For several years I occasionally freelance projects I earn, so tracking time is a condition more or less success. In addition, I wanted to find a free and universal system service, access to which I could get on iPhone, Mac OS X and PC. As a result, some searching, my choice has stopped on Toggl.
In truth, I did not want to use any serious applications like Billings, to study and which need adjustment was to spend a day or two. That's why I stopped at Toggl, is an online service for easy and uncomplicated time tracking. With it you can watch not only for the hours, minutes and seconds it took to complete entire projects or individual tasks, but also to monitor the effectiveness of their own working hours.
Among its advantages can be identified as follows:
- Minimum functionality, however, cover all my needs.
- Web-based interface, access to which I can get from anywhere in the world.
- Support google-account.
- Cross-platform - to work with Toggl can at least in Mac OS X, at least on Windows, at least on Linux, thanks to applications.
- The presence of a free iPhone-application.
But when I downloaded the desktop client for Mac OS X, it is very surprised. It turns out that the 35 megabyte monster just shows the main web page window and the dock - an icon. You do not believe me, see for yourself and try to guess where the Safari window, and where - Toggl client For the Mac:
And in the first and in the second case, you can create tasks, add them to your projects and assign tags to all of this. A press of the big round button to launch or stop counting the time spent in the performance of a specific task. However, to see reports and graphs is possible only through the web interface.
Unfortunately, the developers did not bother to correct display of its timer in the mobile Safari, therefore, to work with the service on the iPhone, I use a special free application available in the App Store. Its capabilities coincide with the desktop version of the program, but some kind of list controls and switches made in the familiar to owners of smartphones style, using the standard UI elements interface.
Naturally, due to the origin web service, all the information accumulated at different computers at different times, will be available on the iPhone. The only thing I would like to see in the future - it's access to the statistics using Toggl through the mobile client.
Time tracking does not require much effort or attention, but it does allow fruitful work or just spend the day, not wasting it on trifles. So I would recommend this service to anyone who needs a very simple and affordable cross-platform tool for analyzing the efficiency of the use of his time.
Toggle Page:Toggl
application page on the App Store:Toggl Timer
Widget for Dashboard:Toggl widget
Personal rating: 4+