The retainer hours app freelancers actually use.
Most retainer tracking happens in spreadsheets that get stale by week two. HourTab is a dedicated retainer hours app: import your CSV, get a live share URL per client, and stop answering the same question every month. Your client checks their own hours — you track them once.
Free forever for your first retainer · no credit card.
Why spreadsheets fail as a retainer hours app
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They only show the freelancer’s view.
A spreadsheet on your Google Drive is great for your own reference. It’s useless to a client who can’t access it, wouldn’t know where to look, and definitely won’t remember the share link you sent three months ago. The whole point of a retainer hours app is that both parties can see the same number without a phone call.
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They require manual upkeep every session.
After every time entry you add to your tracker, you also have to update the spreadsheet. For one client that’s manageable. For five it’s two jobs: the client work and the admin job of recording the client work. HourTab eliminates the second job — import your CSV and the hours update automatically.
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They can’t send a link a client can bookmark.
A shareable link is the entire product idea here. Not a PDF. Not a weekly email you have to remember to draft. A URL the client bookmarks and opens whenever the “how many hours left?” question crosses their mind. That’s what a retainer hours app built for the web can do; a spreadsheet never will.
How HourTab works as a retainer hours app
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1
Set up the retainer. Enter the hours per cycle, your client’s name, and the reset date. Done in under a minute.
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2
Import your time entries. Export a CSV from Toggl, Harvest, Clockify, FreshBooks, or Hubstaff — or log hours manually. Entries go straight to the client-facing dashboard.
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3
Share the link once. Each retainer gets a unique public URL. Paste it into your onboarding email. Your client bookmarks it and checks it any time, from any device.
Each time you import a new CSV the live page updates automatically. No email required. No portal login for the client.
“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
A dedicated retainer hours app with a client-visible URL stops that question before it starts.
Common questions about the retainer hours app
What is a retainer hours app?
A retainer hours app tracks how many hours you’ve used and how many remain in each client’s monthly retainer. HourTab goes one step further: it generates a public URL your client can bookmark so they can check their own hours without emailing you.
Can I use HourTab on mobile?
Yes. HourTab is a responsive web app — it works on any device with a browser. Your client’s share page is also fully mobile-optimised, so they can check their retainer hours from their phone.
Do I need to switch from my existing time tracker?
No. HourTab imports CSV exports from Toggl, Harvest, Clockify, FreshBooks, and Hubstaff. Keep using the tracker you already have — export, paste, done.
How many retainers can I manage?
The free plan includes 1 active retainer with a public share URL. The Solo plan ($9/mo) supports up to 10 retainers with a custom URL slug. The Studio plan ($19/mo) is unlimited.