Comparison
The 8 Best Time Tracking Apps for Freelancers on a Mac in 2026
Timing is the best pick for Mac freelancers who bill by the hour: it records your work automatically and tracks billing status, from $9 a month billed annually. Harvest wins if you want invoices sent from the same app, with a free plan for 1 seat and 2 projects. Dayflow, our free open-source app, wins when you need to know where the week went, not to invoice it.
If you freelance on a Mac, your time tracker has two jobs that are easy to confuse. The first is billing: turning hours into line items a client will accept and pay. The second is memory: knowing where the week actually went. Memory matters just as much on fixed-fee work, where the risk is scope creep you never noticed. Most Mac time trackers are built for one of these jobs and do less for the other. This ranking is for solo designers, developers, writers and consultants who need to decide which job comes first.
Disclosure: Dayflow is our product, and it ranks fourth here. It records your screen at one frame every 10 seconds and has AI write the day into a timeline. That makes it strong at the memory job, and it costs $0. It does not win the two criteria that matter most when you bill by the hour: billing and invoicing, and client-ready reports. Dayflow has no invoicing and no team reports. Timing wins billing on a Mac (Timing vs Dayflow), and Harvest wins invoicing.
Quick comparison
The top four are Timing, Harvest, Toggl (formerly Toggl Track) (how Toggl compares on a Mac) and Dayflow.
| Tool | Best for | How it tracks | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing | Billable hours recorded automatically on a Mac | Automatic record of apps, websites and documents, plus manual entries | Professional $9/month billed annually, or $11 billed monthly |
| Harvest | Invoicing clients from tracked time | One-click timers, timesheets, connected calendar | Free for 1 seat and 2 projects; Teams $9 per seat/month billed annually |
| Toggl | Billable rates, with room to add collaborators | Timers, timesheets, calendar; desktop app lists background tracking | Free for up to 3 users; Starter $9 per user/month billed annually |
| Dayflow | Knowing where the week went | One screen frame every 10 seconds, AI-written timeline | $0 (MIT); optional Pro $20/month |
Quick picks by use case
Best overall for billing hours on a Mac: Timing. It records your work without a timer and tracks billing status on top of that record. Professional costs $9 a month billed annually or $11 billed monthly, and the 30-day trial needs no credit card.
Best for invoicing: Harvest. The free plan includes time tracking, invoicing and expenses for 1 seat and 2 projects at $0. Past two projects, Teams costs $9 per seat per month billed annually ($108 a year) or $11 billed monthly.
Best free tracker with an upgrade path: Clockify. It is free for up to 5 users, and the free plan includes the desktop auto tracker. Invoicing starts on Standard at $5.49 per seat per month billed annually or $6.99 billed monthly. We cover it in more detail in Clockify on a Mac.
Best for knowing where the week went: Dayflow. It is $0 and open source. Pro costs $20 a month if you want Dayflow to handle the cloud analysis.
Best one-time purchase: Timemator. The Mac app is $39 once for 2 devices, with hourly rates and revenue on billable hours.
Best if you already subcontract a little: Toggl. The free plan covers up to 3 users, but billable rates need a paid plan. Starter costs $9 per user per month billed annually or $12 billed monthly.
How we compared them
The weights reflect a freelancer whose income depends on getting hours, or at least scope, right.
- Billing and invoicing (25%). Tools score high if they attach rates to time and get it onto an invoice, either built in or through a named integration. Tools with no billing path score low.
- Capture completeness (25%). A high score means time gets recorded even when you forget to start a timer. A low score means a missed timer is a missed hour.
- Cost for one person (15%). A usable free plan or a low one-time price scores high. Subscription-only pricing aimed at teams scores low.
- Client-ready reports and exports (15%). Reports or exports a client or accountant can read score high. Data that only you can interpret scores low.
- Privacy and data location (10%). Data kept on the Mac by default scores high. Cloud-only storage with no stated location scores low.
- Mac fit (10%). Native Apple apps built around how you work on a Mac score high. Web-first tools where the Mac is one client among many score lower.
Everything here was compared from each vendor’s own pricing and product pages on October 4, 2026, and from Dayflow’s published product facts. No benchmark was run, and the scores are judgments against the weights above.
The 8 best time tracking apps for freelancers on a Mac, ranked
1. Timing
Timing is a Mac-only tracker that records your work automatically and then helps you turn that record into billable time. It logs time across apps, websites and documents, down to specific URLs and Mail threads. It also takes manual entries and lists iOS activity import and call tracking.
For a freelancer, the useful part comes after capture. You get billing status tracking, customizable reports with rounding, and AI-powered suggestions for time entries. AI activity summaries and an MCP integration are included on all plans. Depending on plan, Timing also offers two-way sync with ClickUp, Linear and Clio, a GrandTotal invoicing integration, scripting, a Web API and Zapier. The vendor says tracked times are stored locally and never leave your Mac unless you opt into sync.
Price: Professional is $9 a month billed annually or $11 billed monthly. Expert is $11 billed annually or $14 billed monthly. Connect is $16 per user per month billed annually or $20 billed monthly. There is a 30-day trial with no credit card.
The limits: there is no free tier and it runs only on a Mac. Professional covers one Mac and has limited web app access. The invoicing route the vendor lists is the GrandTotal integration, which depends on your plan.
Pick it if you bill by the hour, work only on a Mac, and want hours recorded whether or not you remembered to start a timer.
2. Harvest
Harvest is a web-based time tracker with invoicing, expenses and accounting connections built around it. You capture time with one-click timers, daily and weekly timesheets, or entries from a connected calendar. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and browser extensions.
Harvest gives a freelancer the shortest path from hours to payment. You get invoices generated from tracked time, online payments, expense tracking, and accounting integrations such as QuickBooks and Xero. The free plan is useful for a solo freelancer: $0 forever for 1 seat and 2 projects, with time tracking, invoicing and expenses included.
Price: the Free plan is $0. Teams is $9 per seat per month billed annually ($108 per seat) or $11 billed monthly. Enterprise is $14 per seat per month billed annually ($168) or $17.50 billed monthly. Enterprise Plus has custom pricing. There is a 30-day trial with no credit card.
The limits: Harvest lists no automatic activity capture and no AI features. A timer you forgot to start is time you have to reconstruct from memory. Two projects fill up quickly if you set up each client as its own project. The site footer now names Bending Spoons as the company behind it.
Pick it if invoicing is the main job and you are disciplined about timers, or if you pair it with an automatic record.
3. Toggl (formerly Toggl Track)
Toggl is the renamed Toggl Track. It is now presented as one product that combines time tracking with planning. Capture is mostly manual and real-time timers, timesheets and calendar integrations, and the vendor also lists automated background tracking and a timeline in the desktop app. Toggl states that it does not take screenshots or record keystrokes, which helps if a client asks.
Freelancers get billable rates and reports, project planning with timelines, tasks and capacity, and Toggl AI for asking plain-language questions about workspace data. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and browser extensions, and your data lives in Toggl’s cloud.
Price: the Free plan covers up to 3 users. Starter is $9 per user per month billed annually or $12 billed monthly. Premium is $16 billed annually or $24 billed monthly and adds timesheet approvals and profitability reports. Enterprise requires contacting the vendor. Paid plans have a 30-day trial.
The limits: billable rates need a paid plan, so the free tier is a timer rather than a billing tool. Toggl is still mainly timer and manual entry, not a full automatic record. Its plan pages emphasize billing and profitability data more than sending invoices, so confirm on Toggl’s pricing page if you need invoices from the same app.
Pick it if you work with a subcontractor or two and want rates, reports and planning in one cloud workspace.
4. Dayflow
Dayflow is our free, open-source Mac app. It records your screen at one frame every 10 seconds and has AI write the day into a readable timeline, so there is no timer to start. Recordings and the timeline are stored on your Mac.
You choose how the AI step runs. Local AI runs a supported model through Ollama or LM Studio, so screenshot analysis stays on-device. Your own provider receives selected screenshots under its own terms. Dayflow Pro manages cloud analysis, deletes screenshots after processing and may keep activity data for sync. The details are on our local and cloud processing page.
For a freelancer, Dayflow answers questions like “what did I actually do for this client on Tuesday?” It also shows where a fixed-fee project’s hours went. You can export a date range as Markdown from Settings → Export and use it as the source for a timesheet.
Price: $0 under the MIT license, on macOS 14 or later. Pro is optional at $20 a month.
The limits: Dayflow has no invoices, no team reports and no payroll approvals. Turning the timeline into billable entries is up to you. AI summaries can miss or misinterpret work, so check them before anything goes to a client.
Pick it if you need to know where the week went, or want a free record behind hours you bill in another tool.
5. Clockify
Clockify, part of CAKE.com, is a timer-first tracker with the most generous free plan in this list. You can log time by timer, timesheet, calendar or kiosk, and the desktop app includes an auto tracker. Activity monitoring is a Pro feature. Clockify runs on the web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and browser extensions.
The Free plan covers up to 5 users with unlimited tracking, timer, timesheet, auto tracker, calendar, reports and apps. Invoicing and approvals start on Standard. Pro adds scheduling, forecasting, expenses and GPS tracking. You can host your data in the EU (Germany), the UK, the USA or Australia, which some client contracts care about.
Price: Free is $0. Basic is $3.99 per seat per month billed annually or $4.99 billed monthly. Standard is $5.49 or $6.99, Pro is $7.99 or $9.99, and Enterprise is $11.99 or $14.99. The CAKE.com Bundle is $12.99 or $15.99. The trial gives you 7 days of Pro features with no credit card.
The limits: invoicing needs a paid plan, tracking is mainly timer and timesheet based, and no AI features are listed. Much of the feature list targets teams, attendance and payroll, which a solo freelancer will mostly ignore.
Pick it if you want the cheapest route to invoicing from tracked time, at $5.49 a seat a month billed annually.
6. Timemator
Timemator is a Mac time tracker sold as a one-time purchase, with rule-based auto-tracking. Rules start and stop timers based on the app, file or project you have open. A traditional manual timer and an activity timeline are also available on the Mac.
Freelancers get billable hours with hourly rates and revenue, plus CSV import and export for invoicing. Apps for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch let you start a timer away from your desk. The vendor states that private data stays on your device, with iCloud sync across devices and automatic backups.
Price: Timemator for Mac is a $39 one-time payment for 2 devices. Timemator for iOS is a separate $7.99 one-time purchase. There is a 30-day trial, and the app is also available through Setapp.
The limits: it works only on Apple platforms, lists no AI features, and sells the Mac and iOS apps separately. Invoices come from a CSV export rather than built-in invoicing. Rules only cover work you have set them up for, so a new client means writing new rules.
Pick it if you dislike subscriptions and want rates and revenue in a native Apple app.
7. Memtime
Memtime is an automatic tracker built to feed other billing systems. It records time in every program, document, email, call, meeting and browser tab, and shows it as a timeline. You then turn that timeline into time entries. The vendor states that automatically recorded activity data is stored only on your device and is not uploaded to a server. It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. Our Memtime comparison goes into more detail.
For a freelancer who already invoices from another system, the Connect plan syncs time entries to more than 100 project and billing tools. Premium adds call system integrations along with SSO, SAML and SCIM. Built-in project management and custom reports are also listed.
Price: Basic is $14 per user per month billed annually, $18 billed quarterly or $12 billed every 2 years. Connect is $21, $26 or $18 on the same terms. Premium is $29, $35 or $23. Enterprise is custom for 50+ seats. There is no monthly billing option. The 14-day trial needs no payment information and does not convert to a subscription.
The limits: Memtime is the most expensive option here and has no free tier. There is no mobile app, integrations start at Connect, and no AI features are listed.
Pick it if you bill through another tool, also work on Windows or Linux, and want the activity record kept on the device.
8. Tyme
Tyme is a timer app for Apple devices with a team mode. You start and stop timers manually from the app, from shortcuts or from an Apple Watch. It also offers location-based clock in and out using geofences, with automatic break recording.
Freelancers get expense and mileage tracking, plus invoicing plugins for GrandTotal, Lexware and sevdesk. A Tyme MCP Server is listed for connecting AI assistants, but no built-in AI features are described. It runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with a web version in beta. The vendor says plans keep all your devices in sync but does not describe the sync backend.
Price: the Annual plan is $4.99 a month per user, paid as $59.99 a year. The Monthly plan is $6.99 a month per user. There is a 14-day trial.
The limits: Tyme lists no automatic app or window capture, works only on Apple platforms and has no free tier. Where your data is stored is not stated.
Pick it if you work at client sites or a studio and want clock-in to happen when you arrive.
Full comparison table
| Tool | Price | Automatic capture | AI summaries | Where data lives | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timing | From $9/month billed annually | Yes: apps, websites, documents | Yes, AI activity summaries | On your Mac, optional sync | No | Mac |
| Harvest | Free (1 seat, 2 projects); Teams $9 per seat/month billed annually | None listed | None listed | Cloud | No | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, browser extensions |
| Toggl | Free (up to 3 users); Starter $9 per user/month billed annually | Background tracking listed in desktop app | Toggl AI answers questions about workspace data | Cloud | No | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, browser extensions |
| Dayflow | $0; optional Pro $20/month | Yes: one screen frame every 10 seconds | Yes, AI-written timeline | Recordings and timeline on your Mac; analysis local or cloud by mode | Yes, MIT | Mac (macOS 14+) |
| Clockify | Free (up to 5 users); Basic $3.99 per seat/month billed annually | Auto tracker in desktop app | None listed | Cloud, hosted in EU, UK, US or Australia | No | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extensions |
| Timemator | $39 one-time (Mac, 2 devices) | Rule-based auto-tracking | None listed | On device, iCloud sync | No | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Memtime | Basic $14 per user/month billed annually ($12 billed 2-yearly) | Yes: programs, documents, email, calls, meetings, tabs | None listed | On device only | No | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Tyme | $4.99 per user/month billed annually ($59.99), or $6.99 billed monthly | None listed (geofence clock-in) | None built in; MCP server | Synced, backend not stated | No | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, web (beta) |
Do you need a timer to bill by the hour?
Not strictly. A client needs entries with a date, a project, a duration and a short description. A timer produces those directly, but only while it is running. An automatic tracker records everything, and you build the entries from that record.
The vendors handle that second step differently. Memtime says outright that you turn its timeline into time entries. Timing adds AI suggestions for entries and report rounding. Timemator uses rules to start real timers for you. Dayflow gives you a written timeline that you read and convert by hand.
The trade-off is simple. Timers are precise when you use them and blind when you forget. An automatic record is complete but needs a review pass before it becomes billable. A practical habit is one review a week: open the record, write the entries and send the invoice. Our guide to a Mac timesheet without manual entry walks through that routine, and what an automatic time tracker is explains the different capture methods.
If you already bill reliably from timers, adding an automatic record mostly protects you against the afternoons you forgot. If you often find gaps in your week, start with the record and add the billing tool second.
What if you bill a fixed fee instead of hours?
Then the invoice amount is settled before you start, and the real question is whether the project was worth it. That is the memory job. A timeline per day shows how many afternoons went to “one small change”, which is the evidence you need when you price the next project or push back on scope.
This is where Dayflow fits best for freelancers. You get a record of the work without tagging every task, a Markdown export for any date range, and a draft you can turn into a client update using the weekly status report template. If your problem is reconstructing a month of work for a retrospective, remember what you worked on covers the workflow.
One caution for client work: a screen record can capture confidential material. With Dayflow’s Local AI mode, screenshot analysis stays on your Mac. If a contract forbids screen capture outright, use a timer tool such as Harvest or Tyme instead. Toggl also states that it takes no screenshots.
Where Dayflow is the wrong pick
- You need to send invoices. Dayflow has none. Harvest invoices from tracked time and accepts online payments, even on its $0 plan for 1 seat and 2 projects.
- You want billable hours captured automatically on a Mac. Timing records your activity and adds billing status, report rounding and entry suggestions. That is the job Dayflow leaves to you.
- You also work on Windows or Linux. Dayflow is Mac only. Clockify runs on Windows and Linux too, and Memtime runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.
- You track time away from the desk. Dayflow records only your Mac’s screen. Tyme handles geofence clock-ins and Apple Watch timers, and Timemator has iPhone, iPad and Watch apps.
- You manage subcontractors. Dayflow has no team reports. Toggl and Clockify both offer team reporting and free plans for small groups.
- Your client contract rules out screen capture. Use a timer-based tool like Harvest.
- Your Mac is short on resources and you want everything local. Local AI needs your own hardware to run the model. If that is a problem, a timer tool asks far less of your Mac.
How much do they cost?
| Tool | Plan | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Professional / Expert / Connect | $9 / $11 / $16 per user per month billed annually; $11 / $14 / $20 billed monthly |
| Harvest | Free / Teams / Enterprise / Enterprise Plus | $0 (1 seat, 2 projects) / $9 per seat/month billed annually or $11 monthly / $14 billed annually or $17.50 monthly / custom |
| Toggl | Free / Starter / Premium / Enterprise | $0 (up to 3 users) / $9 per user/month billed annually or $12 monthly / $16 billed annually or $24 monthly / contact vendor |
| Dayflow | Free / Pro | $0 / $20 per month |
| Clockify | Free / Basic / Standard / Pro / Enterprise / CAKE.com Bundle | $0 (up to 5 users) / $3.99 / $5.49 / $7.99 / $11.99 / $12.99 per seat/month billed annually; $4.99 / $6.99 / $9.99 / $14.99 / $15.99 billed monthly |
| Timemator | Mac / iOS | $39 one-time (2 devices) / $7.99 one-time |
| Memtime | Basic / Connect / Premium / Enterprise | $14 / $21 / $29 per user/month billed annually; $18 / $26 / $35 quarterly; $12 / $18 / $23 billed 2-yearly; Enterprise custom (50+ seats) |
| Tyme | Annual / Monthly | $4.99 per user/month ($59.99 per year) / $6.99 per user/month |
The cheapest sensible setup for a solo freelancer who bills hourly is Harvest Free for invoices plus Dayflow at $0 as the record behind them. That costs nothing until you need more than two projects. If you would rather pay once, Timemator at $39 covers rates and revenue on a Mac, with invoicing done through its CSV export. Dayflow’s plans are on the pricing page.
The bottom line
If you bill by the hour and work only on a Mac, pick Timing: it records the work and handles the billing side from $9 a month billed annually. If invoicing is the main job, Harvest’s free plan does it at $0 for two projects, and Clockify Standard does it from $5.49 a seat. If you hate subscriptions, Timemator costs $39 once. If you mainly need to know where the week went, Dayflow is free and sits well alongside whichever billing tool you choose.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time tracking app for freelancers on a Mac?
For most Mac freelancers who bill by the hour, Timing is the best fit. It records apps, websites and documents automatically, tracks billing status and starts at $9 a month billed annually. Harvest is better if you want to invoice from the same app, and its free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects. Dayflow is the free choice if you mainly need to know where your week went.
Is Dayflow better than Timing for billable hours?
No. Timing beats Dayflow for billable hours. Timing has billing status tracking, report rounding, AI suggestions for time entries and, depending on plan, a GrandTotal invoicing integration, from $9 a month billed annually. Dayflow has no invoicing and leaves it to you to turn its timeline into billable entries. Dayflow is the better pick only if a $0 price, open source code or a written record of the day matters more than billing.
Is there a free time tracker with invoicing for freelancers?
Harvest's free plan costs $0 forever for 1 seat and 2 projects. It includes time tracking, invoicing and expense tracking, which covers a solo freelancer with two active clients set up as projects. Clockify's free plan allows up to 5 users, but invoicing there starts on the Standard plan at $5.49 per seat per month billed annually, or $6.99 billed monthly.
Which Mac time trackers record time automatically?
Timing, Memtime and Dayflow record your activity without a timer. Timing logs apps, websites and documents. Memtime logs programs, documents, email, calls, meetings and browser tabs into a timeline. Dayflow captures one screen frame every 10 seconds and has AI write a timeline. Timemator uses rules to start timers by app or file, and Clockify and Toggl list auto or background tracking in their desktop apps.
Is there a time tracker for Mac with a one-time price?
Timemator for Mac is a $39 one-time payment that covers 2 devices. It offers rule-based auto-tracking, billable hours with hourly rates and revenue, and CSV export for invoicing. The iOS app is a separate $7.99 one-time purchase, and there is a 30-day trial. Dayflow is also free with no subscription required, but it has no invoicing or hourly rates for billing.
Which time trackers keep my data on my Mac?
Timing says tracked times stay on your Mac unless you opt into sync. Memtime says recorded activity data is stored only on your device. Timemator keeps private data on the device, with optional iCloud sync. Dayflow stores recordings and its timeline on your Mac, and its Local AI mode keeps screenshot analysis on-device. Harvest, Toggl and Clockify are cloud services.
Can I use Dayflow with Harvest or another invoicing tool?
Yes, as two separate tools. Dayflow keeps a timeline of what you did, and you can export a date range as Markdown from Settings → Export. You then enter your hours in Harvest, Clockify or another billing tool and send the invoice from there. Dayflow has no invoicing of its own, so the billing tool handles rates, invoices and payments.
What happened to Toggl Track?
Toggl Track is now presented simply as Toggl, a product that combines time tracking with planning, and toggl.com/track redirects to toggl.com. The vendor describes Toggl Track and Toggl Plan as legacy products that are still available to existing users. The Free plan covers up to 3 users, and Starter costs $9 per user per month billed annually or $12 billed monthly.
What is the cheapest paid time tracker for a solo freelancer on Mac?
Among these tools, Clockify Basic is the lowest subscription at $3.99 per seat per month billed annually, though invoicing starts on Standard at $5.49. Tyme costs $4.99 a month, billed as $59.99 a year. Timemator is $39 once. The free options are Harvest for 1 seat and 2 projects, Clockify for up to 5 users, Toggl for up to 3 users, and Dayflow at $0.
Is it safe to record my screen while doing client work?
That depends on where the analysis happens and what your contracts allow. Dayflow stores recordings on your Mac, and Local AI keeps screenshot analysis on-device. Your own cloud provider or Dayflow Pro processes selected screenshots off-device. If a client forbids screen capture, use a timer tool such as Harvest or Tyme. Toggl states that it does not take screenshots.
See where your day actually went
Dayflow is $0 and open source. Full recordings stay on your Mac, with local AI available for on-device analysis.
Download for MacOS macOS 14+ · MIT licensed · no account required