Harvest
Time Tracking
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Timesheet App for Freelancers

Harvest is the ideal timesheet app for freelancers, preventing up to a 70% loss in billable revenue by ensuring accurate time tracking and seamless invoicing.

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What should you charge per hour?

Most freelancers and consultants dramatically undercharge. This calculator accounts for what most people miss: non-billable time, taxes, and overhead.

$
Accounting for vacation, holidays, sick days
60%
Most freelancers can bill 50-70% of their time. The rest goes to admin, marketing, proposals, and learning.
$
Software, insurance, equipment, accounting, taxes beyond income tax, etc.
Your break-even rate $0
Recommended rate (+20% buffer) $0
Billable hours per week 0h
Equivalent daily rate $0

Start tracking your billable hours

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00

The Freelancer's Time Dilemma: Why Accurate Tracking Matters

For freelancers, accurate time tracking is crucial to prevent underbilling and disputes, which can lead to a significant 70% loss in potential billable revenue. Effective time management builds trust with clients by providing transparent records of hours worked. This transparency not only fosters client confidence but also ensures freelancers are compensated fairly for their efforts.

Beyond financial implications, precise time tracking offers insights into productivity patterns. By analyzing detailed reports, freelancers can identify periods of high productivity and pinpoint activities that drain their time. This understanding is essential for optimizing schedules, focusing on high-value tasks, and ultimately increasing overall project profitability.

Essential Features of a Freelance Timesheet App

When selecting a timesheet app, freelancers should prioritize a balance between automated and manual time tracking. Automated tracking, such as Harvest's one-click timers, provides convenience by ensuring every billable minute is captured without manual entry. This feature is vital for freelancers juggling multiple clients and projects.

Seamless invoicing and detailed reporting are other critical features. Harvest transforms tracked hours into professional invoices, simplifying the billing process and reducing administrative tasks. Additionally, customizable billable rates per project or client cater to different pricing models, ensuring accurate and fair invoicing.

Integration capabilities are also essential, allowing freelancers to connect with existing workflow tools like Asana and Trello. This integration streamlines project management, making it easier to handle diverse workloads effectively.

Choosing the Right App: A Practical Guide for Freelancers

Choosing the right timesheet app requires a clear understanding of individual needs and budget constraints. Freelancers should assess whether they need features like automated tracking, expense management, or specific integrations. Many apps, including Harvest, offer free trials, enabling users to evaluate their fit before committing financially.

The user experience is another critical factor. An intuitive interface encourages consistent use and minimizes the learning curve. Freelancers should also consider the scalability of the app as their business grows. For instance, Harvest's flexible pricing and feature-rich plans accommodate evolving needs, from basic tracking to advanced project management.

Maximizing Your App's Potential: Best Practices for Freelance Time Management

To fully leverage a timesheet app's capabilities, freelancers should cultivate consistent tracking habits. Regularly logging all work, whether billable or non-billable, provides comprehensive data for strategic decision-making. Harvest's detailed reports facilitate this by offering insights into billable vs. non-billable hours.

Utilizing advanced features like expense tracking and budgeting is also crucial. Harvest helps freelancers track project limits and sends budget alerts, preventing overspending. This proactive approach not only protects margins but also maintains client transparency through shared reports.

Harvest: Timesheet App for Freelancers

See how Harvest tracks billable hours and generates invoices, integrating with your favorite tools for a seamless workflow.

Screenshot of Harvest's timesheet app for freelancers

Timesheet App for Freelancers FAQs

  • Harvest is an excellent choice for freelancers, offering features like one-click time tracking, customizable billable rates, and seamless invoicing. Its integration capabilities with tools like Asana and Trello enhance workflow efficiency.

  • Harvest simplifies billable hour tracking with one-click start/stop timers and manual entry options. This ensures every minute is accounted for, reducing errors common in manual timesheet updates.

  • Yes, many timesheet apps, including Harvest, offer free trials. These plans often include core tracking features, while advanced functionalities may require a paid subscription.

  • Essential features include automated time tracking, invoicing capabilities, detailed reporting, project and client management, and integration with other tools. Harvest offers all these to streamline freelancer workflows.

  • Yes, Harvest integrates with popular project management tools such as Asana and Trello. This connection streamlines workflow by linking time tracking directly to project tasks.

  • Timesheet apps like Harvest automate the conversion of tracked hours into professional invoices. This reduces administrative time and ensures accurate billing, crucial for freelance businesses.

  • Timesheet apps reduce administrative tasks, with reports suggesting it takes 7 minutes per timecard to calculate manually. Automation saves time, allowing freelancers to focus on billable work.

  • Yes, Harvest provides detailed reports that differentiate between billable and non-billable hours. This feature helps freelancers maximize profitability and make informed business decisions.