Freelancing and consulting are two of the most popular ways that people earn extra money. But there's a danger:  It can be difficult to manage and track your income and expenses if you're not careful! As a freelancer or consultant, it's up to you to keep records for everything from income taxes and business expenses to invoice management and payment processing. This is why we have developed a list of helpful apps and other solutions for managing your freelancing business.

Find Invoice and Time Tracking Apps

As a freelancer or consultant, there are two main tasks you will need to manage: tracking time and generating invoices.   Here are some great options. While the first four apps on this list focus on invoicing, the remainder is a general time tracking tool.

1.    Bill4time:  

A "professional invoicing and billing solution" for freelancers and other professionals (such as consultants). It includes project management capabilities, automatic invoice reminders, email templates, multiple payment options via PayPal, recurring billing plans like monthly retainers, and reporting features.

2.   Insightly:  

A popular contact management solution that also offers invoicing capabilities as part of its service. You can send quotes to clients from within Insightly, as well as invoice them for different amounts based on their budget parameters – a very useful feature! This app also has time tracking features.

3.    Expensify:  

This app is great for keeping track of all your business expenses (including receipts) and generating reports that show you where your money has gone. It's also essential to keep track of tax deductions, especially if you plan to deduct business expenses come tax season.

4.    Harvest:  

Another great option for tracking time; Harvest also includes invoicing capabilities as well as reporting features. It's a great tool for tracking time and generating invoices – you're basically getting two apps in one with Harvest!

5.    Toggl:  

This is another great option for freelancers and consultants who want to track time and generate reports. You can sign up for Toggl using your Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn account. Additionally, you can add a Toggl button to your website for even easier use.

Find Invoicing Apps

After you have the time tracking app in place, it's time to generate invoices! There are many different ways to generate an invoice – from good old fashion pen and paper to using a custom-built solution – but the following apps make the process much easier:

Invoice2go:  

This app includes multiple features that are great for freelancers and consultants, including invoice tracking features that allow you to see when clients open invoices, integrations with accounting solutions such as Xero and Freshbooks, payment processing features, and much more.

InvoiceToMe:  

This invoicing app is easy to use and features a clean interface that makes it great for billing your clients quickly and effortlessly via email or through printing out an invoice for them. It's structured in a simple format that allows you to generate an invoice with customer details in just a few seconds.

Invoice Expert:  

This invoicing app is perfect for small businesses that are looking for an easy way to track invoices, customer payments, and billing history all within one place. It's free to use but offers additional features starting at $4.99 USD per month.

Invoice Ninja:  

This is another great option for freelancers who are looking for an invoicing app that can run on their own website. It's easy to use with minimal setup required, and you're free to add your own logo. It's also customizable to fit your needs and can include a variety of subscription plans for you to choose from.

Invoice Home:  

Invoice Home is for you if you want to use an app with a completely free price tag! This invoicing software has everything you need to send professional-looking invoices and track time spent on various projects, all within one simple platform. Plus, your invoice template can be completely customized to suit your needs!

Zoho Invoice:  

This invoicing solution is perfect for consultants who need a free option that doesn't skimp on features at all. You can send invoices to clients quickly via email, manage payments made by your customers, and track the time you've spent on various tasks. It also comes with a free option, so there's nothing stopping you from signing up if it sounds like your ideal solution!

Free Invoice Generator:    

If all you need is a quick and easy way to create invoices that you can share with your customers via email, check this out. You don't need to sign up or create an account, and you can generate as many free quotes in PDF format as you need in only a few seconds.

Conclusion