Untracked time is revenue left on the table. For consulting firms, agencies, and distributed teams, the gap between estimated and actual hours worked is often the difference between a profitable project and a loss. Time tracking software closes that gap by capturing billable hours accurately, giving managers visibility into where time goes, and generating the data needed for better project estimates going forward.
The six tools reviewed here represent the strongest options across different use cases in 2026. Whether you need a lightweight timer for a solo freelancer, a full workforce management platform for a distributed team, or a billing-integrated solution for client services, this guide will help you make the right call.
Time Tracking Software Comparison Table
The 6 tools below cover the full range of use cases: solo freelancers, client-billing agencies, remote workforce management, and teams that want passive automatic tracking. Prices start at $3.99/user/month.
| Software | Starting Price | Free Plan | Best For | Client Billing | Screenshot Capture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | $10/user/mo | Yes (5 users) | Freelancers, agencies | Basic | No |
| Harvest | $12/user/mo | Limited | Client billing | Advanced | No |
| Clockify | $4.99/user/mo | Yes (unlimited) | Budget teams | Basic | Yes (paid) |
| TimeCamp | $3.99/user/mo | Yes | Automatic tracking | Basic | Yes (paid) |
| Hubstaff | $7/user/mo | No | Remote workforce | Yes | Yes |
| Everhour | $10/user/mo | No | PM integration | Yes | No |
Toggl Track
Toggl Track has over 5 million users across freelancers, agencies, and distributed teams. Its core appeal is simplicity: starting a timer requires a single click, and the interface stays out of your way while you work. The desktop app, browser extension, and mobile app all stay in sync, so switching between devices never breaks a session.
Toggl Track’s reporting suite is strong for its price point. You can break down tracked time by project, client, team member, or tag. Reports export in multiple formats for client invoicing or internal review. The free plan supports up to five users with full timer functionality, making it genuinely viable for small teams before any payment is required.
Key Features
- One-click timer available on web, desktop, and mobile
- Idle detection that prompts you to discard or assign untracked time
- Project and client tagging with color-coded organization
- Reporting by project, client, tag, and team member
- 100+ integrations including Asana, Jira, Trello, and GitHub
Pricing
Toggl Track Free supports up to 5 users with basic features. The Starter plan is $10/user/month and adds billable rates and project estimates. The Premium plan is $20/user/month and includes profit analysis and team scheduling.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Best-in-class simplicity, strong free tier, excellent browser extension, wide integration library.
Cons: No built-in invoicing, screenshot monitoring not available, advanced reporting locked behind Premium.
Harvest
Harvest has been a benchmark for billable time tracking since 2006. Its defining feature is the tight connection between time tracked and invoices generated. Once you finish a project, Harvest converts the approved hours directly into a formatted invoice, applies your billing rates, and lets you send it to the client from within the platform. Stripe and PayPal integrations mean payment can come back through the same tool.
Beyond billing, Harvest’s budget tracking is genuinely useful. You can set hour or dollar budgets per project, and Harvest sends alerts when you are approaching the limit. That single feature prevents a large proportion of the budget overruns that plague agency projects.
Key Features
- Direct conversion of tracked time into client invoices
- Online payment collection via Stripe and PayPal
- Project budget alerts by hours or dollar value
- Team timesheet approval workflow
- Integrations with Asana, Basecamp, Trello, QuickBooks, and Xero
Pricing
Harvest Free supports one user and two projects. Harvest Pro is $12/user/month (billed annually) with unlimited users and projects. There is a 30-day free trial on the Pro plan.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Best client billing workflow in the category, budget alerts prevent overruns, clean reporting, strong accounting integrations.
Cons: No automatic time capture, no screenshot monitoring, more expensive than Clockify or TimeCamp for large teams.
Clockify
Clockify is the only major time tracker with a truly unlimited free plan: 0 users cap, 0 project cap, 0 cost. Unlike competitors that cap users or projects on the free tier, Clockify allows unlimited time tracking at no cost. This makes it the default starting point for budget-conscious teams and startups tracking time across multiple projects.
Paid tiers unlock screenshots, location tracking, GPS, kiosk mode for field teams, and audit logs. The interface is functional without being polished, and covers the fundamentals well. Users who prioritize design or workflow automation will find Toggl Track or Harvest more refined.
Key Features
- Unlimited users and projects on the free plan
- Timer, manual entry, and calendar view for time entry
- Timesheet approval workflow on paid plans
- Kiosk mode for punch-in/punch-out for field workers
- Optional screenshot capture on paid plans
Pricing
- Free — unlimited users, unlimited projects, no cost
- Basic — $4.99/user/month, adds time rounding and required fields
- Standard — $6.99/user/month, adds timesheet approvals
- Pro — $9.99/user/month, adds project budgeting
- Enterprise — $14.99/user/month, adds SSO and custom features
Pros and Cons
Pros: Unlimited free plan, lowest paid pricing in the category, solid feature set, good mobile apps.
Cons: Interface is less polished than Toggl or Harvest, customer support is slower on lower tiers, some advanced features feel unfinished.
TimeCamp
TimeCamp differentiates itself with automatic time tracking — starting at $3.99/user/month. Rather than requiring manual timer starts, TimeCamp monitors which applications and websites you use throughout the day and categorizes that time automatically. You review the log at day’s end and assign time to projects with minimal manual input. For people who forget to start timers, this passive approach captures significantly more billable hours.
TimeCamp also includes a built-in attendance module that tracks clock-in and clock-out times, making it a dual-purpose tool for teams that need both time tracking and basic workforce attendance management.
Key Features
- Automatic time tracking via desktop app activity monitoring
- Website and application usage categorization
- Attendance and leave management module
- Invoicing with billable rate support
- Integrations with 100+ tools including Jira, Trello, and Basecamp
Pricing
- Free — unlimited users, basic automatic tracking
- Starter — $3.99/user/month
- Premium — $7.99/user/month, adds invoicing and budgets
- Ultimate — $11.99/user/month with priority support
Pros and Cons
Pros: Automatic tracking captures time passively, strong attendance features, very competitive pricing, good free tier.
Cons: Automatic categorization requires training and review time, privacy-sensitive employees may be uncomfortable with activity monitoring, interface is less intuitive than Toggl or Harvest.
Hubstaff
Hubstaff is built for remote and distributed workforce management, with plans from $7/user/month. Beyond time tracking, it offers GPS tracking for field teams, optional screenshot capture, activity monitoring, and shift scheduling. It is the tool of choice for businesses that need accountability and visibility into how remote workers spend their time.
The workforce management features go well beyond what other tools in this list offer. Hubstaff can geofence job sites and automatically start or stop tracking when an employee enters or leaves a location. Combined with payroll integrations, this creates an end-to-end system from clock-in to paycheck.
Key Features
- GPS and geofencing for field teams
- Optional screenshot capture at customizable intervals
- Shift scheduling and team calendar
- Automated payroll based on tracked hours
- Productivity measurement via keyboard and mouse activity
Pricing
Hubstaff Starter is $7/user/month for basic time tracking. Grow is $9/user/month and adds budgets and scheduling. Team is $12/user/month with full features. Enterprise pricing is custom. A 14-day free trial is available.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Best remote workforce management in the category, GPS tracking, automated payroll, strong mobile apps.
Cons: Activity monitoring can create trust issues if not implemented carefully, higher cost than Clockify or TimeCamp, overkill for office-based teams.
Everhour
Everhour takes a different approach to time tracking: instead of being a standalone app, it embeds directly inside the project management tools your team already uses. Timers appear inside Asana tasks, Trello cards, GitHub issues, and Basecamp projects — covering 5+ major PM platforms. Team members never need to switch to a separate application, which dramatically reduces the friction that causes inconsistent tracking.
For teams that have already invested in a project management workflow, Everhour preserves that workflow while adding accurate time data. The budgeting and reporting features are built around project context, so it is easy to see which tasks consumed the most time and whether projects are on track financially.
Key Features
- Native timer embeds inside Asana, Trello, GitHub, ClickUp, and Basecamp
- Budget and estimate tracking at the project and task level
- Team scheduling and capacity planning
- Invoicing with billable rate support
- Reporting by project, client, and team member
Pricing
Everhour Team is $10/user/month (minimum 5 users) with all features included. A free trial is available. There is no free plan.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Deepest PM tool integration available, timers work inside existing workflows, strong budgeting, clean reports.
Cons: Requires an existing PM tool to unlock full value, minimum 5-user requirement on the Team plan, no automatic tracking.
How to Choose Time Tracking Software for Your Team
Identify your primary use case. If you are tracking time to bill clients, Harvest’s invoicing workflow is the most complete. If you need workforce accountability for a remote or field team, Hubstaff’s GPS and monitoring features justify the cost. For teams that simply need accurate project tracking, Toggl Track or Clockify will handle the job at lower cost.
Check whether automatic tracking matters. Manual timers require discipline. If your team consistently forgets to track, TimeCamp’s passive monitoring approach will capture more time with less friction than any manual tool.
Evaluate integration depth. Everhour’s embedded timers are the right choice if your team lives inside Asana, Trello, or GitHub and you want tracking to happen in context. If integrations matter but you are not tied to a specific PM tool, Toggl Track and Harvest both offer broad connector libraries.
Run the per-user cost at scale. Clockify’s free plan is unbeatable for large teams with basic needs. Harvest at $12/user/month becomes expensive above 20 people. TimeCamp at $3.99/user/month offers strong value if automatic tracking fits your workflow.
Consider the trust and privacy implications. Screenshot capture and activity monitoring are powerful tools for accountability but require thoughtful implementation. Hubstaff and TimeCamp both offer these features. If you use them, communicate the policy clearly to your team and confirm that usage complies with employment laws in your jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free time tracking software?
Clockify offers the most generous free plan in the category: unlimited users, unlimited projects, and basic reporting at no cost. Toggl Track also has a free tier for up to 5 users.
Does time tracking software integrate with project management tools?
Yes. Toggl Track, Harvest, Everhour, and Hubstaff all integrate with Asana, Trello, Jira, and similar tools. Everhour offers the deepest native integration, embedding timers directly inside project cards.
How much does time tracking software cost per user?
Paid plans range from $5 to $14 per user per month. Clockify starts at $4.99/user/month. Hubstaff runs $7–$12/user/month. Harvest is $12/user/month on a flat per-seat model.
Can time tracking software capture screenshots for remote teams?
Hubstaff and TimeCamp both offer optional screenshot capture on paid plans. This feature is primarily used by agencies managing remote contractors. It must be disclosed to employees and may have legal requirements depending on jurisdiction.
Which time tracking software is best for billing clients?
Harvest is the standout choice for client billing. It converts tracked time directly into invoices, integrates with Stripe and PayPal for payment, and gives clients a portal to review and approve hours.
Related categories: Project Management Software | HR Software | Scheduling Software | Expense Management