In the past 3 years, I have already run my business from Lebanon, Indonesia, Morocco, Iran, Kenya, and South Africa. Always on the hunt after a stable Wi-Fi connection, but free of fixed working hours.

My office can be my bed as well as my favorite local coffee shop. My only tools are a laptop, a smartphone, and a pair of headphones to isolate myself from the noises of the outer world. Needless to say, I’m 100% dependent on technology to be able to work from anywhere the word.

Technology sometimes fails me. There’s no Internet. My computer freezes up. The phone is dead.

But most of the time, it is technology what makes it possible to keep my dream of time and location freedom alive. Both quality hardware and handy software. That’s why I’ve selected a list of really useful apps that will help you stay connected, productive, and above all relaxed.

DOCUMENTS

Snap a photo of all the important documents you don’t want to carry around. The app will help you arrange the paperwork into relevant categories and safely store everything you might need on your travels.

There’s no need to send your proposals or contracts via snail mail. You can easily create, share, and sign documents with legally binding electronic signature software.

There’s also no rush to look for a lawyer every time you need a simple contract. Use this amazing open database of legal documents instead.

SECURITY

Protect your data and back up all your valuable files (music, photos, documents) to an external drive or cloud. You can access them from anywhere, at any time.

In some countries, your popular websites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube…) may be blocked. For such cases, it’s good to have a solid VPN installed before you cross the borders, so you can browse the Internet without censorship.

PRODUCTIVITY

Plan your days with a calendar that connects to your favorite apps, including Facebook, Evernote, or Trello.

Keep track of your daily tasks and collaborate with your team on any project with this free and simple board-like app. No more endless email threads or missed deadlines.

Organize your to-dos, set due dates, and reminders. You can also share your lists with other people and possibly assign the tasks to someone else.

If you work as a freelancer, most project management apps probably don’t address your specific needs. Solo will not only help you get stuff done, it will also assist with monitoring your performance, tracking your time and expenses, generating invoices, or managing clients.

Easily track the time you spend on individual tasks with the help of this free browser-based tool.

Save some minutes every time you send an email. This app will help you create nifty templates and shortcuts so you fly through your inbox super fast.

DISCIPLINE

Self-discipline is the main challenge when being your own boss. This app will help you create new habits, track your daily progress, and achieve your goals.

Block distracting websites and apps to skyrocket your productivity.

COMMUNICATION

Stay connected with your remote coworkers via an encrypted team chat app. Your conversations and files will be read only by the intended recipients.

Those who prefer to speak face-to-face can complement chatting with team video calls. No downloads, signup, or payment required.

PEOPLE

Schedule a call with an experienced entrepreneur and get expert advice on your business no matter where in the world you are.

Meet new people at events organized by local communities all over the globe.

If you wish to combine work, travel, and making the world a better place, check one of many volunteer opportunities here.

TRAVEL

Those who often suffer from jet lags will make good use of this free app. It will tell you when to seek dark or light to adjust faster to new time zones.

This smart packing list app will check the weather, note the length of your stay, and consider the purpose of your trip, so you don’t forget anything important.

AND MORE

Control your budget on your smartphone. See how much you’ve spent, plan your future expenditures, and observe your spending habits.

Don’t waste your time setting up a new website. Capture your adventures in a lean, distraction-free blog.

Presentations, infographics, blog post images, business cards, web banners, posters, invitations… any design related stuff is a piece of cake even for non-designers with this free, drag-and-drop app.

Get your smaller coding tasks done by professional coders in no time.

Do you need to fix your WordPress site, create a new logo, or write a press release? All sorts of digital tasks can be delivered within hours through this website.