Top 6 Free Time Tracking Tools for Freelancers

As a freelancer, you're responsible for every aspect of your business. You're the marketer, the project manager, the record keeper, and the administrator. In addition to that, you're also the person doing client work and setting the prices.

But are you getting paid for every minute of work you put in, or are you forgetting to account for all the extra hours before and after project work? A good time tracking tool can help answer that question. Here are our top six picks you can use to see where your hours are actually going and set better rates.

The criteria

Evaluating anything makes little sense if you don't know what you're evaluating it against. When looking for the best free time tracking tools, we considered the following criteria:

• It doesn't only have a free trial - it's free to use.
• Ease of use. How detailed is the initial setup? Is the interface intuitive and how fast you can start tracking your time?
• Time tracking options. Does the app have both a timer and a manual entry option?
• Project and task management. Can you organize your time by project, create custom categories, or add tags and labels?
• Accessibility. How convenient is it to start a timer? Can you access the tool from your browser, an app, your phone, or all of the above?

While some of the apps included here can be used for team time tracking, we focused on finding the best options for freelancers. All the tools listed can be used for free, but we also included the paid plan pricing so you can estimate how easy it would be for you to upgrade if needed.

1. Toggl Track

If you're looking for a time tracking app you can start using almost immediately, Toggl Track is the place to be. Even if you skip the setup wizard and don't put in your projects right away, Toggl lets you start a timer, get to work, and fill in the details later.

In addition to the timer, you can also edit time entries retroactively, which is especially useful for those times you get pulled into a call in the middle of working on a project. That way, you don't have to scramble to get the timer running on another client while rushing to get the call. Just edit it out of the time entry later and assign the time to the correct client.

Speaking of time entries, you can use Toggl to create them everywhere - you can use it in a browser tab, as a browser extension, as a desktop app, and as a mobile app. If you opt for the browser extension or the desktop app, that's where you'll get the most value.

Standout features

Both the extension and the app come with time-saving features that make sure every minute is accounted for. Both the extension and the desktop app come with idle time detection that reminds you to turn a timer off if you forget about it in the background. Popups will also remind you to start tracking time, and you can use a Pomodoro timer that reminds you to take breaks in custom time intervals.

If you go with the desktop app, in addition to all of the above, you also get automated triggers and desktop activity tracking. With automated triggers, you can set up keywords for your projects. Whenever the keywords appear in the foreground of your screen, you get a reminder to start your timer.

And if you want to completely automate your time tracking, Toggl can do that, too. With desktop activity tracking on, your timer automatically starts on every app or website you use for more than 10 seconds.

Will you ever need the paid version?

In addition to everything we've already mentioned, Toggl Track's free plan also comes with exportable reports. It lets you add unlimited clients and five users, create invoices, sync with Asana, and create custom integrations with webhooks.

There are three paid plans starting at $10/month, but the chances of you actually needing to upgrade? Maybe when your business grows to the point that you have teams to manage.

2. TimeCamp

If invoicing isn't an essential feature you're looking for in a time tracking app, TimeCamp's free plan could do the trick for you. Similar to Toggl Track, TimeCamp also lets you get right into tracking your time without having to set up projects first.

However, if you do like some guidance in the form of a setup wizard, you won't get it with TimeCamp. You sign up and straight for the dashboard it is - but even if you track time, you won't see anything in it on the free plan.

When it comes to tracking time, you have the option of using the timer or adding the time in manually. Besides in a browser tab, you can also use TimeCamp as a browser plugin, desktop app, or mobile app.

Standout features

Besides allowing you to organize your time into unlimited projects, TimeCamp also lets you add tasks and subtasks to each. If you sign up with Google and have project information connected to your account, TimeCamp will automatically create projects for you.

In addition to setting up projects, you can also assign keywords to them for automated time tracking. However, you'll need to download the TimeCamp desktop app to use the feature. Besides automatic time tracking, TimeCamp also comes with idle time tracking, reminding you that a timer is running when there's no activity.

Will you ever need the paid version?

TimeCamp offers three paid plans starting at $3.99/month. Seeing that the free plan includes unlimited projects and users, you can theoretically use it for free forever. That said, if you want the invoicing feature, live chat support, and a dashboard that shows data instead of an upgrade prompt, you may need to switch to a paid plan at some point.

3. ClickUp

If you're looking for a time tracking app that can eventually become a hub for all the work you do, ClickUp might be the one for you. Seeing that time tracking is just one of the many features it has, the interface can seem daunting at first.

That said, you get a detailed setup wizard on signup that guides you through the platform. It's a bit of a learning curve, but pays off if you're looking to get more than just time tracking out of the app. Besides in your browser, you can also use ClickUp as a mobile or desktop app.

Standout features

On ClickUp's free plan, you can add unlimited projects and users. As with other apps on this list, you can track time by starting a timer or inputting the time manually. However, if you're using the free version, you won't be able to track time without choosing a task first.

When it comes to idle time tracking or automatic timer starts, there aren't any. You'll have to remember to start and stop your timer every time, which might be a problem if you tend to forget that you have one running.

That said, if you like to have a client hub for ongoing projects, ClickUp's Spaces might just make up for the lack of timer automations. With Spaces, you can add all project-specific details into ClickUp and give clients access to comment and see project changes in real time.

Will you ever need the paid version?

In addition to the free plan, ClickUp also offers three paid ones, starting at $10/month. If you're going to use ClickUp only for time tracking, you won't need to upgrade to a paid plan. That said, if time tracking is the only thing you're after, you'll probably go with a simpler app than ClickUp anyway.

However, if you want a platform that can handle project management in addition to the time tracking, ClickUp's free plan might be a good way to go. As far as upgrading is concerned, you'll need to do it only if you want the unlimited storage and permission controls.

4. Harvest

If you don't work on more than two projects at a time, Harvest is a great option. The interface is simple and intuitive, and the setup wizard at signup gets you tracking time in minutes.

In addition to time tracking, Harvest also lets you track your expenses, generate invoices, and get paid. In addition to the browser version, you can also get it as a desktop or mobile app.

Standout features

While Harvest's free plan does limit you to two projects at a time, that's the only limit there is. You get to use all the features it offers on the free plan. These include:

• Time tracking
• Expense tracking
• Reminders
• Invoicing
• Online payments
• Reports
• 50+ integrations

The desktop app also comes with idle time detection. However, since Harvest doesn't track clicks or keyboard strokes, you'll have to start the timer manually or get an integration to do it for you.

Will you ever need the paid version?

Harvest only has two plans: the free one and Pro at $12/month. As your freelance business grows, you'll probably need to upgrade to the paid plan just to be able to track more than two projects at a time.

5. MyHours

The first thing you'll notice if you sign up for MyHours is the setup wizard. While it gets you tracking time right off the bat, it is maybe a bit too detailed for initial setup.

Aside from that, the free plan doesn't come with invoicing. What it does come with are unlimited projects and clients. For each project, you can also add unlimited tasks and track it all either by turning on the timer or editing the time manually. Besides using it in a browser tab, MyHours also comes as a desktop and mobile app.

Standout features

Even though the free plan doesn't include invoicing, it does allow you to use the API and integrate with Zapier. What this means is that, technically, you can use it to invoice if you use an integration. This is also where the detailed descriptions you can add to projects could come in handy.

In addition to the integrations, the MyHours free plan also comes with a dashboard that gives you an overview of your hours. And if you need more detail, you can also generate and export reports.

Will you ever need the paid version?

MyHours only offers one paid plan at $9/month. Considering the API and Zapier integration, for a one-person band this means you'll never have to upgrade (unless you don't want to find a workaround for invoicing). That said, if your business grows into a team and you want everyone to track time, the MyHours free plan will work up until you add more than five users.

6. actiTIME

Once you've signed up for actiTIME and gone through the setup wizard, you have the option of either taking the tour or exploring on your own. If you choose the latter, you'll be overwhelmed by the amount of sample data they show you in the calendar view (we learned this the hard way).

While actiTIME isn't the cleanest time tracking tool on this list, it gets the job done if you're not looking for too many bells and whistles. Besides using it in your browser, you can also get it as a mobile app.

Standout features

The free version of actiTIME lets you track time on unlimited projects and add up to three users. The same as other apps on this list, you can either start the timer or enter your time logs manually.

Will you ever need the paid version?

With actiTIME, you'll probably need to upgrade to a paid plan sooner rather than later, especially if you want to do more than time tracking. The paid plans are as little as $5/month and come with API, Zapier integrations, and the Chrome extension.

Final thoughts

When you're freelancing, time tracking software isn't just about keeping your eye on the clock. It’s about getting the most out of every working hour, staying organized, and making sure you’re getting paid for every minute of work you put in.

The best part is, you don't have to spend money to make money when it comes to time tracking software. At least not with these six options.