Freelancers are among the highest per-capita subscription spenders. Every new client brings a new tool requirement. Every new project justifies a new app. Over time, the stack grows — and the monthly cost becomes invisible.
The Real Numbers
A typical freelancer stack spans several categories: - Design: Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud - Productivity: Notion, Linear, an email client - Dev: GitHub, a hosting platform, domains - Communication: Zoom, Slack - AI: one or two AI assistants - Storage: Dropbox or Google One - Admin: a scheduling tool, a screen recorder
Individually each is a modest monthly charge. Added up over a year, the stack is often one of the larger business costs a freelancer has — and the least reviewed.
The Freelancer Audit: 4 Questions Per Tool
- . Did I use this for a client project last month? If no — cancel.
- . Is there a free tier that covers my actual usage? Figma Free, GitHub Free, Zoom Free, Notion Free all cover solo use.
- . Can I bill this to a client? Tools directly used for client work are often billable or deductible.
- . Would I pay for this personally if not freelancing? The answer is often no.
The Tax Angle
In many countries, software used for business is deductible as a business expense — check the rules where you file. SubTracker's CSV export gives your accountant a clean list of annual software costs, with dates and amounts.