Time is one of the most valuable resources a designer has—whether you’re a freelance UI/UX specialist, a branding consultant, or part of an in-house creative team. Every minute you spend toggling between apps, struggling to log hours, or manually compiling timesheets is time lost from creating. Over the years, I’ve tested and used a variety of time tracking apps for designers, and I’ve learned that not all tools are built the same—especially when it comes to the fluid and creative nature of design work.

This post is not just a rundown of features or a sales pitch for a single app. It’s a hands-on exploration of what actually works for designers in the real world, where creativity, client expectations, and project complexity all intersect.

Why Time Tracking Matters in Design

Before diving into which app might be best, it’s worth pausing to consider why time tracking is so essential for designers. First, it provides clarity—not just to clients, but to you as a professional. Understanding how long specific tasks take, whether it’s wireframing, prototyping, or revising mockups, helps you estimate future work more accurately and avoid undercharging.

Second, it builds trust. When clients see a clear breakdown of your time and effort, it enhances transparency and justifies your fees. Lastly, time tracking supports better project management. If you’re juggling multiple clients or internal projects, having an accurate log of your hours can help you prioritize better and avoid burnout.

The Challenge: Designers Don’t Work in Straight Lines

One of the main challenges with finding a great time tracking app for designers is that creative work rarely follows a strict linear process. Some days are filled with inspiration, while others are spent wrestling with revisions or absorbing feedback. And unlike more administrative or development roles, designers often shift between tools and platforms: Figma, Adobe Suite, Sketch, Slack, and project management tools like Asana or Trello.

A good time tracking app must be flexible, non-intrusive, and smart enough to keep up with this unique rhythm. It shouldn’t interrupt the flow—it should enhance it.

What to Look For in a Designer-Friendly Time Tracker

In my experience, there are a few must-haves when evaluating any time tracking software for design work:

• Ease of use: The interface should be intuitive. You shouldn’t have to watch a tutorial every time you log a new project.

• Passive tracking options: Apps that track time based on activity or app usage can be great for those who forget to start timers manually.

• Project tagging and task breakdowns: Being able to tag specific tasks or clients helps with accurate billing and better organization.

• Integrations with design tools: If it connects seamlessly with Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud, or your favorite PM tool, that’s a big plus.

• Reporting and exporting: Clean reports you can send to clients or use internally to evaluate productivity.

Let’s look at the top contenders based on these criteria.

My Top Pick: Toggl Track

After trying a range of apps, Toggl Track consistently stands out as the best overall time tracking app for designers. It’s not perfect for every single workflow, but for most design professionals—especially freelancers and small teams—it hits that sweet spot between simplicity and sophistication.

What I love most about Toggl is its lightweight, no-fuss interface. You can start tracking time in just a click, add tags and clients, and even color-code your projects. It also integrates well with popular tools like Asana, Trello, and even your calendar. And for those days when you forget to hit “start,” Toggl’s desktop app gently nudges you with reminders or auto-tracking based on app activity.

The reporting dashboard is another standout. You can generate weekly summaries, export timesheets, or view time logs by project, client, or task. This is particularly useful if you bill clients hourly or want to analyze how much time you’re really spending on revisions versus ideation.

For teams, Toggl allows project sharing and collaborative tracking, which is great when you’re working with copywriters, developers, or other creatives.

A Close Second: Harvest

Harvest is another strong option, particularly for those who need invoicing baked into their time tracking solution. I’ve used Harvest on several client engagements where tracking time and sending invoices needed to be part of the same workflow.

The interface is sleek, and it offers both manual and automatic time tracking. You can create tasks within projects, assign billable rates, and automatically generate invoices based on your hours. Harvest also integrates well with tools like Basecamp, QuickBooks, and Zapier.

The downside? It’s more business-focused, which means the user interface and features may feel a bit heavy for solo designers or those just looking for a simple tracking tool. But if you’re managing multiple clients and need a billing system as well, Harvest is a solid choice.

For Passive Tracking: Timing (Mac Only)

If you’re a Mac user and want a completely passive time tracking experience, Timing might be your best bet. Unlike Toggl or Harvest, which rely on timers, Timing automatically tracks how you spend your time based on the apps and websites you use.

It’s especially great for those moments when you’re deep in Photoshop for an hour, then switch to email, then jump into a Figma prototype. Timing logs it all in the background and categorizes your time based on your rules.

While the automatic aspect is impressive, it does take a bit of setup to get the categories and reporting the way you want them. Also, it’s not as strong when it comes to team-based tracking or invoicing, so it’s best suited for freelancers or solo creatives.

Honorable Mentions

While Toggl, Harvest, and Timing cover most use cases, there are a few others worth mentioning:

Clockify is a free and surprisingly feature-rich tool that supports unlimited tracking and projects. It’s a great starting point for new freelancers on a budget.

RescueTime is more of a productivity tracking tool than a pure time tracker, but it’s helpful if you’re trying to build better work habits and understand where your creative energy is going.

Everhour is another powerful option for teams, especially if you’re deeply embedded in tools like Notion, Asana, or Trello. It provides detailed task-level tracking and integrates directly with those platforms.

Real-World Example: My Workflow with Toggl

Let me walk you through a typical day and how I use Toggl in real life. When I sit down at my desk, I usually check my Google Calendar, which is synced with Toggl through a Chrome extension. If I have a design review at 10:00 AM and a Figma session planned for the afternoon, I create blocks ahead of time in Toggl so I can start tracking with one click.

While working on wireframes, I label the time entry under “Client X – Wireframes” and tag it with “UX” and “billable.” If I jump into a quick brainstorm or ideation sketch, I just start a new entry with a different tag. At the end of the week, I review the reports to see how much time I spent on creative versus administrative work and adjust my priorities accordingly.

This kind of transparency helps me see not only how productive I am but also which clients are the most time-intensive. It’s a small habit that’s made a massive difference in how I price my services and manage my creative energy.

Final Thoughts: It’s About Fit, Not Just Features

Ultimately, the best time tracking app for designers is the one that fits seamlessly into your creative process. If you need simplicity and reliability, Toggl is probably your best bet. If you want invoicing, Harvest wins. If you crave automatic tracking with zero manual input, Timing might be perfect.

What matters most is that your time tracker supports your design process rather than interrupting it. Choose a tool that helps you stay accountable, gain insights into your work habits, and communicate your value to clients with clarity.

In the ever-changing world of design, where inspiration is often spontaneous and deadlines are always looming, having the right time tracking app can make the difference between chaos and control.

If you haven’t tried a tracker yet, start small. Try one for a week. The insights you’ll gain are worth far more than the time it takes to set it up.