Best CRM for Freelancers & Solopreneurs
Track clients, manage projects, send invoices, and automate follow-ups—all in one simple CRM. Free forever plan for solo freelancers.
The Freelancer Problem
❌ Spreadsheets + email: Client info scattered across Gmail, Google Sheets, and phone contacts. Can't remember who you last talked to.
❌ Salesforce/HubSpot: Built for 50-person sales teams, not solo freelancers. $75-150/user/mo is brutal when you're the only user.
❌ Separate invoicing tool: Paying $30-50/mo for QuickBooks or FreshBooks on top of project management tools.
❌ Manual everything: Manually creating invoices, manually following up on proposals, manually tracking which client owes what.
Why Freelancers Love Lead16
💰 Built-in Invoicing
Create invoices with one click from completed projects. Send via email with payment link. Track payment status. No separate billing software needed.
👥 Client Management
All clients in one place: contact info, project history, proposals sent, invoices paid. See complete client journey without digging through email.
🔄 Automated Follow-ups
Set up automated email sequences: proposal follow-ups, project check-ins, "Working with anyone else?" campaigns for past clients. Save 5+ hours weekly.
💯 Free Forever
50 clients, 10 invoices/month, automated follow-ups, offline mode, Gmail sync—all free. Upgrade to Growth ($29/mo) for unlimited clients.
Perfect for All Types of Freelancers
💻 Developers & Designers
Track client projects, log hours worked, store feedback and revisions. Create invoices when project milestones are complete. Link GitHub repos or Figma files to client records.
Use case: Web developer with 8 active clients. Pipeline shows which projects are in "Development", "QA Testing", or "Ready to Invoice."
✍️ Writers & Content Creators
Manage article clients, track editorial calendars, invoice per article or monthly retainer. Store content briefs, word count, and publishing deadlines.
Use case: Freelance writer with 5 recurring clients + project work. Recurring billing automates monthly retainer invoices.
📸 Photographers & Videographers
Track photo shoot clients, manage booking pipeline, send invoices after delivery. Log shoot dates, deliverable formats, and client preferences.
Use case: Wedding photographer with 20 bookings/year. Pipeline tracks: Inquiry → Booked → Shoot Complete → Edited → Delivered → Paid.
🎨 Graphic Designers
Manage design clients, track project proposals, bill hourly or project-based. Store brand guidelines, log revisions, track deliverable deadlines.
Use case: Logo designer juggling 10 active projects. Custom fields track: rounds of revisions included, file formats needed, deadline dates.
💼 Consultants & Coaches
Track coaching clients, manage session schedules, invoice for packages or monthly retainers. Log session notes, progress, and next action items.
Use case: Business coach with 15 clients. Recurring billing invoices each client automatically on their monthly anniversary date.
🎭 Marketing Freelancers
Manage campaign clients, track deliverables, bill monthly retainers or project fees. Log campaign performance, store creative briefs, invoice for add-on services.
Use case: Social media manager with 12 retainer clients. Automated invoicing saves 6 hours monthly vs manual invoice creation.
Essential Features for Freelancers
📊 Visual Project Pipeline
Drag-and-drop kanban board shows all clients by stage: Lead → Proposal Sent → Active Project → Completed → Invoiced → Paid. See total pipeline value and which projects are stuck.
💸 One-Click Invoicing
When project reaches "Completed" stage, click "Create Invoice" button. Pre-fills client info and project details. Send via email with Stripe or PayPal payment link. Track when client views and pays invoice.
Time savings: Creating an invoice takes 30 seconds vs 10 minutes manually in Word/Excel. That's 8+ hours saved annually if you invoice 50 times/year.
🔔 Automated Payment Reminders
Set up automatic dunning sequence: Gentle reminder 7 days after due date, firmer reminder at 14 days, final notice at 21 days. No more awkward "Did you forget about my invoice?" conversations.
📧 Gmail Integration
All emails with clients automatically logged to their record. See complete communication history: proposals sent, revisions discussed, payment confirmations. No more searching "where did they say they wanted blue?"
🏷️ Custom Fields & Tags
Tag clients by industry, project type, or priority (hot, warm, cold). Create custom fields for: project deadline, hourly rate, hours estimated, deliverable format, payment terms, etc.
📴 Offline Mode
Work from coffee shops, planes, or anywhere. Add new clients, update projects, create invoices—all without internet. Everything syncs when you reconnect. Perfect for digital nomad freelancers.
Lead16 vs Other Freelancer Tools
| Feature | Lead16 | Salesforce | HubSpot | QB + Trello |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in invoicing | ✓ All plans | ✗ Needs QB | ✗ Needs integration | ✓ Separate tool |
| Client management + projects | ✓ One tool | ✓ Complex | ✓ Yes | 2 separate tools |
| Designed for solo freelancer | ✓ Yes | ✗ Enterprise | ⚠️ Sales teams | ✓ Yes |
| Setup time | 5 minutes | 2+ months | 1-2 weeks | 2-3 hours |
| Offline mode | ✓ Full functionality | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Monthly cost | $0-29/mo | $75-150/mo | $50-400/mo | $50-65/mo (both) |
Freelancer Saves 10 Hours Monthly, Increases Income 23%
"I was using Gmail for communication, Google Sheets to track clients, and spending 2-3 hours every month manually creating invoices in Word. Lead16 replaced all three tools. Now I create an invoice with one click when a project finishes. The automated payment reminders alone saved me from chasing 3 late-paying clients last month—got paid 15 days faster on average. The time I saved went straight into billable client work. My income increased 23% just from having more hours to work instead of doing admin tasks."
— Laura S., Freelance Graphic Designer
Simple Pricing for Freelancers
Starter
- ✓ 50 clients
- ✓ 10 invoices/month
- ✓ Automated follow-ups
- ✓ Offline mode
- ✓ Gmail sync
- ✓ Payment tracking
Perfect for getting started
Growth
- ✓ Unlimited clients
- ✓ Unlimited invoices
- ✓ Recurring billing
- ✓ Custom fields & tags
- ✓ Zapier integration
- ✓ Email templates
For full-time freelancers
Pro
- ✓ Everything in Growth
- ✓ API access
- ✓ White-label invoices
- ✓ Priority support
- ✓ Custom integrations
- ✓ Multi-user (team)
For growing freelance teams
All plans include 14-day free trial. No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Freelancers juggle multiple clients, projects, proposals, and invoices simultaneously without a team to help. A CRM centralizes client communication, tracks project status, automates follow-ups for proposals, and makes invoicing effortless. Without a CRM, freelancers waste 10+ hours weekly searching for client emails, manually creating invoices, and forgetting to follow up on proposals.
Lead16 includes built-in invoicing (saves $30-50/mo on QuickBooks/FreshBooks), costs $0-29/mo vs $75-150/user/mo for Salesforce, and works fully offline for working in coffee shops or while traveling. Setup takes 5 minutes vs weeks for enterprise CRMs. Designed for solo freelancers, not corporate sales teams.
Yes. Track all clients in one place: contact info, project history, proposals sent, contracts signed. When a project is complete, create an invoice with one click. Send invoice via email with payment link, track payment status, and set automatic reminders for overdue invoices. Everything linked to the client record.
No. Lead16 is designed for simplicity. Setup takes 5 minutes (add clients, customize pipeline stages, done). The free plan includes 50 clients and 10 invoices/month—perfect for freelancers just starting. No complicated features you will never use. Just client tracking, project management, and invoicing.
Create professional invoices with payment link (Stripe/PayPal). Send via email with one click. Track payment status (sent, viewed, paid). Set automatic reminders for overdue invoices (gentle reminder at 7 days, firmer at 14 days). No more manually chasing late-paying clients or sending awkward "Did you see my invoice?" emails.
Related Resources
Start Managing Clients Better Today
Join 500+ freelancers using Lead16 to track clients, send invoices, and automate follow-ups.
💯 Free forever plan • No credit card required • 5-minute setup