Best Time Tracking Apps for Freelancers
Tracking time spent on various projects is a simple 101 of managing your business. After all, this is one of the most important parameters you will use to charge your clients. Having this data allows you to avoid undercharging or overcharging for your work.
It’s also a valuable strategy to manage your work efficiently and stay on top of things. That is why many small entrepreneurs and freelancers benefit greatly from using time-tracking apps.
If you’re considering implementing such a tool in your business, this review is for you. Here I will talk about the best time-tracking software apps for freelancers on the market. I’m sharing my experiences with these apps, so you can decide which one fits your needs best.
Ready to start clocking in?
Why Might You Need a Time-Tracking App as a Freelancer?
Before I present my findings, let’s talk a little more about why freelancers should use time-tracking apps. As a freelancer myself, I can think of plenty of reasons, so here are some of the most important factors to consider.
- Time efficiency – Having timesheets of the time you spend working is a fantastic resource. With a time-tracking app, you don’t have to calculate anything manually and prepare invoices based on that. All the data is already in the system, so you can bill your clients accordingly without any additional work and effort. Easy, fast, and convenient.
- Better planning – When preparing offers or estimations for your clients, it’s incredibly helpful to have data on how much time you spend on various tasks. This way, you can accurately plan your work and avoid potential inaccuracies and potential disappointments. Knowing just how much time you need to complete certain projects will help you manage your resources better, which will provide you with more satisfying results, happier clients, and more profits in your pocket.
- Transparency – Bill your clients accurately and avoid discrepancies along the way. Using a time-tracking app allows you to have a precise set of data based on which you can charge your clients. This is a great way to build trust and show yourself as a competent and serious entrepreneur.
- No guessing – Why would you waste your valuable time on the guesswork? Implementing a simple time-tracking tool eliminates this problem entirely, so you know exactly how much time you need for specific tasks, where to look for potential problems and opportunities to save time, and how to schedule your work hours to meet your goals and also deliver the best product or service to your clients.
What Makes the Best Time-Tracking Software?
Now that you know why you need a time-tracking app, it’s high time to explain what makes a good time-tracking tool. Here are the things I considered when reviewing different apps, so you can know what to look for when choosing your software.
Real-Time Tracking
The basis of any time-tracking tool is real-time tracking. It takes one click to start the clock and another to stop it, so you can precisely track time from anywhere you are working.
Adding the Time Manually
Of course, life tends to be a little chaotic from time to time, and it’s good to have a tool that leaves room for flexibility and adding and changing your time logs. I know for a fact that the option to manually add a time log saved me more than once, so it’s a good feature to look for in various time-tracking apps for freelancers.
Expense tracking
Keeping track of your budgets and invoices is very handy, so if you don’t already use an expense-tracking tool or you’re in the market for software with a comprehensive set of features, pay attention to expense-tracking solutions.
Reporting Features
Automatic time tracking, creating sheets and reports, so you have a clear view of the time spent on different projects, is invaluable in a time-tracking app. This way, you can track your progress, look for time-wasters, and build your strategies on real-life data.
Creating Invoices
This may not be absolutely necessary, but it’s for sure a very practical tool. Choose software that will change your billable hours into invoices that can be sent to your clients. Make sure your time-tracking app has good invoice customization options and offers you tools to convert your documents into various formats, like PDF, CSVs, or Google Sheets.
Integrations
Any tool you’re introducing to your business should be easily integrable with other apps you’re using. Integrations with Airtable, Google Calendar, Teamwork Projects, and more will prove to save you lots of headaches, making it easier to use a time-tracking app and benefit from all of its options freely.
Best Time Tracking Apps for Freelancers
- Toggl Track – the best free time-tracking app
- Clockify – the best simple time-tracking app
- Timely – the best time-tracker app for automated time tracking
- Harvest – a time-tracking app with the best invoicing features
- HourStack – the best time-tracking tool with customizable features
- Hubstaff – the best time-tracking app with payroll processing tools
- TimeCamp – a time-tracking app with the most advanced features
Best Time Tracking Apps – Comparison
| Company | Rating | Free Plan? | Invoicing? | Price |
| Toggl Track | 5.0/5 | yes | no | Check here |
| Clockify | 4.7/5 | no | yes | Check here |
| Timely | 4.7/5 | no | yes | Check here |
| Harvest | 4.6/5 | yes | yes | Check here |
| HourStack | 4.5/5 | no | no | Check here |
| Hubstaff | 4.4/5 | no | yes | Check here |
| TimeCamp | 4.4/5 | yes | yes | Check here |
If you’re looking for something easy to get started, then going with a Toggl Track is a safe bet. I chose this app as the best overall time-tracking solution for freelancers because it seamlessly combines the simplicity many business owners look for with some more advanced and useful features that make time tracking super efficient.
Why I Like It
There are many reasons why I consider Toggl Track a great tool. It’s a free app that packs a punch with all the features you’d expect from a premium service. Not only is it highly intuitive and user-friendly, but it also saves you from the headache of dealing with complicated software, which is what most freelancers need.
With the free version, you get unlimited time tracking, unlimited projects and clients, automated time tracking triggers, Pomodoro timer, CVS reports, and exportable reports. Plus, you can use it with over 100 popular tools, such as Google Docs, with Google Chrome or Firefox extensions.
I also appreciated that with the free version, I could integrate my Google Calendar with Toggl’s Calendar view, so I could easily create or start time entries based on my scheduled events.
If you opt for a paid plan, you can even integrate your Outlook calendar and multiple Google Calendar accounts with one Toggl account. What’s unique about Toggl Track is that you don’t have to enter any details before starting your time tracker. Just hit the timer, and you can add the client or project details later.
Overall, Toggl Track is a fantastic free app for freelancers that offers robust features and is effortless to use.
Features
- Automatic time tracking
- Calendar view
- Offline tracking
- 100+ integrations with our Chrome and Firefox browser extensions
- Scheduling reports to email
Pros
- Free plan
- Unlimited time tracking, projects, and clients in the free version
- Intuitive and user-friendly
- Automatically round time entries
- Integrations with 100+ popular tools
Cons
- Some advanced features available in the paid plans
Clockify is my proposition for all of those freelancers who need a really basic time-tracking app that will do its job well and not overwhelm them with lots of additional features. If simplicity is the keyword in your search for the best time-tracking tools for freelancers, then you’ll be happy with what Clockify has in store!
Why I Like It
While Clockify may not be the most multifunctional app out there, it works exceptionally well as an online time clock that significantly eases the burden on your accounting team regarding payroll time.
The beauty of the app is that every time log can be assigned to a specific task, making report creation intuitive and effortless. Although the web app is relatively simple and doesn’t offer many features, it still provides timesheets, time-tracking reports, and a dashboard overview of your activities.
Its browser extension comes with a stopwatch function that enables you to start and stop the timer as you work on different tasks. You can use Clockify to conduct task management in a team too, so if you’re planning to grow your company in the future, you can very much do so without worrying that you’ll be forced to switch to a different app.
One thing I consider a drawback of this software is the lack of proper customizability. I couldn’t change rates for different tasks using the free version, and I wished the tool had more options to customize the tasks. I’ve tested their mobile app, too, and found it a little glitchy at times, so it’s something to keep in mind.
Still, in their basic time-tracking app, you get a solid timesheet, Calendar, and integration tools, so if you’re a fan of basic and functional solutions, this time-tracking software should meet your expectations.
Features
- Stopwatch extension
- Timesheets
- Integrations with many different apps
- Option to enter hours manually
- Scheduling
- Expenses tracking
- Invoicing
Pros
- Easy to learn and use
- Affordable
- Lots of integrations
- Solid project management tools
- Great team management features
Cons
- Quite limited in the basic plan
- Lack of customizability
If I had to say which freelance time-tracking tool made my job truly easy, it would be Timely. Especially if you’re interested in automatic time-tracking apps, this software has everything you might need to manage your time, schedules, and projects. And it uses AI technology to accomplish that.
Why I Like It
Timely is a highly accurate time-tracking app that utilizes artificial intelligence to monitor your active time on each web app you use at work. This eliminates the need to set stopwatches, guess how much time was spent on a particular task, or account for manual errors.
The app automatically records your activity and creates timesheets based on this information, giving you a clear overview of your workload. You can simply focus on your work, and the app takes care of the rest. This feature has been particularly useful to me, as I no longer have to remember to track my time manually, allowing me to concentrate on the task at hand.
Whether you need to bill your clients or hold your employees or you accountable, Timely ensures that all your time-tracking data is precise and up-to-date. You can rest assured that your productivity is being accurately measured without any additional effort on your part.
Although this time management tool is not free, in their most affordable plan, you get 50 projects, which is sufficient for most freelancers. You get really nice visualization tools as well for managing your projects and budgets, so you can see right away how you’re utilizing your resources and if potential improvements can be made.
I love how intuitive, and user-friendly Timely’s interface is, and with as many tools as they offer, it’s really important to have that. Overall, this solid software automatically tracks time, making the whole process as convenient as possible.
Features
- AI-powered automatic time tracking
- Calendar
- Timesheets
- Location tracking
- Anomalies/error detection
Pros
- Effortless time-tracking
- User-friendly interface
- Great visual layout
- Solid reporting features
Cons
- No free plan
- Not suitable for freelancers who work partially off-screen
Harvest is the best time-tracking app for both time-tracking your billable hours and turning them into professional invoices. With an easy learning curve and many valuable features, this software is one of the tools I often recommend to freelancers and small business owners. Here are the reasons why.
Why I Like It
Harvest is the ideal time-tracking tool for anyone who wants to record billable hours and create invoices quickly and efficiently without having to leave the app. While it may not be the most comprehensive time-tracking solution out there, its affordable price point makes it worth trying out.
This software has a lot of nice surprises up its sleeves. Controlling my time from my Apple watch and synchronizing data across all my devices was a game-changer for me. One thing that sets this app apart from its competitors is how easy it is to add invoices and expenses. I was particularly impressed by the app’s ability to automatically include fees in my invoices.
Even when I forgot to add an expense, all I had to do was snap a photo of it, and the app would work its magic and add it to my invoice. This feature has saved me a lot of time and made invoicing a breeze.
Harvest is integrated with the most popular payment processing platforms like PayPal and Stripe, which is a significant advantage, too. And you get lots of reporting tools, so you can better manage your project budgets and capacity.
I was very pleased with the performance of both their desktop app and mobile app, so no matter which one you choose, you should be happy with what you’re getting.
Features
- Accurate time tracking
- Advanced invoicing
- Integrations with other apps
- Apps for desktop and mobile devices
Pros
- Free plan and affordable paid plan
- Great payment processing tools
- Solid invoicing features
- Payment reminders
- Easy, user-friendly interface
Cons
- Free plan limited to 2 projects
- No Calendar feature
HourStack is easily one of the most user-friendly time-tracking systems I had the opportunity to test for this review. From time tracking and manual time tracking options to creating schedules and their browser extension that allows you to track your time when working with different pages and tools online, HourStack made my life much easier.
Why I Like It
The user interface of HourStack immediately caught my attention with its simplicity and clarity. The app’s Calendar view is particularly helpful in tracking time and progress on different tasks, with each entry being marked clearly with the primary software used for the project.
I spent most of my time with HourStack in the Calendar view because the time-tracking features are integrated so well. You don’t need to navigate to another app to start tracking the time spent on a task.
Instead, you can easily allocate time to each project and start the timer directly from the Calendar view. This feature is particularly useful for people like me who juggle multiple projects simultaneously, providing an excellent way to manage time effectively.
This is not the most robust project management app, though, so if you’re looking for something like that, HourStack may not be the right choice for you.
Still, it’s an excellent tool for managers looking to improve their organization’s workflow or for freelancers who want to prioritize tasks more efficiently.
Features
- Automatic and manual time tracking
- Optimizable calendar
- Integrations with other apps
- Flexible reporting features
Pros
- Easy to operate
- Lots of integrations
- Modifiable calendar view
- Great reporting
Cons
- No free plan
- Limited number of features
- Visual layout could be better
While HourStack brings simplicity to the table, Hubstaff is the exact opposite. This robust app was created with teams in mind, offering a whole selection of tools for better project management and efficiency improvement. How can freelancers benefit from this solution in their work?
Why I Like It
With Hubstaff, you can customize time entries and purchase add-ons for just a few dollars per month. I found the time tracking data to be precise, with the tracker starting automatically whenever I arrived at my workplace.
This feature is particularly useful for those who tend to forget to start their timer and jump straight into work, which happened to me on more than one occasion.
This project management app offers you fantastic expense-tracking features. I could easily upload and sort my receipts, connecting this data to my clients and projects, which made billing faster and more convenient.
I also found Hubstaff’s budget limit alerts pretty useful, as it allowed me not to go overboard and have more control over my work.
Overall, Hubstaff is a time-saving and reliable tool that simplifies the process of time tracking and integrates seamlessly with other tools to enhance your workflow.
Features
- Time tracking
- Automated payrolls
- Online invoices
- Online timesheets
- Time reports
Pros
- Large number of useful features
- Automatic time tracking
- Great invoicing features
- Cheap add-ons available
- Very affordable
Cons
- Has lots of tools that might be unnecessary for freelancers
- No free plans
One of the most advanced tracking apps for freelancers I encountered during my tests was TimeCamp. As far as the popular project management tools go, this software met all my expectations and helped me organize my work hours and projects with automatic time tracking and solid reporting tools. What else does TimeCamp bring to the table?
Why I Like It
TimeCamp is incredibly easy to integrate into your work routine, with the app automatically tracking your workload and logging your time the moment you turn it on. This feature eliminates the need to remember to log your time manually, saving you valuable time and effort.
The app also keeps track of your attendance using the Clock in-and-out tool and overtime tracking, generating attendance reports that provide valuable insights. I admit that this tool is especially practical when managing a team, but as a freelancer, you may also benefit from having this information at your fingertips.
I was pleased to discover that TimeCamp allows you to set billing rates and budgets and use expense management features for revenue, cost, and margin reporting on all your projects. These features provide precise data to help you plan your budgets better.
TimeCamp also manages your invoicing and can be integrated with tools such as Trello, Jira, and Monday.com. All in all, TimeCamp is a powerful tool that simplifies time tracking, billing, and project management, making it an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes as well as freelancers and smaller entrepreneurs.
Features
- Automatic time-tracking
- Reporting
- Invoicing
- Integrations with other apps
Pros
- Free plan
- Great time management features
- Unlimited users in the free plan
- Great billing and budgeting tools
Cons
- Many advanced features available only in the paid plans
- Many features for team management
How I Tested and Reviewed Freelance Time Tracking Apps
While researching and testing various tracking apps for freelancers, my main goal was finding time trackers that work seamlessly, make your job easier, and come with additional functional tools for invoicing and reporting.
I tested 25 different time-tracking apps for freelancers and selected 7 that performed the best. During my tests, I focused on functionality, quality of services, additional tools and features, integrations, and performance of mobile apps. I also took into consideration price and customer reviews.
Time Tracking Tools for Freelancers – Who’s the Winner?
I can confidently say that the best time-tracking app for freelancers is Toggl Track! This time tracker is the perfect compromise between feature-packed and simple software, offering you great tools for automatic time tracking and scheduling. Thanks to 100+ integrations, exportable reports, and fantastic Calendar view options, managing your work hours is genuinely effortless.
A good choice for those who like more straightforward solutions would be Clockify, which comes with some basic yet practical time-tracking features.
Any time tracker from my list will be a solid choice for a freelancer, so the final decision will come down to your preferences and specific needs.
FAQS
How much does a freelance time-tracking app cost?
The cost of the time-tracking app will depend on what your needs are and the size of your team. Apps that cover more significant ground and offer users tools for time tracking, invoicing, scheduling, and budgeting are more costly. Many platforms are available in free plans or offer free trials so you can test a particular product and decide whether it is worth the investment.
Does Google have a time-tracking app?
No, Google does not have a designated tracking time software. Most available time-tracking apps can be integrated with various Google tools, like Google Calendar or Google Chrome. It’s always important to pick a time tracker that will be able to operate with the tools and solutions you’re already using.
Does time tracking improve productivity?
Yes, time-tracking apps can help you improve productivity. By being able to verify how much time you spend on various tasks, you can better plan your schedule and eliminate the weak spots in your work routine.
Also, time tracking can be a great way to motivate you to stay focused and accomplish your tasks quicker, as now you have tools to monitor your work and be more accountable.
If you have a team, task management and time tracking app can help you oversee the work of others, schedule it according to the resources you have and gain valuable data based on which you are able to pay salaries to your team.