Dropbox, Google Analytics, Gmail Top List of the 25 Most

Dropbox, Google Analytics, Gmail Top List of the 25 Most Popular Tools for Freelancers According to BestVendor

BestVendor Survey of Freelancers Around the World Demonstrates Rise of Cloud Apps

NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 08/16/12 -- BestVendor today released the results of its "2012 Freelancer Survey" focusing on the most popular software and apps used by freelancers to manage their work. An infographic with full results is available on the BestVendor blog at http://blog.bestvendor.com.

BestVendor is a NY-based startup backed by Peter Thiel, RRE Ventures, SoftBank Capital, and others. The company offers a free community resource for finding the best software, apps and services, based on what's working well for others. Beta signup is free at http://bestvendor.com.

BestVendor conducted the survey over the last two months, asking 97 freelancers what software and apps they use to manage their work. 57% of those surveyed are based in the U.S., 27% in Europe. 44% of those surveyed work in the technology and digital media, while 21% work in design and creative sectors.

The 25 most popular freelancer tools are:

1. Dropbox 2. Google Analytics 3. Gmail 4. Evernote 5. Google Apps/Docs 6. Google Calendar 7. Mailchimp 8. Hootsuite 9. iCloud 10. Basecamp 11. Mint 12. Google Voice 13. Quickbooks

14. FreshBooks 15. Prezi 16. Pivotal Tracker 17. Balsamiq Mockups 18. Google Alerts 19. GoToMeeting 20. BatchBook 21. Joomla 22. Posterous 23. Skitch 24. Django 25. Google AdWords

The results demonstrate the rise of cloud apps and SaaS services, and the decline of desktop software: Every tool in the top 25 is web-based, with the possible exception of QuickBooks, which offers both web and desktop versions.

The survey also revealed some "trending apps" among freelancers that haven't yet made the top 25. These include Expensify, Outright, Remember The Milk, Harvest, 16bugs, and others.

The Freelancer Survey is part of BestVendor's mission to bring more openness and sharing to the business purchasing process.

"Finding a better business tool can make a huge difference to your productivity, but it's an isolating and time-consuming process," said BestVendor CEO Jeff Giesea. "The aim of BestVendor is to give freelancers and other professionals a place where they can share knowledge to quickly find the best tools and services to get stuff done."

About BestVendor BestVendor is a free online community that helps professionals find the best software, apps, and services to get stuff done, based on what's working for others. Beta signup is available at http://www.bestvendor.com

Jeff Giesea jeff@bestvendor.com