Lexoffice vs Time Tracking App for Freelancers

Why freelancers even think about time tracking

Most freelancers start without any system. Write invoices, deliver projects, done. At some point you notice that your own hours disappear in the chaos. I experienced this myself when I was still taking on side jobs and at the end of the month could no longer tell exactly how much time had gone into each project.

Lexoffice is often the first tool freelancers install. It helps with invoices and accounting. But is that really enough for clean time tracking?

What Lexoffice can do for time tracking

Lexoffice offers project management and the option to enter times manually. You create a project, type in hours and amounts. For simple cases this works. But as soon as several projects run in parallel or you want to track time on the go, it quickly becomes confusing.

In conversations with freelancers I hear the same thing again and again: manual entry gets forgotten. At the end of the month you sit in front of the laptop trying to remember. That costs time and nerves.

Strengths of Lexoffice

• Invoices and accounting directly linked
• No extra software needed if you already use it for bookkeeping
• GDPR compliant and widely used in Germany

Weaknesses for pure time tracking

No timer function. No mobile app with start/stop. No automatic reports on project hours. If you only note hours occasionally, it works. But anyone who wants to bill professionally quickly hits limits.

When a dedicated time tracking app makes more sense

This is where a real free time tracking solution comes in. With an app like Jomawo you start the timer directly on your phone or in the browser. The hours keep running even if you take a call or drive to the next meeting.

I remember a developer who told me he used to note everything in Excel. After half a year he realized he had simply forgotten almost 15 percent of his hours. Since then he uses an app with a timer and exports the timesheet at the end of the month.

Practical advantages in daily life

• Timer runs in the background
• Automatic break calculation possible
• Projects can be created with just a few clicks
• Export as PDF or CSV for accounting

Especially for freelancers who are often on the road, this makes a noticeable difference. You do not have to catch up everything in the evening.

Direct comparison: Lexoffice or time tracking app?

If you only write invoices occasionally and have a maximum of two projects at the same time, you can get by with Lexoffice alone. The integration of times and invoices then saves a few clicks.

As soon as your order volume grows or you serve several clients in parallel, a separate app is worth it. The times are more accurate and you lose fewer hours. Later you can still process the data in Lexoffice or DATEV.

Typical situations from practice

A photographer I spoke to now tracks every session with his phone. Previously he estimated at the end of the week. The invoices are now more realistic and his clients accept the records without questions.

Another freelancer in marketing uses both systems side by side: Jomawo for accurate tracking and Lexoffice for final invoicing. The export from the time tracking app then lands directly as an attachment in accounting.

How to make the right decision

First ask yourself how many projects you manage at the same time. With more than three a dedicated solution is almost always worthwhile. Also check whether you want to track on the go or do everything at your desk.

Another point is reporting. In a good time tracking app you immediately see which project consumes how much time. This helps with pricing for future orders.

In the end it is not about using as many tools as possible. It is about making sure the hours are correct and you do not waste unnecessary time with retroactive calculations.

Just try both approaches. Most people decide quite clearly after a few weeks for the option that involves less effort. And if you look at our features, you quickly notice how simple real time tracking can be.