I’ve been freelancing for a while, and like many others, I tried to organize my work using tools like Notion, Trello, and various SaaS platforms.
They’re powerful, but over time I realized something:
for simple freelance work, they felt heavy, distracting, and sometimes slower than the work itself.
I didn’t need dashboards, integrations, or accounts.
I just needed a simple way to track clients, tasks, and notes — quickly.
The problem with “heavy” tools
Most modern productivity tools assume:
teams
constant internet connection
subscriptions
complex setups
As a solo freelancer, that often felt like overkill.
I wanted:
something offline
something fast
something I could open and use immediately
So instead of searching for the “perfect app”, I decided to build something minimal for myself.
The solution: a tiny offline HTML tool
I built a small offline-first tool using plain HTML and JavaScript.
It works like this:
you download the file
open it in your browser
and start using it
No login.
No cloud.
No setup.
All data is stored locally in the browser.
What it does (and doesn’t)
The tool lets me:
manage clients
track tasks
keep simple notes
That’s it.
It doesn’t try to:
replace full project management software
support teams
sync across devices
And that’s intentional.
Why I like this approach
Building something simple forced me to be very intentional.
Instead of asking “what features can I add?”, I asked:
what can I remove?
what’s the minimum that still works?
The result is a tool that stays out of the way and lets me focus on actual work.
Sharing it
I decided to share the project publicly in case it’s useful to other freelancers who feel the same friction with heavier tools.
The source and demo are available on GitHub:
👉 https://github.com/chry1977/freelancer-mini-manager
I also made a downloadable version available here:
👉 https://payhip.com/b/epN9y
Final thoughts
This won’t be for everyone.
But if you’re a solo freelancer who prefers simple, offline tools that just work, it might be useful.
I’d be genuinely curious to hear:
how others manage freelance work
whether you’ve also stepped away from heavier tools
Thanks for reading.
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