Why freelancers need a personal CRM
For most freelancers, the next project comes from someone who already knows your work: a past client with a new budget, or a friend of theirs. That only happens if you stay in touch between projects, and it’s easy to go quiet when you’re heads-down on deadlines. A personal CRM keeps the people side of your business from depending on memory.
What freelancers keep in BlackBook
- A short note when a project wraps, with a reminder to check in a few months later
- Who referred whom, so you remember to say thank you
- Leads from events and calls who said “reach out next quarter”
- Personal details clients mention, like a move, a new role or a trip
- Birthdays and other dates worth a quick message
- Pulse, which suggests who to reach out to next from your notes, history and reminders
A check-in in a minute
When a reminder comes up, open the person in BlackBook and see what you talked about last time and what they were working on. Send a short, specific note, then add what they said back so the next check-in is even easier.
Private by design
There’s no account or login. Your notes stay on your iPhone and private iCloud, there are no ad SDKs, and your data is never sold. Start free with the 25 clients and contacts you most want to keep up with.
More on this: how to remember details about people, how to keep in touch with people, and a personal CRM for consultants.
BlackBook facts
- Platform: iPhone, iOS 17.6 or later
- Price: free download; optional BlackBook Pro subscription (prices shown in the app)
- Free plan: 25 people, 2 notes per person, 30 days of interaction history
- Pro: unlimited people and full history, VIP reminders and insights, relationship notes with tags, duplicate detection, BlackBook AI
- AI: on-device via Apple Intelligence (Pro, iOS 26, compatible iPhone)
- Privacy: data on your device and private iCloud, no account, no ad SDKs, data never sold
- Developer: Preston Earnest / Earnestly Studios LLC
Frequently asked questions
Is BlackBook a client management or invoicing tool?
No. BlackBook is a personal CRM for one person on iPhone. It doesn’t do proposals, invoices, time tracking, contracts or project boards. Keep those in your existing tools; BlackBook is for remembering people and following up.
What do freelancers use a personal CRM for?
Mostly staying in touch between projects: checking in with past clients when you said you would, thanking and keeping up with people who referred you, following up with leads from events, and remembering the personal details that make a check-in feel natural.
Is my data private?
BlackBook needs no account. Your people and notes stay on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. There are no ad SDKs, and your data is never sold. If a client shares confidential project details, keep those in the tools your agreement calls for.
Is BlackBook free?
BlackBook is free to download with a free plan of 25 people, two notes per person and 30 days of interaction history. BlackBook Pro is an optional subscription for unlimited people and full history: in the US it’s $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and the annual plan includes a 1-week free trial. Prices are shown in the app.
What iPhones does it run on?
BlackBook requires iOS 17.6 or later. On iOS 26 with a compatible iPhone, BlackBook Pro adds on-device Apple Intelligence features.
Keep your best clients coming back.
BlackBook is free to download for iPhone (iOS 17.6+). Start with 25 people, no account needed.
Get BlackBook – Personal CRM