# a reporting tool for freelancers **Freelancer reporting is crowded with time-tracking and invoicing tools; a standalone reporting tool only looks promising if it solves a narrower workflow than the existing apps.** Confidence: medium · 76 signals · checked 2026-08-01 [Full report with live links](https://showsitsworks.com/idea/reporting-tool-for-freelancers) ## Who is already building this *From data* - Kimai is the largest clear competitor found: it has 4,855 stars, was last pushed on 2026-08-02, and markets itself as time tracking with reports and invoices for freelancers, companies, and organisations. - [kimai/kimai](https://github.com/kimai/kimai) `github` — 2016-10-20 - Toggl is not in the competitor table here, but the signals still show it being used as the default mental model for billable-hour reporting; one HN commenter said they use it for freelancers, employees, different projects, reporting, and invoicing. - [Ask HN: How do you keep track of billable hours?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7957577) `hackernews` — 2014-06-28 - ClockClock is a small but still maintained open-source option with 3 stars, last pushed on 2026-05-12, and it includes live timer, multi-client entries, reports with CSV/PDF export, OIDC/SSO, and role-based access. - [ArgonQQ/ClockClock](https://github.com/ArgonQQ/ClockClock) `github` — 2026-04-01 - Trackable is another maintained open-source tool with 7 stars, last pushed on 2026-07-01, focused on self-hosted time tracking with monthly reports and email summaries. - [webCommits/trackable](https://github.com/webCommits/trackable) `github` — 2026-02-26 - Several tiny dead or slow projects also cover adjacent territory, including freelance-project-manager with 14 stars and last push in 2015, and swati1024/torrents with 104 stars but no push since 2020-02-23. - [stoopkid1/freelance-project-manager](https://github.com/stoopkid1/freelance-project-manager) `github` — 2014-06-06 - [swati1024/torrents](https://github.com/swati1024/torrents) `github` — 2020-02-23 ## What people actually say *From data* - "I’ve been searching for an app to enhance my planning and reporting as a creative freelancer, and I feel like Neo at the start of the Matrix at this point." This is a direct complaint that existing tools are hard to find and do not fit the workflow cleanly. - [Ask HN: What’s a good Trello or Notion alt for freelance planning and reporting?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31777270) `hackernews` — 2022-06-17 - "I’ve been speaking to a few freelancers and tutors who didn’t even realise this change was coming." This shows reporting needs can be triggered by tax-rule changes, not just productivity tooling. - [Ask HN: How are UK sole traders preparing for quarterly tax reporting (MTD)?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47171042) `hackernews` — 2026-02-26 - "The UK is moving self-employed people from yearly tax reporting to quarterly updates under Making Tax Digital." This discussion ties freelancer reporting to compliance pressure, not just dashboards. - [Ask HN: How are UK sole traders preparing for quarterly tax reporting (MTD)?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47171042) `hackernews` — 2026-02-26 - "The pressure to please their editors and stoke their viewer base with a consistent narrative must be immense." This is about journalism, not freelancers generally, so it is only weakly relevant to reporting workflows. - [Now what? The collateral damage of a tech backlash](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25744846) `hackernews` — 2021-01-12 - No stackexchange signals were available, so there are no unsolved-question threads to quote here. ## People asking to be sold to *From data* - "Most freelancers don't need a CRM for reporting, they need a reporting tool that handles the client management piece as a byproduct." This is the clearest stated want in the data. - [Freelancers : r/b2bmarketing](https://www.reddit.com/r/b2bmarketing/comments/1pbwomu/freelancers) `tavily` - "Give freelancers a clear safety reporting path" is a direct product request from a GitHub issue, showing willingness to adopt reporting flows when they solve a real pain. - [Give freelancers a clear safety reporting path](https://github.com/hfappmaker/flow-link/issues/32) `githubissues` — 2026-06-09 - "Build a time tracker where freelancers log billable hours by project, generate time reports, and convert tracked time into invoices automatically" is another explicit request, even though it is closer to time tracking than pure reporting. - [Build a time tracker where freelancers log billable hours by project, generate time reports, and convert tracked time into invoices automatically Audience: Fre](https://github.com/anyx-app/timewise-e111cfe0/issues/1) `githubissues` — 2026-01-31 - "Client report workflow with a failure-alert layer — silent failures cost client trust" shows a buyer already productizing reporting automation for agencies and freelancers. - [Client report workflow with a failure-alert layer — silent failures cost client trust](https://community.n8n.io/t/client-report-workflow-with-a-failure-alert-layer-silent-failures-cost-client-trust/302331) `discourse` — 2026-07-06 ## Where the opening is *Model estimate* - The signals do not show a product focused only on freelancer reporting outputs, separate from time tracking, invoicing, or project management. Most named tools bundle reporting with timers, invoices, payments, or client management. - [kimai/kimai](https://github.com/kimai/kimai) `github` — 2016-10-20 - [madebyaris/time-tracker-freelance](https://github.com/madebyaris/time-tracker-freelance) `github` — 2026-04-24 - [webCommits/trackable](https://github.com/webCommits/trackable) `github` — 2026-02-26 - [6temes/invoices](https://github.com/6temes/invoices) `github` — 2026-06-11 - [ArgonQQ/ClockClock](https://github.com/ArgonQQ/ClockClock) `github` — 2026-04-01 - [tux86/presto](https://github.com/tux86/presto) `github` — 2026-02-20 - I did not find evidence of a tool that turns raw freelance activity into client-ready monthly reports with narrative summaries, proof links, and approval flow. The closest projects stop at time logs, CSV/PDF export, or monthly activity reports. - [webCommits/trackable](https://github.com/webCommits/trackable) `github` — 2026-02-26 - [ArgonQQ/ClockClock](https://github.com/ArgonQQ/ClockClock) `github` — 2026-04-01 - [tux86/presto](https://github.com/tux86/presto) `github` — 2026-02-20 - The data also does not show a clear freelancer-specific compliance reporting product, despite tax-reporting discussion from HN and tax-related tools in the repo set. - [Ask HN: How are UK sole traders preparing for quarterly tax reporting (MTD)?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47171042) `hackernews` — 2026-02-26 - [esteham/tax-management](https://github.com/esteham/tax-management) `github` — 2025-09-27 - [6temes/invoices](https://github.com/6temes/invoices) `github` — 2026-06-11 ## How big the market might be *Model estimate* - This search found 3 named open-source projects, with 1 active, 1 slow, and 1 dead. - There were 6 first-hand complaints and 1 stated want, spread across HN, GitHub issues, and Discourse. - [Ask HN: What’s a good Trello or Notion alt for freelance planning and reporting?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31777270) `hackernews` — 2022-06-17 - [Give freelancers a clear safety reporting path](https://github.com/hfappmaker/flow-link/issues/32) `githubissues` — 2026-06-09 - [Implement Time Tracking and Reporting for Freelancers](https://github.com/StarkHive/starkhive-backend/issues/63) `githubissues` — 2025-03-21 - [Build a time tracker where freelancers log billable hours by project, generate time reports, and convert tracked time into invoices automatically Audience: Fre](https://github.com/anyx-app/timewise-e111cfe0/issues/1) `githubissues` — 2026-01-31 - [Client report workflow with a failure-alert layer — silent failures cost client trust](https://community.n8n.io/t/client-report-workflow-with-a-failure-alert-layer-silent-failures-cost-client-trust/302331) `discourse` — 2026-07-06 - [Content Creation+Publishing+Social Marketing+Analytics Reporting](https://community.n8n.io/t/content-creation-publishing-social-marketing-analytics-reporting/184371) `discourse` — 2025-09-08 - [Freelancers : r/b2bmarketing](https://www.reddit.com/r/b2bmarketing/comments/1pbwomu/freelancers) `tavily` - The biggest clearly relevant live project is Kimai at 4,855 stars, last pushed on 2026-08-02. - [kimai/kimai](https://github.com/kimai/kimai) `github` — 2016-10-20 - Other live competitors are much smaller: Trackable has 7 stars and last push 2026-07-01, ClockClock has 3 stars and last push 2026-05-12, and 6temes/invoices has 3 stars and last push 2026-07-30. - [webCommits/trackable](https://github.com/webCommits/trackable) `github` — 2026-02-26 - [ArgonQQ/ClockClock](https://github.com/ArgonQQ/ClockClock) `github` — 2026-04-01 - [6temes/invoices](https://github.com/6temes/invoices) `github` — 2026-06-11 - Two communities with matching threads were found: community.home-assistant.io and community.n8n.io. ## What could go wrong *Model estimate* - This is likely to get squeezed between time trackers, invoicing apps, and project-management tools that already include reporting as a feature. - [kimai/kimai](https://github.com/kimai/kimai) `github` — 2016-10-20 - [madebyaris/time-tracker-freelance](https://github.com/madebyaris/time-tracker-freelance) `github` — 2026-04-24 - [webCommits/trackable](https://github.com/webCommits/trackable) `github` — 2026-02-26 - [6temes/invoices](https://github.com/6temes/invoices) `github` — 2026-06-11 - [ArgonQQ/ClockClock](https://github.com/ArgonQQ/ClockClock) `github` — 2026-04-01 - [tux86/presto](https://github.com/tux86/presto) `github` — 2026-02-20 - If the product is just dashboards and PDF export, it will be easy to copy and hard to price. - [webCommits/trackable](https://github.com/webCommits/trackable) `github` — 2026-02-26 - [ArgonQQ/ClockClock](https://github.com/ArgonQQ/ClockClock) `github` — 2026-04-01 - [tux86/presto](https://github.com/tux86/presto) `github` — 2026-02-20 - The strongest adjacent demand in the signals is compliance and billable-hours bookkeeping, not generic reporting, so a vague reporting tool may miss the real job. - [Ask HN: How are UK sole traders preparing for quarterly tax reporting (MTD)?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47171042) `hackernews` — 2026-02-26 - [Implement Time Tracking and Reporting for Freelancers](https://github.com/StarkHive/starkhive-backend/issues/63) `githubissues` — 2025-03-21 - [Build a time tracker where freelancers log billable hours by project, generate time reports, and convert tracked time into invoices automatically Audience: Fre](https://github.com/anyx-app/timewise-e111cfe0/issues/1) `githubissues` — 2026-01-31 - [6temes/invoices](https://github.com/6temes/invoices) `github` — 2026-06-11 - There is also some off-topic noise in the search, including cybersecurity articles and unrelated reporting infrastructure packages, so the market signal is less clean than it first looks. - [npm: @apollo/usage-reporting-protobuf](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@apollo/usage-reporting-protobuf) `registries` — 2026-05-04 - [Cybersecurity Weekly #5 : Keeping Freelancers Safe on Public Wi-Fi in 2025](https://dev.to/cyber8080/cybersecurity-weekly-5-keeping-freelancers-safe-on-public-wi-fi-in-2025-hpc) `devto` — 2025-10-15 - [Cybersecurity Weekly #7: How AI Is Boosting Threat Detection for Freelancers & Small Businesses in 2025](https://dev.to/cyber8080/cybersecurity-weekly-7-how-ai-is-boosting-threat-detection-for-freelancers-small-businesses-in-3g7e) `devto` — 2025-11-07 - [Cybersecurity Weekly #6: Safe Password Practices & Password Alternatives in 2025](https://dev.to/cyber8080/cybersecurity-weekly-6-safe-password-practices-password-alternatives-in-2025-8d4) `devto` — 2025-10-31 - [Cybersecurity Weekly #6: AI Tools That Protect (and Endanger) Your Business in 2025](https://dev.to/cyber8080/cybersecurity-weekly-6-ai-tools-that-protect-and-endanger-your-business-in-2025-2ppb) `devto` — 2025-10-23 - [Cybersecurity Weekly Series: Browser-Based Attacks Targeting Freelancers (Chrome Extensions)](https://dev.to/cyber8080/cybersecurity-weekly-series-browser-based-attacks-targeting-freelancers-chrome-extensions-45i) `devto` — 2026-04-11 - [npm: @google-cloud/error-reporting](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@google-cloud/error-reporting) `registries` — 2026-06-04 - [npm: stackdriver-errors-js](https://www.npmjs.com/package/stackdriver-errors-js) `registries` — 2021-10-23 ## What to do this week *Model estimate* - Narrow the product to one concrete output: monthly client reports for freelancers who bill by project or retainer, with time, deliverables, and invoice context in one place. - [Ask HN: What’s a good Trello or Notion alt for freelance planning and reporting?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31777270) `hackernews` — 2022-06-17 - [Build a time tracker where freelancers log billable hours by project, generate time reports, and convert tracked time into invoices automatically Audience: Fre](https://github.com/anyx-app/timewise-e111cfe0/issues/1) `githubissues` — 2026-01-31 - [6temes/invoices](https://github.com/6temes/invoices) `github` — 2026-06-11 - [ArgonQQ/ClockClock](https://github.com/ArgonQQ/ClockClock) `github` — 2026-04-01 - Test whether the buyer wants reporting alone or reporting as part of invoicing and time capture, because the current demand is bundled. - [kimai/kimai](https://github.com/kimai/kimai) `github` — 2016-10-20 - [madebyaris/time-tracker-freelance](https://github.com/madebyaris/time-tracker-freelance) `github` — 2026-04-24 - [webCommits/trackable](https://github.com/webCommits/trackable) `github` — 2026-02-26 - [6temes/invoices](https://github.com/6temes/invoices) `github` — 2026-06-11 - [tux86/presto](https://github.com/tux86/presto) `github` — 2026-02-20 - Start with a manual or semi-automated workflow for agencies and solo freelancers who already complain about report preparation and silent workflow failures. - [Client report workflow with a failure-alert layer — silent failures cost client trust](https://community.n8n.io/t/client-report-workflow-with-a-failure-alert-layer-silent-failures-cost-client-trust/302331) `discourse` — 2026-07-06 - [Freelancers : r/b2bmarketing](https://www.reddit.com/r/b2bmarketing/comments/1pbwomu/freelancers) `tavily` - Validate against tax/compliance use cases next, since quarterly reporting pressure may be a stronger trigger than generic productivity reporting. - [Ask HN: How are UK sole traders preparing for quarterly tax reporting (MTD)?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47171042) `hackernews` — 2026-02-26 - [Ask HN: Should non-US payer file 1099-MISC/NEC or 1040-MISC for US freelancer?](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35483695) `hackernews` — 2023-04-07 - [esteham/tax-management](https://github.com/esteham/tax-management) `github` — 2025-09-27 - [You did no fact checking, and I must scream](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45618878) `hackernews` — 2025-10-17 ## Competitor strength | Project | Stars | Downloads/mo | Activity | |---|---:|---:|---| | [kimai/kimai](https://github.com/kimai/kimai) | 4,855 | — | active | | [AgriciDaniel/automated-business-analysis-workflow](https://github.com/AgriciDaniel/automated-business-analysis-workflow) | 204 | — | slow | | [swati1024/torrents](https://github.com/swati1024/torrents) | 104 | — | dead | ## Domain names - `freelancerreporting.com` — available - `freelancerreporting.io` — available - `freelancer.com` — taken - `getfreelancer.com` — taken --- Sources searched: hackernews (21), github (20), githubissues (3), discourse (3), intent (1), stackexchange (none), registries (11), tavily (7), devto (10) Generated by Shows Its Work — https://showsitsworks.com/idea/reporting-tool-for-freelancers Findings link to their sources. Estimates are marked as estimates.