Locu vs Toggl Track: Stop Starting Timers

Toggl Track is the best manual time tracking tool available. Beautiful, fast, reliable, with every feature freelancers need: projects, clients, billable rates, reports, and bulletproof cross-platform sync.

But "remember to start the timer" is an unsustainable workflow.

Locu takes a different approach: instead of manually starting/stopping timers dozens of times per day, you work in structured focus sessions. Time tracking happens naturally as a byproduct of focused execution.

If Toggl makes you remember to track, Locu makes tracking automatic through intentional structure.

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The "Remember to Start Timer" Problem

Manual Timer Burden

Toggl's workflow:

1. Start working on task
2. Remember to start timer
3. Finish task
4. Remember to stop timer
5. Switch to new task
6. Remember to start new timer
7. Get distracted
8. Remember you left timer running
9. Stop timer
10. Remember to edit time retroactively

Repeat 10-20 times per day. Every. Single. Day.

This creates constant mental overhead: "Did I start the timer? Is it running? What's it tracking? Should I stop it?" The tracking becomes more exhausting than the actual work.

Locu's approach: Start a 60-minute focus session. Work on one or multiple tasks during that session. Time tracked naturally. One conscious decision (start session) instead of 20+ timer actions per day.

Forgetting Means Lost Billable Hours

The biggest problem with manual tracking: forgetting to track = losing money.

Common scenarios:

• Quick bug fix: forget to start timer = 30 minutes lost
• Between meetings: no timer running = 15 minutes lost
• Deep in flow: timer still on previous task = misattributed time
• End of month: "What did I work on Tuesday afternoon?" = guessing

Industry reality: Freelancers typically lose 10-20% of billable hours to tracking failures. At $75/hour working 30 hours/month, that's $225-450/month in lost revenue.

Locu's approach: Sessions create clear boundaries. Either you're in a focus session (tracked) or you're not (not tracked). Session gaps are visible—makes lost time obvious so you can recover it.

Toggl Doesn't Help You Focus

Toggl tracks time, but it doesn't help you work better. No focus mode, no distraction blocking, no session structure. You're still responsible for staying focused—Toggl just measures after the fact.

Locu's approach: Focus infrastructure built-in. Start session = automatic distraction blocking, Slack DND, full task context visible, focus timer running. The system helps you work better, not just track what you did.

No Task Management

Toggl is purely time tracking. You track to "project/client/task" labels, but there's no task management, no context, no notes, no prioritization. You need a separate tool (Jira, Notion, etc.) for the actual work organization.

Locu's approach: Task management + time tracking in one. See your tasks, prioritize them, work on them in focus sessions, time tracked naturally. No switching between task manager and timer.

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Feature Comparison

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When to Choose Toggl Track

✅ You're already disciplined at manual timer management
✅ You track across many clients/projects with complex billing
✅ You need team time tracking and management features
✅ You don't need focus support or task management
✅ You prefer pure time tracking without opinionated workflow
✅ Budget is critical (free tier available)

Toggl excels at pure, flexible time tracking.

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When to Choose Locu

✅ You're tired of "remember to start timer" mental overhead
✅ You lose billable hours to tracking failures
✅ You want focus structure, not just time measurement
✅ You need task management + time tracking in one tool
✅ You work in Jira/Linear and want deep integration
✅ You want to work better, not just track work
✅ You're willing to trade manual flexibility for automatic structure

Locu combines focus execution with natural time tracking.

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The Real Difference: Manual vs Structured

Toggl's philosophy: Give users maximum flexibility. Track whatever you want, however you want, whenever you remember to start the timer.

Locu's philosophy: Structure creates better tracking. Work in sessions = natural boundaries. Time tracking is byproduct of focused execution.

The fundamental trade-off:

• Toggl gives you complete control (manual, flexible)
• Locu gives you automatic accuracy through structure (sessions)

Most freelancers discover: The flexibility of manual tracking isn't worth the mental burden and lost hours.

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Common Toggl Pain Points (And How Locu Solves Them)

Pain: "Did I start the timer?"

With Toggl: Constant anxiety. Check browser tab. Check phone. Check desktop app. Uncertainty creates mental overhead.

With Locu: If you're in a focus session, you're tracked. Visual focus timer always visible. Session list shows current session clearly. No ambiguity.

Pain: "I forgot to track that entire morning"

With Toggl: Month-end panic. Reconstruct 3-4 hours from memory. Check Git commits, Slack messages, calendar. Guess at time allocation. Under-bill to be safe.

With Locu: Session gaps are obvious in work history. "No sessions Tuesday morning? What happened?" Easier to fill gaps in real-time. Export accurate timesheet without reconstruction.

Pain: "Timer is on the wrong task"

With Toggl: Been in flow for 2 hours. Just realized timer is still on previous task. Now need to split time entries, estimate breakdown, edit both entries.

With Locu: Work on multiple tasks per session (normal). Each task tracked separately within session. Switch tasks mid-session (no problem). Time accurately attributed without manual splitting.

Pain: "What do I put in the description?"

With Toggl: Empty description field. "What did I actually do during this time?" Try to remember. Write vague note. Not useful for invoicing or retrospectives.

With Locu: Rich task notes built-in. Add context as you work. Notes stay with task across sessions. Export shows task details + your notes. Complete picture for clients.

Pain: "Too many tools"

With Toggl: Toggl for time + Jira for tasks + Notion for notes + Pomodoro timer for focus. Switching between 4 tools constantly. Information scattered. Mental overhead.

With Locu: All in one. Tasks from Jira/Linear auto-sync. Work on them in focus sessions. Time tracked naturally. Notes inline. One tool, zero switching.

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For Freelancers: The ROI Math

Status quo with Toggl:

• Monthly subscription: $10-20 (paid tier for features)
• Time lost to tracking failures: 10-20% (industry average)
• Invoice prep time: 3-4 hours/month
• At $75/hour, 30 billable hours/month:
  • Lost hours: $225-450/month
  • Invoice prep cost: $225-300/month
  • Total loss: $450-750/month

With Locu:

• Monthly subscription: $12 ($6 with Beta)
• Time lost: <5% (sessions make gaps obvious)
• Invoice prep: 20-30 minutes/month
• Same billing rate/hours:
  • Lost hours: <$115/month
  • Invoice prep cost: ~$40/month
  • Savings: $295-595/month

Net ROI: 25-100x (depending on Beta discount)

Even if you only save 5% in tracking failures and 2 hours in invoice prep, Locu pays for itself 10x over.

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Switching from Toggl Track

What you'll keep:

• Time tracking discipline (tracking matters)
• Client/project organization
• Export and reporting needs
• Billable rate per client

What you'll change:

• From manual timer start/stop → session start (once per hour)
• From pure tracking → focus execution + tracking
• From scattered tools → integrated system
• From reconstruction → session-based history

What you'll gain:

• No more "remember to start timer" anxiety
• Focus sessions with distraction blocking
• Task management integrated with tracking
• Jira/Linear tasks auto-sync
• Easier invoice prep (task context included)
• Work quality improvement (focus structure)

What you might miss:

• Ultimate flexibility (track literally anything)
• Team management features
• Detailed reporting customization
• Free tier for casual use

Migration process:

1. Export final Toggl reports (for records)
2. Set up Locu with clients/projects
3. Connect Jira/Linear (tasks auto-import)
4. First morning planning (5 minutes)
5. First focus session (experience structured tracking)
6. First invoice export (see the difference)

Setup time: 20 minutes
Learning curve: 3-5 days to build session habit

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Pricing Comparison

Toggl Track: Free / $10/month (Starter) / $20/month (Premium)
Locu: $12/month or $6/month (Beta discount)

Feature comparison at price points:

Toggl Free:

• Basic time tracking only
• Limited reports
• One workspace

Toggl Starter ($10):

• Better reporting
• Billable rates
• Still just time tracking

Locu Beta ($6):

• Time tracking PLUS
• Focus sessions
• Task management
• Jira/Linear integration
• Work history
• More features for less cost

If you're paying for Toggl Premium ($20) and adding:

• Pomodoro timer: $5/month
• Task manager: $5-10/month
• Total: $30-35/month

Replace all with Locu: $12/month ($6 with Beta)
Savings: $18-29/month ($216-348/year)

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The Honest Assessment

Toggl Track is genuinely excellent at pure time tracking. If you need ultimate flexibility, team features, or complex multi-client billing, Toggl's the gold standard.

But most freelance developers discover: Manual timer management is exhausting and leaky.

The constant "remember to start/stop" burden creates:

• Mental overhead (anxiety about tracking)
• Lost billable hours (forgetting to track)
• Month-end panic (reconstructing time)
• Tool switching (Toggl + task manager + timer)

Locu solves all four problems through session structure:

• One conscious decision per hour (start session) instead of 10-20 timer actions
• Session gaps obvious (easier to recover lost time)
• Work history built naturally (no reconstruction)
• Everything integrated (tasks + time + focus)

Toggl is perfect tracking for perfect people. Locu is structured tracking for real people.

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