Your success as a freelancer is largely dependent on your ability to stay organized and productive. While there are numerous tools that can help you do that, choosing the right one for you requires hours of research.
These essential tools will assist you in managing your time, finances, and completing projects. AI tools from both free and paid categories have been included, so let’s begin!
Meeting scheduling tools
It can be difficult to balance multiple clients and projects. Scheduling tools are crucial for keeping everything organized and on track. Our top three choices are listed here so you can pick the one that works best for you.
Doodle
Doodle assists you in determining the most convenient time to meet with clients by creating polls and surveys. Your polls can be personalized with different options, such as multiple choice questions or text fields. Creating your poll and sharing it with whomever you want to invite doesn’t involve signing up for an account or downloading any software.
Another great feature of Doodle is its integration with popular calendar apps such as Google Calendar and Outlook. Once a meeting is scheduled, it will be added to your calendar automatically.
What is the cost of Doodle?
Doodle’s free plan consists of a single booking page and unlimited polls. Their Pro plan is the only option for scheduling automation. With a monthly fee of $14.95, you can sync meetings directly into your calendar and add videoconferencing details to events automatically.
CozyCal
CozyCal is designed to make booking appointments easier. With its user-friendly interface, CozyCal provides an easy way for clients to schedule meetings with you without the need for back-and-forth email exchanges.
You can customize your scheduling page to match the look and feel of your brand with CozyCal. You have the option to add your logo, select from different themes, and even customize the messages sent out when an appointment is booked.
If you want to charge for consultations or other services, CozyCal’s Stripe integration is the way to go. Your scheduling page allows you to easily set up payments.
What is the cost of CozyCal?
Two plans are available from CozyCal: Pro for $20/month and Plaid for $30/month. Both of these plans come with everything you need to automate your schedule. However, if you want complete customization, you’ll need to choose the higher-priced plan to send appointment pages through your own domain and remove CozyCal’s branding.
Cybersecurity Tools
For freelancers who handle sensitive client data, cybersecurity tools are essential to protect against online threats and maintain client trust.
Dashlane
Dashlane is a password manager and digital wallet created to ensure the safe storage and management of passwords, personal information, and payment details.
Features:
Manages complex passwords for various online accounts in a secure way.
Notifies of possible security breaches and password vulnerabilities.
Ensures that payment details and personal information are safe and easily accessible.
Makes it easy to access and manage passwords and data by synchronizing them across multiple devices.
What is the cost of Dashlane?
.The free plan provides basic password management features for a single device. Dashlane Premium: .33/month. Dashlane Family: 99/month (per user).
Social Media Management Tools
Social media is a crucial platform for freelancers to showcase their work, engage with potential clients, and develop their personal brand.
Buffer
Buffer is a social media management platform that makes it easy to schedule and publish content across multiple social media channels.
Features:
Effectively plan and schedule social media posts to guarantee consistent and timely sharing.
Improve teamwork by working with others, assigning tasks, and effectively managing social media efforts.
Using comprehensive analytics, monitor post performance and gauge audience engagement.
Use the browser extension to share and schedule content directly from web pages.
What is the cost of Buffer?
The free plan has basic features that are suitable for individuals. Buffer Essentials: /month. Buffer Team: 2/month.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management tool that facilitates users’ scheduling posts, monitoring social media activities, and analyzing performance across multiple platforms.
Features:
Manage multiple social media accounts from a single, central dashboard.
Get a better understanding of social media performance through detailed analytics and reporting.
To maintain consistent content delivery and optimal engagement, plan and schedule posts in advance.
Increase team productivity by collaborating on social media tasks and assigning specific roles.
What is the cost of Hootsuite?
Individual users can benefit from the basic features of the Free Plan. Hootsuite Professional: 9/month. Hootsuite Team: 49/month.
Communication tools
Once you’ve established the date and time, you’ll need to find a place to meet. If you’re not having in-person meetings, you need to select a videoconferencing platform that suits your needs. Our top contenders are listed here.
Google Meet
Google Meet is also a well-known videoconferencing tool. The browser-based application is connected to other Google tools, such as Gmail and Google Calendar. Scheduling meetings and sending invitations directly from your email or calendar app is made easy with this.
Google Meet has a range of interactive features available, including screen sharing and real-time captions. Attendees can participate actively in meetings even if they are not physically present in the same room as the speaker thanks to these features.
What is the cost of Google Meet?
Starting a 60-minute meeting is free for anyone with a Google Account. Having more flexibility is possible by signing up for a Google Workspace for only $6 per month. And if you already use Google to manage your business email, Google Meet will automatically be added to all your calendar events.
Skype
Skype was a widely popular tool for online communication at the time. You have the ability to make voice and video calls, send messages, and share files. It’s a great choice for freelancers, even if it doesn’t have some of the fancier features modern alternatives have.
Using Skype is possible through both the app or browser, and you can also create meeting links to invite attendees who don’t have a Skype account. Skype’s built-in features allow you to make international calls to mobile phones and landlines.
What is the cost of Skype?
Skype video calls are as free as they were a year ago. If you and your client are both on Skype, you can have unlimited meetings at any time. If you intend to use Skype to make calls to a landline or mobile phone, you can either pay as you go with Skype Credits or select a subscription plan.
Writing tools
Writing is a vital aspect of being a freelancer. The right writing tools can make a significant difference in your productivity and efficiency, not to mention your reputation. Misspelled words and questionable grammar are signs of unprofessionalism. These tools will ensure that you always make the right impression.
Google Docs
If you’re still utilizing local copies of documents created in Word, the last thing you need to do is move them online using Google Docs. The writing, editing, and creation process will be largely unchanged, with the inclusion of a spell checker and text suggestions. With Google Docs, your work is saved automatically every few seconds, so you don’t have to worry about losing it. Additionally, your files are stored securely in the cloud, allowing you to access them from anywhere at any time.
What is the cost of Google Docs?
The spell checker is available for free with every Google Account, so there are no excuses for not using it.
Grammarly
Grammarly assists you in detecting spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors while writing. It’s easy to use because it integrates with multiple platforms, regardless of the type of document you’re working on.
The suggestions for sentence structure and clarity help you improve the readability of your content. The plagiarism checker is a great feature that scans your work against billions of web pages, making it a great feature. This method ensures that there is no unintentional copying or duplication.
What is the cost of Grammarly?
If you only require basic grammar and spelling checks, Grammarly is available for free. The free version also includes suggestions for sentence structure and clarity. However, if you want advanced punctuation checks, vocabulary suggestions, and their plagiarism detector, it will cost $30 per month. If you opt for annual billing instead, you will receive an $18 discount for each month of the year.
Communication and Collaboration Tools
Effective communication is a must for freelancers, particularly when projects involve remote collaboration. Communication and collaboration tools ensure smooth interactions with clients and team members.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a collaborative platform that encompasses chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and app integration, creating a unified hub for teamwork in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Features
Provides real-time chat and communication tools to maintain continuous team interaction.
Offers extensive video conferencing capabilities for effective virtual meetings.
The platform allows for integrated file sharing and collaborative document editing directly within it.
Offers extensive integration with Microsoft 365 and a vast array of third-party applications.
What is the cost of Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft 365 Business Basic is priced per user per month. Microsoft 365 Business Standard is priced at $2.50 per user per month.
Dropbox
Dropbox’s cloud-based file storage and collaboration platform allows users to securely store, access, and share files from any device.
Features
Provides the option to create shared folders and files for collaborative workspaces.
Ensures that files are synchronized and shared smoothly across multiple devices and with team members.
Offline access to files ensures continued productivity regardless of internet availability.
What is the cost of Dropbox?
The Basic Plan is a free option with limited storage and features. Dropbox Business: 0/month. Dropbox Plus: 99/month.
Task management and project management software
Managing multiple clients can make managing your tasks and projects feel overwhelming. Task and project management software is useful in this situation. These are some popular choices for storing important work information in one place.
Trello
Trello is a task management tool that facilitates work organization and collaboration with clients. Using the Kanban board system, tasks can be visualized and moved through stages until they are completed.
Trello is known for its flexibility in creating custom boards, lists, and cards. Boards can be created for various projects or clients, lists can be added for specific stages of the project, and cards can be created that represent specific tasks.
Trello’s collaboration capabilities are another useful aspect. Clients can collaborate on tasks in real-time by sharing boards with you. By having a due date on each of your cards, you can track project progress and stay on top of deadlines.
What is the cost of Trello?
The free version of Trello is perfect for new freelancers who want to keep track of task completion. The paid plans start at $5/month when your business grows and transitions from task to project tracking.
ProjectManager
ProjectManager’s competitive pricing, range of features, and ease of use set it apart from other project management tools. Multiple project views are provided to you, allowing you to select the one that fits your needs. Tasks can be organized through the use of kanban boards, sheets, lists, or calendar views.
In addition, there are ways to manage resources across multiple projects, which can help you stay productive without experiencing burnout. To effectively price your projects, it’s possible to use it to track your time and labor costs. Real-time tracking of key project metrics is made possible by customizable reports and tailored dashboards, and automated workflows ensure that projects stay on track and deliverables meet quality standards.
What is the cost of ProjectManager?
PojectManager offers three subscription tiers that are based on the number of features you require. The Team plan is a good starting point, which costs $17 per user per month or $14 per user per month billed annually. It’s ideal to collaborate and plan projects when you have a team.
For advanced project, portfolio, and resource management options, you would be looking at the Business plan, which costs $30 per user per month or $26 per user per month billed annually. An Enterprise plan allows you to create a customized plan for yourself, so you’ll need to contact sales with your preferences to receive a quote.
Proposify
Proposify is a popular proposal software option that has editable templates. Although the templates are written as placeholder content, you will still have to write everything yourself. The A4 format is still the preferred layout option for Proposify. Your editing won’t be much different from using Word since documents are typically viewed on computer screens (especially those you want to sign digitally).
Proposify provides analytics, which will allow you to know what’s happening with your document after you send it.
What is the cost of Proposify?
If you’re just beginning, Proposify’s $49/month may be too expensive. A free plan was available for some time, but it will be discontinued sometime in 2022.
Accounting software
Accounting software is essential for managing finances as a freelancer. Finding the perfect match for your business needs is what ultimately matters. Three options are available to help you streamline your freelance finances.
FreshBooks
Small businesses and freelancers can use FreshBooks, a cloud-based accounting and invoicing software. Invoicing, time tracking, expense management, and project management are essential features offered by it. FreshBooks’ intuitive interface makes it easy to navigate through the platform, which is one of its major benefits. It’s simple to create invoices that look professional and send them directly to clients with just a few clicks.
FreshBooks also produces detailed financial reports. By doing this, you can gain insights into business performance metrics like revenue, expenses, profit margins, and cash flow statements.
What is the cost of FreshBooks?
FreshBooks’ lowest plan is $19/month, but if you want more automation and insights, they recommend the Plus plan at $33/month. Currently, they are offering a promotion that grants you 60% off on any plan for six months.
Xero
Xero is a popular accounting option for freelancers and small business owners. Xero’s user-friendly interface makes bookkeeping easier for those who don’t have a finance background. Xero’s cloud-based technology makes it easy to access your financial data from anywhere. Remote collaboration with an accountant or bookkeeper is made easy by this feature.
Customized invoices and automatic payment reminders for clients who are late on payments can be created with Xero. In addition, Xero is compatible with payment platforms like Stripe, GoCardless, and PayPal.
What is the cost of Xero?
Starting with Xero costs only $13 per month. Once your freelance business grows, you have the option to upgrade to their Growing plan for $37 per month.
