Time tracking helps freelancers like you manage projects, boost productivity, and ensure accurate invoicing. As more professionals transition to self-employment and fractional work, using the right tools can transform how you handle your workload, streamline your billing, and give you valuable insights into your productivity.
Unlike simple timers, the best time-tracking apps for freelancers integrate seamlessly with invoicing, accounting, and project management tools. This critical detail, which many other productivity platforms don’t offer, is key for solo entrepreneurs who want to focus on building a successful business and ensuring time is well spent.
Why time tracking is crucial for freelancers and solopreneurs
Are you spending your time wisely?
Effective time tracking is more than just logging hours — it is a strategic tool that helps freelancers manage their workload, optimize productivity, and maintain financial clarity.
The average fractional worker or entrepreneur spends nearly 40% of their time buried in administrative and operation tasks like data entry. Tracking your time spend and productivity helps you find ways to optimize your business, and also helps you:
- Ensure you are getting paid for all time worked
- Provide transparent and precise invoices to clients
- Reduce client disputes about project costs
- Ensure timely payments from clients
- Support better financial planning, such as being able to more accurately set your rates, forecast income, and make informed business decisions
- Obtain valuable insights into how tasks are managed, helping you identify productivity patterns and optimize your schedule
For solopreneurs, managing multiple projects and clients can become overwhelming without a structured approach. Time-tracking tools simplify this process by allowing professionals to monitor billable hours, track project progress, and manage deadlines more effectively. This functionality is particularly useful for fractional employees who juggle different roles and responsibilities, as it helps maintain organization and productivity.
Key features to look for in a time tracking tool
We’re not talking about old-fashioned stopwatches or jotting down times in your notebook. If you want to be successful as an entrepreneur or fractional employee, the best time-tracking apps for freelancers all include some critical must-have features:
- Ease of Use: A straightforward and intuitive interface ensures you spend less time managing the tool and more time on billable work. The best apps allow quick time entry, automatic tracking, and simple log editing.
- Integration Capabilities: Look for tools that connect with accounting software, invoicing systems, and project management apps. This integration helps automate billing, sync project timelines, and generate financial reports without manual data entry.
- Reporting and Analytics: Detailed reporting features allow freelancers to analyze productivity patterns, assess project profitability, and make informed business decisions. Tools with customizable reports can help track billable hours, expenses, and project timelines effectively.
- Mobile Accessibility: For freelancers on the go, mobile apps provide the flexibility to track time from anywhere. Features like offline tracking and syncing with desktop versions enhance convenience and ensure no billable hours are lost.
- Automated Invoicing: Integration with invoicing tools is particularly valuable for freelancers. It allows time entries to be converted directly into invoices, reducing administrative work and improving payment accuracy.
- Support and Resources: Having access to a dedicated support team or educational resources can enhance your experience with a time-tracking app. Choose platforms that provide tutorials, live support, and community forums.
Top 5 time tracking apps for freelancers
There are several tools designed to fit various business models, from managing a team of consultants to focusing on personal productivity.
1. Clockify: best free option
If you’re on a budget, Clockify’s free plan provides unlimited time tracking, reporting, and project management features, all within a user-friendly dashboard. Clockify also integrates with popular project management tools, allowing freelancers to track billable hours and generate detailed timesheets without breaking the bank.
2. RescueTime: best for personal productivity
RescueTime takes a unique approach by focusing on productivity management alongside time tracking. The app runs in the background, analyzing how time is spent on different applications and websites. This insight helps you understand productivity patterns and eliminate distractions. RescueTime also offers tools to set goals and receive alerts if you deviate from your intended schedule, making it useful for solo entrepreneurs who need to stay focused and maintain work-life balance.
3. Harvest: ideal for teams of freelancers
Harvest can be a bit more than most solopreneurs need but offers a robust time-tracking solution perfect for freelancers who collaborate with teams. The app allows users to track time, manage projects, and create invoices directly within the platform. It integrates seamlessly with tools like Asana, Trello, and QuickBooks, helping you synchronize project management with billing. Harvest also includes detailed reporting features, enabling professionals to effectively assess project profitability and manage budgets.
4. Timely: best for automating time tracking
Timely uses AI-powered tracking to automatically log time spent on tasks, emails, meetings, and apps without manual input. This is perfect for fractional professionals juggling multiple clients since it removes the burden of tracking hours manually and ensures accuracy in billing. With Timely, you get real-time insights into your work patterns, helping you optimize productivity and prevent overworking.
Besolo: the best time-tracking app for solo entrepreneurs
Each of the above time-tracking apps for solopreneurs and fractional employees have their pros and cons. However, if you want to run a successful business as a solo entrepreneur, you need efficient tools that simplify both time tracking and financial management.
Enter Besolo — an all-in-one solution that seamlessly integrates time tracking with invoicing and accounting to help self-employed professionals like yourself to stay organized and focused on growing their businesses. By combining multiple business functions into a single platform, Besolo streamlines workflow, minimizes administrative hassle, and ensures accurate financial reporting.
Unlike traditional time-tracking apps that cater to teams, Besolo is built specifically for independent professionals. Its intuitive interface enables you to:
- Log work hours effortlessly
- Generate invoices instantly (this integration eliminates the need for manual entry, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring that billing is accurate and efficient)
- Manage financial records in one place
Beyond time tracking, Besolo includes a suite of business management features, including accounting support, expense tracking, and financial reporting. This helps you maintain a clear overview of your business finances, make informed decisions, and stay prepared for tax season. The platform also provides access to business consulting services, guiding freelancers through the complexities of self-employment.
Take the next step in optimizing your freelance workflow. Become a member today to gain access to Besolo’s powerful tools and resources that simplify self-employment and help you achieve your professional goals.
