Time Tracking · Researched comparison

Best Freelance Time Tracking Apps for Solo Work

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Key takeaways

  • Clockify and TimeCamp start at $3.99 per seat or user per month billed annually, the lowest starting prices in this comparison.
  • Toggl Track, Harvest, Clockify, Everhour, TimeCamp, and RescueTime all offer a free plan, while Hubstaff and Timely offer a 14-day free trial instead.
  • Harvest pairs time tracking with invoicing, which suits freelancers who bill from the same tool they track in.
  • RescueTime tracks focus and distraction rather than client billing, so it works best as a companion to a billing tool.
  • Pick a tool that exports clean time reports, because clear records make client invoices easier to defend.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
Toggl TrackSimple timers and clean reports$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HarvestTime tracking with invoicing$9 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes
ClockifyLow-cost unlimited tracking$3.99 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes
EverhourBudgets inside project tools$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HubstaffActivity and location tracking$4.99 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
TimelyAutomatic time capture$9 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
TimeCampAffordable tracking with invoicing$3.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
RescueTimeFocus and distraction tracking$7 per month (billed annually)Yes

How we choose

We reviewed each vendor pricing page and the feature lists on the vendor site, and we compared starting prices, free plan limits, billing features, and reporting options. We gave weight to tools that support hourly billing, clear client reports, and simple exports, because those are the features freelancers use every week. We left out tools that hide pricing behind a sales call and tools whose main feature is unrelated to freelance work. Prices in this guide come from the vendor pricing pages listed in Sources, and they reflect annual billing where the vendor shows a monthly figure for an annual plan. Free plan limits come from the same pages. We did not rank the tools with scores, because the right choice depends on how you bill, how many clients you serve, and how much proof of hours your clients expect.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

The best freelance time tracking apps

The eight tools below cover different ways of working. Some focus on simple timers, others add invoicing, budgets, or automatic capture. We compared each one on price, free plan limits, billing features, and reporting, so you can match the tool to the way you bill clients.

2

Toggl Track

Best for Simple timers and clean reports for solo billing

Website: https://toggl.com

Best for: Simple timers and clean reports for solo billing

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Simple timer with browser and mobile apps; clean weekly and client reports

Cons: No built-in invoicing, so billing needs a separate app; free plan leaves advanced reporting to higher tiers

Toggl Track gives freelancers a simple timer, a browser extension, and mobile apps that keep time entries close at hand. You start the timer, pick a client and project, add a short note, and stop it when the work ends. The dashboard turns those entries into weekly summaries and client-ready reports that show where each hour went. For solo workers who bill by the hour, that clarity matters, because a clean report answers client questions before they are asked.

The free plan covers up to five users and includes basic reports and unlimited clients and projects, which is enough for many solo freelancers. The Starter plan costs $9 per user per month billed annually and adds billable rates, more report options, and project templates. Toggl Track connects with common project and calendar tools, so entries can sit beside the work they describe. The interface stays light, and new users can set up clients and projects in minutes.

Even with those limits, Toggl Track suits freelancers who want a fast timer and honest reports without a steep learning curve.

3

Harvest

Best for Time tracking with invoicing for client work

Website: https://www.getharvest.com

Best for: Time tracking with invoicing for client work

Starting price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Built-in invoicing from tracked time; project budget tracking for fixed-fee work

Cons: Free plan allows only one seat and two active projects; no screenshot or activity monitoring

Harvest combines time tracking, expense tracking, and invoicing in one place, which suits freelancers who want to bill from the same tool they track in. You log hours against a client and project, add expenses such as travel or software costs, and turn the approved entries into an invoice with a few clicks. Clients can pay online, and Harvest marks the invoice as sent, viewed, or settled, so you always know where each payment stands.

The free plan allows one seat and two active projects, which fits a freelancer who is testing the tool or handling a small load. The Pro plan costs $9 per seat per month billed annually and removes those limits, adding unlimited active projects, team reports, and invoicing for every client. Harvest also tracks project budgets, showing how much of a fixed fee has been used as hours accumulate. That view helps solo consultants avoid scope creep on flat-fee work.

The free plan is narrow, so most working freelancers will need the Pro plan. For hourly billing with invoicing included, Harvest remains a strong choice.

4

Clockify

Best for Low-cost unlimited tracking for solo freelancers

Website: https://clockify.me

Best for: Low-cost unlimited tracking for solo freelancers

Starting price: $3.99 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Free plan includes unlimited tracking and unlimited users; low starting price

Cons: Invoicing and advanced reporting sit on priced tiers; interface carries many options to learn

Clockify offers unlimited time tracking and unlimited users on its free plan, which makes it a practical pick for freelancers who want to start without spending. You can track time with a timer or add entries by hand, sort them by client and project, and build weekly reports that show billable and non-billable hours side by side. The calendar view helps you spot gaps in the day and fill in missing entries before the week ends.

The Basic plan costs $3.99 per seat per month billed annually and adds features such as hiding time from clients, project templates, and more report options. Higher tiers add invoicing, scheduling, and approval workflows, which matter if clients ask for sign-off on hours. Clockify runs on desktop, mobile, and the web, and a browser extension adds a timer to many common work apps.

Even so, Clockify gives freelancers a low-cost path from free tracking to full billing features as their client list grows.

5

Everhour

Best for Budgets and estimates inside project tools

Website: https://everhour.com

Best for: Budgets and estimates inside project tools

Starting price: $8.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Timers and budgets inside Asana, Trello, and ClickUp; clear project cost reports

Cons: Works best connected to a project tool; advanced reporting sits on higher tiers

Everhour sits inside project tools such as Asana, Trello, and ClickUp, adding timers, estimates, and budgets to the boards freelancers already use. You can start a timer from a task, compare actual hours with the estimate, and see if a project is on track before the budget runs out. That close link between tasks and time helps solo consultants who manage fixed-fee work and need to know when a project is eating into its margin.

Everhour costs $8.50 per user per month billed annually on the Lite plan, and a free plan covers basic tracking with limited seats and features. The tool reports on billable hours, project costs, and team capacity, and it can sync time entries back to the connected project tool. Invoices can be built from tracked time, which keeps billing tied to the same numbers the client sees in project updates.

If your work already lives in a project board, Everhour adds time and budget tracking without forcing a new workflow.

6

Hubstaff

Best for Activity and location tracking for client proof

Website: https://hubstaff.com

Best for: Activity and location tracking for client proof

Starting price: $4.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Screenshots and activity levels give clients visible proof of hours; GPS tracking for field work

Cons: No free plan beyond the 14-day trial; screenshot monitoring can feel intrusive

Hubstaff tracks time with timers, screenshots, and activity levels, which suits freelancers whose clients want visible proof of work. You can track time on desktop or mobile, log GPS locations for field visits, and generate reports that show hours by client, project, or task. The dashboard gives a clear picture of the day, and clients with access can review the same records you see.

The Starter plan costs $4.99 per user per month billed annually and includes time tracking, activity levels, and basic reports. Higher tiers add screenshots, payroll, and more integrations with project and accounting tools. Hubstaff also supports invoicing and payments, so freelancers can bill clients from tracked hours. A 14-day free trial lets you test the tracking and reporting before choosing a plan.

Hubstaff fits best when clients ask for detailed proof of hours. Freelancers who need only a simple timer may find the monitoring features more than they need.

7

Timely

Best for Automatic time capture for busy schedules

Website: https://timely.com

Best for: Automatic time capture for busy schedules

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Automatic capture builds a timeline from real app use; private by default until shared

Cons: No free plan, only a 14-day trial; automatic capture needs regular review

Timely captures work automatically by recording the apps, documents, and websites you use, then groups that activity into a private timeline. You review the timeline at the end of the day and turn the entries into time records for clients and projects. That approach suits freelancers who forget to start a timer, because the record is built from what actually happened rather than from memory.

The Starter plan costs $9 per user per month billed annually and covers up to 20 active projects, with capacity planning and reporting included. Higher tiers add more projects, team features, and integrations with calendars and project tools. Timely keeps all captured data private to the user until it is shared, which matters for freelancers who handle sensitive client work.

Timely suits busy solo workers who value a record they do not have to build by hand. The review step takes a few minutes each day, and it turns raw activity into billable entries your clients can follow.

8

TimeCamp

Best for Affordable tracking with invoicing for solo work

Website: https://www.timecamp.com

Best for: Affordable tracking with invoicing for solo work

Starting price: $3.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Low starting price with invoicing on priced tiers; unlimited projects on the free plan

Cons: Free plan covers one user only; invoicing and budgeting sit on priced tiers

TimeCamp offers time tracking, invoicing, and budgeting at a low starting price, which suits freelancers who want billing features without a high monthly cost. You can track time with a timer or enter hours by hand, assign them to clients and projects, and generate invoices from the billable entries. Reports show hours by client, project, and task, and a desktop app can record app usage for a fuller picture of the day.

The free plan covers one user and includes time tracking, unlimited projects, and basic reports. The Starter plan costs $3.99 per user per month billed annually and adds invoicing, budgeting, and more report options. TimeCamp connects with common project, accounting, and calendar tools, so tracked hours can flow into the apps a freelancer already runs for client work.

Even with those limits, TimeCamp gives solo freelancers a low-cost route to tracking and invoicing in one place. Start on the free plan, then move to Starter when invoicing and budgeting become part of your weekly routine.

9

RescueTime

Best for Focus and distraction tracking for solo work

Website: https://www.rescuetime.com

Best for: Focus and distraction tracking for solo work

Starting price: $7 per month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Automatic focus tracking with goals and alerts; runs quietly in the background

Cons: No invoicing or client billing; tracks personal computer use rather than project time

RescueTime tracks how you spend time on your computer and phone, sorting apps and websites into productive, distracting, or neutral categories. You set goals for focused work, get alerts when a distracting site eats into your day, and review weekly reports that show where the hours went. That picture helps freelancers who bill by the hour see how much of the day went to client work and how much went elsewhere.

The free plan, called Lite, includes basic activity tracking and weekly reports. The Premium plan costs $7 per month billed annually and adds goals, alerts, detailed reports, and the ability to block distracting sites during focus sessions. RescueTime runs quietly in the background, so it adds little extra work to the day.

RescueTime has no invoicing, so it cannot replace a billing tool on its own. It works best as a companion to a time tracker that handles client billing.

What to check before you buy

Check the free plan limits first. Some free plans cap the number of users, active projects, or reports, and those caps decide if the free option lasts beyond a trial month. Check if invoicing is included or sits on a higher tier, because a tool that tracks time but cannot invoice will need a second app for billing. Check the export options too. A clean CSV or PDF export keeps your records safe if you change tools later.

Check how the tool handles billable and non-billable hours. Freelancers need to separate client work from admin, learning, and marketing, and the report should show that split clearly. Check the mobile app as well, since solo workers often log time away from a desk. Finally, check the price for the number of seats you actually need. A low per-seat price can still add up if you add a collaborator, a virtual assistant, or a subcontractor.

Monthly cost by team size, on annual billing. Costs use each tool starting price, multiplied by the number of users.

FAQ

What is the best freelance time tracking app for solo billing?

The best choice depends on how you bill. Harvest suits freelancers who want tracking and invoicing in one tool, while Toggl Track suits those who want a simple timer with clean reports. Clockify and TimeCamp suit tight budgets, with starting prices of $3.99 per seat or user per month billed annually. Pick the tool that matches your billing method, then test its free plan or trial before you commit.

Is there a free freelance time tracking app?

Yes. Toggl Track, Harvest, Clockify, Everhour, TimeCamp, and RescueTime all offer a free plan, though each one limits seats, projects, or features. Clockify offers the broadest free plan, with unlimited tracking and unlimited users. Hubstaff and Timely offer a 14-day free trial instead of a free plan. Check the limits before you rely on a free plan for client work.

Do I need invoicing in my time tracking app?

It depends on how you bill. If you send invoices from tracked hours, a tool with built-in invoicing such as Harvest or TimeCamp saves time and keeps billing tied to the same records. If you already use an accounting tool, a simple timer such as Toggl Track or Clockify may be enough, as long as it exports clean reports. The key is a clear record that supports every invoice you send.

How much should a freelancer spend on time tracking?

Most solo freelancers can start free or spend under $10 per month. Clockify and TimeCamp start at $3.99 per seat or user per month billed annually, while Toggl Track, Harvest, and Timely start at $9. A 5-person team would spend $19.95 to $45 per month at these starting prices. Choose the lowest tier that covers invoicing and reporting, and move up only when client needs change.

Can I track time automatically as a freelancer?

Yes. Timely records the apps, documents, and websites you use and groups them into a timeline you review each day. RescueTime also records computer and phone activity and sorts it into productive and distracting categories. Automatic tracking still needs review, because activity does not always map to the right client or project. Manual timers give cleaner records, while automatic capture catches hours you might forget.

Sources we checked

  • https://toggl.com/pricing
  • https://www.getharvest.com/pricing
  • https://clockify.me/pricing
  • https://everhour.com/pricing
  • https://hubstaff.com/pricing
  • https://timely.com/pricing
  • https://www.timecamp.com/pricing
  • https://www.rescuetime.com/pricing
How we score

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The best freelance time tracking apps#1 PICK