You shouldn’t be locked out of a tracking system because it only works with certain operating systems, phones, or browser extensions. Plenty of freelancers may have similar computer-free tasks, and a good time tracker should be able to adapt to those occasions. Even though my job as a Wirecutter writer is mostly about working at a computer, I’m sometimes building standing desks, cutting up piles of cardboard boxes, donating goods to nonprofits, or doing other work tasks not involving a screen. But we made sure that our picks would still work for offline tasks, whether you time them with a phone app or post-fill a timesheet with the app. Most of the apps we tested are aimed at those who work from a computer-writing, designing, programming, Web-based tasks, and the like. And we focused on solo practitioners instead of teams.
By “freelancer,” we mean anyone who works for a client that is not their full-time employer, in nearly any field. We wanted to find the software that best allows someone to track their hours so they can then bill for them. We researched, interviewed, and tested for this guide with a freelancer’s mind-set.
