# The 7 best time tracking apps for independent consultants in 2026 By **Jeff** · Updated October 15, 2026 Canonical HTML: · App Store: > An independent consultant runs three businesses at once: the work, the selling and the billing. A retainer client expects a monthly invoice and the hours behind it, a new prospect wants a quote by Friday, and the project priced at ten days is quietly on day thirteen. We compared seven iPhone apps on whether they handle all three from the same entries and let you send the invoice from the train home. ## Quick answer Quick answer: Harvest is the strongest cloud option for time, expenses and invoices with a web dashboard, FreshBooks adds accounting to the same loop, and Zoho Invoice does cloud invoicing with a client portal for free. For the independent consultant who wants quotes, hours, retainers and invoices on the phone without an account, iTimeSheet is our pick: quotes that convert to invoices, deposits, and a monthly reminder for retainer clients. Independent consultants tend to assemble a stack: a timer, an invoicing tool, a spreadsheet for retainers, and a folder of proposals. Each hand-off is a chance to retype a number wrong or to send the retainer invoice on the 5th instead of the 1st. The real question is how many of those hand-offs an app removes, and what it asks in return, usually an account and a vendor cloud. We compared seven apps from the US App Store on the criteria below, using each listing's own description and ratings dated at the top of the page. iTimeSheet is our app; it went through the same criteria, and we are explicit about what it lacks, such as online payment links and a client portal. Consultants placed through a firm who owe a monthly timesheet should read our consultants guide instead. ## What to look for We ranked for the consultant's full loop: quote, work, invoice, get paid, and know which engagements are worth repeating. - **Quotes that become invoices** — The proposal sent is the invoice minus a date. Retyping it is where mistakes come from. - **Retainers that do not slip** — A monthly retainer invoice sent late is float given away. A reminder when the month turns helps. - **Overrun visible early** — A ten-day fixed fee on day thirteen is a conversation to have on day eleven, with the hours in front of you. - **Rates per client and per engagement** — The long-standing client's rate, the new client's rate and the discounted pilot should be set once and applied automatically. - **Client data you own** — Who pays what is the business itself. It should sit on the phone, or in a cloud chosen knowingly. ## The ranking _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ### 1. iTimeSheet: Best for consultants billing from the phone — _5.0 ★ · 1 ratings · US App Store_ **Quote, hours, invoice and the retainer reminder, from one phone** The Client, Mission and Task tree reads as client, engagement and task. Rates cascade from the client to the engagement and the task, with a single-entry override. Rates are hourly; a day rate is entered as its hourly equivalent, and Reports show the hours per engagement. The timer starts from the app or the Watch, and on Pro from the Lock Screen or a widget; switching engagements saves the running entry. Studio is the relevant tier. Quotes have their own ledger and convert to an invoice in one tap; a deposit invoice can take 20, 30 or 50 percent of an accepted quote up front. The final invoice does not deduct the deposit automatically, so it is accounted for by hand. The Invoices tab shows what each client has not been billed, the PDF carries a logo, numbering, the US layout and bank details, and the client's billing profile holds the address and payment terms. A monthly recurring-invoice notification reminds you to bill retainers, overdue invoices get a pre-filled chase e-mail, and credit notes undo a mistake cleanly. Reports compare periods and show revenue by client, which reveals whether a discounted pilot client is worth it. Data stays in a local database on the phone, with no account and no vendor server; manual iCloud backup on every tier, automatic daily backup from Essential. The limits: no online payment link, no client portal, no web dashboard, no customizable invoice templates yet, iPhone and Apple Watch only with no iPad version yet, and CSV rather than a QuickBooks connector. - **Strengths:** Quotes, deposits, invoices and credit notes from the same entries on Studio; Monthly recurring-invoice reminder for retainers; Revenue by client and period-over-period reports; No account and no vendor cloud - **Limits:** Rates are hourly; a day rate is entered as its hourly equivalent; No online payment link or client portal; No invoice templates yet; one layout per country; iPhone and Apple Watch only; one US rating since July 2026 - **Best for:** An independent consultant who quotes, delivers and invoices their own clients and wants it all on the phone. - **Pricing:** Free covers 3 clients and 2 entries a day. Essential is $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr for reports and export, Pro $7.99/mo or $59.99/yr for travel receipts and widgets, and Studio $9.99/mo or $89.99/yr for quotes and invoices. Studio has no free trial, but a watermarked invoice preview shows the PDF with your own clients first. > ★★★★★ **Excellent application** — « I am an independent consultant and this application has made my life so much easier. Invoicing my customers used to be a mess. Now i keep track of all the hours and is so easy to use. Some minor things I want on it but over all 5/5. » > — luisman69, App Store review · United States · 2010 ### 2. Harvest: Best cloud tracker with invoicing _Iridesco, LLC · 4.5 ★ · 2,708 ratings · US App Store_ **The cloud version of the same loop** Harvest covers time, expenses with receipt photos and invoices, works offline then syncs, and bills per seat. It is the closest in scope to iTimeSheet, with a web dashboard and multi-device access in exchange for an account and a vendor cloud, and it is clearly better for anyone who works across a laptop and a phone. - **Strengths:** Time, expenses and invoices; Web app and multi-device; Works offline, then syncs - **Limits:** Account required; Per-seat paid plans; Data on the vendor's servers - **Best for:** A consultant who wants invoices and a web dashboard. - **Pricing:** Free plan, paid plans ### 3. FreshBooks: Best for invoicing plus accounting _2ndSite Inc · 4.7 ★ · 10,978 ratings · US App Store_ **Invoicing and accounting with billable time** FreshBooks combines invoicing and accounting, with receipts, mileage and billable time added to invoices, on a subscription. For a consultant who wants the books in the same place as the invoices, it does what iTimeSheet deliberately does not. - **Strengths:** Invoicing plus accounting; Receipts and mileage; Large US rating base - **Limits:** Subscription and account; Data on the vendor's servers; Time tracking is secondary - **Best for:** A consultant who wants invoicing and accounting in one subscription. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 4. Zoho Invoice: Best free invoicing with a client portal _Zoho Corporation · 4.9 ★ · 14,843 ratings · US App Store_ **Free invoicing with a client portal** Zoho Invoice is free and offers estimates, payment reminders, a client portal and project time tracking, with a Zoho account, and it is well rated on nearly fifteen thousand US ratings. Free is hard to beat; the trade-off is that client data lives in Zoho's cloud. - **Strengths:** Free; Estimates, reminders and client portal; Project time tracking - **Limits:** Zoho account required; Data on the vendor's servers; Time tracking less central - **Best for:** A consultant who wants free cloud invoicing with a portal. - **Pricing:** Free ### 5. Timemator: Best private tracker, paid once _Gleb Kotov · 4.7 ★ · 170 ratings · US App Store_ **Pay once, track privately, report to the client** Timemator is a one-time purchase with no account, iCloud sync, hourly rates and earnings, a Live Activity and a PDF report for clients. It does not invoice, so it fits a consultant who bills from elsewhere and values privacy. - **Strengths:** One-time purchase; No account; PDF report for clients - **Limits:** No invoices or quotes; Folder and task model; Small US rating base - **Best for:** A consultant who invoices elsewhere and prefers to pay once. - **Pricing:** One-time purchase ### 6. It’s About Time: Best simple pay-once log _Advanced Logistics Group Inc. · 5.0 ★ · 1 ratings · US App Store_ **A pay-once tracker aimed at consultants and lawyers** It's About Time is a one-time purchase at $4.99 on the US store, with local data, iCloud sync and export, aimed at consultants and lawyers. It does not invoice, and it had a single US rating on the date above, so there is little to judge beyond the listing. - **Strengths:** One-time purchase; Local data with iCloud sync; Export - **Limits:** No invoicing; One US rating; iPhone only - **Best for:** A consultant who wants a simple paid tracker with local data. - **Pricing:** One-time purchase ### 7. Toggl Track: Best for web dashboard reporting _Toggl OU · 4.8 ★ · 9,593 ratings · US App Store_ **The web dashboard option** Toggl Track is free on iPhone and syncs to a Toggl account, with deeper reports in the web app and no invoicing in the iPhone app. It suits a consultant who works mostly at a desk and invoices through another tool. - **Strengths:** Free iPhone app; Web reports; Widely used, well rated - **Limits:** Account required; No invoicing in the iPhone app; Data on the vendor's servers - **Best for:** A consultant who tracks on the phone and reports from a browser. - **Pricing:** Free iPhone app, paid web plans ## Side by side | App | Account required | Where your data lives | Invoices | Receipt photos | Platforms | Pricing | Rating | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | iTimeSheet | No | Your iPhone (your iCloud for backup) | Yes (Studio) | Yes (Pro) | iPhone + Apple Watch | Free plan, paid plans | 5.0 ★ (1) | | Harvest | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | Yes | iPhone + web/other | Free plan, paid plans | 4.5 ★ (2,708) | | FreshBooks | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | Yes | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.7 ★ (10,978) | | Zoho Invoice | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | Yes | iPhone + web/other | Free | 4.9 ★ (14,843) | | Timemator | No | Your iPhone (your iCloud for backup) | No | — | iPhone + Apple Watch | One-time purchase | 4.7 ★ (170) | | It’s About Time | No | Your iPhone (your iCloud for backup) | No | — | iPhone | One-time purchase | 5.0 ★ (1) | | Toggl Track | Yes | Vendor's servers | No | — | iPhone + web/other | Free iPhone app, paid web plans | 4.8 ★ (9,593) | _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ## How to choose - Pick Harvest if you want time, expenses and invoices in the cloud with a web dashboard. - Pick FreshBooks if you want your bookkeeping and invoicing in the same subscription. - Pick Zoho Invoice if you want free invoicing with estimates, reminders and a client portal. - Pick Timemator if you invoice elsewhere and want a private tracker you pay for once. - Pick It's About Time if a simple, pay-once log with local data is all you need. - Pick Toggl Track if you work mostly at a desk and want reports in a browser. - Pick iTimeSheet if you sell your own time and want quotes, deposits, invoices and retainer reminders from the same entries on the phone, with overruns visible while there is still time to talk about them. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best time tracking app for independent consultants? For cloud invoicing with a web dashboard, Harvest; with accounting included, FreshBooks; for free, Zoho Invoice. For the independent consultant who wants the whole loop on an iPhone without an account, we rank iTimeSheet first: quotes become invoices, deposits are one tap from an accepted quote, retainers are prompted monthly, and the hours behind each engagement stay in the same app. ### Can work on a flight be logged? In iTimeSheet, yes. Everything is stored on the phone and never needs a server, so the timer and entries work in airplane mode, and the Apple Watch queues taps and backdates them on reconnection. Only the iCloud backup and App Store purchases need a network. ### Where are clients and rates stored? In iTimeSheet, in a local SQLite database on the iPhone, with no account, no vendor server, no analytics SDK and no ads. Backup is a single file in the user's own iCloud Drive, daily from Essential. Harvest, FreshBooks, Zoho Invoice and Toggl Track store data in their own clouds. ### What goes on a US invoice, and what about 1099s? A US invoice needs the business identity, the client, the work and the amount; sales tax rules on services vary by state. Clients that pay a contractor may ask for a W-9 and later send a 1099. iTimeSheet's US layout carries the header, sequential numbering, payment details and free-text instructions; tax filing stays with your accountant. ### Does the retainer invoice go out automatically? Not in iTimeSheet. Studio sends a monthly notification reminding you to bill recurring clients, and the Invoices tab shows the amount; the PDF is generated and sent by you. It is marked paid when the money arrives, and if it does not, the overdue reminder has a chase e-mail ready. ### What does it cost for an independent consultant? iTimeSheet's free tier covers 3 clients and 2 entries a day. Essential is $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr, Pro $7.99/mo or $59.99/yr, and Studio, with quotes and invoices, $9.99/mo or $89.99/yr on the US store. Studio has no trial but a watermarked invoice preview with your data. Subscriptions run through Apple, and cancelling never locks data. ## The bottom line For a web dashboard and invoicing across devices, Harvest, FreshBooks or Zoho Invoice do the job in the cloud. Consultants who invoice elsewhere can keep a private, pay-once log with Timemator or It's About Time. For the independent consultant who sells their own time, iTimeSheet is the first install: quote, hours, invoice and the retainer reminder come from the same entries, and the overrun shows up while there is still time to discuss it, with the client list kept on the phone. --- _Method: ratings and review counts come from the US App Store on October 15, 2026; features come from each app’s own App Store listing. iTimeSheet is our app, and it was held to the same criteria as the others. No affiliate links._ ## Other guides - iTimeSheet for independent consultants: the product page: - The 7 best time tracking apps for consultants in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for freelance designers and developers in 2026: - The 6 best time tracking apps for lawyers in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for people who bill by the hour in 2026: - Guides: - llms.txt: · agents.md: