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In the context of freelance planning, time is a critical factor. Managing it well can make a real difference to your output and ensure you meet specific project deadlines. It’ll even help you spot the times that you’re most productive, which can, in turn, help you maximize your output.

With good time management comes excellent time allocation; you can safely allocate the correct amount of time to each project to handle it well. So, what’s the best way to acknowledge and track the time taken to complete these tasks? Well, time-tracking apps can make a real difference here. 

Need to optimize your time management? Let’s take a deep dive into the best time-tracking apps you might want to consider.

5 best time-tracking app options to manage time effectively

There’s a whole range of time-tracking app options on the market that can be great helpers for freelancers. They ensure you’ll meet deadlines and spend the right amount of time on each project, even when each requires a different amount of time and focus. Consider the time-tracking software options below to ensure you’re always on time when completing freelance work.

Timemator: Track productivity for each project separately

When you want to track how long you spend on a specific task, Timemator can help. One specific instance of when you might use this time tracker app is when you need to handle multiple tasks as a freelance writer and track the time spent on each. For example, you might need to know how long keyword research takes and how long it takes to write the article so that you can optimize these processes in the future.

In this case, Timemator’s features can facilitate the time management process. It allows you to set or enter tasks and press play when you start them so that you can track how long you spend on each one. You can also click on any entry on your activity timeline and create auto-tracking rules for them. 

The auto-tracking rules are beneficial for automating the time-tracking process and will ensure you don’t need to manage the timer manually — it will start automatically and stop on its own for each entry. This will save you time and optimize the time-tracking process.

Timing: Track what really matters

When it comes to accuracy in time tracking, Timing is up there with the best of the time tracking apps. If you want to track your hours as a freelance writer or check how much time you spend using specific apps, you can gauge these factors and learn how you used the software. Timing will even reveal what you did with specific apps.

The advantageous features of Timing include its multiple graphs. These graphs ensure you can visualize how you spend your time and optimize time management with greater precision based on the data the app collects. 

For example, if you want to optimize how long you spend on web browsing, there’s a section on the pie chart that’ll help you see how much time you currently spend doing this. You can then make adjustments to this to align with project expectations. So if a project requires greater time for web browsing or research, you can adjust the amount of time you take accordingly.

Daily: Track your time with prompts

For a more hands-on time tracker, Daily can work well. This app offers several benefits, such as allowing you to add what you’re doing that day, week, or month. The app will then record how long you spend on each task.

But the most advantageous feature of Daily is the check-in notification. The app will ask what you’re doing intermittently to ensure you’re on track with the tasks you need to complete. It works by prompting you to select which task you’re currently doing from a dropdown list. Once you’ve selected the task, you just need to click the tick button. 

Daily is particularly useful for time-sensitive projects. For example, if you have multiple deadlines as a freelance writer and need to transition from researching to writing for a project, you’ll receive the prompts from Daily. These will ensure you’re on schedule and making the right progress with your project.

Time Out: Track time & take breaks

If you need to manage your break time more effectively and optimize your level of focus, Time Out is a time-tracking software option that can support this. It is beneficial for helping freelancers organize their time more efficiently and can be used alongside techniques such as the Pomodoro method to reinforce those breaks.

Using this with the Pomodoro technique just requires you to set the break period for five minutes after working consistently for 25 minutes. The screen will fade out for five minutes, after which you can carry on with your next 25-minute work phase.

For instance, you might be writing a long-form article and, after 25 minutes, be due for a break. In that case, you can set when you want to take a break the duration required. After setting the break period, the screen fades out and prompts you to stop working. And although you’re not locked out and can postpone the break if you want to, the new paused screen will remain until you’re due to continue with the long-form article.

BeFocused: Stay focused before time is up

Prolonged focus and productivity can be enhanced when taking breaks, which can help you maximize your output during a specific timeframe. BeFocused is an app that provides the benefit of keeping you focused until the set time is up.

The app works by allowing you to add multiple tasks and set the timer for each of them. After focusing on the task for a sustained period, when you complete it, you can select the “Done” button. For example, when writing several product pages, you might want to complete each page within a 50-minute timeframe. This requires staying focused for 50 minutes, which you can do by adding a task and setting the timer for 50 minutes.

An additional benefit of BeFocused is that you can quickly check the timer without interrupting your current task since the countdown appears on the Mac’s menu bar. And if you need to set several intervals to break up the task, this is also possible with this app; it helps you to organize your time more efficiently and take breaks when they’re due.

Best time-tracking apps: Spotted one you’d like to use?

Staying on schedule is important as a freelancer, as it helps you satisfy clients and respect deadlines. Having a time-tracking app can facilitate time management and help you allocate the right amount of time to each task.

Do you have a time-tracking app to assist you with this? If you’re searching for one, all of the apps listed in this article are available through Setapp! Since there’s also the chance to use them for free for seven days, you’ll be able to access free time tracking app solutions that support your work process. Go directly to Setapp to download these apps today. Manage your time effectively and enhance the quality of your output.