Two free time tracking tools compared. Which one is right for freelancers who bill by the hour?
Clockify is the most popular free time tracker on the market, offering unlimited users and basic tracking at no cost. Hourly is a focused alternative built specifically for solo freelancers who bill by the hour. If you want a straightforward weekly timesheet with built-in revenue tracking and no learning curve, choose Hourly. If you need unlimited team members and extensive integrations, Clockify is a solid choice.
| Feature | Hourly | Clockify |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (Beta) | Free / $3.99-$11.99/user/mo |
| Built for | Solo freelancers | Teams & freelancers |
| Weekly timesheet | ✓ Core experience | ✓ Available |
| Hourly rates per project | ✓ Free | ✓ Free |
| Billable vs non-billable | ✓ Free | ✓ Free |
| Revenue tracking | ✓ Real-time dashboard | ✓ Via reports |
| Visual analytics | ✓ Bar & donut charts | ✓ Summary reports |
| PDF export | ✓ Monthly report | ✓ PDF & CSV |
| Desktop app (macOS) | ✓ Native | ✓ Desktop & mobile |
| Unlimited team members | Solo-focused | ✓ Free |
| Integrations | Focused on core features | ✓ 80+ integrations |
| Invoicing | Planned | Pro plan ($7.99/mo) |
| Interface complexity | ✓ Minimal, focused | Feature-rich, more menus |
| Planning mode | ✓ Built-in & free | Scheduling (Pro $7.99/mo) |
| Spreadsheet & card view | ✓ Both layouts | List view only |
| Monthly timesheet | ✓ Day & week summary | ✓ Available |
| Data hosting | EU (AWS, GDPR) | US-based servers |
Clockify's free plan is impressively generous: unlimited users, unlimited projects, and unlimited tracking. Where it gets restrictive is in advanced features. Invoicing requires the Pro plan ($7.99/user/month), approvals and scheduling need Standard ($5.49/user/month), and time-off tracking starts at Basic ($3.99/user/month).
Hourly is free during the Beta period with all features included. There are no paywalled tiers for billable rates, revenue calculations, or PDF reports. When paid plans launch, current Beta users receive a permanent discount.
Clockify serves a broad audience, from solo freelancers to enterprises. The interface reflects this with multiple views (timer, timesheet, calendar, kiosk), team dashboards, workspace settings, and extensive configuration options. For a single freelancer, much of this feels unnecessary.
Hourly is designed with one persona in mind: a freelancer who tracks hours for client projects. The interface has three tabs: Timesheet, Analytics, and Projects. No workspaces, no team settings, no kiosk mode. Just you, your projects, and your hours.
Clockify supports multiple tracking methods: a start/stop timer, manual time entry, timesheet mode, and even a kiosk for physical locations. It also offers idle detection and browser extensions that track time inside other apps.
Hourly focuses on the weekly timesheet. You see your entire week at a glance, use quick duration presets to log hours, and add descriptions for each entry. No timers to forget, no extensions to install. Open it once a day, log your work, done.
Clockify stores data on US-based servers. While it complies with GDPR, the data physically resides outside the EU. For European freelancers subject to strict client data requirements, this can be a consideration.
Hourly hosts all data on AWS infrastructure within the European Union. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with full GDPR compliance as standard.
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