Going self-employed can be tough. You have to find your own clients, keep repeat customers sweet, and the onus is all on you to keep the business running well.
But another thing that can be tough for freelancers is investing in the wrong software and costing yourself a pretty penny when there may be far better options for you to take advantage of.
And to be frank, some of the apps for finding freelance work are way better than others.
For that reason, we felt the need to check out some of the best apps for freelancers on your behalf so that you don’t have to waste too much of your precious time doing this research.
We tried them out ourselves to give you an honest, unbiased review of each one. Then we’re going to top that off with a handy buying guide that will walk you through some of the key points to consider when choosing your apps.
Then we’ll share with you the answers to some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject.
And without further ado, let’s get straight to it!
In a hurry? Check out our number one pick!
Best Apps For Freelancers
OUR TOP PICK
Upwork is one of the best-known platforms for finding freelance work, and in addition to its website, it also offers two apps, one for freelancers and one for those hiring them.
The most heavily used one is the Android version, which has a user rating of 3.8 stars, which may not sound too great, but it is pretty good for an app in this space.
Upwork is the most prominent online solution for connecting businesses with freelance professionals.
You can use the app to apply for freelance jobs across the entire globe.
You can browse for or search for jobs or even have the app match you to jobs based on your profile. And as you browse through, you can save your favorites.
The pay amount is provided for each job with the job description, and you can put in a bid for any job that appeals to you.
And that’s not all. You can use the same app to communicate with your clients, share files, and even get paid.
There are over 70 job categories, including programming, design, accounting, sales and marketing, and many more.
Our Personal Experience With The App: The app is intuitive and easy to use. A wide array of jobs were available, and the payments offered seemed quite fair.Pros
- One of the largest platforms for connecting freelancers with clients
- You can use it to communicate with the client and share files
- Intuitive, easy-to-use user interface
- You can filter the jobs to find the ones you prefer
Cons
- Scrolling through the available jobs on the app takes longer than on a desktop because you will have to scroll more on a smartphone than you would on a laptop
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EDITORS CHOICE
The Fiverr website is one of the most well-known sites for finding (or acquiring) freelance work. And in addition to this service, Fiverr also runs an app for running a freelance business.
With the Fiverr Workspace app, freelancers can carry out all manner of tasks.
This includes creating invoices in a matter of seconds, tracking the time spent on a project, managing projects (e.g., by setting deadlines for each element), automatically tracking expenses, simplifying the tax filing process, creating contracts, and accepting payments through various means, including bank transfers and PayPal.
You even get your own personal Chief Operator to lend a helping hand.
It even allows you to customize your documents in keeping with your branding.
It’s got a decent average user rating, coming in at 3.9 stars, with the majority of users giving it a full 5 out of 5 stars.
Users praise how the app not only makes the whole freelancing experience less daunting but also makes the work a cakewalk.
Our Personal Experience With The App: We found that it was very convenient to have everything in one place. There was no going into one app for invoicing and another one for tracking the number of hours working on a particular project.Pros
- It’s effectively a one-stop-shop for all your freelance business needs
- Allows you to carry out numerous business tasks
- You can customize documents in line with your branding
- Lots of excellent user ratings and reviews
- Clean, user-friendly interface
Cons
- Some users find the app a little limited compared to the website
- There seems to be no tutorial on the app to help you to navigate it
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BEST VALUE
This award-winning app is one of the world's largest marketplaces for outsourcing and freelancing (and crowdsourcing too). It is designed to connect clients with freelancers.
The different categories of jobs available range from software engineers, graphic designers, SEO specialists, translators, and many more.
You can use the app to browse through available jobs as a freelancer. And as you do so, you will be presented with a job title, description, and budget.
There’s also the number of bids already made for the project, a rating, and a comments section.
You can set up your profile on the app with a photo, your hourly rate, and other details such as where in the world you’re based, timeliness, repeat hire rate, and more.
There are almost as many 1-star reviews as 5-star reviews for this app, which is why it’s not surprising that the average user rating comes in at a modest 3.1 stars out of 5.
Our Personal Experience With The App: We had no issues using this app at all, but we wish it had more features. It’s okay but a little limited in what it can do.Pros
- Great range of job categories that you could go for
- Handy when you want to access the site on the go
- Good job summaries, complete with description, offer, & number of bids
- On your profile, you can set your preferred pay rate
Cons
- Some scams have been reported, so please be wary of them when using the app
- The app has limited functionality compared to the website
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RUNNER UP
You’ve heard of LinkedIn. Well, this app has a lot in common with LinkedIn in that it’s a social networking work app, but it’s a highly exclusive community for freelancers and solopreneurs only.
Permission to join the community requires either a completed LinkedIn profile or a freelancer portfolio.
You can use the app to not only connect with other freelancers but also to collaborate with them.
And at the same time, you can also use it as a platform to showcase your work since you can upload videos, photos, attachments, and more to your profile.
But as helpful as these features may be for many, its stand-out feature is that it offers flexible financing to eligible freelancers.
And this is great because it's specifically tailored to your freelancing business schedule.
The communities available to join in Noumena are as follows: therapists, photographers, scientists, digital nomads, architects, writers, and designers. (There may be more by the time you read this.)
In these communities, you can chat in real-time and read up on the latest news and events in your particular industry. It’s particularly handy for identifying potential mentors.
Users seem to take very polarized views of this app. When this article was written, there were just over 100 user ratings for it on Google Play, and each user had given it either 5 stars or 1 star.
You love it, or you hate it.
Our Personal Experience With The App: We enjoyed using this app; it was nice to be able to connect to a community and chat with other digital nomads. Recommended.Pros
- Flexible financing opportunities!
- Be part of an exclusive community & chat in real-time
- Connect with other freelancers in your industry
- Discover news and events in your particular industry
Cons
- At the writting of this article, the app was still pretty much in its early days and hadn’t gotten far off the ground. Because of this, the communities were still relatively small, and the app was a little buggy.
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RUNNER UP
The Toptal Talent app is dedicated to more than just freelancers per se, but it has become particularly popular with freelancers and solopreneurs.
Though that said, it is heavily geared toward freelancers who work full time rather than those just doing a side hustle.
The blurb for the app describes Toptal as an elite network of the world’s top talent, the top 3% no less, and rightly so.
Companies such as those in the Fortune 500 and Silicon Valley often come to the Toptal Talent network to outsource their projects.
Toptal Talent is for freelancers in the following categories: developers, finance experts, project managers, designers, and product managers.
You can use the app to find and apply for work and update your availability, respond to interest requests, schedule interviews, track your applications, and connect with the whole Toptal community.
Another thing we love about Toptal Talent is that it’s known for prompt payment, which is always good to know.
The biggest drawback to this app is that Toptal has a screening process designed to weed out those who aren’t as talented as required. But then again, there may be many who would relish this challenge.
Our Personal Experience With The App: Unfortunately, when we tried this app out, we failed the screening process, which goes to show the app does focus only on the most talented freelance professionals.
Pros
- You may be sought out by the likes of Fortune 500 companies (great for your resume!)
- You can make your availability clear, so you will never be overbooked
- You can expect to be paid promptly for your work
Cons
- You will have to go through a screening process
- Only for full-time freelancers who fall into one of the five categories mentioned earlier
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Best Apps For Freelancers Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide. Let us walk you through the key points to consider when shopping for freelance software.
What Do You Need?
Conduct an assessment of what apps you need for your freelancing business…
For example, do you need an app for invoicing, for calculating the number of hours you spend on a task, or for clients to book appointments with you?
Try to cover all the bases without downloading excess apps you’ll never use.
And this goes for apps for finding freelance work, too - stick with the ones that are the most relevant and have plenty of opportunities in your particular line of work.
Device Compatibility
There’s nothing worse than deciding you love a particular app, and then it turns out that it’s not compatible with your device, be it a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
So please, be sure to check the compatibility of the app with your particular system. Some apps are available across platforms, but sadly not all of them.
(When we put this shortlist of freelancer apps together, we were careful to include ones that are available on both the Android and iOS platforms. Most also have their own URL to view their offering on a web browser.)
App Vs Website
Many freelance work platforms like to flaunt their snazzy apps, but the truth is these apps are just a succinct way of placing the platform's main features in a more easily accessible way.
You may find that you get more out of the platform on its URL on a web browser than you would on a “watered down” version, which would have relatively limited functionality.
Easy To Use User Interface
These days, there’s much emphasis on apps being intuitive, easy to use, and user-friendly.
And to be fair, most apps do live up to this new standard. However, this is only sometimes the case.
When you are looking at a particular app in any app store, you can look at screenshots within the app to give you an idea of what to expect from it.
You should take advantage of this and check that you can follow what is presented in the app.
Some apps offer a tutorial, which is great for familiarizing yourself with the various menus, filters, and options. So this is also something to look out for.
App Storage Size
If you have limited storage space on your device, you may wish to be mindful of how big the app is in terms of how much storage space it takes up.
If you wish to use many different apps, the smaller the app storage size, the better.
Offline Usage
Depending on the nature of your work, you may only sometimes have a good Wi-Fi signal. But why should that stop you from browsing what jobs may be available for you?
Of course, to use the app to chat in real-time with prospective or actual employers, you will be in need an internet connection.
User Ratings
Most stores where you can download apps feature user ratings, and this is a great way to judge how good an app may be for you before you hit that buy or download button.
Fees Payable & Value For Money
We are so lucky to have so many great apps available for free download.
But if you have a limited budget, it may be worth checking whether any app you’re interested in has a subscription fee or in-app distractions such as ads or in-app purchases.
Answers To Your Most Frequently Asked Questions
Which Freelancing App Is Best For Beginners?
We suppose that the best app for finding freelancing gigs would be Upwork for Freelancers because it has a wide range of gigs available.
And there’s no screening process or specific requirements to join the network.
However, the best app for beginners who want to organize their freelance business has to be Fiverr Workspace. It’s both easy and intuitive and takes care of just about everything for you.
Which Platform Is Best For Freelancers?
The freelance job platform that’s best for you depends on your line of work and how much money you can make through it.
This can vary quite considerably. It’s beyond the scope of this article to determine that for you, and we suggest checking out the platforms shortlisted and deciding for yourself.
Which Freelancing Site Pays The Most?
Unfortunately, there’s no straight answer to this question. It depends on the nature of your work and on how well you can sell it to a client.
The top earners can earn upwards of $100,000 a year.
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