# The 7 best time tracking apps for painters and decorators in 2026 By **Jeff** · Updated October 15, 2026 Canonical HTML: · App Store: > A painter quotes a house room by room and finds out which room was priced wrong around the second coat on the hallway ceiling. The fixed price is the deal; the hours are how the next quote improves. The app that fits this trade logs each room as its own line, keeps the paint-store receipt on the job, starts from the wrist, and turns the accepted quote into the invoice. We compared seven iPhone apps on that basis. ## Quick answer Quick answer: Joist and Invoice Simple are the fastest way to produce fixed-price estimates and invoices if the hours do not matter to you. Time Squared suits a painter who invoices elsewhere and wants hours and photos per house. For the painter who quotes per room, works alone or with a helper and sends their own invoices, iTimeSheet is our pick: rooms as tasks, paint receipts on the job, and the accepted quote converted to the invoice. Painters who work fixed-price face a quiet problem: the invoice never tells them whether the price was right. The client pays for the living room, the hallway and two bedrooms; nobody records that the hallway ceiling took four hours instead of two. Invoice makers handle the paperwork beautifully and ignore the hours, while hour trackers ignore the quote. A painter needs both, on the same house. The seven apps below were compared on the US App Store, against the criteria that follow, with facts drawn from each listing and ratings dated at the top of the page. iTimeSheet is our app; we held it to the same criteria and list its limits as clearly as anyone else's. ## What to look for We ranked for a trade that sells fixed prices, works in someone's living room and learns its real margins one ceiling at a time. - **Rooms as lines under the job** — Living room, hallway, two bedrooms and trim each need their own hours, so the next quote can be priced from what the last one actually took. - **Fixed price on the invoice, hours in the report** — The client agreed a price and the invoice should show that price. The hours should still exist, for the painter, in a report nobody else sees. - **Paint and sundries on the job** — Two gallons of eggshell, tape and a drop cloth belong to that house. The receipt should be photographed at the counter and attached before the job is forgotten. - **Starts without clean hands** — A tap on the Watch or the Lock Screen at the top of the ladder. Anything that needs the passcode and a clean thumb will not get tapped. - **Quote to invoice without re-typing** — The accepted quote is the invoice minus a date. The app should convert one into the other, take a deposit on the way and chase late payment. - **A history that stays yours** — Which houses, which rooms, how long and at what price is how the next job gets quoted. We favored apps that keep that file on the phone. ## The ranking _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ### 1. iTimeSheet: Best for painters who quote per room — _5.0 ★ · 1 ratings · US App Store_ **Rooms as tasks, the fixed price on the invoice, the hours in your pocket** For a painter, the Client, Mission and Task tree reads as client, house and room, with trim and prep as their own tasks if useful. Rates cascade from the client, so a time-and-materials job bills at the client rate while a Saturday touch-up gets an override on that entry. The timer starts from the app or the Apple Watch, and on Pro from the Lock Screen or a widget; moving from the hallway to the bedroom is one tap and saves the hallway entry with its hours. Week and Month views show what each room took, and from Essential, Reports drill from the client into each house. Fixed-price work fits the Studio tier: the quote lives in its own ledger, a deposit invoice at 20, 30 or 50 percent can go out for paint money, and when the last coat is dry the quote converts to an invoice in one tap with a logo, yearly sequential numbering, the US layout and payment details. The final invoice does not deduct the deposit automatically, so it is accounted for by hand. The hours logged per room stay in the app for reports, which is where they belong on a fixed-price job. On Pro, paint-store receipts are photographed and attached to expenses on the house. Slow payers get an overdue reminder with the e-mail pre-filled, and a credit note cancels a wrong invoice. Data stays in a local database on the phone, with no account, no vendor server and no analytics SDK; manual iCloud backup on every tier, automatic daily backup from Essential. The limits: iPhone and Apple Watch only, no iPad version yet, one user with no crew timesheets, no estimates priced from photos or a catalogue, no e-signature on quotes and no accounting connector beyond a configurable CSV. - **Strengths:** Rooms as tasks under each house, with hours per room in Week and Month views; Quotes with their own ledger, deposit invoices and one-tap conversion to invoice on Studio; Paint-store receipts photographed and attached to the house on Pro; No account and no vendor cloud; Watch taps queue offline and are backdated - **Limits:** No estimating from photos or from a catalogue; Single user: no crew timesheets, no scheduling; iPhone and Apple Watch only; no web app, no iPad yet, no Android; A single rating on the US store since the July 2026 relaunch - **Best for:** A self-employed painter or decorator, alone or with one helper, who quotes per room, works fixed-price and sends their own invoices. - **Pricing:** Free covers 3 clients and 2 entries a day. Essential is $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr for unlimited entries, expense lines, drill-down reports, CSV and PDF export, and daily iCloud backup. Pro is $7.99/mo or $59.99/yr for receipt photos, the expense presets and widgets. Studio is $9.99/mo or $89.99/yr for quotes, deposit invoices, invoices and credit notes; it has no free trial, but a watermarked invoice preview shows the PDF with your own figures first. > ★★★★★ **App works great** — « I have had this app for a while now. I am a freelancer and it is a must have. I use it everyday to keep track of my time for each individual client. It works great on my iPhone 4. » > — LeeCope, App Store review · United States · 2010 ### 2. Joist: Best for signed fixed-price estimates _Joist Software Inc. · 4.8 ★ · 14,324 ratings · US App Store_ **The estimate signed in the living room, paid from the phone** Joist builds the per-room estimate on the phone during the walkthrough, collects the client's e-signature, takes payment and sends the invoice, on a free plan with paid tiers and an account. It has no timer, so it will never show that the hallway ceiling took four hours instead of two. For a painter who only sells fixed prices and does not need the hours, it may be enough on its own. - **Strengths:** Fast estimates and invoices with e-signature; Payments from the phone; Free plan - **Limits:** No time tracking; Account required; documents on the vendor's servers; Useful extras in paid plans - **Best for:** A painter who sells fixed-price jobs and wants a signed estimate before the first drop cloth goes down. - **Pricing:** Free plan, paid plans ### 3. Billdu: Best for invoices with receipt capture _BILLDU LTD · 4.8 ★ · 26,237 ratings · US App Store_ **Invoices, estimates and receipt capture, with a US focus** Billdu makes invoices and estimates and captures receipts, the one feature the other invoice makers here leave out. It is a subscription with an account, runs on more than Apple devices and is aimed at the US market, with more than twenty-six thousand US ratings. It has no time tracking. Next to iTimeSheet, it matches on receipts, beats it on platforms and loses on hours and on where the data lives. - **Strengths:** Invoices and estimates with receipt capture; Large, well-rated US user base; Runs on more than iPhone - **Limits:** No time tracking; Subscription and account; data on the vendor's servers; Nothing on hours per room - **Best for:** A painter who wants receipts captured inside the invoicing app and bills fixed prices. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 4. FieldQuote: Best for quotes priced from photos _Sans Software, LLC · 4.7 ★ · 291 ratings · US App Store_ **AI-priced quotes from photos, launched in December 2025** FieldQuote prices a quote from photos of the job, a tempting idea for a painter walking through a house, and it handles the invoice too. It is iOS-only, a subscription with an account, and it launched in December 2025, so its 291 US ratings are a short track record. There is no time tracking. If photo-priced quotes suit your jobs, it does something no other app here does. - **Strengths:** Quotes priced from photos; Invoicing included; Focused on the field quote - **Limits:** Launched December 2025; short track record; Subscription and account; vendor cloud; No time tracking - **Best for:** A painter who wants quotes drafted from photos and is comfortable with a young product. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 5. Invoice Simple: Best for the fastest invoice _Zenvoice Inc. · 4.9 ★ · 122,817 ratings · US App Store_ **The invoice maker with over a hundred thousand ratings, and no clock** Invoice Simple does invoices, estimates and receipts in seconds, with a free trial then a subscription and an optional account. It has more than a hundred and twenty thousand US ratings as of the date above, more than any other app on this page. It does not track time at all; for a painter who wants the quickest fixed-price invoice and keeps hours elsewhere, it is a safe pick. - **Strengths:** Very fast invoices, estimates and receipts; Huge, well-rated user base; Account optional - **Limits:** No time tracking; Subscription after the trial; Nothing on hours per room or margins - **Best for:** A painter who wants the quickest invoice and estimate on the phone and bills by the job, never by the hour. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 6. Time Squared: Best for hours and photos per house _TSQ Publishing Corp. · 4.9 ★ · 2,430 ratings · US App Store_ **Hours and photos per house, feeding an invoice made elsewhere** Time Squared tracks hours per project with photo attachments, GPS punch in and out, mileage and project reports built to feed an invoice made in another app. The free tier shows ads and a premium subscription removes them; it is iOS-only with an optional account. For a painter invoicing from Joist or Invoice Simple, it is the natural companion, without quotes, deposits or credit notes. - **Strengths:** Projects with photos and mileage; GPS punch in and out; Project reports built for invoicing - **Limits:** No invoices in the app; Ads on the free tier; Premium features need a subscription - **Best for:** A painter with an invoicing app in place who wants hours and job photos per house. - **Pricing:** Free with in-app purchase ### 7. atWork: Best for painters on a crew _Sergej Steinbach · 4.8 ★ · 3,832 ratings · US App Store_ **Hours and pay with a Watch app, in 22 languages** atWork is a plain hours and pay tracker: clock in from the phone, the Watch or Siri, then export CSV, Excel or PDF timesheets. It backs up to iCloud, needs no account and comes in 22 languages. It has no invoices, quotes or receipts, and its job and client model is flatter than house and room; for a painter employed by a contractor, it does the job cheaply and well. - **Strengths:** No account, iCloud backup, Apple Watch and Siri; CSV, Excel and PDF timesheets; 22 interface languages - **Limits:** No invoicing, quotes or receipts; Job and client model only; Extra features are an in-app purchase - **Best for:** An employed painter keeping a personal record of hours and pay. - **Pricing:** Free with in-app purchase ## 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) | | Joist | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Free plan, paid plans | 4.8 ★ (14,324) | | Billdu | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | Yes | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.8 ★ (26,237) | | FieldQuote | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone | Subscription | 4.7 ★ (291) | | Invoice Simple | Optional | Your iPhone; optional cloud | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.9 ★ (122,817) | | Time Squared | Optional | Your iPhone; optional cloud | No | Yes | iPhone | Free with in-app purchase | 4.9 ★ (2,430) | | atWork | No | Your iPhone (your iCloud for backup) | No | — | iPhone + Apple Watch | Free with in-app purchase | 4.8 ★ (3,832) | _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ## How to choose - Pick Joist if you sell fixed prices and want the client's e-signature on the estimate before you start. - Pick Billdu if you want receipts captured inside your invoicing app and use more than one platform. - Pick FieldQuote if quotes priced from photos suit your jobs and a young product does not worry you. - Pick Invoice Simple if you only need the fastest possible invoice and never bill by the hour. - Pick Time Squared if you invoice elsewhere and want hours and photos per house. - Pick atWork if you are employed by a contractor and just want a record of hours and pay. - Pick iTimeSheet if you quote per room and invoice yourself: each room logged as a task, paint receipts on the house, a deposit from the accepted quote, and the quote converted to the invoice in one tap. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best time tracking app for painters? For fixed-price paperwork alone, Joist and Invoice Simple are the fastest. For hours and photos to feed an invoice made elsewhere, Time Squared fits. For the self-employed painter who quotes per room and sends their own invoices, we rank iTimeSheet first, because the hours per room, the paint receipts and the quote-to-invoice workflow sit on the same house, on the phone, without an account. ### Does the timer work in a house with no cell signal? iTimeSheet's does. Everything is stored on the phone and nothing waits for a server, so the timer, entries, receipts and reports work without signal. If only the Apple Watch is worn, it queues taps out of range and backdates them when the two reconnect. A connection is only needed for the iCloud backup and the App Store purchase. ### Where are clients and quotes stored? In iTimeSheet, in a local SQLite database on the iPhone, with no account, no vendor server, no analytics SDK and no ads. iCloud backup writes a single file to the user's own iCloud Drive, daily and automatic from Essential. Joist, Billdu and FieldQuote require an account and store documents on their servers; Invoice Simple and Time Squared make it optional. ### How does a fixed-price per-room quote become the invoice? In iTimeSheet Studio, the quote lives in its own numbered ledger. Once accepted, deposit invoices at 20, 30 or 50 percent can be issued. When the job is done, one tap converts the quote to an invoice with the year's sequential number, the logo and the US layout. The hours logged per room stay in the app for reports. Deposits are not deducted automatically, so they are accounted for with a line or a note. ### What does a painting invoice need in the US? There is no national list of mandatory invoice fields in the US beyond identifying the business, the client, the work and the amount; whether paint and labor carry sales tax depends on the state. iTimeSheet's Studio tier uses a US layout with yearly sequential numbering, the client's billing profile, payment terms and bank details, and it does not compute sales tax. ### What does it cost for one painter? 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, the tier with quotes and invoices, $9.99/mo or $89.99/yr on the US store. Essential and Pro have free trials; Studio offers a watermarked invoice preview instead. Subscriptions run through Apple, and cancelling never deletes or locks data. ## The bottom line If the only paperwork is the fixed-price document, Joist, Billdu or Invoice Simple produce it faster and ask nothing about hours, and FieldQuote is the interesting newcomer for photo-priced quotes. Painters who invoice elsewhere or work on a crew can keep their hours with Time Squared or atWork. For the painter who is the business, iTimeSheet is the first install: each room is a line under the house, the hours per room show which price held, the paint-store receipt sits on the job, and Studio turns the accepted quote into the invoice in one tap, with the whole history staying 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 painters and decorators: the product page: - The 7 best time tracking apps for carpenters and joiners in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for tilers in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for roofers in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for people who bill by the hour in 2026: - Guides: - llms.txt: · agents.md: