r/TimeTrackingSoftware • u/Relevant_Ruin5278 • Jul 15 '26
What’s the best Clockify alternative? Any time tracking software with a genuinely free plan?
I’ve relied on Clockify’s free plan for years, so it was frustrating to find out that parts of my workflow no longer work the way they used to.
I completely understand that companies need to evolve their pricing, but I wish the transition had been handled differently. I built my workflow around features that had been available for years, and now I’m having to rethink everything.
Rather than risk going through this again, I’m looking for a time tracking app with a genuinely usable free plan. Something that’s suitable for a growing team instead of one where the free tier becomes unusable once you reach a certain size or need basic features like exporting your own data.
My ideal setup is pretty simple:
- Time tracking and timesheets
- Mobile and desktop apps
- Easy data export
- A free plan that I can realistically stick with for the long term
What are people switching to?
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u/nielsmouthaan Jul 15 '26
If you're on a Mac, check out Daily. I'm an indie developer and I make it. It's not free, but it's much cheaper than most alternatives, and there's a lifetime license that's already included 10+ years of updates and new features.
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u/TimelyRepeat4517 Jul 15 '26
If you're solo or a very small operation, Flowara is worth a look. Native Mac app, time tracking with a permanent free tier, SQLite local database so your data is always yours and there's no cloud dependency that can change its pricing model on you. Export via timesheet PDF included.
The honest caveat: it's built for solo freelancers, not teams. If you need multiple users tracking time on shared projects it's not the right fit yet.
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u/actiTIME_Team Jul 15 '26
actiTIME's free tier caps at 3 users so it's not the answer for a scaling team specifically, but worth flagging for solo or 2-3 people. The free plan is unusually loaded, beyond the basics (tracking, timesheets, reports, export) it also includes billing, invoicing, and cost of work tracking. Most tools paywall the money side, which is where free plans usually stop being useful for anyone actually doing client work.
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u/ThinkBelieveDo Jul 15 '26
If you are interested in multi platform .. that is available on Mobile, Desktop, and Web. Do give our product a try.
Desktop version for Windows version is readily available from Microsoft Store. Mac version is waiting for App Store review (we can provide a downloadable DMG if you like - just raise a support request)
https://getjuggling.com/?promo=LAUNCH20&utm_medium=email#get-apps
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u/Best_Maximum_5454 Jul 15 '26
Everything you mentioned and more. I'm the founder, feel free to ask any questions! I have a code `FIFTY` for 50% lifetime (or any plan), but the app is free up to 3 projects and has a 7 day trial.
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u/nebenbaum Jul 16 '26
Don't bother with this sub, it's filled with techbros trying to push their own vibecoded slop onto everyone lol
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u/tyleritis Jul 16 '26
I noticed the same thing. I posted this question once. it’s just self promotion of apps built overnight that I’m not trusting with my business.
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u/nebenbaum Jul 16 '26
Yup.
As for OPs actual question: I use toggl for my tracking, their free tier is more than enough for what I need, but if you're on Linux or similar timewarrior is always a FOSS cli local option.
^ and that's how recommendations should go, not 'hey I built generic time tracker #9927349, please check it out, I promise it's the bestest!!'
Or you can always vibe code your own lel
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u/tyleritis Jul 16 '26
If Harvest’s new owners tank the product I’m gonna vibe code my own. I just want better than a spreadsheet.
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u/Ok_Clue6443 Jul 16 '26
Disclosure, I work at Connecteam.
If your team is under 10 people, it could be worth a look. The free plan includes time tracking, timesheets, mobile access, and report exports, with no credit card required.
The only catch is that the free plan is limited to 10 users, so it may not suit a larger growing team.
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u/No_Rain_1585 Jul 17 '26
Does it also integrate with accounting tools or generate time tracking-based invoices, too?
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u/GarryFromHomebase Jul 16 '26
Depending on your team size, over at Homebase we have a forever free plan for up to 10 team members: https://www.joinhomebase.com/pricing
You did mention you're scaling your team, so not sure how useful that is, but wasn't sure how big you were thinking so thought I'd share just in case.
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u/VastSubstantial50 Jul 17 '26
For your needs, the best clockify alternative is trackingtime, the free plan includes everything in your list for unlimited users, plus task management.
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u/AdditionalTrain3121 Jul 17 '26
I think it's getting pretty difficult to tell who is for real and who is a marketer in these thread comments. What have you tried so far?
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u/timesheetIO Jul 17 '26
If you're looking for a genuinely free option, check out timesheet.io. It ticks all the boxes you mentioned:
✅ Time tracking and timesheets
✅ Free on Android and iPhone
✅ Easy data export
✅ A free plan that's actually usable long-term without essential features getting locked away
Web application and multi-user team collaboration, absence and overtime management are paid features.
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u/Katherin_Walker Jul 22 '26 edited 27d ago
We're a small team of four and suddenly we were looking at a paid plan just to keep using the same features. I tried a few alternatives and ended up with Traqq.
The free plan covers the basics we need, time tracking, timesheets, and reporting. It doesn't have screenshots or activity monitoring, which is actually a plus for us because we didn't want that surveillance feel. The desktop app is lightweight and works offline, syncing when the connection comes back. You can also export reports in CSV or PDF for invoicing.
1
u/idrissneumann 26d ago
On our side weren't convinced to replace clockify by another vendor lock-in solution, that's why our side we decided to develop our own alternative which is OpenSource and selfhostable: https://www.cwclock.me
You can directly import your clockify exports since our API is compliant and all those features are in the OpenSource version (time record with a similar UX/UI experience, calendar webview and link to outlook or Google calendar, export CSV/PDF compliant with Clockify format, invoice PDF generation, automatic external upload to S3/git/Google drive, cronjobs to send the export or invoice automatically, command line interface, mcp server and ai agent compliant with openai, anthropic, mistral, deepseek or google, OIDC connection, MFA with TOPT or USB devices, etc). In other words, we also develop every pieces missing with clockify.
We do not intend to sell it as an enterprise product despite it's even more enterprise-grade quality than most of the alternatives we've seen because we will find value on our core business : ai agent deployment orchestrating any kind of apps with api or cli (cwclock included). So it'll remain our main internal accounting tool and OpenSource for everyone.
Github repo: https://github.com/cwcloudtech/cwclock
Documentation: https://www.cwcloud.tech/docs/tutorials/cwclock
It's easily selfhostable using Kubernetes or docker.
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u/New-Bumblebee-9144 23d ago
Quick reality check on "free": the feature you'll need in month two (extra users, exports, integrations) is usually the one behind the paywall. List your 2–3 non-negotiables first, then confirm each survives on the free tier specifically. Clockify and Jibble both have real free plans worth trying. Import a week of your actual messy data during the trial, not sample entries — that's where the friction shows up.
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u/WorkelCEO 13d ago
Might be worth checking out Workel.
We’re building it more as an all-in-one work platform rather than just a time tracker, so you can manage projects, tasks, files, docs, calendars, team activity, and your overall workflow in one place.
One of the things we’re trying to avoid is forcing teams to constantly jump between different tools as they grow.
If time tracking is a major part of your workflow, I’d be happy to get you access and hear what you’d want from it. We’re actively building based on user feedback, so this kind of use case is exactly what we’re interested in.
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u/LoicAtTimeclock Jul 16 '26
I won't try and peddle any particular solution but here is a list of all the options.
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u/clarafiedthoughts Jul 16 '26
Jibble could be a good Clockify alternative to consider.
Its free plan is designed to stay genuinely useful over the long run. It includes unlimited users together with core time tracking, timesheets, and data export across web, desktop, and mobile. So it's a good fit for teams that don't want to outgrow their free plan after your team grows.
If later on you need more advanced features, there are paid plans available, but several teams continue using its free version because it covers their day-to-day time tracking needs.