Best tools for freelancers in 2024

The thrill of landing new clients and projects can quickly be tempered by the realities of managing a freelance business. That's where freelancer tools come into play. From managing invoices to staying organized with projects, these tools have been game-changers for me, and I believe they can do the same for you. Of course, I'm not the one to hold back, so I'll share my top freelancer tools to fit any request.?

The first one is more than just a tool for me - Onigiri.one - our brainchild. And your lifesaver when it's about doing your invoicing, managing your projects, and keeping your freelance business on track. We made Onigiri to simplify these tasks and help freelancers like you focus on what you do best - your work.

Key Features

• Effortless invoicing. Create and send invoices quickly with customizable templates.
• Project management. Stay organized with task management and deadline tracking.
• Unlimited customers. Manage all your clients and projects in one place.
• Client portal. Provide a convenient portal for clients to view invoices and communicate.
• Proposals. Easily create and send proposals to potential clients.
• Free trial. Try Onigiri.one for free with our 14-day trial.

Pricing

After the 14-day trial, you can choose the plan that suits you best - monthly or yearly payment. With the yearly option, you save up to 25%

• Monthly $12 /month?
• Yearly $9 /month.?

We'll soon be adding a new pricing tier, the “Advanced” plan. It will be slightly more expensive but will include many additional features and personalized support.

Onigiri.one holds a special place in my heart, mind, and freelancing toolkit. I hope you'll give it a try and that it becomes one of your favorite freelance tools. You'll fall in love with it, just like I have.

Now, moving forward, lets talk about my favorite tools for freelancers.

Calendar management tools

Google Calendar

Key Features:

• Sync across devices. Access your calendar from anywhere and stay up-to-date on all your devices.
• Integration. Seamlessly integrates with other Google apps like Gmail, Drive, and Meet.
• Customization. Customize your calendar with different colors, labels, and event details.

Pricing

Google Calendar is free to use with a Google account.

Cal.com

Key Features:

• Simple scheduling. Easily schedule meetings and appointments with Cal.com's intuitive interface.
• Availability tracking. Share your availability with others to streamline scheduling.
• Integration. Integrates with popular calendar apps like Google Calendar and Outlook.

Pricing: Cal.com offers a free plan with limited features and a premium plan with additional features.

Microsoft Outlook Calendar

Key Features:

• Integration with Outlook email. Easily schedule meetings and appointments using your email.
• Collaboration. Share your calendar with colleagues to coordinate schedules.
• Reminders. Set reminders for important events and deadlines.

Pricing: Microsoft Outlook Calendar is included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Productivity tools

Trello

Key Features:

• Kanban boards. Organize your tasks visually with customizable boards.
• Collaboration. Share boards with team members for seamless collaboration.
• Integration. Integrates with popular apps like Google Drive, Slack, and more.

Pricing: Trello offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting at 5$/month.

Todoist

Key Features:

• Task management. Create and organize tasks with due dates and priorities.
• Collaboration. Share tasks and projects with team members for collaboration.
• Reminders. Set reminders for important deadlines and events.

Pricing: Todoist offers a free plan with limited features and a standard plan starting at 5$/month.

Focus Booster

Key Features:

• Pomodoro technique. Use the Pomodoro Technique to improve focus and productivity.
• Time tracking. Track your work sessions and analyze your productivity.
• Reports. View detailed reports to understand your work habits and improve productivity.

Pricing: Focus Booster offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting at 5$/month.

Notion

Key Features:

• All-in-one workspace.? Create notes, manage tasks, and collaborate with team members in one place.
• Database. Build databases to organize information and projects.
• Customizable. Customize Notion to fit your workflow with templates and integrations.

Pricing: Notion offers a free plan and paid plans starting at 8$/month

Asana

Key Features:

• Task management. Create tasks, assign them to team members, and track progress.
• Project planning. Plan projects, set deadlines, and visualize project timelines.
• Collaboration. Share project details, files, and updates with team members.

Pricing: Asana offers a free plan with limited features and a starter plan starting at 11$/month.

Otter.ai

Key Features:

• Real-time transcription. Provides real-time transcription of meetings and discussions.
• Highlighting key points. Automatically highlights key points in the conversation.
• Summarization. Summarizes meeting notes and provides insights for follow-up actions.

Pricing: Otter.ai offers a basic free plan and pro plans starting at 17$/month.

Business management tools

PayPal

Key Features:

• Online payments. Accept online payments from customers.
• Invoicing. Create and send invoices to clients.
• Payment processing. Securely process payments online.

Pricing: PayPal offers different business pricing plans, including transaction fees and monthly fees based on your business needs.

Hubspot

Key Features:

• CRM. Manage customer relationships and track interactions.
• Marketing automation. Create automated marketing campaigns and track their performance.
• Sales automation. Streamline your sales process and track sales activities.

Pricing: HubSpot offers a free CRM with limited features and starter plans starting at 15$/month.

QuickBooks

Key Features:

• Accounting manage. Your finances, track expenses, and create financial reports.
• Invoicing. Create and send professional invoices to clients.
• Payroll. Manage employee payroll and taxes.

Pricing: QuickBooks Online offers different pricing plans based on your business size and needs.?

Creativity and Design tools

Adobe Photoshop

Key Features:

• Image editing. Edit and enhance photos with advanced tools and filters.
• Graphic design. Create stunning graphics, banners, and logos.
• Digital art. Develop digital paintings and illustrations.

Pricing: Adobe Photoshop is available through Adobe's Creative Cloud subscription, which includes various pricing plans for individuals and businesses.

Procreate

Key Features:

• Digital painting. Create expressive paintings and illustrations.
• Drawing tools. Use a variety of brushes and tools for precise drawing.
• Animation. Create simple animations and GIFs.

Pricing: Procreate is a one-time purchase available on the App Store for iPad for 13$

Canva

Key Features:

• Design templates. Access thousands of templates for social media, presentations, and more.
• Drag-and-drop interface. Easily customize designs with a user-friendly interface.
• Collaboration. Collaborate with team members in real-time.

Pricing: Canva offers a free plan with limited features and pro plans starting at 15$/month.

Coolors

Key Features:

• Color palette generator. Generate beautiful color palettes for your designs.
• Customization. Customize color palettes to fit your brand or project.
• Export. Export color palettes in various formats for use in design tools.

Pricing: Coolors offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting at 4$/month.

Sketch

Key Features:

• Vector editing. Create scalable vector graphics for websites and apps.
• Prototyping. Design interactive prototypes for user testing.
• Plugins. Extend functionality with a wide range of community-developed plugins.

Pricing: Sketch offers a one-time purchase license with updates for one year, with an option to renew for continued updates and support for 120$ or a standard subscription for 10$/month

Writing tools

Grammarly

Key Features:

• Grammar and spelling check. Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
• Style suggestions. Improve clarity, tone, and style of writing.
• Plagiarism checker. Detect plagiarism and ensure originality.

Pricing: Grammarly offers a free plan with basic features and premium plans starting at 12$/month.

Hemingway

Key Features:

• Readability check. Highlight complex sentences and suggest simpler alternatives.
• Passive voice detection. Identify and suggest removing passive voice.
• Formatting. Format text for clarity and readability.

Pricing: Hemingway Editor is available for a one-time purchase on desktop for 20%, with a free web version and premium options for additional features.

Scrivener

Key Features:

• Writing organization. Organize your writing into chapters, sections, and scenes.
• Research integration. Store research materials and references within your writing project.
• Compile and export. Compile your writing into various formats for publishing.

Pricing: Scrivener is available for a one-time desktop purchase of $58$, with a free trial and discounts for educators and students.

ProWritingAid

Key Features:

• Grammar and style check. Improve grammar, style, and readability.
• Writing reports. Receive detailed reports on your writing, including overused words and sentence structure.
• Integration. Integrates with popular writing platforms like Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Pricing: ProWritingAid offers a free plan with limited features and premium plans starting at 30$/month.

Google Docs

Key Features:

• Collaboration. Collaborate with others in real-time on documents.
• Cloud storage. Store and access your documents from anywhere.
• Basic formatting. Format your documents with basic styling options.

Pricing: Google Docs is free to use with a Google account, with additional storage options available for purchase.

Now, I want to talk about the top freelancing tools in 2024. That's, actually, my favorite kind of tool - well-being and health. I believe that your physical and mental health should be your number one priority. It should be your favorite project because, without a stable and healthy mind and body, you won't be able to find happiness in all your work-related progress. And in 2024, we are finally prioritizing mental health over unhealthy workaholism. But sometimes, my motivation is low, and I find myself drowning in my work tasks. If I didn't have those tools in my arsenal, I'd be completely burned out by the end of the month.

Well-being and health

Headspace

Key Features:

• Meditation. Access guided meditation sessions for stress relief and mindfulness.
• Sleep sounds. Improve sleep quality with soothing sounds and bedtime stories.
• Mindful workouts. Combine mindfulness with physical exercise for a holistic approach to health.

Pricing: Headspace offers a free basic plan with limited features and premium plans starting at 13$/month.

Simple Habit

Key Features:

• Meditation for busy people. Short, guided meditation sessions designed for busy lifestyles.
• Personalized meditation. Access meditation sessions tailored to your specific needs and goals.
• Daily mindfulness. Cultivate a daily mindfulness practice with ease.

Pricing: Simple Habit offers a free plan with limited features and premium plans starting at 12$/month.

BetterMe

Key Features:

• Personalized workouts. Access customized workout plans based on your fitness goals.
• Nutrition guidance. Receive personalized diet plans and nutritional tips for a balanced lifestyle.
• Progress tracking. Track your fitness progress and celebrate achievements.

Pricing: BetterMe offers a free plan with limited features and premium plans starting at 20$/month.

Nike Training Club

Key Features:

• Workout library. Access a wide range of guided workout sessions for all fitness levels.
• Personalized recommendations. Receive workout recommendations based on your fitness goals and preferences.
• Community support. Connect with a community of fitness enthusiasts for motivation and support.

Pricing: Nike Training Club made their premium content free for all Nike Members.

Calm

Key Features:

• Guided meditation. Access guided meditation sessions for relaxation and stress relief.
• Sleep stories. Drift off to sleep with soothing bedtime stories narrated by celebrities.
• Breathing exercises. Practice deep breathing techniques for relaxation and focus.

Pricing: Calm offers a free trial with limited features and a yearly plan costs 67$

And last but not least!?

Learning and skill development

I believe that we are supposed to always learn and grow. And yes, it’s important to always improve as professionals, but I want you to learn some skills for fun, to find new hobbies, or simply to explore something that sparks your curiosity. Learning should be a joyous pursuit, not just a means to an end.?

Coursera

Key Features:

• Online courses. Access a wide range of courses from universities and institutions worldwide.
• Specializations. Enroll in specialized courses to deepen your knowledge in specific areas.
• Certificates. Earn certificates upon course completion to showcase your skills.

Pricing: Coursera offers free courses with the option to purchase certificates, as well as subscription plans for unlimited access to courses for 59$/month

Skillshare

Key Features:

• Creative classes. Explore classes on design, photography, writing, and more.
• Project-based learning. Learn by completing projects and assignments.
• Community interaction. Engage with a community of learners and creators.

Pricing: Skillshare offers a free plan with limited features and premium plans starting at 29$/month.

Duolingo

Key Features:

• Language learning. Learn languages through interactive exercises and games.
• Progress tracking. Track your progress and set personalized goals.
• Community support. Practice with native speakers and language learners.

Pricing: Duolingo offers a free plan with ads and a premium ad-free plan for 13$/month

MasterClass

Key Features:

• Celebrity instructors. Learn from renowned experts in various fields.
• Inspiring content. Gain insights and inspiration from exclusive video content.
• Varied topics. Explore classes on cooking, writing, music, and more.

Pricing: MasterClass offers a subscription-based model for unlimited access to classes starting from 120$ per year.

Linkedin Learning

Key Features:

• Professional development. Access courses on leadership, management, and other professional skills.
• Expert instructors. Learn from industry experts and thought leaders.
• Course recommendations. Receive personalized course recommendations based on your interests.

Pricing: LinkedIn Learning offers a subscription-based model for unlimited access to courses. The individual Plan is 40/month.

Well, that's, I believe, the best freelancing tools in 2024. And I know, I know, not all of them a completely freelance-related, I don't wanna talk about Fiverr and Slack all the time, I hope you are already getting along with those two. Hope you've found some inspiration and discovered something new for your freelance toolkit.