A retainer usage tracker your client can see too.
Most freelancers track retainer hours in a spreadsheet or their time tool’s built-in reports — and then manually summarize it every time a client asks. HourTab automates that. Import your CSV, get a live usage page. Hours used, hours left, reset date, work log. One URL you send once. No spreadsheet, no summary email, no recurring question.
Free forever for your first retainer · no credit card.
Why freelancers need a better way to track retainer usage
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Spreadsheets don’t share well.
A Google Sheet showing retainer hours works for you — until your client asks to see it. Now you’re either giving read access (and worrying about accidental edits), pasting a screenshot, or building a summary tab just for them. None of these update automatically. All of them take time you don’t bill for.
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Time-tracker reports require login.
Toggl, Harvest, and Clockify all have client-facing reports — but they require your client to create an account in your time tool. Most clients don’t want that. The ones who agree forget the password. The ones who forget the password email you. You’re back where you started.
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The “how many hours do I have left?” email doesn’t stop.
Even when you send a monthly summary, clients ask mid-cycle. Even when you share a tracker, they forget where it is. The only way to stop the question is to make the answer permanently available at a URL they already know. That’s what HourTab does.
How HourTab tracks retainer usage
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1
Create a retainer. Set the total hours per cycle, the reset date, and your client’s name. HourTab creates a unique URL for that retainer.
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2
Import hours from your time tracker. Export a CSV from Toggl, Harvest, Clockify, FreshBooks, or Hubstaff and paste it in. HourTab parses the entries, calculates hours used, and updates the tracker page immediately.
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3
Send your client the link. One URL, shared once. Hours used, hours remaining, reset date, and work log are visible without login. Bookmark it. Done.
You import at whatever cadence works — after every session, weekly, or right before a client check-in. The tracker updates every time. Your client checks it whenever they want.
“Tracking retainer hours is easy. Showing your client the same view without a login is the hard part.”
— Freelancer forum on client-friendly billing tools
HourTab solves the second problem. You already have the first one handled.
Common questions
What is a retainer usage tracker?
A retainer usage tracker shows how many hours have been worked and how many remain in the current billing cycle. HourTab builds this from your time-tracker CSV and publishes it as a shareable URL — one per retainer client. You see it in your dashboard; your client sees it at the public link.
Which time trackers does HourTab import from?
HourTab imports CSV exports from Toggl Track, Harvest, Clockify, FreshBooks, and Hubstaff. If your tool exports a standard CSV with date, description, and duration columns, it works. You can also log hours manually.
Can my client see the usage tracker without logging in?
Yes. Each retainer gets a unique public URL — like hourtab.com/r/abc123. Anyone with the link can view the usage tracker. No account, no password, no portal onboarding. You send the link once; your client bookmarks it.
Does it track the reset date?
Yes. HourTab displays the reset date alongside hours used and hours remaining. When the new cycle starts, the tracker resets to zero and accumulates again from your next CSV import.