the Power-Ups feature
- Create your own rules and triggers to control workflow actions
Trello limitations
- Limited customization
- Difficult to search cards
- Has a learning curve for new users
Trello pricing
- Free
- Standard: $6/user per month
- Premium: $12.50/user per month
- Enterprise: $17.50/user per month
Trello ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (18500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (8200+ reviews)
8. Proposify
For freelancers, a well-written proposal is the key to closing the bigger deals. With Proposify, you can auto-generate great-looking proposals in a matter of minutes.
The platform comes with a large selection of customizable templates for different types of clients. With features such as e-signatures, you can get clients to sign off on proposals right through the app.
Moreover, it connects with other apps for self-employed professionals, such as FreshBooks, so you can handle invoicing and payment processing in one go.
Proposify best features
- Match each client’s style or introduce your branding with personalized templates
- Use interactive pricing so clients can adjust options within the proposal
- Store and reuse proposal content
- Track proposal status with helpful metrics and analytics
- Access it on the go using the mobile app
Proposify limitations
- The text editor is very buggy for some users
- Lacks custom notifications or alerts
Proposify pricing
- Team plan: $49/user per month
- Business plan: Custom pricing
Proposify ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (18500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (270+ reviews)
9. Stripe
Stripe is an online, global payment tool for all kinds of businesses, and it is particularly helpful for self-employed professionals. With Stripe’s customizable checkout, customer info tab, and subscriptions, you can handle client transactions in a single hub.
Self employed individuals or small business owners can easily set up their accounts, create payment links, or add a checkout to their website. Meanwhile, with its built-in invoicing, you can process payments with a few simple steps.
Stripe best features
- Manage recurring payments and invoices to keep your cash flow streamlined
- Keep your bank accounts and transactions secure with encryption and SSL
- Easily integrate into your website or app using a simple API
- Take your business global with 135+ currencies
Stripe limitations
- There’s a transaction fee for every payment you make
- Clunky functionality with recurring payments
- Setup and configuration can be tricky
Stripe pricing
Stripe has a per-transaction pricing structure.
- Standard: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful charge for domestic cards
- Custom: Custom pricing
Stripe ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (300+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (270+ reviews)
10. Wix
Wix is a great no-code tool for freelancers or self-employed professionals who want to create a top-grade website. It offers a rich library of templates you can customize to show off your services or products.
With Wix’s easy drag-and-drop system, you can design your site just how you want it. Plus, it has built-in SEO capabilities to make sure you get noticed by your target audience.
If you’re in the business of selling products, Wix lets you set up an online store and sell worldwide. Its customizable URLs and tags make sure people can discover your site online. Overall, Wix is a great choice for freelancers who want a solid online presence to attract clients or customers.
Wix best features
- Build a website automatically with Wix ADI (artificial design intelligence)
- Get access to 800+ templates and find the one that fits your needs
- Improve website visibility with in-built SEO tools
- Use tools for product display and secure payment options from Wix Stores
Wix limitations
- The template store tends to be slow and buggy
- The free version has SEO limitations and shows unnecessary ads
Wix pricing
- Light: $17/month
- Core: $29/month
- Business: $36/month
- Business Elite: $159/month
Wix ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (1600+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (9400+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleasePower Your Freelance Business with ClickUp Today!
As a freelancer, you have to wear several hats to manage an entire business singlehandedly. But you don’t need to balance a thousand different apps to do so—especially when ClickUp can handle pretty much everything for you.
Whether you need to prioritize your tasks, manage your project deadlines, track billable hours, or invoice your clients on time, ClickUp has a solution for every hurdle you might face while growing your business Don’t believe us? Sign up to ClickUp today and take your freelancing career to the next level!
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
