As a freelance worker, tracking how you spend your work hours helps you bill clients accurately—which is where time tracking software comes in. In addition to timers that you can start and stop easily, the better tools include invoicing, online payments, reports, and integrations. However, the best time tracking software for freelancers also lets you visualize time spent, so you can make better bids or see if you’re spending too much effort on unimportant tasks. Most will do it all for a reasonable price—or even free.
To find the best software that can handle time tracking for freelancers, we evaluated 26 solutions and narrowed them down to our top five recommendations.
ClickUp : Best overallClockify : Best for weak internet connectionsTimeCamp : Best for strong reporting toolsHarvest : Best for free tools to track time, bill clients, and accept paymentsToggl Track : Best for robust integration optionsHonorable Mentions
The Fit Small Business editorial process follows strict standards to ensure that our best answers are founded on the basis of accuracy, clarity, authority, objectivity, and accessibility.
With over two decades of human resources and payroll expertise centered around small businesses, I bring a unique perspective on determining the best time tracking software for freelancers. Additionally, I have over three years of expertise in evaluating HR and payroll software.
For this article, 26 of the top time tracking software providers for freelancers were evaluated and narrowed down to the best five for freelancers. Extensive evaluation of 26 options across 22 data points was done to determine affordability, time tracking features, and how easy each was to use. See my full methodology below.
Three years evaluating HR software 20-plus years of industry experience Evaluated 26 options across 22 data points
Best Time Tracking Software for Freelancers Compared Our Expert Score (out of 5) Free Plan Paid Plans Monthly Pricing per User Invoicing Tool Reports 4.66 ✓ $10 to $19 Via integration Basic and custom Visit ClickUp 4.49 ✓ $4.99 to $15.99 ✓ Basic Visit Clockify 4.46 ✓ $3.99 to $14.99 ✓ Basic and custom Visit TimeCamp 4.33 ✓Free plan limited to 1 user and 2 projects $12 ✓ Basic Visit Harvest 4.03 ✓Free plan available for up to 5 users $10 to $20 ✕ Basic Visit Toggl Track
If you’re looking for budget-friendly solutions, our guide to the
best free time tracking software
has several great options.
Quiz: Get a Personalized Recommendation If you need help determining which time tracking app for freelancers is best for your work, take this four-question quiz.
Answer a few questions about your business, and we'll give you a personalized product match. ClickUp: Best Overall Time Tracking Software for Freelancers
Highly customizable software Free forever plan with unlimited tasks and unlimited members Simple yet advanced time tracking tool Reliable mobile app
Use of project management features has a steep learning curve No built-in invoicing and payment channels Customer support via email only Who should use it:
Ranked best overall, with ClickUp, freelancers can track time accurately through its start and stop timer, manual time entries, and even its integrations with other time-tracking tools, like Harvest and Toggl Track. It helps freelancers working on multiple projects by creating and assigning tasks, as well as tracking time for each task. Because of this task-level time tracking, freelancers can identify areas where they can improve their efficiency.
One of the standout advantages of ClickUp is its high level of customization. The tool can be tailored to suit individual and team preferences and project requirements. Freelancers can create custom workspaces that match their needs and preferences. They can design the workspace layout by choosing the views and modules that align with their workflow, making it easier to navigate and manage their tasks effectively.
Why we like it:
This tool got an overall score of 4.66 out of 5, with perfect marks for pricing, time tracking functions, popularity, and reporting. It has a free forever plan that includes everything a freelancer needs for tracking time and projects. It also has a convenient mobile app for on-the-go tracking, scoring 4.6 out of 5 on iOS and 3.9 out of 5 on Android .
Free forever: Includes unlimited tasks and plan members, two-factor authentication, collaborative docs, whiteboards, everything view, real-time chat, Kanban boards, sprint management, calendar view, and 100MB storageUnlimited ($10 per user monthly): Everything in Free, plus unlimited storage, unlimited integrations, unlimited dashboards, Gantt charts, native time tracking, resource management, agile reporting, and custom fieldsBusiness ($19 per user monthly): Everything in Unlimited, plus Google SSO, unlimited teams, custom exporting, advanced automations, advanced dashboard features, advanced public sharing, granular time estimates, workload management, and advanced time trackingEnterprise (Custom): Everything in Business, plus white labeling, advanced permissions, enterprise API, unlimited custom roles, team sharing for spaces, default personal views, single sign-on (SSO), live onboarding training, dedicated customer success manager, and access to managed servicesPaid plans are 30% off when you pay yearly
Feature-rich time tracking: With ClickUp, you can add notes and labels to your time entries. If you’re subscribed to the Business plan, you can mark time entries as billable or not. You can also sort tasks based on the time spent to gain insights on potential bottlenecks or where improvements are needed. However, time tracking is not available in the free plan.Multiple dashboard views: In managing projects, people, and timelines, ClickUp offers not just one, two, or three views—but 15. Of all the software in this list, only ClickUp has this customization capability, as others have little-to-no customization options. You can choose from list, board, box, calendar, Gantt chart, mind map, timeline, and more.Broad customization capabilities: Different parts of the ClickUp platform can be customized depending on personal preferences, workflow, business model, and more. Of all the providers in this list, only ClickUp offers this kind of customization. You can select from its more than 50 widget variations to create a dashboard that’s unique to your business and produce an excellent overview of your work and high-level reporting.Communication and collaboration tools: Your team can manage all communication on one platform and collaborate with each other in real-time. Users can add “watchers” to tasks who will get notifications when updates are made. You can assign comments and mention team members in tasks or chat views. You can also simultaneously edit docs with other team members. ClickUp’s Whiteboard feature allows teams to brainstorm and map out ideas or projects in real-time.Convenient and real-time reporting: ClickUp lets you create both basic and advanced reports. In this guide, only ClickUp and TimeCamp offer this functionality.With ClickUp, you can start time by clicking a button and mark it as billable or not. (Source: ClickUp)
Clockify: Best for Freelancers with Weak Internet Connections
Simple and intuitive interface Free tier with web, desktop, and mobile time tracking apps; supports unlimited users and projects Built-in invoicing tools to bill clients
Extra fees for invoicing, timesheet approvals, and labor cost vs budget comparisons Limited report customizability; users can’t create and add new fields Online payments from clients not supported Who should use it:
Clockify is an affordable and popular time tracking tool that we highly recommend for freelancers with weak internet connections or even for those on a budget. It offers offline time tracking, which enables users to continue time tracking even if they lose internet connectivity. Once the connection is restored, the data is automatically synchronized with the server, ensuring that the records are correct and up-to-date.
Clockify is also one of three providers in this guide that lets you track time for unlimited projects for an unlimited number of users at no cost. It ranked higher than TimeCamp because it monitors billable and nonbillable hours for free (a paid option for TimeCamp), has live phone support in addition to email and chat (TimeCamp offers only email and chat), and is more popular among users.
Why we like it:
Overall, Clockify scored 4.49 out of 5 in our evaluation, with perfect marks in pricing and time tracking and high ratings in nearly all of our evaluation criteria except for reporting. While it has prebuilt reports that you can generate and export into comma-separated values (CSV), PDF, and Excel files, its customization options are limited—you can’t create and add your own data fields. However, users scored Clockify 4.5 out of 5 on G2 and 4.7 out of 5 on Capterra , saying they find its reports helpful and the software is very efficient yet simple to use.
Free option: Includes unlimited users, unlimited tracking, time tracker, timesheet, kiosk, auto tracker, calendar, mobile and desktop app, Pomodoro timer, idle detection and reminders, tracking integrations, team activity, reports, export and share data, and billable ratesBasic ($4.99 per user monthly): All Free features, plus add time for others, hide time and pages, required fields, bulk edit, decimal format, time audit, customize export, project templates, historical rates, edit profiles, import time, kiosk PIN, breaks, favorite entries, and split timeStandard ($6.99 per user monthly): All Basic features, plus time off, invoicing, approval, lock time, attendance and overtime, targets and reminders, manager role, task rates, rounding, QuickBooks integration, and customized kioskPro ($9.99 per user monthly): All Standard features, plus scheduling, forecasting, expenses, labor cost and profit, budget and estimates, custom fields, multiple currencies, user fields, email reports, alerts, force timer, GPS tracking, screenshots, and data regionEnterprise ($14.99 per user monthly): All Pro features, plus SSO custom domain, custom accounts, and audit logCake.com Bundle ($15.99 per user monthly): All Enterprise features, plus time tracking, team communication, and project managementDiscount on paid plans when you pay yearly.
Flexible time tracking: With Clockify, you’re not limited to tracking time on specific devices. You can access its online timer on iOS and Android mobile devices and web browsers—Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. It even has desktop apps that work on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. The other providers in this list offer mostly desktop and mobile apps, like Harvest and TimeCamp—not all three options.Leave management: If you upgrade to at least its Standard plan, you are granted access to a leave management module where you can track accruals and balances and manage PTO requests and approvals. Other providers (except for TimeCamp) don’t have this feature, although they can also track leave hours by creating specific “leave tasks” to record vacation, sick, and holiday hours.Computer screenshots: Aside from idle time detection, website and apps tracking, and a Pomodoro timer, Clockify has a screenshot recording tool that takes snapshots of your computer screen every 5 minutes while your timer is running—although you have to upgrade to either its Pro or Enterprise to get this feature. However, if your clients don’t require detailed proof of work or if you find it invasive, then consider Harvest, since it doesn’t have this tool and provides more features in its free plan.Third-party software integrations: Clockify integrates with more than 50 web apps, allowing you to track time easily from inside other solutions like Asana, Trello, Salesforce, Basecamp, and Zendesk. However, it doesn’t connect with scheduling software, payment gateways, and accounting solutions (except QuickBooks). If you require robust integration options, Toggl Track is a good option since it connects with more than 100 apps.Clockify has an autotracking feature you can enable with a few clicks. (Source: Clockify)
If you are an employer or need more information, you can check our
best time tracking software guide
to see how Clockify compares with other competitors.
Unlimited users and projects included in Free plan Robust employee productivity tools available Leave management offered
Paid plans upgrade required if you want billable/nonbillable hours tagging and email/chat support Client invoicing and online payments available only in higher tiers No phone support Who should use it:
TimeCamp is another time tracking software for freelancers that, like Clockify, offers a free tier with unlimited projects and user seats. It’s best for freelancers looking to gain insights into their business. Users can create reports related to tracked time, team members, or budget. Apart from generating standard reports from TimeCamp’s dashboard, one can also create custom reports and add their own fields. TimeCamp and ClickUp are the only providers that scored perfectly for reporting.
Why we like it:
Scoring 4.46 out of 5, TimeCamp earned perfect marks in pricing, time tracking, and reporting. It didn’t top our list since it lacks phone support—Clockify provides phone, email, and chat assistance—and because you have to get a paid plan if you want to tag hours as billable or nonbillable, which is free with Clockify. However, its free plan allows for time tracking for unlimited projects and an unlimited number of users.
Free plan: Includes timesheets, unlimited projects, time clock kiosk, unlimited users, web, desktop, and mobile apps, and geofencingStarter ($3.99 per user monthly): Includes all Free features, plus invoicing, Excel reports export, attendance, time off, unlimited tasks, and overtime trackingPremium ($6.99 per user monthly): Includes all Starter features, plus billable time, budget and estimates, apps and websites tracking, management roles, projects archiving, and one integrationUltimate ($10.99 per user monthly): Includes all Premium features, plus timesheet approvals, billing rates, expenses, pivot table, screenshots, and unlimited integrationsEnterprise ($14.99 per user monthly): Includes all Ultimate features, plus priority support, self-hosted and private cloud instance, custom integrations, training and assistance, and setup sessionsDiscount on paid plans when you pay yearly.
Attendance and leave management: Not only does its time tracker help you log hours for projects, but TimeCamp can also be used to monitor clock-ins/outs and overtime. Similar to Clockify, it has leave management capabilities to help you track vacation, sick, and holiday leaves.Productivity tools: TimeCamp offers a range of online tools to monitor work productivity. It tracks idle time and monitors hours spent on websites, apps, and documents. Its productivity assistant feature allows you to set goals and measure productive and idle hours. Additionally, you can activate computer screenshots for transparency and proof of work. Although it lacks a Pomodoro timer like Clockify and Harvest, TimeCamp has a private time mode for breaks and personal computer activities.Invoicing and client payments: TimeCamp has smart invoices that you can generate and send to clients easily via email or as a private link or PDF file. Clients can even pay you directly from the invoice through PayPal. However, you have to upgrade to at least its Pro plan to get these features. For a more budget-friendly option, consider Harvest since it offers its invoicing and online payment tools for free—provided you need only one user seat and two active projects.TimeCamp has various standard reports to help you understand how work hours are spent and keep track of your budget. (Source: TimeCamp)
All features available in free option Online payments handled through Stripe and PayPal integrations 30-day free trial offered for its paid Pro plan
Only one user seat and two projects allowed in Free tier Monthly pricing for paid plan highest on our list Occasional mobile app glitches; features not as robust as the desktop version Who should use it:
Harvest is a great time tracking software for freelancers who work on only a handful of projects but want all of the essential tools like invoicing, expensing, and online payments. While it offers all these features for free, you only get one user seat and two active projects. If you require unlimited projects and user seats, you have to upgrade to its paid tier. If you want unlimited time tracking, projects, and users for free, then consider either Clockify or TimeCamp.
Why we like it:
Scoring 4.33 out of 5 in our evaluation, Harvest received high marks in almost all of our evaluation criteria—with a perfect score in billable hours and job labor costing features. One of the biggest draws is that every feature available on Harvest is included in both the free and Pro plans. It also has over 50 integrations with other software to help you stay on track. However, it earned a low rating in reporting capabilities primarily because of its limited customization options.
Free option: 1 user, 2 projectsPro plan ($12 per user per month): Unlimited user seats and projectsSave 10% on yearly billing
Feature-rich free tier: Despite having only one user seat and two active projects, Harvest’s feature-rich free plan offers every feature available, such as time tracking, expensing, invoicing, and online payment tools. While some of the providers in this list have invoicing, payments, and expensing capabilities, you have to upgrade to a paid plan to get these features.Expense reporting and client payments: With Harvest, you can mark expenses that you incurred while working on client projects as billable. You can even include it in invoices for client billing. Sending its web invoices even provides your customers with an option to pay you online either through PayPal or Stripe.Third-party software integrations: Harvest integrates with more than 50 solutions, and the systems that it partners with are more robust than Clockify, which offers mostly productivity and project management tools. Harvest, meanwhile, also integrates with communication, customer relationship management (CRM), analytics, and issue-tracking software. However, if you want a time tracking solution that connects to more than 100 apps, then consider Toggl Track.Send invoices to clients with the Harvest mobile app. (Source: Harvest)
Toggl Track: Best for Freelancers Who Need Robust Integration Options
Unlimited time tracking and projects included in Free plan; idle time detection and a Pomodoro timer also included Integration with more than 100 apps User-friendly interface
Free option with only five user seats No invoicing capabilities Expensive paid options Who should use it:
Toggl Track, one of Toggl’s online solutions, is an easy-to-use time tracking tool that can integrate with more than 100 apps, enabling you to log time from a wide range of software. This makes it the perfect software for advanced freelancers that need additional software for tracking time and projects. It also has a free plan that can track unlimited projects like Clockify does, and it has a slightly higher user seat allocation than Harvest (five vs one). You can use many of its productivity tools, like idle time detection and URL and apps tracking, at no cost.
Why we like it:
Overall, Toggl Track earned 4.03 out of 5 in our evaluation, with perfect marks in pricing and time tracking. Users consider Toggl Track a good time tracking solution, especially for freelancers and solopreneurs, scoring 4.6 out of 5 on G2 and 4.7 out of 5 on Capterra . They also appreciate its free version that makes managing time, projects, and clients easy.
Free: Includes up to five user seats, unlimited time tracking, unlimited clients and tags, exportable reports, automated time tracking, 100-plus integrations, Google and Outlook calendar integration, and inactive data storage for 6 monthsStarter ($10 per user per month): Everything in Free plan, plus billable rates, time rounding for reports, customized reporting, project time estimates and alerts, subproject tasks, prepopulated project templates, and unlimited inactive data storagePremium ($20 per user per month): Everything in Starter tier, plus fixed fee projects, timesheet approvals, team time tracking reminders, schedule report emails, project forecasts and analysis, team labor costs, advanced time tracking data integrity featuresIncludes historical billable rates, time tracking audits, lock time entries, add time for team members, set required fields, and more , native JIRA and Salesforce integrations, and SSOEnterprise (Custom): Everything in Premium options, plus multiple workplace management, dedicated customer success manager, onboarding assistance, priority support, customizable solutions, and volume discounts for larger companies who pay annuallySave 10% when you opt for yearly billing
Free-to-use productivity tools: You don’t have to pay to access Toggl Track’s idle time detection and URL and apps tracking tools. It even has a Pomodoro timer that reminds you automatically to take breaks after every 25 minutes of work or any length of time you choose.Robust integrations: Toggl Track makes tracking employee and freelancer hours seamless, given its wide selection of integration options. You can log time from inside 100-plus solutions, such as Asana, Basecamp, Jira, Evernote, Trello, Wrike, Salesforce, Zendesk, Slack, and Zoho. However, it doesn’t integrate with QuickBooks and payment gateways like most of the providers in this list do.Flexible time tracking: You can log hours through Toggl Track’s apps for web browsers, computers, and mobile iOS and Android devices. While its desktop app works on Windows and Mac computers, it doesn’t support Linux computers like Clockify does.Integrate your Google or Outlook calendar to create or start time entries based on your events. (Source: Toggl Track)
Learn about the
different ways to track employee hours
in our guide.
Honorable Mentions: Best for Managing and Paying Teams Although they didn’t make our top list, the two time tracking software providers below, Time Doctor and Hubstaff, earned honorable mentions for their capabilities and functionality in managing and paying teams. If you are a freelancer who manages other freelancers, these options may be better suited to your needs.
Time Doctor: Best for Managing a Team of Freelancers
Strong productivity monitoring tools Ability to create invoices within the app Integration with other project management software Strong reporting tools
Outdated interface Lowest tier with no employee monitoring tools, third-party integration, and payroll No free plan Who should use it:
Time Doctor is geared toward employee management , making it an excellent option for the manager of a team of freelancers to track their productivity and analyze how they spend their time. Freelancers can also organize work by tracking billable hours per client as they create projects. You can then monitor the total time spent on these projects, time spent for each task, and productivity levels.
Although Hubstaff also offers productivity tracking, it focuses more on detecting activity levels based on keyboard and mouse movements, which isn’t always indicative of an employee’s productivity. Time Doctor, however, lets managers set time limits on how long employees can go without keyboard or mouse movements before automatically placing the timer on “break.”
Why we like it:
In our evaluation, Time Doctor earned an overall score of 3.88 out of 5. It has a perfect score for time tracking functions and good marks for other criteria. It didn’t score higher because it doesn’t offer a free plan, custom reports, or live phone support.
Basic ($7 per user): Time tracking, tasks and projects, unlimited screenshots, activity tracking, three-day support, and one group per departmentStandard ($10 per user): All in Basic, plus app and URL tracking, payroll, 60-plus integrations, 24-hour support, and up to three groups per departmentPremium ($20 per user): Additional features include client login access, VIP support, concierge account setup, video screen captures, 24-hour support, and unlimited groups*Get two months free when you pay yearly.
Time tracking: Time Doctor uses a separate desktop app to track time. You can also download its Chrome extension to track time from other management software including Trello, Asana, Zoho Projects, and Jira. You can start and stop time tracking by pressing the timer button. If you forget to pause time tracking while you’re on break, it detects this idle time automatically and deducts it from the tracked hours. Time Doctor can even track time offline and sync data automatically as soon as connectivity is restored.Project management: You can create projects and assign tasks to other freelancers if you need extra hands. Projects are accessible by specific users depending on your settings. Time is then tracked per task and project, so it’s easy to analyze how much time is spent for each client.Productivity reports: Time Doctor provides daily and weekly reports that include hours, projects, and tasks, as well as website and app usage per team or user. These reports can be downloaded as XSL or CSV files. You can analyze productivity levels per task, project, and even per team member, if necessary. The app records users’ website activities and detects unproductive websites automatically while working. Hubstaff also offers this functionality.Client access: To help provide proof of work, you can show your work progress to clients by providing them login access if you have a Premium Time Doctor subscription. You can determine what your clients can view, including reports, screenshots, and tracked hours.Invoicing: You can convert tracked hours into invoices to send to clients. You can assign hourly rates per client and determine the date range. You can customize invoices depending on the currency and pay rate. Time Doctor supports all currencies and common payment methods, such as PayPal and Payoneer.Time Doctor lets users track their productivity from their dashboard. (Source: Time Doctor)
Hubstaff: Best for Paying Freelancers
Free plan plus a free 14-day trial on paid plans Integration with several payment gateways for online employee payments
Extra fees for invoicing, employee payments, expense tracking, and advanced productivity tools Occasional app glitches Who should use it:
Hubstaff is great for individuals who need to pay freelance teams because, aside from offering time and productivity tracking tools, it integrates with several payment gateways where you can easily send payments. While the other providers in this list―except for Toggl Track and Clockify―also partner with online payment solutions, this is mainly to accept client payments and not process worker pay.
Why we like it:
Scoring 3.61 out of 5 in our evaluation of the best time tracking software for freelancers, Hubstaff earned 4 and higher scores in billable hours, and user popularity. Although limited, Hubstaff offers a free plan for one user, making it great for solopreneurs.
Free: Includes 1 seat, time tracking, timesheets, activity levels, limited screenshots, limited reports, limited payments, and two-day email supportStarter ($7 per seat per monthIntroductory pricing for the first 12 months. Pricing subject to change thereafter ): Everything in Free, plus limited app and URL tracking, and clients and invoicesGrow ($9 per seat per monthIntroductory pricing for the first 12 months. Pricing subject to change thereafter ): Everything in Starter, plus Tasks add-on included, reports, one integration, idle timeout, project budgets, work breaks, expenses, and one-day email supportTeam ($12 per seat per monthIntroductory pricing for the first 12 months. Pricing subject to change thereafter ): Everything in Grow, plus Insights add-on included, unlimited screenshots, unlimited app and URL tracking, auto discard idle time, teams, payments and payroll, unlimited integrations, overtime, time off and holidays, scheduling and attendance, client budgets, timesheet approvals, daily and weekly limits, and chat supportEnterprise ($25 per seat per monthIntroductory pricing for the first 12 months. Pricing subject to change thereafter ): Everything in Team, plus Locations add-on included, Corporate app add-on included, higher limits on public API, pay by bank debit, HIPAA compliance, SOC-2 Type II compliance, enterprise deployment, account provisioning, SSO, concierge sign-up, assigned account rep, and two-hour email supportOptional Add-ons
Insights (starts at $3 per seat per month): Includes categorized work time, smart notifications, focus and meeting time, suspicious activity detection, behavioral highlights, and work time classificationMore screenshots (starts at $3 per seat per month): Includes up to 10 screenshots every 10 minutes for team members and secondary monitorsTasks (starts at $3 per seat per month): Includes Kanban view, timeline view, task comments, start and due dates, and labels and attachmentsData retentions (starts at $2 per seat per month): Includes time and activity data, calendar and limits, and financesLocations (starts at $4 per seat per month): Includes location tracking on mobile, job sites with geofences, work orders, and jobsCorporate app (starts at $3 per seat per month): Includes time tracking and activity in the background on corporate computers, account provisioning, and email notification managementSave 16% when you opt for yearly billing
Multiple time tracking products: Hubstaff is great for those who want simple time tracking and reporting, is best for users who also need solid productivity tools, and is optimal for those who require geolocation tracking in addition to time monitoring.Productivity tools: Idle time detection, computer screenshots, and URL and apps tracking are just some of the tools that Hubstaff offers. With its productivity rates, you can spot dips and improvements based on keyboard and mouse usage. If you set hours or productivity goals for your freelancer team, you can celebrate wins and recognize employees by giving them virtual high-fives through Hubstaff. None of the providers on our list has this feature.Employee payments: While Harvest and TimeCamp integrate with payment gateways to accept client payments, Hubstaff connects with PayPal, Wise (formerly TransferWise), Payoneer, and Bitwage so that you can pay your team members online. You can also export your tracked time data to payroll providers like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Gusto.Hubstaff’s organized dashboard (Source: Hubstaff)
If you’re interested in learning more about time tracking solutions, then check out our guide to the top time and attendance software .
How to Choose the Best Time Tracking Software for Freelancers The best time tracking software for freelancers is budget friendly, has an array of features, a mobile app for on-the-go tracking, responsive customer support, and is legally compliant.
When choosing the best time tracking software, consider the following:
Budget: As a freelancer, it’s important to keep your costs down. All of the providers on our list (with the exception of Time Doctor in our honorable mentions) have a free plan with at least basic features that will allow you to track your time without the worry of cost.Features: Good time tracking software provides freelancers with timers, manual tracking capabilities, project management and tracking, and invoicing tools.Mobile app: Many freelancers work on the go. Having time tracking on a mobile device makes tracking time anywhere easier.Customer support: As a solo freelancer, when things go wrong, it’s important to have support to turn to. The best on our list offer phone, email, and chat support.Legal compliance: Software that keeps you compliant will save you from legal and tax headaches. Detailed time trackers help simplify tax deductions and allow you to report directly from the software.
Time tracking features 25%
Billable hours and job labor costing tools 15%
Pricing We checked to see if the provider has a free plan and transparent pricing for its paid tiers. Those priced at $10 or less per employee monthly were also given extra points.
Time tracking features We looked for time trackers with easy start/stop buttons, as well as apps that work on web browsers and mobile devices. Software that comes with idle time tracking and scheduling tools to help users plan out their day were rated favorably.
Ease of use Having time tracking software that is intuitive and easy to learn is a necessity. We also looked at whether the provider offers live phone support, training, integration options with accounting and scheduling systems, and an offline mode for its time trackers.
Billable hours and job labor costing tools Time tracking solutions that allow users to allocate hours by job code, compare budget vs actual hours, generate invoices, and accept online payments from clients were rated highly. Additional points were also given to those that can export time data to software that can calculate profit and loss by jobs for easy project management.
Popularity We considered online user reviews, including those of our competitors, wherein any option with an average of 4-plus stars is ideal. Also, software with 1,000 or more reviews on third-party sites is preferred.
Reporting Aside from having access to standard and prebuilt reports, users should be able to customize reports.
Best Time Tracking Software for Freelancers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Many freelancers use pen and paper or simple Excel spreadsheets to keep track of the time they spend on assignments and projects for clients. However, these methods can lead to errors. Using time tracking tools, many of which are free, can help freelancers track their time while also managing their projects.
Whether you’re managing a team or working solo, this is where time tracking software can help. With a time tracker, freelancers can accurately monitor time, create invoices and bill clients, monitor time usage and productivity, and manage projects and/or clients.
For freelancers, the best time tracking software is one that allows them to track their exact time spent on tasks, offers productivity tools so they can monitor their work, and offers robust reporting features. Additionally, those that are free or offer low monthly rates are ideal for freelancers.
Bottom Line The best time tracking software for freelancers depends on their needs. Some track and record time, while others offer expense recording and billing. Nearly all will handle teams and integrate with other programs, especially project management tools. Before choosing, think about what you need, look at popular options―some are even free-to-use―and whether you are willing to pay extra for advanced features.
For most freelancers needing time tracking tools for work projects, ClickUp turned out to be the best. It offers free time tracking, excellent customizability, and a wide range of productivity tools. Pricing is also reasonable—you get a free version with unlimited tasks and users, while its paid plans start with monthly fees at $10 per user and offer additional tools.
Visit ClickUp
