Are you a busy freelancer looking for ways to stay on top of your workload and keep track of the most valuable resource that often gets wasted – time? With this in mind, we understand how challenging it can be to find reliable and effective time tracking software for freelancers.
We have conducted thorough research into the available options and discovered the 10 best time tracking apps that will help you improve productivity by effectively monitoring hours worked on projects. This article outlines those solutions with their benefits, features, and more so read ahead to choose the right fit for you!
What is Time Tracking Software?
Time tracking software helps freelancers to accurately measure the amount of time spent on each project. This type of software is designed to record how much time a person has worked, and it also makes it easier for freelancers to track how long they are taking on each task.
With this knowledge, freelancers can easily create timesheets for payments or invoice clients over an agreed-upon rate, as well as better estimate timelines for future projects.
Time tracking software also allows organizations and employers to correctly analyze their employee’s productivity across different tasks or jobs, allowing them to be more productive day-to-day in order to reach greater levels of efficiency.
As such, freelance time tracking offers both employer insights into workforce productivity as well as providing personal guidance and actionable insights for those who use the tool!
Related: 5 Tips to Successfully Land Your New Freelancing Job.
Why Freelancers Need Time Tracking Software?
As a freelancer, managing your time and staying organized is essential for success. That’s why classic ways of tracking billable hours such as paper timesheets or spreadsheets are outdated solutions: they don’t support the efficiency level that modern-day freelancers need to keep up with current trends and project demands.
This is where Time Tracking Software comes in – a purpose-built tool which helps freelancers track their work accurately, while providing access to additional features like invoicing, analytics, task management etc.
With this specialized software you can immediately see how much time each project took including a breakdown based on tasks or assignees; eliminating the need for manual invoice filling by tracking the spent time automatically either through an app installed on your device or browser extensions available online.
You also receive detailed overviews of total working hours so you can make sure you get compensated properly for all the hard work done! Additionally, it helps maintain accuracy when logging necessary expenses related to particular projects as well as overall productivity measurements by recording streaks of uninterrupted sessions over certain periods during any day or week.
Time Tracking Software will help stay organized and consistent when dealing with workload while automating tedious processes saving valuable resources that should be dedicated solely to completing projects faster and better – resulting in improved customer satisfaction while boosting those stars from reviews left after successful collaborations.
10 Best Time Tracking Software for Freelancers of 2023
This article lists the top 10 recommended time tracking software for freelancers in 2023 for a productive and efficient workflow. Read more to find out which one is right for you!
1. Traqq
Traqq is a powerful time tracking solution for freelancers and remote teams. This software offers accurate analysis and tracking capabilities to monitor employee activity to ensure maximum productivity in an organization or project.
Traqq allows the user to automatically and accurately track billable hours, projects, deadlines, expenses and other relevant information associated with their business operations. It works even offline without any internet connection and auto-syncs all your data when you again go online. Its easy-to-use interface makes it simple for even beginners to understand how it works, which helps maximize efficiency when used by experienced professionals as well.
The ability of Traqq in providing detailed insights into employee behavior is invaluable especially during times when there are difficulties monitoring staff due to remote work situations caused by the pandemic or economic downturns.
2. RescueTime
RescueTime is an automated time tracking and productivity tool that enables freelancers to track their working hours, analyze their performance, and manage distractions. With this software, users can block distracting websites and applications automatically and focus only on tasks related to their projects.
This app runs in the background of your device while you work, positioning itself as one of the best tools for managing time efficiently without any manual intervention. It also helps with analyzing data from user activity such as keyboard strokes or mouse movements which detailed reports can be exported into other platforms like Slack & Asana for further review more easily.
3. FreshBooks
FreshBooks is one of the best time tracking software for freelancers. It is a powerful accounting software product primarily designed for freelancers and small businesses.
With its time tracking module, FreshBooks makes freelance time tracking and accounting simple and efficient. The cloud-based program allows you to log billable time, monitor expenses, manage project scheduling, track time, and set budgets with ease.
Its automated features enable users to efficiently invoice customers and analyze key metrics such as total earnings per project or client making it an ideal platform for budgeting.
4. Toggl
Toggl Track is one of the most popular, user-friendly, and feature-rich time tracking applications available on the market. It offers unbeatable flexibility that makes it a top choice for freelancers across many industries.
With its intuitive interface, using Toggl Track to track your work performance is effortless. The software helps you make time tracking a habit thanks to powerful features like easy editing options and an array of integrations with other productivity tools such as Trello or Slack.
Not only can freelancers access their reports quickly and conveniently but also save precious time by streamlining their workflow seamlessly with this time tracking tool. In addition, reviews on G2 show why Toggl have become one of the best free choices among freelancers in 2023 with more than 1,500 recommendations showing solid evidence behind its success!
5. Tick
Tick is an intuitive and easy to use time tracking software that caters specifically to freelancers. It has powerful features such as budget tracking, so you know exactly how much time each task will cost without overshooting budgets.
Whether you work on projects with multiple resources or large teams of a dozen members, Tick has the flexibility you need for managing tasks efficiently. With its automatic billing system, freelancers can also save extra effort in generating invoices at the end of every project.
Its user interface is straightforward yet provides all the required insights into your timesheets conveniently and quickly. Powered by machine learning capabilities backed by AI, Tick understands what type of employee/freelancer most effectively runs certain types of tasks given what conditions they usually operate in — this helps create streamlined productivity cycles that guarantee success with minimal supervision from anyone up stream.
See also: How to Manage the Work Time of Your Employees Effectively?
6. Bonsai
Attention freelancers! Bonsai is an app designed to help you stay organized in client and project management. It offers features like contract drafting, invoicing, time tracking capabilities and more.
Plus, it’s available on web, iOS, and Mac OS platforms giving you access from any device! This makes Bonsai a great choice for managing projects on the go. With its intuitive user interface, it is easy to track your time spent on different tasks of the same project or multiple projects as well as generating invoices quickly while keeping clients happy.
To top it all off, with Bonsai (the full name of the app), you can rest assured that your data and privacy are secure – this software started in 2016 with $120K in funding after all! So, if you’re looking for comprehensive time tracking software for freelancers preferable with multiple platform support then why not give Bonsai a try?
7. Timing
Timing is another good time tracking software for freelancers, designed specifically to help them track and manage their time efficiently. It provides an intuitive way to track timesheets, project tracking, workflow optimization, task tracking and calendar integration.
This popular app makes it easier for freelancers to keep tabs on how long they spend working on each project or task resulting in more accurate billing. Its powerful features like real-time logging help users accurately monitor which apps and websites they are spending most of their time on for complete work transparency.
On top of this its built-in timer feature enables freelancers to instantly start a timer at anytime from anywhere; so that even when away from the computer user can still log their hours intelligently with a few taps! With Timing’s reporting capabilities users can view detailed reports about completed tasks and projects over selected periods as well as export data into CSV & XSL formats allowing fast billing & invoicing.
8. Timely
Timely is a next-generation time tracking software that helps freelancers, businesses, and teams better manage their projects. It integrates easily with project management tools like Asana and can be quickly set up on any device including desktops, laptops, smartphones, or tablets.
With its automatic time tracking feature, users are able to monitor work activities accurately in real-time from wherever they’re working so that it’s easier to track the progress of each individual task at any given moment.
Timely also offers billing options based on hours worked or budgeted amount – so freelancers know exactly how much money they’ll receive for their efforts when the job is done.
The app further allows flagging billable hours as necessary while automatically taking care of taxes and other complexities associated with invoicing clients in different countries.
Moreover, the application includes advanced reporting features such as timesheet reports making sure companies have an accurate record of all activities performed within an allotted timeframe (e.g., day/week/month).
9. HourStack
HourStack is one of the leading time tracking software for freelancers and many consider it a valuable asset. It offers a comprehensive suite of features that can help streamline billing, manage billable hours, and project effectively.
Among its main selling points is integration with team project management tools, making collaboration and communications between members easier. Independent workers also benefit from HourStack’s calendar time tracking feature which makes it convenient to keep track of their daily tasks – no more manual logging! The tool allows users to automatically or manually log time; plus, they get access to real-time work tracking – a great way to observe how effective their workflow is so as to optimize productivity.
Last but not least, the software’s highly intuitive interface ensures that even novice technology users will find using HourStack easy and efficient. In short, if you are a freelancer who wants an ease in managing your projects while optimizing your resources at the same time then investing in HourStack might be the right decision for you this year!
10. actiTIME
actiTIME is a great tool for time tracking and managing projects. It enables business owners, freelancers, and teams to track project activities with accuracy, precision, and efficiency.
actiTIME not only simplifies workflow-based time tracking but also provides powerful functionality allowing users to measure productivity and increase the efficiency of their projects.
Its intuitive user interface makes it easy for everyone to learn how to use its features quickly. Additionally, this time tracker helps companies manage billable hours better. With actiTIME’s accurate data on working hours spent on tasks or projects businesses can define price estimations more precisely so they don’t spend money needlessly on employee performance or charge clients incorrectly for services performed.
Related: 15 Great Ways to Start Your Career in Freelance Graphic Design.
Conclusion
For freelancers who want to stay organized and increase their efficiency, time tracking software can be an invaluable asset. Freelancers have a variety of different options available, including web-based, mobile and desktop applications that can suit almost any need.
It’s important for freelancers to find the best solution for them: one that is user friendly and offers features such as project tracking across multiple clients or creating invoices quickly.
By utilizing these productivity tools, freelancers will be able to track their hours more accurately, manage budgets better and free up more time for other activities. Furthermore, working with accurate records ensures prompt payments from customers are possible too.
Web Developer & SEO Specialist with 15+ years of experience in Open Source Web Development specialized in Joomla & WordPress development. He is also the moderator of this blog "RS Web Solutions".