TLDR (Summary)
The best time tracking software for freelancers is Plutio ($19/month).
Standalone time trackers like Toggl ($10-20/user/month) and Clockify (free-$12/user/month) log hours accurately but disconnect from invoicing. You track time in one app, then manually transfer totals to billing software. Harvest ($12/user/month) includes invoicing but lacks the project management depth freelancers need. Plutio connects time tracking to projects, tasks, and invoicing... so logged hours convert to invoice line items with one click.
According to TeamStage research, 36% of freelancer time goes to admin tasks like manual billing calculations. Connected time tracking that flows directly into invoicing eliminates that overhead and keeps every billable hour gets captured.
For a step-by-step breakdown, read our complete freelance time tracking guide.
What is time tracking software for freelancers?
Time tracking software for freelancers logs billable hours against clients and projects while connecting that data to invoicing so work translates directly into accurate billing.
The distinction matters: basic time trackers create logs of hours worked. Enterprise timesheets track employee hours for payroll. Freelancer time tracking connects hours to specific clients, specific projects, and specific tasks... so it's easy to see not just how long you worked but what you worked on and who to bill for it.
What freelancer time tracking actually does
Core functions include starting and stopping timers with one click, logging time against specific projects or tasks, adding descriptions to time entries for billing context, marking entries as billable or non-billable, generating reports by client, project, or date range, and converting tracked time directly into invoice line items. Advanced platforms connect time tracking to project management so you see hours logged alongside task progress.
Simple timers vs connected tracking
Stopwatch apps and basic timers log total hours but do not organize that data usefully. It's easy to see you worked 8 hours today but not how to distribute that across three different client projects. Connected time tracking logs hours against specific work, so billing calculations happen automatically instead of requiring memory reconstruction at month-end.
What makes freelancer time tracking different
Freelance time tracking patterns differ from employee timesheets: hours bill to external clients rather than internal departments, rates vary by project or client, some time is billable and some is not, and accurate tracking directly affects revenue rather than just payroll records. Without time tracking that connects to client records and invoicing, every billing cycle requires manual calculation and memory-based estimation.
When time tracking connects to projects and invoicing, logged hours become invoice line items automatically. No export, no calculation, no manual data transfer. Work done flows directly into bills sent.
Why freelancers need time tracking software
Freelancers who bill hourly or track time against projects face a consistent problem: hours that are not logged are hours that do not get billed.
The issue is not laziness or forgetfulness. The issue is that work happens in fragments throughout the day, and reconstructing those fragments at billing time is nearly impossible. A 20-minute client call here, 45 minutes of revision work there, an hour of research that turned into email back-and-forth. Without real-time logging, some of that time... disappears.
The underbilling problem
Research consistently shows that professionals who track time retrospectively undercount hours significantly. When you estimate "about 3 hours" on a project at month-end, actual logged time often reveals 4-5 hours. Across a year of projects, that underbilling costs thousands in revenue. Time tracking that happens in real-time captures what estimation misses.
The margin visibility problem
Without accurate time tracking, you do not know which projects are profitable. A $3,000 project that takes 20 hours is profitable. The same project that takes 50 hours is a loss. Time tracking reveals the difference, informing how you quote, scope, and price future similar work.
The billing justification problem
Clients occasionally question invoices. "Did this really take 15 hours?" Without detailed time records, you have no defense. With logged time entries that show dates, descriptions, and durations, the invoice justifies itself. Time tracking protects revenue from client pushback.
The tool switching problem
Standalone time tracking means another app to manage. Start timer in Toggl, switch to project management in Trello, jump to invoicing in FreshBooks. Each tool switch costs focus. According to TeamStage, 36% of freelance time goes to admin tasks. Integrated time tracking eliminates one source of that overhead.
Connected time tracking solves underbilling, provides margin visibility, justifies invoices, and reduces tool switching. Accurate time data is the foundation of accurate billing.
Time tracking features freelancers need
The essential time tracking features for freelancers capture hours accurately, organize them by client and project, and convert them directly into invoices.
Core time tracking features
- One-click timer: Start and stop tracking instantly from any device. Minimal friction means tracking actually happens.
- Manual entry: Add time after the fact when timers were not running. Log yesterday's work with accurate start and end times.
- Project and task connection: Log time against specific projects and tasks, not just daily totals. Know where every hour went.
- Entry descriptions: Add notes to time entries explaining what was done. Context that supports billing and future reference.
- Billable vs non-billable: Mark entries as billable or not. Track all time while knowing what converts to invoices.
- Reporting: Generate reports by client, project, date range, or team member. See where time goes across all work.
Freelancer-specific features
- Time-to-invoice conversion: Generate invoices directly from tracked time. Hours become line items automatically. According to research, 36% of admin time could be automated.
- Variable rates: Set different hourly rates per client or project. Invoices calculate correctly without manual adjustment.
- Client-facing reports: Share time reports with clients through portals. Transparent billing that clients can verify.
- Budget tracking: Compare logged time against project estimates. Know when projects approach or exceed budgets.
Platform features that multiply value
- Mobile tracking: Track time from phone or tablet. Log hours during client meetings or while working away from desk.
- Calendar integration: See time entries alongside calendar events. Verify meetings were tracked correctly.
- Offline capability: Track time without internet connection. Entries sync when connection returns.
- Team visibility: If working with subcontractors, see their logged time alongside yours.
The deciding factor is connection to billing. Time tracking that generates invoices automatically captures value that standalone trackers lose in the export-calculate-transfer process.
Time tracking software pricing for freelancers
Time tracking software for freelancers ranges from free basic tools to $20/month for full-featured platforms, with integrated solutions providing better value than stacking separate subscriptions.
What freelancers typically pay for time tracking tools
- Toggl Track: $10-20/user/month (solid tracking, no invoicing)
- Clockify: Free-$12/user/month (good free tier, limited integrations)
- Harvest: $12/user/month (includes invoicing, limited project management)
- Hubstaff: $7-14/user/month (includes screenshots, designed for remote teams)
These tools handle time tracking but most require separate invoicing software ($15-40/month) and project management ($10-25/month). Total cost across 2-3 disconnected tools: $30-75/month plus manual data transfer between systems.
Plutio pricing (February 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Unlimited time tracking plus projects, invoicing, proposals, contracts, and client portals.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, 30 contributors, advanced permissions, priority support.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, white-label with custom domain, single sign-on.
The ROI calculation for freelancers
- Tool consolidation: Replace Toggl ($10/month) and invoicing software ($17/month) with one $19/month platform. Saves $8/month in subscriptions.
- Recovered revenue: Accurate time tracking captures hours that estimation misses. Just 2-3 extra hours logged monthly at typical rates covers the entire subscription cost.
- Faster billing: Time-to-invoice conversion saves 30-60 minutes per billing cycle. Recovered time goes back to billable work.
Time tracking ROI comes primarily from captured revenue. Hours logged accurately are hours billed correctly. The subscription pays for itself with a single hour of recovered billable time monthly.
Why Plutio is the best time tracking for freelancers
Plutio handles time tracking as part of a complete platform where projects, tasks, invoicing, and client records work together rather than as separate tools requiring manual data transfer.
Track time against actual work
Start a timer directly from any task. Work on the deliverable, stop the timer when done. The time logs against that specific task and parent project automatically with the date, duration, and any notes you add. No switching to separate time tracking software. No forgetting which project the hours belong to.
Multiple tracking methods
Use timers for real-time tracking during active work. Add manual entries for time that happened without timers running. Bulk edit entries to fix mistakes or add context. Whatever method matches your workflow, the data ends up organized correctly.
Billable and non-billable separation
Mark time entries as billable or non-billable as you log them. Track admin time and internal work without it contaminating billing reports. When invoice time comes, billable hours are already separated and ready to convert.
Variable rates per client or project
Set hourly rates at the project or client level. Rush projects bill at premium rates. Retainer clients get discounted rates. Time converts to invoices at the correct rate automatically without manual calculation.
Time-to-invoice in one click
Project wraps up, time is logged against tasks. Click to generate invoice. Plutio pulls billable hours into line items with descriptions from your time entries, rates from project settings, and totals calculated. Review the invoice, adjust if needed, send. What used to require spreadsheet work takes seconds.
Reports that reveal reality
Generate time reports by client, project, date range, or category. See where hours actually go versus where you think they go. Identify which project types consume unexpected time. Information that improves quoting accuracy for future work.
Client-facing timesheets
Share time reports with clients through portals. Transparent billing that clients can review before payment. Professional presentation that reduces invoice disputes.
Budget tracking and alerts
Set time budgets on projects. See logged hours compared to estimates in real-time. Get notified when projects approach budget limits. Information that prevents projects from running over budget.
Mobile time tracking
Track time from phone or tablet using native apps. Start timers during client meetings, log travel time, capture hours when working away from your desk. Tracking happens wherever work happens.
Historical visibility
Open any client and see total time invested across all their projects. Open any project and see time breakdown by task. Historical data that informs pricing for similar future work.
Time logs against tasks, tasks live in projects, projects link to clients, and invoices generate from tracked time. One system where work done flows directly into bills sent.
How to set up time tracking in Plutio
Setting up time tracking in Plutio takes 15-30 minutes for initial configuration, with tracking happening immediately through timers or manual entry.
Step 1: Configure default rates (10 mins)
Set your default hourly rate in workspace settings. The default rate applies to new projects unless overridden. Configure currency and billing preferences.
Step 2: Set up project-specific rates (10 mins)
For active projects with different billing rates, update project settings with the correct hourly rate. Retainer clients, rush projects, or special agreements get their rates configured once and applied to all future time entries.
Step 3: Create tracking habits
Build time tracking into your workflow:
- Task-based tracking: Open the task you're working on, start the timer from that task. Time logs to the right place automatically.
- End-of-day entry: If real-time tracking interrupts flow, add manual entries at the end of each day while work is fresh.
- Calendar reference: Use calendar events as reminders for what to log. Client meeting at 2pm? Log the corresponding time entry.
Step 4: Test time-to-invoice flow
Track some time against a test project. Generate an invoice from that tracked time. Verify rates calculate correctly, descriptions transfer properly, and the invoice looks right before using with real billing.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting project rates: Check that each project has the correct billing rate before tracking significant time against it.
- Not tracking immediately: The longer you wait to log time, the less accurate entries become. Track in real-time when possible.
- Skipping descriptions: Time entries without notes create confusion at billing time. Brief descriptions now save clarification later.
Setup is minimal. The real investment is building the habit of tracking time consistently. Once the habit exists, accurate billing follows automatically.
Time tracking organization for freelancers
Organizing time tracking creates clarity about where hours go and enables accurate billing across all your client work.
Time entry structure
- Project connection: Every entry links to a specific project. No orphan time floating without client attribution.
- Task connection: Entries link to specific tasks within projects for granular tracking.
- Descriptions: Brief notes explaining what the time covered. "Client call re: homepage revisions" not just "meeting."
- Billable flag: Clear marking of billable versus non-billable time.
Reporting organization
- By client: Total hours invested in each client relationship across all their projects.
- By project: Hours logged against specific projects compared to estimates and budgets.
- By date range: Weekly or monthly views showing workload distribution.
- By category: If using task categories, time distribution across work types.
Information to track
- Start and end times for each work session
- Brief descriptions for billing context
- Billable status per entry
- Rate applied (especially if variable by project)
- Budget versus actual for project margin analysis
Proven methods
- Track time as work happens rather than reconstructing later
- Use consistent description formats for easier reporting
- Review tracked time before generating invoices
- Analyze time reports monthly to identify efficiency opportunities
Organized time tracking enables accurate billing and margin analysis. It's easy to see exactly where hours go, which clients consume the most time, and which project types deliver the best return on time invested.
Client portals for freelancers: time tracking visibility
Client portals connect time tracking to client-facing transparency, showing clients exactly what work their billing covers.
Portal as timesheet access
Clients log into branded portals and can see time logged against their projects. Hours, dates, descriptions, and totals visible in professional presentation. Transparent billing that clients can verify before paying invoices.
Invoice justification
When invoices include time-based billing, portal timesheets provide the backup. Clients wondering "what did 15 hours cover?" can review the detailed log themselves. Reduces billing disputes and accelerates payment approval.
Progress visibility
Time logged against tasks shows clients where effort is going. They see active work happening on their projects without asking for status updates. Transparency that builds trust and reduces check-in requests.
Controlled visibility
You decide what clients see. Show total hours per project without task-level breakdown. Share descriptions without internal notes. Professional transparency with appropriate boundaries.
Historical records
Clients access time records from past projects through portals. When they need documentation for their own records or tax purposes, the data exists without you compiling reports manually.
Portals make time tracking client-facing. Accurate logging translates to transparent billing. Clients see exactly what they're paying for, and payment happens faster as a result.
How to migrate time tracking to Plutio
Migration from another time tracking tool typically takes 30-60 minutes, with the best approach being to start new tracking in Plutio while referencing historical data from your previous tool.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
Export time data from your current platform for reference:
- Toggl: Reports > Detailed > Export CSV. Contains entries with dates, projects, and descriptions.
- Clockify: Reports > Detailed > Export. Similar format to Toggl.
- Harvest: Reports > Time > Export CSV. Includes client and project attribution.
Step 2: Configure rates in Plutio (15 mins)
Set default rates and project-specific rates to match your current billing structure. Verify rates are correct before tracking new time.
Step 3: Start tracking in Plutio
Begin tracking all new work in Plutio immediately. Historical data from your previous tool serves as reference for pending invoices but does not need to be imported.
Step 4: Complete pending billing in old tool
If you have unbilled time in your previous tracking tool, generate those invoices using the old system. Do not try to recreate historical time in Plutio.
Step 5: Phase out old tool
Once pending billing from the old system completes, cancel that subscription. Keep exports for historical reference if needed.
Common migration pitfalls to avoid
- Trying to import historical time: Focus forward. Old data serves reference purposes, not migration purposes.
- Running parallel indefinitely: Pick a cutoff date. All new work tracks in Plutio starting that date.
- Forgetting rate setup: Configure rates before tracking significant time. Incorrect rates create billing problems.
Migration is simple because you start fresh rather than recreating history. Begin tracking in Plutio, finish pending billing in the old tool, and move forward with connected time-to-invoice workflow.
