Freelancers face irregular income, quarterly taxes, and deductible expenses. These five apps handle the self-employed money workflow from mileage tracking to Schedule C-ready reports.
Freelancers and gig workers live with a financial reality that most budgeting apps weren't built for: income that swings month to month, quarterly tax payments nobody withholds for you, deductible expenses mixed into personal spending, and mileage that needs logging every time you drive for work.
Standard budgeting apps—good as they are for W-2 employees—tend to fall short here. They don't estimate quarterly taxes. They don't track mileage. They don't separate business from personal expenses in a way that makes Schedule C filing easier.
This guide covers five apps purpose-built for self-employed finances, ranging from pure cash-flow budgeting to full business management. Whether you drive for Uber, freelance as a designer, or run a one-person consulting shop, one of these should fit.
Hurdlr is built specifically for gig economy workers, and it shows. The standout feature is automatic GPS mileage tracking—no manual start/stop required—which is often the biggest deduction gig workers leave on the table1. On top of that, it provides real-time tax estimates so you know roughly what you'll owe each quarter, income monitoring across platforms, and receipt scanning1.
Pricing runs from a free tier up to about $10/month for premium features1, making it one of the most affordable options on this list. If you drive for work and want tax estimates without paying QuickBooks prices, Hurdlr is the natural first pick.
Verdict: The most directly aligned tool for gig workers who need mileage tracking and tax estimates without a steep monthly fee.
Found combines a business banking account with built-in tax planning, bookkeeping, and invoicing2. There are no monthly fees2, which is remarkable given what's included: automatic tax savings (it sets aside a percentage of each deposit for taxes), 1099 and W-9 management, and built-in invoicing2.
For freelancers who want tax tools baked into their everyday banking without paying a subscription, Found is hard to beat. The main trade-off is that it's a banking product first and a budgeting app second—if you need deep cash-flow planning or zero-based budgeting, you'll want to pair it with something like YNAB.
Verdict: Exceptional value for self-employed folks who want tax planning and invoicing baked into a free business account.
QuickBooks Self-Employed is the industry standard for 1099 contractors3. It offers automatic expense categorization, Schedule C tax preparation, mileage tracking, bank synchronization, and cash flow dashboards3. Its biggest advantage is direct integration with TurboTax, which lets you flow your categorized expenses straight into your tax return3.
At roughly $17.50/month3, it's pricier than Hurdlr or Found, but if seamless tax filing is your top priority—especially if you already use TurboTax—the integration alone can justify the cost.
Verdict: The tax-filing gold standard for freelancers who want expense tracking and Schedule C prep in one ecosystem.
YNAB (You Need A Budget) takes a different approach. It's not a tax tool or a business suite—it's a zero-based budgeting app built on the philosophy of "giving every dollar a job"4. For freelancers, that discipline matters: when income is unpredictable, deciding in advance how to allocate each dollar helps smooth out the lean months.
YNAB offers bank syncing, real-time balance updates, comprehensive spending analysis, and goal tracking4. At about $14/month or $99/year4, it's a budgeting-first tool. It won't track mileage or estimate quarterly taxes, but for freelancers whose biggest challenge is cash-flow management rather than tax prep, YNAB is unmatched.
Verdict: The best tool for freelancers who need to build cash-flow discipline around irregular income.
Bonsai is the most comprehensive option here, covering the entire freelancer workflow from contracts to invoicing to expense tracking to quarterly tax estimates5. You can send proposals, generate legally vetted contracts, automate invoicing, import expenses, and produce P&L reports—all within one platform5.
Pricing ranges from $21 to $52/month5, making it the most expensive pick on this list. But if you're running a freelance business with multiple clients and want a single tool that handles everything from signing a contract to estimating your tax bill, Bonsai replaces several standalone apps at once.
Verdict: Best for established freelancers who want one platform for contracts, invoicing, expenses, and tax estimates.
| Price | Tax Tools | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurdlr | Free–$10/mo | Real-time estimates, mileage | Gig workers who drive |
| Found | Free | Tax savings, 1099/W-9 | Free banking + tax planning |
| QuickBooks SE | ~$17.50/mo | Schedule C, TurboTax sync | Seamless tax filing |
| YNAB | ~$14/mo | None (budgeting only) | Variable-income cash flow |
| Bonsai | $21–$52/mo | Quarterly estimates | Full freelancer workflow |
If you drive for work: Hurdlr's automatic mileage tracking and low price make it the clear starting point.
If you want free tax tools: Found gives you tax planning, invoicing, and banking at no monthly cost.
If tax filing is your priority: QuickBooks Self-Employed with TurboTax integration is the smoothest path from expenses to filed return.
If cash flow is your biggest struggle: YNAB's zero-based method is the best system for taming irregular income.
If you want one tool for everything: Bonsai covers contracts, invoicing, expenses, and tax estimates in a single suite—just expect to pay more.
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