Which one is the best free time tracking app for freelancers? Is there any reliable time tracker that I can use free forever? Is free open source time tracking software safe to use? Why should I use time tracker? Should I use a free app or a paid one to manage my projects online?
There are lots of such queries we’ve heard about.
In this post, you’ll get answers to all such queries and some details about top 11 free time tracking software for freelancers, individual workers, and team managers.
To choose the best free time tracking app for freelancers, check this list of eleven time trackers, especially designed to track hours and time management.
Benefits of using time tracker
Why time tracking is important?
The purpose of time tracking varies from person to person, situation to situation. With a time tracker tool, anyone can get some extra benefits.
A freelance worker can track log hours, can create and submit invoices, timesheets to prove their legal work, earn more revenue by utilizing work time properly…, and overall, can boost their productivity.
Here is the Magic tool that brings your notes, tasks, and schedule together to keep you focused and organized all day long.
A team manager can do all the tasks remotely related to online project management like assigning tasks to staff, monitoring real time task progress, checking invoices, calculating pay bills, etc.
If you’re a busy person, you can easily schedule, organize, and manage your tasks with a time tracker app. That simply means, you may need such an app for personal time tracking as well!
So, there’s a wider field to use time tracking app on, and haul surplus advantages from it.
Cons of free time tracking app for freelancers
On the web, there are numerous apps and online tools available for free; and they’re in great demand. Many top brands offer their products or services either free of cost, or at least, offer a free trial to attract potential customers.
However, with any free package, you can’t get the maximum output because of some limited aspects come with it, for sure. And this is true for free time trackers as well.
Some free time tracker apps limit the number of users and projects to work on. They are lack of project control and analytic features, don’t integrate other necessary tools, etc.
Choose the best time tracker
Choosing the right time tracker is vital for everyone. Though all time tracker apps are made to ease the hassles of task management, and come with many common features, they’ve some uniqueness too. You may find one app helpful while some others may dislike it.
So, before finally settling down on any time tracking software, you must give it a try. One more thing, if you’re planning to buy an app for your freelancing job, see the live demo first and ask for a free trial, if available.
Find below 11 top free time tracking software. These are especially created to boost the user efficiency, to track log time accurately, to manage projects and team remotely and effortlessly, etc.
11 Free time tracking apps for freelancers
Free time trackers at a glance
- Clockify: Open source time tracker and free forever
- Toggl: Free plan for individuals
- Todo.vu: Free ONLY for 1 freelancer (up to 1 GB storage)
- Harvest: Free ONLY for 1 user (2 projects maximum)
- Kimai: Open source time tracker and free forever
- Everhour: Free for freelancers and small team (5 users maximum)
- TopTracker: Always free for unlimited people
- Timecamp: Free ONLY for 1 freelancer
- Tick: Free for unlimited people with basecamp integration but ONLY for 1 project
- Hubstaff: Free forever ONLY for 1 user
- Anuko Time Tracker: Open source time tracker app, free forever
# 01 — Clockify
Clockify is on the top of our free time tracking apps for freelancers’ list. Because, it’s absolutely free and will remain free forever, for individual freelancers and teams those only need to use a time tracker.
The free plan of Clockify allows unlimited users to track time on unlimited projects, prepare online reports, integrate with 50+ web apps, get support via mail and chat, etc.
Clockify time tracker, for sure, is a good software when it comes to tracking your work hours and adding the log time in timesheets accurately.
With this app, you can easily customize your project reports and share with others in Microsoft Excel, CSV, and PDF formats.
Clockify desktop version is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. The mobile app supports Android and iOS devices. Clockify app integrates with more than 50 tools including Asana, Trello, Basecamp, Jira, GitHub, GitLab, ClickUp, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Evernote, Zendesk, Salesforce, Toggl, Drupal, etc.
Besides free plan, Clockify offers 3 more plans with extra features namely Plus, Premium, and Enterprise, for companies and organizations.
# 02 — Toggl
Toggl is a multi-platform supporting app that anyone can use. It’s compatible with your Windows, macOS, and Linux PC, and also with Android and iOS devices.
Along with all common features required for time tracking, Toggl has some extra built-in features, essential for effective time management. Toggl app integrates with more than 100 tools including Asana, Basecamp, FreshBooks, GitHub, GitLab, Drupal, Jira, Evernote, Trello, Podio, Bugzilla, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Salesforce, Zendesk…
All these integrations have turned Toggl into a good project management software as well.
Toggl offers a Basic plan for free that’s appropriate for freelancers and individual workers. But if you’re using Toggl for project management purpose, you should go for the Starter, Premium, or Enterprise plan.
With Toggl time tracker, you can track log hours, filter tracked data, generate reports, share reports with other team members, and transfer reports via Microsoft Excel, CSV, and PDF file formats.
The app is able to remind you if you don’t track time with the timer. Another amazing feature included in this app is it can identify your inactive time. So, if it’s really the inactive time, you can delete that tracked time from the timesheet.
# 03 — Todo.vu
Todo.vu is a simple but dominant app that’s good to go with your personal freelancing job as well as business. It’s a flexible software that doesn’t only allow you to track working hours, but also helps you make the team/project management tasks hassle-free.
With Todo.vu software, you can track your work time, create invoices and reports, generate billing, and manage projects. It can store clients contact details, so that, you may contact them directly.
Included “Email Tasks In” feature lets users and clients transferring their upcoming tasks via email directly into Todo.vu. The software integrates with iCal calendars like Google Calendar and Office365 that allow you to sync your task. Aside from the desktop version, this app has a mobile version, compatible with Android and iOS devices.
Todo.vu offers a free plan – Solo Free. It’s perfect ONLY for 1 person with 1 GB storage limits. Another plan “Business Time” is available there that allows up to 2 GB storage per user.
# 04 — Harvest
Harvest is another good app, appropriate for tracking your work hours and task management. The app is available for desktop (Windows and macOS) and mobile devices (Android and iPhone).
With Harvest, you can create invoices manually or in an auto-generated way from the timesheets, send invoices via email, set auto reminder alert for your client to pay invoices on time, etc. The app integrates with online payment systems — PayPal and Stripe. This feature helps you get the payment faster.
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In case of the project management, a client or team leader can easily schedule their upcoming tasks, and create visual maps by using the built-in Forecast feature. Managers or clients can transfer all tracked data to a spreadsheet to generate their own reports, if needed.
Harvest uses SSL encrypted connection that ensures that users’ data privacy is protected.
Pricing is flexible with Harvest.
Harvest app is Free forever for 1 person (2 projects maximum). The Pro version comes with a 30-day trial period, suitable for unlimited users and unlimited projects. If you pay yearly, you can save 10% of total bill. Check for more details.
# 05 — Kimai
Kimai is another free open source time tracking software that works on Windows, macOS X, and Linux. It’s suitable for individual freelancers and team of workers.
Kimai has built-in responsive layout that’s perfect for both — desktop and mobile. It allows unlimited users and timesheet entries.
The app is simple and user-friendly that makes the time management tasks easier for a team leader/client. You can easily create invoices with varieties of templates included here and transfer your timesheets data in different formats like Microsoft Excel, CSV, PDF, and HTML.
Kimai is a PHP-based time tracking software that has been in this service since 2006. Being a web-based app, it’s mobile-friendly as well. It’s compatible with all modern browsers around the world.
Kimai allows users to use it for FREE and FOREVER!
# 06 — Everhour
Everhour app comes with all common features relating to time tracking, invoice and reports creating, reports customizing, budgeting, etc.
It integrates with some other popular web apps like Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Trello, Slack, Zapier, Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, GitHub… The integration feature is ONLY for paid users.
There is a built-in Search option in Everhour that lets you locate necessary things to get started easily. Commenting is enabled in this app that ensures both users and clients that they’re in the same track! User can record payment status and export invoices into PDF format as well.
If you’re searching for a time tracking software for freelancers free, you can consider Everhour. It has a free plan for freelancers and small team (5 users maximum). There are 2 more plans namely Basic and Enterprise in Everhour, available with subscriptions.
# 07 — TopTracker
TopTracker is among the best time tracking apps for freelancers free because it offers flexibility of work tracking, capturing screenshots, creating invoices, auto-releasing payments (integrated with Payoneer), and so on. The app is compatible with Windows and macOS.
On the one hand, the freelancer gets the ultimate freedom for personal projects with this app because he/she can decide what, when and how often to track. On the other hand, the client can set tracking parameters for all the projects he/she is managing.
In short, TopTracker is a perfect tool — both for freelancers and managers.
TopTracker is always free, no matter how many freelancers or clients are working on how many projects!
# 08 — Timecamp
Timecamp is a cross platform supporting time keeper app that fits well with your freelancing job, and other team management projects. The app is available for desktop and mobile devices.
With ‘drag and drop’ feature, you can easily enter data required for timesheets. You can define a project with specific keyword before starting. This feature allows you to move one project to another one by choosing the exact keyword only.
One feature that we see in Toggl time tracker, also included in Timecamp, is it can detect your idle time, if you’re not working for a few minutes. And it keeps you going on your logged project. Once you’ve done with your invoice creating, you can export them via email or download as PDF.
One of the best features of Timecamp is its integration with some famous online tools like Asana, Jira, Trello, ClickUp, Podio, Smartsheet, Breeze, Evernote, Toggl, Zendesk, Google Calendar, Slack, GitHub, GitLab, Xero, Quicbooks Online, Salesforce, Insightly…
For freelancers, Timecamp offers Solo Plan for free. In Business category, there are two plans — Basic and Pro, and in Enterprise Category, they’ve one plan with customized features.
# 09 — Tick
First thing first, if you’re a freelancer or team manager working ONLY on 1 project, use Tick app for free. There is no limitation of adding new members to your team with free plan, but if you get involved in more than one project, you must go for a paid plan. All plans have SSL encrypted connections.
Needless to say, Tick comes with all common time-tracking tools, necessary for freelancers, individuals, teams, and managers. The app works on desktop, Android, and iPhone.
What’s uncommon in Tick app is its time tracker runs in the background. There will be no pop-up windows to interrupt your work speed; every second you can turn into work!
Another feature included in Tick is ‘Budget Feedback’. It’s to keep all team members within estimated/set project budget. When you start tracking your work hours, the app shows how many hours are left over to reach the goal.
Tick app integrates with a few project management tools like Asana, Trello, Zapier, Metric.ai, Basecamp, and QuickBooks.
Tick allows unlimited people to use the app for free but ONLY for 1 project. So, if you’re a busy freelancer with several hourly projects, it’s not for you. Then you should go for a paid plan.
There are 4 more plans available with subscriptions, starting for 10 to unlimited number of projects.
# 10 — Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a smart time tracker compatible with your desktop, be it on Windows, macOS, or Linux. You can access this app from your mobile devices as well.
With Hubstaff time tracking app, you’re just a few clicks away from time tracking, invoicing, reporting, payment processing, schedule planning for team or staff, etc. And once you’ve created the invoices (auto-generated or manually), you can transfer them to clients by email in PDF or HTML formats.
One UNIQUE feature included in Hubstaff is Geofences. With this feature, a team manager can trace every employee while they’re working on a specific project. Amazingly, Hubstaff time-tracker auto starts/stops as soon as any employee enters or departs from a specific geofence.
Hubstaff integrates with some top brands like Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Zoho Projects, Breeze, Jira, Insightly, Paymo, Podio, GitHub, GitLab, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Payoneer, PayPal, Salesforce, Zendesk… All integrations are available only for paid clients.
Hubstaff is free forever ONLY for 1 user. There are 3 more plans with monthly subscriptions in Hubstaff — Basic, Premium, and Enterprise. You can start a free trial!
# 11 — Anuko Time Tracker
We’re in the last part of our top list on free time tracking software for freelancers. Last one but not least one, it’s Anuko Time Tracker that supports 23 international languages.
Anuko Time Tracker is another PHP-based open source time tracking software like Kimai. It’s free forever; and for everyone — individual, group, team, companies, and organizations.
Tracking your log hours, creating customized invoices and reports with Anuko web app are that simple. You can include/exclude details about every aspect of your project in many ways. After preparing invoices and reports, you can transfer them by email and download in PDF format.
Good news is that, by running a VMware Virtual Appliance on a virtual server, any team or organization can host this time tracker as their personal server, without any further configuration.
Bottom line
Thanks everyone for reading this longer post. As you see, not all the above free software are same. And every freelancer’s demand for any app is not comparable. So, the best thing to do is choose the perfect one according to your requirements.
Let’s know in the comment box which free time tracking app for freelancers you’re using or going to use, or what’s your experience with any of the above free time tracking software…
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