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u/False-Positive21

r/microsaas r/linuxmemes r/TimeTrackingSoftware
▲ 3 r/TimeTrackingSoftware

Built an automatic time tracker that works across all my devices, doesn't spy on me, and turns tracked hours into an invoice in one click

I freelance across a laptop, a desktop, and a couple of servers, and I could never keep a manual timer running. Every tracker I tried was either a stopwatch I'd forget to start, or an "automatic" one that wanted to screenshot my screen all day. So I built the thing I actually wanted. Sharing it here because this seems like the right crowd to tear it apart. (I'm the maker — it's in early access and free right now.)

Four things I cared about:

**1. Multiple devices, one timeline.** There's a desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux), a CLI for headless servers/VPS over SSH, and browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari). They all sync to one account, and each session is tagged with where it came from. My work on three machines lands in one place automatically.

**2. Privacy-respecting, and I mean it.** No screenshots. No keystroke logging. No "productivity score." The desktop app records the *paths/names* of files you save in folders **you** choose — never their contents. The browser extension only acts on URL patterns you predefine (e.g. `github.com/acme-co/*` → a project); every other site is ignored, and the URL is matched on your device — it never gets sent to the server. Everything's stored locally first.

**3. Set up and forget.** You point it at your project folders / URL patterns once. After that there are no timers to start or stop — file edits and visited URLs become sessions on their own, and idle time auto-closes a session so breaks aren't tracked.

**4. One-click invoicing.** This is the part that actually saved me Friday afternoons. Projects link to clients + rates, so tracked sessions become invoice line items and a numbered invoice without exporting to a second app.

It's rough in places and I'm shipping weekly. I'd genuinely like feedback on:

- Is "automatic but private" believable to you, or does "automatic tracker" still read as spyware no matter what?

- What's the dealbreaker that's made you abandon trackers before?

Happy to answer anything about how the capture or invoicing works under the hood.

u/False-Positive21 — 28 days ago
▲ 2 r/microsaas

Built an auto time-tracker + invoicing tool. No idea how to reach freelancers who'd want it.

Built a SaaS that tracks your work time automatically — no start/stop timers. It watches your file and browser activity, figures out which project you're on, and turns that into reports and client invoices.

Basically built for people who bill by the hour.

Trying to figure out go-to-market:

  1. Best audience; solo freelance devs, small agencies, or consultants?

  2. Where do these people actually hang out / search?

  3. How do you market a "runs in the background, you forget it's there" tool without a long demo?

  4. Cold outreach vs. content vs. directories (AppSumo, etc.) — what worked?

Appreciate any war stories, especially what didn't work.

reddit.com
u/False-Positive21 — 29 days ago