To track freelance billable hours accurately, start a timer on each client task, let idle time drop out, and keep proof of the work. TimoDesk does this from a desktop app: it records your time by project, removes idle time, and can add screenshots and activity levels as proof. You then use its timesheets and reports with your own invoices.
Freelancers juggle clients, projects and deadlines. It is easy to lose track of time. Underbilling costs you money, and overbilling can hurt a client relationship. This guide explains how TimoDesk helps you track billable hours, what it does and does not do, and how to set it up.
Spreadsheets and memory are not enough. Emails, messages and small interruptions break up the day. When you log hours at the end of the week, you guess. A tracker that runs while you work removes most of that guessing.
Why do freelancers lose billable hours?
Most lost hours are small. A few minutes here and there never make it onto the invoice. Over a month, they add up to real money. Common causes include:
- Logging from memory: hours written down days later are guesses.
- Small tasks: quick calls, short emails and tiny fixes often go unrecorded.
- Switching clients: when you jump between jobs, time lands on the wrong client.
- Scope creep: extra requests sneak in, and nobody notices the job grew.
- No proof: when a client questions an invoice, you have nothing to show.
A good freelance time tracker fixes these problems. Look for one that tracks time by client and task, removes idle time, keeps working offline, and gives you reports you can share. It should also be cheap, because every tool cost comes out of your income.
What is TimoDesk?
TimoDesk is a time tracking and productivity tool for teams and solo professionals. It keeps things simple and focuses on making time visible and easy to prove.
You install the desktop app on Windows, macOS or Linux. You start the timer on a task, and the app records your time, activity level, apps and websites, and screenshots if you turn them on. If your internet drops, it keeps tracking and syncs when you reconnect within 30 days.
The price is $1 per user per month, with every feature on one plan. You are billed after each month, and only if you tracked time. There is a 15-day free trial with no card.
Besides tracking, TimoDesk has project boards, reports and a client portal where clients can view the projects you share with them. It does not create invoices, so you use your own invoicing tool.
Which TimoDesk features help track billable hours?
Time tracking on tasks
Start the timer on a client task, and TimoDesk records your time while you work. When there is no keyboard or mouse input for the idle timeout you choose (3 to 60 minutes), that idle time is removed. Your hours reflect real work, not time away from the desk.
The app also records which apps and websites you used. If you research in a browser and then edit in Photoshop, both show up in your report. Offline tracking means travel or outages don't leave gaps.
This gives you a log you can stand behind. Instead of guessing, you have records that support your invoices.
Projects and tasks
Most freelancers work for several clients at once, so time needs to be split by client. In TimoDesk, create a project for each client and add tasks inside it. Each project has a kanban board, a list view and a calendar view.
When you move from a web development job to a writing job, switch the timer to the other task. Time goes to the right client, which avoids billing mix-ups.
You can also add an estimate to each task. TimoDesk flags the task when tracked time goes over it. This helps you spot scope creep early and quote future jobs better.
Screenshots as proof
Clients sometimes question billed hours. Screenshots give visual proof of the work. You choose the interval, from 3 to 60 minutes. Screenshots taken while you are idle are thrown away.
If a client asks about time spent on a design revision, you can show the screenshots from those sessions. This is useful in design and coding, where progress is hard to describe in words.
Reports and timesheets
Reports show your hours by project and task, with activity levels, app usage and website usage. The time and activity report downloads as PDF or CSV. The monthly timesheet downloads as a PDF.
Use these files with your invoice. You can filter by project to see the hours for one client. Over time, reports also show which kinds of work take longer than you thought. If research-heavy jobs always run long, you can raise your rate for them.
Activity levels
Activity level is the share of tracked time with any keyboard or mouse input. It is not about spying. It helps you see when your focus is strong and when it drops. TimoDesk never records what you type.
App and website reports show where distractions creep in, like checking email every few minutes. When you can see the pattern, you can change it and get more billable work done in the same day.
How do you track billable hours with TimoDesk?
- Sign up and install. Create an account and download the desktop app for your system. The 15-day trial starts right away.
- Set up projects and tasks. Create a project for each client. Add tasks with short descriptions and estimates.
- Start tracking. Start the timer on the task you are working on. Switch tasks when your work changes. The app keeps tracking offline.
- Choose settings. Turn screenshots on or off, pick the screenshot interval, and set the idle timeout.
- Review your reports. At the end of each day or week, check your time by project. Look at screenshots if you need to confirm something.
- Bill your clients. Download the timesheet or report and send it with the invoice from your own invoicing tool.
For more options, see our list of time tracking tools for freelancers. Tip: if you forget to start the timer, you can request manual time once the organizer turns it on in settings. It goes through approval and stays marked as manual, so your records stay honest.
What are the benefits for freelancers?
More accurate billing. Tracked time and proof help you avoid both under and overcharging. You stop losing hours you forgot to log.
Less admin. You no longer write timesheets by hand. That leaves more time for client work or rest.
More client trust. Clear reports and screenshots reassure clients. You can also invite a client to the client portal, where they see only the projects you share with them. Trust leads to repeat work and referrals.
Better planning. Reports show where your time goes. You can plan your week better and avoid burnout.
Room to grow. If you hire help later, add them as members. Each costs $1 per month when they track time.
How do freelancers use TimoDesk in practice?
A freelance writer finds research-heavy articles hard to estimate. She tracks each article as a task. After a month, the reports show these articles take much longer than she quoted. She raises her rate for research-heavy work.
A graphic designer has clients who question time spent on revisions. With screenshots and a clear timesheet, he shows the work behind each round. Disputes become rare.
A developer with three clients keeps a project for each one. At the end of the month, she downloads the timesheet and sends it with each invoice.
Conclusion
TimoDesk helps freelancers track billable hours accurately. It records time by client, removes idle time, and gives you screenshots and reports as proof. It does not send invoices, but it gives you the hours to put on them.
If guessing your hours is costing you money, try TimoDesk free for 15 days. In freelancing, time is money, so make sure you track it right.
Frequently asked questions
How do freelancers track billable hours?
The most reliable way is to start a timer on each client task as you work. A tool like TimoDesk removes idle time and splits hours by project, so your invoice matches the work.
Can TimoDesk create invoices?
No. TimoDesk does not create invoices or calculate rates. You download timesheets and reports as PDF or CSV and use them with your own invoicing tool.
How much does TimoDesk cost for one freelancer?
It costs $1 per user per month, so $1 for a solo freelancer who tracked time that month. There is a 15-day free trial with no card.
Can my clients see my tracked time?
Yes, if you invite them to the client portal. Each client gets their own login and sees only the projects you share with them.
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