8 Best Time Tracking Software in 2024

Pros

• Simple and intuitive interface
• Free plan comes with web, desktop, and mobile time tracking apps; supports unlimited users and projects
• Built-in invoicing tools to bill clients

Cons

• Invoicing and labor cost vs budget comparisons cost extra
• Limited report customization; you can’t create and add new fields
• Mobile app is glitchy; software lags from time to time

• Free option: Access to online timers and timesheets, project and task tracking, reporting tools, and calendar; supports unlimited projects and employees
• Basic ($4.99/mo per user): Administration tools; project templates, time audits, and the capability to add time for one or multiple users
• Standard ($6.99/mo per user): All features of the Basic plan, plus timesheeting and billing tools, and QuickBooks integration
• Pro ($9.99/mo per user): All features of the Standard plan, plus productivity and profit tools, scheduled reports, GPS tracking
• Enterprise ($14.99/mo per user): All features of the Pro plan, plus account management, single sign-on (SSO), and custom subdomain
• Server (custom-priced): Lets you host Clockify on your own servers

• Flexible time tracking: Time tracking is an important tool for employee management. With Clockify, you’re not limited to tracking time on specific devices. You can access its online timer on iOS and Android mobile devices, computers, and web browsers (Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge). However, you can’t track work hours via the Apple Watch as Deputy does. You also can’t set up a tablet as a centralized time tracking kiosk—a functionality that Homebase, Deputy, and QuickBooks Time all offer.
• Project and task monitoring: Clockify helps you track time by projects and tasks. You can even break down projects into several activities and categorize tasks by job type.
• GPS tracking: With Clockify’s GPS tracking tool, you can view and check all the client sites that your staff visited during a workday. This is an essential feature to have, especially if you employ field employees. However, you have to buy Clockify’s Pro package if you need geolocation tracking, unlike QuickBooks Time’s mobile app, which shows GPS points on the map for employees’ locations throughout the day regardless of which plan you choose.
• Computer screenshots: Clockify’s screenshot recording app allows you to show clients your work progress. It takes screenshots of your computer screen every five minutes while your timer is running. This is perfect for freelancers who want to provide detailed work updates to clients.
• Invoicing: You can create invoices based on tracked time and send these as PDF documents to bill clients—provided you purchase Clockify’s Standard package. If you need an online timer with free invoicing, Harvest may be a good option. However, if you’re a QuickBooks user, then QuickBooks Time is a better alternative as it connects seamlessly with QuickBooks Online, enabling you to generate invoices and manage payments.

Pros

• Affordable plans; offers a low-cost standalone time tracking solution
• Supports touchless clock-ins/outs through voice commands and facial recognition scans
• Flexible time tracking through iOS and Android devices, including the Apple Watch

Cons

• Lacks invoicing capabilities; standalone time tracking solution doesn’t include reports
• Time tracking, scheduling, and Premium packages require a minimum monthly spend
• Occasional mobile app glitches and third-party software integration issues

• Free plan: Only for those in the US. Includes 100 approved and published shifts per month, PTO and leave management, news feed, and 24/7 email support
• Standalone packages*: $4.50/employee/month for separate Time and Attendance and Scheduling options
  • Time and Attendance: Online timesheets, payroll integrations, and time clock apps (for iOS and Android)
  • Scheduling: Schedule builder with auto-scheduling functionalities

Paid plans with complete time tracking and scheduling solutions:

• Premium plan ($6/employee/month)*: Includes everything in the free plan, plus employee scheduling, auto-scheduling, timesheets, payroll integration, POS integration, tasking, and reporting
• Enterprise plan (custom-priced): All features of the Premium plan, plus advanced demand planning, advanced reporting and analytics, custom-built enterprise agreements, custom implementations, custom roles and permissions, dedicated support, and more
• Flexible weekly plan ($2.50/active user/week; $0.50/inactive user/month): Premium features; inactive employees remain on Deputy

* Scheduling, Time and Attendance, and Premium plans require a minimum monthly spend of $10 per invoice

• Affordability: Although it does have a free plan available for its US customers, the time tracking feature is not included. However, Deputy’s paid products are budget-friendly with monthly fees that start at $4.50 per employee—making it the most affordable paid time tracking solution on this list.
• Online time clocks: Deputy’s time tracking apps can help you monitor employee attendance and manage your workforce from any Android and iOS device. Your staff can even clock in/out from the Apple Watch—a functionality that none of the other software in this guide offers.
• Touchless clock-ins: Deputy is the only provider on our list that supports voice commands. Its Deputy Kiosk app for tablets uses voice commands and facial recognition scans to capture employee clock-ins/outs.
• Task assignments: With Deputy, you can add single and recurring tasks to staff schedules. Although it doesn’t record the actual hours that your employees spend on each task, it sends you notifications whenever an assignment has been completed. However, if you require a time tracker with start/stop controls for capturing hours spent on tasks, we recommend QuickBooks Time, Harvest, Clockify, or ClockShark.

Pros

• Feature-rich free plan; includes time-tracking and scheduling
• User-friendly interface
• Can handle unlimited employees in paid plans

Cons

• Lacks client invoicing tools
• Free plan covers only one business location with up to 20 employees
• Doesn’t integrate with third-party scheduling, accounting, and project management solutions

• Free plan: Manage schedules, track employee time, and communicate with teams; supports unlimited schedules and employees for businesses with one location

Paid plans:

• Essentials ($24.95/month/location): All features of the Free plan, plus team communication, performance tracking, remote tools
• Plus ($59.95/month/location): All features of the Essentials plan, plus labor costing, hiring tools, time off limits, PTO tracking, permissions
• All in One ($99.95/month/location): All features of the Plus plan, plus onboarding, employee documents, HR, compliance
• Add fully-integrated payroll to any paid plan:
  • $39 base fee/month + $6/employee/month

• Per-location pricing: The other time-tracking software in this guide charge monthly fees on a per-employee basis, but only Homebase bills you based on the number of business locations you have. This is optimal for employers with plans to grow their workforce in one location since they don’t have to worry about buying extra user seats.
• Intuitive interface: Homebase has an easy-to-use platform with intuitive controls that enable users to create schedules, view actual work hours, approve timesheets, and more with just a few clicks.
• Efficient time and scheduling tools: Online timesheets, administrator alerts for late clock-ins and overtime, and a drag-and-drop schedule builder are just some of the basic tools you’ll get with Homebase. You can allocate hours by jobs, and it can help you calculate employee hours and wages for payroll (including tip payments—which is great for restaurants). Additionally, you get reports that allow you to compare planned versus actual work hours and labor costs.
• Online time clocks with secure clock-ins: You can turn any computer, point-of-sale (POS) device, tablet, or smartphone into an online time clock with Homebase’s time-tracking app. Your staff can clock in and out using personalized PIN codes, plus its GPS functionalities let you know exactly where employees are clocking in/out from. However, it doesn’t track time spent on tasks like ClockShark, Harvest, QuickBooks Time, and Clockify.

Pros

• Free plan includes unlimited users and projects
• Has robust employee productivity tools
• Offers leave management

Cons

• You have to upgrade to paid plans if you want billable/non-billable hours tagging and email/chat support
• Client invoicing and online payments available only in higher plans
• Lacks phone support

• Free plan: Includes timesheets, unlimited projects, time clock kiosk, unlimited users, web and mobile apps, and geofencing
• Starter plan ($3.99/user/month): All features in the Free plan, plus invoicing, Excel reports export, attendance, time-off, unlimited tasks, and overtime tracking
• Premium plan ($6.99/user/month): All features in the Starter plan, plus billable time, budgets and estimates, apps and website tracking, management roles, projects archiving, and one integration
• Ultimate plan ($9.99/user/month): All features in the Premium plan, plus timesheet approvals, billing rates, expenses, pivot table, screenshots, and unlimited integrations
• Enterprise package ($14.99/user/month): All features in the Ultimate plan, plus priority support and SLA, self-hosted instance, private cloud instance, custom integrations, training and assistance, and setup sessions

Annual pricing comes with a 10% discount on all plans.

• Attendance and leave management: Not only does its time tracker help you log hours for projects, but it can also be used to monitor clock-ins/outs and overtime. Similar to Clockify, TimeCamp has leave management capabilities to help you track vacation, sick, and holiday leaves.
• Productivity tools: TimeCamp tracks idle time and monitors the hours spent on websites, apps, and documents. With its productivity assistant feature, you can set goals and measure your productive and idle hours. You also have the option to activate its computer screenshots function in case you want full transparency and present proof of work to clients. TimeCamp has a private time mode that you can turn on if you want to take breaks.
• Project management features: TimeCamp is the only software on this list with an automated time-tracking feature that allows users to set up keywords for clients or projects. Once TimeCamp detects the keywords, it automatically assigns this time to the right client or project. The web-based and desktop apps can then run silently in the background. Users can also monitor project profitability with its broad range of reporting features.
• Invoicing and client payments: TimeCamp has smart invoices that you can easily generate and send to clients via email, a private link, or a PDF file. Clients can even pay you directly from the invoice through PayPal. However, you have to upgrade to at least its Pro plan to get these features. For a more budget-friendly option, consider Harvest since it offers its invoicing and online payment tools for free—provided you need only one user seat and two active projects.

Pros

• Has a forever-free plan with unlimited users
• GPS features available for all plans
• Equipment tracking even with free plan
• Area-based and time-based clock-ins/outs reminders

Cons

• No scheduling option in the free version
• Integration with QuickBooks can take time

• Free option: Unlimited users; includes GPS time tracking, job costing, and equipment tracking
• Pro ($11.99/active user/month): All Free features, plus GPS breadcrumbing, supervisor tools, daily sign-offs, photos and notes, and scheduling
• Premium ($17.99/active user/month): All Pro features, plus documents, daily project reports, progress tracking, checklists, team messaging, and Zapier
• Payroll add-on ($45/month + $6/person/month): includes full-service payroll, W2 state and federal e-file and pay, 1099 e-file and pay, state tax reconciliations, mobile payroll processing, free expert product support, payroll onboarding assistance, dedicated account manager, and more

• Simple clocking in/out: A worker can clock in and out using the mobile app or via a kiosk. With the app, they can also track materials and equipment and even report work accomplished.
• Supervisor tools: Like ClockShark, busybusy allows a supervisor to clock in and out for the whole crew. Other group actions include breaks and time off.
• Scheduling: All providers in this guide offer scheduling functions, except for TimeCamp and Harvest. With busybusy, supervisors or contractors can create schedules, add a location pin, and attach detailed instructions. The crew will then be notified of their schedules.
• Universal map: This map lets you see active projects, real-time employee locations, and equipment locations. This is very similar to what QuickBooks Time offers minus the equipment tracking feature.
• Geofencing: Aside from its geolocation tracking tools, busybusy also lets you create a geofence, only enabling employees to clock in and out whenever they’re inside the required location.
• Location-based reminders: Employees are also notified once they enter the geofence and with a reminder to clock out when they’re leaving.
• Timecard signatures: At the end of the workday, employees should verify that their logged times are correct. To quickly spot and correct errors before processing payroll, timecards must also be signed by supervisors. Signing can be done right from their mobile phones.
• Equipment locations: busybusy is the only provider in this guide with equipment tracking. It’s easy for contractors and employees to keep tabs on their equipment, who’s using it, and what project they’re working on.

Pros

• Reasonably priced
• Has geofencing and geolocation tracking features
• Supports online payments from clients

Cons

• Doesn’t have a free option
• Facial recognition scans require a dedicated time-tracking device
• Invoicing, online client payments, and advanced job costing controls are available only in higher plans

• Standard plan ($40 + $8/user/month): Includes time and attendance tracking, GPS tracking, job and task tracking, built-in Spanish language support, drag-and-drop scheduling, manager roles and approvals, and third-party integrations
• Pro plan ($60 + $10/user/month): All Standard features, plus PTO tracking, multi-department/office controls, advanced job costing controls, clock out questions, and draft schedules

* 14-day free trial on all plans

• Multiple time clock options: In addition to mobile time tracking apps for iOS and Android devices, ClockShark has a web-based time tracker that works on laptops and desktop computers. If you require secure clock-ins, its “KioskClock” apps for smartphones and tablets support PIN codes and facial recognition scans.
• Job and customer management: While Clockify and Harvest have similar job and client management functionalities, their tools aren’t as robust as ClockShark’s. In addition to organizing job/client information, you can easily view which customers are associated with each project or job in ClockShark. You can also add files to client profiles, such as pictures of completed tasks and receipts. It even has a communication tool where you can share job details, provide updates, and discuss client issues with your team. ClockShark then saves all in-app conversations for easy reference.
• Built-in invoicing with online payments: ClockShark automatically adds tracked hours from online timesheets into invoices—provided you set the applicable tasks as billable. And unlike Clockify, which only allows you to create and send invoices, ClockShark lets you receive payments from customers. It partners with JPMorgan Chase Bank to offer a secure platform where clients can simply click the payment button on ClockShark’s electronic invoices to transfer payments to their business accounts.
• Timesheet attachments: Construction workers and field staff who need to send information from the field to your main office can attach work files, notes, and job-related photos to ClockShark’s online timesheets.
• GPS and geofencing tracking: Although ClockShark’s Basic plan has GPS functionality, it isn’t as detailed as the geolocation tools included in its Standard to Expert plans which show location breadcrumb trails on a map. Meanwhile, its geofencing capabilities help to remind employees to clock in/out as they enter/leave the job site.

Pros

• Can track both billable hours and actual hours worked by hourly staff
• Offers multiple and versatile time clock options
• Seamless integration with QuickBooks’ payroll and accounting software

Cons

• More expensive than competitors
• Facial recognition clock-ins require the use of a dedicated time tracking kiosk
• Invoicing isn’t built in; available through integration with QuickBooks Online

• Premium plan ($20 + $8/employee/month): Access to mobile apps with GPS tracking and the QuickBooks Time Kiosk, PTO management, job and shift scheduling, automated overtime alerts, and unlimited live customer support
• Elite option ($40 + $10/employee/month): All Premium features, plus mileage tracking, geofencing, timesheet signatures, and reports that show project estimates versus actual hours/labor cost

* Free 30-day trial for monthly plans or 50% off for 3 months if you pay annually

• Versatile time tracking apps: QuickBooks Time has time tracking apps that work across devices—from computers to smartphones and tablets. It is also the only provider on our list that offers both an online time clock for capturing your hourly workforce’s clock-ins/outs and an online timer for tracking billable hours to invoice clients.
• Secure clock-ins: QuickBooks Time has a clock kiosk that serves as a dedicated time-tracking terminal for your hourly employees working in the same location. Aside from PIN codes, it supports facial recognition scans to help prevent buddy punching. However, if you want your employees to use voice commands when clocking in/out, consider Deputy.
• Geofencing and geolocation tracking: In addition to tracking where field employees are working, QuickBooks Time’s mobile app reminds your staff to clock in and out as they enter and exit a job site. And like ClockShark, it displays GPS points on a map, showing a “breadcrumb trail” of the job/client locations that employees visited throughout the workday.
• Seamless QuickBooks integration: QuickBooks Time connects well with other QuickBooks products (like QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll) for streamlined invoicing and payroll runs. It also integrates with online payroll services (like Gusto and ADP) to allow easy transfers of time data for employee pay processing.

Pros

• Free option lets you track time for projects, send invoices, and submit expense reports
• Can handle online payments through Stripe and PayPal integrations
• Robust third-party software integrations

Cons

• Free plan has only one user seat and two projects
• Time tracking for unlimited projects is included only in its paid Pro plan; can be costly for big teams
• GPS tracking and biometric scans are unavailable; task management features are limited

• Free plan: Includes online timers, client invoicing, and expense reporting for one user seat and time tracking for up to two projects.
• Pro plan ($12/user/month): All features in the Free plan, plus unlimited user seats and projects.

• Desktop and mobile time tracking apps: Harvest has simple-to-use time tracking apps that work on laptops and desktop computers, including iOS and Android mobile devices. However, unlike Deputy, its mobile app isn’t compatible with the Apple Watch. It also doesn’t have a time clock kiosk for capturing the actual work times of your hourly workforce.
• Expense reporting: Harvest is the only time tracking software we reviewed that lets you log business expenses, take photos of receipts, and tag the transactions as billable. You can even turn details of tracked expenses into invoices that you can send to clients.
• Robust third-party integrations: Harvest partners with over 50 third-party solutions that include accounting software, analytics and reporting apps, project management systems, and productivity tools. Its integration with Stripe and PayPal has even enabled it to accept online payments from clients. However, unlike Deputy, Homebase, and ClockShark, it lacks integration with scheduling and payroll software.

20% of Overall Score

20% of Overall Score

20% of Overall Score

10% of Overall Score

10% of Overall Score