Freelancing can be a rewarding career choice, offering flexibility, independence, and the ability to work on projects you’re passionate about. However, freelancing also comes with challenges, including managing time, staying organized, and finding clients. That’s why having the right tools can make all the difference in your success as a freelancer. In this article, we’ll share the top 5 free Mac apps freelancers should have in their arsenal.
5 FREE MAC APPS FOR FREELANCERS
Toggl Track: Time Tracking Made Easy


One of the important aspects of freelancing is tracking your time. Toggl Track is a free time-tracking app that makes it easy to keep track of your billable hours. With Toggl Track, you can easily start and stop timers for different projects, track time across multiple devices, and create reports to share with clients. Toggl Track also integrates with apps like Asana, Trello, and Slack, making it easy to streamline your workflow.
USEFUL TIPS OF TOGGL TRACK:
- Use the timer function to track your time accurately: Toggl Track’s timer function allows you to track your time on each task, project or client.
- Use tags to categorize your time: Toggl Track’s tagging feature allows you to categorize your time by task, project, or client.
- Use reports to analyze your data: Toggl Track offers a variety of reports that allow you to analyze your time data in different ways.
- Use the Toggl Track browser extension: Toggl Track’s extension allows you to track your time directly from your browser.
- Integrate Toggl Track with other apps: Toggl Track integrates with various apps, including Asana, Trello, and Slack.
Using these tips, you can get the most out of the Toggl Track Mac app and improve your productivity and efficiency as a freelancer.
Trello: Stay Organized and Collaborate



Trello is a free project management app that can help you stay organized and collaborate with clients. With Trello, you can create boards for each project, add tasks and deadlines, and assign tasks to team members or clients. Trello also has a user-friendly interface and integrates with other apps like Google Drive and Dropbox, making it easy to share files and documents.
USEFUL TIPS OF TRELLO:
- Use the board function to organize your projects: Trello’s board function allows you to create a board for each project and add lists for each stage. This makes it easy to see where each task is at and what needs to be done next.
- Use the card function to create tasks: Trello’s card function allows you to create a card for each task within a project. You can add descriptions, due dates, labels, and attachments to each card to keep track of all the details.
- Use the checklist function to break down tasks: Trello’s checklist function allows you to break tasks into smaller sub-tasks. This makes it easier to see what needs to be done and helps you stay on track.
- Use the calendar view to see due dates: Trello’s calendar view lets you see all the due dates for your cards in one place. This is particularly useful for freelancers with multiple projects with different due dates.
- Use the power-ups to customize your board: Trello offers a variety of power-ups that allow you to customize your board and add extra features. For example, you can add a time tracking power-up, voting, or calendar power-up to enhance your workflow.
Using these tips, you can get the most out of the Trello Mac app and improve your productivity and efficiency as a freelancer.
Canva: Create Pro Designs and Animations



You may need to create professional designs and graphics for clients as a freelancer. Canva is a free design tool that makes creating high-quality graphics, social media posts, flyers, and easier. With Canva, you can choose from various templates, images, and fonts or create your designs from scratch. Canva also offers a premium version with even more features and options.
USEFUL TIPS OF CANVA:
- Use templates for quick design inspiration: Canva offers various templates for different design types, including social media posts, flyers, posters, and more. Using a template can save you time and give you inspiration for your design.
- Use grids and frames to keep your design balanced: Canvas grid and frame functions can help you keep your design balanced and visually appealing. You can use grids and frames to ensure your design elements are properly aligned and spaced.
- Use the text function to create beautiful typography: Canvas text function allows you to add custom fonts and styles to your designs. You can also adjust your text’s size, spacing, and colour to make it stand out.
- Use the background remover to remove unwanted elements: Canvas background remover lets you remove the background from an image, leaving just the main subject. This is particularly useful for creating designs with a clean and simple look.
- Use the share function to collaborate with others: Canva’s share function allows you to collaborate on your design. You can share your design with others and allow them to edit or comment. This is particularly useful for working with clients or colleagues.
Using these tips, you can get the most out of the Canva Mac app and improve your design skills as a freelancer. With its user-friendly interface and power
Grammarly: Improve Your Writing Skills



As a freelancer, you may need to write emails, proposals, or other documents for clients. Grammarly is a free writing tool that can help you improve your grammar and writing skills. With Grammarly, you can inspect your spelling, grammar, and punctuation and get suggestions for improving your writing style. Grammarly also offers a premium version with more advanced features like a plagiarism checker.
USEFUL TIPS OF GRAMMARLY
- Use the Grammarly browser extension to check your writing: Grammarly offers a browser extension to check your writing in real-time as you type. This is particularly useful for freelancers who do a lot of writing online, as it can help you catch mistakes before you hit send.
- Use the suggestions to improve your writing skills: Grammarly offers suggestions for improving your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and writing style. Reviewing these suggestions can improve your writing skills and make your writing more professional and polished.
- Use the plagiarism checker to avoid plagiarism: Grammarly can help you avoid accidental plagiarism by checking your writing against a database of over 16 billion web pages. This is particularly useful for freelancers who write a lot of content for the web.
- Use the tone detector to ensure your writing is appropriate: Grammarly’s tone detector can help ensure that your writing is appropriate for the context and audience. Grammarly can help you avoid sounding too formal, informal, or aggressive by analysing your writing for tone and emotion.
- Use the document type feature to tailor your writing: Grammarly offers different document types, such as academic, business, or creative writing. By selecting the appropriate document type, Grammarly can offer more specific suggestions for improving and tailoring your writing to your audience.
Using these tips, you can get the most out of the Grammarly Mac app and improve your writing skills as a freelancer. Whether you’re writing emails, proposals, or other client documents, Grammarly can help you write confidently and professionally.
Wave: Manage Your Finances



Managing your finances is an important aspect of freelancing, but it can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Wave is a free accounting and invoicing app to help you easily manage your finances. With Wave, you can create professional invoices, track expenses, and generate financial reports. Wave also integrates with other apps like PayPal and Etsy, making it easy to manage your income and expenses in one place.
USEFUL TIPS OF WAVE
- Use Wave for invoicing: Wave offers a free invoicing feature to create professional-looking invoices and send them to clients. This is particularly useful for freelancers who must bill clients for their work.
- Use Wave for accounting: Wave’s accounting feature allows you to track your income and expenses, generate financial reports, and manage your finances more effectively. This is particularly useful for freelancers who need to keep track of their finances for tax purposes.
- Use Wave for receipt tracking: Wave’s receipt tracking feature allows you to upload receipts and track your expenses easily. This is particularly useful for freelancers who need to keep track of their business expenses for tax purposes.
- Use Wave for payment processing: Wave offers payment processing features allowing you to accept client credit card payments. This is particularly useful for freelancers who need to receive client payments quickly and easily.
- Use Wave for payroll: Wave offers a payroll feature that allows you to manage your employee payroll and tax filings. This is particularly useful for freelancers who have employees or work with subcontractors.
Using these tips, you can get the most out of the Wave Mac app and manage your finances more effectively as a freelancer. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Wave is a great tool for managing your finances and streamlining your accounting processes.
FAQs
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Are these apps free?
Yes, all of the apps on this list are free to use. However, some offer premium versions with more advanced features and options.
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Do these apps work on other devices besides Macs?
Most apps on this list have versions for other devices, including Windows, Android, and iOS. Check the app’s website or app store listing for more information.
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Can I use these apps for personal projects as well?
Yes, all of these apps can be used for personal and professional projects.
Conclusion
Having the right tools can make all the difference in your success as a freelancer. The top 5 free Mac apps highlighted in this article can help you stay organized, productive, and efficient in your work. Toggl Track makes it easy to track your billable hours, Trello helps you stay organized and collaborate with clients, Canva enables you to create professional designs and graphics, Grammarly improves your writing skills, and Wave helps you manage your finances.
Using these free Mac apps saves time and streamlines your workflow, leaving you more time to focus on your projects and clients. Many of these apps offer premium versions with even more advanced features, so you can upgrade as your needs grow.
Additionally, these apps are user-friendly and easy to learn, even for those who need to be tech-savvy. With their intuitive interfaces and helpful features, you can use them immediately without any hassle.
In conclusion, if you’re a freelancer looking to boost your productivity and efficiency, add these must-have top 5 free Mac apps to your toolbox. They can help you stay organized, manage your time and finances, and create professional designs and documents, all without breaking the bank.