Dextr is our first pick for freelancers on Apple devices who want to maintain repeat-client, collaborator, and referral relationships. Keeping the person and next conversation in view is a useful foundation for a solo practice. Bonsai, Bigin, HubSpot, and Less Annoying CRM serve other client-administration and sales workflows described below.
Freelance work rarely arrives in one neat stream. You might get an email from a new prospect, a text from a past client, and an introduction from a collaborator in the same afternoon. A useful system makes the next action easy to find when you return to each conversation.
Five CRM options for freelancers
- Dextr, our first pick. Useful starting point: Repeat clients, collaborators, and referrals Check before choosing: Whether relationship management covers your needs
- Bonsai. Useful starting point: Client work from proposal through delivery Check before choosing: Which plan includes your documents and billing
- Bigin. Useful starting point: Inquiries moving through a small sales pipeline Check before choosing: Record limits and paid-plan requirements
- HubSpot. Useful starting point: Starting with free sales records Check before choosing: Contact limits and the future upgrade path
- Less Annoying CRM. Useful starting point: Straightforward lead tracking Check before choosing: Whether its contact and pipeline structure fits
Dextr publishes this comparison. Product information was checked against official documentation on October 27, 2026. The recommendations are an editorial assessment, not a claim that every tool was tested hands-on.
Decide whether you need a CRM or a client-work suite
A CRM helps you organize the relationship and the sale. A broader client-work suite may also handle the agreement, the project, the invoice, and the payment.
If you already have an invoicing tool and a project system that work well, choose a CRM that fills a real gap. If you repeatedly copy client details into several systems, compare the cost and effort of a more connected setup.
A freelance illustrator receiving occasional commissions has different needs from a consultant managing retainers. Start with the work you actually do.
Dextr: our first pick for repeat clients and professional relationships
Dextr on iPhone: keep files with the contact
Dextr is a candidate when your freelance business depends on people remembering you and you remembering them. Think of former clients, editors, agency contacts, collaborators, and the people who recommend you.
You can organize contacts with tags and tag groups, such as past-clients, design-partners, or local-businesses. Use a label because it helps you find someone for a specific reason.
With Pro, Journal Entries can preserve what mattered after a conversation. A short note about a client's next launch or preferred collaboration style can be more useful than a long, unstructured contact record.
Dextr fits alongside a working freelance setup when relationship context is the missing part. Compare a dedicated sales or project platform if you need several opportunities per client, contracts, or invoicing in the same system.
Dark-mode app examples below use fictional demonstration contacts.
On iPhone, the contact Files view keeps a client project brief and reference image associated with the person.
Dextr on iPad: store structured details
On iPad, client status, project, and preferred-contact custom fields keep structured context beside the person. Check Pro requirements for custom fields.
Bonsai: for freelancers who want business admin together
Bonsai connects client records with projects and documents. It deserves a place on the shortlist when your main frustration is the work around an engagement, rather than only remembering the people involved.
For example, a freelancer preparing a proposal may also need an agreement, an invoice, and somewhere for the client to find project information. Bonsai's Essentials plan includes those document and billing functions. Its Premium plan lists a deals pipeline.
Compare those tiers to your existing tools before switching. Paying for a suite is more useful when it replaces work you are already doing elsewhere.
Bigin: for turning inquiries into a repeatable process
Bigin is relevant when inquiries pass through a fairly consistent sequence. A freelancer might use new inquiry, qualified, proposal sent, agreed, and closed.
Keep those stages separate from project production. Proposal sent describes the sale. Design revision describes the work after agreement. Combining both into one long list makes it harder to see what needs attention.
Bigin offers a free edition and paid plans. Check record limits and the plan required for your communication workflow.
HubSpot: for a free sales starting point
HubSpot's free CRM can suit a freelancer who wants to start with contacts and deals before committing to a paid system. Its published allowance covers up to two users and 1,000 contacts.
Test a few real inquiries and use the pipeline tools to see whether the structure fits. Review paid requirements before building a process around features that may need an upgrade.
Less Annoying CRM: for a small, steady sales routine
Less Annoying CRM brings contact records, lead tracking, and tasks into a business CRM. Its single paid plan may appeal if you prefer a predictable feature set.
It is a candidate for freelancers who need a consistent way to track business development while keeping delivery and accounting in their current tools.
A freelance contact setup you can actually maintain
Start with details you will use before the next conversation:
- Name, company, and preferred contact method. Why it helps: Reach the right person
- Source of the relationship. Why it helps: Remember the introduction or previous work
- Type of work discussed. Why it helps: Recognize why the contact matters
- Latest useful note. Why it helps: Resume the conversation accurately
- Next action and date. Why it helps: Follow through on a commitment
Keep invoice status in the system that owns the invoice. Keep production deadlines in your project plan. A CRM becomes harder to trust when the same status must be updated in several places.
For a fictional example, an editor asks a freelance writer about a January assignment. Save the subject, timing, and what the editor wants to see. Set a reminder to send samples. After the assignment is complete, keep a note about the work and an appropriate reason to reconnect later.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free CRM enough for a freelancer?
It can be, especially for a small number of active inquiries. Check whether the free plan includes the next actions and record capacity you need. A free CRM does not automatically replace contracts, project management, or invoicing.
Should freelancers use a spreadsheet as a CRM?
A spreadsheet can work while the information stays current and follow-ups are handled reliably. Consider another tool when finding context and remembering commitments becomes difficult.
How often should I update my CRM?
Add useful context after an important interaction and review active inquiries regularly. A small, current record is more helpful than a detailed setup you stop maintaining.
If your freelance business grows through repeat work and recommendations, try Dextr with a few past clients and collaborators. Start with the people you want to remember well.
Start with Dextr
Keep client and referral relationships close at hand with Dextr. Install Dextr from the App Store.