How to track billable hours as a freelancer on Windows
Short answer
Windows has no built-in time tracker, so most freelancers use the Clock app's stopwatch and a spreadsheet, or a web tracker that needs an account. A desktop tracker is simpler: one click to start a client's timer, one to stop it. AppRig tracks time per client from the tray, and AppRig Pro adds hourly rates, earnings and what is still outstanding to bill.
The manual way
Windows has no time tracker of its own. The closest built-in tool is the Clock app (search “Clock” from Start), which has a stopwatch you can start when you begin a job and stop when you finish. It does not remember which client the time was for, so you still have to copy each session into a spreadsheet by hand.
A simple spreadsheet works well enough: one row per session with the date, client, start and end time, and a duration column, then a SUMIF per client to get the total to bill. The trouble is discipline. Switch clients mid-morning, take a call, or forget to note the end time, and the hours you bill drift away from the hours you worked.
Web trackers solve the bookkeeping, but most need an account and keep your client hours on someone else’s server.
The faster way with AppRig
AppRig’s Time Tracker gives each client or project a job button. Click it to start the timer, click again to stop, and label what you are doing with a task so one client’s work stays in one place. Ctrl+Alt+H stops a running timer from anywhere. Idle detection asks what to do with the gap when you come back from a break, and a reminder can nudge you during work hours if no timer is running. Every session can be edited or added afterwards, and the Sessions window shows today’s totals, the session list and a Day chart, with most week, month and year analytics in AppRig Pro.
With AppRig Pro, give a job an hourly rate and currency and AppRig works out what you earned. For clients you bill, mark time as invoiced through a date and AppRig shows what is still outstanding, then export exactly that unbilled time to CSV for your own invoice. Everything stays on your PC with no account.
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Common questions
Does Windows have a built-in time tracker?
Not for billing. The Windows Clock app has a stopwatch and Focus sessions, but it does not record which client the time was for, keep a history of sessions, or add up hours by week or month. For billable work you need something that saves each session against a client or project, so you can total it up when you bill.
Can I just track my hours in a spreadsheet?
Yes, and plenty of freelancers do. Use one row per session with the date, client, start time, end time and a duration column, then a SUMIF per client gives you the total to bill. The weak spot is remembering to write the times down, especially when you switch clients mid-morning or get pulled into a call.
What should I do when I forget to start or stop the timer?
Fix it straight away rather than guessing at the end of the month. Most trackers let you edit a session's start and end times or add a session after the fact. If you often forget, a tool that notices you have gone idle, or reminds you during work hours when nothing is running, catches the gaps while you still remember what you were doing.
Is there a time tracker that works offline without an account?
Yes. Most popular trackers are web services that need a sign-in and store your hours in the cloud, but desktop trackers can keep everything on your own PC. AppRig's Time Tracker runs locally, needs no account and makes no network connections, so your client list and hours never leave your machine.
Related questions
AppRig does this and more, all in one local-first Windows app. See what AppRig does →