Time management skills are never getting old. You should be able to juggle your studies, work, and hobbies without burning out. Suppose you need to set the deadline for a finance essay writing service specialist or schedule your running sessions. Most of us use time-tracking tools to make it all easier. But which one of them is worth trying?
If there’s any other time tracking app, after FocusMe, that I would put my money on, it would be Freedom.
Freedom helps you track time (of course), block websites, apps, and schedule sessions.
Sure, there are a few glitches here and there, but overall, this app is sleek, simple, and extremely easy to use.
Above all, it costs only a couple of bucks every month to use the program, which makes it a joint winner as the cheapest time tracking tool.
Following are a few more reasons why more than 1M people (according to Freedom website) use this app:
Freedom Pros
#1. Block websites and apps with ease
One of the most significant plus points of Freedom is its simplicity.
The app is user-friendly, and everything can be controlled from the dashboard. So, it’s just a matter of a few steps to get started with your productivity journey.
It’s super easy to set time limitations on distracting sites like Facebook, while at the same time allow for another few hours of watching MasterClass because you’re learning valuable skills such as how to create a digital brochure or create a yearly finance report.
Once you login to your account and land on the dashboard, you can set the duration of your sessions and pick the device (s) which you want to run the session on.
Though I couldn’t find the option to block specific apps on your device, you can choose which sites you want to block below the ‘Sessions’ window.
And once you’ve done that, you can hit the ‘Start’ button (see the first screenshot) to start tracking time.
Now, if you don’t like to block sites one at a time, you can check the ‘Block all websites’ to clog the entire internet.
And that’s the only aspect that separates Freedom from other time tracking apps.
#2. Schedule tasks
Freedom has this special facility for its premium users that enables them to schedule recurring events every week or every day.
But as I just said, you need to upgrade to their premium plans to avail this feature.
#3. Lowest cost
Majority of users don’t tend to spend much on time tracking apps. And it seems like Freedom understands it very well.
That’s why they have set a meager $2.1 monthly fee for their premium accounts and also allows users to keep the app forever in exchange for a one-time fee.
Once again, an appealing factor for those who don’t like paying every month.
#4. Available on all devices
There are only a few aspects where Freedom has the upper hand over FocusMe. And device compatibility is one of those.
Unlike the former, Freedom is compatible with every platform, be it Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS.
And the best part?
You can install the software on as many devices as you want. And you can sync all your sessions across all the devices you own.
#5. Special perks with Freedom
Being a paid member of Freedom comes with many benefits, and the most notable one is getting an exclusive discount on their partner software.
These partner software include tools like ToDoist, Skillshare, Asana, and more such popular productivity apps.
As a paid Freedom user, you get anything from 10-30% discount on these products or free subscription for a month or so.
And this is something you don’t see on any service other than Freedom.
Freedom Cons
#1. Sluggish time tracking report
Tracking time is only half the job. The other half is providing a thorough report on your activities. And this is where Freedom fails dramatically.
When you move to the ‘Session history’ section, it shows only the duration of your session and asks you to specify what you achieved during that time.
That’s quite vague when we compare it with the detailed reports FocusMe presents after every session.
#2. No POMODORO support
I know that’s a big blow for many users because you expect POMODORO support from a software with such caliber.
In fact, considering the popularity of the productivity technique, it has become a norm to see POMODORO sessions in most of the time tracking apps.
But unfortunately, there aren’t such facility in Freedom.
So, I would recommend you to stick to FocusMe if you heavily rely on the POMODORO technique for your daily work.
Freedom pricing plans
Freedom is one of the cheapest time tracking apps out there. Unlike FocusMe, it does come with a trial run, but it lasts only up to seven tracking sessions.
Once you’ve done your seventh session, you will have to upgrade to one of their paid plans.
While you can keep the software forever by paying a one-off fee of $129.99, it also renders the flexibility to pay monthly or yearly.
If you’re not going for the lifetime license, I will recommend going for their yearly plan. It costs you as little as $2.1/ month when you pay the entire annual fee upfront.
The monthly membership is also decent if you wish to test the tires, but it sits at the top of the pricing hierarchy with the price tag of $6.99/month.
And just like its pricing plans, there’s immense flexibility in the payment methods, too. You can use PayPal, credit card, or Amazon Pay to complete the order.
Do I recommend Freedom?
Barring a couple of shortcomings, I would definitely recommend Freedom because as I mentioned at the beginning, feature-wise, it is the second-best time tracking app after FocusMe. In addition, you can out these time management software options to organize and manage your workflow and personal time.
However, I would suggest upgrading to their paid plans as early as possible because:
- The free account allows only seven sessions.
- All the exciting features of the software are reserved for their paid members.