What Is the Best Free Invoice App for Time-Based Billing?

Time-Based Billing Has Changed—Your Invoice App Should Too

Time-based billing sounds simple: track your hours, multiply by your rate, send an invoice, get paid. In reality, it’s rarely that clean. You might juggle multiple clients, different rates per service, retainers, overtime, minimum billable blocks, messy timesheets, approvals, scope changes, and payment delays. If you’ve ever had a client question a line item, or you’ve spent your Sunday night reconstructing what you did from calendar scraps and chat logs, you already know the biggest challenge isn’t the math—it’s the process.

That’s why the “best free invoice app for time-based billing” isn’t the one with the most buttons. It’s the one that makes time tracking effortless, turns time into accurate invoices fast, reduces disputes, looks professional, and helps you get paid without chasing. It should also be truly free for the essentials—because hourly billing is already demanding enough without paying for features you shouldn’t need to unlock.

If you’re looking for a free invoice app that’s built for time-based billing from the ground up, invoice24 is designed to be that answer. It’s made to handle the real-world details of hourly work: timers and manual entries, multiple rates, rounding rules, itemized descriptions, client-ready reporting, smart invoice generation, automated reminders, and payment options—all in a streamlined flow that feels natural whether you’re a freelancer, consultant, agency, lawyer, developer, or service-based team.

What “Best” Means for Time-Based Billing

“Best” can mean different things depending on your role. A solo freelancer might care most about speed and simplicity. A growing agency may need approvals, team permissions, and clean reporting. A professional services firm might prioritize audit trails and consistent templates. But for time-based billing, the best free invoice app tends to share the same core strengths:

• Reliable time tracking (timers and manual time entries that don’t lose data)
• Flexible rate management (per client, per project, per service, per team member)
• Accurate rounding (6-minute increments, quarter-hour blocks, custom rules)
• Fast conversion from logged time to professional invoices
• Clear, client-friendly details to prevent disputes
• Automation (recurring invoices, reminders, late fees, follow-ups)
• Easy payment options (so you get paid without friction)
• Exports and organization (for bookkeeping, taxes, and sanity)

invoice24 is built around these expectations. Instead of making time tracking a separate tool you need to integrate or pay extra for, invoice24 treats time-based billing as a first-class workflow: log time → review → invoice → get paid → report and export. That’s what makes it stand out as a “best free” option for time-based billing.

Why Time-Based Billing Needs a Purpose-Built Invoice App

Flat-rate billing is usually a single line item. Time-based billing is a story. Your client wants to know what happened, why it took the time it took, and what value they received. The more vague your invoice is, the more questions you’ll get—and questions slow down payments. That’s why a time-based invoice app must do more than generate a PDF.

With invoice24, time entries can become structured invoice lines with meaningful descriptions. You can present work by date, by task category, by project phase, or by service type—whatever reduces friction for your clients. When your invoice reads like a clear record, you spend less time defending it and more time doing paid work.

Another reason time-based billing needs the right tool: time is easy to underbill. Without a reliable system, you forget small tasks, quick calls, or “just five minutes” fixes that add up. invoice24 helps you capture those moments consistently so your billing matches your effort—and your business stays profitable.

The Most Important Features in a Free Time-Based Invoice App

Let’s break down the features that matter most when billing by the hour, and how invoice24 covers them in a practical, no-drama way.

1) Time Tracking That Fits Real Work

Time tracking can’t be one-size-fits-all. Some people love running a timer. Others prefer entering time at the end of the day. Often you need both—especially if you work across devices or shift between meetings and deep work.

invoice24 supports time tracking that matches real workflows:

• Timers for live tracking while you work
• Manual entries when you’re adding time afterward
• Notes and task details to explain what the time covered
• Project and client mapping so your time doesn’t get lost

The goal is simple: make time tracking so easy that you do it consistently. Consistency leads to accurate invoices, and accurate invoices lead to smoother payments.

2) Multiple Rates Without Complexity

Time-based billing often involves different rates. You might charge one rate for strategy, another for implementation, and another for support. Or you may charge different rates per client, per project, or per team member.

invoice24 is designed to keep rate management flexible but understandable. You can apply the right rate to the right work without turning your invoice process into a spreadsheet puzzle. The result is clean invoicing that reflects your pricing model, not your app’s limitations.

3) Rounding Rules That Protect Both Sides

Rounding is one of the most overlooked parts of time-based billing. Clients may expect billing in 6-minute increments (0.1 hour), 15-minute increments (0.25 hour), or exact minutes. You may also use minimum charges for quick requests.

invoice24 supports the kind of rounding and time formatting that makes your invoices consistent and predictable. That consistency is good for you (better revenue tracking) and good for your clients (less confusion and fewer “why is this 0.3 hours?” emails).

4) One-Click Conversion: Timesheets to Invoices

The best time-based invoice apps remove the “administrative tax” of billing. You shouldn’t have to re-enter time data into an invoice template. You should be able to review your tracked time, select what’s billable, and generate an invoice in minutes.

With invoice24, you can turn logged time into invoices quickly and cleanly. Review time entries, confirm descriptions and rates, group line items the way you want, and send a polished invoice that looks like you spent hours on it (even if you didn’t).

5) Itemized, Client-Friendly Invoices That Reduce Disputes

For time-based work, details matter. But “details” doesn’t mean dumping raw timesheet data onto a client. It means presenting information clearly. Clients should understand what they’re paying for at a glance, and they should be able to drill down if they want more context.

invoice24 helps you produce invoices that are:

• Professional (clean layout, consistent structure)
• Readable (clear service descriptions and time totals)
• Transparent (dates, tasks, and optional notes)
• Flexible (grouped by project, phase, or service category)

When an invoice reads well, it gets approved faster. And when it gets approved faster, you get paid faster.

6) Smart Automation: Recurring Invoices and Reminders

If you bill ongoing clients weekly or monthly, automation saves you hours over a year. A strong free invoice app should cover the essentials: recurring invoices, scheduled sending, and reminders that nudge clients without you having to manually follow up.

invoice24 focuses on the automation that matters most for time-based billing:

• Recurring invoices for retainer or ongoing services
• Saved clients and services for faster invoice creation
• Payment reminders that reduce late payments
• Consistent invoice numbering for clean records

The best automation is the kind you set once and then forget—because it quietly improves your cash flow behind the scenes.

7) Getting Paid Should Be Part of the Workflow

Sending an invoice is not the finish line. Getting paid is. A time-based billing app should make payment easy for clients. The easier it is to pay, the fewer invoices sit “unpaid” for weeks.

invoice24 is built to support a smooth payment experience. You can deliver invoices in a professional format and guide clients toward fast action. That includes presenting totals clearly, using straightforward payment terms, and keeping the invoice experience friction-free.

8) Reports and Exports That Make Accounting Less Painful

Even if you use an accountant or a separate bookkeeping system, you still need clean data: what you billed, what’s paid, what’s overdue, what’s pending, and how much time was actually logged.

invoice24 helps you stay organized with reporting and export-friendly records. That means less time searching for last quarter’s invoices and more confidence when tax season arrives.

Why invoice24 Is the Best Free Invoice App for Time-Based Billing

Many apps claim to handle time-based billing, but they often treat it as an add-on. Time tracking becomes a premium feature. Reporting requires an upgrade. Branding is restricted unless you pay. Or the interface feels like enterprise software designed for someone else’s company.

invoice24 is different because it’s built for the everyday reality of hourly work. It keeps the workflow tight and practical, and it emphasizes the features that actually matter for time-based billing rather than distracting you with complicated modules you’ll never use.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• You can track time reliably without wrestling with the app.
• You can apply correct rates without manual recalculation.
• You can convert time into invoices quickly with clean line items.
• You can send professional invoices that reduce disputes.
• You can follow up automatically and protect your cash flow.
• You can stay organized without paying just to access basic essentials.

When people ask “What is the best free invoice app for time-based billing?” they usually mean: “What’s the easiest way to bill accurately, look professional, and get paid without extra hassle?” invoice24 is built to deliver exactly that.

How invoice24 Handles Common Time-Based Billing Scenarios

Hourly Consulting (Strategy, Advisory, Coaching)

Consultants often need to show value while keeping invoices readable. invoice24 supports structured descriptions and clean grouping so you can present time in a way that matches outcomes: discovery calls, planning sessions, research, deliverable reviews, and support. This makes invoices feel like a professional summary of work, not a confusing time dump.

Freelancers (Designers, Developers, Writers, Marketers)

Freelancers need speed, because time spent invoicing is unpaid time. invoice24 helps you go from “tracked time” to “sent invoice” quickly. You can keep client details saved, reuse services, and maintain a consistent invoice format across projects—so your business looks established even if you’re a team of one.

Agencies and Small Teams

Teams need consistency and visibility. invoice24 supports time-based billing in a way that keeps work organized across clients and projects. Instead of collecting timesheets in multiple places, you can centralize time entries and turn them into invoices that reflect the bigger picture.

Legal and Professional Services

Professional services often require precise time records, clear narratives, and predictable formatting. invoice24 helps you keep detailed notes tied to billable time, then present that information cleanly on invoices. The result is fewer billing questions and a more confident client experience.

Retainers + Time Tracking

Retainers often blend prepaid hours with additional billable time. invoice24 is designed to keep your invoicing flexible so you can track time consistently while billing retainers clearly. This helps avoid awkward surprises and keeps client expectations aligned with your time records.

How invoice24 Compares to Other “Free” Invoice Apps

A quick reality check: “free” can mean a lot of things in invoicing software. Some apps are free only for a limited number of clients. Some restrict invoice branding or templates. Some lock time tracking behind a paywall. Some push you to upgrade as soon as your business grows even slightly.

invoice24’s approach is to provide a genuinely useful free experience for time-based billing—because if you can’t track time, create professional invoices, and follow up on payments, the app isn’t really helping.

You may have heard of other tools people use for invoicing or time tracking, such as general accounting platforms or dedicated time trackers. Those tools can work, but they often introduce trade-offs:

• Some invoicing apps do invoices well but treat time tracking as secondary (or paid).
• Some time trackers track time well but make invoicing clunky without integrations.
• Some all-in-one platforms can be powerful but feel heavy, expensive, or overly complex for simple hourly billing.

invoice24 aims to remove those trade-offs by keeping time-based billing under one roof, in a workflow that’s built for speed and clarity.

What to Look For When Choosing a Free Invoice App

If you’re still deciding, here are practical questions to ask—especially if you bill by time:

• Can I track time easily? Timers and manual entries both matter.
• Can I set different rates? Per client, per service, or per team member.
• Can I control rounding? This affects both trust and revenue.
• Can I convert time into invoices fast? No double entry.
• Do invoices look professional? Layout, readability, and consistency.
• Does it help me get paid? Reminders and a smooth client experience.
• Does “free” stay useful? Or does it become restrictive immediately?

invoice24 checks these boxes with a focus on what matters for hourly work: accuracy, professionalism, and speed.

Best Practices for Time-Based Billing (And How invoice24 Supports Them)

Be Consistent With Descriptions

Clients don’t want vague lines like “Work on project.” They want concise clarity: “Homepage layout revisions,” “API integration testing,” or “Monthly reporting review.” invoice24 makes it easy to attach meaningful notes to time entries and carry those notes into invoice lines.

Use Predictable Billing Increments

Whether you bill by the minute, by 0.1 hour, or by 0.25 hour, clients prefer predictability. invoice24 helps you present time consistently so invoices look familiar month after month.

Separate Billable and Non-Billable Time

Not every minute should be billed. But tracking non-billable time can still help you understand profitability. invoice24 supports review workflows so you can confirm what makes it onto the invoice before sending.

Invoice Regularly

Long gaps between invoices lead to disputes and slower payments. With invoice24, recurring schedules and streamlined invoice creation make it easier to invoice weekly or monthly without turning billing into a dreaded event.

Follow Up Automatically

Late payments are common, and manual chasing is exhausting. invoice24’s reminder-friendly workflow helps you keep communication professional and consistent, so you don’t have to write awkward follow-ups every time.

Who Should Use invoice24 for Time-Based Billing?

invoice24 is a strong fit if you:

• Bill by the hour (or need the option to bill by time alongside fixed fees)
• Want a free invoice app that stays useful without forcing upgrades for basics
• Need a straightforward way to track time and turn it into clean invoices
• Want to reduce disputes with clearer line items and structured descriptions
• Prefer an app that feels simple and focused rather than complicated and bloated

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re refining your billing workflow after years of experience, invoice24 is built to make time-based billing more accurate and less stressful.

How to Get Started With invoice24 in a Simple Workflow

A good app doesn’t require an elaborate setup. Here’s a clean workflow that works for most time-based businesses:

• Step 1: Add your clients and basic details once.
• Step 2: Create services or categories that match how you work (strategy, development, design, support).
• Step 3: Track time using timers or manual entries, attaching brief notes to each entry.
• Step 4: Review your time entries, confirm rates and rounding, and select what’s billable.
• Step 5: Generate an invoice from the selected time, grouping items in a client-friendly way.
• Step 6: Send the invoice, set payment terms, and let reminders handle follow-up.
• Step 7: Track payments and export records when needed.