Question 1

Is Sift really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Sift is free forever, no subscription required. You get income and expense tracking, profit by category, an estimated tax set-aside calculator, monthly and yearly summaries, CSV import/export, dark mode, and a fully offline PWA. It is supported by optional donations (Ko-fi) and affiliate links, never paywalls.

Question 2

Do I need to create an account?

Accepted Answer

No account needed. Sift stores all data locally on your device in IndexedDB — there is no signup, no cloud account, and no data leaves your browser.

Question 3

How does the tax estimator work?

Accepted Answer

The Tax Estimator computes an estimated self-employment tax (15.3%) plus an estimated income tax on your net profit, then shows total tax, a quarterly estimated amount, and your effective rate. It is a planning estimate for setting money aside, not tax advice.

Question 4

Can I use Sift offline?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sift is a Progressive Web App that works offline after install, and all of your data stays in your browser's local storage, so you can track income and expenses without an internet connection.

Question 5

Can I import or export my data?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Sift supports CSV import and export, so you can bring in existing records from a spreadsheet or take your data with you at any time.

Question 6

How is Sift different from a paid app?

Accepted Answer

Sift is free and local-first: no accounts, no subscription, no cloud dependency. It covers the core freelancer workflow — projects, income, expenses, profit by category, and tax set-aside estimates — while paid apps typically charge a monthly fee for the same basics.

Dashboard

Monthly Breakdown

Recent Activity

Projects

Tax Estimator

Dashboard

Monthly Breakdown

Recent Activity

Projects

Tax Estimator

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