Clockify Alternatives for UK Freelancers 2026: The Honest Comparison
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Why People Are Actually Leaving Clockify in 2026
Most roundups of Clockify alternatives open by saying its free tier is famously generous and that the current limits are hard to pin down. The limits are knowable, and they are the reason this article exists.
Clockify’s free plan is capped at five users, including you, from around April 2026. It was unlimited before that. Two things also moved out of the free plan at the same time: billable rates and kiosk mode.
So there are three real reasons to look elsewhere, and they point to different answers:
- You have more than five people. Clockify now charges from user six.
- You bill by the hour and want it free. Billable rates are no longer in the free plan.
- You want invoicing in the same tool. Clockify puts that on Standard.
Which matters, because the tool most often recommended as the alternative has exactly the same five-user cap — and for reason two, the honest answer turns out to be that nothing here beats Clockify. More on that at the end.
The Free Tiers, Compared Properly
This is the table that decides most of these decisions.
| Tool | Free tier |
|---|---|
| TimeCamp | Unlimited users and projects — no invoicing |
| Clockify | 5 users — no billable rates, no invoicing |
| Toggl Track | 5 users — same cap |
| Harvest | 1 seat, 2 projects |
| Timeular | None — 30-day trial |
| FreeAgent | None — free with some bank accounts |
If you are leaving Clockify because five users is not enough, TimeCamp is the only option here that solves it. Toggl Track caps at five as well.
One Note on Currency, Because It Changes Every Number
Every tool below except FreeAgent prices in US dollars. Quoting them in pounds — Toggl at “£9”, Harvest at “£10.80”, TimeCamp at “£2.99”, Timeular at “£7.50” — treats a dollar figure as a sterling one and overstates the cost by about a third.
A dollar price converts to a smaller pound number. VAT at 20% is what adds to your bill, after conversion.
Sterling figures below convert at roughly £1 = $1.33, the rate in late October 2026, and exclude VAT. The rate moves; check when you buy.
The Alternatives
1. TimeCamp — The Only One That Fixes the User Cap
Free tier: Unlimited users, unlimited projects, timesheets, GPS tracking Paid from: $3.99 per user per month annually (~£3.00), $5.49 monthly Higher tiers: Premium $6.99 annual, Ultimate $9.99 annual Invoicing: From Starter, $3.99 — the cheapest invoicing on this list Billable rates: Ultimate, $9.99 — three tiers up
TimeCamp is underrated in UK freelancer circles and in 2026 it has a specific claim: its free plan has no user limit. If a growing team is what pushed you off Clockify, this is the answer and nothing else here competes.
It also offers automatic tracking — the desktop app logs which applications and websites you use and categorises the time, rather than relying on you starting a timer. That suits people who switch tasks quickly and find manual timers disruptive.
Two things to know. Whether automatic tracking is included on the free plan is genuinely unclear — sources disagree, with one listing it across all plans and another placing the AI tracker at Ultimate. Confirm in a trial if that is your reason for choosing it.
And billable rates sit at Ultimate, $9.99. So “budget-friendly with invoicing included” is true — invoicing is $3.99 — but if you need rate-based billing, TimeCamp is the most expensive option here, not the cheapest.
Honest downside: the interface is less polished than Toggl or Harvest, and automatic tracking raises privacy questions on a shared machine. Pointed at employees rather than yourself, it becomes a data protection exercise with a lawful basis, privacy information and very likely a DPIA attached. Our Clockify and TimeCamp comparison covers that in detail.
2. Toggl Track — Best Experience, Same Cap as Clockify
Free tier: Up to 5 users, unlimited time tracking, basic reports Paid from: $9 per user per month on annual billing (~£6.77) Billable rates: Starter and above Profitability analysis: Premium Invoicing: None native — integrates with Xero, QuickBooks and FreshBooks
Toggl Track is the most polished time tracker here. The timer is a browser extension click or a keyboard shortcut, it syncs instantly, and the mobile app is quick enough that you will actually use it mid-task rather than reconstructing your day at 6pm.
That matters more than it sounds. The enemy of accurate tracking is not forgetting, it is friction — if starting a timer takes more than a couple of seconds, the habit dies inside a fortnight. Toggl removes almost all of it.
The Xero integration is a genuine plus for UK freelancers, since Xero is what a lot of UK bookkeepers already use.
But be clear about what it does not fix. Toggl’s free tier also caps at five users, so if that is why you are leaving Clockify, this is a sideways move. And at $9 for Starter against Clockify’s $3.99 for Basic, billable rates cost you more than twice as much here.
Honest downside: no built-in invoicing, so you will need something else for billing. Note also that published figures for Toggl’s tiers are inconsistent across sources — $9 for Starter on annual billing is the figure most consistently reported, with monthly quoted anywhere from $9 to $12. Check before committing.
3. Harvest — Invoicing Built In, and a 2026 Price Rise
Free tier: 1 seat, 2 projects — a hard cap Paid plans: Teams and Enterprise (plus Enterprise Plus on request) — not “Pro” Teams: around $9 annual, $11 monthly (~£6.77 / £8.27) Enterprise: around $14 annual, $17.50 monthly Invoicing: Yes, built in — send invoices from logged time Exports: CSV, PDF, integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, Stripe, PayPal
Harvest is the option that removes a tool from your stack. Log hours, mark them billable, generate the invoice in the same interface — no export, no copy-paste.
The timer is solid across browser extension, desktop and mobile. Not quite Toggl’s standard on the frictionless-start test, but close enough not to break the habit.
Two corrections worth having before you choose it. The plans are Teams and Enterprise; there is no Pro plan. And Harvest raised prices in July 2026 — one price history records the top tier moving from $9 to $14 a month, a 55% increase. There are also unverified user reports of much steeper rises and of usage-based pricing not shown on the public page, following Harvest’s acquisition by Bending Spoons. Treat those reports as unconfirmed, but get your renewal terms in writing.
Honest downside: the free tier’s two-project cap is a real limit — more than two active clients and you are paying. And published monthly and annual figures conflict across sources, which is not a great sign in a year when the pricing moved.
4. Timeular — For People Who Have Given Up on Apps
Free tier: None — 30-day trial, full features Paid from: $7.50 per user per month annually (~£5.64), $9.50 monthly Team plan: $15.80 annual, $19 monthly The physical tracker: $69 one-off, and optional Invoicing: None
Timeular’s distinctive feature is an eight-sided device that sits on your desk. Flip it to the side labelled for a project and the timer starts; flip it blank and it stops.
One correction that changes what you are buying. The die is optional and sold separately at $69 — Timeular is a software subscription first, and the tracker is an accessory. Descriptions that present it as “a physical eight-sided die” make it sound like the product is hardware. It is not; you can subscribe and never buy the device.
The behavioural argument for the device is real, though. The reason most freelancers have abandoned three or four trackers is that the habit does not stick, and an object on your desk is a reminder in a way a browser tab never is. Some people genuinely track more accurately with it.
The companion app gives clean dashboards, decent reports and CSV export, and it pairs with whatever you use for billing.
Honest downside: no free tier, no invoicing, and the hardware adds $69 if you want the part that makes it distinctive. Not ideal if you work across multiple locations or mostly from a phone.
5. FreeAgent — Everything in One Place, and Genuinely UK-Built
Free tier: None — free with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Mettle business accounts Paid: £19 a month for sole traders, £29 partnerships, £39 limited companies, ex-VAT — priced in sterling, and not per seat Invoicing: Yes, comprehensive MTD: Compatible, with HMRC submission
FreeAgent is not primarily a time tracker — it is a full accounting platform built for UK sole traders. But it includes time tracking, and for anyone who wants one product handling hours, invoicing, expenses, tax estimates and MTD filing, it belongs on this list.
The time tracking is basic next to Toggl or TimeCamp, but adequate if you bill by the hour: log time, attach it to a project, raise the invoice. The value is that it sits alongside your P&L, tax timeline and bank feeds.
The thing worth knowing: if you bank with NatWest, RBS or Mettle, FreeAgent is included at no cost — which makes the comparison with a $3.99 time tracker look very different. Mettle requires at least one transaction a month to keep it free. Our FreeAgent review covers the detail.
Note too that this is the only option here priced in pounds and not per seat, so £19 is £19 regardless of the exchange rate.
Honest downside: the time tracking is functional rather than good. If you want detailed time analytics or team tracking, you will outgrow it.
If Billable Rates Are Why You Are Looking, Stay
This is the conclusion an alternatives article is not supposed to reach, and the numbers are clear.
Billable rates left Clockify’s free plan in April 2026, which is a legitimate reason to shop around. But here is what they cost elsewhere:
| Tool | Billable rates from |
|---|---|
| Clockify | Basic, $3.99 (~£3.00) |
| Toggl Track | Starter, $9 (~£6.77) |
| TimeCamp | Ultimate, $9.99 (~£7.51) |
Clockify is less than half the price of either alternative for the thing you came here to replace. And for invoicing plus billable rates together, Clockify Standard at $5.49 still undercuts TimeCamp Ultimate at $9.99.
So if the April change pushed you to look, the proportionate response is probably Clockify Basic at about £3.60 a month including VAT, not a different vendor. Our Clockify pricing guide sets out every tier, and using Clockify for UK client billing covers the setup.
Leave for the user cap, the interface, or built-in invoicing. Those are good reasons. Leaving over billable rates costs you money.
Making Tax Digital: Where These Tools Sit
MTD for Income Tax is not coming — it has applied since 6 April 2026 to sole traders and landlords with more than £50,000 of qualifying income, measured on gross income before expenses. Thresholds fall to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028.
In scope, you file quarterly updates by 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May, then a Final Declaration by 31 January. The quarterly filings are in addition to that year-end submission, not instead of it.
FreeAgent is the only tool here that files. Toggl, TimeCamp, Harvest, Timeular and Clockify are time trackers — they feed accounting software, which submits. What a quarterly cycle changes is that your records need to be current four times a year, so a clean handoff from tracker to accounts matters more than it did. Our guide to MTD for VAT against MTD for Income Tax sets out which applies to you.
FAQ
Is Clockify still worth using in 2026?
Yes, with the caveat the roundups miss: the free plan now caps at five users and excludes billable rates. For unlimited time tracking within five users it remains strong, and at $3.99 for Basic it is the cheapest route to billable rates of anything here.
Which alternative has the most generous free plan?
TimeCamp — unlimited users and projects, and the only tool here that solves Clockify’s five-user cap. Toggl Track caps at five, the same as Clockify.
Are these prices in pounds?
No. Every tool here except FreeAgent prices in US dollars, so the sterling cost is lower than the figure suggests, with VAT added after conversion. FreeAgent is the exception at £19 a month flat.
Which has invoicing built in?
Harvest (from its free tier, though PDF export needs a paid plan or connected Stripe), TimeCamp from Starter at $3.99, Clockify from Standard at $5.49, and FreeAgent comprehensively. Toggl Track and Timeular have none.
Did Harvest put its prices up?
Yes. A July 2026 increase is on record, with one price history showing the top tier moving from $9 to $14 a month. There are also unverified reports of steeper rises after its acquisition. Get renewal terms in writing.
Do I have to buy Timeular’s physical tracker?
No. It is optional, $69 one-off, and sold separately from the subscription. Timeular works as software alone.
Which works best with Xero or QuickBooks?
Toggl Track, Harvest and TimeCamp all connect to both. FreeAgent has its own accounting engine, so it replaces them for most sole traders rather than connecting.
What is the single most important feature?
How quickly you can start and stop a timer. Every tool here gives you reports and exports. What separates the ones people use from the ones that gather dust is friction. Test the timer on your phone and desktop before paying.
Which Should You Choose?
If you outgrew Clockify’s five users: TimeCamp, free and uncapped. The only one that genuinely fixes it.
If you want the best timer experience: Toggl Track, and it is noticeably the smoothest. Just know it caps free at five users too, and billable rates cost $9.
If you want invoicing in the same tool: Harvest or TimeCamp Starter at $3.99. Harvest is more polished; check its 2026 pricing carefully before you commit.
If you have abandoned three trackers already: Timeular, with the $69 device as the optional part that makes it work.
If you bank with NatWest, RBS or Mettle: FreeAgent, free with the account, doing your invoicing, tax estimates and MTD filing as well as basic time tracking. Hard to argue with at £0.
And if billable rates are the reason you are here: stay on Clockify and pay $3.99 for Basic. It is cheaper than every alternative on this page for exactly that feature.
Whatever you pick, test the timer first. Everything else is secondary. For the workflow around it, see tracking billable hours as a UK freelancer, and for the agency end of the market our Clockify and Harvest comparison.
Pricing and features correct at time of writing. All tools except FreeAgent price in US dollars; sterling figures are illustrative conversions at $1.33 and exclude VAT. Clockify changed its free plan in April 2026 and Harvest changed prices in July 2026 — confirm current details on each provider’s website before purchasing. This article is general information, not tax or legal advice; confirm your MTD position with HMRC or a qualified adviser, and take advice before monitoring employees.