Time Tracking Software

How We Ranked Time Tracking Software

While researching different time tracking solutions, we look into the essential features of this type of software. The platforms we’ve hand-picked for you are ranked based on their functionalities. This means that software with just basic time tracking capabilities will rank lower than a product with a broader and more comprehensive feature set.

Classification

The time tracking market offers an abundance of timekeeping programs, apps, and platforms. These solutions, however, differ in their industry focus, targeted business size, and deployment options, so we use these parameters to group them.

Please note that this part of our research doesn’t affect the software’s ranking.

Industry Focus

Time tracking solutions are widely used by companies from the following industries:

• Accounting
• Education
• Healthcare
• Manufacturing
• IT services
• Nonprofits
• Real estate

These industries, however, are only a small portion of all the other sectors where time management programs are essential. In essence, any company that employs hourly workers, or wants to accurately track time spent on projects, or boost team productivity can benefit from this type of software.

Business Size

These solutions serve companies of different sizes, including small and midsize businesses, and large organizations.

Freelance workers also rely on this type of software to show proof of work, send invoices to their clients, and increase their overall productivity levels.

Plus, a time tracking system doesn’t focus solely on work. It can also help individuals learn where their time goes. By eliminating unproductive tasks and habits, anyone can have better control of their time, and make data-backed decisions about how they want to spend their time.

Deployment

Deployment options represent another criterion that helps us classify these software solutions. There are two different ways to implement a time tracking product — on-premise and in the cloud. On-premise software solutions require a significant upfront investment and are installed locally, i.e., on a company’s premises. In contrast, online time tracking software is hosted in the cloud.

Both of these deployment options have their upsides and downsides. For example, companies that own highly sensitive information usually opt for on-premise solutions, as all of their data is hosted on their servers. Small teams on a shoe-string budget typically choose cloud solutions due to low upfront investments and quick deployment times.

We cannot recommend one of these two options as better. This decision is up to you and is heavily influenced by your business requirements and budget.

Types of Timekeeping Software

Before we move on to the crucial features, let’s examine the different types of time tracking solutions.

Standalone vs. Built-In Time Trackers

As part of our evaluation, we consider whether time tracking is the software’s primary function, or if this functionality is integrated into a more comprehensive solution. The latter option is usually a combination of time tracking with invoicing or project management tools.

Automatic vs. Stopwatch-Based Time Trackers

Based on the software’s time entry system, we can divide these products into automatic and stopwatch-based trackers.

Automatic trackers require minimal effort. As soon as the user turns their computer on, the tool starts tracking their activity automatically. Then, once the user turns off their computer, the tracker is no longer active.

Stopwatch-based or interactive trackers meanwhile give users more control over the activities they want to track. This type of software typically features a stopwatch and allows task and project creation. This way, employees can select assigned tasks, and, with a click of a mouse, start, pause, or stop their work altogether.

Essential Features of Time Tracking Software

We’ve come to the part where we get to explore the must-have features of every good time tracker. So, let’s begin.

Time Tracking & Editing Options

Automatic time trackers cover all of the user’s desktop, mobile, and web activities. Additionally, the time users spent away from the computer counts towards their weekly hourly quota as well. To fully understand which tasks or websites are non-beneficial to their work performance, users should be able to mark different time activities as either productive or unproductive.

Interactive time trackers rely on a timer that a user must turn on or off to start or stop tracking work activities. Using this type of timekeeping software, users have the option to work on various tasks and projects, as well as review and edit their time entries. The option to add or remove time manually should be available too if a user forgets to turn the time tracker on or off. Both interactive and automated time trackers should meticulously monitor the amount of time users spent working, as well as store their work logs in an online timesheet.

Online Timesheets

Online timesheets are another crucial feature of the top timekeeping software solutions, with the best platforms automatically generating timesheets based on the user’s activities. This feature is essential for businesses that want to avoid entering time manually and save hours on these repetitive tasks. Depending on the available feature set, this type of software can utilize timesheets for tracking attendance and time off.

Employee Monitoring

Screenshot recordings, keystrokes and mouse movements, along with app and URL tracking, all fall into the employee monitoring tools category.

Screenshot Recordings

Screenshot recording is found in time trackers with employee monitoring functionalities. This type of software takes random screenshots of a user’s computer as soon as they start their time tracking application.The software solutions we’ve included in our rankings allow users to both review and delete their screenshots.

We’ve also looked for products where screenshot recording is optional. Users first have to understand all the benefits of the software. Otherwise, they might feel stressed and less productive as a result, knowing their every move is being closely watched. For this reason, we look for solutions that, apart from the regular screenshot mode, offer the option to blur the screenshots or allow users to turn this feature off altogether.

Keystrokes and Mouse Activity

For a more precise productivity measurement, work tracking software that supports employee monitoring tracks user’s keyboard strokes and mouse movements.

App and URL Tracking

To keep employees off social media and entertainment sites during work hours, time trackers can also record the apps, websites, and programs employees use. Based on the tags that define these apps, websites, and programs as either relevant or irrelevant for work, business owners can measure their employees’ productivity.

Idle Detection and Reminders

Time tracking products should detect idle time if a user forgets to stop the timer. Additionally, users should have the option to delete or keep what the tool measure as idle time. The best time tracking software should also send reminders to users once it detects they haven’t turned the timer on for a specific period of time.

Offline Time Tracking

With stopwatch-based time tracking tools, if a user doesn’t have access to the internet, they should nevertheless be able to track the time in an offline mode. Once back online, the software should sync the offline data with the online time they’ve already recorded.

In the case of automatic time tracking, the offline mode is used to collect accurate data about the time spent away from a computer. These time keeping programs support the option to specify the reasons for the user’s absence and put them down as productive, unproductive, or neutral.

GPS and Geofence Time Tracking

Companies that operate in different locations or have employees who work outside of the office need location-based time tracker, and, in particular, GPS and geofencing capabilities. These two features track physical location. This way, companies can find out when employees come to a site or leave it, which shortens the traditional clock-in and clock-out processes.

Roles & Permissions

Time keeping software needs to allow companies to assign different roles to users e.g., regular, administrators, and managers. With role-based permissions, companies can easily manage who can see what, as well as block access to sections intended only for particular users.

Alerts

Different time tracking products support different types of notifications. During our evaluation process, we looked for software that allows sending notifications for pending tasks, as well as when the team is off track with assigned projects. The alerts feature is also useful for businesses that charge a flat fee, as it can notify users when they are close to going over the set budget.

The notification system of time tracking and timesheet software should be automated, as well as delivered via various channels, including email and SMS messages.

Pomodoro Timer

The ultimate goal of each software solution in our table is to help businesses and individual users track time without investing too much effort into it. However, since productivity is related to the quality, rather than the quantity of work, some time trackers support the Pomodoro timer feature. It reminds users to take a break from work at specified time intervals.

Project Management

With project management and time tracking going hand in hand, time logging software usually supports basic PM features. These include the option of creating tasks, as well as assigning team members to them.

Invoicing

Thanks to a wealth of products, users no longer have to send their invoices in a Word document. Apart from simple time tracking, many software solutions have a built-in invoicing feature. With the option of setting different hourly rates, time tracking platforms can turn users’ logged time into an invoice. Many products further support automating invoices.

Exporting Options

Another feature we look for when evaluating time reporting software is exporting project data into different timesheet apps. Most commonly, users can export their data in PDF, CSV, and XLS formats.

Cross-Platform Support

The option of running a time tracker on different devices and syncing data between them is another essential feature. The software we’ve included in our rankings can be downloaded to a desktop computer, used online or on a mobile device. Some time trackers go even further, allowing users to add the tracker to their browser as an extension.

Integrations

In terms of integrations, time tracking programs allow users to connect their project management software with their time tracker. Other common integrations include payment systems, accounting and CRM software, communication platforms, and calendar and scheduling tools.

Reporting & Data Retention

The list of essential features also includes reporting tools. They provide insight into users’ daily, weekly, and monthly activities. Additionally, reporting tools allow users to track project completion times and generate budget estimates for individual tasks and projects.

Another component of time tracking systems is related to data retention, i.e., for how long users can access the data generated by the software. Most platforms keep historical data anywhere between three months and three years. Some solutions even offer unlimited access to data history. Data retention varies from one platform to another, but we look for products that offer the longest data retention times.

Storage-wise, time tracking platforms usually rely on industry-leading storage services, such as Amazon S3, or store the data on their own servers.

Ease of Use

Users won’t use software that’s too complicated or has a steep learning curve. We, therefore, look for time tracking systems that don’t require too much effort on the user's end, yet still provide plenty of features.

Flexibility & Customization

Whether we are talking about time tracking or any other type of software, we have a golden rule — your business shouldn’t adjust to meet the requirements of the product. It must always be the other way around.
With that in mind, the software solutions of our choice are highly flexible and allow for a high degree of customization.

Pricing Policy

When choosing the best tracking software, our primary concern is to find solutions that both can be of value to your business and are budget-friendly. Our research also extends to include industry-standard pricing. With this information, we can easily compare the cost of different time trackers, and determine whether they are in line with the standards.

Additionally, we favor products with a money-back guarantee or a free trial.

Time Tracking Software Reviews

Hubstaff

At a Glance

Using Hubstaff’s time tracker, businesses can get a detailed overview of employees’ productivity and working habits. The company serves customers from different industries, including manufacturing, real estate, design, and ecommerce, among others. It’s also an ideal solution for small and mid-sized companies, as well as in large organizations. The software is also adequate for personal and freelance use.

Pros

• Robust employee monitoring functionalities
• Simple time off management
• 30+ integrations supported
• Role-based access permissions
• 60-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• No live chat support

Features

Using Hubstaff’s time tracking service, companies can easily spot their top- and low-performing employees. With a comprehensive set of monitoring tools, they can get a clear insight into the apps and websites their employees use, and closely examine their work routine. Based on the insights, they can see what work practices are best for their company. The time tracking tool is easy to use, it literally takes just a click to start it. Users can select a project they’ve been assigned to, and pause it when they want to take a break, or turn it off once they’re done for the day.

Hubstaff offers a desktop timekeeping application and native mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. The time tracker can also be used in a web browser. The platform calculates activity levels with a combination of mouse movements and keyboard strokes. Screenshots can also be deployed, allowing users to set the frequency for each team member or turn off this feature completely. To protect user privacy, it is also possible to turn on the Screenshot Blur feature.

As Hubstaff’s time tracker is stopwatch-based, users may sometimes forget to turn the timer on or off. To solve that problem, companies can set reminders that will inform a user they haven’t started or stopped the app. The platform also identifies idle time, allowing users to keep the data, reassign it to offline work projects, or delete it.

As arguably the best time tracking software on the market, Hubstaff also supports the option to assign different roles to different users. Users, managers, viewers, and owners all have different levels of data access. Other features worth mentioning include offline and GPS time tracking, as well as Hubstaff’s simple invoicing software.

Pricing

Hubstaff has a free plan for a single user, which supports basic time tracking with random screenshots, and mouse and keyboard activity monitoring. Payment options, however, are limited, and the free plan lacks some more advanced features.

The basic package, at $7/user/month, ups the ante with one integration and the option to customize settings for each user. With the Premium plan, Hubstaff becomes a more advanced time entry software. This package includes everything from the Basic plan, as well as time off management, unlimited integrations and teams, invoicing and payroll tools, fleet tracking, and simple timesheet management. The price of this plan is $10/user/month.

The Enterprise plan ups the Premium plan with unlimited job sites and allows more freedom in public API. The plan also includes VIP support, and costs $20/user/month.

TimeCamp

At a Glance

TimeCamp stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the best timekeeping and hourly billing software solutions available today. The time tracker boasts over 57,000 years in tracked time, over 10,000 teams, and 280,000 users. TimeCamp caters to various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, education, and accounting, and is an excellent solution for businesses of all sizes.

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Automatic and manual time tracking
• Detailed project and task reports
• Native desktop and mobile apps
• Over 110 integrations

Cons

• Doesn’t support client login

Features

With TimeCamp’s automatic tracker, users get a detailed overview of how they spend their time. The automated time keeping program breaks down user activity into productive and unproductive time. It also tracks when a user started and stopped working via its time attendance functionality. TimeCamp also allows its users to track time via a stopwatch-based timer, which can be installed in the browser, or as a desktop application.

The platform’s timesheet functionality meanwhile automatically populates timesheets based on entries from the stopwatch-based timer. With TimeCamp supporting automated time tracking as well, computer activity is synced with the data from the interactive time tracker. It’s also possible to add time manually, which is all pretty simple thanks to the drag-and-drop functionality of this time sheet software. There are two types of timesheets — textual and graphical — with the latter providing a calendar-like view of all tasks and projects.

Another outstanding feature of the software is related to its invoicing tools. The platform allows users to easily create invoices using the data from the time tracking platform. Additionally, TimeCamp provides an insight into both billable and non-billable hours. Next, TimeCamp users can set different roles within their team and give specific privileges to each member. The options include regular users, administrators, and supervisors.

The reporting capabilities of this timekeeper software are also impressive. Users can generate different types of reports, including daily and weekly, with tasks, and people that worked on them, time entries, etc. Users can send reports via email, share them online, export them to PDF and Excel, or add them to Google Drive. TimeCamp supports plenty of third-party integrations, including project management software.

Pricing

TimeCamp offers a 30-day free trial. Users can also try out the free plan that comes with basic features but excludes reporting tools and integrations. Those are available with the Basic plan, at $7/user/month, which also includes budget tracking tools. The Pro plan, at $10/user/month, ups the offering with timesheet approvals and invoicing. Finally, the Enterprise plan, best for teams with over 100 employees, comes with SSO, and has a custom pricing.

Time Doctor

At a Glance

Flexible and secure, Time Doctor is a time logging software with robust employee monitoring features. The company is devoted to helping large businesses and individuals make the most of their time. To do this, Time Doctor packs in highly efficient features to help block distractions and increase productivity both at and outside work.

Pros

• Ease of use
• Tracks time via desktop, web, or mobile app
• Built-in payroll software
• Supports URL and app monitoring
• Highly customizable

Cons

• UI looks slightly outdated

Features

Before we dive into Time Doctor’s core functionalities, we need to clear up one thing. Namely, Time Doctor supports both automatic and interactive time tracking. However, this offering comes from two different time tracking programs — the classic Time Doctor and Time Doctor 2. These programs have been developed by the same company but are different when it comes to their feature sets. Time Doctor 2 supports both time-tracking approaches, while the classic Time Doctor, which we’re reviewing, supports only stopwatch-based time tracking.

Now, let’s check out the features of the classic Time Doctor. First of all, this time record software supports interactive time tracking that starts and stops with a click of a mouse. Users can select projects and tasks they want to work on and simply start the timer.

During work, Time Doctor asks users whether they’re working and if they spend some time on non-work related websites and apps. It detects idle time and has four different access levels for regular users, managers, administrators, and owners. Users can also continue tracking time offline when not connected to the internet.

The Time Doctor time tracker software also supports screenshot captures, app and URL usage, and keystrokes and mouse movements. GPS tracking is another notable feature, helping companies keep track of their employees that work out of the office. Time Doctor also integrates with leading project management and accounting software solutions, while the payroll functionality allows businesses to pay their employees based on their hourly or fixed rates.

Pricing

As one of the top time keeping applications out there, Time Doctor manages to keep up with its competitors in terms of pricing. The vendor offers something for everyone, and this includes a free plan. It, however, comes with limitations, as users don’t have access to the time tracker’s web interface, meaning they can’t view reports and use the platform’s monitoring features. Instead, they can only use Time Doctor’s desktop app.

Next up is the Solo plan, which is perfect for individuals, and costs $5/month. The Standard plan meanwhile supports two users — the account owner and one user. Companies, however, can add more users, which will cost them $9.99/user/month, which is also the price of the Standard plan.

Being one of the top time management programs, Time Doctor allows its users to try out the software for 14 days for free before committing to a paid plan. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

DeskTime

At a Glance

DeskTime’s multiple features help companies track productivity, set work schedules, and monitor their employees’ activity. The software offers both automatic time tracking, and allows teams to work on specific projects and tasks using the timer they can start and stop at any time.

Pros

• Project time tracking
• Screenshots and app and URL tracking
• Shift scheduling tools
• Pomodoro timer
• Excellent product support

Cons

• No keystroke and mouse movement tracking
• Lacks GPS tracking

Features

DeskTime is undoubtedly one of the top time tracking software solutions, and for many reasons. Its simple tracking allows users to spot productivity gaps, enhance their work performance, and, in general, manage their time better. As far as employee monitoring features go, the platform tracks URLs and apps employees are using. Additionally, DeskTime supports the screenshot capture feature, giving business owners even more detailed insight into their employees’ work habits and performance.

Offline time tracking is another option of this time tracking program, in addition to user roles. Using DeskTime, a company owner can set different levels of access for their team. So, for example, a regular user can see their data, and only make suggestions for absence and shift edits. An administrator has more editing options, including timesheets approval and adding or removing users. Lastly, the company administrator has all the privileges of the company owner, but cannot delete accounts.

While it may seem that DeskTime is trailing behind rivals in terms of integrations, since the platform integrates with Zapier, users can integrate it with any of the 1,500 Zapier-supported apps. The DeskTime time keeping application also offers in-depth reports of employees’ overall performance and productivity. Plus, users can request any feature they think the platform lacks, and, based on what we’ve seen, DeskTime is quick to add new features.

Pricing

DeskTime has a single-user free plan which supports basic time and app tracking. Free-plan users can also use the mobile app. DeskTime Pro meanwhile costs $6/user/month and comes with all the platform’s features. Plus, the more employees a company has and the longer it pays for, the lower the price. So, companies with 100 employees pay $4.2/user/month with a monthly subscription and $3.85/user/month with a yearly subscription. There’s also a 14-day free trial, allowing users to see all the features before buying.

Timely

At a Glance

As a top timesheet software and time tracking solution, Timely helps companies simplify their workflow with automatically-generated timesheets with the help of artificial intelligence technology. A live activity feed meanwhile lets business owners in on what each team member is currently working on. The platform not only caters to organizations of all sizes but is also an excellent choice for individuals.

Pros

• Ease of use
• Outstanding product support
• In-depth reports
• Project management tools
• PDF and Excel exporting

Cons

• No free plan

Features

Timely allows users to track time in different ways. While the company recommends using its automatic tool, it’s also possible to use a start-and-stop timer for tracking work activities. Plus, users can add time manually. This time tracking application supports user roles and permissions, allowing companies to add limited, normal, and administrator users, with each type supporting a different level of access.

Timely also features project management tools, allowing companies to manage multiple projects from a single dashboard. From there, they can keep track of budgets, making sure they don’t go over. The platform breaks down each project into tasks giving users insight into which take the most time, and which aren’t time-consuming. These functionalities help create more accurate project estimations.

The reporting tools available with the Timely work tracking software are quite impressive too. The platform offers customizable templates for generating daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly reports about employees’ performance and tracked time, different clients, and projects. All reports can be shared and exported as PDF, CSV, and Excel files.

Pricing

Unfortunately, Timely doesn’t offer a free plan, but users are welcome to try out the platform with a 14-day free trial. Timely’s timekeeping software offers three plans for individuals, and another two for teams. Individual-use plans include the Moonlight ($7/month), Freelancer ($14/month), and Professional ($23/month) packages. The first is perfect for part-time workers. It allows a maximum of five projects, tracking computer activity and work apps, and time spent in meetings.

Next, the Freelancer plan offers the features of the Moonlight plan, while lifting the number of projects to 25. Additionally, this plan supports the use of AI in categorizing all work activities into a draft timesheet, and the option to lock timesheets.

The Professional plan available with the Timely time keeping application allows for an unlimited number of projects, includes in-app support and provides access to the software’s planning tool.

The Team plans — Growth and Business — are similar to the Freelancer and Professional packages but are intended for small businesses and large organizations. The Growth plan includes everything from the Freelancer plan for $99/month, but instead of a single user and 25 projects, it supports five users and 50 projects. Companies can add more users for $20/user.

The price of the Business plan sits at $299/month. This plan has all the Professional plan’s features but supports 15 users, while extra users cost $19 each.

VeriClock

At a Glance

VeriClock might be the perfect time keeping software solution for companies that don’t need employee monitoring features. It allows employees to clock in and out via a mobile app, web, SMS message, or call. VeriClock is an easy-to-use platform with widespread application among businesses with employees that work in various locations and outside of the office.

Pros

• Ease of use
• Customizable reports
• No software installation
• Integrates with payroll software
• Great product support

Cons

• Not ideal for large organizations
• No annual subscription

Features

One of the biggest benefits of using VeriClock’s time keeping program is its flexibility. Businesses that need a simple clock-in-and-clock-out solution can use the platform to manage attendance. That said, companies that require more advanced features can also rely on VeriClock. The time tracking solution supports a multitude of functionalities that help companies manage their mobile workforce.

VeriClock’s interface lets users easily create jobs. The platform automatically generates job codes that can be adjusted by users. The software also enables control over who can access specific job details. It is also possible to set a budget for projects, and the platform’s notification system will alert users when they’re close to going over it.

Geofencing and GPS tracking also help VeriClock rank among the best timekeeping software solutions. Setting a radius to a job site or address helps prevent employees from clocking in while they’re outside of the specified range. The GPS tracking feature tracks employees’ location, but only when the VeriClock app is turned on. Powerful reporting tools meanwhile allow users to customize reports with the help of different parameters. Exporting options are also numerous, and support different formats, including Excel, CSV, PDF, XLSS, and XLS.

Pricing

The VeriClock time tracking service comes with a price tag of $15 or $18, depending on how users plan on clocking in and out. This price includes a monthly $10 account fee in both instances. If companies plan on clocking in and out via the VeriClock app, the price per user is $5, whereas using SMS messages and calls puts the per-user fee at $8. Additionally, large organizations can get an extended free trial and a 10% discount.

Workpuls

At a Glance

Workplus’ time and productivity management features are nearly endless. From app and URL tracking, client login area, and role-based permissions to Rest API, Workpuls has it all. The platform can be used as online time tracking software or installed on-premise. Regardless of its deployment, Workpuls caters to both remote and office workers, and helps architects track time thanks to its integration with BIM tools.

Pros

• User-friendliness
• Manual time allowed
• Project budgeting tools
• Role-based permissions
• Competitive pricing

Cons

• Free plan not available
• No mobile app

Features

Workpuls allows users to mark apps and websites as productive, unproductive, or neutral, unlike some other trackers which do that automatically. If a company employs a social media marketer, they will spend time on social media networks, and some trackers would classify their work as unproductive when, in reality, it’s not. Workpuls allows companies to create user groups and set the status of apps and websites based on their role. Additionally, businesses have the option not to track all of their employees’ activity, but only their productive time.

The Workpuls time tracker software further provides an in-depth insight into when an employee started and stopped working, for how long they were working, and whether they worked overtime. In terms of PM features, Workpuls helps track the time and money spent on each project. Next, Workpuls allows companies to generate all kinds of reports, covering employees’ productivity levels, hours worked, most used apps and websites, etc.

The time tracker also helps companies pay their employees based on the hours worked. The platform’s payroll system is highly customizable, allowing users to choose a payment method, as well as a pay period.

Pricing

This top time tracking software has four pricing plans classified according to the type of solutions — Employee Monitoring, Time Tracking, Automatic Time Mapping, and Enterprise plans. Employee Monitoring supports an abundance of features via an automated time tracker. These include app and URL monitoring, screenshots, attendance tracking, reports, access to the Workpuls API, live support, manual time entry, and client and manager login. The price of this plan is $6/user/month.

The Time Tracking package of this timekeeping software ups the Employee Monitoring plan with project management, and the option to track time on tasks and projects with a stopwatch-based timer. All of these features are available at $8/user/month. The Automatic Time Mapping, priced at $15/user/month, supports one extra feature that is not available with the Time Tracking plan — time tracking for specific industries.

Lastly, the Enterprise plan supports role-based access, audit logs, on-premise deployment, 24/7 phone support, SLAs, and a dedicated account manager. The price of this plan is available upon request.

RescueTime

At a Glance

RescueTime is another fully automated time tracking program that helps users discover when they’re most productive, which apps and websites take away their focus during work, and, as a result, boosts their productivity.

Pros

• Simple productivity tracking tool
• Offline time tracking
• Cross-platform support
• Distraction blocker
• A wide array of integrations

Cons

• Slightly outdated UI
• Limited free plan

Features

RescueTime is, without a doubt, one of the best time tracking software options currently available on the market. It supports app and URL tracking, so users can easily spot time-wasting activities. RescueTime falls into the category of automated time trackers, so users don’t have to worry about starting and stopping a timer, or adding details about the projects they were assigned to do. The cross-platform support is also quite handy, meaning users can track their time and productivity from their browser, mobile app, or desktop computer.

This time management software is highly flexible, allowing users to set custom work hours, as well as block distracting sites. The distraction blocker feature supports setting the level of website blocking. The blocker can revoke users’ access to sites that are distracting, very distracting, and the ones that haven’t been labeled as productive. Thanks to the distraction blocker, users can do focus sessions, and work uninterruptedly in a distraction-free environment. Apart from these features, RescueTime also supports offline time tracking, goal setting, and reporting tools.

Pricing

As a top timekeeping software solution, RescueTime offers a free plan for individuals — the Lite plan. It allows users to automatically track time, set goals, and select a platform (mobile, desktop, or web).

Next up is the Professional plan, also suited for individuals. It ups the Lite plan with the FocusTime distraction blocker, access to historical data at any time, custom work hours and offline time tracking. It costs $9/user/month when paid monthly or $6/user/month with an annual subscription.

The RescueTime for Orgs package includes all the Professional plan’s features and allows users to generate key tool reports and identify unproductive processes. Since it focuses on team productivity, individual productivity levels are private. The price of this plan is the same as that of the Professional plan.

Paymo

At a Glance

Paymo is a work management software with a time tracking module, and offers task management, scheduling, and billing tools. The platform is one of the best timesheet software solutions out there, eliminating manual time entries, and letting users track their time to the minute with the stopwatch-based timer. Paymo can be used in all companies, no matter how small or big, and is also ideal for freelancers.

Pros

• Intuitive user interface
• Automatic and interactive timers
• Pomodoro timer
• Plenty of integration options
• Free plan available

Cons

• Pricier than the competition

Features

Tracking time with Paymo is simple and effective. Users can rely on the automatic time tracker for their computer activity. However, they can also use Paymo as an hour tracking software through a stopwatch-based time tracker for specific tasks and projects. The timesheet tool has drag-and-drop functionality, which makes adding and relocating time entries as easy as a breeze. The platform supports a timesheet calendar-like view, in addition to the text-based view.

Next, users can choose the Paymo client they want to use — web, mobile, or desktop. The Pomodoro timer is another feature we like about this software. While not built-in, the Pomodoro timer is available as a PomoDone integration. While we’re on the topic of integrations, the Paymo time tracking software integrates with Google Apps, Adobe Creative Cloud, JotForm, QuickBooks Online, Slack, and Zapier, among other software solutions. Users can also take advantage of Paymo’s budget tracking tools, and set fixed and hourly prices on different projects.

One of the features we particularly like about Paymo is that it supports static and live time reports. The former provide all the data generated before a report was created, while the latter are continuously updating, showing the most recent data every time someone views a report.

Pricing

Paymo is another time tracking system that offers a free plan, and a pretty generous at that. This single-user plan gives access to the time tracker, static reports, allows the use of the tracker on desktop and mobile devices, and supports creating invoices.

The Small Office plan, priced at $11.95/user/month, is ideal for growing businesses. It includes everything from the free plan, as well as integrations, in-app technical support, advanced reporting features, file sharing, and access to Paymo’s API, among other features.

The most expensive plan is the Business plan, designed for medium and large companies. It costs $18.95/user/month, while some of its exclusive features include unlimited storage, resource scheduling tools, and priority support. Both paid plans include a 15-day free trial and offer discounted pricing with a yearly subscription.

A Guide for Choosing the Best Time Tracking Software

We’ve analyzed and reviewed the best platforms on the market, but our work doesn’t end here. We’ve got one last thing to do, and that is helping you find the perfect time tracking solution for you.

Step 1: Filter Based on Business Size & Industry

First of all, find and eliminate all the solutions that aren’t in line with your business’s industry and size. This step will help you narrow down the options from our list.

Step 2: Define Your Needs

Next, write down the must-have features of time keeping programs. For instance, is GPS tracking essential for you? Do you employ remote workers, and need employee monitoring features?
After you define the essentials you’re looking for in this type of software, find the solutions that have these features, and compare them with the software you’ve got after step 1.

Step 3: Define Your Budget

The final step is to decide on your budget limit. Once you figure out how much you want to spend on time tracking software, compare the platforms that fall within your budget with the solutions you’ve shortlisted in step 2. Any platform from step 2 that fits your price range will be a good match for you and your business.