Is it time you started tracking the time you spend on tasks for better productivity? It’s a strategy that freelancers can’t afford to ignore – but which one should you choose from the huge array of free time tracker tools out there? In this article we tell you about some of the best options, complete with an in-depth review for each one.
When I was freelancing, I didn’t have a clue how to use a time tracking software. That is until I made the switch from conventional time management to one of the most popular free time tracking tools for freelancers, Toggl. In this article, you will find a lot of important information that you can use when choosing from these tools.
FreshBooks
Best for: Invoice and accounting software with time tracking
FreshBooks is invoice and accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses as well as freelancers. It has a time tracking module that helps to monitor time and money spent on projects, clients, which makes it a great addition to the rich accounting functionalities.
Automatic time tracking: FreshBooks has a built-in automatic tracker that keeps track of time while you can focus on work.
Editing time entries & manual time tracking: You can add and edit time entries in timesheets.
Tracking billable time: FreshBooks has the option of tracking billable hours as well as rich accounting and invoicing functionalities.
Reports: Simple reports with the breakdown for particular projects or clients. Other than that, you get detailed financial reports on the state of your business.
Integrations & different platforms: FreshBooks can be easily integrated with hundreds of the most popular tools and apps so you can track time directly from the apps you already use. It’s also available as a web app and for mobile (iOS, Android).
Free trial: available for 30 days with all the features. Then, you need to choose from one of the paid plans—Lite ($15 per month) Plus ($25 per month), Premium ($50 per month), or custom pricing for more than 500 billable clients.
TopTracker
Price: Free
TopTracker earns the number one spot on this list, since it was built by a top freelancing network specifically with freelancers in mind, and isn’t tied to any job platform. Unlike other time-tracking apps, TopTracker is completely free (without any version limitations) and gives freelancers complete control over what gets tracked and how often.
TopTracker makes use of all the normal time-tracking tools like timers, screenshots, and webcam shots, but freelancers are able to take total control by deciding how often things get tracked and adding options like tracking written task descriptions only or picture blurs. The free, standalone app is available across all devices and works on OS X and Windows, with Linux coming soon.
TimeCamp
Best for: Tracking billable rates, project progress, and improving productivity
TimeCamp is a 100% free time tracker for unlimited users. It combines features of a time tracker and a lightweight project management app. The tool allows you to manage all your projects in one place and collect all information about your work including the client’s data.
Automatic time tracking: Timecamp has an automatic time tracker built in the desktop app that works in the background and syncs with the web so you can access all information in real-time. It also detects idle time and tracks time offline as well as activities you spend time on. You can also use automatic mobile and web trackers. If you travel on a regular basis, you can also use the GPS tracker.
Editing time entries & manual time tracking: You can freely and flexibly add time manually and edit time entries to customize reports, add, or remove activities, time away, offline work, and more.
Tracking billable time: You can track billable and non-billable rates. You can set billable rates for different projects, and track all your expenses. Budgeting helps to stay on top of finances and monitor its state.
Reports: Extensive reportsprovide an in-depth analysis of your activities. They also show your productive and unproductive activities, attendance, time off, overtime, underperformance, work by client, project, and more. You can import or export reports to later use them with your favorite tools or share them with clients.
Integrations & different platforms: You can integrate Timecamp with other apps either directly or via Zapier. Timecamp is available on all platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), on the web, as a Chrome extension, and as a mobile app (iOS, Android)
Free trial: TimeCamp offers a 14-day free trial. Then, you can either use the Free plan which is now entirely free for unlimited users, or upgrade to one of the paid plans—Basic (pricing starts from $5.25 user/month billed annually), Pro ($7.5 per user/month billed annually), or Enterprise (custom pricing).
ClickUp
- Free plan: ClickUp’s free version includes unlimited tasks for five user workspaces, 100 MB of storage, and other monthly limitations.
- Paid plans: ClickUp’s paid plans start at $5/user/month and remove the limitations on user workspaces, file storage, and many other features.
ClickUp aims to be an all-in-one work management app with features for everything from project management to collaboration to CRM and more, including time tracking. Users can access the time tracking feature multiple ways in ClickUp, including a simple fan-out button in the bottom right of the main interface, as seen in the video below. This makes ClickUp an attractive option for small teams who want a simple way to track time while also being able to expand into more complex features if needed.
Calendar
Price: Free / $10 per month for automated meeting transcriptions and calendar analytics
Calendar is the next generation of the calendar app. With easy to use time tracking, schedule management, and meeting scheduling, Calendar offers desktop and mobile (iOS and Android) platforms that allows you to sync and share multiple digital calendars as well as leverage machine-learning algorithms that serve as a virtual assistant. You’ll be able to track and manage how you spend your time and become more efficient at scheduling meetings and events with easy to use calendar analytics.
Harvest
Among the best time tracking apps overall, Harvest is a top option for teams. It’s a stellar option for solo entrepreneurs, too, but it’s built to handle a collaborative workload in a way that’s clear and easy to understand. If tracking and organizing a team’s time isn’t your strong suit, then Harvest is a great app to help you get the job done.
Everyone on your team can install and use as many instances of Harvest as they like, including the desktop app, mobile app, and browser extension. The apps work offline, allowing you and your teammates to record time on tasks even when you’re not online. As team members run their personal timekeeping clocks, all the information flows into the administrator’s Harvest account, where it’s presented in both summary and detail. Harvest can automatically remind team members to submit their timesheets if you like, and the business owner can always edit, review, and approve team timesheets.
Additionally, Harvest integrates with a long list of apps. Some of the supported apps let you track your working hours directly from them (Asana, Basecamp, Slack, Trello, to name a few) and send the results to Harvest. Others are for invoicing and accounting, in case you choose not to use Harvest’s own invoicing tools. Harvest also has its own employee scheduling app called Harvest Forecast (sold separately) that tightly integrates with the core app.
If you need to connect Harvest to a tool that isn’t supported natively, you can make your own Harvest integrations using Zapier to connect to apps like Google Sheets and Dropbox.
Conclusion:
If you want to work as a freelancer, you need to keep track of your time. Every minute spent on client sites should be tracked and reported on to ensure that client payments are fair and accurate. There are many good time tracking software and software as a service (SaaS) available for freelancers and remote workers.