13 Top Picks
4 Reviewers
54 Hours of Research
36 Options Considered
Whether you are an employer or an employee, you know the importance of accurate time sheets. Hours worked means hours paid, and any discrepancies can greatly impact the business and your livelihood. Rather than relying on old methods of manual timekeeping and punch cards, there are now lots of great options for doing the job for you.
Quality timekeeping software brings your company into the current era of convenience and reliability, saving you how many hours of manually transferring the information into your records. Bookkeeping, communications and many other aspects of businesses are incorporating technology to make it more efficient, why wouldn’t you use it in timekeeping as well.
Best Time Tracking Software - Why You Need It
No matter how big or small your business is, time tracking software is a must!
Saves Time
You should always aim to have employees spend the least amount of time on the non-work essentials so more time can be dedicated to the work itself. By making it quicker and easier to clock in at work, they are able to get right into the day’s tasks, rather than having to wait to punch a card.
Saves Effort
Most time tracking software is accessed via an app, making it as easy for employees to download it on their phones or smart devices to clock in. That means they can clock in right when they walk in, rather than having to remember to sign something, punch a card or whatever other method of signing in the company may use.
Logging time with software also makes it easy to access hours and can remove the need for transferring it to your books if the time tracking tool is synced up with your bookkeeping software.
Why Is Time Tracking Important?
If you think that the old way of time tracking is working just fine for you, consider certain advantages of using software.
Increases Accountability
By using time tracking software, your employees have control over when they are working and logging in. Because they are recording exactly how much time they worked and the IP address they used, it is much more difficult for them to fudge their hours or come in late. It also makes it harder for employers to get out of paying the hours someone worked because there is a clear log of it.
Provides Accurate Billing
Whether it is per hour, per task, or mileage, you can select different categories to make sure you are billing in the correct manner. This prevents confusion later when it comes time to pay and do bookkeeping.
How Time Tracking Software Works
For those who have never used time tracking software before, you can expect certain things out of the program.
Punch In
With any device that has the app on it, you can easily press a button and start your work day. You can also select certain jobs or multiple tasks to record when you are working on them specifically.
Track Time
Whether it is manually punching in and out through the app like a stopwatch, or using GPS tracking to show when you leave, it will show how long you are in that location and when you leave.
Synchronize
The information logged by the software can be transferred to bookkeeping software when linked to timekeeping software, easily filling out what needs to go where.
What Makes Great Time Tracking Software?
Not all the time tracking software on the market is quality. You need to be able to distinguish what is going to be worth the money and serve your needs, and what will be a waste of time.
Ease of Use
You don’t want to have to train employees to use a more complicated program when you don’t need to. Making it clear, straightforward and easy for everyone is going to give you to best chance of being successful utilizing time keeping software.
Customization
Being able to label specific projects, pay per task and limit IP addresses that are accepted all make it easier for you and your employees to get a clear picture of what is going on. The more you can make it work for your specific company, the better it is.
Versatility
Many time tracking software options will incorporate additional features to make it a more inclusive, all-in-one product. Being able to communicate with employees and use it for more than just tracking time is always a plus.
Best Time Tracking Software Reviews
3 Top Time Tracking Software
1. Mavenlink
5.0/5
One of the best time tracking tools in the market and have the most well-received and positively rated time tracking software is Mavenlink. This is undoubtedly due to the wide range of features and compatibility with lots of big-name programs.
2. When I Work
4.8/5
When I Work is a way for businesses and employees to keep track of their time, but it can do more than that. It works well as an attendance software.
3. Bigtime
4.7/5
BigTime was created to make billing and invoicing easier and more efficient, by creating a solution where the process all starts: in the time consumed.
1. Mavenlink
5.0/5
This is one of the best time tracking app and one of the most well received and positively rated time tracking software is Mavenlink. This is undoubtedly due to the wide range of features and compatibility with lots of big-name programs. Mavenlink combines time tracking with project management tools to provide you the best of both worlds, along with an open API so you have access to all the best features.
This includes setting up teams, creating tasks and assessing your finances with the many visuals provided, including the Gantt chart.
Mavenlink also features the Operational System of Records, or OSR, to keep your entire business connected and able to see what needs to be done where. This greatly enhances productivity and is a must for larger businesses employee monitoring software to trace, projects and tasks and work hours.
There is a free trial of Mavenlink available, with four different price packages to choose from. Enterprise provides you with the business basics to keep things running smoothly and financially up to date. You will get things like time tracking, project management, collaboration, financials, business intelligence and resource project planning.
The Premier package provides you with team's time tracking, financials, collaboration, project management and resource planning, making it great for tracking team.
The Professional package focuses on time tracking, project management and collaboration, and the Teams package provides collaboration and task management. With all of these packages you get a secure service that will protect your information, as well as the ability to integrate with programs like QuickBooks, Microsoft, Google and more.
There is round the clock assistance if you ever need any help. In addition to 24/7 support, you also have access to a library of courses that are both live and on demand to help you through anything. If you want to get professional training for your company when switching to Mavenlink, there is also product training available.
Mavenlink Pros
Mavenlink Cons
2. When I Work
4.8/5
When I Work is a way for businesses and employees to keep track of their time, but it can do more than that. It works well as an attendance software; team members and employees can easily clock in and out, whether they do it from their own phone or from a designated kiosk at the office.
Because it uses GPS time tracking & verification, managers can ensure that even when users have the capability of clocking in from their own phone, they’re actually where they should be. It logs all hours and attendance, and administrators have the ability to verify details as needed, or integrate the software with an existing payroll system to increase company efficiency.
There’s never any reason to miss timesheet data, since timesheets can be exported by administrators and employees alike. Employees have limited permissions.
Another reason companies are growing to rely on When I Work is the level of transparency it offers. You can choose to receive notifications if employees forget to clock in or out, or do so at the incorrect time. These alerts are delivered either by email or SMS alerts.
The alerts provide even further transparency; they can be set for new task assignments and schedule changes. Administrators can view detailed reports that help keep clear communication by showing when employees have a trend of incorrect attendance, not sticking to scheduling, or frequently experience communication issues.
While it does help to keep employees accountable, it also helps managers address issues early on, before a bigger issue develops. When I Work is great for company communication where scheduling is concerned. Managers can receive and respond to requests for time off from the app. Likewise, employees can create requests or mark themselves unavailable ahead of time to prevent scheduling issues.
When I Work Pros
When I Work Cons
3. Bigtime
4.7/5
BigTime was created to make billing and invoicing easier and more efficient, by creating a expense tracking software solution where the process all starts: in the time spent.
Employees can keep monitor of their time and progress from the mobile apps, whether they’re online or not. If expenses come up along the way, they can attach a receipt to their expenses tracking to streamline the accounting process.
When it comes to client invoicing, BigTime really excels in keeping the details straight.
A standout feature that you’d be lucky to find anywhere else? BigTime offers DCAA time tracking, which is necessary for government contractors.
Bigtime Pros
Bigtime Cons
4. Timecamp
4.7/5
Timecamp helps track time spent and improve employee productivity for businesses and their employees. You can keep monitor of everything from time sheets, to how well team projects are going by looking at their collaboration reports. It also helps ensure that every task is being completed at the most efficient level possible.
Users can see details about their daily time and activity, including how long was spent on each task. In turn, this allows a better productivity tracking & analysis for how productive, and profitable the activity on each task is.
It uses automatic time tracking, which is a bonus if you’ve ever forgotten to clock in for hours that you need to bill a client for. Simply look through past activity and track which hours need to be billed.
Timecamp Pros
Timecamp Cons
5. Wrike
4.6/5
Winner of Best Project time tracking Software tools for 2018, Wrike is designed to help track time and promote greater collaboration. Wrike syncs up to a wide range of programs, including Google Docs, and makes it easy to schedule projects, share information, and of course, keep track of who is working when.
There are great security measures in place to prevent any important information from being accessed, and the whole system is very user friendly.
Wrike is ideal for team projects, but also works well for the individual employee. It is easy to share information and work on manage tasks, and you can monitor how the different tasks are coming along.
You can also create subtasks and plan out exactly what needs to be done and when. This will help productivity and future projects task management. Wrike also provides you with clear analytics and makes it easy to connect to a wide range of programs you may already be using for your business.
Wrike Pros
Wrike Cons
6. Replicon
4.6/5
Replicon has introduced their TimeCost software, and although it does track time, it’s a much more comprehensive project management tool. The primary goal behind the software is to allow small businesses to execute even the most complex projects more efficiently, all while gaining critical insights about almost every aspect of the project.
One area it really excels in is resource management and cost management. When team members enter their time or expenses associated with a project, TimeCost automatically logs it, and all your data is analyzed to provide insights about the project timeline and projected budget forecasting.
These results, once analyzed can be shared and viewed in a variety of ways, including charts, graphs, and even calendar views.
Users can also use it to track factors outside of the project itself, including employee attendance tracking and productivity. It includes a simple interface, and users download an app that then syncs their information to the software that analyzes the project as a whole.
Once the clock is set to active, the user can manage projects tasks, work on assigned activities, and more. While the user has the software activated, the program captures critical information about the progress of the work being done. Project managers have more detailed control, and can use the application to apply pay rules or institute facial recognition technology to ensure every worker is right where they need to be.
Replicon Pros
Replicon Cons
7. QuickBooks Time
4.5/5
QuickBooks Time is one of the more well known, and more enjoyed, employee time tracking apps out there today.
One thing that really sets it apart from other tools or software is that it takes very little work to use, and really doesn’t impact your daily workflow with distractions.
It uses GPS monitoring to ensure that time reporting is completely accurate, although timesheets can be modified if needed. It’s a great way for companies with mobile employees to keep accurate records, and it works by way of a user friendly mobile app.
It also allows users to attach images to their timesheets; it’s a great way to cover project tracking & progress, and keep clients up to date on progress. It even tracks PTO, and when overtime is being approached.
QuickBooks Time Pros
QuickBooks Time Cons
8. Harvest
4.5/5
Harvest is a time tracking software that’s gaining popularity with sole proprietors and larger businesses alike. There are plenty of great time tracking programs for individuals, or that segment better for individuals, but not all of them are ideal for teams. That’s one thing that really makes Harvest stand out from many of the time tracking programs available time.
This is a program that can really take disorganized team to a group of productive superstars. It does some of everything, although the basic time tracking features are some of the most notable.
You can view reports specifically dedicated to time spent on a project, and get a more detailed view of not only the amount of time spent, but just how it was spent.
You can use Harvest to generate project budgets, track costs and time consumed while the project is still in progress, and view a projection of the project’s overall profitability. Each team member downloads the program (which can be used on or offline), and the project manager, or account manager, has access to detailed reports of mouse and keyboard activity and timesheet reports from all team members.
From the software, administrators can also create project task lists, and assign specific tasks to individual team members. A benefit of the way Harvest is set up is that it allows easy organization, with advanced reporting features and accurate project, time, and expenses tracking. Another thing busy remote teams will love is not only how available it is as a browser extension, mobile app, or desktop app, but how many other project management apps it integrates with.
Harvest Pros
Harvest Cons
9. Time Tracker by eBillity
4.3/5
The eBility Time Tracker is a way for businesses to make keeping tracking of employee, and company time easier.
It offers automatic time tracking systems to make the entire process easier, which is something you won’t find in every time tracking software. It also offers a more comprehensive way to track hours.
Where a lot of applications only allow you to track billable hours (which presents problems for salaried employees), Time Tracker also allows you to track non-billable time. In turn, this helps keep projects and schedules on track, and clears up any potential communication issues.
Another nice thing is the flexibility it offers. You can customize plenty of settings, bill at different rates, and even use the software to calculate employee overtime hours and pay.
Time Tracker by eBillity Pros
Time Tracker by eBillity Cons
10. BQE Core
4.3/5
BQE Core is one of the best time tracking programs to use if you need something quick, efficient, and easy. It does everything you need so you can get your invoices to your clients without any hassle.
Of course, if you like to get a little more technical with how you track projects or you have a lot of projects, you can customize plenty of features. It helps to keep each project, and client file in order, and you can even use it as part of your accounting software.
One area where core really excels is analysis and reporting. While you can create your own custom visual reports, they include several reports suited to nearly any aspect of your business.
BQE Core Pros
BQE Core Cons
11. Zoho Projects
4.2/5
If you want a time tracking program that serves as an all-in-one for your company, Zoho Projects is a must. Able to work with iOS, Android and Cloud services, the software works with most smart devices, making it very versatile. You can use a free version of the service with up to five users and two projects, or pay for one of their other packages.
All the paid services come with a ten-day trial to make sure you are getting what you want and need, and annual payments helps you save money compared to monthly with base rates. You can choose between Standard, Express, Premium and Enterprise and select how many users you will need. If you have a company that has more than 5000 users you can also get a personalized service.
Zoho Projects provides clients with 24/7/365 support for their software, as well as round the clock security. This includes video monitoring, biometrics and encryption to help keep your information safe and your business secure. You can get training for your company on how to use this project management software with in person or live online instruction, as well as webinars and libraries of documents to reference.
While you get the standard time tracking and project management features, you also get things like charts, reports, social project management, issue tracking, and task automation. Gantt charges are incorporated into the software to easily decipher the data your company has accumulated while using Zoho Projects.
You can also utilize the automated feature and the drag and drop interface to save time and create clear visual task charts. You can also log every minute and separate it into billable and non-billable hours. This makes creating invoices much more straightforward.
You can fully customize your Zoho Projects experience to make it exactly what your company needs, including creating fields, layouts, statuses and even adding features through partner apps like BugTracker, Sprints, and Orchestly. You can also sync up your software with other programs like Google, Dropbox, Zapier and more.
Zoho Projects Pros
Zoho Projects Cons
12. Ultipro
4.1/5
Ultipro by Ultimate Software goes far beyond what you expect from a typical time tracking software. Of course, it’s an effective time tracking solution to track employee attendance and productivity. It also goes far beyond what you’d even expect from a program that integrates payroll capabilities, although it does that too.
There’s even a dashboard that every employee can access to see their personal details and scheduling.
Administrators will find that it takes care of just about every aspect of employee management needed. From 401 (k) tracking, to benefits team management, to a comprehensive talent management program, it does it all. You can even use it to set and share goals, as well as recognize key players for exemplary performance.
Ultipro Pros
Ultipro Cons
13. Timesolv
3.0/5
If you are a small business, or are on a tight budget, Timesolv is one of the most affordable options on the market. It keeps coding simple and provides you with a variety of pricing discounts.
Timesolv provides you with a combination of time tracking and project management, giving you access to all the basics of both. This makes it very easy to use and great for those who don’t need a lot of extra employee monitoring features.
You can get a free 30-day trial to see if Timesolv is right for your company. If you choose to stay with Timesolv, you can expect your data to be updated every ten minutes and saved in two different locations on the cloud for greater security.
Designed to work best with legal firms and lawyers, this program can easily integrate with most of the major law software. It can also be synchronized with bookkeeping and CPA sites like Dropbox and QuickBooks, and programs like Office 365.
With Timesolv, you can easily create invoices & budgets, check out the reports and expenses, track time and even create documents for your work. Because of the incorporation of legal programs, some of the provided documents can use a lot of legalese, but this can be changed for those who prefer wording that works more with the layperson.
Timesolv Pros
Timesolv Cons
Key Criteria for Choosing Time Tracking Tools
To help you narrow down your search for the right time tracking software, consider some key criteria.
Pricing
Many programs offer free trials or versions, as well as packages you pay for to get more features. Consider what each provide and what you need to make sure you choose the right package.
Support
Customer support and administrative help is key, especially when trying to switch an entire company over to something new.
Synchronization
If you use a bookkeeping software, or use a specific type of program, it is important to look for something that will work with what you are already using.
FAQs
1. Is time tracking bad?
Time tracking is the process of recording when an employee begins and ends work for a specific period of time. There are both pros and cons to time tracking, with the main con being that it can be seen as an invasion of privacy. Some pros include the fact that it can help to ensure that employees are not working too many hours and that they are getting paid for all the time they work.
2. Is personal time tracking worth it?
I think that time tracking is worth it because it allows you to know how much you are spending on different activities, and also helps with productivity. It's a great way to manage your day-to-day tasks and see where there might be room for improvement.
3. What is the main purpose for using time tracking?
The main purpose for time tracking is to ensure that employees are productive and that their time is being used efficiently. Time tracking can help employers identify areas where employees are spending too much time on certain tasks or projects, or where they may need additional training in order to be more productive. Time tracking can also help employers track employee absences and ensure that they are not taking too much time off.
4. Does time tracking increase productivity?
A time tracking app is about more than keeping track of hours and timesheets. The data it generates is a goldmine for productivity enhancement. Without exerting additional effort, you and your team can significantly increase efficiency, motivation, and productive focus with the right time tracking tools. Additionally, a time tracking app does not have a huge effect on your computer usage that causes your productivity to degrade.
5. What are the benefits of tracking?
The Benefits of time Tracking app.
- Enhancement of organizational performance.
- Increased Confidence in Investment Decisions.
- Appropriate Responses to Underperforming Projects.
- Decision Making in a Timely Manner.
- Transparency.
- Increased accuracy in estimating and delivering benefits.
- Organizational Education.
I use kanbantool.com to track my work time, it’s great. It’s actually a lot more than just a time tracking tool, it’s a great time management tool as well. And it’s not expensive. I think it’s worth trying, at least.
Kanban is great! I use it all the time, it really makes it easier to manage time better. And it’s great for time tracking, too.
Hey Dusan, thanks for sharing an informative and useful post.
Every organization should adopt employee time off tracking software as it is useful to both the employer and employee. By use of a centralized platform, employee can make requests and managers can approve requests.