Accounting & Bookkeeping
Your accounting system is the backbone of your gig business. These tools track income, expenses, and generate the reports you need for taxes.
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Self-Employed | Full-time gig workers who want mileage + accounting in one | $15/mo | Auto-track miles, expense categorization, quarterly tax estimates, Schedule C export |
| FreshBooks | Freelancers who send lots of invoices | $17/mo | Beautiful invoices, time tracking, client portal, expense tracking |
| Wave | Budget-conscious solo gig workers | Free | Unlimited invoices, receipt scanning, income/expense tracking (payment processing fees apply) |
| Xero | Gig workers with multiple income streams | $15/mo | Bank reconciliation, inventory tracking, project tracking |
| Zoho Books | Tech-savvy gig workers on a budget | $15/mo | Automation rules, bank feeds, GST/Sales tax support, strong mobile app |
Our take: Start with Wave if you are just getting started. Upgrade to QuickBooks Self-Employed or FreshBooks once your income stabilizes.
Banking & Business Accounts
Traditional banks don’t understand gig income. These modern options do.
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Found | Gig workers who want banking + taxes in one app | Free (paid from $35/mo) | Business checking, auto-save for taxes, built-in bookkeeping, free invoices, mileage tracking |
| Lili | Freelancers who want smart savings tools | Free (Pro $9/mo) | No-fee business checking, tax buckets, receipt matching, savings goals |
| BlueVine | Gig workers needing high-yield business checking | Free | 1.5% APY, no monthly fees, unlimited transactions, $3M FDIC insurance |
| Mercury | High-earning solopreneurs and LLCs | Free | No fees, built-in bill pay, investor-grade tools, virtual cards |
Our take: Found is the strongest all-in-one option for most gig workers.
Mileage & Expense Tracking
If you drive for work, mileage tracking alone can save you thousands. The IRS mileage rate for 2026 is $0.70 per business mile.
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everlance | Drivers who want automatic GPS tracking | $8/mo | IRS-compliant logs, trip categorization, expense tracking, tax reports |
| MileIQ | Rideshare and delivery drivers | $5.99/mo | Automatic drive detection, swipe-to-classify, IRS logs, annual reports |
| Stride | Budget-conscious gig workers | Free | Mileage tracking, expense logging, tax deduction estimates |
| Hurdlr | Multi-gig workers balancing several income sources | $10/mo | Real-time profit tracking, mileage + expenses, quarterly tax estimates |
Our take: Stride is good enough for most drivers and it is free. For heavy drivers, Everlance or MileIQ are worth the subscription.
Tax Preparation & Filing
Gig workers can’t just file a simple 1040-EZ. These tools handle self-employment tax, Schedule C, and quarterly estimated payments.
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurboTax Self-Employed | One-click filing with maximum deduction finding | $89+ | Full Schedule C, mileage deduction max, audit support, quarterly estimates |
| FreeTaxUSA | Affordable self-filing for experienced gig workers | $14.99 (state) | Schedule C, self-employment tax, prior-year carryovers |
| TaxSlayer Self-Employed | Gig workers who want human support | $42.95 | Schedule C, 1099-NEC/K import, professional support add-on |
| Cash App Taxes | Free filing for simple returns | Free | Free federal + state, Schedule C, 1099-NEC import |
| SnapTax | Year-round tax planning (not filing) | $4.99/mo | Real-time tax estimates, AI expense categorization, P&L reports |
Our take: Use FreeTaxUSA if you are comfortable filing yourself. Use TurboTax Self-Employed if you want confidence you are not missing deductions.
Time Tracking & Invoicing
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest | Freelancers with multiple clients at different rates | $12/mo | Time tracking, invoicing, expense tracking, project budgets |
| Toggl Track | Simple, one-click time tracking | Free (Starter $10/mo) | One-click timer, reporting, integrations with 100+ tools |
| Bonsai | Freelancers who want an all-in-one business suite | $5.50/mo | Contracts, proposals, invoices, time tracking, accounting |
| Indy | Gig workers managing multiple projects | $12/mo | Proposals, contracts, invoices, task management, file sharing |
Contracts & Legal
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonsai | Freelancers needing customizable contract templates | Included in Bonsai ($5.50/mo) | 50+ legally-reviewed templates, e-signatures, contract management |
| Rocket Lawyer | Gig workers forming an LLC or corporation | $40/mo | LLC formation, contract library, legal advice, registered agent |
| LegalZoom | One-time LLC formation with guidance | $99 + state fees | LLC formation, operating agreements, trademark filing |
| HelloSign | Sending and signing contracts | Free (3 signs/mo) | E-signatures, templates, audit trail |
Retirement & Savings
Gig workers don’t get employer 401(k) matches. You have to build retirement savings yourself.
| Tool | Best For | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Solo 401(k) (Vanguard/Fidelity/Schwab) | Gig workers with high income who want maximum contributions | Contribute up to $70,000/year (2026), Roth options |
| SEP IRA (Betterment/Vanguard) | Simple retirement saving with high contribution limits | Up to 25% of net earnings ($69,000 max for 2026) |
| Betterment | Automated investing for gig workers | Goal-based investing, tax-loss harvesting, 0.25% fee |
| Wealthfront | Passive automated investing | Tax-optimized portfolios, cash account with 4.5% APY |
Our take: Start with a Solo 401(k) if you can save aggressively. A SEP IRA is simpler but does not allow Roth contributions.
Health Insurance
Without an employer plan, you need to find and budget for your own coverage.
| Tool | Best For | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| HealthSherpa | Finding ACA marketplace plans | Compares plans, estimates subsidies, enrollment assistance |
| Stride Health | Gig workers specifically (used by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash) | ACA plan comparison, subsidy calculator, tax penalty estimates |
| Healthcare.gov | Direct marketplace enrollment | Subsidy eligibility, Medicaid/CHIP screening, plan comparison |
Payment Processing
| Tool | Best For | Fee Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Online payments, subscriptions, platform integrations | 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction |
| PayPal | Simple invoicing and payment links | 2.99% + $0.49 per transaction |
| Square | In-person payments, invoices, POS | 2.6% + $0.10 (in-person), 2.9% + $0.30 (online) |
| Venmo Business | Peer-to-peer payments with business profile | 1.9% + $0.10 per transaction |
All-in-One Platforms (New for 2026)
Several newer platforms are trying to replace the multi-app stack with one integrated system.
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrakMiles Pro | Gig workers who want every feature in one app | $4.99/mo | Mileage, revenue, expenses, time tracking, double-entry accounting, Schedule C, AI |
| Lifeline (SmackTax) | 1099 workers wanting tax-first all-in-one | $7.99/mo | GPS mileage, AI receipt scanning, bank import, Schedule C, multi-entity |
| Disco | Gig workers who struggle with tax savings | Free | Auto-detects deposits, splits into spending/taxes/savings, state-aware guidance |
| Bookd | Event-based and per-gig workers | Free | Gig logging, income tracking, tax estimates, expense snap-and-categorize |
Recommended Starter Stacks
Stack 1: The Free Stack ($0/mo)
- Banking: Found (free tier)
- Accounting: Wave
- Mileage: Stride
- Invoicing: Wave (built-in)
- Tax filing: Cash App Taxes or FreeTaxUSA
Stack 2: The Balanced Stack (~$25-35/mo)
- Banking + Tax set-aside: Found (free tier)
- Accounting + Invoicing: FreshBooks ($17/mo)
- Mileage: Everlance ($8/mo)
- Tax planning: SnapTax ($4.99/mo, optional)
Stack 3: The Power Stack (~$35-55/mo)
- All-in-one: TrakMiles Pro ($4.99/mo) or QuickBooks Self-Employed ($15/mo)
- Banking: Mercury or BlueVine (free)
- Invoicing + Contracts: Bonsai ($5.50/mo)
- Tax filing: TurboTax Self-Employed (one-time $89+ at tax time)
- Retirement: Solo 401(k) via Vanguard (free to set up)
Last updated: May 2026. Prices and features change. Always check the tool’s website for current information.