🕒 Introduction
As a freelancer, your time literally equals money — but how well are you actually tracking it?
Whether you bill hourly, manage multiple clients, or just want to see where your day goes, a good time-tracking tool can help you:
- Stay focused
- Track billable hours accurately
- Boost productivity
- Justify invoices (when clients ask for proof)
Here are the best free and paid time-tracking apps for UK freelancers in 2025.
✅ Best Time-Tracking Apps for Freelancers
🔹 1. Toggl Track
- 🧠 Extremely user-friendly
- Track by client, task, or project
- Auto-timer, idle detection, reporting
- Free for solo users
- 👉 Try Toggl Track
🔹 2. Clockify
- 🕒 100% free forever (even for teams)
- Timer, timesheet, and calendar views
- Integrates with Trello, Asana, etc.
- Ideal for freelancers who juggle clients
- 👉 Use Clockify
🔹 3. Harvest
- 💷 Designed for freelancers and agencies
- Time tracking + invoicing + expense tracking
- Free for 1 user & 2 projects
- Good upgrade path if you grow
- 👉 Try Harvest
🔹 4. Bonsai (Freelance Platform)
- ⏱️ Includes time tracking as part of all-in-one freelancer suite
- Ties directly into invoicing & contracts
- Not free long-term, but very polished
- 👉 Explore Bonsai
🔹 5. RescueTime (For Focus)
- 🧘 Tracks what you do on your computer, not just your tasks
- Ideal for improving focus and cutting distractions
- Not for billing — more for productivity insights
- Free and paid versions available
- 👉 Use RescueTime
⚖️ Comparison Table
| Apps | Free Plan | Ideal For | Bonus Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl | ✅ Yes | Most freelancers | Reports, idle detection |
| Clockify | ✅ Yes | Multitaskers, remote | Unlimited users/projects |
| Harvest | ✅ Limited | Freelancers w/ clients | Invoicing & expenses |
| Bonsai | ⚠️ Trial | Freelancers (all-in-one) | Contracts + CRM |
| RescueTime | ✅ Yes | Focus + productivity | Website/app tracking |
🔁 Related Tools
If you’re tracking time, pair it with:
❓ FAQs
Q: What’s the best time tracker for hourly billing?
Toggl or Harvest — both let you log time per project/client and generate reports.
Q: Can I use these to create invoices?
Yes — Harvest and Bonsai offer built-in invoicing. Clockify has integrations.
Q: Do I need a time-tracker if I bill per project?
Still helpful! It shows how profitable each project is and keeps you focused.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Time is your most limited resource as a freelancer. A simple time-tracking app can help you:
- Stay accountable
- Know your worth
- Charge accurately
Start with a free tool like Toggl or Clockify, and upgrade if your workflow grows.