19 Web Productivity Tools for Freelancers

If you’re a freelancer, you know the importance of managing your time, organizing your work, and communicating effectively—no matter what industry you’re in. Many useful mobile apps and web tools are available to help increase your productivity and manage your workload as you juggle clients and projects. But which ones are best for you and your work?

This article discusses some top web productivity tools for independent workers and explains how they can help you grow your business and improve your workflow. We’ve even included information on some app trials and offers available for talent on Upwork!

Table of Contents

1. Project Catalog
2. nTask
3. Asana
4. ClickUp
5. Harvest
6. Toggl
7. Shift
8. ProofHub
9. Evernote
10. Todoist
11. Zapier
12. Dropbox
13. GanttPRO
14. Trello
15. Calendly
16. Slack
17. Microsoft Teams
18. Twist
19. Zoom

Note that reported prices are for annual billing, and many prices will be higher for monthly billing.

1. Project Catalog

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Project Catalog^TM curates predefined, ready-to-purchase projects—websites, articles and blog posts, logos, social media management, and more—available from independent workers.

The platform gives you control as an independent worker. You set the cost, timeline, and parameters of the deliverables for clients who choose to work with you. After defining a potential project, you create a listing for your work. Clients then browse through potential projects, choosing the package they want with a simple click. The process offers a quick and easy way to work with multiple clients.

Price: There’s no charge to sign up for Upwork; a 10% service fee is assessed on your earnings

Best for: Defining and selling potential projects

2. nTask

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nTask is all-in-one work management software that allows you to break projects into tasks, collaborate more effectively, and even schedule meetings. It offers kanban boards and Gantt charts for helpful visualization and also includes time-tracking software.Plus, a progress checker lets you set due dates for tasks, which makes meeting your goals easier than ever.

‍Price: $3 per user per month for a Premium plan; $8 per user per month for a Business plan (billed annually)

Best for: Workflow management

3. Asana

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Asana is a project management tool that’s great for managing day-to-day tasks as well as long term plans.

You can break things down into projects, tasks, and subtasks—and include due dates for each. The platform also makes it easy to visualize your work with Gantt-style timelines and calendars.

Price: Free basic plan; $10.99 per user per month for the Starter plan or $24.99 per user per month for the Advanced plan

Best for: Project management

4. ClickUp

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ClickUp is a versatile project management app that includes docs, whiteboards, communication tools, and more. Built-in automations and AI capabilities make ClickUp a powerful tool for optimizing workflows as well as keeping individual project tasks organized and on track.

Price: Free basic plan; $7 per user per month for an Unlimited plan, $12 per user per month for a Business plan (billed annually). Plus, talent on Upwork can get 20% off either the Unlimited or Business plan.

Best for: Project management

5. Harvest

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Harvest’s simple interface makes the task of tracking your time spent working easy. You can also track expenses for professional invoices and time sheets that equal better client billing. The Harvest time tracker works with many of your other favorite web tools and apps, streamlining your everyday time tracking workflow.

Price: Free for one user taking on just two projects; $10.80 per seat per month for the unlimited Pro plan (billed annually)

Best for: Time tracking and creating invoices

6. Toggl

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Toggl is a time-tracking software and project management app that has everything you need for managing your workflow. It’s a simple solution that helps independent workers monitor how long they’re spending on each project as they calculate their billable hours. The software also offers detailed time reports.  

Price: Free for a basic plan; $9 per user per month for a Starter plan; $18 per user per month for a Premium plan (billed annually). If you have a talent account on Upwork, you can get a 30-day free trial of Premium features followed by 50% off the starter plan.

Best for: Time tracking

7. Shift

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Shift brings all your email and app accounts into one window, making communication across platforms easier than ever. If you’re working with multiple clients who use a variety of platforms, your Shift workstation allows you to track all your work on multiple apps—including Slack, ClickUp, Gmail, Messenger, Excel, WhatsApp, Discord, Facebook, Instagram, and more. The platform also lets you set focused web tabs to reduce distractions and desktop notifications.

Price: Free for a Basic plan; $149 per year for an Advanced plan (or $149 per user, per year for a Teams plan—all billed annually)

Best for: Cross-platform communication

8. ProofHub

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ProofHub helps you stay organized and on task while tracking your progress on different client projects. This all-in-one, cloud-based project planning solution lets you assign tasks to different parties and monitor the time spent on each deliverable. You can also upload the documents you need to get each job done efficiently. Other features include notes, to-do lists, Gantt charts, calendars, and milestone tracking.

Price: $45 per month for an Essential plan; $89 per month for an Ultimate Control plan (billed annually)

‍Best for: All-in-one project management

9. Evernote

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Evernote is a convenient note-taking app that makes brainstorming effective. It allows you to organize and arrange your ideas with the help of templates, a web clipper, document scanner, and task organizer. Plus, Evernote has a mobile app so it’s easy to use on the go.

Price: Free for basic plan; $10.83 per month for a Personal plan; $14.17 per month for a Professional plan; $20.83 per user per month for a Teams plan (billed annually)

Best for: Taking notes and organizing ideas

10. Todoist

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Todoist is great for task-oriented workers who like checklists. The app simplifies how you organize projects—it uses boards, labels, and lists for different jobs. You can assign priority levels, make certain tasks favorites, and set reminders. The app makes collaborating with others simple and easy by offering a share feature.

Price: Free for a Beginner plan; $4 per user per month for a Pro plan; $6 per user per month for a Business plan (billed annually)

Best for: Organizing tasks

11. Zapier

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Zapier allows you to automate your favorite web productivity apps. It organizes all of your most-used tools into one place, meaning you spend less time toggling between different platforms and more time focused on your work. Zapier is compatible with more than 4,000 apps on the market—including Google Workspace, Slack, Mailchimp, Twitter, Facebook Ads, HubSpot, Discord, and more.

Price: Free for basic plan; $19.99 per month for a Professional automation plan; $69 per month for a Team automation plan (billed annually)

Best for: Accessing multiple apps and platforms in one space

12. Dropbox

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Dropbox, a file sharing service, lets you quickly and easily send videos, images, word-processing docs, and other files to anyone. It’s especially valuable for working with large files.The cloud-based platform safely stores all your content in a single place without overloading your device’s storage capacity—and It even has an electronic signature feature to keep files more secure.

Price: Personal plans start at $9.99 per month; Essentials plans for individuals start at $16.58 per month (billed annually). Talent on Upwork can get three months of Dropbox Plus for free, as well as beta access to the new Dropbox Dash tool that uses AI to search across connected apps and cloud accounts.

Best for: File sharing and storage

13. GanttPRO

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GanttPRO lets you create charts to manage tasks and plan your workflow. The cloud-based software has a visual interface that’s great for remote teams or individual users, allowing you to organize tasks and manage deadlines. You can also follow how much time you spend on each aspect of every project.

Price: $7.99 per user per month for a Basic plan; $12.99 per user per month for a Pro plan; $19.99 per user per month for a Business plan (billed annually)

Best for: Task management

14. Trello

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Trello is a collaborative project management tool that’s helpful for organizing work and sharing it with team members or clients. Similar to a board with sticky notes, Trello’s interface allows you to visualize the status of various tasks and quickly identify what work needs to be done. You can also automate tasks and your overall workflow. Plus, you can use the app across multiple devices to track your work wherever you are.

Price: Free for basic plan; $5 per user per month for a Standard plan; $10 per user per month for a Premium plan (billed annually)

Best for: Project management

15. Calendly

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Calendly’s scheduling automation tool is an easy-to-manage app that streamlines the process of scheduling meetings. It does this by showing those you’re trying to connect with exactly when you’re available. Calendly integrates with many popular tools like LinkedIn, Google Calendar, Zoom, Outlook, and iCloud Calendar so you can track your meetings and appointments from anywhere.

Price: Free for a basic plan; $10 per seat per month for a Standard plan; $16 per seat per month for  Team plan (billed annually)

Best for: Scheduling

16. Slack

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Slack connects you with clients and collaborators, enabling real-time and asynchronous communication about projects and getting every stakeholder on the same page quickly. Users can organize communication chat rooms by topic, specific groups of people, and direct messaging. Built-in automation also allows you to easily perform repetitive tasks like sharing updates and gathering feedback. Slack integrates with other popular apps, such as Google Drive and Microsoft 365.

Price: Free for a Basic plan; $7.25 per person per month for a Pro plan; $12.50 per person per month for a Business+ plan (billed annually)

Best for: Communication with teams and clients

‍17. Microsoft Teams

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Microsoft Teams helps you stay connected with your team, collaborators, and clients. The platform offers workplace chat spaces that are helpful whether you’re connecting with individuals or groups. Users can access video conferencing features like screen sharing, customized backgrounds, and breakout rooms. Microsoft Teams also has meeting recording and transcript functionality.

Price: $4 per user per month for Microsoft Teams Essentials, $6 and up per user per month for Business plans (billed annually)

Best for: Collaboration and communication

18. Twist

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Twist is ideal for asynchronous communication rather than real-time conversations. It lets you interact with collaborators and clients without being chained to your devices during specific times—and keeps conversations organized by topic, project, or client. This way, you can search for the thread and information you need to get the job done quickly. Twist also integrates with many other platforms, including file-sharing and content apps and project management tools.

Price: Free for Basic plan; $6 per user per month for an Unlimited plan (billed annually)

Best for: Communication

19. Zoom

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Zoom’s video conferencing platform makes it simple to connect with remote teams and clients no matter where you are. It offers a grid-stye view and intuitive, easy-to-use tools. You can also record and transcribe meetings. While there’s a free tier for short meetings with small groups, the highest-tiered subscribers can host up to 500 people.

Price: Free Basic plan; $13.32 per user per month and up for Pro or Business plans (billed annually)

Best for: Video conferencing with small and large groups

Choosing the best productivity tool for your team

With so many web-based tools available, choosing a productivity app for yourself and your team of collaborators might seem overwhelming. Consider a few things when selecting tools to help manage your workflow.

• Cost. Review the various subscription plans offered if you’re working with a strict budget. Many web productivity tools offer a free basic plan to let you try them out before committing and spending money.
• Integration. For convenience, look for tools that sync up with most of the apps and platforms you’re already using, especially popular products by Google and Microsoft.
• Ease of use. The easier a web-based tool is to navigate, the more productive your team will be. Assess the functionality of the app you’re considering. An intuitive interface will make for a smooth transition when incorporating a tool into your workflow.
• Where you need the most help. Consider your unique requirements when determining which tools you should use. Do you need a collaboration tool or something that can help keep you on track with tasks? Or maybe you need help taking notes and organizing ideas?
• Collaboration. Look for web tools that allow for simple and effective communication if you’re working as part of a team or want to keep your clients connected with your work.
• Compatibility. Some apps are designed for certain devices and operating systems, such as Linux, Windows, and macOS. Some web-based tools are easier to use on laptops and computers than on Android devices or iPhones. Consider your devices when selecting a tool.

Use the right tools for you or your team

As a freelancer juggling multiple projects and clients, you may need a little extra help. Luckily, many web tools and apps can give your organization and productivity a boost.

Whether you’re looking for a tool to streamline task deadlines, improve your time management, share files, make video calls, or collaborate with your clients on projects, you have many great apps available right at your fingertips. And remember—you can check out the full list of discounts for talent on Upwork over on our always-updated Apps and Offers page.

These tools can help you grow your freelance business. And if you’re looking for new clients, Upwork can connect you with businesses searching for talented professionals like yourself. From Talent Marketplace™ to Project Catalog, there are plenty of ways to connect with clients and earn money on Upwork. There’s no charge to sign up—but if you opt for a Freelancer Plus plan, you’ll get access to weekly coaching support, additional Connects, and Upwork Chat Pro, powered by Uma™, Upwork’s mindful AI with GPT-4. Log in to your Upwork account or sign up to get started.

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Upwork does not control, operate, or sponsor the other tools or services discussed in this article, which are only provided as potential options. Each reader and company should take the time to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.

Prices are current at the time of writing and may change over time based on each service’s offerings.