{"id":245,"date":"2019-05-28T08:21:29","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T12:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewritelife.com\/?p=245"},"modified":"2019-09-27T09:36:06","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T13:36:06","slug":"valuable-productivity-apps-that-help-freelancers-get-way-more-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/valuable-productivity-apps-that-help-freelancers-get-way-more-done\/","title":{"rendered":"25+ Productivity Apps That Help Freelancers Get Way More Done"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re a freelancer, you are every department of your business\u2014sales, A\/R, administration, IT. Not to mention, you know, the actual <\/span>writing<\/span><\/i> part.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your time is valuable, so spending time on unnecessary tasks (or doing necessary tasks in an inefficient manner) is not good for business, literally. Which is why we\u2019ve compiled this list of apps that will help you cut back on wasted time, boost productivity and get on to the high-value work that really makes your business hum.<\/span><\/p>\n

So whatever your need, there is \u2014 as they say \u2014 an app for that.<\/b> Here are some of our favorites. Different apps work best for different people, be sure to play around with whichever sound interesting! Some even offer a free trial so you can try them on for size.<\/span><\/p>\n

Time tracking<\/span><\/h2>\n

Whether it\u2019s keeping track of how long you\u2019ve worked on a project or learning just how much time you\u2019re wasting doing other things (so you can swiftly cut them out), these apps have your back.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Klok<\/a> <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Klok is a simple work timer at its core, but with a clever twist: it displays your work as it fills you day, as if you added in everything you actually did to Google Calendar afterwards. It can be connected to other popular productivity apps like <\/span>FreshBooks<\/span><\/a> and Basecamp, making it useful for team collaborations as well as solo writers. There is a limited free version, and paid licenses start at $19.99.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. RescueTime<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

RescueTime is an invaluable (and frankly terrifying) tool, whether you\u2019re a writer or not. It breaks down your screen time into categories and shows you exactly what percentage of those hours are spent productively, and which are spent on, you know, Netflix. RescueTime is a great way to get an overall sense of how you\u2019re <\/span>actually<\/span><\/i> directing your energy, giving you both daily and weekly reports to keep you accountable. But like we said, you probably won\u2019t always like what you see\u2026 so be prepared for that!<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Tick<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Tick is unique in that it allows you to access your time-tracking tools from any device, anywhere. (After all, not every aspect of your business takes place in front of your laptop. Sometimes, it\u2019s a client meeting over coffee. Still counts!) After your 30-day free trial, you can opt into a membership starting at $19 per month. The tiers increase from there based on your desired number of projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Toggl<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Toggl is a simple, but powerful, time-tracker, allowing you to break down your hours by project, client, and task to see exactly where they\u2019re all going (and where they maybe <\/span>should<\/i> be going instead). The basic plan is — score! — free forever, but there are also paid tiers to explore, starting at an affordable $18 per year.<\/p>\n

Taking notes and organizing your thoughts<\/span><\/h2>\n

Keep your brilliant gems at your fingertips and easily findable by letting these apps take the complexity out of capturing all those fleeting inspirations.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Evernote<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Evernote, the self-described \u201cbest note taking app\u201d on the market, may just be offering truth in advertising. It comes with a host of inventive features including the ability to turn voice memos into notes or to clip and tag interesting things you find on websites, as well as creating to-do lists and sharing with other users. Your notes will be accessible from any device, no matter the OS and no matter where you are. Premium and business versions are available, but the basic service is totally free, and still powerful. <\/span><\/p>\n

6. Google Keep<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Google Keep works similarly to Evernote, and comes installed stock on many Android and Google-based devices. You can use it as a mobile app to quickly capture those amazing one-liners, and then open the app on the desktop to more easily put them to use. It also offers a simple but powerful labeling system to help you keep your thoughts organized, as well as reminders and check-off-able lists for those times when you just need to remember to pick up some milk on the way home.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. MS OneNote<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

MS OneNote allows you to take personal notes as well as to easily collaborate with others, and you aren\u2019t just limited to typing out your thoughts. You can use a stylus or your finger to draw or annotate existing content, or include audio notes, online videos, and other kinds of media. OneNote comes as part of an Office 365 subscription, which starts at $69.99 per year and also includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and so many other classic Microsoft services.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. MindManager<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

MindManager by Mindjet is perfect for those writers who quake at the very thought of creating outlines. Instead of staring down the scary blinking cursor, you\u2019ll create a \u201cmind map\u201d — a non-linear, stream-of-consciousness diagram that might just help you see what you\u2019re actually getting at. From there, it\u2019s easy to sync the information with MS Word, or to pop it into an Outlook email. You don\u2019t have to enter your credit card information to take part in the 30-day free trial, but a perpetual license will cost you between $99 and $349 depending on your operating system.<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Simplenote<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Simplenote is just that: simple. It\u2019s a free service that allows you to take and sync notes on iOS, MacOS, Android, Windows and even Linux, and it even creates backups of past versions of notes you edit — which can help put writers at ease when it\u2019s time to kill their darlings!<\/span><\/p>\n

Conquering your to-do lists<\/span><\/h2>\n

Categorize, prioritize, sort and ultimately cross off your tasks with these apps.<\/span><\/p>\n

10. Get It Done<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Get It Done allows you to sync your to-do list between your mobile device and your web browser, which is perfect for when you remember something you meant to do the moment you close your laptop and head out the door. It also allows you to delegate tasks to team members and colleagues, as well as organizing related tasks into projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

11. HiTask<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

HiTask is free for up to five users, and is a great simplistic to-do app — but the real power move is upgrading to the $5\/month business tier, which allows you to sync your list in real time with Google Calendar or outlook. (It\u2019ll also grant you unlimited storage.)<\/span><\/p>\n

12. MS To-Do<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

MS To-Do is a great option for those who keep most of their work documents organized in MS Office. It\u2019s easy to sync up with the other MS products you use on a daily basis, and it\u2019s available to anyone with a Microsoft Account — which means you don\u2019t even have to purchase a subscription to use it.<\/span><\/p>\n

13. Remember the Milk<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Remember the Milk is a to-do app that will work for your business must-do lists as well as personal ones. The basic service is free, but with the $39.99\/year Pro level, you can break down individual tasks into subtasks. For instance, \u201cwrite essay\u201d might house, under its umbrella, \u201cwrite outline,\u201d \u201cdraft thesis,\u201d \u201cflesh out paragraphs,\u201d etc, which may help make even overwhelming projects seem doable. (Which they totally are. You\u2019ve got this!)<\/span><\/p>\n

14. Teuxdeux<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Teuxdeux describes itself as \u201csimple\u201d and \u201cshiny,\u201d so if you\u2019re looking for a great-looking to do app that will help you, well, write to-do lists, this might be the one for you. (It can also help you set recurring tasks and custom lists, and you\u2019ll be able to download your to-dos whenever you want to.) After your 30-day free trial, you\u2019ll be upgraded to either the \u201cskeptic\u201d subscription ($3 per month) or become a \u201cbeliever\u201d ($24 per year).<\/span><\/p>\n

15. Todoist<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Todoist also starts out as a free service and functions similarly to the others in this list. But the $3\/month Premium tier unlocks automatic reminders and customizable project templates, and there\u2019s also a business level for company-wide team collaborations.<\/span><\/p>\n

16. Toodledo<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Toddledo is another free to-do list option that syncs across devices and makes it simple to share and export your to-do data. It\u2019s available for both Apple and Android as well as being useable from a desktop browser.<\/span><\/p>\n

Managing team projects<\/span><\/h2>\n

These apps help collaborate in a way that\u2019s quick, intuitive and a lot easier than playing never-ending email tag.<\/span><\/p>\n

17. Asana<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Asana help you and your team not just get organized, but also stay on track. Its timeline feature makes it simple to see where projects stand at a glance, so you can more easily get ahead of those pesky deadlines. The basic tier is free, but to unlock the tool\u2019s full potential, you\u2019ll want to upgrade; subscriptions start at $9.99 per month per user, with a minimum charge of $11.99 monthly.<\/span><\/p>\n

18. Basecamp<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Basecamp is a whimsical team-managing tool, making it easy to break down projects by task, assign tasks to specific team members, and also to pow-wow around the digital campfire. Each assignment offers a functional discussion board, and it\u2019s easy to ping other users. You can also add and organize related documents and necessary media, too! Pricing is a flat $99\/month, no matter how big or small your team is, which may make it a little top-endish for freelancers — but if you\u2019re working with a large client on a regular basis, they may enroll you in their existing Basecamp subscription free of charge!<\/span><\/p>\n

19. Flow<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Flow is a sleek, beautiful way to see all of your team\u2019s projects in one place. It allows you to customize your workflow to suit your needs, including the ability to set priorities and track projects from start to finish. The basic tier starts at $5.95 per month per user, but the souped-up $11.95 version really unlocks the tool\u2019s workflow-organization potential.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

20. Slack<\/a> <\/b><\/h3>\n

Slack is less about project management, per se, than it is about team communication, but it\u2019s become such a darling of remote work teams that we had to include it on this list. It\u2019s kind of like those old AOL chatrooms we all frequented in the late 90s, but with 21st-century additions like hashtags, integrated GIFs, and easily user pinging. Oh, and you\u2019re supposed to be talking about work, not roleplaying wolves or whatever.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

21. Trello<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Trello is a flexible, user-friendly workboard that\u2019s as handy for solo writers as it is for those working on a team. You can break down your potential (and actual) in almost any formulation you can imagine, and add tons of pertinent information under the task (i.e., has it been pitched yet? Drafted? If it has been pitched, who\u2019s said no, and which outlet is next in line for the opportunity?) Best of all, Trello is totally free at its still-powerful basic level, and even if you upgrade, it starts at just $9.99 per user annually.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Concentrating, already!<\/h2>\n

Sometimes that smartphone\/tablet\/computer that\u2019s enabling us to do all these awesome things is also our worst enemy. So tap into the power of these concentration apps to block out distractions, improve your focus and get down to business.<\/span><\/p>\n

22. Focus<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Focus is a website and application blocker built specifically for MacOS, allowing you to set a specific amount of time — like 25 minutes — in which your browser won\u2019t allow you to navigate to distracting sites like Facebook or Reddit. It has one-click implementation, making it easy to make the decision to do what you need to do. After your free trial, choose from three paid tiers, starting at a one-time purchase price of just $19. <\/span><\/p>\n

23. Focus Booster<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Focus Booster is sort of a combination app, working as both a time tracker and a distraction eliminator. It utilizes the pomodoro technique, a scientifically-backed approach to productivity cycles, to help break down your workday into digestible chunks (and help you see where the time actually <\/span>did<\/span><\/i> go, whatever your intentions.) Focus Booster starts at $2.99 per month or $32.98 per year at the individual tier, but a professional subscription is also available<\/span><\/p>\n

24. Freedom<\/a> <\/b><\/h3>\n

Freedom aims to give you the — you guessed it — freedom from the internet\u2019s ever-present distractions to help you get down to business and do the work you need to do. It\u2019s usable across devices and operating systems, and after your 30-day free trial, you can subscribe for as little as $2.42 per month.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

25. StayFocused<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

StayFocused is a Chrome extension that allows you to block those websites you just can\u2019t seem to help yourself from clicking back over to, when you should be staying firmly in your draft. For best results, head straight for \u201cThe Nuclear Option,\u201d which allows you to block ALL websites except for the ones you allow (i.e., Google Docs only) for a set number of hours. Best of all, it\u2019s free!<\/span><\/p>\n

26. Time Out<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Time Out helps you hack your productive hours by forcing you to take automatic, customizable breaks. At regular intervals, your screen will dim and you\u2019ll be prompted to take a moment or ten to get up, stretch, or do anything but keep poking around the internet. There\u2019s also an optional app usage tracker to help hold you accountable if you need a little bit of extra motivation!<\/span><\/p>\n

27. WriteRoom<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

WriteRoom offers MacOS users a full-screen writing environment, which makes it marginally less easy to distract yourself with one of the internet\u2019s many charms. It\u2019s basically like a stripped-down word processor, making you focus on the stuff that actually matters: your writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are plenty of other amazing productivity apps on the market, as well as behavioral techniques to help you get your rear in gear even when you don\u2019t feel like it.<\/p>\n

So, Write Life readers: w<\/span>hat\u2019s your favorite app for getting a lot done?<\/p>\n

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you\u2019re supporting The Write Life \u2014 and we thank you for that!<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

The original version of this story was written by Kelly Gurnett.<\/a>\u00a0We updated the post so it\u2019s more useful for our readers.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These productivity apps will help you cut back on wasted time and move onto high-value work that really makes your business hum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":36432,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[25,18,24],"class_list":["post-245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-craft","tag-apps","tag-freelancing-2","tag-productivity-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}