What Is the Best Time Tracking Software? A Comprehensive Comparison of the Top 10 Tools

Time tracking software helps teams, freelancers, and businesses of all sizes record work hours, monitor productivity, manage projects, and streamline payroll and billing. With so many options, choosing the right tool can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down the top 10 solutions, their features, and their ideal use cases to help you decide.

Why Choosing the Right Time Tracking Tool Matters

The right software does more than log hours — it helps you:

• Improve productivity
• Accurately bill clients and manage payroll
• Support hybrid and remote teams
• Integrate with tools you already use
• Build trust without invasive monitoring

What Are the Top 10 Time Tracking Tools for Teams and Freelancers?

Finding the right time tracking software can help your team stay productive, meet deadlines, and simplify billing and reporting. Below is a comparison of leading tools, each offering unique strengths depending on your business needs, size, and workflow.

TrackingTime

TrackingTime is a flexible time tracking platform designed for SMBs, scaling companies, freelancers, and distributed teams. It offers time logging (manual, timer, AutoTrack), project and task management, PTO tracking, attendance, and reporting — all in one system. With 50+ integrations (Asana, Trello, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Calendar, QuickBooks) and desktop, mobile, and browser app support, it adapts to diverse workflows.

Best for: SMBs, scaling companies, distributed teams

Key features:

• Comprehensive ime tracking (manual, timer, AutoTrack)
• Attendance, PTO, and leave management
• Project and task tracking with estimates
• Online timesheets with approvals
• 50+ integrations (Asana, Trello, Teams, Slack, Google Calendar, QuickBooks)
• No monitoring (no screenshots, no activity tracking)
• Custom reporting with exports

Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a user-friendly time tracker built for individuals and small teams. It focuses on simplicity, with timers, manual entries, and reports. The platform integrates with popular productivity tools and is available on desktop, mobile, and as a browser extension.

Best for: Freelancers, small teams

Key features:

• Basic timer-based tracking
• Browser extension
• Basic integrations

👉 Why it stands out:
Toggl Track is a lightweight, timer-based tracker without extra features like attendance or project oversight.

Clockify

Clockify offers basic time tracking features for free. It provides timers, manual entries, and basic reports, with optional paid upgrades for invoicing, PTO, and additional management tools.

Best for: Teams on a budget

Key features:

• Free plan with limited features
• Paid options for invoicing and PTO tracking
• Basic reports

👉 Why it stands out:
Clockify appeals to teams seeking affordable entry-level tracking and who are comfortable layering on separate solutions for things like PTO or attendance.

Hubstaff

Hubstaff combines time tracking with monitoring tools like screenshots, activity levels, and GPS location tracking. It’s designed for businesses that want detailed visibility into how employees spend their time, particularly in remote or field settings.

Best for: Managers needing monitoring tools

Key features:

• Time tracking with screenshots
• GPS location tracking
• Activity levels
• Payroll integration

👉 Why it stands out:
Hubstaff is suited for managers focused on oversight and accountability, with strong monitoring features alongside its time logging.

Time Doctor

Time Doctor is a hybrid time tracker and employee monitoring tool. It captures time data alongside screenshots, web/app usage, and distraction alerts, aiming to provide managers with a complete view of worker productivity.

Best for: Teams requiring monitoring + time tracking

Key features:

• Screenshots, web/app tracking
• Distraction alerts
• Productivity scores

👉 Why it stands out:
Time Doctor works well for companies where detailed activity tracking is a priority to support oversight and reporting.

Harvest

Harvest combines time tracking with expense tracking and invoicing. It’s popular with agencies and services teams looking to connect time logged to payments, and integrates with accounting and project management tools.

Best for: Teams focused on invoicing and expenses

Key features:

• Time and expense tracking
• Invoicing and payments
• Accounting tool integrations

👉 Why it stands out:
Harvest fits businesses that want time data to flow directly into their billing and expense systems, but may require other tools for deeper project or attendance tracking.

Everhour

Everhour is designed for teams that work heavily inside project management apps like Asana, Trello, and Basecamp. It provides embedded time tracking, budgeting, and reporting directly in those tools.

Best for: Teams working inside PM tools

Key features:

• Asana, Trello, Basecamp integrations
• Budget tracking
• Live dashboards

👉 Why it stands out:
Everhour is for teams wanting native time tracking inside their existing PM tools, without adding standalone project or attendance features.

Timely

Timely offers AI-powered automatic time tracking that runs in the background and organizes work activity without manual input. It’s aimed at users who want passive logging and minimal admin.

Best for: Users preferring automated tracking

Key features:

• AI-powered auto time capture
• Calendar-based view
• No manual timers

👉 Why it stands out:
Timely is for those prioritizing automation and minimal manual tracking effort, though teams may need separate solutions for project or team management.

RescueTime

RescueTime focuses on personal productivity, offering automatic time logging, distraction blocking, and detailed reports on work patterns. It’s designed for individuals seeking to build focus habits and reduce time wasters.

Best for: Individuals wanting personal productivity insights

Key features:

• Automatic tracking
• Focus time and distraction blocking
• Productivity reports

👉 Why it stands out:
RescueTime suits solo professionals aiming for insight into their habits rather than structured team or client tracking.

TimeCamp

TimeCamp offers time tracking alongside invoicing, attendance, and basic budgeting features. It’s positioned as an all-in-one solution for small teams that want these elements combined.

Best for: All-in-one time and budget tracking

Key features:

• Time tracking
• Attendance and invoicing
• Project budget monitoring

👉 Why it stands out:
TimeCamp blends time tracking and basic billing/budgeting, good for teams that don’t require advanced project management or HR features.

Time Tracking Software Comparison

Choosing the right tool can feel overwhelming, so we’ve put together this quick comparison table. It highlights the key strengths, ideal use cases, and whether each tool includes employee monitoring — helping you find the best match for your team’s needs.

Final Verdict: How to Find the Best Time Tracking Software for Your Team

The best time tracking software depends on your team’s size, culture, and priorities. If you value privacy, flexibility, and robust features, TrackingTime is a top choice — offering time tracking, attendance, PTO, and project tools without intrusive monitoring. For freelancers or small teams, Toggl Track and Clockify provide simple, affordable solutions. And for companies needing oversight, Hubstaff and Time Doctor deliver monitoring features alongside time logging.