{"id":20540,"date":"2018-05-30T11:00:34","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T11:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/?p=20540"},"modified":"2024-04-24T11:29:37","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T10:29:37","slug":"6-free-time-tracking-apps-that-improve-your-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/6-free-time-tracking-apps-that-improve-your-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Free Time Tracking Apps that Improve Your Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Discover How the Best Time Tracking Apps Help You Work Better<\/h2>

Time management for freelancers: a serious subject for anyone striking out on their own.<\/p>

And can mean all the difference between spinning wheels or rising to the top of the industry.<\/p>

As a self-employed professional, no one pays you for your bathroom breaks, extended lunches, or messing around on Facebook. And getting lost in the freedom of an independent contractor will not do your business any favors.<\/em><\/p>

You only make your money when you actually streamline time into productive activities you can bill.<\/p>

Download this article as a PDF<\/a><\/h2>

Do You Know Where Your Time Actually Goes?<\/h2>

Because how you spend your work time on a daily basis…<\/p>

And how you THINK you spend your time…<\/p>

Are often two very different animals.<\/p>

Sure, you have a basic awareness of everything you’ve managed to get done during a specific time frame. But unless you\u2019re constantly focused on the clock or jotting down the numbers, it’s hard to have a realistic picture of how you allocate your time on each activity.<\/p>

These time tracking apps are designed to monitor the time you spend on individual tasks accurately and easily…<\/p>

So you can pinpoint where your productivity suffers and find low-hanging fruit for instant boosts in work performance.<\/p>

6 Best Time Tracking Apps for Freelancers to Boost Productivity<\/h2>

<\/p>

Fortunately, you don\u2019t have to spend a ton of money to get a good time-keeping app logging your computer usage.<\/p>

In fact, five of the apps in this list are 100% free.<\/p>

Free Time Tracking App #1: Harvest<\/h3>

This intuitive app is a dream come true for freelancers for several reasons.<\/p>

For starters, Harvest<\/a> has been around for over a decade already and is still going strong. So you can feel confident it won\u2019t just disappear overnight.<\/p>

Use the app to track multiple tasks within a project, even if each task is billed at a different rate.<\/p>

The best part, especially for newer freelancers still trying to gain ground, is that Harvest is free for one user – yes, forever.<\/p>

The only catch?<\/p>

The free version limits you to tracking time on only two projects.<\/p>

This won\u2019t be a problem if you only need to track time for one or two clients. But if you\u2019re juggling a variety of clients and a substantial workload around the clock, it may not be the ideal app unless you\u2019re willing to pay a little.<\/p>

Free Time Tracking App #2: Toggl<\/h3>

Want a powerful time tracking tool that doesn\u2019t come with much of a learning curve?<\/p>

Toggl<\/a> is a great choice for newbs.<\/p>

With their user-friendly interface, loads of integrations, and companion apps for desktop and mobile use, you get all your simple needs filled in a single app.<\/p>

Toggl\u2019s free version is a complete solution. Tag your entries to projects or groups and manage multiple clients on the same platform.<\/p>

It also allows you to create custom reports that look pretty nice.<\/p>

One of Toggl’s crowning features is a desktop app that almost makes time keeping automatic, allowing you to put it to use with much less thought compared to web-based or mobile time tracking apps.<\/p>

Toggl is free for up to five users, so it’s a pretty cost-effective time management solution for freelancers.<\/p>

Free Time Tracking App #3: Tracking Time<\/h3>

Widely used by freelancers and teams alike, Tracking Time<\/a> works quietly in the background.<\/p>

So you can focus more on your work and less on starting and stopping the timer as you go.<\/p>

Need to collaborate on team projects? The app is built to track cumulative time of all team members on a project.<\/p>

The Basic plan is free for teams up to three. That includes three active projects, 100 tasks, mobile and desktop apps, and popular integrations like Basecamp, Asana, Github, and more.<\/p>

Free Time Tracking App #4: TopTracker<\/h3>

This free time tracking solution was built specifically for freelancers by Toptal<\/a>, a freelance talent sourcing platform. They offer one of the more complex timekeeping suites, especially considering it\u2019s a no-cost app.<\/p>

The TopTracker app keeps a detailed tab on your activities and delivers in-depth progress reports for all your projects.<\/p>

You can set up the app to take screenshots at certain intervals and include them as activity reports to your clients. Nice!<\/p>

Hands down, this is one of the most comprehensive tracking and organizational tools for freelancers.<\/p>

And you can access every feature for as many users and projects as necessary 100% free of charge.<\/p>

Free Time Tracking App #5: RescueTime<\/h3>

RescueTime<\/a> is a time tracking app well-suited for freelancers who want to know how they\u2019re spending their hours but don\u2019t have to report the metrics to anyone.<\/p>

It\u2019s primarily used to help you gain a more realistic perspective of existing work habits. So you can work toward improving them.<\/p>

This app doesn\u2019t have all the bells and whistles that come with other timekeeping apps for freelancers.<\/p>

But that\u2019s one reason why it\u2019s a great choice. Simple functionality means less time and less distraction.<\/em><\/p>

RescueTime will send you a weekly report of findings, as well as a three-month history so you can view your habits over time and see if your productivity is improving.<\/p>

RescueTime Lite is free. Forever.<\/p>

Free Time Tracking App #6: FocusMe<\/h3>

FocusMe<\/a> is our own productivity software, a powerful anti-distraction app that blocks other apps and websites so you can force<\/span> yourself to focus.<\/p>

But that\u2019s not all it does.<\/span><\/p>

For starters, FocusMe includes a built-in Pomodoro timer, breaking your workday into intervals automatically.<\/p>

If you’re unfamiliar with Pomodoro, it’s a strategy of dividing work up into 25-minutes work blocks, interspersed by short breaks for a highly-productive work rhythm.<\/p>

You can also schedule break reminders within the app to help you remain energized and refreshed throughout your day.<\/p>

One of the most popular features is the automatic computer tracking.<\/h3>

Take one quick peek and discover how much time you spend on certain apps or websites, including Word, Facebook, or email.<\/p>

This data provides an easy-to-read breakdown of your time so you can spot opportunities for adjustment and optimization.<\/p>

Data-driven insights mean no longer making \u201cgut instinct\u201d decisions on how to improve your productivity.<\/p>

FocusMe for Windows or Mac is only free for 30 days.<\/p>

But if you have an Android device, you\u2019re in luck – the Android app is free forever!<\/em><\/p>

LEARN MORE ABOUT FOCUSME NOW<\/a><\/p>

FocusMe also offers team solutions for growing organizations. Learn more here.<\/a><\/p>

How to Put Your Time Tracking App to Good Use at Work<\/h2>

<\/p>

Time Tracking Apps Answer Some of the Most Common Freelance Questions:<\/h2>