Timekeeping software free plans: five compared

Timekeeping software free of subscription fees suits lawyers who record work consistently: Clockify for project volume, Toggl for timers, Harvest for invoicing, Keeping for Dutch-language use and Kimai for self-hosting. Sixminute is the strongest choice for firms wanting automatic capture of the whole working day, with entries already written.

How these tools were compared

These tools were compared on how recorded work becomes a usable billing entry. The review covers capture method, applications covered, client and matter structure, narratives, privacy, platforms and published pricing. Vendor pricing pages and documentation were checked in November 2026; this is a documentation comparison, without hands-on testing.

The free plan must survive the firm's actual workload. That means checking user and project caps, billable rates, invoicing and exports after a trial ends. For example, Clockify places rates on Basic and invoicing on Standard, so free tracking does not include the complete billing process.

The review also separates automatic activity recording from entries ready to bill. A useful test is whether the lawyer must still select a matter and write the description. Firms using six-minute increments should also check decimal display and rounding: tenths of an hour and automatic rounding are different features.

Timekeeping software free plans have billing limits

The best free timekeeping app depends on whether the firm needs a time log, invoices or control over hosting. These free timekeeping apps retain useful functionality, but their limits differ substantially.

Clockify suits firms with many projects

Free plan and platforms. Clockify is a timer and timesheet service with unlimited tracking and projects for up to five users, checked in November 2026. Its pricing comparison includes desktop and mobile apps, browser extensions and Auto tracker on Free.

Client and matter; billing. Clients and projects can organise matters, but billable rates require Basic and invoicing requires Standard. Decimal format is on Basic and rounding is on Standard. Free reports cover a maximum one-month date range and export only to PDF, according to the pricing matrix. Charges and invoices need another tool.

Capture and entry. The timer and manual time entry are supplemented by the desktop Auto tracker. It records application names, window titles and website URLs locally. Activities do not become timesheet entries automatically: the lawyer converts them, adding a project and description.

Data location. Clockify calls its default storage region “global”. Its data-region documentation puts regional selection on Pro and Enterprise, with some account data outside the chosen region.

Best fit and limit. A small firm with many matters and an existing invoicing process. Its free activity log can help recover forgotten work, but converting that evidence into described billing entries remains the lawyer's task.

Toggl suits a timer-led workflow with activity suggestions

Free plan and platforms. Toggl's November 2026 pricing lists three free users, unlimited projects and client management. Existing Toggl Track accounts remain supported separately. The current apps guide covers web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and browser extensions.

Client and matter; billing. Clients and projects can represent matters. Billable rates require a paid plan, and Toggl has no built-in invoicing.

Capture and entry. Free includes desktop activity tracking. My Activity records application names and optional window titles. It offers AI activity names, suggested project matches and whole-day drafts. Auto-Tracker can start timers from configured application or title rules and apply a supplied description.

Data location. Activity history stays on the device. Toggl's security policy gives Iowa, United States as the default cloud location and also offers EU hosting. Some processing can still occur outside the EU.

Best fit and limit. A solo lawyer wanting timers with automatic activity recording and project suggestions. AI names draw on window titles; suggested descriptions draw on earlier time logs. The lawyer must check that each entry explains the particular work done for the matter.

Harvest suits a practice with very few active matters

Free plan and platforms. Harvest combines time tracking and invoicing. Its November 2026 pricing page lists Free at $0, with one seat and two projects, plus web, desktop and mobile apps. The project cap applies to active projects.

Client and matter; billing. Each matter can be represented as a project. Harvest's Free-labelled project documentation supports hourly billing at project, person or task rates. For a freelancer with two active projects, this puts rates and invoices together.

There is a significant invoicing condition. Harvest's free-plan help page says sending invoices by email or exporting invoice PDFs requires connecting Stripe for payments. It also requires an explicit switch from the trial to Free.

Capture and entry. Harvest documents live timers and entries added directly to daily or weekly views. The lawyer supplies the record of work.

Data location. Its privacy policy describes transfers and storage in the United States. It also allows processing elsewhere.

Best fit and limit. A solo practitioner with a small active caseload who accepts the invoice conditions. Two active projects leave little room when matters need separate records.

Keeping suits a Dutch-speaking zzp'er

Free plan and platforms. Keeping is an urenregistratie app with a free plan for one user, with caps of 15 tasks and 15 clients/projects, checked in November 2026. Its comparison page lists the web application, iOS and Android apps and browser extensions, with Dutch among the interface languages.

Client and matter; billing. Clients and projects provide the structure for allocating work. The plan comparison places rates and invoicing connections on paid plans. Free includes PDF and spreadsheet exports. Notes attached to clients and projects require a paid plan.

Capture and entry. Keeping documents starting and stopping registrations, entering start and end times and adding daily time blocks. The user links each registration to the relevant project or task. This suits someone who records work consistently during the day.

Data location. Keeping's subprocessor page states that application servers are in Amsterdam and that most Keeping data stays in the Netherlands. That wording does not promise every processor stays there.

Best fit and limit. A Dutch-speaking freelancer or zzp'er wanting straightforward free timekeeping. The project cap and paid rates make Free a better fit for recording hours than preparing legal bills.

Kimai suits firms prepared to manage hosting

Free plan and platforms. Kimai is open source under AGPL 3 and can be self-hosted. The software has no licence charge; hosting and maintenance remain the firm's responsibility. Its feature list documents unlimited users and a responsive browser interface for desktop and mobile use.

Client and matter; billing. Customers contain projects, with activities describing work categories. Kimai documents hourly rates and configurable invoice templates, so a self-hosted installation can handle charging and invoicing without buying a cloud subscription.

Capture and entry. Its timesheet documentation describes starting records, stopping them and creating records through forms or the calendar. The lawyer still supplies the work record and description.

Data location. Self-hosting lets the firm choose its server and backup locations. The separate Kimai Cloud offer is hosted in Germany; Standard was listed at €3.99 per user a month, excluding tax, on monthly billing in November 2026.

Best fit and limit. A firm wanting control over its infrastructure and invoices. Kimai is a strong choice among free timekeeping programs when technical support already exists, but free software does not remove server costs or the work of maintaining it.

Free activity logs still need billing decisions

An activity log helps reconstruct a day, but someone must turn it into an account of the work. Clockify explicitly requires manual conversion of activities into time entries. A document title can identify a file; it cannot explain which clause the lawyer revised or why that work belongs on a client's invoice.

Memory creates a separate gap. In Primary Research Group's 2014 survey of lawyers at US firms with at least 25 lawyers, 57.7% said they had reduced recorded time because they could not remember the duration. The average reduction was 5.9 hours a month.

That finding explains why a free timer can become expensive despite having no subscription. A useful time entry narrative needs the task's purpose, beyond its file name. Firms comparing time lost while reconstructing the day should count both omitted work and the time spent rewriting entries.

Compare recovered fees with the full monthly cost

Paid automatic time capture is worth considering when additional collectible fees exceed its cost and the review work it creates. The relevant comparison includes the lawyer's time spent operating the free app and preparing entries for billing.

Using the survey's rounded monthly average gives a simple illustration: 5.9 hours at an assumed billable rate of €150 is €885. This arithmetic shows the possible scale; it does not predict a solo lawyer's recovery. Only work that can properly be billed and collected contributes to the return.

A solo lawyer can use the same test with the practice's own measured gap. The firm multiplies recoverable hours by the expected collected rate, then compares the result with the full cost of automatic time capture. The comparison should include setup, review and invoice preparation. A product that saves recording time but leaves substantial rewriting may deliver less value than its capture log suggests.

How Sixminute records the work free timers miss

Sixminute is the strongest choice for firms wanting passive capture of the whole working day and client-ready entries. In Sixminute's tests, lawyers billed 9 to 15% more hours for the same work.

Sixminute: automatic capture, matter matching and AI narratives

Coverage and entry. Sixminute records work in every application on the computer without a timer to start. Its mobile app covers phone calls, and Outlook and Google Calendar cover meetings away from the desk. Automatic client and matter matching and AI narratives produce one entry per task, each with its client, matter, duration and a client-ready narrative.

Capture method. Computer Event Reconstruction (CER) reconstructs the lawyer's day across every application, with no integrations to set up. PDF readers and court portals are covered without connecting them individually.

Platforms and privacy. Sixminute runs on Windows and macOS, with iOS and Android apps. It takes no screenshots and logs no keystrokes. Work is filtered on the device; only what the timesheet needs leaves it. Entries stay private until released, and nobody reads another person's day. Data is encrypted with the firm's own key and hosted in the EU.

Review and best fit. Setup takes about 5 minutes. Lawyers using Sixminute spend about 6 minutes a day reviewing and releasing their timesheet into the firm's existing system. Sixminute is paid. Best fit: firms wanting every hour on the computer recorded and written up without connecting a single application, whichever billing system they use.

Test a complete billing cycle before choosing

Test the chosen app through a complete invoice before relying on it for billable hours. The published free plans deserve a check after any trial ends, because trial features can conceal restrictions.

1. Create separate client and matter records. Enter a realistic workload and confirm the project cap leaves room for new instructions.
2. For two weeks, compare recorded work with sent email, the call log and calendar. Add descriptions while the work is still fresh.
3. Prepare an invoice using the free plan. Check rates, exports and any payment-account requirement before relying on the workflow.
4. Review data location, backups, retention and access as part of the firm's GDPR assessment.
5. Price the recoverable gap and the time spent writing entries. If both remain substantial, compare automatic time capture options against Sixminute's whole-day capture and completed narratives. Use the firm's own missing work as the test material.