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Time is money, and as a business owner, you need to make the most of every minute. Choosing the right time tracking software can help you and your team work more efficiently, bill clients accurately, and ultimately increase revenue. With so many options on the market, how do you decide what's best for your needs? Here's an in-depth look at some of the top time tracking tools to consider in 2023.

Toggl Track

Type: Web and mobile app
Free version: Yes
Free trial: 30 days
Approx. price: $10/month per user
Optional time clock hardware: No
Best for: Simple and intuitive time tracking for teams of all sizes.


With over 3 million users worldwide, Toggl Track is one of the most popular and full-featured time tracking tools available. The interface is clean and easy to use, allowing you to start timing tasks with one click or tap. Robust reporting provides data on where you and your team are spending time so you can identify inefficiencies.

One of Toggl's biggest advantages is flexibility. It can track time whether you're at your desk, in a meeting, or on the go. The mobile app lets you track time while offline and syncs data when you're back online. This is perfect for employees who are frequently away from their desks. Toggl also integrates with over 100 popular apps like Asana, Trello, and Basecamp. This makes it easy to track time directly within the tools you already use.

While the free version of Toggl is generous, the paid plans add more features like hourly rates, reminders, tags, and advanced reporting. At just $10 per user per month, Toggl Track provides excellent value. Solo entrepreneurs and small teams on a budget get a robust solution at an affordable price.

Timely

Type: Web and mobile app
Free version: Yes
Free trial: 14 days
Approx. price: $8/month per user
Optional time clock hardware: Yes, from $99
Best for: Automated time tracking and advanced reporting.


For businesses who want maximum automation in their time tracking, Timely is a top choice. Advanced AI technology allows Timely to passively track activities like meetings and phone calls on your calendar. Because it integrates directly with Google Workspace and Office 365 calendars, you don't have to manually start and stop timers. This gives you a more accurate picture of time spent.

Timely goes beyond basic time tracking to provide data-driven insights. The sophisticated reports and productivity indices highlight individual and team trends over time. The management dashboard makes it easy to identify inefficiencies and make better decisions. If you oversee a team, this high-level overview is invaluable.

For those who track billable hours, Timely automatically calculates earnings and remaining hours on client projects. The system reminds you to invoice clients when project budgets are met or exceeded. Automated features like these help ensure on-time billing and prevent revenue leakage.

At $8 per user monthly, Timely costs a little more than basic time trackers but delivers more value. The optional Charm time tracking hardware lets employees clock in and out with a tap, for easier offline tracking. This is perfect for field service teams, manufacturing businesses, and other organizations with employees who don't sit at a desk.

Harvest

Type: Web and mobile app
Free version: Yes
Free trial: 30 days
Approx. price: $12/month per user
Optional time clock hardware: Yes, $60
Best for: Streamlined time tracking and invoicing.


Harvest pioneered time tracking and billing software over a decade ago. It remains a favorite for freelancers, agencies, and professional services firms who bill by the hour. Users highlight the simple interface and intuitive workflow.

By integrating timesheets and invoicing into a single platform, Harvest streamlines the process of tracking hours and getting paid. You log hours as you work on client projects, then review and send invoices when it's time to bill. Tracking billable and non-billable time is easy with color-coded projects and tasks.

Useful features include timer reminders, automatic time caps, and time rounding. These help ensure accurate time logs when you switch tasks or forget to stop the timer. Integrations with popular apps like QuickBooks and Slack further improve workflow. If you invoice clients on a regular basis, Harvest makes the process nearly effortless.

For solo users, Harvest's free plan may be sufficient. But for teams, the paid plans offer more flexibility in rates, tasks, reporting, and overall functionality. Paid plans start at $12 per user per month. This represents a good value for streamlined billing and revenue generation. The optional Charm time clock integrates seamlessly for simplified offline time tracking.

Clockify

Type: Web and mobile app
Free version: Yes
Free trial: No
Approx. price: $3/month per user for basic plan
Optional time clock hardware: No
Best for: Free time tracking with robust features.


As its name indicates, Clockify's biggest advantage is its free and unlimited time tracking. For solopreneurs, small teams, and nonprofits on a tight budget, this free version has nearly everything needed for basic tracking. You get unlimited users, projects, tasks, and other features. The only major limitation is lack of reporting.

To unlock 30+ reports, you can upgrade to the basic paid plan for just $3 per user monthly. This represents the most affordable paid option on the market. The reports provide valuable metrics on where you and your team members spend time. Analyze data by client, project, user, and other filters to identify areas for improvement.

Other handy features include productivity metrics, idle tracking, reminders, and integrations. Clockify works across desktop and mobile, even offline. The interface is fast and intuitive, combining timers, manual time, and autotracking.

For most small businesses, Clockify packs a robust set of features into an unbeatable free offering. The affordable paid plans are cost-effective upgrades for reporting. Due to the incredibly low price point, Clockify is hard to beat on value.

Hubstaff

Type: Web, mobile app, and desktop app
Free version: Yes
Free trial: 14 days
Approx. price: $7/month per user
Optional time clock hardware: Yes, $50
Best for: Advanced tracking with productivity metrics.


For organizations and remote teams who want deep visibility into time and productivity, Hubstaff is a top choice. The software goes beyond basic timing to track activity levels, application and website usage, location, and more.

Powerful productivity metrics help managers pinpoint wasted time and areas for improvement. Features like automatic idle detection ensure team members stay on track even when working remotely. Optional Snapshots use AI to record team members' screens at random intervals. This creates a visualized map of how they spend time on their devices throughout the workday.

For team managers, Hubstaff offers an unprecedented level of transparency. Advanced reports provide a big-picture overview along with detailed data on individual team members. Managers can use this information to identify training opportunities, adjust workloads, and improve processes for better efficiency.

At $7 per user monthly, Hubstaff sits at the higher end of the affordability spectrum. But for remote teams and distributed organizations, the advanced tracking and productivity metrics justify the price. Managers gain the visibility they need to keep team members engaged and ensure projects stay on track across locations.

IdeaBlox

Type: Web
Free version: No
Free trial: Yes
Approx. price: $5/month for up to 3 users
Optional time clock hardware: No
Best for: Simple time tracking with fewer features, but lower price.


For small businesses and startups on an ultra-tight budget, IdeaBlox deserves a look. This pared-down software has limited functionality but carries a low price tag. The lack of advanced features allows IdeaBlox to offer an entry-level plan starting at just $5 monthly for up to 3 users.

The basics are handled well in IdeaBlox. You can manually add time entries through a simple interface. It automatically totals hours across projects and users. The reports help you analyze time logs and spot inefficiencies. Activity levels allow you to classify time spent as billable, administrative, meetings, etc.

However, IdeaBlox lacks any mobile app, offline access, reminders, or integrations. The web-only system has fewer options for automatic tracking compared to more robust tools. IdeaBlox is best suited for freelancers and very small teams with basic needs. For more complex time tracking requirements, the limitations become problematic. But if you just need an affordable way to log hours, it gets the job done.

Key Considerations for Picking Time Tracking Software

With the right software in place, you can optimize hours, increase capacity, and boost productivity across your team. Here are some factors to keep in mind when choosing a time tracking system:

- Do you need a free version? Many time trackers offer full-featured free plans, while others offer free trials. Consider your budget constraints.

- What integrations do you need? If you use project management, billing, CRM, or other software, make sure the time tracker integrates.

- Do your employees work offline? Teams who frequently move between online and offline need mobile apps and offline access.

- How detailed are your reporting needs? Some managers require a high-level overview, while others want more granular data. Evaluate reporting and dashboard options.

- Does your team track billable hours? Look for automated invoicing and billing rate options if billing clients hourly.

- Do you have remote employees? For distributed teams, consider solutions with features like automatic idle tracking and random screen recordings to verify hours.

- How tech-savvy are your users? Look for an intuitive interface that allows employees to start timing tasks instantly with minimal learning curve.

- How large is your team? Some time trackers offer unlimited free users, while others charge per user. Factor in costs for your team size.

- Do you need physical time clocks? Manufacturing and field service companies often use hardware time clocks to track employee hours. See if the software integrates with smart time clocks.

Carefully evaluating your company’s needs and comparing options side-by-side can help you hone in on the best time tracking solution. Taking advantage of free trials is wise; testing software personally helps determine if it's a good fit. The time invested upfront will pay dividends down the road in time savings, productivity gains, and insightful data.

Conclusion

A constant battle faced by most businesses is wasted time that cuts into productivity and profitability. Employees and managers lose hours in inefficient manual processes, distractions, excessive meetings, unclear objectives, and mismatched workloads. A reliable time tracker solves these problems through detailed reporting, automation, productivity metrics, integrations, and more.

With a clear picture of where time goes and how your team spends hours in the workday, you can optimize projects and processes for maximum efficiency. Every minute adds up, increasing capacity across your workforce with no added hiring costs. For most businesses today, choosing one of the user-friendly, affordable time tracking solutions above can deliver rapid benefits and a significant competitive edge. Accurately tracking how your team invests time provides data to build a more productive, profitable organization.