Time tracking and invoicing software for freelancers (2026)

If you bill by the hour, the tool that matters is the one that gets tracked time onto an invoice without retyping. Here is how Harvest, Toggl Track, Clockify, FreshBooks and Hourledge handle that, using only what each company publishes today.

Last updated November 3, 2026

What freelancers actually ask for

In a May 2026 r/freelance thread asking for “a simple time tracking by client/project and then invoicing product”, replies split three ways: Harvest as the simple all-in-one, free Clockify or Toggl plus a separate invoice tool such as Wave or a PDF template, and full accounting suites (thread). A February 2026 r/Freelancers post put the goal plainly: “a direct path from time worked to money invoiced” (post).

Side by side (checked November 3, 2026)

Tool	Invoicing and price, from its own pages
Harvest	Free: 1 seat, 2 projects, time tracking and invoicing. Teams from $9/seat/mo billed annually (1 monthly), with additional invoices, projects, clients and tasks billed by usage.
Toggl Track	Free plan has timers and personal reports. Billable rates from Starter, $9/user/mo annual (2 monthly). Invoices: export billable hours as CSV or PDF into your invoicing tool.
Clockify	Free for up to 5 users, no invoicing. Invoicing and recurring invoices from Standard, $5.49/seat/mo annual ($6.99 monthly).
FreshBooks	Accounting suite. Lite $23/mo (5 billable clients), Plus $43/mo (50), Premium $70/mo (unlimited), at list price; 80% off for the first 4 months shown; team members 1/mo each.
Hourledge	Timer plus one-tap invoices with PDF. Free during early access. One simple flat price later, no per-seat fees.

Sources: Harvest pricing, Toggl pricing, Toggl time tracking for invoicing, Clockify pricing, FreshBooks pricing. Prices change; check before you buy.

How to choose

Count your clients and projects. Harvest Free stops at 2 projects; FreshBooks Lite at 5 billable clients.
Check which plan has invoicing. On Toggl and Clockify the free plan is a timer only.
Price it per person and per year. Most tools charge per seat; FreshBooks’ intro discount ends after 4 months.
Test one messy real week. Two clients, different rates, a forgotten timer: does the draft invoice come out right?

Where Hourledge fits

Timer first. Fix a forgotten start time; add past time as start/end or a duration like 1:30.
Rates that cascade. Project rate, then client rate, then your default.
Invoice from unbilled time. One tap makes a draft per client with dated lines, optional tax, and a PDF with your logo, bank details and a Stripe or PayPal pay link. Billed time leaves the unbilled list.
Your data. CSV and PDF export; Harvest CSV import.

Deeper comparisons: Harvest alternative, FreshBooks alternative, Toggl vs Harvest, Clockify vs Harvest. Billing without software? Use the free hourly invoice template.

What Hourledge does not do

It is for one person: no team seats, approvals, expenses, accounting or bank feeds, and no native desktop or mobile apps (it runs in the browser on both). If you need those, Harvest, Clockify or FreshBooks cover them.

Questions

Which time tracking apps include invoicing on a free plan?

Of the tools compared here (pricing pages checked November 3, 2026): Harvest Free includes invoicing for 1 seat and 2 projects, and Hourledge is free during early access with invoices and PDF. Toggl Free and Clockify Free do not list invoicing; Clockify lists it from Standard, and Toggl exports billable hours as CSV or PDF for a separate invoicing tool.

Is FreshBooks a time tracker?

FreshBooks is accounting and invoicing software that also lists unlimited time tracking. Its plans start at $23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients) at list price, with a 4-month introductory discount shown on its pricing page.

Do I need an all-in-one tool?

Not always. Free tracking plus a separate invoice tool or template works for a few clients. An all-in-one saves the monthly export and retyping, and stops you billing the same hours twice.

Is Hourledge free?

Yes. Free during early access. One simple flat price later, no per-seat fees.

Start free See pricing

Free during early access. One simple flat price later, no per-seat fees.