Time tracking for freelancers. Every hour on the invoice—no more Friday catch-up.

Why tracking hours pays off for freelancers

If you bill by the hour, every missed 15 minutes is money lost. On fixed-price projects, you need to know if the numbers still add up. And in the Netherlands, to claim the self-employed deduction, you have to show you meet the hours criterion of 1,225 hours a year—admin and business development count too.

A spreadsheet works—if you remember to update it every day. Half5 is built for the days you don’t.

How it works for freelancers

Set up your clients and projects, with a default rate and, if needed, custom rates per client or project. Non-billable work, like admin, goes under its own activity. Those hours are tracked, but don’t show up on invoices.

With Premium, the desktop app remembers what you worked on and suggests hours. With Basic, you log your time yourself—on desktop, phone, or web. Both plans include mileage tracking: your phone detects trips and you choose business, commute, or personal.

Invoicing from your hours

At month’s end, create a draft invoice for each client in Half5—only the billable hours that haven’t been invoiced yet. Review, download as PDF, or email it—optionally CC your accountant. If you use accounting software, send invoices to Moneybird, WeFact, e-Boekhouden, or Exact Online. Hours already invoiced can’t be billed again.

Reports show your hours by client and activity. Export your annual summary to PDF, Excel, or CSV for your tax return. Half5 doesn’t calculate the hours criterion for you—you’ll see your totals.

If you grow, Half5 grows with you

If you hire someone or team up with another freelancer, just add a user. Hour approval, leave, and employee reports are built in. See time tracking for teams.