Quick Comparison Table
This table covers the essentials. Scroll down for detailed breakdowns of each tool.
| Tool | Best For | Free Plan | Starting Price | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | All-round timer | Yes (5 users) | $9/user/mo | One-click tracking, 145+ integrations |
| Clockify | Best budget option | Yes (5 users) | $3.99/user/mo | Cheapest paid tiers in class |
| Harvest | Invoicing | Yes (1 user) | $10.80/seat/mo | Time-to-invoice workflow |
| Hubstaff | Employee monitoring | No | $4.99/user/mo | Screenshots + activity % |
| Time Doctor | Remote team oversight | No | $6.70/user/mo | Distraction alerts + screenshots |
| RescueTime | Personal productivity | Yes (limited) | $12/mo | Automatic tracking + focus blocking |
| Timely | Automatic team tracking | No | $9/user/mo | AI-drafted timesheets |
| Everhour | PM tool integration | Yes (5 users) | $8.50/user/mo | Lives inside Asana/Jira/Trello |
| QuickBooks Time | Field teams + GPS | No | $6/user/mo + $20 base | Geofencing + payroll sync |
| Timing | Mac automatic tracking | No | $11/mo | Mac-native auto-categorization |
The 10 Best Time Trackers
1. Toggl Track — Best All-Round Timer
Toggl Track is the most popular time tracker globally with over 600,000 active users. Its strength is simplicity: a one-click timer that works from your menu bar, browser, or phone. The interface is clean, reporting is strong on every plan, and the browser extension embeds a timer button inside 145+ tools including Jira, Asana, GitHub, and Notion.
The free plan supports 5 users with unlimited tracking and projects. Paid plans add billable rates, project estimates, saved reports, and profitability analytics. For a detailed comparison with its closest competitor, see our Toggl vs Clockify breakdown.
- Pricing: Free (5 users), $9/user/mo (Starter), $18/user/mo (Premium)
- Platforms: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extensions
- Best for: Teams that want a fast, distraction-free timer with broad integrations
2. Clockify — Best Budget Option
Clockify's free tier is among the most generous: unlimited projects and tracking for up to five users, with no time limit. (Clockify dropped its famous unlimited-user free plan in 2026, capping it at five seats.) Small teams get core tracking, basic reporting, kiosk mode, and a calendar view for free. Paid plans add billable rates, timesheet approvals, invoicing, screenshots, GPS, and admin controls — see our full Clockify review.
The interface is functional if not as polished as Toggl's. Where Clockify wins is on price — even its paid plans undercut Toggl at every tier while offering features (invoicing, GPS, screenshots) that Toggl doesn't include at any price.
- Pricing: Free (up to 5 users), $3.99/user/mo (Basic), $5.49 (Standard), $7.99 (Pro), $11.99 (Enterprise)
- Platforms: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extensions
- Best for: Budget-conscious teams and large organizations that need a free starting point
3. Harvest — Best for Invoicing
Harvest closes the loop from tracking to payment. Track hours, mark them as billable, generate invoices directly from time entries, and collect payment via Stripe or PayPal — all in one tool. It also handles expense tracking and project budgets with automatic over-budget alerts.
Following its 2025 acquisition by Bending Spoons, some users have reported pricing changes at renewal — worth checking current rates before committing. For a side-by-side with Toggl, see our Harvest vs Toggl comparison.
- Pricing: Free (1 user, 2 projects), $10.80/seat/mo (Pro), $14/seat/mo (Premium)
- Platforms: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, browser extension
- Best for: Freelancers and agencies who bill clients by the hour
4. Hubstaff — Best for Employee Monitoring
Hubstaff combines time tracking with activity monitoring: screenshots at random intervals, activity percentages based on keyboard/mouse input, app and URL tracking, and GPS for field workers. Managers get a dashboard showing who's working, what they're working on, and how active they are.
It's the tool of choice for companies managing remote teams who need verification, not just trust. For a detailed look at how its monitoring works, see our Hubstaff activity guide. For how it compares to its main rival, see Hubstaff vs Time Doctor.
- Pricing: $4.99/user/mo (Starter), $7.50 (Grow), $10 (Team), custom (Enterprise)
- Platforms: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Best for: Remote team managers who need activity verification with screenshots
5. Time Doctor — Best for Distraction Alerts
Time Doctor tracks time with screenshots and activity levels like Hubstaff, but adds a distinctive feature: real-time distraction alerts. If you spend too long on a non-work website, Time Doctor pops up a notification asking if you're still working. It also auto-pauses tracking during extended idle periods.
The tool integrates with payroll systems for automatic payment based on tracked hours, making it popular with outsourcing firms and BPOs. For details on its monitoring, see our Time Doctor guide.
- Pricing: $6.70/user/mo (Basic), $11.70 (Standard), $16.70 (Premium)
- Platforms: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Best for: Companies with remote contractors who need automated oversight and payroll
6. RescueTime — Best for Personal Productivity
RescueTime runs in the background and automatically categorizes everything you do as productive, neutral, or distracting. You don't start timers — it captures your workday passively and gives you reports showing where your hours actually went. The premium plan adds FocusTime, which blocks distracting websites during scheduled focus sessions.
It's a personal tool, not a team management tool. No manager dashboards, no screenshot monitoring. For a full review, see our RescueTime review.
- Pricing: Free (limited reports), $12/mo or $78/year (Premium)
- Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux, Android
- Best for: Individuals who want to understand and improve their productivity patterns
7. Timely — Best Automatic Tracker for Teams
Timely records everything you do via a desktop app called Memory, then uses AI to draft timesheets from your activity. You review, adjust, and approve — eliminating the daily overhead of manual time entry. Unlike RescueTime, Timely is built for teams with project budgets, capacity planning, and manager views.
The trade-off is price: Timely is more expensive than manual trackers, which is justified only if the time saved on timesheet filling outweighs the subscription cost.
- Pricing: $9/user/mo (Starter), $16 (Premium), $22 (Unlimited)
- Platforms: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Best for: Agencies and consultancies that want automatic tracking with team oversight
8. Everhour — Best for Project Management Integration
Everhour embeds directly inside your existing project management tool. Instead of a separate app, you get a timer button next to every task in Asana, Jira, Trello, Basecamp, Monday.com, and others. Time is tracked in context — linked to the specific task, project, and client — without switching windows.
This makes Everhour ideal for teams already using a PM tool who want time data attached to their existing task structure rather than in a separate system.
- Pricing: Free (5 users, limited), $8.50/user/mo (Team)
- Platforms: Web, browser extensions (lives inside PM tools)
- Best for: Teams that live in Asana, Jira, or Trello and want time tracking without another app
9. QuickBooks Time (TSheets) — Best for Field Teams
Formerly TSheets, QuickBooks Time is built for field service, construction, and mobile workforces. It combines GPS tracking with geofencing (auto clock-in when you arrive at a job site), kiosk mode for shared devices, and deep integration with QuickBooks payroll. Managers see a live map of who's clocked in and where.
It's the strongest option for industries where location matters as much as hours. For details on its GPS tracking, see our QuickBooks Time guide.
- Pricing: $20/mo base fee + $6/user/mo (Premium), $40/mo base + $10/user/mo (Elite)
- Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, kiosk
- Best for: Construction, field service, and mobile teams that need GPS + payroll
10. Timing — Best Mac-Native Tracker
Timing is a Mac-exclusive app that tracks your time automatically by monitoring which application or document is in the foreground. You never start a timer — Timing captures everything and lets you categorize it into projects afterward. It uses rules to learn your patterns, so categorization becomes increasingly automatic over time.
It's the best automatic tracker for Mac users, but only works on macOS — no Windows, no mobile. For a broader comparison of Mac trackers, see our Mac time tracking guide.
- Pricing: $11/mo (Professional), $17/mo (Expert), $22/mo (Connect)
- Platforms: macOS only
- Best for: Mac users who want fully automatic tracking without clicking any buttons
Keep Your Tracker Active While AFK
Trick Tack simulates natural mouse, keyboard, and app-switching activity so your time tracker stays active during breaks. Works with any tool on this list. Try it free for 7 days.
Download for WindowsHow to Choose
The "best" time tracker depends on what you're optimizing for. Here's a quick decision framework:
- Just need a timer: Toggl Track (cleanest UX) or Clockify (free for everyone)
- Need to invoice clients: Harvest — tracks, invoices, and collects payment in one tool
- Need to monitor remote employees: Hubstaff (screenshots + activity %) or Time Doctor (distraction alerts)
- Want automatic tracking (no timers): Timing (Mac), Timely (teams), or RescueTime (personal productivity)
- Want tracking inside your PM tool: Everhour — embeds in Asana, Jira, and Trello
- Manage field workers: QuickBooks Time — GPS, geofencing, payroll sync
- Want a physical device: Timeular or Timeflip — Bluetooth trackers you flip to log time
- Tracking on mobile: See our mobile time tracking guide
- Running Linux: See our Linux time tracking guide — native apps, CLI tools, and self-hosted options
For strategies on getting more from any time tracker, including how tracking improves focus and estimation accuracy, see our guide on how time tracking boosts productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free time tracking software?
Clockify and Toggl Track both offer strong free plans, each now capped at 5 users (Clockify dropped its unlimited-user free plan in 2026). Clockify includes more on its free tier — unlimited projects, kiosk mode, and a calendar view — and its paid plans are the cheapest in the category, so it stays the best value for teams that will outgrow free. For individuals and small teams, both are excellent and include desktop apps, mobile apps, and browser extensions.
Which time tracking tool is best for freelancers?
Harvest is the best all-in-one option for freelancers because it combines time tracking with native invoicing and payment collection. You can track hours, generate invoices from those hours, and accept payment through Stripe or PayPal without needing a separate billing tool. Toggl Track is the better choice if you already have an invoicing solution and just need a fast, simple timer with strong reporting.
Do any time tracking tools work on Mac, Windows, and mobile?
Yes — most major time trackers are cross-platform. Toggl Track, Clockify, Harvest, Hubstaff, and Time Doctor all have native apps for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android, plus browser extensions. Timely and RescueTime cover macOS and Windows with mobile apps. The only platform-exclusive tool in our list is Timing, which is Mac-only.
What is the difference between time tracking and employee monitoring?
Time tracking tools like Toggl and Clockify record hours and projects — you control when tracking starts and stops. Employee monitoring tools like Hubstaff, Time Doctor, and Teramind go further with screenshots, activity level measurements, app and website logging, and sometimes keystroke recording. Many tools offer both: Hubstaff is a time tracker that also monitors activity. The choice depends on whether you need trust-based time logging or verification-based surveillance. For more, see our complete guide to time tracking software.
How much does time tracking software cost?
Prices range from free to about $20 per user per month. Clockify and Toggl Track both offer free plans. Paid plans typically start at $4-10 per user per month for basic features and go up to $15-20 for premium features like invoicing, GPS tracking, screenshots, and advanced reporting. Enterprise plans with SSO and dedicated support are usually custom-priced. Most tools offer 14-30 day free trials on their paid plans.
