Jul 15, 2018 Check Out Cooking Timer (Free) 8. Category: Time Tracker for Freelancers. Timing is a wonderful time-tracking app for Mac. Compared to the competitors, Timing is automated when it comes to actions. You don’t have to press the Start or Stop buttons. Instead, Timing app will observe and analyze where you are spending most of your time. Clockify is a 100% free time tracker app for individuals and teams. It is available as a mobile app for iOS or Android, a desktop edition for Mac, Windows, and Linux, and a.
What do we mean by best? These are the top-rated free time tracking solutions in our directory.
How long will this task take? What’s the level of effort for this activity?
If you aren’t using time tracking software, it’s hard to accurately answer those questions. And estimating incorrectly can cost you valuable time and money. Luckily, you don’t have to break the bank to find a solution.
If you have a small team, are on a tight budget, and are willing to compromise on some premium features, then a free or freemium time tracking product may be right for you. (Freemium products are free versions of paid software that offer limited functionality, users seats, or both.)
In this article, we’re highlighting eight top-rated* free time tracking software options in Capterra’s directory, and each solution’s cost to upgrade.
Use this list to determine 1) if free software is the right solution for your organization, and 2) which free system is best for your needs.
What does “top-rated” mean? Each of the eight tools included in this piece have an above-average overall user rating compared to other products in the category and have a high number of reviews from project managers, specifically. You can find our full methodology here.
Products are presented alphabetically.
Jump to:
Avaza
Clockify
Freedcamp
Harvest
Hubstaff
MeisterTask
TimeCamp
Toggl
8 top-rated free time tracking software solutions for project managers
1. Avaza
Avaza is a cloud-based project management (PM) solution that offers time tracking alongside capabilities such as task management and resource management. Key time tracking features include a stopwatch timer, the ability to set flexible rates (e.g., per project, category, or user), differentiation between billable and non-billable hours, timesheet management, and invoicing for time logged on projects.
Avaza’s free plan includes access for one timesheet/expense user (among other user roles) as well as five active projects (unlimited archived projects), 10 customers, five invoices per month, 100 MB of storage, and email and chat support alongside an online knowledge base.
Paid plans include access for additional users/roles, additional active projects, unlimited customers, a higher volume of invoices per month, more storage, and priority support.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reviewers praise Avaza’s customer support and services (online knowledge base and video tutorials). | Reviewers note that Avaza’s social collaboration features aren’t as robust as other offerings. |
Cost to upgrade: When billed monthly—$9.95 per month, (Startup), $19.95 per month (Basic), $39.95 per month (Business).
Integrations:Avaza offers pre-built integrations with over 500 tools, including several other PM and productivity solutions (e.g., Trello, Slack).
Mobile apps:iOS, Android
Free Time Trackers For Mac Os
Highly rated by: In the past year, 87% of Avaza’s user reviews on Capterra came from individuals at small businesses. The largest number of reviews were from users in marketing and advertising, and the IT services industry.
Viewing a timesheet in Avaza (Source)
2. Clockify
Clockify is a time tracking solution designed for teams that can be deployed in the cloud or installed on Mac, Windows, or Linux OS. Key features include a stopwatch timer, the ability to set flexible rates (e.g., per project, category, or user), differentiate between billable and non-billable hours, and view user timesheets, in addition to reporting and analytics (track profitability and project progress).
Clockify’s free plan includes unlimited core functionality as well as unlimited users, unlimited projects, email support, and access to their online knowledge base.
Paid plans offer additional functionality such as branded reports, project templates, targets and reminders, and dedicated support.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reviewers praise Clockify’s simplicity and intuitive UI, stating that it’s very straightforward and easy to use. | Reviewers note that Clockify doesn’t include idle detection, which means they can forget to stop the timer, resulting in inaccurate timesheets. |
Cost to upgrade: When billed monthly—$9.99 per month (Plus), $29.99 per month (Premium), $450 per month (Server). Paid plans are sold on a flat price for the workspace, not per user.
Integrations:Clockify offers over 50 pre-built integrations with other web apps, including several PM products (e.g., Trello, Asana, Monday.com, Basecamp).
Mobile apps:iOS, Android
Highly rated by: In the past year, 86% of Clockify’s user reviews on Capterra came from individuals at small businesses. The largest number of reviews were from users in computer software, IT services, and the marketing and advertising industry.
Stopwatch timer in Clockify (Source)
3. Freedcamp
Freedcamp is a collaborative work management solution that can be deployed in the cloud or installed on Mac or Windows OS. It offers time tracking alongside other capabilities such as task management, bug tracking, and CRM. Key time tracking features include the ability to track time against different tasks and bill clients for time logged on projects.
Freedcamp’s free plan includes access for unlimited users, tasks, project workspaces, and storage, as well as standard support.
Paid plans include premium support and additional functionality such as reporting and analytics, CRM, and invoicing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reviewers praise how customizable Freedcamp is, stating that it’s easy to turn modules on and off according to their needs. | Several reviewers cite issues with Freedcamp’s mobile applications. |
Cost to upgrade: When billed monthly—$2.49 per user, per month (Minimalist), $4.99 per user, per month (Freelancer), $8.99 per user, per month (Business), $16.99 per user, per month (Enterprise). Discounts available with an annual subscription.
Integrations:Freedcamp offers over 1,500 integrations through Zapier to various products including Slack, G-suite, and PM tools such as Smartsheet and Monday.com.
Mobile apps:iOS, Android
Highly rated by: In the last year, 88% of Freedcamp’s reviews on Capterra came from individuals at small businesses. The largest number of reviews were from users in the marketing and advertising, IT services, and computer software industries.
Managing system in Freedcamp (Source)
4. Harvest
Harvest is a cloud-based time tracking tool designed for teams. Key features include a stopwatch timer, user timesheets, the ability to set flexible rates (e.g., per project, category, or user), differentiation between billable and non-billable hours, invoicing, dashboards for monitoring project progress, and reporting and analytics (e.g., resource capacity and profitability).
Harvest’s free plan includes one user, two projects, all core functionality, phone/email support, and an online help center.
Paid plans include more users and unlimited projects.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reviewers note that Harvest is easy to use and integrates with a variety of other business software solutions (e.g., accounting systems, payment processors, PM tools, etc.) | Several reviewers say that Harvest’s cost is a downside.(NOTE: At $12 per user per month, this is the most expensive free-to-paid upgrade on our list.) |
Cost to upgrade: When billed monthly—$12 per person, per month (Solo and Team)
Integrations:Harvest offers hundreds of pre-built integrations with various tools including several PM solutions (e.g., Asana, Basecamp, Smartsheet, Teamwork Projects, Trello).
Mobile apps:iOS, Android
Highly rated by: In the last year, 86% of Harvest’s reviews on Capterra came from individuals at small businesses. The largest number of reviews were from users in the marketing and advertising, design, and computer software industries.
Team overview in Harvest (Source)
5. Hubstaff
Hubstaff is an employee monitoring and time tracking solution that can be deployed in the cloud or installed on Mac or Windows OS. Key time tracking features include a stopwatch timer, user timesheets, idle/inactivity detection, ability to assign pay rates for users, and automatic time tracking via GPS and geofencing.
Hubstaff’s free plan includes access for one user, time tracking, activity levels (i.e., tracking activity rates based on mouse and keyboard use), random screen captures, limited payments, email support, and an online help center.
Paid plans include integrations, 24-hour support, and additional functionality such as mobile GPS tracking, payroll, and client and/or project budgets.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Several reviewers praise the accuracy of Hubstaff’s time tracking due to the product’s idle/inactivity warnings. | Preferences for a product’s user interface (UI) are subjective, but it’s a factor that can make or break and implementation. Several users state that Hubstaff’s UI is a pro and several state that it’s a con. The takeaway? If Hubstaff checks all your other boxes, involve end-users in the demo and get their opinions on the UI before you invest your time (and/or your money) in this tool. |
Cost to upgrade: When billed monthly—$5 per user, per month (Basic), $10 per user, per month (Premium), $20 per user, per month (Enterprise).
Integrations:Hubstaff offers hundreds of pre-built integrations with various business software, including many PM solutions (e.g., JIRA, LiquidPlanner, Mavenlink, Redbooth, Trello).
Mobile apps:iOS, Android
Highly rated by: In the last year, 96% of Hubstaff’s reviews on Capterra came from individuals at small businesses. The largest number of reviews were from users in the marketing and advertising, computer software, and IT services industries.
User report in Hubstaff (Source)
6. MeisterTask
MeisterTask is a visual work management solution that can be deployed in the cloud or installed on Mac or Windows OS. It offers time tracking alongside other capabilities such as task management and collaboration. Key time tracking features include a stopwatch timer, the ability to log time against tasks, and time reports (e.g., time logged per user, task, or project).
MeisterTask’s free plan includes unlimited users, tasks, time tracking, and storage, as well as limited integrations, email support, and online help documentation.
Paid plans include priority support, unlimited integrations, backups, and functionality such as reports, calendar view, and user roles/permissions.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reviewers praise the product’s simplicity and say it’s easy for new users to get up to speed. | Several reviewers note that MeisterTask’s free offering is limited, particularly when it comes to workflow automation (i.e., setting recurring tasks). |
Cost to upgrade: When paid annually— $8.25 per user, per month (Pro), $20.75 per user, per month (Business).
Integrations:MeisterTask offers several pre-built integrations with various business software solutions, including Slack and Microsoft Teams. Additionally, there are over 1,000 integrations available through Zapier, including PM solutions such as Asana, JIRA, and Trello.
Mobile apps:iOS, Android
Highly rated by: In the past year, 77% of MeisterTask’s reviews on Capterra came from individuals at small businesses. The largest number of reviews were from users in the computer software, IT services, and marketing and advertising industries.
Time tracking dashboard in MeisterTask (Source)
7. TimeCamp
TimeCamp is a cloud-based time tracking tool designed for freelancers and teams. Key features include a stopwatch timer, graphical timesheets, the ability to set flexible rates (e.g., per project, category, or user), differentiation between billable and non-billable hours, invoicing, reporting and analytics, and employee monitoring.
TimeCamp’s free plan includes access for one user, customer support (e.g., chat, online consultations, and a knowledge base), as well as basic time tracking features (e.g., stopwatch timer and graphical timesheets).
Paid plans offer integrations as well as more advanced features including billable time, project costs and budgeting, invoicing, reporting, and employee monitoring.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reviewers note that TimeCamp is intuitive and easy to use. | Several reviewers cite issues with TimeCamp’s reporting feature, wishing it was more flexible or easier to use (i.e., describing it as “clunky” or noting that it’s hard to print reports). |
Cost to upgrade: When billed monthly—$7 per user, per month (Basic), $10 per user, per month (Pro). Contact the vendor for enterprise pricing for teams with more than 100 users.
Integrations:TimeCamp offers dozens of pre-built integrations with PM tools including Active Collab, Click Up, Pivotal Tracker, and Target Process.
Mobile apps:iOS, Android
Highly rated by: In the past year, 62% of TimeCamp’s reviews on Capterra came from individuals at small businesses, 14% from medium, and 24% from large. The largest number of reviews were from users in IT services, computer software, and marketing and advertising.
Graphical timesheet in TimeCamp (Source)
8. Toggl
Toggl is a time tracking solution designed for freelancers and teams that can be deployed in the cloud or installed on Mac or Windows OS. Key features include a stopwatch timer, idle detection, the ability to set flexible rates (e.g., per project, category, or user), differentiation between billable and non-billable hours, reporting and analytics, and employee monitoring.
Free Time Tracking Software Mac
Toggl’s free plan includes access for up to five users, several integrations, and core features such as time tracking, user dashboards, and basic reports.
Paid plans include more integrations and advanced features such as time audits, ability to set billable rates, task management, and project time estimates.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reviewers praise Toggl’s integrations and the ease with which they can connect the time tracker to other business software. | Several reviewers say that Toggl’s price is a downside. NOTE: At $10 per user per month, this is the second most expensive free-to-paid upgrade on our list. |
Cost to upgrade: When billed monthly—$10 per user, per month (Starter), $20 per user, per month (Premium). Contact the vendor for enterprise pricing.
Integrations:Toggl offers pre-built integrations with over 100 tools, including several PM solutions such as Asana, Basecamp, Pivotal Tracker, Podio, and Redbooth.
Mobile apps:iOS, Android
Highly rated by: In the past year, 84% of Toggl’s reviews on Capterra came from individuals at small businesses. The largest number of reviews were from users in the marketing and advertising, computer software, and IT services industries.
Summary time report in Toggl (Source)
Want more?
To be included in this update, products had to meet our review minimum and have an above-average overall user rating compared to other products in the category (see our methodology section below). Additionally, products had to have a high number of reviews from project managers.
However, if you’re not concerned with your time tracking tool being reviewed by your peers, the following products met our review and rating minimums for this article, but not the job title requirement:
- AND CO (248 reviews, 4.9/5 stars)
- My Hours (21 reviews, 4.8/5 stars)
- Paymo (64 reviews, 4.5/5 stars)
Additionally, you can visit our time tracking directory and filter the list to show only products that meet various criteria (such as key features needed or number of users).
Want an affordable solution, but aren’t sure these products fit your needs? Check out our ranking of the Top 20 Most Affordable PM solutions.
Methodology
This article was updated Aug. 2, 2019. Products considered for this article had to:
- Offer a free, stand-alone version of the software (not a trial version of the software where you must purchase a product after a limited amount of time).
- Meet our time tracking market definition.
This definition states that “Time tracking software helps individuals, teams, and organizations across industries keep track of employee time spent on work efforts, i.e., the time spent on tasks/projects, job sites, shift work, client work, etc. These tools provide insight into level of effort, profitability, and employee habits ultimately helping improve user productivity as well as workload and job planning.”
Software that met the market definition also needed a minimum of 20 user-submitted reviews published between June 30, 2018 – June 30, 2019, and have an above-average overall user rating compared to other products in the category.
- “Top” free tools were rated at least 4.5/5 stars overall by users.
Lastly, our time tracking directory lists a variety of time tracking tools that reflect the multifaceted needs of buyers, i.e., tracking time for HR/payroll, construction, project management, legal etc. As such, to identify the best tools for project managers, we analyzed our reviews and chose tools that had a high number of reviews from project managers specifically.
Note: The content in this piece that provides opinions and points of view expressed by users does not represent the views of Capterra.
Looking for Project Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Project Management software solutions.
Whether you’re a professional or not, time is everything. It’s great that we now have timer apps that easily manage time. Recently, we had covered the best Apple Watch Timer Apps. Most of those apps offered a built-in tool for the timer. This time, however, we are focusing on timer apps for Mac in general. You will find options from categories like Task timer apps, Pomodoro Timer apps, Countdown timer apps, etc. We have also included Reminder timers and some time-tracker timers for freelancers.
Read: Top 10 Free macOS Apps to Boost Your Productivity
Best Timer Apps for Mac
1. Focus Booster
Category: Pomodoro Timer
focus booster is an incredibly simpler Pomodoro timer app for Mac. However, despite the simple interface, Focus Booster lets you customize things like the length of the session, break duration, etc. You can also sign in to an account and sync time-tracking data between your macOS, iPhone, and Android.
Nevertheless, we wished there was a menu-bar icon for the app. You will have to open the app to know how much time you have left. Also, Focus Booster does not let you add multiple tasks at once. On the bright side, you can have the better workflow, thanks to multi-platform apps.
The app is free, but it does come with some limitation, for instance, advanced analytics are web-only, and the limited number of sessions (20) in the free version
Overall, Focus Booster is the best choice if you need a simple Pomodoro timer with analytics. It’s useful when you have multiple clients and want to track time.
Check Out focus booster (Freemium, $2.99/month)
2. Pomotodo
Category: Pomodoro Timer
Pomotodo, as the name suggests, combines an excellent Pomodoro timer and a task-management list. You can add tasks to the simple interface and also start the Pomodoro timer. However, both these things aren’t integrated i.e. you cannot run the timer for a specific task.
However, when the timer is running, you can mark the tasks complete. Pomotodo has options like Analytics, Stats, Goals, and History. You can go to Preferences and customize the way this timer app works. In addition, Pomotodo also brings multi-device sync and a fully-fledged time management system.
Pomotodo is more than a simple Mac timer app. It offers ample options for time management as well as Pomodoro technique use.
Check Out Pomotodo (Free, Pro starts at $2.9/month)
3. WaitingList
Category: Countdown Timer
WaitingList does exactly what its name says. It lets you create amazing countdown timers that you can find in the menu bar. Just click on the WaitingList icon and there will be a list of things that you’re waiting for. As opposed to other apps, WaitingList prioritizes visual appeal over anything.
The point is that you can create eye-pleasing countdowns easily. WaitingList lets you choose the style as well as the background. You can also get reminders about an approaching event. Last but not the least, the app offers iCloud Sync feature as well.
WaitingList is an awesome choice when you need interactive timers and reminders. It’s a count-down app that makes your events look more exciting.
Check Out WaitingList ($4.99)
4. Timer for Mac
Category: Countdown Timer
Timer for Mac is a general timer app but works awesome for almost all needs. You can use this app to set a stopwatch timer, normal timer or alarms. It also offers a section named Clock, where you can see the current time.
In the free version, you can set reminders along with actions. It focuses on accuracy and ease of use, but an awesome set of features are also there. Going Pro, Timer for Mac can bring you full-screen mode, a better set of programmed actions, etc.
Timer for Mac does many jobs beautifully when you need to set a timer. That having said, you’d need the Pro version if you need some awesome features listed above.
Check Out Timer for Mac (Free, Pro at $29.95)
5. Time Out
Category: Reminder Timer
It’s very important to take frequent breaks — for your health and productivity. Time Out for Mac allows you to run a timer to remind you. When it’s time for the break, Time Out will show you a full-screen message on the Mac screen.
While setting up Time Out, you can decide the desired amount of breaks. You also get features like Micro Breaks and advanced scheduling. Customization is the key of this timer app. From the time to how take-a-break messages are shown, everything can be changed.
Overall, Time Out is the best companion for those who spend hours in front of the PC. It lets you take a break without compromising productivity. Don’t forget to come back on time, though.
Check Out Time Out (Free)
6. Stand for Mac
Category: Reminder Timer
Stand for Mac is a wonderful Mac timer app for all users. It reminds you to stand up once in a while. The app does not come with any bells or whistles. Instead, you can decide how often you want to be notified about standing up.
The idea of Stand for Mac is amazing indeed. The app does not have a fully-fledged window but Preferences are available from the icon menu. Stand for Mac also plays a sound when it’s time to stand up, but further customization isn’t available.
Pros: Extremely simple and straightforward, no complex set-ups
Cons: None
The Verdict: If you think you have an unhealthy lifestyle of sitting all the time, use Stand for Mac. It comes at no cost, which is great.
Check Out Stand for Mac (Free)
7. Cooking Timer
Category: Kitchen Timer
Cooking Timer is an awesome Mac timer app for chefs out there. It’s pretty simple to use if you’re into some BBQ events or some other cooking. Cooking Timer lets you run three timers at the same time. You can make use of them for different needs.
Coming to the timers, you can use them as Stopwatches or timers itself. In the latter case, choose the desired length from the menu. The single-tap technique makes it easy to manage the timers so that you can focus on what’s being prepared.
Cooking Timer is the simplest solution out there, for all the good reasons. You can use this timer without concerns when you want to focus on the cooking process.
Check Out Cooking Timer (Free)
8. Timing
Category: Time Tracker for Freelancers
Timing is a wonderful time-tracking app for Mac. Compared to the competitors, Timing is automated when it comes to actions. You don’t have to press the Start or Stop buttons. Instead, Timing app will observe and analyze where you are spending most of your time.
At the end of the day, Timing provides a proper report of time consumption. If you are a professional, you can use this data to create invoices and reports. The best part is that you can automate this process too. It’s going to let you set up some rules for report generation.
Timing for Mac is perhaps the best time-tracker for almost every freelancer. You cannot use the app for normal countdown or anything, but the time-tracking part is excellent.
Check Out Timing ($29 for Productivity, $49 for Professional and $79 for Expert)
9. Horo
Category: Time Tracker for Freelancers
Yet another extremely minimal timer app that won’t even make you feel its presence. No extra features than the exact job it needs to execute. The app is available on the macOS App Store and takes a few seconds to get installed. The app is so light on the system that even summoning Siri to know weather updates might take more space on the RAM.
Once installed, you’ll see the ‘hourglass’ shaped app icon on the menu bar. Click on the icon to reveal the tiny app interface wherein you just insert the time and press the play button. That’s it, the timer will start on the count-down display is visible on the menu bar.
The good part about the app is that you can continue with other tasks while the timer would still be visible on the menu bar. And even if you work in full screen it had you covered. It plays a tone upon finishing. You can even change the tone and set a timer creation shortcut in a premium version which doesn’t cost as much.
Download Horo (Free, $2 for full version)
Timer Apps for Mac
The 10 Mac timer apps we have covered are made for unique needs. As it happens, you cannot fulfill all your needs with a single app. For instance, hr, our pick for task management, would be less useful if you need to get reminders on time. In that case, you should go for something like Time Out. By the way, do let us know which tool do you use for timers and time-tracking.
Related: Quickest Ways to Set a Timer on your iPhone?