Monthly retainer hours software that resets when your billing cycle does.
Monthly retainers mean monthly resets — and monthly opportunities for a client to wonder whether they’re over or under their hours. HourTab is monthly retainer hours software that tracks the current cycle, shows the client a live progress bar without any login, and resets automatically on your configured date. No spreadsheet to update. No email to draft. The link your client bookmarked last month still works this month.
Free forever for your first retainer · no credit card.
Why monthly billing cycles make retainer tracking harder
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The “how many hours left?” question peaks at month-end.
In the last week of each billing cycle, clients who aren’t sure of their balance do one of two things: they stop requesting work to avoid overruns, or they pile in as much as possible before the reset. Both are bad for the relationship. A live page they can check any time removes the uncertainty that drives both behaviours.
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A spreadsheet doesn’t know what month it is.
Generic hour-tracking spreadsheets accumulate all-time hours. They don’t know your billing cycle, don’t reset on the 1st, and don’t show the client their hours for this cycle only. Monthly retainer hours software needs to understand billing periods; a spreadsheet never will.
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Rollover rules are a support ticket waiting to happen.
If your retainer contract includes a rollover (unused hours carry to the next month, up to a cap), you need software that tracks the carryover automatically. Otherwise you’re manually adjusting a spreadsheet column every cycle — and one wrong cell ruins the client’s view for the whole month.
How HourTab handles monthly retainer billing cycles
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Set the retainer and reset date. Configure monthly hours, the cycle reset date (e.g., 1st of month or contract date), and optional rollover rules. HourTab tracks the active cycle window from that point.
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Import hours each month. Export your CSV from Toggl, Harvest, Clockify, FreshBooks, or Hubstaff after each work session. HourTab maps entries to the correct billing cycle automatically.
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Client sees the live monthly view. Your client opens the URL they bookmarked — same link, every month. The progress bar shows this cycle’s hours only. When the cycle resets, the bar starts fresh.
The same shareable URL works across every billing cycle. No new link to send each month.
“It is frustrating to be contacted by clients looking to find out how many hours they have left, or why something took more hours than usual.”
— Bonsai’s guide to freelance retainers
Monthly retainer hours software that clients can check themselves removes the end-of-cycle anxiety for both sides.
Common questions about monthly retainer hours software
How does HourTab handle the monthly reset?
Each retainer has a reset date you configure. HourTab tracks the cycle window and shows the client their hours for the current period only. When the cycle resets, the progress bar starts fresh automatically.
Can I roll over unused hours to the next month?
Rollover rules are available on the Studio plan ($19/mo). You can configure full rollover, capped rollover (e.g., max 5 hours carry), or no rollover — matching whatever your retainer contract says.
What time trackers does HourTab import from?
HourTab imports CSV exports from Toggl, Harvest, Clockify, FreshBooks, and Hubstaff. Export from the tracker you already use, paste the CSV, and the monthly hours update on the client’s live page.
Does the client need to do anything to see the monthly reset?
No. The client’s URL stays the same across every billing cycle. When the cycle resets, the live page updates. They bookmark it once and check it whenever they want.