I sometimes wonder why I want to install yet another app, but the idea of having an online time tracker for billable work is starting to become a necessity.

Spreadsheets are ok for tracking certain things, but to be able to track my work across multiple devices is much more convenient. I don’t sit in one location for long, I often do work on mobile while out and about, and a mobile time tracker would be so helpful there.

Take yesterday. I had to take a kid to a rink for two activities with a long break in between. It was a lot of time to sit rink-side (or in the car which is where I went when I got cold) – I was able to catch up on both research and writing/editing some ongoing projects while waiting for the girl child to finish. But that time was not tracked anywhere, which is unfortunate.

By the time I headed to bed I wondered where my time has gone. What did I accomplish? Which projects need picking up tomorrow, which can wait a day? How many hours did spend completing yet another published piece?

It gets a little confusing when you have multiple creativity streams…

My memory isn’t bad, but it’s not good enough to keep track of all my multiple projects.

What is an online time tracker?

Online time trackers are apps that track your time working on a specific project, much like a stop watch would track a race you’re running. As soon as you begin a task, such as writing an article or designing a new piece of jewelry, you hit the start button and the clock begins to count your time.

I realize some project management apps do time tracking. I’m not on trello or related apps since I’m a sole proprietor and don’t work with a team.

Testing different time trackers

I came across Clockify, which is the one featured in the image above, from a Medium article. What hooked me was the word free. 🙂

I loaded it on mobile, then on laptop and will probably add it as an extension on my Firefox browser later.

But I’m curious. What time tracking apps work well for others?

I connected with a content creator in Europe and asked what she uses. She said she used Clockify in the past but preferred TimeMachine.

Which time tracker is best for you (and me)?

Well, the answer to that question is different for everyone. I have little knowledge and will have to try out a select few to see what speaks to me.

Have you used time trackers for your writing, for content creating, for artistic or creative projects?

If you’re tracking time as an individual, let me know what works, what your preferences are, and why you use that particular one down below in the comments.

Note: My main billable work currently is writing, publishing and jewelry design… I don’t rely on a team and don’t require a complicated app that tracks billable hours of collaborators (yet).

Thank you for reading! See you in the comments.