There are certain tools we all need to help run our businesses, whether you’re a content writer or managing work projects. While these functionalities might be available in your CMS, or as standalone tools – it’s always nice to have options, right? I’ve looked into the top free tracking tools to help you gather data about pretty much anything.
Are you looking for a top free tracking tools in your business? If so, this article is intended for you. It will provide you with some of the best free tracking tools I would recommend to anyone who wants to track and monitor their website’s progress.
We did the research for you and collected the best time tracking apps in one place, so you can choose the right one for you – whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or run a large company.
This ultimate guide for time tracking apps has it all – time trackers with the most basic features, as well as highly advanced software. Be sure you’ll find the productivity tracking software that best fits your needs.
What to look for when choosing a time tracking app?
Decide whether you need an automatic time tracking app or if manual timer-like options suit you better. Then acknowledge the most important features you require the app to have – maybe you need project tracking, billing, invoicing as you work on a project basis. Or your workflow would benefit the most from shift scheduling, absence tracking, and other team management-related add-ons. Being aware of your needs is crucial in finding a perfectly-fitting time tracking app.
Plus, it’s always beneficial to use a time tracking app’s free trial if there’s one. Nothing beats a hands-on experience.
How much does time tracking software cost?
Many time tracking apps offer lite versions for no cost. However, if you choose a free time tracking app, you’ll receive just the basic functionality without many features in most free cases.
Usually, time tracking apps provide several pricing plans – for a single user, teams, and up to enterprise versions for large companies. Prices vary from a few $/month up to several hundred $/month depending on the number of users, features package, and whether you choose an annual or monthly subscription plan.
What are the best time tracking apps for freelancers?
It’s advised to look for time tracking tools with such freelancer-friendly features, such as project tracking, invoicing, custom reports, and offline time tracking. Project tracking will let you know precisely how much time you’ve spent on a project, allowing you to charge clients accurately. Time tracking apps with a built-in invoice feature will reduce the number of different tools you’re using. Customized reports will provide accountability in front of your clients, and offline time tracking will enable you to charge clients for those time-consuming phone discussions as well.
Which time tracking apps are the most suitable for small businesses?
Small businesses will highly benefit from tools that offer a package of other features besides time tracking. Why? It’s simply easier and, well, cheaper to have a single tool fitting several purposes rather than combining and paying for a bundle of many apps.
When hunting for a time tracking app for a small business, it would be useful to look for features that enable recording billable hours, calculating project costs, creating customized reports, and such. It will provide transparent feedback to your customers, which is highly beneficial for your business’s growth.
How to choose time tracking software for large companies?
It’s estimated that time tracking apps help companies save up to $50,000 a year due to increased employee productivity as a result of time tracking. Therefore large companies highly benefit from time tracking solutions that also track employees’ productivity and efficiency. Productivity reports help discover unproductive habits that limit your company’s growth – look for a productivity tracking feature when choosing employee time tracking software for a large company.
Other features worth exploring include shift scheduling, absence tracking, customized reports, and project tracking. With those at hand, managing employees will be significantly more convenient, especially for a large business.
Plus, it’s advised to choose automatic time tracking over manual options. Automatic tracking runs quietly in the background without interrupting employee workflow and making it easier to adapt to time tracking overall.
Do I need separate time tracking apps for desktop and mobile devices?
Only if you specifically wish to. Otherwise, many time tracking apps offer convenient solutions both for desktop and mobile use. It’s especially handy for employees whose work tasks involve a mix of screen-time and on-site duties so that every worked hour counts. DeskTime, for instance, offers a convenient mobile time tracking app next to its desktop version – you can explore the comparison of the two here.
What are the most important time tracking app integrations?
It depends on the purpose of time tracking and apps you or your team uses daily. If it’s personal time tracking for you, integrations with such 3rd party tools as Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar would be useful. If you use a time tracking app to track work hours for your team, explore whether it integrates with project management, communication, and other tools that you use daily to streamline your work processes.
As seen in various time tracking tools, the most requested time tracking app integrations include Asana, Slack, Gitlab, Bandcamp, Trello, Google Calendar, QuickBooks, and Zapier.
The benefits of using a time tracking app
Not quite sure about integrating a time tracking app into your or your team’s routine yet? While you’re still hovering over the final decision, take a look at some of the most important perks that time tracking software can provide.
Forget about filling out timesheets manually
Keeping track of employee work hours is a common practice, and with the increasing popularity of remote work, it has turned into a basic need for companies.
Using a time tracking app to keep a record of employee hours simply sweeps away the burden of doing it manually. Forget wasting time on filling timesheets that, in fact, are never 100% reliable. Moreover, apps that provide fully automatic work tracking allow you and your team to focus on what matters the most – your work.
With an app like DeskTime, you don’t have to worry about turning the time-tracker on or off since the app starts and stops working based on when you’re interacting with your computer. Keeping track of your work hours has never been easier. Moreover, it has a private time option for moments when you need the computer for personal purposes. When the Private time is on, the computer activity tracking isn’t active, granting you the personal digital space you need.
Improving team management
Besides keeping a record of your and your team’s work hours, a time tracking app can have various useful features that make team management effortless.
For instance, tracking the time spent on particular projects eases the billing process and provides accountability in front of clients. Built-in invoicing options can save a lot of time, and features such as shift scheduling or the absence calendar make managing employee work time a lot simpler.
Having data on work hours provides an accurate insight into how much time particular tasks take. It helps to set realistic deadlines and saves you and your team from working overtime. Moreover, the awareness provided by employee time tracking software on where your and your team’s time goes is crucial for managing resources as effectively as possible.
Productivity tracking for you and your team
Keeping productivity top-notch can be challenging without a doubt. Even the most naturally efficient people face hurdles in their work performance. Using a time tracking app with a productivity tracking feature adds a bonus layer of accountability for everyone involved, thus boosting efficiency levels.
Time tracking software that also records productivity levels provides you with invaluable insight into your work patterns. Instead of relying on a gut feeling when arranging your team’s work tasks, you can make data-based decisions that benefit everyone’s work performance.
Do productivity tracking reports show a collective efficiency “slump”, say, after lunch? Think about scheduling team meetings or other activities that don’t require “deep work” then.
Plus, remember that taking frequent breaks and leaving the office at a reasonable time is also crucial for employee productivity. Time tracking can help to spot potential “overworkers” before it’s too late. Working smarter, not harder, can save you and your team plenty of time, money, and energy, which is in everyone’s best interest.
BeeBole is one of the most reliable timesheet apps on the market, offering an employee time clock, project time tracking, or both. Completely customizable, it can be set up for employees to clock in and out, or to track time for clients, projects, and sub-projects with a one-click timer. Track time daily, weekly, monthly, and in real-time. Logging attendance, vacations, and leaves of absence couldn’t be easier.
The team overview lets managers check project status, team and employee performance, and overtime at a glance. Approval flow allows for easy bulk review, approve timesheets, request changes, and lock time entries.
Finally, tap into valuable business intelligence by running reports on employee time, budget, margin, and profit. Managers can build the exact report they need or use the custom KPI dashboards to unlock this powerful insight.
For whom?
BeeBole is a great option for teams that need an employee time clock OR project time tracking, both of which come with flexible reporting. It’s the perfect solution for teams who’d like to go beyond their basic timesheet data to unlock the powerful business intelligence that awaits.
Special features:
- More than 30 reports and custom KPIs
- Employee mobile app works offline
- Billing costs with multiple currencies
- Time entries approval
- Flexibility through modules
- Google Suite and Microsoft 365 integration
- Free API
- Available in 10 languages
- Highly rated customer support in English, French, and Spanish
- DCAA and GDPR compliant
What BeeBole users say:
Easy and flexible to set up according to individual and team needs, with powerful reporting functions.
Admin interface can be complex if you don’t do a free demo.
Platforms
Android, iOS, Windows
Price
BeeBole costs $5.99 per person, per month. You can add as many projects and customers as you like. There are volume discounts for yearly subscriptions, NGOs and educational institutions. There’s a 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
Employee time tracking app comparison
| Time tracking app | Unique selling point | Monthly price | Free trial | Free plan | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Fully automatic productivity and efficiency tracking based on URLs, programs, and apps | DeskTime Pro: $7/user per month or $6,42/user per month if paid annually. | 14-day Start free trial | DeskTime Lite for 1 user | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web |
 | All-in-one project management and team collaboration software with powerful time tracking and reporting features. | Ultimate control plan with unlimited users and projects at $89/month billed annually. | 14-day | Not available | iOS, Android, Web |
| Time clock app with color-coding option to manage tasks and projects with reminders | Hours Pro: $7.99/per month | 14-day | Limited version | Web, iOS | |
| Cloud-based time tracking solution with a large number of possible integrations | Pro: $10/user per month | 30-day | Solo for 1 user | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | |
| Time tracking solution that allows paying employees with several payment methods | $9.99 user/per month | 14-day | Not available | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | |
| Timer-based time tracking system with a budget planning feature | Starter: $10 user /per month | 30-day | Free version for up to 5 team members | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | |
 | Time tracking app that lets you track time and your employees anywhere; GPS tracking | Basic: $7 per user/per month | 14-day | Solo: Free for 1 user | Web, Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Linux, iOS, Android |
 | Time tracking software tracks time against your estimated project timeline and budget | 10 projects: $19/per month | 30-day | 1 project for free | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
 | Productivity tracking based on pre-grouped categories with built-in productivity scores | Rescue Time Premium: $9 per user/month | 14-day | RescueTime Lite: Free | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android |
 | Time tracking and expense monitoring tool | Solo: $12 per user/month | 30-day | Free: $0 (1 person, 2 projects) | Web, Mac, iOS, Android |
| The app only tracks time when it detects a certain set of user-defined keywords in a document | $40 one time payment per user | 15-day | Not available | Mac | |
 | Simple time tracking for hours spent on projects | Plus version at $9.99/month | 14 days | Free for unlimited users | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
 | Time tracking with AI created timesheets and visualized reports | Moonlight version at $7/month | 14 days | Not available | iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows |
 | GPS-based time tracking and accounting integrations | Premium version at $8/user/month + $20 base fee/month | 14 days | Not available | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Time tracking with automatic time mapping and employee productivity reporting | Employee monitoring at $6/user/month | 14 days | Not available | Web, Mac, Windows | |
 | Completely customizable time tracking | $5.99/user/month | 30 days | Not available | Android, iOS, Windows |
Did we help you find the time tracking software that fits your needs? Great! And if that productivity tracker you chose is DeskTime, you can sign up for a free trial right here.
A time tracking app is an essential time management tool that can help you and your team become more organized, efficient, and get more things done.
Simply put, a time tracking app will save you and your company precious time – and money.
The thing is – there are hundreds of time tracking apps available with countless features. Productivity monitoring, GPS tracking, invoicing – the list goes on and on.
However, the question is: which tool is the best for you and your team?
The answer – it depends.
We did the research for you and collected the best time tracking apps in one place, so you can choose the right one for you – whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or run a large company.
This ultimate guide for time tracking apps has it all – time trackers with the most basic features, as well as highly advanced software. Be sure you’ll find the productivity tracking software that best fits your needs.
Read more about each app below or take a look at our head-to-head comparison.
Let’s get started!
1. DeskTime
DeskTime is a simple-to-use time tracking app that combines three crucial features – employee monitoring, project management and productivity analysis. Additionally, this employee productivity tracking software is designed to help managers and their teams identify their unproductive habits, by sorting web pages and applications into “Productive” and “Unproductive”.
DeskTime not only tracks time, but also automatically calculates your daily productivity and efficiency based on your categorization of URLs, programs, and apps. This means – the more time you spend on productive applications, the higher your daily productivity is.
Of course, the productivity or un-productivity of URLs depend on each user’s position. That’s why DeskTime allows you to create employee groups and manage application productivity individually for every group. That way, you can set Facebook as productive for your marketing team, while unproductive for everyone else.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=60-lY4iWFFI%3Fenablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fdesktime.com
For whom?
DeskTime is the perfect time tracker app for companies and teams that are more interested in the big picture rather than detailed analysis of the URLs and programs their employees use. Set the productivity target (e.g., the average monthly productivity must be 85%), then watch your employees hit the target.
Special features:
- Daily productivity timeline.
- Detailed visual and downloadable reports.
- Auto screenshots.
- Pomodoro timer.
- Integrations with project management apps.
- Absence calendar
- Shift Scheduling
- Invoicing
What DeskTime users say:
DeskTime is one of the best time tracking apps. In addition to time tracker, it’s a productivity tracker where employee productivity and efficiency is calculated smartly. In addition, it does not require much configuration.
When there is a lot of different activity, DeskTime productivity tracker may become a bit difficult as managing what is / isn’t productive can be cumbersome.
Platform
Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Price
DeskTime Lite: Free
DeskTime Pro: Pricing plans start at $7/user and can go as low as $6,42/user for larger teams, if paid annually.
DeskTime Premium: Pricing plans start at $10/user and can go as low as $9,17/user for larger teams, if paid annually.
DeskTime Enterprise: Pricing plans start at $20/user and can go as low as $18,33/user for larger teams, if paid annually.
Additional discounts apply for teams.
Ready for your free trial?
Try free for 14 days. No credit card required.Get started
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2. ProofHub
ProofHub is an online project management and time tracking software with powerful collaboration features. The software has an easy-to-use interface, making it easy for teams to get onboard.
You get an automatic timer to start tracking every billable hour as soon as you start working on a task. The good thing about ProofHub is that you can make manual time entries too. The time data gets stored in beautiful timesheets, which you can use for invoicing purposes.
Time reports in ProofHub allow you to keep track of individual productivity. It integrates with third-party apps such as FreshBooks to simplify your billing and invoicing process. Besides this, you get advanced features like online proofing, file sharing, group chat, custom workflows and kanban boards, note taking, and many more.
For whom?
ProofHub is perfect for teams and managers looking to become more productive, and track their productive efforts.
Special features:
- Advanced project management features
- Real-time collaboration tools
- Custom reports
What ProofHub users say:
ProofHub took away the barriers that prevented our team members from accessing the information they needed. ProofHub enables collaboration and allows us to set our priorities, instead of the software making us work around its limitations. Carrier pigeons are expensive and very unreliable. Thank the stars for ProofHub!
The Gantt chart can certainly use some more features. Likewise the API can also get more functions.
Platforms
iOS, Android, Web
Price
Ultimate control plan with unlimited users and projects at $89 per month billed annually
3. Hours
Hours is a time clock app with basic time tracking features – most suited for people who aren’t looking for advanced features. Available as a mobile app, Hours allows you to keep a running list of timers and quickly switch between your tasks.
In Hours, you can manage your tasks and projects by color-coding them. That is, by applying a specific color for a task or project, you can easily differentiate between them.
Also, the timeline in the app lets you quickly make adjustments in your recorded timestamps at any time. For example, if you started a task at 10:00, but forgot switch the timer until 10:15, you can adjust it by simply dragging the start time to 10:00.
For whom?
Hours is for you if all you need is a simple time tracker and basic report-sending functionality.
Special features:
- Task and project color-coding.
- Reminders to start time tracking timers.
- Can be used with Apple Watch.
What Hours users say:
This app has the right features to help you accurately track your time and take notes on what you were doing and for whom.
Because the time tracker app has no Windows or Mac version, you may sometimes forget to set the timer and click it to start. Hours is also purely a work time tracker app without any additional productivity tracker.
Platforms
Web, iOS
Price
Paid monthly: $8 per user/per month
Paid annually: $80 per user/per year
4. Timecamp
Timecamp is a cloud-based time tracking solution where work time can be easily tracked manually by timers and automatically via the desktop app.
The app enables project managers to collaborate, track billable work hours and monitor project status. It also allows to create automatic employee payroll, and send invoices to customers. In addition, it’s an employee productivity monitoring software where you can see if your employees are as productive as you need them to be during the workday.
What makes Timecamp stand out among other time tracking apps is their variety of integrations with other apps – it offers more than 50 integrations with project management software (Asana, Basecamp) and help desk apps (Zendesk). That way, you can easily sync and import your already-created tasks and tickets to Timecamp, and start tracking time immediately.
For whom?
Timecamp is a tool for managers and organizations looking for all-in-one time tracker and billing app, as well as employee productivity tracking software that integrates with project management tools.
Special features:
- Get your daily productivity analysis.
- Create and store invoices for clients.
- Get notifications when a client views an invoice.
- Attendance tracker.
What Timecamp users say:
Timecamp is a fairly simple time tracking app with easy to understand customizable reports as well as an intuitive interface. It’s also an effective productivity tracker, as you can see your daily productivity analysis.
Integrations are not always working properly. There are certain errors in the application for mobile devices, which can cause a loss of data.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Price
Monthly plan:
Solo: Free for 1 user
Basic: $7/user
Pro: $10/user
Yearly plan:
Basic: $5.25 per user/per month
Pro: $7.50 per user/per month
*Discounts to non-profits, universities, students.
5. Time Doctor
Time Doctor is a mix between time tracking, monitoring of employees and project management. It’s a powerful employee monitoring tool, as it gives you very detailed information about your employees.
The Time Doctor time tracking system records what web pages and apps each employee uses. It also allows managers to take desktop screenshots to see what their employees are working on at the exact moment and minimize the chances of slacking off.
In addition to time tracking, Time Doctor allows you to pay your employees directly from the software via PayPal, Payoneer, TransferWise or any other method that you choose. The payment is automatically calculated from the hours each employee has worked.
For whom?
Time Doctor is a powerful employee time tracking app for both smaller and larger companies (20-500 employees) looking for an all-in-one detailed employee monitoring and employee payment software. It’s a solution for small business owners and startup CEOs – paying directly from the time tracking app saves time.
Special features:
- Create payrolls and pay your employees through the software.
- Auto screenshots.
- Give clients access to your Time Doctor account.
- Chat monitoring.
What TimeDoctor users say:
With Time Doctor, it’s easy to maintain transparency with clients at all times. The TimeDoctor time tracking program helps to track project hours and provide documented proof of work for clients.
Time Doctor is not the best time tracking app in terms of design and ease of use, as the interface looks quite outdated and sometimes it is hard to understand where to find a certain feature. Could be more intuitive.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Price
$9.99 per user/per month
*For teams of 10+ additional discounts apply.
6. Toggl
Toggl is a timer-based time tracking system that’s rather easy to use. Create a project, then create a task within the project and start the timer. Done working on the certain task? Click stop and switch the tasks.
Once the project is finished, create an invoice for your client and send it without even leaving the app. Additionally, you can share your project time report in Excel, CSV or PDF with the client, so they know what they’re paying for.
In Toggl, you can easily set up projects, assign responsibilities and create estimated timelines and budgets for each project involved. This way, you can spot immediately which of your projects is overdue and over budget, then plan your time and adjust resources accordingly.
Besides, they recently created a brand new Toggl Android app that you can use with your existing Toggl account for easier time tracking and productivity boost.
For whom?
The timelines and budget planning feature make Toggl a great solution for collaborative freelancers, startups, and small businesses working on complex, limited-budget projects.
Special features:
- Set estimated project timelines and budgets.
- Convenient browser extensions (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox).
- A separate Toggl Android app.
What Toggl users say:
Attractive and easy-to-use interface with quick access to reports and adjustment of the recorded time. Toggl is a great employee time tracking app and project management tool.
The subscription to access all features is a bit pricey.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Price
Monthly plan
Free: $0 (Up to 5 users)
Starter: $10/user
Premium: $20/user
Paid annually
Starter: $9 per user/per month
Premium: $18 per user/per month
*Custom pricing suited for larger enterprises.
7. Hubstaff
Hubstaff, like Time Doctor, offers similar time tracking capabilities, employee monitoring and project management features. The main difference, however, is that Hubstaff lets you track time and your employees anywhere. It’s a time tracking app for Windows, Mac and Linux, as well as for mobile devices, so you can keep tracking your employees even when they’re on the road or out of the office.
Not only does Hubstaff track time, it also tracks location with a GPS tracker. The GPS tracking feature is most commonly used by companies whose employees are frequent travelers – i.e. sales and delivery people. With an on-the-go productivity tracker, managers see where their employees are at that exact moment, how much time they spend on the road and how much they spend working on the job site.
For whom?
Hubstaff is an employee time tracking app for companies that employ remote workers who are often on the road. It lets managers know not only what their employees are doing, but also where they are – and if that’s the place they’re supposed to be.
Special features:
- Employee GPS tracking.
- Auto screenshots.
- Create payrolls and pay your employees through the software.
- Timesheet templates.
What Hubstaff users say:
The pros of time tracking systems are simple: you know what people are working on and when! It makes your operations incredibly efficient.
If you’re looking for a platform that goes the extra mile to enable customization, atypical data entry, or a more advanced reporting structure, then Hubstaff won’t be right for you.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Linux, iOS, Android
Price
Monthly plan
Solo: Free for 1 user
Basic: $7 per user/per month (starts at 2 users)
Premium: $10 per user/per month (starts at 2 users)
Enterprise: 20$ per user/month
Paid annually
Basic: $5.83 per user/per month (starts at 2 users)
Premium: $8.33 per user/per month (starts at 2 users)
Enterprise: $16.67 per user/month.
8. Tick
If you have an unusually large project coming up, Tick is the software to use. It’s a project-based time tracking software which tracks time against your estimated project timeline and budget.
For example, with each new time entry to Tick’s timesheet, the app will automatically update how much time is left for you to complete the certain task or project. The software will also notify you if the time is running out and you’re about to exceed your budget or schedule. And if you have any recurring tasks, Tick also allows you to use the same budget and timeline repeatedly.
If you’re also looking for billing options, you can integrate Tick with an accounting software called QuickBooks to create invoices, run payroll, and more.
For whom?
Tick is a solution for freelancers, small businesses, and startups that work on recurring projects and tasks. With Tick, users can track how much time they need for certain projects, and use their previous timelines to create offers for new customers.
Special features:
- Tick tracks time against your estimated project timeline and budget.
- Assign team members who can add time to projects.
- Set recurring projects to auto-reset every month.
- Can be used with Apple Watch.
What Tick users say:
Tick is an employee time tracking app and powerful project management tool. It allows you to allocate the exact time to tasks and have a clear understanding of how many hours similar projects could take in the future.
Lack of notifications to remind you that the project needs to be tracked; you always have to follow up on this yourself.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Price
Project number based pricing (monthly):
1 Project – Free
10 Projects – $19
30 Projects – $49
60 Projects – $79
Unlimited projects – $149
9. RescueTime
RescueTime is a time tracking app that not only tracks time you spend on certain URLs, programs, and apps, but also shows you how productive you’ve been during the day.
RescueTime calculates your productivity automatically based on pre-grouped categories with built-in productivity scores. For example, Facebook will by default be a distractive URL, while Microsoft Word will be seen as productive. Meanwhile, those who disagree with the RescueTime’s categorization of URLs, programs and apps, can manually customize the categories according to their specific needs.
Additionally, with RescueTime you can set your task goals and keep track on how you’re doing. For example, you can create a list of tasks and timeline for these tasks which should keep you on track and make you more efficient.
For whom?
RescueTime is a productivity app for freelancers and employees looking for a personal time management tool and productivity tracker. With the goal setting and daily scheduling feature, RescueTime helps you manage your time. This app, however, won’t be the best time tracking app for employers looking to monitor their team, since the app doesn’t automatically send updates to managers.
Special features:
- Set daily task goals.
- Receive daily productivity and efficiency analysis.
- Block access to distracting webpages.
- Weekly email summary.
What RescueTime users say:
RescueTime is not only a time tracking app for me, but a genuine productivity tracking software. It helps me to understand how productive I am during the day and where the unproductive time is spent most of all.
The productivity tracker data becomes incorrect if you don’t define all the applications as productive or disruptive.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android
Price
RescueTime Lite: Free
RescueTime Premium: $9 per user/month or $72 per user/year
10. Harvest
Harvest is a tracking time app and expense monitoring tool that lets you track your time spent on each project or individual tasks. It then collects the data and creates intuitive, visual reports that make it easy to see what your team has been working on and make intelligent decisions about your business.
Once the task or project is done, Harvest lets you send invoices to your clients straight from the app with Stripe or PayPal. That way, you won’t have to pay for additional invoicing and payment software. Also, if your client forgets to pay on time, Harvest will politely send an automatic reminder for you.
For whom?
Harvest not only keeps track of how you spend your time, but also keeps your invoices and revenue flow all in one place. Therefore, this app will combine work time tracker apps and expense tracking software for freelancers and startups.
Special features:
- Automatically create invoices and receive payments from clients.
- Automatic reminders are sent to clients about invoices to be paid.
- Add comments and notes to tasks for the team.
- Visual reports.
What Harvest users say:
A super-simple app which manages all client payments and invoicing/reminders for our clients and integrates with Stripe for a seamless payment process.
With a growing team it is hard to scale and go into the detail of the projects. The in-built feature set is quite limited.
Platforms
Web, Mac, iOS, Android
Price
Free: $0 (1 person, 2 projects)
Solo: $12/monthly (1 person, unlimited projects)
Team: $12 per user/per month (2+ people, unlimited projects)
Paid annually: $10.80 per user/per month.
11. Qbserve
Qbserve is an automatic time tracking Mac app and productivity tracking software, especially helpful to people who tend to procrastinate. The app only tracks time when it detects a certain set of keywords in a document, or in an URL or app title. You define these keywords when you start to use the app and can add new keywords at any time.
For example, if you’ve added the keyword “time tracking” into your list, Qbserve will automatically track time spent on web pages and apps with this keyword in the title. That way, if you use YouTube to watch videos about time tracking, it’ll be counted into your billable hours. On the other hand, if you watch cat videos, this time won’t be counted into your billable hours.
For whom?
Qbserve is an app for individual users and freelancers who tend to get distracted often – one moment you’re researching something for your work task, then end up watching cute cat videos on YouTube. At the end of the day, you therefore have no idea how much time the certain task has taken. In such cases, Qbserver can help.
Special features:
- Time tracking based on keywords.
- One-time payment.
What Qbserve users say:
The perfect and simple time tracking app and productivity monitoring software to help keep track of daily browsing habits and finding productivity killers.
Apart from the tongue-twisting name, there is no possibility to track the time spent offline on meetings or calls, the app only tracks the time spent working online.
Platforms
Mac
Price
$40 one time payment per user.
12. Clockify
If you’re a part of a team and you’re looking to track time that you and they spend on projects, Clockify is the work time tracking software that can help you do this really well with features such as timer and default project. The timer itself is a stopwatch that helps your team start and stop work, and the default project works with it by being the default start the timer that will automatically allocate the time to the project of your choosing. There’s even a reminder in case someone forgets to start the timer. Finally, Clockify provides visually pleasing reports for you to see as a way to gauge which projects take up most of your team’s time, giving way to being able to better manage you and your team’s effort.
In terms of feel and use, Clockify has many integrations and has a simple, sleek, and intuitive interface regardless of what supported device or browser you decide to use it on. This is especially true for its user-friendly, easy-to-navigate web app which can be accessed from anywhere for viewing of your and your current team’s progress.
For whom?
Clockify is one of the more affordable options out there with its features focused fully on projects and their management along with working on a team. For this reason, it’s ideal for either freelancers who want a simple tracker and work with multiple clients on projects or for large, distributed teams that are looking to tackle their projects together as effectively as possible.
Special features:
- Time rounding in reports for sending to clients
- Alerts for progress and time review on projects
- Timesheet locking to prevent backdated changes
- Add time for others on your team if they forget themselves
What Clockify users say:
Ease of use, ability to create multiple jobs and I love getting rid of paper timesheets
Often the Clockify option appears where I don’t want it, and you can’t turn this off. Prime example: Google Keep. When you make a bulleted list. Each item on the list has a Clockify option next to it.
Platforms
Chrome and Firefox browsers and Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS systems
Price
Free version: $0/month
Plus version: $9.99/month
Premium version: $29.99/month
Enterprise version: $9.99 per user per month
13. Timely
Unlike the other options on this list, Timely stands out as an automatic tracking software that is as seamless as one can imagine because it records everything all the time: GPS locations, emails, meeting, documents, and websites. That means with Timely you’ll never need to start a timer again, which allows you to maintain the peace and quiet needed to stay focused and not get sidetracked or interrupted. To add to that, Timely generally requires very little interaction until there’s a need for pulling reports for whatever work is billable.
In terms of reports, Timely visualizes everything from what you did that day to where your team’s time resources are going in a very organized, easy-to-read fashion. To make it even more appealing and effortless, Timely features an AI that learns how you work on your computer over time. The AI will then start drafting time entries for you which will save you time.
For whom?
Timely is ideal for individuals and small-to-large companies that are project-focused and only have a need for accurate, billable hours. It can also work well for you if you’re the type of person or group of team members that don’t remember what was done that day and want an easy way to find entries to bill your client.
Special features:
- Project and team planning for visualizing plans, effortless scheduling, and resource balancing
- Automatic time tracking that is privacy-oriented which tracks everything you work on
What Timely users say:
I really like the memory function. Some days you are so busy you forget about tracking time (and thus missing income). But with memory I can easily see what I have done, when I have done it and how much time I spend on it. Clear overview of spend budget within projects.
The program didn’t have enough functions for a gym/PT studio
Platforms
iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows
Price
Free 14-day trial with a 20% discount if paying annually
Individuals:
Moonlight version: $7/month
Freelancer version: $14/month
Professional version: $23/month
Companies:
Small companies: $49/month (two seats)
Medium companies: $199/month (10 seats)
Large companies: $449/month (30 seats)
14. Tsheets
Timesheets can be expensive to maintain, inaccurate, and illegible. Tsheets solves this problem by offering a unique way of doing online time and attendance tracking that gives employees many different ways of clocking in such as texting, tweeting, using the app on a computer or phone, using a web browser, and dialing it in. They can also attach images to show their work. This gives flexibility to employees to be able to track their work time accurately and from anywhere, especially since Tsheets offers geofencing and reminders features.
Although making clocking-in as simple as possible for accurate employee work time tracking is the main advantage of Tsheets, it has one of the most economical ways of doing payroll in that it can synchronize with many of the popular accounting tools available such as Quickbooks, Sage, Xero, and more. This means once the hours are approved on the administration’s side, it’s smooth sailing from thereon out.
For whom?
Tsheets benefits most small- to enterprise-sized businesses. The more employees such a business has, the more the benefit because timesheet management, worked hours, and payroll processing proportionally increase per employee. Thus, it’s best for businesses where accuracy and economy is of utmost importance.
Special features:
- GPS-based online time and attendance tracking for those who are mobile
- Payroll and invoicing with integrations to hasten the processes and reduce their costs
- Timesheet planning and project overviews
What Tsheets users say:
The ease of use for time tracking and the auto-syncing with QuickBooks Online. The support from Tsheets is outstanding and that is the NUMBER ONE reason I stay with Tsheets.
The scheduling module is a bit lacking for some of my clients. This is why some of my clients have gone with a different solution. As soon as the scheduling is up to their standards I will get them back to Tsheets
Platforms
Almost all platforms imaginable because it’s a cloud-based solution
Price
Free 14-day trial with discount applicable for 50+ users
Premium version: $8/user/month + $20 base fee/month
Elite version: $10/user/month + $40 base fee/month
15. Workpuls
Workpuls is a suite of online time and attendance software that puts focus on employee work time tracking and on analyzing their work productivity to find out which are laggards and which are top performers. For one, the application makes it super easy to check when employees start work because it’s done automatically based on when they start work. For two, it runs in the background and tracks their work or non-work related activities without violating their privacy (for example, with optional, blurred out screenshots).
Another important part of Workpuls is that it can do automatic time allocation as well as budget forecasting. For example, it’s well known that tracking productivity is difficult and, at the same time, important. Thankfully, Workpuls is able to accomplish this by automatically assigning work to projects to not disturb employees while counting every second that they spend on them, giving you a good estimate of the project’s costs. This in turn ensures that you can accurately bill your clients while maintaining the peace of mind that the human errors in manual time reporting are eliminated.
For whom?
Workpuls is great for small to large businesses as well as enterprises where work productivity analysis and reports are at the top of the priority list. Additionally, any business that needs advanced employee tracking features is likely to benefit from what Workpuls has to offer, especially if the business relies on remote teams to get work done.
Special features:
- Monitoring of employees to better understand their productivity patterns in real time
- Automatic time and attendance tracking for businesses that rely on remote teams
- Project reports and budget tracking with screenshots as proofs of work
- Automatically generated time sheets based on employees’ computer activity
What Workpuls users say:
I do not have to spend a lot of hours by trying to remember what I did during the month and all calculations are done for me automatically. Workplus also supports unlimited users for every plan, which is almost the best software for time-tracking solutions.
We need to look for a better time tracking application which can better assist us in project management. We have so far realized the potential of this tool, but it is limited to performing well only in time tracking and schedule breakdowns.
Platforms
Windows and Mac computers and Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox, and Opera browsers
Price
If paying annually, a 20% discount is applied
Employee monitoring version: $6/user/month
Time tracking version: $8/user/month
Automatic time mapping version: $15/user/month
16. BeeBole
BeeBole is one of the most reliable timesheet apps on the market, offering an employee time clock, project time tracking, or both. Completely customizable, it can be set up for employees to clock in and out, or to track time for clients, projects, and sub-projects with a one-click timer. Track time daily, weekly, monthly, and in real-time. Logging attendance, vacations, and leaves of absence couldn’t be easier.
The team overview lets managers check project status, team and employee performance, and overtime at a glance. Approval flow allows for easy bulk review, approve timesheets, request changes, and lock time entries.
Finally, tap into valuable business intelligence by running reports on employee time, budget, margin, and profit. Managers can build the exact report they need or use the custom KPI dashboards to unlock this powerful insight.
For whom?
BeeBole is a great option for teams that need an employee time clock OR project time tracking, both of which come with flexible reporting. It’s the perfect solution for teams who’d like to go beyond their basic timesheet data to unlock the powerful business intelligence that awaits.
Special features:
- More than 30 reports and custom KPIs
- Employee mobile app works offline
- Billing costs with multiple currencies
- Time entries approval
- Flexibility through modules
- Google Suite and Microsoft 365 integration
- Free API
- Available in 10 languages
- Highly rated customer support in English, French, and Spanish
- DCAA and GDPR compliant
What BeeBole users say:
Easy and flexible to set up according to individual and team needs, with powerful reporting functions.
Admin interface can be complex if you don’t do a free demo.
Platforms
Android, iOS, Windows
Price
BeeBole costs $5.99 per person, per month. You can add as many projects and customers as you like. There are volume discounts for yearly subscriptions, NGOs and educational institutions. There’s a 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
CONCLUSION
In this roundup I want to share with you some of the best free tracking tools available online. These are tools that are not just limited to track your own account, but also have features to help track your most important competitors.
Free tracking tools don’t come around that often. Free tools are normally subpar or completely useless… So when we find an awesome tool for free, it makes our day! In this list, I’m going to be talking about 10 of the best free tracking tools available. These will help you improve your website conversions, find backlinks and much more.