Matrix.org
Element.io
Signal
Telegram
Revolt.chat
Rocket.Chat
Mattermost
Discord
Stacklite.live
Bonsai
HoneyBook
Dubsado
Freelancer Stack
Toggl
Stacklite is a calm workspace for solo freelancers tired of juggling 6 different tools just to send one invoice.
Contracts, invoices, time tracking, and client management โ all in one place. Free forever.
The Problem
The average freelancer uses 4-7 apps just to run their business. Notion for notes. Toggl for time. Google Docs for contracts. PayPal for invoices. A spreadsheet for clients.
The result? Fragmented, anxiety-inducing admin work that eats into the actual work you freelance to do.
And before you can try most tools that claim to solve this? A sign-up wall. Email. Password. Verify. Choose a plan. By the time you're in, you've forgotten why you came.
The Solution
Guest mode. Open Stacklite and start working immediately. No email. No password. No friction. Your data saves locally. Create an account later if you want โ or don't.
Core Features
Pricing
Free. Not a free trial. Not a free tier. Free forever.
Solo freelancers shouldn't pay a subscription tax just to manage their own business.
stacklite.live
Matrix.org Stacklite.liveMatrix.org is recommended for individuals and organizations that prioritize privacy and security in their communications. It's ideal for tech-savvy users who value open-source solutions and those who seek to avoid centralized communication platforms. Additionally, it's suitable for developers looking to build custom communication solutions using a versatile protocol.
Stacklite.live's answer:
Guest mode. No sign-up wall, no email verification, no account required. You land on the workspace and start working immediately. Contracts, invoices, time tracking, and client management all connect to each other automatically. Built for solo freelancers specifically โ not a stripped-down agency tool.
Stacklite.live's answer:
Three reasons. First, it's free โ not a free trial, not a free tier, free forever. Second, guest mode means zero friction to start. Third, it's calm by design โ no bloated dashboards, no complex workflows, no weeks of setup. Bonsai costs $19-49/month. HoneyBook doubled their pricing in 2025. Stacklite costs nothing and works in 30 seconds.
Stacklite.live's answer:
Built by a product designer who got tired of switching between 6 different apps just to invoice one client. Toggl for hours, Google Docs for contracts, PayPal for invoices, Notion for client notes. One day the context switching got too painful. So I built one calm workspace that does all of it โ and made it free because freelancers shouldn't pay a subscription tax just to manage their own business.
Stacklite.live's answer:
Modern web technologies optimized for speed, reliability, and a seamless guest-to-account experience. Built as a web application accessible from any browser without installation.
Stacklite.live's answer:
Solo freelancers โ designers, developers, writers, photographers, and consultants managing 3-15 active clients. People who bill on project or retainer basis and spend too much time on admin instead of actual work. Not agencies, not teams, not enterprise.
Based on our record, Matrix.org seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 597 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.
Technical implementation should include privacy controls as core features, not afterthoughts. Build data export functionality, implement secure deletion processes, and provide transparency reports showing what data you've collected and shared. Open-source privacy tools like Tor and Matrix provide excellent examples of privacy-first architecture design. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
Matrix is an open, decentralized communication protocol for real-time messaging, voice, and video. Synapse is the reference homeserver implementation -- the software you run to participate in the Matrix network. Think of it like email: you run your own server, but you can communicate with anyone on any other Matrix server worldwide. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
Matrix is the decentralized Slack of the future (or present really!). - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
/me sighs; Merry Christmas everyone. For what it's worth, we've been working on improving Matrix's metadata footprint this year: MSC4362 (https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/kaylendog/msc/simplified-encrypted-state/proposals/4362-simplified-encrypted-state.md) got implemented on matrix-js-sdk for encrypting room state (currently behind a labs flag on Element Web). Meanwhile more radical... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
I think most of these are built using Matrix: https://matrix.org. They have connections with most providers like iMessage, FB, Instagram, etc. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
Element.io - Secure messaging app with strong end-to-end encryption, advanced group chat privacy settings, secure video calls for teams, encrypted communication using Matrix open network. Riot.im is now Element.
Bonsai - One platform to streamline your agency business. Consolidate your projects, clients and finances into one integrated and easy-to-use platform.
Signal - Fast, simple & secure messaging. Privacy that fits in your pocket.
HoneyBook - Business management reinvented.
Telegram - Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. Itโs superfast, simple and free.
Dubsado - Dubsado is flexible โ it gives you 5 (now 6!) ways to add new leads. Best of all, 5 ways are automated.