Solo Biz Soft Editorial Team You do not need to spend money to run a tidy freelance business. Many tools offer free plans that cover the basics. This guide lists tools with real free plans, what each free plan allows and where it stops, using each company’s own pricing page.
Details were checked on 19 September 2026. Free plans change, so confirm on each company’s site.
Free tools at a glance
| Need | Tool | What the free plan lists |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing and accounting (US) | Wave Starter | Unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records |
| Accounting (US) | Zoho Books Free | 1 user plus an accountant, up to 1,000 invoices and 1,000 expenses a year |
| Invoicing (UK) | Zoho Invoice | 500 invoices a year, 2 users |
| CRM | HubSpot, Capsule, Zoho CRM | 2, 2 and 3 users respectively; Capsule allows 250 contacts |
| Email marketing | Kit, MailerLite | 10,000 subscribers (Kit); 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month (MailerLite) |
| Projects | Trello, ClickUp, Asana, Notion | Free plans with limits on boards, storage, users or uploads |
| Automation | Zapier, Make | 100 tasks a month (Zapier); 1,000 credits a month (Make) |
| Time tracking | Clockify, Toggl, Harvest | Clockify: up to 5 users; Harvest: 1 seat and 2 projects |
| Scheduling | Cal.com, Calendly | Cal.com: unlimited event types; Calendly: 1 event type |
| Passwords | Bitwarden | Unlimited passwords and devices |
Invoicing and accounting
Wave’s Starter plan is free for unlimited invoices in the US, and Zoho Books lists a free plan with up to 1,000 invoices a year. UK sole traders can look at Zoho Invoice, listed as free for up to 500 invoices a year. See Wave vs FreshBooks and free invoicing software for UK sole traders.
CRM
HubSpot’s free tools, Capsule’s free plan and Zoho CRM’s free edition all let you track leads at no cost, with limits on users or contacts. See our guide to the best free CRM for freelancers.
Email marketing
Kit lists a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers, and MailerLite lists one for up to 250 subscribers with three automations. See MailerLite vs Kit.
Projects, tasks and automation
Trello, ClickUp, Asana and Notion all have free plans, each with its own limits. Zapier and Make both let you automate a small number of workflows for free. See the best project management software for freelancers and Zapier vs Make.
Time tracking and scheduling
Clockify, Toggl Track and Harvest all track time for free, and Cal.com and Calendly offer free booking pages. See best time tracking software and Calendly vs Cal.com.
Passwords
Bitwarden’s free plan lists unlimited passwords across unlimited devices and sharing with one other user. See Bitwarden vs 1Password.
Frequently asked questions
Are free plans really free?
Yes, within their limits. Paid plans are optional, but check the limits so you are not caught out.
Which free tools should I start with?
Most freelancers start with invoicing, a way to schedule meetings and a password manager, then add others as needed.
Will free plans stay free?
Not always. Companies change their plans, so check the current details.
Related reading: How to Write an Invoice as a Freelancer (With a Checklist) · Best Free CRM for Freelancers in 2026
Prices and features were checked on 19 September 2026 and can change. Always confirm on the company’s website.
Not sure what you’re actually spending across everything? The software subscription cost calculator adds it all up in one place.