solidtime

Solidtime is a capable time tracker for freelancers and client-service teams that need hours to flow into reports and invoices. Its combination of open-source self-hosting, desktop activity context, and detailed billing controls makes it more substantial than a basic stopwatch, but teams needing formal timesheet approvals should choose another system.

Overview

Time entries can come from a live timer, a drag-and-drop calendar, or a weekly timesheet. You can classify them by client, project, task, and tag, then attach project rates and budgets. That structure suits agencies, consultants, and other project businesses where recorded hours must remain attributable and billable. It is less compelling for organizations whose central requirement is managerial approval: timesheet approvals are not supported.

The desktop application recognizes the active app and document and pauses timing when it detects idle time. Activity remains on the device until you deliberately convert it into a time entry, preserving useful context without automatically polluting the timesheet. macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10/11, and Linux builds are offered.

Key features

Reporting and invoicing

Reports can be filtered and grouped by member, project, client, task, tag, or billable status. They can be shared or exported as PDF, CSV, or Excel, giving client-facing teams several practical delivery formats. Invoicing starts with billable time and supports PDF plus structured e-invoice output, tax rates, discounts, and EU reverse-charge. Those capabilities make solidtime a credible bridge from time capture to billing, rather than a tracker that ends with a timesheet.

Open source, hosting, and protection

The software is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0. The free Open Source option supports self-hosted deployment, while paid on-premise licenses add commercial capabilities. Cloud hosting is within the EEA, primarily in France with Scaleway. Data protection includes TLS in transit, role-based access, logged data changes, logically separated customer data, and encrypted offsite backups. Paddle handles paid-plan card transactions as Merchant of Record, so solidtime says it does not receive or store card details.

Imports and integrations

The GitHub project README identifies import paths for time data from Toggl, Clockify, and Timeentry CSV. That can reduce migration friction when moving an existing time-tracking history.

Pricing

Solidtime uses a freemium model. The Open Source plan costs €0 forever and includes all core features with self-hosted deployment. It is the clearest fit for technically comfortable individuals or organizations that want control of hosting and can manage their own installation; it does not provide the convenience of the hosted service.

Professional is priced per user at €8 a month when billed annually, excluding VAT, or €9 a month when billed monthly, excluding VAT. Both versions include everything in Solo, team support, access management, billable hours and rates, invoicing, estimates, rounding, PDF and shareable reports, and priority support. Annual billing lowers the monthly rate but commits you to an annual term; monthly billing costs more while avoiding that longer commitment. Professional is the sensible cloud choice for teams billing clients and needing project or organization access controls and richer reporting.

For self-hosted organizations, Business starts at €49 a year and includes deployment plus core features and invoicing; the team size determines the price. A separate Business listing is €199 a year, excluding VAT, for one organization and five users. Enterprise has custom pricing and adds all core features, self-hosting, invoicing, a private Docker Registry, and priority support. Open Source and Business do not include the Enterprise support commitment.

Platforms

Solidtime is available on the web, through an API, and as desktop software for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Self-hosted deployment is also supported, giving organizations a choice between managed cloud use and operating the service themselves.

Who it's for

Choose solidtime if you are a freelancer or a project team that needs dependable categorization, billable rates, estimates, client-ready reports, and invoices in one workflow. The Open Source plan is especially suitable when self-hosting and AGPL-licensed code matter. Professional fits cloud teams that need access controls and priority support. Look elsewhere if approval workflows are mandatory or if you want a fully managed experience without paying for a hosted tier.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Multiple capture methods and client/project/task/tag organization support both spontaneous timing and structured timesheets.
• Pro: Billable rates, budgets, estimates, exports, and tax-aware invoicing connect tracking directly to client administration.
• Pro: A free AGPL self-hosted edition provides control over deployment and data location.
• Pro: Desktop activity detection supplies context while keeping unconverted activity on the device.
• Con: No timesheet approvals means teams cannot run a formal manager-review step inside solidtime.
• Con: Solo pricing is not published, and cloud Professional requires per-user payment, so the cost picture is less straightforward for growing teams.
• Con: Self-hosting shifts installation and operational responsibility to the customer.

Alternatives

For a broad directory of options, see Time Tracking Software, Employee Time Tracking Software, and Time Billing Software.

• Jibble is a better match when you need mobile coverage, geofences, and a free plan with unlimited users.
• TimeCamp suits teams wanting a free-forever plan with unlimited users and projects.
• Clockify is worth considering when a familiar free tier for up to five users is the priority.
• Harvest fits an individual freelancer who needs a free plan limited to one seat and two projects.
• Paymo is an alternative for users comparing task, client, project, and storage limits across free and paid tiers.
• time cockpit is another paid time-tracking option.
• TMetric is a fit if a free plan for two seats and billable rates are the key requirements.
• todo.vu is aimed at solo users wanting one staff seat with unlimited tasks, clients, and projects.

Verdict

Solidtime is a strong recommendation for freelancers and client-billing teams that want open-source flexibility or a focused path from tracked hours to invoices. Choose Professional for managed team controls and reporting, or Open Source when self-hosting is the priority. Look elsewhere when timesheet approvals are non-negotiable or when you prefer a simpler, fully managed tracker.