Best Time Tracking Software Shortlist
Here’s the shortlist of the best time tracking software that I’ll cover in this article, with detailed summaries below:
Time tracking software helps businesses keep their workforce costs under control and increase their profitability. They enable your employees to punch in and out of work and prepare the data for payroll so you can compensate your employees accurately.
Modern time tracking solutions are designed with remote and hybrid teams in mind. They’re mobile-friendly and allow your team members to work from anywhere, but they also allow you to oversee their work.
Read my review to learn more about the best time tracking software available today. My review includes a short description and a screenshot of each solution that made the list, along with a comparison chart so you can quickly identify the right tool for your business.
If you have general questions about how time tracking software works, or how to pick the best option for your organization, take a look at my Frequently Asked Questions section below. Or, if you’d like to know how I created this list, see How I Selected the Best Time Tracking Software instead. Otherwise, let’s jump right into the details.
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Overviews of the 10 Best Time Tracking Software
Here’s a brief description of each time tracking software that highlights each system’s noteworthy features, and some pros & cons. I’ve also included screenshots to give you a snapshot of their user interface too.
Connecteam
Best time tracking software for contractors
Connecteam is a time tracking software that helps contractors keep track of their employees with GPS and geolocation.
Why I picked Connecteam: Connecteam makes it easy to understand how your team members spend their time while they’re away from the office. The solution allows you to find your entire team on a map of your area, so you have a clear visual of the routes they take and how they allocate their work time.
Connecteam sends you automated location reports so you’re always aware of where your team members are and what they’re doing. You can also communicate with employees via the built-in chat, so they can keep you updated on their progress.
Connecteam Standout Features and Integrations
Features include timesheets, payroll, GPS tracking, geofencing, PTO and overtime management, break management, employee monitoring, a kiosk app, and automatic reporting.
Integrations include Google Calendar, Google Sheets, Gusto, NextBee, QuickBooks Payroll, Xero, and others.
Pros
- Automatic end-of-shift reports help your team save time
- In-app chat feature helps you stay on top of every work situation
- Mobile app is simple to use, so employees with no tech background should be able to navigate it with ease
Cons
- The mobile app may lag when someone uploads a large image
- The solution is flexible, so configuring it to your needs can be time-consuming
QuickBooks Time
Best time tracking software for distributed small businesses
QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) is a time tracking software that allows distributed small businesses to manage their employees’ work hours.
Why I picked Quickbooks Time: QuickBooks Time allows your employees to punch in from anywhere, whether they’re in an office or on the road. The solution shows you the location of your staff members when they start work, making it easy to manage on-location jobs.
QuickBooks Time tracks your employees’ GPS location and allows them to leave notes on their route to indicate their next steps, job progress, and so on. Managers can quickly check to see who is working where and draft reports based on that activity.
Quickbooks Time Standout Features and Integrations
Features include shift scheduling, team management, payroll, interactive reports, timesheet management, custom alerts, GPS tracking, and push notifications.
Integrations include ADP, Aero, Dropbox, Gusto, Justworks, Karbon, Patriot, PaymentEvolution, Square Payroll, SyncEzy, and others.
Pros
- Good reporting features
- Makes it easy to keep track of how much time each employee spends on a particular task
- Seamless QuickBooks Payroll integration
Cons
- Doesn’t work offline - needs internet connectivity
- GPS position can be faulty at times
Clockify
Best time tracking software for accessibility
Clockify is a time tracking solution that allows your team members to track time across multiple devices.
Why I picked Clockify: Clockify has a simple interface that’s friendly toward novice tech users. Your employees can access the time tracking tool via a dedicated desktop and Linux app, a Firefox or Chrome extension, an employee kiosk, or mobile apps for Android and iOS. Employees can switch from one device to another at any time without losing their progress.
Clockify allows team members to visualize their time and block activities. Managers can use activity templates to schedule the workload on a weekly basis, and employees receive reminders when their timesheets are due so they won’t forget to submit them.
Clockify Standout Features and Integrations
Features include activity templates, timesheet approval, automatic time reminders, a calendar, invoicing tools, workload management features, a Pomodoro timer, and expense tracking.
Integrations include Asana, ClickUp, GitHub, Google Workspace, Jira, Notion, Quickbooks, Salesforce, Trello, Zendesk, and others.
Pros
- Free plan for unlimited users
- Detailed reports
- Allows you to break down projects into segments and attribute time to each segment
Cons
- It could do a better job of separating free time from productive time
- Jira integration doesn’t keep track of edits after the timesheets have been submitted
Replicon Time & Attendance
Best time tracking software for simple reporting
Replicon is a time tracking software that enables managers to create comprehensive time and productivity reports without difficulty.
Why I picked Replicon Time & Attendance: Replicon enables your employees to keep accurate time records with the help of AI. The software uses machine learning to create review-ready timesheets, minimizing the chances of getting inaccurate reports and increasing your visibility into your team’s productivity.
Replicon enables you to create complex workflows and assign tasks to your employees. You can track your staff’s time and progress in real time to make sure you stay within the project budget. The software creates detailed reports of your team’s activities, allowing you to keep your stakeholders or clients up-to-date with your work.
Replicon Standout Features and Integrations
Features include role-based controls, app and website usage tracking, AI-powered timesheets, overtime and PTO tracking, task management, a self-service portal, geofencing, and reporting.
Integrations include ADP, Google Calendar, Jira, Microsoft Dynamics, QuickBooks, Sage, Salesforce, SAP, Servicenow, Xero, and others.
Pros
- Activity tracking features
- Customizable reports
- Allows you to manipulate data in multiple ways
Cons
- Advanced features may seem overwhelming for users who are not familiar with tech
- Interface could be easier to navigate
Timely
Best time tracking software for automated timesheets
Timely is a time tracking software that helps employees keep accurate records of their billable time by using automation.
Why I picked Timely: Timely monitors how much time your employees spend in different work apps and organizes all that information into detailed timesheets. The app runs in the background, so your team members don’t have to worry about turning it on or off to record their work.
Timely automatically keeps the same color code for all the jobs your team does for a particular client. This makes it easy to aggregate the data from multiple employees, build reports, and accurately bill your clients.
Timely Standout Features and Integrations
Features include budget monitoring, project profitability tracking, website and app use time tracking, automation, and reporting.
Integrations include Asana, Azure AD, Basecamp, GitHub, Gmail, Google Calendar, Harvest, Jira, QuickBooks, Zapier, and others.
Pros
- Builds helpful end-of-month and end-of-year reports
- Great at tracking billable time
- Clean and simple interface
Cons
- Advanced features have a bit of a learning curve
- Manually adding new entries could be easier
Toggl Track
Best time tracking software for simple time management
Toggl Track is a time tracking software that helps businesses track time against fixed budgets or recurring customer retainers with ease.
Why I picked Toggl Track: Toggl Track looks and performs great on all devices. The short onboarding tutorial is comprehensive, so your team members can quickly learn how to make the most out of this tool.
Toggl Track offers a lot of helpful features. Businesses can track time against projects, tasks, and clients, so they can create complex pricing packages for their customers. The reports feature allows managers to track their team’s progress and compare it with the project forecast so they can deliver everything on time and within budget.
Toggl Track Standout Features and Integrations
Features include billable rates, favorite time entries, automatic alerts, project templates, a Pomodoro timer, idle time detection, time tracking triggers, project forecasts, and Windows and Mac desktop apps.
Integrations include Asana, Evernote, GitHub, GitLab, Google Calendar, Jira, Microsoft Outlook, Notion, Salesforce, Toggl Track API, and others.
Pros
- Excellent reporting capabilities
- Customizable apps and browser extensions
- Interface is easy to navigate
Cons
- Doesn’t allow you to export reports as PDFs
- Pomodoro timer can be inconsistent when switching from browser extension to mobile app
Harvest
Best time tracking software for capacity monitoring
Harvest is a lightweight time tracking app that helps business managers see their team’s capacity so they can plan projects accordingly.
Why I picked Harvest: Harvest allows managers and team leaders to see how long it takes for their team to complete a task and how long each team member spent on it. The software’s capacity reporting allows you to plan your projects accordingly, so you won’t have to pay overtime or deliver the project behind schedule.
Harvest allows you to set a budget for each project. This helps you compare the tracked hours to the budgeted hours per individual, so you can identify team members who spend too much time on a task.
Harvest Standout Features and Integrations
Features include budget tracking, team capacity visualization, invoicing, custom reminders, automation, and reporting.
Integrations include Asana, Basecamp, Google Calendar, GitHub, Jira, Microsoft Outlook, QuickBooks, Trello, Slack, Stripe, and others.
Pros
- Helps you send accurate invoices for each project
- Reporting filters help you break down your data with ease
- Enables you to plan multiple projects and assign tasks
Cons
- Tool sends a lot of email notifications by default, which can be annoying
- Limited data visualization options
Insightful
Best time tracking software for work-from-home teams
Insightful is a time tracking software that enables remote organizations to monitor the activity of their work-from-home employees.
Why I picked Insightful: Insightful helps you create projects, assign tasks to your team members, and then oversee their activity. The software collects data on which apps and websites your employees use while working, so you can identify productivity blockers and take appropriate action.
Insightful turns the data it collects into detailed reports. This enables you to make accurate assessments of how well your team performs and how much productive time it takes to complete a particular project.
Insightful Standout Features and Integrations
Features include real-time monitoring, time and attendance tracking, productivity tracking, apps and websites usage, activity tracking, project management software, and time logs.
Integrations include Asana, Google Docs, Google Hangouts, Jira, Skype, Slack, Trello, and others.
Pros
- Enables you to define which apps or websites are productive and unproductive
- Real-time employee productivity tracking
- Detailed knowledge base
Cons
- The software doesn’t allow employees to set their productivity at 100% when adding hours manually
- Can be intimidating for employees
ClockShark
Best time tracking software for remote teams
ClockShark is a time tracking tool that enables managers to see where their employees are working from.
Why I picked ClockShark: ClockShark is a time tracking solution designed for field service organizations. The software shows you where your team members are working from on a map, and it enables you to get an accurate view of how each project is progressing.
ClockShark helps you understand how a job went through customizable clock-out questions. You can consolidate the data you collect from these questions to get an idea of how your team members spent their time so you can optimize future projects.
ClockShark Standout Features and Integrations
Features include quotes, invoicing, in-app chat, clock-out questions, customer management, job management, team management, shift scheduling, GPS tracking, and geofencing.
Integrations include ADP, MYOB, Paychex, QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, Zapier, and others.
Pros
- Helps you track job cost for each project
- Smooth learning curve
- Employees can add pictures and documentation to tasks via the mobile app
Cons
- App may take more time to sync in low connectivity areas
- Newly created tasks take some time before they appear in your employees’ mobile app
Buddy Punch
Best time tracking software for flexible punch options
Buddy Punch is a time tracking software that offers multiple punch options, so your team members can login with ease.
Why I picked Buddy Punch: Buddy Punch offers your team multiple ways of clocking in and out of work. The software’s mobile app makes it possible for your employees to punch in with selfies, so you don’t have to worry about someone else checking in on their behalf. Employees can also clock in with PIN codes, QR codes, or username & password combinations.
Buddy Punch allows team leaders and administrators to see which team members are on break, and which are approaching their daily/weekly time limits, so they can schedule their shifts accordingly. Managers also receive instant notifications when someone requests a break or a shift change, and they can track how much time each employee spent on a particular task.
Buddy Punch Standout Features and Integrations
Features include job codes, manager dashboards, multiple punch options, overtime (OT) calculations, and paid time off (PTO), sick or vacation management.
Integrations include ADP Workforce, Gusto, Paychex, Paylocity, PayPlus, Quickbooks, SurePayroll, Workday, Zapier, and others.
Pros
- Proactive customer support
- Accurate tracking of billable and non-billable hours
- Mobile app interface is easy to navigate
Cons
- Reporting feature could be more detailed
- Limited in-app customization options
The 10 Best Time Tracking Software Comparison Chart
Here’s a comparison chart that summarizes basic details about each of my top time tracking software selections. You can view pricing details and the availability of free trials or demos side-by-side to help you find the best software for your budget.
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Connecteam Best time tracking software for contractors | Free plan available | From $29/month (30 users) | Visit Website |
2 | QuickBooks Time Best time tracking software for distributed small businesses | 30-day free trial | From $8/user/month + $10/month base fee | Visit Website |
3 | Clockify Best time tracking software for accessibility | 7-day free trial + freemium plan available | From $4.99/user/month | Visit Website |
4 | Replicon Time & Attendance Best time tracking software for simple reporting | 14-day free trial | From $6/user/month | Visit Website |
5 | Timely Best time tracking software for automated timesheets | 14-day free trial | From $11/user/month | Visit Website |
6 | Toggl Track Best time tracking software for simple time management | 30-day free trial + freemium plan available | From $10/user/month | Visit Website |
7 | Harvest Best time tracking software for capacity monitoring | 30-day free trial + freemium plan available | From $12/user/month | Visit Website |
8 | Insightful Best time tracking software for work-from-home teams | 7-day free trial | From $8/employee/month | Visit Website |
9 | ClockShark Best time tracking software for remote teams | 14-day free trial | From $7/user/month + $16/month base fee | Visit Website |
10 | Buddy Punch Best time tracking software for flexible punch options | 14-day free trial | From $3.49 /month + $19/month base fee | Visit Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make the best time tracking software list:
- ClickTime
Best time tracking software for goal tracking
- Beebole Timesheet
Best time tracking software for employee cost control
- When I Work
Best time tracking software for startups
- Factorial
Best time tracking software for attendance insights
- Jibble
Best time tracking software for small teams
- Time Doctor
Best time tracking software for hybrid teams
- Synerion
Best time tracking software for complex workflows
- Tyme
Best time tracking software for freelancers
- Nowsta
Best time tracking software for hourly workforces
- Blip by BrightHR
Best time tracking software for mobile clock-ins
How I Selected the Best Time Tracking Software
Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best time tracking software for this list? To build this top 10 list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of time tracking systems with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of HR experience dealing with timesheet data to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
Selection Criteria
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best time tracking software for this article:
Usability
Remote and hybrid work environments are more popular than ever, and companies are looking for solutions to oversee their out-of-office team members. However, not every remote worker has a technical background, so I looked for solutions that are easy to use.
Accurate Tracking
Even though time tracking tools offer multiple features, their main purpose is to make it easy for your team members to clock in and out and prepare accurate timesheets. I picked solutions that can help your team members keep track of every minute they spent working.
Mobile Accessibility
Being able to punch in and out from mobile devices is crucial for modern workers, especially for those who work in the field. I chose time tracking solutions that work well on mobile operating systems, such as iOS and Android, or that feature responsive websites.
Software Integrations
Your team members use multiple apps to deliver their work. I selected time tracking tools that integrate with popular business apps so you can easily incorporate them into your solution ecosystem.
Pricing
Time tracking solutions come at different price ranges, depending on the features they offer, their capabilities, and so on. I only selected solutions that offer a great return on your investment (ROI). Some options do have free plans to get you started, but paid plans will always give you a better ROI in the long term.
Time Tracking Software: Frequently Asked Questions
Time tracking software can help you reduce your workforce costs and increase your profitability. Here are some other facts you should know about these user-friendly software solutions.
What is time tracking software?
Time tracking software allows businesses to keep track of employee attendance and work hours. These solutions help managers identify how much time each individual spends on specific tasks, so they can understand their organization’s capacity and plan projects accordingly.
What key features are included with time tracking software?
Besides tracking time, the best time tracking software solutions also include some, if not most, of the following features:
- Shift scheduling
- Attendance tracking
- Project management
- Team management
- GPS tracking
- Geolocation
- Resource planning
- Resource forecasting
- Profitability tracking
- Employee monitoring
- Timesheet management
- Payroll
What are the benefits of using time tracking software?
The main benefits of using time tracking software are that it enables companies to improve their staff’s productivity, streamline their payroll process, and avoid errors in billing and invoicing.
Increase your profitability with time tracking software
Time tracking solutions can help you lower your workforce costs, improve employee productivity, and make your business more profitable. As Lakshmi Raj, cofounder and co-CEO of Replicon, said:
“Enterprises need to maximize employee productivity and get access to real-time, intelligent data insights to deliver better project outcomes, revenue per employee and project profitability. Plus, the organizational focus must shift from merely tracking billable hours to gaining insights that help boost productivity, resource utilization and customer satisfaction. This real-time visibility can help them deliver projects on time and within budget. Hence, enterprises must consider switching to AI-powered and cloud-based time-tracking solutions that enable them to respond rapidly to evolving market conditions.”
If you want to learn more about time tracking, check out the following related resources too:
- What is Time Tracking and How Can it Benefit You?
- How to Build an Energized and Productive Team (a podcast)
- Best Time Tracking Apps for Remote and Hybrid Teams.
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