The best time tracking software in 2026 is Toggl Track for simple all round tracking, Harvest for time tracking with invoicing, Clockify for a free tracker, Hubstaff for teams and remote monitoring, and Time Doctor for productivity and workforce analytics. Below we compare the 20 leading time tracking tools on price, features, ratings and who each one suits best.
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Ranked on verified ratings, pricing, feature depth and fit.
The leading simple time tracking app, with a one click timer, easy reports and wide integrations, loved for being unintrusive and easy, the all round standard for tracking work time.
A time tracking tool with built in invoicing and expenses, turning tracked time into invoices, suited to freelancers and agencies wanting to track time and bill clients in one place.
A popular free time tracker with unlimited users and tracking on the free plan, suited to individuals and teams wanting capable, no cost time tracking with affordable paid upgrades.
A time tracking and workforce management tool with optional monitoring (screenshots, activity, GPS), suited to teams managing remote and field workers wanting tracking with accountability.
A time tracking and productivity analytics tool with activity tracking and workforce insights, suited to businesses wanting detailed productivity analytics and accountability for teams.
An automatic personal time tracking and focus tool that records how you spend time on apps and sites, suited to individuals wanting to understand and improve their own productivity.
A time tracking tool that embeds inside project management tools like Asana and Trello, suited to teams wanting to track time and budgets directly within the PM tools they already use.
QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) tracks employee time for payroll and billing, integrated with QuickBooks, suited to businesses wanting time tracking that flows into payroll and accounting.
An automatic time tracking tool with billing and reporting at an affordable price, suited to individuals and teams wanting largely automatic tracking plus invoicing and productivity reports.
A scheduling and time clock platform for shift based teams, with rostering, time tracking and attendance, suited to retail, hospitality and businesses managing hourly and shift workers.
Automatic time tracking and productivity monitoring
| Tool | Rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | ★ 4.6 | Free; from ~$9/user/mo | Yes | Simple all round tracking |
| Harvest | ★ 4.3 | Free; from ~$11/user/mo | Yes | Time tracking with invoicing |
| Clockify | ★ 4.5 | Free; from ~$3.99/user/mo | Yes | Free time tracker |
| Hubstaff | ★ 4.5 | From ~$7/user/mo | Yes | Teams and remote monitoring |
| Time Doctor | ★ 4.4 | From ~$6.70/user/mo | No | Productivity and workforce analytics |
| RescueTime | ★ 4.1 | Free; from ~$6.50/mo | Yes | Automatic personal tracking |
| Everhour | ★ 4.7 | Free; from ~$8.50/user/mo | Yes | Tracking inside PM tools |
| QuickBooks Time | ★ 4.5 | From ~$10/user/mo | No | Time tracking with payroll |
| TimeCamp | ★ 4.7 | Free; from ~$3.99/user/mo | Yes | Automatic time tracking |
| Deputy | ★ 4.6 | From ~$4.50/user/mo | Yes | Scheduling and time clock |
Market size and forecast · 8.7% CAGR. Sources: MarketIntelo, G2, Capterra
The figures that define the time tracking market, each linked to its original source so you can verify every number.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Time tracking market, 2025 | $8.2B | marketintelo.com |
| Forecast CAGR to 2034 | 8.7% | marketintelo.com |
| Projected market, 2034 | $16.8B | marketintelo.com |
| Growth driver | Remote work | marketintelo.com |
| Core job | Track time on work and projects | MarketIntelo |
| Who uses it | Freelancers, teams, businesses | MarketIntelo |
| Why it matters | Billing, productivity, project costing | MarketIntelo |
| Tools compared | 20 | 6S Software directory |
Time tracking software records how people spend their working time, on tasks, projects, and clients, so that time can be billed, analysed and managed. At its core it lets you track time with timers (start and stop as you work) or manual entry and timesheets, assigning time to projects, tasks and clients, then reports on where time goes. Features include one click timers, timesheets and approvals, project and client tracking, billable rates and invoicing, productivity and activity monitoring, scheduling, and integrations with project management, accounting and payroll tools. Some tools focus on simple personal or team tracking, others add billing, and others add workforce monitoring and analytics. Used by freelancers, agencies, professional services and businesses of all kinds, time tracking turns the hours people work into data for billing clients, costing projects, running payroll and improving productivity. The goal is accurate, easy records of time that support billing, project profitability and accountability.
It matters because time is money, literally for anyone who bills by the hour, and understanding where time goes is essential for billing accurately, costing and pricing projects, running payroll, and improving productivity, which guesswork and manual timesheets do poorly. As remote and hybrid work, the gig economy and compliance drive demand for tracking and accountability, the category grows. The time tracking software market was valued at about 8.2 billion US dollars in 2025 and is forecast to reach 16.8 billion by 2034, an 8.7 percent compound annual growth rate [MarketIntelo].
People record their time and the software turns it into reports. You track time either with a timer (click start when you begin a task and stop when you finish, often picking a project, task and client) or by entering it manually into timesheets, and the time is logged against the right project and client. Many tools also track automatically, recording the apps and sites you use, and some add monitoring (screenshots, activity levels, GPS for field teams). The software then reports on where time went, by project, client, person or activity, and can apply billable rates to create invoices, feed timesheets into payroll, and show project budgets and profitability. Approvals let managers review timesheets, scheduling features assign shifts, and integrations connect to project management, accounting, payroll and invoicing tools so time flows where it is needed. Dashboards and analytics reveal productivity and utilisation.
The category spans simple trackers, billing focused trackers, team and workforce management tools, monitoring and productivity tools, and embedded trackers. Simple trackers like Toggl Track and Clockify focus on easy time recording and reports. Billing focused trackers like Harvest and Paymo turn time into invoices. Team and workforce management tools like Hubstaff, Deputy, When I Work and QuickBooks Time add scheduling, payroll and field tracking. Monitoring and productivity tools like Time Doctor, ActivTrak, DeskTime and RescueTime emphasise activity and productivity analytics. Embedded trackers like Everhour and TMetric track inside project management tools. The right tool depends on whether you need simple tracking, billing, scheduling and payroll, monitoring, or tracking inside your PM tool.
Time tracking tools vary from simple timers to workforce platforms, so match to your needs.
Simple trackers include Toggl Track and Clockify. Billing focused trackers include Harvest and Paymo. Team and workforce management tools include Hubstaff, Deputy and QuickBooks Time. Monitoring and productivity tools include Time Doctor, ActivTrak and RescueTime, and embedded trackers include Everhour and TMetric.
Start with what you need beyond basic tracking. For simple, easy all round tracking, Toggl Track, or Clockify for a capable free option. For time tracking plus invoicing, Harvest or Paymo. For teams, scheduling and payroll, Deputy, When I Work or QuickBooks Time, and for remote and field teams with accountability, Hubstaff. For productivity and workforce analytics, Time Doctor, ActivTrak or DeskTime, and for automatic personal tracking, RescueTime. For tracking inside your project management tool, Everhour or TMetric. Match the tool to simple tracking, billing, scheduling and payroll, monitoring, or embedded tracking, plus team size and your existing tools.
Then weigh three practical factors. First, what you do with the time, billing by the hour needs invoicing (Harvest, Paymo), paying hourly staff needs payroll and scheduling (QuickBooks Time, Deputy), and understanding productivity needs analytics (Time Doctor). Second, simplicity versus monitoring, individuals and trust based teams want simple, unintrusive tracking (Toggl, Clockify), while some managers want activity monitoring (Hubstaff, Time Doctor, ActivTrak), which raises culture and privacy considerations. Third, integrations and ecosystem, the tool should connect to your project management, accounting and payroll tools, or embed in your PM tool. Consider pricing (free tiers and per user), ease of adoption (people must actually track), trial, and cross check verified reviews on G2 and Capterra.
Most time tracking tools are priced per user per month, with free tiers common. Toggl Track is free for up to 5 users then from around 9 US dollars per user. Clockify is notably generous, free for unlimited users then from around 3.99. Harvest is free for one user then from around 11. Hubstaff is from around 7, Time Doctor from around 6.70, QuickBooks Time from around 10, Deputy from around 4.50, and Everhour from around 8.50. Monitoring tools and those with payroll and scheduling tend to cost a bit more for the extra capabilities.
The main cost drivers are the number of users and the features you need beyond basic tracking (invoicing, payroll, scheduling, monitoring, analytics). Simple tracking is cheap or free (Clockify stands out for free unlimited users), while billing, payroll, scheduling and monitoring add cost. Free tiers are genuinely useful for individuals and small teams, so you can start free, but teams needing approvals, billing or monitoring will pay per user, which scales with headcount. Decide what you need beyond tracking and count your users, use free tiers to test adoption (the biggest risk is people not tracking), and factor per user costs for team features before committing.
Automatic and AI assisted tracking is growing, with tools recording activity automatically and using AI to suggest, categorise and fill in time entries, reducing the manual effort that undermines tracking. Remote and hybrid work keeps demand high, including for accountability and monitoring, which raises ongoing debates about employee privacy and trust. Integration deepens, with time tracking embedded in project management, accounting and payroll so time flows automatically. Productivity and workforce analytics expand, giving managers insight into utilisation and focus. And balancing accountability with employee experience and privacy is an important theme as monitoring features advance.
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