A list to end all lists. All images via BOSSFIGHT.

An Epic List (100+!) of The Best Free & Paid Web Tools for Freelancers & Contractors

Organized by Category for Your Viewing Pleasure

If you’re like me then you’ve probably experimented with both full-time employment as well as freelance and contract work — both have been very satisfying ways of earning income and I’ve been thankful that both models exist for me and my family.

Right now I’m doing the “full-time” thing but that’s only because I’m in the process of building a new company, TOMO and a small micro-app to help contractors and businesses send & receive IRS W-9 Forms — this is partly why I put this list together so I can do a bit more research into what our growing 1099 / gig-economy demographic needs to do their jobs well.

You should give it a spin — we’d love that!

It’s been great and I’ve loved sharing the journey through our blog.

In any case, I have a ton of freelance buddies, friends, and colleagues who are always asking me for advice on how to get started, what tools to use, and the like, and it’s not that I have the absolute best advice to give but I’ve certainly been around for a while.

And, as a consequence of just being around for some time I’ve amassed a pretty large collection of tools that I’ve used or experimented with in the past — I thought I’d share those publicly to help others.

Feel free to comment and add a tool that you think should be on the list — and if this post is helpful please share it and give it a HEART!


Get in those hours.

Time Tracking, Invoicing

We all need to track time, especially if we’re getting paid by the hour.

The numbers matter.

Taxes, Expenses, and Accounting

This one is critical and you need to make sure you’ve got the right tools for the job — this one could mess you up badly if you don’t have your junk together! So, do it!

https://paypal.com

You never do email in bed… right?

Email and Project Management

Now, email is our lifeblood (we all know that) but the better you can manage it the more sane your life becomes.

Calendaring on all platforms.

Calendars, To-Do, and Scheduling

Closely aligned with email is making sure you show up at the right time for the job — don’t be too late or too early!

Type. Type. Type.

Blogging, Publishing, and Writing

I love blogging and it’s a huge part of my own story and how I build companies — I think that the freelancers and contractors who write have a serious leg-up on the game.

Starting to make it real.

Prototyping

Getting your concepts and designs into prototypes is huge. These should get you started and on the right track.

Every bit counts.

Fonts and Styles

Content, words, and images are all important but making that content stand out is all part of design.

Design. Design. Design.
Colors, Styles.
Getting things organized.
Icons everywhere.

Icons and Iconography

These things give text a little bit of something extra.

Hopefully a little more than just a few pennies.

Getting Work, Jobs, and Getting Paid

Here are a few websites to find jobs and gigs.

https://gigster.com/

Images, cameras, and more.

Images, Stock Free Photography, and Photos

Make it pretty.


I’m taking notes.

Have a Resource to Add? Comment Below!

I’m listening and will keep this list updated, which is much more easy than other systems of note — I can just edit this post and add them at will. And, if you have any other suggestions on how to best curate and even organize them, that would be helpful too.

(Obviously this isn’t a comprehensive list by any stretch of the imagination.)

So, feel free to contribute an additional resource via the comments! Thanks so much for helping out. Keep ’em coming!

Oh, and don’t forget to do this:


At TOMO we’re building simple tools to help part-time, full-time, and contractors get their work done (as well as the businesses that hire and employ them). Follow our journey via our blog here, via Twitter, and subscribe to our kick-booty email newsletter.