Work Management · 12 tools ranked
Best Time Tracking Software in 2026
Toggl Track ranks first in Time tracking software, followed by Clockify and Clockodo. Time tracking software records hours by timer, timesheet or clock-in so companies can bill clients, document attendance, and feed payroll.
The top three
How this list is ordered: by our editorial assessment of fit for organizations of 50 to 1,000 people. Vendors can pay for more visibility; paid placements are labeled and explained in our disclosure. No commission is earned on clicks or purchases, and we do not work as an affiliate.
1. Toggl TrackToggl Track ranks first because its timer is quick to adopt on every device, its reports tie hours to profitability, and its price ladder starts at a free tier.
2. ClockifyClockify takes second place for the broadest free tier in the list and low per-seat prices that still include approvals, a kiosk mode and over 100 integrations.
3. ClockodoClockodo is third because it separates project time from plain work time, quotes a flat per-user price with no base fee, and is run from Germany.What is Time tracking software?
Time tracking software records how long people spend on work, either by timer, timesheet, clock-in or automatic capture. Companies use it to bill clients by the hour, measure project cost, document attendance and overtime, and feed payroll. Products range from free timers for individuals to enterprise systems that enforce labor rules by country. The data usually flows into invoices, payroll or project reports.
How we ranked these
Time tracking software is usually bought for one of two reasons. A services firm wants to know which clients and projects earn money, and an employer with hourly staff wants clock-in records that hold up when pay is disputed.
The tools in this ranking are often shopped for together, although they solve different problems. A ten-person agency and a 400-person retail chain should not shortlist the same product.
Project trackers record who worked on what, while attendance tools record when somebody started, took a break and finished. Mixing the two is the most common reason a rollout stalls.
We judged twelve products for a company of 50 to 1,000 staff in Europe or North America. We read each vendor's pricing, legal and product pages, and ranked the tools on setup effort, the true cost per seat, data export, vendor independence and fit.
The order is our verdict, not a score. Employee monitoring features are named where they exist, since several countries require works council approval before they go live.
Setup: how fast does every person log hours without being chased?
A time tracker works only when people use it daily, so we ranked first on how fast a new team reaches that point. We looked at how long it takes to create projects, invite staff and start the first timer. Most tools here need an afternoon, because a user list and a project list are all they require. The slower products are those that assume configuration.
Attendance and workforce tools need work schedules, break rules, geofence sites and payroll mappings before the first clock-in. Deltek Replicon adds labor rules and approval chains on top.
Tools with a browser extension, desktop app and phone app, such as Toggl Track and Clockify, score higher because people can log from wherever they are.
The real price: per seat, per tier and the add-ons you did not plan for
Eleven of the twelve products publish prices, and the headline number is rarely the final bill. Clockify and TimeCamp start below $4 per seat on annual billing, while Hubstaff's published ladder runs to $25 for Enterprise. Free plans exist at Toggl Track, Clockify, Clockodo, TimeCamp, Harvest and Connecteam, but each limits users, projects or features. Watch for three traps: every invited user counting as a paid seat, minimum user counts, and usage-based AI fees such as TimeCamp's.
We priced a 40-person team on annual billing, including the tier that unlocks approvals.
Getting your data out: time entries, rates and audit history
Time entries are payroll and invoicing records, so you must be able to export all of them with their project, rate and approval status. Most vendors here allow CSV or Excel exports of reports and offer an API, but the depth differs. Some exports include only the current view, while others include every entry with its edit history. Before signing, ask whether locked or approved timesheets can be exported, how long deleted entries are kept, and whether the API is on every tier.
For European employers, also ask where data is hosted and request the data processing agreement. Several product pages do not state hosting location.
Independence from the vendor: ownership, bundles and exit terms
Ownership changes matter more in time tracking than in most categories, because pricing tends to move after an acquisition. Harvest's terms now name Bending Spoons Operations S.p.A. as provider, Clockify is one of several CAKE.com products sold as a bundle, and Deltek Replicon belongs to a large project-software group. Kenjo and Factorial are HR suites, so their time tracking comes with a wider commitment. We favored vendors with published prices, open APIs and plans that can shrink at renewal.
Ask for a price cap in writing and for a seat reduction right.
Who it's for: project billing, hourly attendance, remote monitoring or enterprise
Pick the group first, then compare inside it. Project and client billing is served by Toggl Track, Harvest, Timely, Clockodo and Clockify. Hourly attendance and shifts are served by Connecteam, Deputy and Kenjo, with Factorial as an HR-first alternative. Remote teams paid by tracked hours should look at Hubstaff and TimeCamp, which add activity capture and payroll.
Project firms with audit duties should evaluate Deltek Replicon. A 30-person agency and a 300-person cleaning company should end up with different shortlists.
Compared at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Pricing | Free option | HQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toggl Track | Agencies and consultancies tracking billable hours | Per user / month | Free plan | Estonia |
| 2 | Clockify | Small teams that need a low-cost start | Per seat / month | Free plan | United States |
| 3 | Clockodo | European firms billing projects by the hour | Per user / month | Free plan | Germany |
| 4 | Hubstaff | Remote and field teams paid by tracked hours | Per seat / month | Free trial | United States |
| 5 | TimeCamp | Teams wanting attendance and invoicing together | Per user / month | Free plan | Poland |
| 6 | Timely | Creative and consulting teams who forget timers | Per user / month | Free trial | Norway |
| 7 | Harvest | Small agencies invoicing clients from tracked time | Per seat / month | Free plan | Italy |
| 8 | Connecteam | Field and frontline teams without desks | Flat monthly + per user | Free plan | Israel |
| 9 | Kenjo | European hourly teams that want HR and time together | Per employee / month | Free trial | Germany |
| 10 | Factorial | Companies already running HR in Factorial | Per user / month | None | Spain |
| 11 | Deputy | Hourly staff in retail and hospitality | Per user / month | Free trial | Australia |
| 12 | Deltek Replicon | Government contractors and large project firms | Quote only | None | United States |
The 12 tools, reviewed
How this list is ordered: by our editorial assessment of fit for organizations of 50 to 1,000 people. Vendors can pay for more visibility; paid placements are labeled and explained in our disclosure. No commission is earned on clicks or purchases, and we do not work as an affiliate.
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TimerBillable ratesProfitability reportsBrowser extensions
Why #1: Toggl Track ranks first because its timer is quick to adopt on every device, its reports tie hours to profitability, and its price ladder starts at a free tier.
- Best for
- Agencies and consultancies tracking billable hours
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- Estonia
- Key features
- Web, desktop and mobile timers, Browser extensions, Project estimates versus actuals, Billable rates, Profitability reports
- Falls short
- Approval workflows, forced timesheet submission and audit-style controls sit in the higher tiers, and the Enterprise tier is quote only.
- Wrong for
- A company that needs a clock-in and clock-out system for hourly staff with geofencing and payroll rules should look at Connecteam, Deputy or Kenjo instead.
Full assessment of Toggl Track
Toggl Track gets people to log time because starting a timer takes one click and works the same on the web, desktop, phone and browser. Managers get what they need from the Starter and Premium tiers: estimates against actual hours, billable rates and reports on project, client and team profitability.
The published price ladder is easy to model, with a free plan for small teams and 30-day trials on paid tiers. Time off and capacity planning are sold as small add-ons, so a services firm can stay inside one vendor for tracking and planning.
Where it falls short
Approval workflows, forced timesheet submission and audit-style controls sit in the higher tiers, and the Enterprise tier is quote only. Time off and capacity add-ons are priced per user on top of the plan, so a full setup costs more than the headline rate.
The tool assumes people will log time themselves, which does not suit shift-based hourly teams.
Wrong for
A company that needs a clock-in and clock-out system for hourly staff with geofencing and payroll rules should look at Connecteam, Deputy or Kenjo instead.
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Free tierTimesheetsKiosk mode
Why #2: Clockify takes second place for the broadest free tier in the list and low per-seat prices that still include approvals, a kiosk mode and over 100 integrations.
- Best for
- Small teams that need a low-cost start
- Pricing
- Per seat / month
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Timer, Weekly timesheet, Calendar view, Kiosk clock-in from a shared device, Timesheet approval
- Falls short
- Every active or invited user counts as a paid seat, including admins and managers, so a manager who only reads reports still costs money.
- Wrong for
- Teams that need automatic activity capture or deep employee analytics should compare Hubstaff or Timely, and firms that want invoicing built in should look at Harvest.
Full assessment of Clockify
Clockify is the cheapest serious option in this ranking. The free plan covers unlimited tracking with timer, timesheet, calendar, reports and apps for a small team, and the paid tiers add approvals, scheduling and administration at under $12 per seat.
A shared-device kiosk lets floor staff clock in without their own phone, which most competitors at this price do not offer. It is the product we would try first when a team has no budget line yet and needs hours recorded by next week.
Where it falls short
Every active or invited user counts as a paid seat, including admins and managers, so a manager who only reads reports still costs money. Refunds are not offered, and the free plan caps the user count at roughly five.
Interface depth varies by tier, and the best reporting needs Standard or above.
Wrong for
Teams that need automatic activity capture or deep employee analytics should compare Hubstaff or Timely, and firms that want invoicing built in should look at Harvest.
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Project timeWork timeGerman vendor
Why #3: Clockodo is third because it separates project time from plain work time, quotes a flat per-user price with no base fee, and is run from Germany.
- Best for
- European firms billing projects by the hour
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Key features
- Project time tracking, Work time tracking with breaks, Absence management with approval, Open API, Lexware Office, sevdesk and easybill integrations
- Falls short
- The published feature pages do not state where data is hosted, so a buyer must ask.
- Wrong for
- A frontline operation with rotating shifts and geofenced clocking should look at Kenjo or Connecteam, and a large enterprise with government compliance rules should look at Deltek Replicon.
Full assessment of Clockodo
Clockodo offers two product lines under one login: project time tracking for billable work and work time tracking for attendance, so a company can choose per team. Pricing is the clearest in the ranking.
You pay per user, there is no base fee, and a free plan serves solo users. It also records start, finish and breaks to the second and manages absences with approvals, which covers most small-company needs in one place.
For a firm in German-speaking Europe it is the straightforward local pick.
Where it falls short
The published feature pages do not state where data is hosted, so a buyer must ask. The accounting integrations lean toward German small-business tools, and a company on a different ledger will rely on the API.
It has fewer shift features than workforce tools.
Wrong for
A frontline operation with rotating shifts and geofenced clocking should look at Kenjo or Connecteam, and a large enterprise with government compliance rules should look at Deltek Replicon.
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MonitoringPayrollGPS
Why #4: Hubstaff places fourth as the strongest choice for remote and field teams, with screenshots, activity levels, GPS job sites and payroll in one product, at a higher price.
- Best for
- Remote and field teams paid by tracked hours
- Pricing
- Per seat / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Screenshot-based tracking, Activity levels, App and URL usage, GPS job sites, Payroll from approved hours
- Falls short
- Monitoring features raise legal questions in countries with works councils or strict employee privacy rules, so use them only after consulting your data protection officer.
- Wrong for
- Companies with a trust-based culture or a works council that rejects screenshots should choose Toggl Track, Clockodo or Timely, which do not depend on monitoring.
Full assessment of Hubstaff
Hubstaff goes furthest of the products here toward monitoring: screenshots with a blur option, activity rates, app and URL tracking, and flags for apparent fake input. It also pays people from approved hours, with overtime and holiday rules and payouts in several currencies.
Location-based job sites clock field staff in and out automatically. For a distributed company paying contractors by the hour, the combination saves a separate payroll tool, and the plan limits are listed clearly.
Where it falls short
Monitoring features raise legal questions in countries with works councils or strict employee privacy rules, so use them only after consulting your data protection officer. There is no permanent free plan, and the cheapest tier is basic.
Everyone who tracks time needs a paid seat.
Wrong for
Companies with a trust-based culture or a works council that rejects screenshots should choose Toggl Track, Clockodo or Timely, which do not depend on monitoring.
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Automatic captureAttendanceInvoicing
Why #5: TimeCamp ranks fifth for pairing optional automatic activity capture with attendance tracking and invoicing from the lowest paid tier, though usage-based AI charges complicate the cost.
- Best for
- Teams wanting attendance and invoicing together
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- Poland
- Key features
- Automatic time capture, Computer activity categories, Attendance calendar, Time-off management, Overtime tracking
- Falls short
- The AI time tracker is billed by token usage on every plan, and the vendor itself estimates about $6 per user per month for it, which can double the cost.
- Wrong for
- A buyer who wants a single predictable price per seat should look at Clockodo or Harvest, and a team without any need for automatic capture can use Clockify.
Full assessment of TimeCamp
TimeCamp is built around one idea: record work on the computer automatically, then let people correct it. Activity tracking sorts apps and sites as productive, unproductive or neutral, and administrators can turn it off.
The Starter tier already includes attendance, time off, overtime tracking and invoices built from billable hours, which is a wide set for under $4 per user. A permanent free plan with unlimited users and projects makes it simple to pilot with a whole department.
Where it falls short
The AI time tracker is billed by token usage on every plan, and the vendor itself estimates about $6 per user per month for it, which can double the cost. Free trial length is not stated and refunds are not granted.
Screenshots arrive only on the top tier.
Wrong for
A buyer who wants a single predictable price per seat should look at Clockodo or Harvest, and a team without any need for automatic capture can use Clockify.
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AutomaticPrivate timelinesPlanning
Why #6: Timely sits sixth because its background Memory Tracker drafts timesheets from work already done, with private timelines, but it has no free plan and caps users on lower tiers.
- Best for
- Creative and consulting teams who forget timers
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Norway
- Key features
- Memory Tracker, AI timesheet drafts, Private timelines, Billable rates, People dashboard
- Falls short
- The Starter tier is limited to 20 projects and 5 users, and Premium to 50 users, so growing teams jump tiers.
- Wrong for
- Hourly workforces that need clock-in rules and shift rosters should choose Deputy or Kenjo, and cost-sensitive small teams should start with Clockify.
Full assessment of Timely
Timely records what you worked on in the background and builds a private timeline that only the person sees. They approve entries before anything reaches a manager, which makes tracking easier to accept in a culture that dislikes surveillance.
Drafted timesheets, billable rates and a dashboard for capacity cover agencies and consultancies that bill for time. Integrations include project tools such as Asana, Jira and ClickUp, plus calendars and Teams.
Enterprise adds single sign-on and role-based access.
Where it falls short
The Starter tier is limited to 20 projects and 5 users, and Premium to 50 users, so growing teams jump tiers. There is no free plan.
The vendor makes no statement on data hosting location on its product page, so check the data processing terms.
Wrong for
Hourly workforces that need clock-in rules and shift rosters should choose Deputy or Kenjo, and cost-sensitive small teams should start with Clockify.
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InvoicingExpensesBudgets
Why #7: Harvest ranks seventh: its timers, expenses and invoicing suit client-billing firms, but the free plan allows one seat and the vendor changed hands.
- Best for
- Small agencies invoicing clients from tracked time
- Pricing
- Per seat / month
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- Italy
- Key features
- Timers and timesheets, Expense tracking, Invoices from tracked time, Project budgets with alerts, Timesheet approvals
- Falls short
- The free plan is one seat and two projects, so it is a trial rather than a team option.
- Wrong for
- Employers who need to record staff attendance, breaks and overtime for payroll should look at Clockodo, Kenjo or Deputy rather than a project-billing tool.
Full assessment of Harvest
Harvest remains the reference for firms that turn hours into invoices. Time and expenses flow into an invoice, clients can pay online, and overdue reminders and retainers are handled.
Budgets warn before a project overruns, and team reports show utilization and profitability. The price is straightforward with two paid tiers and a 30-day trial that needs no credit card.
Its terms now name an Italian company, Bending Spoons Operations S.p.A., as the provider.
Where it falls short
The free plan is one seat and two projects, so it is a trial rather than a team option. Timesheet approvals, SSO and the activity log require Enterprise.
Forecasting is a separate product, and it offers no attendance or shift features.
Wrong for
Employers who need to record staff attendance, breaks and overtime for payroll should look at Clockodo, Kenjo or Deputy rather than a project-billing tool.
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Time clockDesklessScheduling
Why #8: Connecteam is eighth: it is a deskless-workforce app where the time clock, job scheduling and forms share one phone app, a poor fit for desk-based project billing.
- Best for
- Field and frontline teams without desks
- Pricing
- Flat monthly + per user
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- Israel
- Key features
- Clock in and out with GPS, Geofence sites, Job scheduling with open shifts, Forms and checklists, Payroll integration
- Falls short
- Time tracking is one part of an operations suite, so project timesheets, billable rates and profitability are absent.
- Wrong for
- Agencies and consultancies that bill clients by the hour need a project time tracker such as Toggl Track, Harvest or Timely.
Full assessment of Connecteam
Connecteam fits a business whose staff carry a phone instead of sitting at a computer. The Operations hub bundles a GPS time clock, unlimited jobs, open-shift scheduling, forms and checklists, and the Basic tier covers payroll integration.
Pricing is a flat base for the first 30 users plus a small per-head fee, which works well for small fleets of cleaners, installers or retail staff. A free plan for up to 10 users lets a small business test everything.
Where it falls short
Time tracking is one part of an operations suite, so project timesheets, billable rates and profitability are absent. Geofence limits, auto-reports and API access depend on the Advanced and Expert tiers.
Tracking hours for office-based knowledge workers feels heavier than needed.
Wrong for
Agencies and consultancies that bill clients by the hour need a project time tracker such as Toggl Track, Harvest or Timely.
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HR suiteShiftsEurope
Why #9: Kenjo takes ninth as an HR suite where time tracking and shift planning sit next to the employee file, useful when you want HR records and clocking in one system.
- Best for
- European hourly teams that want HR and time together
- Pricing
- Per employee / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Key features
- Time tracking, Shift planning, Absence management, Employee records, Mobile clocking
- Falls short
- You buy an HR system to get time tracking, which means higher cost and more setup than a dedicated tracker.
- Wrong for
- A firm that only wants to measure billable hours by project should not buy an HR suite and should choose Toggl Track, Clockodo or Harvest.
Full assessment of Kenjo
Kenjo suits an employer who would rather have attendance data live next to contracts, holidays and documents than in a standalone tracker. It tracks time and plans shifts, and the published tiers help a company price a rollout across a few countries.
A Berlin-based vendor with offices in Zurich and Madrid understands local absence rules. For a hotel, shop or clinic with hourly staff, clocking and leave in one place removes a monthly reconciliation chore.
Where it falls short
You buy an HR system to get time tracking, which means higher cost and more setup than a dedicated tracker. The Starter tier caps shift planning at 15 active shift employees, and onboarding is charged once.
Project and client time reporting is thin.
Wrong for
A firm that only wants to measure billable hours by project should not buy an HR suite and should choose Toggl Track, Clockodo or Harvest.
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HR suiteAdd-onSpain
Why #10: Factorial is tenth: time tracking is an add-on to its HR core, which works for Spanish and European employers who also want leave and payroll data connected.
- Best for
- Companies already running HR in Factorial
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- Spain
- Key features
- Time tracking add-on, Shifts, Time off, Employee records, Performance
- Falls short
- Time tracking is secondary to the HR product, with no project timers, billable rates or client reporting.
- Wrong for
- Anyone who wants a stand-alone tracker for client work should pick Toggl Track or Harvest, and anyone who wants kiosk clocking at a low price should consider Clockify.
Full assessment of Factorial
Factorial makes sense as the time module for an employer who has chosen it for HR already. The Core is in every plan, and time tracking, shifts and time off attach as add-ons, so attendance data lands in the same employee file as contracts and leave.
A Barcelona company with a published starting price, it is used by thousands of employers and sells further modules for payroll, IT and finance. That breadth helps a growing European firm avoid a second login.
Where it falls short
Time tracking is secondary to the HR product, with no project timers, billable rates or client reporting. Add-ons are quoted on top of the entry price, so total cost is hard to predict from the website.
There is no free plan.
Wrong for
Anyone who wants a stand-alone tracker for client work should pick Toggl Track or Harvest, and anyone who wants kiosk clocking at a low price should consider Clockify.
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SchedulingTimesheetsHourly staff
Why #11: Deputy places eleventh: scheduling comes first and timesheets second, which suits shift businesses and leaves project-based teams with little to use.
- Best for
- Hourly staff in retail and hospitality
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Key features
- Shift scheduling, Auto-scheduling, Timesheets, Timesheet auto approval, Biometric time clocking
- Falls short
- It is a scheduling product at heart, so project tracking, billable rates and client reports are missing.
- Wrong for
- Knowledge-work teams that track hours by project and client should skip it and choose Toggl Track, Harvest or Timely.
Full assessment of Deputy
Deputy starts from the roster, not from the timer. Staff see their shifts, clock in, and the approved hours go to payroll, which is the sequence a shop or restaurant manager actually follows.
Prices are public and low, and the Core tier adds auto-scheduling and biometric clocking. Add-ons for payroll in the US, HR and analytics let a business grow into the product.
The headquarters are in Sydney, with teams in San Francisco and London.
Where it falls short
It is a scheduling product at heart, so project tracking, billable rates and client reports are missing. Single sign-on and a sandbox arrive only on Pro, and the US payroll add-on carries a monthly base fee.
The length of the trial is not stated on the pricing page.
Wrong for
Knowledge-work teams that track hours by project and client should skip it and choose Toggl Track, Harvest or Timely.
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EnterpriseComplianceProjects
Why #12: Deltek Replicon ranks last as an enterprise tool for project firms and government contractors, with compliance rules for many countries and prices only by demo request.
- Best for
- Government contractors and large project firms
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Project time tracking, Automatic capture from work apps, Attendance and overtime, Leave accruals, Labor compliance rules
- Falls short
- There is no published price and no self-service start, so evaluating it means a sales process.
- Wrong for
- Small companies that want a tracker running this week, without a sales process or a compliance owner, should choose Clockify, Toggl Track or Clockodo.
Full assessment of Deltek Replicon
Deltek Replicon is built for firms where a timesheet is also a compliance record. The vendor describes preconfigured labor rules for 145 jurisdictions in more than 75 countries, support for DCAA, FAR, FedRAMP and NIST requirements, and integrations with SAP, ADP, Jira and Deltek's own finance products.
Leave accruals and attendance sit beside project time. For an engineering consultancy or federal contractor that audits timesheets, it removes a lot of spreadsheet work.
Where it falls short
There is no published price and no self-service start, so evaluating it means a sales process. The product assumes an organization with administrators and a compliance owner, which is more than a team of 50 will want.
Buyers should expect a longer implementation than for the tools above.
Wrong for
Small companies that want a tracker running this week, without a sales process or a compliance owner, should choose Clockify, Toggl Track or Clockodo.
What the data says about this market
Of the twelve products here, six are headquartered in the EU (Toggl Track in Estonia, Clockodo in Germany, TimeCamp in Poland, Harvest's provider in Italy, Kenjo in Germany and Factorial in Spain). One more is Norwegian, three are American (Clockify's operating company, Hubstaff and Deltek Replicon), one is Israeli and one is Australian. Eleven publish an entry price, and only Deltek Replicon works by demo request.
Six products have a permanent free plan: Toggl Track, Clockify, Clockodo, TimeCamp, Harvest and Connecteam. The free offers are narrow in different ways, from a single seat at Harvest and Clockodo to unlimited users at TimeCamp. Hubstaff, Timely and Deputy offer trials only.
For a mid-sized firm the free plans work as pilots, not as production tools, because approvals and exports sit in paid tiers.
The market is splitting along a clear line. Project trackers are adding automatic capture and AI timesheets, as Timely and TimeCamp advertise. Attendance tools are growing into scheduling, payroll and HR, as Deputy, Connecteam, Kenjo and Factorial show.
Buyers should decide whether they need to measure work or to document presence, because few products do both well, and the monitoring features need a legal review in Europe. Pricing pressure is also visible. Several vendors publish per-seat rates below $10, yet add charges for approvals, integrations, time off or AI features.
Compare the full tier you need, and ask about renewal caps, since a change of owner can move prices at the next renewal.
How to choose
1. Decide whether you track projects or presence
Start by writing down which question the data must answer. If it is which client or project earns money, you need a project tracker with rates, budgets and reports, and the shortlist is Toggl Track, Harvest, Clockodo, Timely or Clockify. If it is who worked which hours for payroll, you need clock-in, breaks, overtime and shifts, and the shortlist is Connecteam, Deputy, Kenjo or Factorial. Most failed rollouts come from buying one type to do the other's job.
Ask the managers who will read the reports to name the three numbers they want each month. Those numbers decide the category, before any demo.
2. Run a two-week pilot with the people who dislike timesheets
Pilot with a mixed group, including the people most likely to forget. Pick one team of eight to fifteen, create real projects, and ask them to log time for two weeks on their own devices. Count the days with complete entries, measure how long weekly approval takes a manager, and ask what felt intrusive. If you test a monitoring product such as Hubstaff or TimeCamp, involve your data protection officer and works council beforehand, and show employees the same data managers see.
A tool that people avoid will give you incomplete data, however good its reports look.
3. Price the full setup and test the exit
Compare the cost of the tier that includes approvals, SSO and the integrations you need, not the entry price. Ask each vendor for a written quote for your headcount on annual billing, and add add-ons such as time off, payroll or AI fees. Check minimum seats and whether read-only managers count as paid users. Then export a month of data before you sign.
Confirm that entries, rates and approvals leave in a usable format, and ask for a renewal price cap. A vendor that answers these questions plainly before the sale will usually behave the same afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time tracking software in 2026?
Toggl Track is the best overall for a company of 50 to 1,000 people that bills or measures project time. It has a quick timer on every device, profitability reports and a published price ladder with a free tier. Clockify is the better pick when budget decides, because its free plan and low seat prices include approvals and a kiosk. Clockodo is the better pick for a firm in German-speaking Europe that wants a local vendor.
For hourly staff, choose Connecteam, Deputy or Kenjo.
What is the difference between a timesheet and a time clock?
A timesheet records hours after the fact, while a time clock records the moment someone starts and stops. Timesheets suit salaried or project staff who allocate their day to clients. Time clocks suit hourly staff whose pay depends on exact start, break and finish times, often with GPS or a PIN. Products such as Connecteam and Deputy lean toward clocks, and Harvest and Toggl Track lean toward timesheets.
Clockify and Clockodo offer both.
Is free time tracking software good enough?
For a team of up to about five people, yes. Clockify, Toggl Track, TimeCamp and Clockodo all have free plans that cover tracking and basic reports. The limits appear at approvals, locking, integrations and user counts. Harvest's free plan allows one seat and Clockodo's one user.
Treat free plans as pilots, and expect to pay once you need approvals or payroll exports.
How much does time tracking software cost per user?
Published entry prices in this ranking run from $3.99 to about $10 per user per month, and top tiers run higher. Clockify and TimeCamp start under $4 on annual billing, Toggl Track at $9, Harvest at $9 and Hubstaff at $4.99. Top tiers reach $14 at Harvest, $16 at Toggl Track and $25 at Hubstaff. Add-ons, AI fees and setup charges raise the real figure, and Deltek Replicon quotes only by demo.
Is employee monitoring legal in Europe?
It depends on the country, and it often needs works council approval or a documented legitimate interest. Screenshots, app tracking and GPS can conflict with data protection law when they are continuous or secret. Hubstaff and TimeCamp offer these functions, and both let administrators limit them. Talk to your data protection officer first, tell staff exactly what is recorded, and prefer tools with private timelines, such as Timely, if trust is a concern.
Which time tracker is best for agencies and consultancies?
Toggl Track and Harvest are the strongest fits, with Timely close behind. Toggl Track combines billable rates with profitability reports, Harvest turns tracked time into invoices and tracks expenses, and Timely drafts timesheets automatically for people who forget. Clockodo is a sound choice for European firms. All four show estimated against actual hours, which is the report agencies use most.
Which software works for shift-based or field teams?
Connecteam, Deputy and Kenjo are built for hourly and field staff. Connecteam bundles a GPS time clock, job scheduling and forms, and it is free for up to 10 users. Deputy starts from the roster and adds timesheets and optional payroll. Kenjo ties shifts and clocking to HR records.
Hubstaff also handles field teams through GPS job sites and automatic clock-in.
Can time tracking software run payroll?
Some products prepare payroll data, and a few run payroll in selected countries. Hubstaff pays people from approved hours across several currencies, and Deputy offers a US payroll add-on. Connecteam and Clockodo integrate with payroll or accounting tools instead of running payroll. Kenjo and Factorial sit inside HR suites, where time data feeds the payroll process, though payroll depth varies by country.
How long does it take to roll out a time tracker?
A project tracker can be live within a day, and an attendance system takes two to six weeks. Toggl Track, Clockify and Harvest need a user list and project list. Attendance tools need work schedules, break rules and approval chains, and Deltek Replicon needs compliance rules and integrations on top. Getting managers to approve on time takes longer than any installation.
Can I move my data to another tool?
Yes, but test an export before you commit. Most vendors offer CSV or Excel exports and an API, which carry entries, projects and rates. History such as edit logs, locked periods and approval status is harder to extract. Request a sample export during the trial, keep a yearly archive of timesheets, and check retention rules for deleted entries.
Should we buy an HR suite instead of a dedicated time tracker?
Buy the suite only if you are choosing the HR system anyway. Kenjo and Factorial keep attendance beside contracts, leave and documents, which removes duplicate data entry. They are weaker on project timers, billable rates and client reports. If your question is about project profitability, a dedicated tracker such as Toggl Track or Harvest answers it better and usually costs less.