Want to get useful insights on time tracking software for freelancers? You are on the right page. If you are a freelancer, time is both an asset and a liability. Use it wisely, then it’s the former, otherwise the latter. That’s why freelancers must keep an accurate track of their work hours. However, the issue is, which solution is right for them?
In this blog, freelance tracking time software will take center stage. Thus, our post will include all about the software including best practices and more. We will discuss everything you require to know. Plus, you will find some tips and strategies in one place.
By the end of this blog, you will have a complete idea of time tracking software for freelancers. Plus, you can choose the best time tracker to get started immediately. So, with that being said, let us get right into how it all works.
What is Time Tracking Software for Freelancers?
A time tracker for freelancers is a digital tool. It uses features like timesheets and task timers. What these do is:
- Make it simple for freelancers to track time.
- Accurately bill clients.
- Avoid underbilling and overbilling.
- Get detailed reports.
- Simplify progress tracking.
- Improve workflow and employee time management efficiency.
Time tracking software for freelancers is an essential tool. It reduces work complexity. It makes it simple to track multiple task hours.
Importance of Time Tracking Software for Freelancers
Time tracking software is very important for freelancers. As a freelancer, daily time management is key. You must focus on managing projects, getting new clients, and generating invoices. To do these efficiently, you need the best time tracker app. It is a very important tool in all aspects. Freelancers can benefit from this tool.
Key Features of Time Tracking Software for Freelancers
As we said before, tracking time and invoicing for freelancers is vital. That’s why compromising on the app for the same is never a good choice. For starters, it’s essential to know the features you will need.
1. Intuitive Interface
First and foremost the user-interface. When it comes to time tracking software for freelancers, the interface is above everything else. What it includes is:
- Easy usage
- Easy navigation
- Feature-rich interface
- Not resource intensive
2. Flexible Tracking
Freelancers work flexibly, so should the app for tracking time for freelancers. This feature must include:
- Multi-project work-hour tracking
- Pause and resume timers
- Running many timers at the same time
- Multi-device work hours tracking from anywhere
3. Detailed Reporting
Another thing when it comes to freelance work is that you need to report the proof of work to your clients. Thus, time tracking software for freelancers also includes:
- Intuitive reporting features
- Detailed reports with the time spent on tasks
- Easy-to-understand reports
4. Project Management
Freelancers work on various projects at the same time. Simultaneously managing them can be complex. But, with the right freelance app for tracking time, you will get:
- Project and task management features
- Templates
- Real-time work-hour tracking of tasks
- Tasks, subtasks, and checklists creation
5. Invoicing
Freelance work also involves client billing and invoicing. It is again a complex task when you are simultaneously handling various clients. But, with time tracking software for freelancers, you will get:
- Accurate billable and non-billable hours calculation
- Accurate invoicing
- Invoicing and billing templates
Benefits of Freelancer Time Tracking Software
Freelance tracking time software tracks time spent on projects. It will boost productivity, cut waste, and improve your business. I’ll help you understand the benefits of this app & how it can save you a lot of money.
1. Calculate your Profitability
Time tracking software for freelancers will show your hourly, per-project, and daily earnings. This information will help you know where you’re spending time and how much time is being spent on each task. It can be used to help you budget better, which will make managing your finances easier.
2. Custom Reports
A time tracker for freelancers can generate custom reports. These show how much time was spent on different tasks, like hours per day or week. You can also create reports based on different budgets or fees set by clients. You can get detailed reports according to your requirements & print them also you can save them in PDF.
3. Easy Invoicing
Time tracking software for freelancers can simplify invoicing. It lets you link your client’s payment method to the completed task. This ensures accurate, accessible billing info for clients who pay through the system. It also helps them pay their invoice in full, instead of waiting for their next payment date.
4. Anywhere Anytime Access
Freelance tracking time software can access your data from any device. It works wherever you are and on whatever device you have. It also means that you won’t be tied down to a computer which can make it easier to work remotely. You can easily access it from your smartphone or tablet.
5. Easy Task and Project Organization
Time tracking software for freelancers helps you organize projects and tasks. It shows what to work on next and when to finish it. It also ensures that the right people work on the right tasks at the right time.
6. Analyze Logged Hours & Expenses
The tool for freelancers tracks time and invoices. It lets you track time spent on each project or task, and any expenses incurred. It helps freelancers track their progress. They can see where they need more help or funding from their clients.
Read Also: Top 10 Best Habit Tracker Apps for Business and Personal Use
How to Choose the Best Time Tracking Software for Freelancers?
That did it for the features and advantages of time tracking software for freelancers. But, to gain all these benefits, you also need to have the right time tracker. Fortunately, we covered how to choose for you as well.
1. Platforms Supported
Many apps for tracking time for freelancers support different platforms. Some apps are supported by Mac & some others are Linux-based or Windows-based. Fewer options in the market are supported by all the platforms.
2. App Integration
Some time tracking software for freelancers can track your app usage. It can also integrate with other apps. Consider whether your preferred time tracker tool supports integrations with apps. It is a key factor in your decision. It will affect your ability to automate your work with apps.
3. Data Exporting Availablity
Data is everything to all. Your chosen freelance app can export all data in XML, Excel, CSV, Google Docs, and PDF. You need to invest in such software for freelancers.
4. Customer Support
The time tracking software for freelancers should have 24*7 support options available. If you have any queries you should be able to contact your software provider at any time & get a fast resolution.
5. User Friendliness
The tracking time for freelancers’ app interface should be user-friendly for everyone. This includes:
- Easy to use and navigate
- Easy to learn
- Simple to find features
- User-engaging interface
Top 10 Time Tracking Software for Freelancers
So, now you know how to choose the best time tracking software for freelancers. But, as a freelancer, you don’t have the time to do all the intense searching and shortlisting. Fortunately, we did that for you.
- DeskTrack
- TogglTrack
- RescueTime
- Harvest
- Timely
- actiTIME
- AccountSight
- TimeCamp
- Trigger
- Zoho Projects
1. DeskTrack
DeskTrack is the best app for tracking time for freelancers. Why this one is on the top is because all the features are available in one platform. Plus, don’t forget the seamless integrations, which help streamline workflows.
Best Features:
- Billable Hours Tracking
- Productivity Calculator
- Reporting on mobile
- Cost Analysis
- Automated Screenshots
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Best overall | $5.99/user/month | 5/5 |
2. TogglTrack
TogglTrack is the time tracking software for freelancers who are always in a rush. Its one-click work hours tracking lets you focus on essential tasks.
Best Features:
- Time tracking
- Exportable reports
- Idle time detection
- Pomodoro timer
- Desktop activity tracking
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| One-click time tracking | $10/user/month | 4.7/5 |
3. RescueTime
Are you looking for the best freelance app for tracking time for automated hour tracking? RescueTime is the tool for you. Thanks to its intuitive features, managing time on projects and tasks becomes simple.
Best Features:
- Access Controls/Permissions
- Activity Management
- Alerts/Notifications
- Email Alerts
- Activity Dashboard
- Activity Tracking tool
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Automated time tracking | $6.50/month | 4.6/5 |
4. Harvest
Other than being a good time tracker, harvest is also a productivity monitoring tool. It is a good choice for freelancers who need accurate accounting integration. Also, the tracking features make project handling simple. They track billable and non-billable hours, attendance, and activities.
Best Features:
- API
- Activity Tracking
- Attendance Tracking
- Billable Items Tracking
- Accounting Integration
- Billable & Non-Billable Hours
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Easy time tracking | $12/user/month | 4.6/5 |
5. Timely
Timely is a time tracking software for freelancers. It has an AI that records time automatically. What sets it apart from other tools is how it uses smart intelligence to make more accurate reports.
Best Features:
- API
- Automatic Time Capture
- Access Controls/Permissions
- Billable Items Tracking
- Billable & Non-Billable Hours
- Alerts/Notifications
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Automated time tracking with AI | $11/month | 4.7/5 |
6. actiTIME
actiTIME is a tool for tracking time for freelancers and work management software. With its amazing features, you will get a full overview of the work progress. It also helps in planning, execution, and reporting to an extent.
Best Features:
- Time tracking
- Task management
- Billing and invoicing
- Detailed reports
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Resource management | $5.99/user/month | 5/5 |
7. AccountSight
AccountSight is a time tracking software for freelancers. Plus, it is also an expense tracker for related individual consultants and businesses. What we like about it is how it speeds up the billing process by providing useful insights.
Best Features:
- Expense tracking
- Project estimates
- Invoicing
- Reports
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Automated invoicing | $5.99/user/month | 5/5 |
8. TimeCamp
This time tracker for freelancers is one of the best for designers. Its uniqueness is the option of both manual and automated timesheets, allowing flexibility. But, if you are not working in teams, then it might not be right for you.
Best Features:
- Budget tracking
- Billing
- Team and project reports
- Software integrations
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Teams | $5.99/user/month | 5/5 |
9. Trigger
Looking for time tracking software for freelancers, consultants, and agents? You can never go wrong with Trigger. What we like about this tool is that it’s the best for both teams and individuals.
Best Features:
- Collaboration
- Project management
- Reports
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Agencies and Consultancies | $5.99/user/month | 5/5 |
10. Zoho Projects
This freelance tracking time app is also one of the best for project management software. One of the most well-known and comprehensive solutions, it simplifies progress tracking. Plus, what we like about it is how you can easily convert work hours into billable data.
Best Features:
- Task management
- Time management
- Charts and reports
- Zoho integrations
| Best For | Initial Pricing | User Rating |
| Small to medium-sized businesses | $5.99/user/month | 5/5 |
Read Also: Top 10 Best Overtime Tracking Tools for Businesses in 2024
Time Tracking Software for Freelancers: Best Practices
So, now you have the right time tracking software for freelancers. That’s great. But, for you to make any progress and experience workflow changes, you need to follow some tips. With that being said, here are 8 of the working strategies we use.
1. Make it a Habit
Tracking work hours won’t do you any good unless you make it a habit. What good is your software for tracking time and invoicing for freelancers if it’s just lying there? Thus, must use it daily, even for your chores to make it a daily habit.
2. Use Labels
A useful feature of your time tracking software for freelancers is labels. It’s not there for show. You can apply labels to everything including status, projects, and tasks. What it does is help you easily find something for quick and accurate invoicing. For example, labeling tasks as non-chargeable. This way, you won’t accidentally bill clients for non-billable tasks. Plus, labeling helps you.
- Easily keep track of things
- Remember what a task was for
- Streamline workflows
3. Set Achievable Objectives
There is a difference between climbing mountains in one day and climbing them one day. That’s the common sense of setting achievable goals. From there, recording work hours with your app for tracking time for freelancers is the easy part.
4. Regularly Review Data
It’s also essential to review data from your freelance app for tracking time. That way, you will know if you are making any progress or getting more efficient. This practice will also help you find and report any bugs in your tools.
5. Track Time to Learn
Experts recommend freelancers use their time tracking software to learn and improve. They should use its tracked time. Reviewing the hour logs will help you:
- Identify how much time you are spending on tasks
- View a time gap. What it means is that it took you more than the required time to complete a task
- Effectively manage your time and become more efficient
6. Transparent Communication
If you are working in teams, transparently communicating with others helps streamline workflows. Furthermore, 83% of employees surveyed stated being satisfied due to open communication. So, you know what to do.
7. Be Flexible
The best practice with your software for tracking time for freelancers is to be flexible. Flexible tracking work hours means using manual and automated time tracking to your benefit. Plus, it must be per your requirements.
Why is DeskTrack the Best Time Tracking Software for Freelancers?
You know why you came here. Right? To find the best time tracking software for freelancers. Of course. Thus, we are giving it to you. DeskTrack is the leading time tracker with all the features you need in one place and more.
This software integration tracks employee activity and productivity. It manages projects and work hours.
- Automatic billable and non-billable hours calculation.
- Idle time calculation.
- Real-time employee activity and work hours tracking.
- Detailed reporting.
- Accurate invoicing.
- User-friendly intuitive interface and more.
Conclusion
Hope you are now clear about time tracking software for freelancers and what they do. As a final word, we would like to say that freelancers must keep track of work hours. To help them make this task accurate, it’s recommended that they use time trackers. Doing so will simplify the process and to a point automate it. This allows freelancers to focus on the important work. These digital solutions help you track progress, streamline workflows, and bill clients accurately. They do much more, too. But, for it to work for you, you need to choose the right software to track time. Moreover, the process of doing the same ironically consumes valuable time. So, we recommend searching expert lists. It will help you choose the right work hours tool to fullfill all your needs. But what if you need more than a tool for employee monitoring? We recommend DeskTrack.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Q. How do Freelancers Keep Track of Time?
Ans. There are many ways for freelancers to keep track of time. These include:
- Manually tracking time on pen and paper. (not recommended)
- Using spreadsheets.
- Using time trackers (Best)
Q. What are Some Best Practices for Freelancers to Track Time
Ans. For freelancers, it’s not enough to just implement a time tracker. For maximum gain, it’s also essential to use these strategies.
- Make it a Habit
- Use Labels
- Set Achievable Objectives
- Regularly Review Data
- Track Time to Learn
- Transparent Communication
- Be Flexible
Q. Which is the Best Software Solution for Freelancers to Track Time?
Ans. DeskTrack is the time tracker you need to keep a log of your work hours as a freelancer. This software provides many useful features including:
- Automatic billable and non-billable hours calculation.
- Idle time calculation.
- Real-time employee activity and work hours tracking.
- Detailed reporting.
- Accurate invoicing.
- User-friendly intuitive interface and more.
