Imagine this: you are a freelance consultant and on Friday afternoon you had three client calls, wrote a proposal, and spent an hour on admin. By Monday, you no longer remember the exact details. That half hour you spent quickly fixing something for a client — did you log it anywhere?
For freelancers, one rule applies: hours you do not record, you do not invoice. And hours you cannot account for do not count towards your self-employment tax deduction. A good time tracking app solves this — but which one fits your way of working best?
What makes an app suitable for freelancers and small teams?
An app you use every day beats a feature-rich tool you never open. Look for:
- Speed of entry: can you log an hour in under ten seconds?
- Mobile app: does it work smoothly on your phone, even without internet?
- Project linking: can you immediately indicate which client or project you worked on?
- Hour export: can you export a summary for tax authorities or your own records?
- Invoicing: do your hours flow automatically into an invoice, or do you have to transfer them manually?
1. PrikKlokPlus — for freelancers who want to grow
PrikKlokPlus starts free for one user and scales as you add team members. As a freelancer you log hours via the calendar view, link them to a project, and generate a Dutch invoice with VAT directly. The annual overview can be exported as evidence for the hours criterion.
Strongest points for freelancers:
- Free for 1 user, forever
- Calendar view per day, week, or month
- Direct link from hours to invoice, including VAT
- Hour export for tax administration
- When your team grows: approval workflow, Scrum, and Gantt included — no need to switch tools
Less strong: the mobile app is a web application, not a native iOS/Android app.
Start free as a freelancer — no payment required
2. Toggl Track — the fastest timer
Toggl Track is built around one principle: start a timer as fast as possible. The interface is minimal, the browser extension starts a timer with one click, and the app syncs instantly. For freelancers who work in sessions and want to track quickly, Toggl Track is an excellent choice.
Strongest points for freelancers:
- One click = timer started, including from the browser
- Solid mobile app (iOS and Android)
- Free for up to 5 users
- Clear weekly reporting
Less strong: no built-in invoice module and no VAT support. You need to transfer hours manually to your accounting package.
3. Clockify — free with no user limit
Clockify is the only tool in this overview with a completely free plan without a user limit. For small teams that want to track hours without paying, that is a strong argument. The app is available on virtually every platform.
Strongest points for freelancers and small teams:
- Completely free for unlimited users and projects
- Available as app, browser extension, and desktop client
- Timer and manual entry
Less strong: English-only interface. No invoice module with local VAT support. Approval workflows are limited to paid plans.
4. TimeChimp — with mileage tracking
TimeChimp is a Dutch tool that supports mileage registration and expense claims in addition to time tracking. This is relevant for freelancers who regularly travel to clients and want to bill or deduct travel costs.
Strongest points for freelancers:
- Fully in Dutch
- Built-in mileage registration
- Dutch invoices with VAT
- Integration with Exact Online
Less strong: no Scrum board or Gantt view. The free version is limited in features.
5. Harvest — when invoicing is central
Harvest focuses on freelancers and agencies where the invoice is the endpoint of every project. Budget monitoring per project is strong: you can see immediately when you are at risk of exceeding the quoted hours.
Strongest points for freelancers:
- Budget warnings per project
- Direct invoice module with payment link
- Integration with Stripe and PayPal
Less strong: English-only, no local VAT rules, no free plan, and relatively expensive compared to the other options in this overview.
Practical tips: how to make it stick
The best app is the one you actually use every day. A few habits that help:
- Log immediately after each session — not at the end of the day, but right after you finish a task or call.
- Create one project per client — so you do not have to reconstruct later which hours belonged to whom.
- Close the week deliberately — every Friday check that all hours are entered before you log off.
- Export monthly — save a monthly summary in your admin folder. Useful in case of a tax audit.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to track hours as a freelancer for the tax authority?
There is no general legal obligation for freelancers to register hours daily. However, if you want to claim the self-employment deduction, you must demonstrate that you spend at least 1,225 hours per year on your business. Reliable time records are virtually essential for this. Consult a tax adviser for your specific situation.
What is the best free time tracking app for freelancers?
Clockify is completely free without a user limit, but has no local invoice module. PrikKlokPlus is free for one user and does generate invoices with VAT — for freelancers who invoice, that is an important difference.
Can I track hours on my phone?
All tools in this overview have a mobile app or a responsive web application. Toggl Track and Clockify have the most comprehensive native mobile apps. PrikKlokPlus works via the mobile browser and is optimised for use on the go.