Best Apps For Independent Contractors

Best Apps For Independent Contractors presents the top 25 productivity apps that freelance and independent contractors need to help get more work done, manage day-to-day operations, and grow their business. This blog is an extension of the Best Apps For Independent Contractors e-book

Best Apps For Independent Contractors

Freshbooks
Though not as popular as Quickbooks, Freshbooks is a very similar platform. The entire purpose of Freshbooks is to make tracking your income and expenses a breeze.

Most notable are the app’s client contact features.

Instead of having to email, call, or text a client individually, you can contact them directly through the app. So, no more switching between tasks and losing your train of thought.

With Freshbooks, you can send out and approve invoices with ease. You can accept credit card payments and bank transfers as well.

To top it all off, it helps with expense tracking, too.

All you have to do is snap a quick photo of your receipt and it’s automatically logged in the system. You can also keep track of your billable hours through the app for more accurate invoices.

Related: How to Stay Organized as an Independent Business Owner

Best Payment Apps for Freelancers
Being a freelancer means giving up those oh-so-convenient direct deposits that you used to get in your traditional jobs.

Now, you have to send out invoices to make sure that you get paid. Yet, you want to do so in a way that’s highly secure and allows you to track your income during the year.

Fortunately, there are a few awesome apps that will help you simplify this process:

PayPal
PayPal is one of the most popular money transfer apps out there, and for good reason. It allows you to send and receive money in mere seconds, so you can conduct transactions in real time.

PayPal is great for keeping track of how much you’re bringing in and how much you’re spending. You can use it to purchase business supplies and materials, but also to invoice clients.

It’s incredibly convenient, as you can link it directly to your bank account, credit card, or debit card. Just draft up the invoice within the app and send it to your client. The money will appear in your account as soon as the client sends it!

But, what’s most important are the security features.

You can enable fingerprint ID to log into your account and exchange money — which comes in handy if your phone is ever lost or stolen.

The last thing you want is a stranger having access to your finances. Read how PayPal’s fees compare to these 5 Venmo Alternatives.

Stripe
Stripe is the tool every self-employed professional needs to keep track of their spending and income.

What makes Stripe unique is that you can easily visualize your business’s success via the dashboard. You can see how much cash you’ve brought in, how many payments you’ve made, and even how many customers you’ve had.

If you’re a data person, you’ll love the trend graphs.

Stripe is great because you have immediate access to your expenses and your income. The app will neatly organize what you’ve spent and who your income is coming from.

The app will even send you notifications to update you on your finances. Tracking your company’s growth is easy when you can see your daily revenue at all times!

Better yet, you can issue refunds to your clients if need be. This app was truly built for any situation.

Keep on top of your business. Read 11 Mistakes Most New Freelancers Make that You Should Avoid.
Best Apps for Tracking Mileage
Apps for tracking mileage for independent contractors
When tax season rolls around, you want to be able to take advantage of as many deductions as possible.

Did you know that each mile you traveled for work in 2019 was valued at about $0.58?

The more you travel and keep track of your mileage, the more money you can get back on your refund. But in order to deduct the standard mileage rate, you’ll have to track how far you drive.

If that sounds complicated, use one of these apps to help you:

MileIQ
MileIQ is undoubtedly the best mile-tracking app for self-employed folks and small business owners. You don’t have to do much other than swipe!

The app will use your phone’s GPS to record your movements during the day. It’ll detect when you’re driving and take note of how far you’ve traveled.

As the user, all you have to do is swipe left for personal travel and swipe right for business travel. No longer do you have to save all of your paper receipts to bring to your accountant at the end of the year.

What’s even better is that you can visualize your tax deductions with every trip you complete. The app considers the IRS’s standard mileage rate and calculates your deductions as you add more miles to your account.

The app develops monthly reports, too, which is helpful when budgeting for gas and insurance.

Everlance
Everlance does just about everything a self-employed person like yourself would need, but we want to hone in on the mileage-tracking feature.

Just like MileIQ, the app runs in the background of your phone and records how far you’ve driven throughout the day. Swipe left for personal trips and swipe right for business. Keep track of your deductions with each and every ride.

But, this app does have a few extra features.

Most important is the ability to create travel logs. This allows you to keep track of where you traveled to and when.

To make sure that all of your data is readily available when April arrives, all of your mileage data is saved on the cloud.

So, even if you get a new phone or your app crashes, you’ll have exactly what you need when you need it.

Independent contractor apps

Wave Accounting – Best Free Accounting App
Wave Accounting is a cloud-based accounting app that is free for up to two users. It offers a variety of features, including tracking expenses, income, and tax information. Wave Accounting also offers collaboration features, which allows you to work with a partner or team.

QuickBooks Self-Employed – Best for part-time freelancers and contractors
QuickBooks Self-Employed accounting software is our top option for part-time freelancers and independent contractors who primarily want to manage their income and spending for their tax return.

Without employing software like this to track company activities, freelancers would have to sift through all of their bank and credit card statements at the end of the year to tally up their revenue and spending, which can be time consuming.

FreshBooks – Best for service-based businesses
FreshBooks accounting software was designed specifically for service-based businesses and freelancers. The app makes it easy to create invoices, track expenses, and manage your finances in one place. It also has a time tracking feature that can help you bill clients by the hour if needed!

Xero Accounting – Best Accounting App for Small Businesses
Xero Accounting is a cloud-based accounting app that is designed for small businesses. It offers a variety of features, including the ability to manage your finances in real time, invoicing capabilities, and the ability to track expenses and income.

Xero Accounting also offers plans that are tailored specifically for small businesses. This makes it a great option for contractors who need to manage their finances and invoicing in one place.

QuickBooks Online – Best Overall Accounting App
QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting app that offers a wide range of features, including an intuitive interface and the ability to manage your finances in real time. It also has invoicing capabilities, which makes it easy to bill clients and get paid.

QuickBooks Online is one of the most popular apps on this list because it’s both affordable and user-friendly. It’s a great option for contractors who need to manage their finances and invoicing in one place.

Conclusion

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