The best time tracking software depends on why you're tracking. Toggl Track and Clockify suit simple timers and timesheets, Harvest suits businesses that bill clients by the hour, Timely and RescueTime suit automatic tracking, Hubstaff and Time Doctor suit remote and field teams, TimeCamp suits automatic timesheets and attendance, and Everhour suits teams that want timers inside their project management tool.
If you sell your time, you need to know where it goes. Time tracking shows which clients take more hours than you thought, which jobs are worth repeating and where your week quietly disappears. It's also the simplest way to stop under-billing.
The tools below are well known and widely used. Some are simple timers, some track automatically in the background and some are built for managing remote teams. I've focused on what each one is known for, so shortlist two and track a normal week in each before you decide.
What should you look for in time tracking software?
- Easy timers. If starting a timer takes more than a click, people stop doing it.
- Automatic tracking. Some tools record the apps and documents you use, so you fill in gaps later.
- Projects and clients. Track time against the things you bill for and report on.
- Reports. Look for clear reports by client, project and person.
- Integrations. Timers inside your project tool, browser or accounting software save switching.
- Privacy. If you track a team, be clear about what's recorded and why.
Time tracking software compared
| Tool | Best for | Stand-out feature |
|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | Simple one-click tracking | Timer and browser extension |
| Clockify | Getting a whole team tracking | Timesheets and team tracking |
| Harvest | Billing clients by the hour | Time tracking plus invoicing |
| Timely | Automatic tracking | Records your work in the background |
| RescueTime | Focus and personal productivity | Automatic app and website tracking |
| Hubstaff | Remote and field teams | Time, activity and location tracking |
| Time Doctor | Managing remote teams | Team productivity insights |
| TimeCamp | Automatic timesheets | Attendance and timesheets |
| Everhour | Project management users | Timers inside Asana, Trello and more |
Plans and features change often, so check each vendor's current plans before you commit.
The best time tracking software
1. Toggl Track
Toggl Track is one of the best-known time trackers. You start a timer with one click on the web, desktop, phone or browser extension, then assign the time to a project and client. Its reports make it easy to see where your hours go.
Who it suits: freelancers, consultants and small teams who want simple, friendly tracking.
What stands out: ease of use. It's quick enough that people keep using it.
Watch out for: if you want detailed activity monitoring of a team, it's not designed for that.
2. Clockify
Clockify is a widely used time tracker with timers, timesheets, a kiosk for clocking in and team reports. It's often chosen by businesses that want everyone tracking quickly.
Who it suits: teams that want to get everyone tracking time with little setup.
What stands out: the team features, including timesheets and approvals.
Watch out for: some advanced features sit in higher plans, so check what your team needs.
3. Harvest
Harvest combines time tracking with expenses and invoicing. You track time against projects and clients, then turn those hours into invoices.
Who it suits: agencies, consultants and freelancers who bill by the hour.
What stands out: the link from tracked hours to invoices, which saves admin at the end of the month.
Watch out for: if you don't bill by the hour, its invoicing features may be more than you need.
4. Timely
Timely tracks your work automatically in the background, recording the apps, documents and meetings you spend time on. You then turn that record into timesheet entries.
Who it suits: people who forget to start timers and want an accurate record anyway.
What stands out: automatic tracking. You see your whole day without remembering to press start.
Watch out for: it records a lot of detail, so check its privacy settings and talk to your team first.
5. RescueTime
RescueTime tracks the apps and websites you use automatically and shows how your time splits between focused work and distractions. It also includes focus sessions that block distracting sites.
Who it suits: solo business owners who want to understand and improve their own habits.
What stands out: insight. It shows you where your attention goes, not just your billable hours.
Watch out for: it's focused on personal productivity rather than client billing.
6. Hubstaff
Hubstaff tracks time for remote and field teams, with optional activity levels, screenshots and GPS location for teams on the move. It also covers scheduling and timesheets.
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Who it suits: businesses with remote staff or field workers.
What stands out: the range of tracking options for teams working away from the office.
Watch out for: monitoring features can damage trust if used badly, so be open with your team about what's recorded.
7. Time Doctor
Time Doctor is a time tracker for remote teams with productivity reports, activity tracking and integrations with project tools.
Who it suits: managers running distributed teams who want insight into how time is spent.
What stands out: team reporting, which shows patterns across a whole team.
Watch out for: as with any monitoring tool, explain clearly why you're using it and how the data is used.
8. TimeCamp
TimeCamp offers automatic time tracking, timesheets and attendance tracking, with reports by project and client.
Who it suits: small businesses that want automatic timesheets and simple attendance tracking.
What stands out: automatic timesheets, which save people filling them in from memory.
Watch out for: check its integrations with the tools your team already uses.
9. Everhour
Everhour adds time tracking straight into project management tools such as Asana, Trello, ClickUp and Basecamp, so a timer appears next to each task.
Who it suits: teams that already plan their work in a project management tool.
What stands out: convenience. People track time where they already work.
Watch out for: it makes the most sense if your team lives in one of its supported project tools.
How to choose the right time tracking software
Decide why you're tracking. If you bill clients by the hour, Harvest, Toggl Track or Clockify keep it simple. If you keep forgetting to start timers, Timely, TimeCamp or RescueTime record your day for you. If you manage a remote team, Hubstaff or Time Doctor give you more oversight.
Whatever you pick, make it effortless. The best time tracker is the one people use every day, so put the timer where the work happens: in the browser, in the project tool or on the phone.
For more help deciding, read my guide on how to choose the right time tracking tool and my roundup of time tracking tools for solo business owners. If you work from home, my tips on how to track time effectively when working from home will help.
Building a tool in this space? Here's how tools get considered for my roundups.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time tracking software?
Toggl Track and Clockify are popular all-rounders, Harvest suits hourly billing, Timely suits automatic tracking and Hubstaff suits remote and field teams.
What is automatic time tracking?
It records the apps, websites and documents you use in the background, so you can build accurate timesheets without starting and stopping timers.
Is it legal to track employees' time?
Tracking work hours is common, but rules on monitoring vary by country. Be open with your team, and check local rules before using screenshots or location tracking.
Do freelancers need time tracking software?
It helps. Tracking shows which clients take the most time and stops you under-billing or underquoting future work.
