The best PeoplePerHour tools
for freelancers
The tools that help you win more work and run your freelance business better, organised by what they actually do for you.
PeoplePerHour gives you the marketplace, but winning work and running a smooth freelance business takes more than the platform alone. The right tools save you hours, help you bid faster, and make you look more professional. Here are the categories that matter most, and the standout tool in each.
How we picked these
Rather than a random list, we’ve organised tools by the job they do for a PeoplePerHour freelancer: winning work, then delivering and getting paid. For each category we’ve highlighted what to look for, so you can choose what fits your workflow.
1. Bidding & proposals
This is where most freelancers either win or lose. Bidding consistently and quickly, with proposals tailored to each job, is the single biggest driver of how much work you land. It’s also the most time-consuming part, which is why it’s the first thing worth optimising.
A Chrome extension that handles your whole PeoplePerHour bidding pipeline. It scans for jobs matching your categories, countries and budget, writes a personalised proposal for each one using your profile and tone, and submits the bid for you, with your portfolio attached. Run it fully automatically, or use Manual mode to review every proposal before it’s sent. For freelancers who bid regularly, it removes hours of repetitive work each week and means you’re never late to a fresh job.
2. Writing & proofreading
Whether it’s a proposal, a client message, or the deliverable itself, clean writing makes you look professional. A good grammar and spell-checking tool catches mistakes before your client does.
A browser-based grammar and spelling assistant catches typos and clunky phrasing in real time, across your proposals, messages, and documents. Look for one with a free tier and a browser extension so it works everywhere you type. Clean, error-free communication quietly builds client trust.
3. Time tracking
If you bill hourly or just want to know where your time goes, a tracker is essential. It also helps you quote future jobs more accurately by showing how long similar work actually took.
A one-click timer that logs how long you spend per client and project. The best options have a free plan, simple reports, and apps for desktop and mobile so you can track from anywhere. Great for accurate billing and for understanding your real hourly rate.
4. Invoicing & payments
PeoplePerHour handles payments within the platform, but for work that moves off-platform, or for keeping your own records, a dedicated invoicing tool keeps you organised and professional.
Clean, branded invoices and simple bookkeeping make you look established and make tax time painless. Look for a tool that creates professional invoices, tracks who’s paid, and exports reports for your accountant. Some offer a genuinely useful free tier for solo freelancers.
5. Scheduling & calls
Winning a job often means a quick call first. A scheduling tool removes the back-and-forth of finding a time, and makes booking that call effortless for the client.
Share a link, let the client pick a slot from your real availability, and the meeting is booked automatically. It saves the endless “does Tuesday work?” exchange and makes you look organised from the first interaction. Most have a free tier that’s plenty for a solo freelancer.
Build your stack around winning work
You don’t need all of these on day one. Most freelancers do well starting with the basics: a way to bid efficiently, a grammar checker, and a time tracker, then adding invoicing and scheduling as they grow.
If you only optimise one thing, make it bidding. It’s the activity most directly tied to how much work you win, and the one that eats the most time when done by hand. Getting that part running smoothly frees you up to focus on the actual work, which is what you’d rather be doing anyway.