40 Amazing Web Apps for Freelancers
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Web apps are great because you can access them from anywhere, they keep all of your data safe, and for the most part, they’re straightforward to get up and running with (No installations or configuring needed!)
The catch of course is that there are thousands of them and it can be a challenge to find the ones that will really help you. In this post we’ve collected together 40 of our favorites. Read the notes on each to see if it would fit your workflow, and who knows, you might just end up a little more productive than before!
Developer
1. LaunchSplash
LaunchSplash is a fairly niche tool. It builds “Coming Soon” pages for your domain quickly and easily.
2. Springloops
Springloops is a unique source code management tool for web development teams. It allows coding in parallel, sharing your code safely, and not overwriting files.
3. Browsershots
Browsershots will make screenshots of your web design in different browsers. This is an open-source online, created by Johann C. Nicholl. If you send your web address, its submitted to the queue and you’ll get to see how it performs in various systems.
4. JS Charts
JS Charts is another JavaScript generator . It is noteworthy because very little knowledge of coding allows you to easily create charts of various types, e.g. bar graphs.
5. iPlotz
iPlotz allows you to rapidly create clickable, navigable mockups and wireframes for prototyping websites and software applications. You can also invite other people comment on the drawings, and once ready, you can manage tasks for developers and designers to create the project.
6. UploadRobots
UploadRobots is just like a thumbdrive, but it’s on the internet so you’ll never misplace or damage your files. In seconds you can upload, store, download, share and access all of your files online. UploadRobots is a fast, safe and simple way to upload, download and share your files. File management has never been easier.
7. PHPanywhere
PHPanywhere is an online service that allows you to write and test your PHP apps from anywhere. All you need is a web browser.
8. Fivesecondtest
Fivesecondtests help you easily identify the most prominent elements of your user interfaces. It’s an app that allows random users to conduct simple 5 second usability tests that help you to measure the effectiveness of your web page designs.
9. Chartle
Chartle is very easy to use and totally free online graphics generator. Chartle will allows you to integrate your plans, maps, graphs, charts and reports online. Best of all, there is no registration requirement.
Designer
10. StripeGenerator
StripeGenerator is a background strip creation service that can be used as a web page background or pattern in image processing software like Photoshop.
11. Picnik
Picnik is an online photo editor that can work directly with online photo libraries like like Flickr, Facebook, and Picasa Web Albums. You can also upload files and download them again when you are finished.
12. Go2Convert
Go2Convert is a set of free web based tools that allow you to convert and resize pictures. It is not meant to be a complete image editing package, but to be an easy to use one-trick pony.
13. Color Scheme Designer
ColorSchemeDesigner is a cool online color scheme picker for web or other design projects. The best thing about this tool is that it gives you a large number of second choices when selecting a color scheme and previewing it.
14. Typetester
Typetester lets you compare 3 different fonts, in various styles and sizes, side-by-side. It makes it much easier to get the right font combo for your site.
15. Typekit
Typekit is the easiest way to use real fonts on the web, it is a service to connect high-quality Open Type fonts from several of the world’s best foundries. Each major browser now supports the ability to link to a font. That means you can write a little CSS, including the URL for a font file, and have your pages display with the typography you expect.
16. PXtoEM
PXtoEM is an online calculator that can help you easily covert pixels, to EMs, to percent or to points.
17. Viewlike.Us
ViewLike.Us is a website that allows you to check your layout in different resolutions.
18. Mockingbird
Mockingbird is a tool for creating wireframes for your website or webapp online. It makes it simple to create, link together, preview, and share your site or application mockups with colleagues and clients.
19. Concept Feedback
Concept Feedback is designed specifically for graphic and web designers to get a free, honest feedback from like-minded professionals. And the owners are awesome, so definitely win-win here!
20. Themeleon
Themeleon makes Twitter background. You have the choice of more than 683,853 background patterns and 1,041,687 color palettes available on COLOURlovers, or you can customize any of the colors or patterns to get just the right design for you.
Invoices and Time Tracking
21. Ballpark
Ballpark is can send invoices, receive payments, bid on projects, and keep their teams on the same page.
22. Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice provides nice features such as easy-formatted, elegant, invoices and quotes for your client. Using Zoho Invoice, you can track accept and track payments from customers online.
23. Freshbooks
Freshbooks is a very popular online invoicing app. Freshbooks provides a fast and simple invoicing and time tracking service that helps you manage your business. It’s nice to see something dull like accounts so brightly colored!
24. The Invoice Machine
A professionally designed application that focuses on simplicity, the Invoice Machine is one of the nicer invoicing tools available. A professional looking invoice says a lot to your client — Invoice Machine can help complete a great impression.
25. Backpack
Backpack is a simple intranet for your company. Very easy to configure and use as a service that integrates task lists, notes, files, photos and a calendar with reminders sent to your e-mail or phone. Safe and reliable.
26. Ta-da List
Ta-da List is a to-do list tool from the makers of Basecamp. You’ll find similar to-do functionality in some of their other apps, but Ta-da List is free for anyone to use.
27. RescueTime
RescueTime is a web-based time-management tool that helps you manage your time by providing real-time stats on where you are spending most of your time and which applications are you using the most. One of the coolest things about RescueTime is that there is no data entry.
28. Project Bubble
Project Bubble is project management and invoicing tool that has been specifically developed for freelancers. A cheap alternative to Basecamp and Freshbooks, it’s simple to use and is being very actively developed by the owner.
Tools
29. Gist
Gist is an online service that helps you build stronger relationships. By connecting your inbox to the web, you get business-critical information about key people and companies.
30. Cotweet
CoTweet allows multiple people to communicate through corporate Twitter accounts and stay in sync while doing so. No stepping on each other’s toes. It makes managing a business account a little easier with support for dual accounts, assignment of tweets, and robust notifications.
31. MailChimp
MailChimp is web-based application that helps you design, send, and track your email marketing campaigns. MailChip is a fun email marketing service designed with simplicity and easily integrates with Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Salesforce and even PayPal.
32. iDrive
IDrive is online backup service that offer great backup tools and the backup interface is unusually easy to use. IDrive have features such as Automatic Backup, True Archiving, Versioning, Continuous Backup, Mapped Drive Backup and more.
33. Dropbox
We’ve written before about how awesome Dropbox is. They’ve since cranked the total amount of free storage possible up to over 10GB! Check it out here.
34. Mint
Mint is a money management tool and it’s completely free. Mint lets its users analyze their spending, saving, and other financial habits, and also offer suggestions for improvements. Not strictly a freelancing app, but given how much we have to organize the rest of our money, it’s makes no sense not to be careful with your personal cash as well!
35. Basecamp
Basecamp is a an extremely popular project management app. Built with simplicity as a core principle, it’s extremely user-friendly for you and your clients.
36. LinkedIn
Linkedin is a professional network with 40 million members and is growing rapidly. Linkedin allows you to connect with people you know through your professional life, share references and find new work.
37. Campfire
Campfire is a tool that allows group chat like instant messaging, but designed specifically for the group. You can setup a password-protected chat rooms in just seconds. Invite customers, partners and vendors to chat and collaborate.
38. Skype
Skype is one tool you’ve no doubt heard of before. It’s still the de facto standard for online calls though. Extremely cheap to make calls anywhere in the world.
39. BidSketch
BidSketch is an online application developed for designers as a way to simplify the sending and receiving of proposals and project offers.
40. WORKetc
WORKetc is a good way to finish up this list because it’s an attempt at being an all-in-one tool. It combines project management, invoicing, CRM and more into one tool. Might appeal to you if you’d rather have everything in one place!
What Tools Do You Use?
If you’re working online now, odds are that you’re using at least one or two tools to help with your workflow. What are they?
We’d love to hear about them in the comments and why they’re worthwhile for you. Might even give me something new to try!
Enjoy this post? You should follow me on Twitter!
About the Author
denbagus
Denbagus.net is a weblog that provides Web Technology resources , web 2.0, web apps, web technology trends, open source, free stuff , tips and trick. You can follow on Twitter or contact him through his website.
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Hey thank you for the mention of Project Bubble! Very kind.
Can I also mention that if you just want Invoicing we have another app called Invoice Bubble, which literally just does that – invoicing:
http://invoicebubble.com
Looks really nice Stu, I’ll definitely try that out! :)
Just took a look at your Invoice Bubble and it looks really useful. Also noticed there is a free version. Will definitely give it a try!
Great list. I already use some of these, including Dropbox, Zoho, Mint and Skype, but may be looking at some of the others. Thanks
No mention of blinksale? I’ve been using it for invoicing for about a year now and love it.
Sorry, I’ve never used it myself. What do you like most about it?
Wow, I am the first :)
awesome list, thank you for collecting and sharing, i’m deffinitelly tweeting (@ashocka18) and bookmarking it :D
Thanks, appreciate the share!
wow. awesome list. thanks for sharing, and glad to see a few of the apps i use on there.
Nice post! I have heard of most of them, but there were a few helpful mentions… I’ve been looking for invoicing web apps. Now I have to decide between Ballpark and Subernova.
Let us know which you decide on, I still haven’t stuck to an invoicing app for my design services yet either!
I love Backupify.
Haven’t heard of that one, will give it a look.
Nice round-up. It would be good to add https://myows.com – an entirely free copyright protection and management app for freelancers that launched a few months ago, and is getting great reviews across the internets.
Watching their demo vid now. Definitely sounds interesting, nothing else quite like it on the list, thanks for sharing!
I had no idea about most of these sites. Great resource for me, thanks!
I’m currently using Desk Away for project management. http://deskaway.com
Wow, didn’t realize there were quite this many project management apps out there!
I must admit when I first saw the heading to this post I was thinking “not another webapp round-up…”
About half of them I had no idea about however, so good work! :)
Both Freshbooks and Dropbox have been a god send of me.
Haha, I’m glad the quality of the list justified itself! I’m trying really hard to make sure we don’t publish too many lists, and when we done, they’re packed with value. Please do let me know if I ever miss that target, really don’t want to end up going down that hill…
Outright is worth a mention. http://outright.com/ Especially nice if you’re already using Freshbooks and/or Expensify (another good web app). http://www.expensify.com/
They look like 2 great tools. Could definitely do with something to help manage all the numbers, will check them out, thanks!
We are using few of this…
thanks for sharing this great list with us., would like to try few of them.
thanks
Xcellence IT
This is a great list of tools! I personally like to use Toggl.com for my time tracking needs ;-). It is simple but has enough features for my purposes.
That’s usually the best way for it. You want an app to do what you need, and nothing you don’t. Simplicity is definitely a feature sometimes :D
Great list, I knew about 20% of these and I use Dropbox, LinkedIn, Skype, and tried a few of the others but not use them every day.
Typekit on your list looks really interesting.
Have you tried it? Is it as good (fast, 100% uptime) as they claim?
I also use Jing/Screencast for capturing screenshots and creating tutorials.
They definitely seem to offer a lot with their free account! Makes me tempted to try it out. So many apps I want to try now! :D
Might I add
http://dummyimage.com for dynamic filler images on the fly.
http://0to255.com for color variations
http://cssdesk.com for quick HTML/CSS prototyping
Thanks for this list!
I like Dropbox so much, it saves me a lot of time.
What about the obvious one… Google Docs? While it may not be as flashy as some of the others its really effective for collaboration.
Yep another great resource… My bookmark is full. I fount 8 new services. A very thanks for the great work and share.
Great Aps, thanks
*You need to fix the link for SpringLoops, you have typed http:// twice
I just wanted to drop you a line and say how much I appreciate this post!! I was already using 4 or 5 of these apps, but you have opened my eyes to so many more!! Thank you! I am an avid reader! Keep the great content coming! :)
This is great list, thanks
I’d like to try one of them…
If you’d like a tool for managing your time and projects, you can use this application inspired by David Allen’s GTD:
http://www.Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage and prioritize your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
Comes with a mobile version too, and with an Android app.
I don’t call myself a freelancer as of yet but in case I do it is best to be prepared with the best start up materials to make your venture successful.
Sorry to be downbeat, but having got hold of my iPhone, my productivity has dived. I’m completely addicted to it. The best app would be one which blocks access to games such as “Doodle Jump”…!
An awesome collection of applications. I am going to bookmark this. Thanks a lot these are pretty useful to a freelancer like me
Great list, Mail Chimp is by far my favorite.
I’m loving them as well at the minute! Using them for PliablePress and it’s been great so far! :)
Awesome list! Thanks very much!
Great list, some of them are new for me so thanks for sharing !
Wow. I had never heard of typekit before. It looks soo awesome. Thanks for sharing. I will be adding to my site momentarily.
Thanks for the list. However, 40 apps could be such a weight if you try to utilize all of them. But still these are all useful! Thanks .
On the billing side of things, do also check out http://www.cannybill.com
Not only cant it handle all your invoicing needs but you can also create web based order forms to sell your products and services online from memberships and subscriptions, to digital downloads and web hosting:
http://www.cannybill.com/tour_orderforms.php
I’d seen a few of these before, but this was a very well rounded list of tools. I’ll definitely be trying the color scheme generator, stripe generator, and themeleon right away!
ill be trying out all of them.
I was going through one that caught my attention – viewlike.us
I think that would be a really good tool.
:)
“PEACE”
What a list! I took a quick look and there are a lot tool I definitely need to check out! The fivesecondtest is great btw! I use it very often :-)
Thanks very much for the useful list, some good ones there (I particularly like the 37 signals suite, basecamp etc, top quality product)
Another invoicing application I’d like to post here is the new and improved paper free billing (http://www.paperfreebilling.co.uk/) site, which allows full management of your clients, powerful query tool for your invoices, as well as all the cool features like HTML formatted emails (many designs to choose from), PDF attachments, recurring invoices and Paypal integration!
Thanks again!
Steve
Great list,
Many new for me , thanks.
how to get a image with my comment, I just try it, thanks.
Awesome list, looking forward to trying some out.
Thanks for sharing.
Big Thank !! These are really useful app .
RescueTime and ColorScemeDesigner are good tools. A very useful list :)
Thank you for this list, i found some of them helpful. Only knew of a few.
these are all useful, thanks for the list :)
There are so many good products out there now it makes it difficult to choose which app to use. Great selection tho.
Wow.. What a great compilation of excellent tools. I love this post. Thanks a lot.
These are great, thanks
Hi,
Mega Thanks for the share.
I really appreciate it when all these things are collected and summed up together. Makes life easier.
:)
Wow.. I’m familiar with some but for the others it is just my first time to hear about them. This is great. Now I can try those unfamiliar to me and maybe I can find something much useful than those I use before.
A lot of thanks to you for sharing this valuable informaton
thanks to you for sharing this
These are a lot of apps! I’m sure I will need much time to check each one. Thank you so much. I love your blog.
Thanks for sharing these, they are great
based on the photoshop default picker. But you can use it to create color palettes and save them for future use. Also, you can download the palettes that you create as
I came to this sit before 2 days, I don’t know from where, But I think, it worth a lot. Each and every post make me to read it. Each post explain a lot about topic. This 40 tools, I knew only 5 out of 40, They are so useful…. Thanks a lot for this.
Many of these I use in my real estate business, including Picnik, Basecamp and Dropbox. A lot of these tools are very cheap or free and have been a great asset in my side projects supporting my business.
Some of you guys with web apps may want to put a listing at ezonewebsoftware.com – it just launched
Great list! Freelancers might also like to check out our visual time tracking software 1DayLater – http://1daylater.com – it’s a different slant on the whole activity tracking and invoicing field.
Awesome compilation of links, thanks!
Excellent list of useful links.
This is a greta set of apps! Thanks for sharing.
Hi… Found this site…. – I have an idea for an APP.. only proplem is that I cannot design it myself.
– do anyone know a name/adress on an app designer… (Not an expensive one :)) that could be interested ?
Great list some of these I use already and some I am interested in checking out, thanks!
Great list, I keep coming back to this post!
I came across Smush-it from yahoo http://www.smushit.com/ysmush.it/ for optimization of images without lossiness. There’s also a firefox extension YSlow which uses the Smush-it service.
Oh and I forgot to mention Sync.in http://sync.in/ based on Etherpad now acquired by Google. It’s great for programming collaboration as everyone with the link is updated in realtime.
Soundation Studio is the most developed music making web app on the internet with 400 free loops, 11 effects, 5 virtual instruments, audio recording and now midi import.
wow should have find this post earlier. i only use picnik, dropbox, and freshbook right now. but i love to see a few more option and see what other people using. thanks for the tips
yipeeeeeee
Thanks for the article! Some awesome apps. Will have to look into them further later.
Thanks
hi for project managment everybody can use projectpier from
http://www.projectpier.org/
it free you can host on your PHP hosting.have lots of themes
for invoice myclientbase nice invoice system with custom modules you can also host on your hosting open source invoicing system
http://www.myclientbase.com/
both are project management
Since i am a freelancer I enjoyed reading this post. Have to use many of this apps. Thanks for the stunning list.
Many thanks for the high-quality content included within your website, this is a trivial test for your webpage followers. Who actually said the following quotation? . . . .Diligence is the mother of good luck.
That would be Benjamin Franklin
Backpack is great
What’s your point?
thanks! found some new apps for trying out ;)
Nice selection of web apps, thanks for sharing?
Wow that’s a big thing for me.
That’s a great list, that’s must be very useful..
Thanks..
You ask what amazing design has to do with the code… but your title doesn’t state “10 amazing designs…” but includes the woord “website”. IMHO a website design should follow the rules for making a wabsite, and that’s where valid code comes into play…
I understand that your criteria are somewhat different than mine and that you added these sites to your list because thay just look good (i don’t like them all but thats not the point).
I just think that accessebility, validity and semantics are more inportant than you do, and that it is just a challenge for designers to get the design thay want within the limits of the web.
Finaly I think that a lot of sites from your list could be made valid and accessible and I think that designers who don’t do that are just lazy (some special cases excluded)…
SlechtValk
ok .. these are really amazing web apps. Really useful in developing websites.
ธhis post. Have to use many of this apps. Thanks for the stunning list.
You can steal lots of ideas from these apps.
MockupTiger is a good html5 wireframe, you can host it on your domain, desktop, switch between hand drawn look, change fonts and prototype dashboard mockups with data
“Not sure if this link will get through but in case if you want to here is the link to mockuptiger
mockups“
nice apps list… i will try it out.. Thanks a lot.
Excellent list… I will definately try a few! Thanks!
Headset is according to their drive (transducer) and the type of it to wear to the classification of the way.
Moving coil type
Moving coil in-ear headphones are the most common, the most common headphones, it’s drive unit is basically a small moving coil speakers, the permanent magnetic field in the voice coil of driving and connected to the diaphragm of the vibration. Moving coil headphones for high efficiency, mostly on the headset for the output driver and reliable and durable.
Magnetic type such as
The driver of the magnetic headphones, similar to narrow the plane of the speaker, and it will be embedded in the plane of the voice coil frivolous diaphragm, like printed circuit board the same average distribution of the driving force. Magnets in the diaphragm of the focus on one or both (push-pull), diaphragm in the formation of the magnetic field vibration. Magnets diaphragm no headphones and electrostatic headset diaphragm that light, but there are also big vibration area and similar sound quality, it as moving coil headphones for high efficiency, and it is not easy to drive.
Electrostatic type
Electrostatic headphones have light and thin film vibration, the high voltage dc polarization, polarization the electricity required by ac conversion, also has a battery power supply. Diaphragm hanging on by two fixed metal plate (stator) to form the electrostatic field, when the audio signal to load the stator, electrostatic field changes, the driver diaphragm vibration. Single stator is also can drive the diaphragm, but double the stator the push-pull form less distortion. Electrostatic headset must use special amplifier will audio signals are converted to hundreds of v voltage signal and use transformer connected to the power amplifier output terminal of the electrostatic headset can also drive. Electrostatic headset expensive, not easy to drive, the reach of level is also not moving coil in-ear headphones, but its response speed and could put all sorts of tiny details of heavy, very low distortion.
In a body
In a body headphones also called fixed electrostatic headphones, it’s diaphragm is itself or by the diaphragm of the polarization of the launch of the polarization material static electric field polarization, does not need special equipment with polarization voltage. In a body of static headset most of the headset features, but in very experience gradually to polarization, need to change, its life about 5 to 10 years.
Wireless headset and cordless headset
They consist of two parts, signal emitter and with receiving signal and amplification device headset (usually moving coil type). Transmitters and signal source is linked together, also can be in the former stage before the transmitter access or headphone amplifiers to improve quality and adjust the tone.
Wireless headset generally refers to the infrared transmission signal headset system, cordless headset is refers to using radio waves of transmitting signals headset system. The working frequency of infrared headset from several KHz to a few MHz, effective distance about 10 meters, headphones to the visible range; Radio headset working frequency VHF 130 MHz to 200 MHz, UHF 450 MHz to 900 MHz, most cordless headphones work in UHF, but transmission range of 100 meters, can around obstructions. Two vice or more wireless/cordless headset deputy may be disturbed each other, so choose when they had better choose to have DuoGe work of the frequency of varieties, for cordless headphones, working in UHF than in the interference on VHF may be small. The two kinds of background noise headphones are, more high-grade models have adopted the technology reduces the noise. Also note that the wireless/cordless headset battery life, generally should not be less than 8 hours.
Very nice information that I can put to use immediately. I love it when I find truly helpful sites that also have content written as well as what is displayed here.
I am more than sure that freelancers will be more than happy to use products of http://www.kpi.com . Try it!!!
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Do you know Kiwili ?
It works with all the platforms (Mac, PC, Linux, iOS, Android) and there’s even an iPhone version. The app allows you to manage your time, create and send bills, get paid online, organize your projects, create your reports and so on.
Here’s the link https://www.kiwili.com
http://PostLens.com is a Web App for accessing & tracking online posts from sites like classifieds, blogs, job boards, user profiles, news, and other content sites updated regularly
PostLens allows you to:
1) Consolidate multiple searches into 1 view
2) Track posts generated from search results
“Post tracking” is done with a state:
– Replied To
– Watch
– Hide
– Custom Note
EXAMPLE: for a job search, track the posts you replied to
Actually, I just read about the same kinda information on another blog and I understand the amount of time and effort you have dedicated on this to gather this huge list. Nice work.
I’m using some of these apps on a daily basis. You’ve mentioned a few tools that are new to me, and they definitely sound like worth trying. Thanks for this great work!
As a simple CRM tool you can use this web based app:
http://www.YouTargets.com
You can use it to manage up to 30.000 contacts, and keep track of your deals and communications with them. Other features include Cases and Tasks.
How about Replicon’s time and expense software? which is one of the best time and expense management software.