You put in the hours at work, but you don’t track them. Let’s cut to the chase and break it to you: failing to track time becomes a huge problem for companies, teams, and individuals, costing time, resources, and money.

Are you in the habit of not tracking the hours you or your team spends on particular projects? In that case, it’s fair to say you will never find out who is overworking, who is underperforming, and whether or not your team is efficient.

On the flip side, tracking your time will give you clear insights into individuals’ and team performance. You will have statistically-backed data to show who is working under or beyond their capacity. This increases accountability, ensures transparency, and, most importantly, boosts operational efficiency as nothing else can.

Gone are the days when people used manual logs to record work hours. Today, technology provides you with automatic and error-free ways to track your time, all without disrupting your workflow.

How? Here’s a straightforward answer to your troubles: start using a time tracking app!

Confused about what that is all about? Well, stay with us as we explore the nitty-gritty of time tracking tools.

With this: Well, stay with us as we explore the nitty-gritty of the best time tracking software.
By the end of this blog, we promise you’ll be armed with practical knowledge on how to track and make the most of your time.

Let’s start with the basics.

Part A - The Buyer Guide

1. What Is Time Tracking Software?

Time tracking software is a cool invention that helps people log and record the hours they invest in a particular task at work. This tool comes in handy whether you are an employee or a manager who needs to track your team’s efficiency.

Using this time tracking software, you can learn how many hours a particular teammate has spent on a task. You can also find out the most time-consuming tasks (or its opposite) and allocate resources accordingly, both human and monetary. Overall, these apps help you get a complete picture of your operations, discover the bottlenecks in your processes, and consequently improve your work strategy and budgeting.

2. What Makes Time Tracking Software So Great?

There are many pros to using time tracking software. Here are a few compelling ones

1. Ease of use

Ditch manual record-keeping and go completely digital. Say goodbye to entering log-in and log-out hours by hand. Just use these apps for speedy and error-free time tracking.

2. Versatility

These tools are all available online. Access them whether you’re desk-bound at your office, working remotely, or are on the go. It does wonders for collaboration.

3. Convenience

With their clean user interface, you don’t have to be a tech whiz to navigate your way around these tools. All you need is a basic knowledge of apps, and you can use them effectively.

4. Reporting

Using this tool, you can get a holistic picture of your team’s and individuals’ performance. You don’t have to sift through daily hour logs. The time tracking reports offer you a summarized analysis of your team’s efficiency.

5. Scalability

Most of these time tracking solutions are scalable, meaning you can upgrade and get better and more advanced features as the needs of your organizations grow. This helps avoid the convenience of switching or trying out multiple apps every other year.

3 - Why Use Time Tracking Software?

Time tracking software is fast becoming a necessity in the modern world. We’ve got you thinking about them for sure. Here, we offer you some more undeniable reasons to make the long-awaited switch, if you haven’t decided to already:

1. Improved Balance

When you get a full picture of how individual team members contribute to a particular project, you can delegate work accordingly. If someone already has a lot on their plate or is working overtime, you will know not to give more tasks to them. This restores balance within teams and ensures everyone has an equitable workload.

2. Burnout Prevention

When balance enters the equation, it effectively leads to enhanced productivity. At the same time, it prevents burnout. As you assign doable work, people can maintain a work-life balance. They will also be able to take time away from their job and return refreshed and ready to take on more projects.

3. Intelligent Resource Allocation

Time tracking apps will show you time spent working as well as idle hours. You will learn who is over-performing and who is underperforming in your team. As you locate employees with free hours during the workday, you can allot tasks to them accordingly. This helps you utilize your resources optimally and prevent waste.

4. Smarter Budgeting

Say goodbye to under-or overestimating your billable hours. With time tracking apps, you can accurately estimate the billable hours and resources spent on a particular client or project. This comes especially handy if you charge by the hour (in the case of lawyers or freelancers, for instance). You can use the stats to create better budgets in the future.

5. Enhanced Workflow

Time tracking solutions come with advanced integrations of other tools you might be using.

Leverage the power of integrated technology, and improve your workflow. Identify and remove constrictions, troubleshoot timely, and with time, keep improving your work process for better efficiency.

4. Who Can Use Time Tracking Software?

It might sound too good to be true to you, but any and all businesses can benefit from time-tracking software. Why? Well, because a time tracking app comes with additional features that help you in other areas of your operations as well!

Whether you’re a solopreneur, a freelancer, a small business owner, or a manager at a large firm, you can use time tracking software to provide accurate expense estimates, measure your efficiency, and save money while you’re at it.

Here is a list of rich features offered by time tracking software. You can use this app if you need help with:

1. Estimates

In your line of business, charging by the hour might be the norm. But how do you tell your potential client the duration of a project? How do you track the time and present valid estimates to authenticate your charges? Here’s where a time tracking app helps you out. Break down a task, assess the number of hours, and offer accurate estimates to your customer.

2. Billing

As you track your billable hours, you can create automatic bills according to the number of hours you spend on a project. Set an hourly billable rate, and get working! At the end of the process, you will have a timesheet along with the total expense. You can present the bill, which clearly shows the logged hours and total cost to your client. This removes debates about total hours spent on a project and ensures you get paid without haggling over pricing.

3. Total Expense Tracking

Tracking expenses manually is a nuisance. Do you store receipts and add up hours (both billable and nonbillable) manually but still find discrepancies when you finally sit down to prepare an invoice? It’s time to switch to time tracking apps. As the app tracks each hour you or your team works on a project, there’s no chance of missing out on anything. At the end of the project, all you have to do is refer to the expense report to learn the hours spent and the money you’re owed.

4. Attendance

An added benefit of time tracking apps is that it helps you keep track of the availability and absence of your team members. Whenever an employee works on a task, their time will be tracked automatically. If not, there will be no record to show for it in terms of the hours spent.

5. Profitability

Take a bottom-up approach to assessing a project’s profitability. Since a time tracking tool lets you record every hour spent on a project, you can find out whether it profits you or actually leads to financial loss. The reports will give you a complete overview of the billable and nonbillable hours. You can use the numbers to make an informed decision. Eliminate projects that consume more hours and bring in less money. Conversely, you can increase your billable rates to ensure profitability.

5. Key Features of Time Tracking Software

Time tracking apps help you measure time. However, they come with some added features as well, such as:

1. Timesheets

Most of the time tracking software offer you the option of using timesheets. This feature helps you calculate the billable hours put in by a particular employee. You will also get insights into idle time and balance the workload accordingly. A good tool will generate automated timesheets that you can export as a DOC file (and other file formats as well). You can create timesheets for every day, week, or month, depending on your company’s management system.

2. Payroll

As you keep accurate attendance records and also know the total time each employee spends on a project, you can get complete information about the billable hours. You can use this tool to set up automatic payrolls for your employees. Since the process is automatic, there is no room for errors or for employees to level disputes. These apps also come integrated with online payment, which simplifies the process of salary disbursement.

3. Analytics and Reports

Time tracking apps prepare automatic reports of the complete tasks performed by every employee. Get your hands on the summary of the tasks executed successfully, the number of hours put in, and the number of idle hours. You can also track which websites an employee visits and whether it’s work-related or not. The reports contain easy-to-comprehend graphics, so you can assess the contribution of each employee at a glance. Since you can completely monitor the work process, you can effectively calculate productivity and measure your team’s performance against predetermined standards. You can also see if you need to remove or add people to your team in order to balance the workload.

4. Project Management

Most of the time, a time tracking tool comes with inbuilt integrations with project management software. This augments their capabilities and helps you track not just time but also the project’s pace and profitability. You can use the metrics to stay on top of the progress made (or its lack thereof). As you do that, you can expedite the process if needed and cut down costs before the budget limits are crossed. Since the data is recorded and tracked diligently, your employees can also view their performance and develop a sense of accountability and ownership.

5. Integrations

Time tracking software now come with various highly useful third-party integrations.This eliminates the need to use several apps for different ends of your operations.

For instance, if a time tracking app has PayPal integrated into it, you can simply use it to process the payments without using another software for it. It might have Slack integration, which will enable you to ensure timely communication without resorting to other apps.

This is a well-rounded way to cater to every end of your operations, from tracking time to preparing payroll to processing payments.

6. Mobile App

Time tracking software today have their mobile app versions. Install the app on your smartphone to have 24/7 easy access to the tool. You can view the timesheets, track project progress, and monitor employee performance, even if you’re not on the premises. This ensures you stay on top of your work no matter where you are. It also helps you meet deadlines and ensure you stay within budget. This high flexibility makes the tool very convenient for you overall.

6. Pros of Time Tracking Software

While you already have an idea of its several benefits, here we give you a quick list to spur your decision of using a time tracking tool as soon as possible:

1. Increase Profitability

When you start to track the time, you become aware of the timewasters. You can also learn which activities are a money drain and offer little to no return. Eliminate them from your work process to boost profitability instantly.

2. Build Confidence

Since time tracking software automate the process of preparing estimates and invoices, you can send out error-free bills to your clients. As you share detailed reports of the billable hours and the total costs incurred and remove mistakes from the process, you can build customers’ confidence in your brand and company.

3. Clarify Team Goals

As you begin to track time and improve the workload balance, you can inform your employees of their individual objectives (tied up to the overall team goal). When employees have a clear vision of what they are supposed to work on, know the number of hours to put in, and the deadline, they can work smoothly and produce effective results.

4. Improve Transparency

Share performance reports with your employees and let them know where they are performing excellently. At the same time, show them the areas where they can improve. Back up your communication with statistics to ensure people, there is no bias in the performance assessment process. In this manner, you can ensure your team stays accountable every step of the way.

5. Better Project Management

Time tracking software enable you to stay on top of the entire work process, from start to end.You can learn the progress, identify the lags, and narrow down the bottlenecks in the process. This empowers you to resolve the issues and continue work at a steady pace. Meeting deadlines without stepping over your budget was never this easy before!

7. Cons of Time Tracking Software

We want to offer you a holistic view of time tracking software so you can make an informed decision. For this reason, it’s important to present the downsides ostensibly associated with these apps. It’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons and make the right choice for yourself.

Here’s a list of the potential drawbacks of time tracking software:

1. Lack of Trust

Using time tracking software essentially means you are hawk-eyed about your employees’ performance.You monitor each and every hour. While your purpose is to ensure productivity, your team might feel they are working under constant surveillance. If you don’t establish clear communication regarding your expectations and take your team into confidence, using a time tracking tool can build feelings of mistrust and resentment in your employees.

2. Risk of Micromanagement

You must learn how to use a time tracking tool effectively instead of detrimentally. This means understanding where to relax, take a backseat and trust your team to get the work done. While you may be able to constantly monitor your employee’s work, don’t take it as a chance to over-involve yourself in their work process. After allocating tasks and setting the deadline, give your team the space to work at their pace, or you run the risk of being labeled as a micromanager.

3. Compromised Efficiency

In the absence of the space they need to work independently, your team might take up some undesirable methods to fill up the work hours. As we explained earlier, being constantly watched can build resentment. In order to provide justification for each minute of their workday, people can resort to doing busywork - that is, tasks that can be tracked but which add little real value to the company. Again, you can only avoid this by communicating clearly with your team and building their confidence in you as a leader.

4. Money Investment

Even with its multiple benefits, purchasing a time tracking tool is an added expense. You will have to pay by the month or the year. At the same time, you might have to upgrade to a pricier plan if you want to avail yourself of the more advanced features. This increases your operational costs for sure. It’s up to you whether you want to make the investment or hold it off till later when you’re in a better financial state.

5. Time Investment

While time tracking software are quite easy to use, you would still have to invest some time into learning the ins and outs of the app you finally settle on. The process of familiarising yourself with the software, integrating it into your work process, and learning to use it effectively will inevitably take time. It will also involve some trial and error, leading to some added costs. Our advice is to be prepared as you make the switch and leave some room for early errors before you master the app.

8. Ease of Use

Are the time tracking software easy to use?

Well, if they weren’t easy to use, we wouldn’t be here making a case to start using them ASAP!

However, to answer the question more comprehensively, time tracking software is made for businesses and individuals. They are not marketed specifically toward software engineers if that’s what you fear. In simple words, these apps are designed in a way to allow everyone to integrate them into their businesses and use them quite easily.

Still doubtful? We suggest you try out these apps for free before making your final decision. Most of the apps offer a free trial or demo. In addition to using it yourself, ask your team members to use a couple of tools as well, and get their feedback. Choose the most suitable tool for your business after a consensus and after having tried it first. This will give you peace of mind and ensure you get the best app for your business.

We promise you, a time tracking tool will make your life easier. All it takes is a willingness to get on the bandwagon, experience the learning curve, and determinedly master the tool. It will benefit you in more ways than you can imagine right now!

9. Integrations

While time tracking software are quite powerful on their own, their capability increases multiple folds with the many integrations they come with. Don’t worry - most of these integrations are in-built, and you don’t have to pay extra to get your hands on them.

From preparing estimates, generating invoices, sending bills - you can make use of the whole range of features, depending on your business needs. However, here are some basic integrations which you should look out for. Make sure the time tracking software you settle on comes with these integrations to prevent extra spending and app switching:

Project management software like Trello, Asana, or Clickup - This will ensure you can manage your projects and their progress completely without delays
Google Calendar - This will help you have a clear view of your schedule per the project deadlines
Outlook - This will help you track your emails without hassle
PayPal or other payment tools - This will help you process payments using the timesheets directly instead of relying on an external tool.
Zapier - This is a great tool to let you add any extra app you want to your time tracking tool.

10. How To Choose the Best Software?

Well, a time tracking software might come with fifty integrations. It might look cool to you, but ask yourself: is it what you need?

Sometimes tracking apps have advanced tools like GitHub, geared primarily toward developers, or CRM features meant for sales teams. However, if your business needs don’t necessitate these features, don’t make a decision based on it.

Before you decide on a time tracking tool, assess your needs and requirements. Then, explore a few tools. Compare prices and features and shortlist them. Make sure to try a few out for a few weeks before making your final decision.

11 - What is This Software Not a Good Fit For?

Time tracking software have added features but don’t consider them a replacement for specific apps designed for specific work processes.

For instance, while a time tracking software might offer some form of project management, it will not bring a complete list of features to help you effectively track your projects’ progress. In this case, look for integrations. If your tool has third-party integration with a project management app, then you have the best of both worlds.

Similarly, you might see a time tracking app with a hiring tool integrated with it. You may try out the feature, but we don’t recommend relying solely on it for your hiring process. It will have limited capabilities and so, is unlikely to cover the full range of your needs.

Use a time tracking tool with the primary purpose of tracking your and your team’s working hours and progress. Any added features are a huge plus, but use your discernment before deciding whether to rely on them exclusively for every end of your operation or using a tool made specifically for different requirements.

12. How to Get the Most Value from Time Tracking Software

Here are some ways you can maximize your use of time tracking software and get the best value for your money:

1. Set Reminders

With a packed schedule, you might forget a thing or two if you don’t keep reminders. Time tracking software often come integrated with automated reminder features or Slack. Set reminders and leave yourself notes so don’t miss out on anything important.

2. Keep To-do Lists

This is one of the best ways to prioritize your day. Time tracking software offer the feature of preparing to-do lists. Make use of it to always stay on top of your schedule.

3. Use The Pomodoro Timer

This is an effective technique to maximize productivity. Most time tracking apps come integrated with a Pomodoro Timer - one of the most efficient time management tools. It blocks 25-minute slots of productive work, followed by 5-minute breaks. Use it to increase your efficiency and improve concentration.

4. Use the Analytics

As we explained, time tracking software provide a comprehensive report of where you spend your hours. You can learn the number of hours you spend on a particular task and even websites (yes, social media too!) you visit frequently. Assess whether those tasks and websites add value to your workday or are time-wasters. Eliminate or cut down the usage to ensure optimal productivity.

5. Simplify the Process

The most important aspect of using a time tracking tool is to remove complications from the process. Use an app that has a clean interface, offers easy access, and has simple features. This will ensure smooth workflow, prevent additional costs, and lead to higher productivity.

13. FAQ

You might have some lingering questions about the usefulness of time tracking software and whether or not they are right for you. Let’s answer some of the most common queries that you, as a potential user, might have:

1. Are Time Tracking Software Affordable?

Time tracking software is generally very affordable. With pricing plans starting as low as $6 per user for a month, it can certainly prove to be a worthy investment. Of course, the price increases for advanced functionalities as you add more users and select from a monthly or yearly subscription. However, they are still affordable as you have multiple plans to choose from, per your needs. You can also try out the apps for free before deciding to pay. It’s a win-win situation.

2. Are time tracking software a good investment?

They are. Most of the tools come at a very affordable rate, with added discounts offered if you purchase the annual plan and are an NGO or a student. Note that you can try out apps for free, as many of them allow free trials before deciding on one. Since these tools automate several processes, the results are worth the cost.

3. What to look for in a time tracking tool?

Look for a time tracking tool that comes with an automatic tracker. This means the app will run quietly in the background, require little to no manual intervention, and present accurate timesheets. Also, avoid apps that mandate screenshots instead of treating them as optional since this may lead to privacy violation concerns.

4. Do I need different time tracking software for different devices?

No, you don’t. Almost all of the time tracking software are compatible with various devices such as Windows, Mac, iOs, and Android. They also have web versions and are functional with Chrome and Firefox extensions in some cases. You can easily use a single app on several devices, whether on your desktop, laptop, or phone.

5. What are the integrations I should look for?

Look for integrations that best fit your individual needs. Integrations with project management software like Trello and Asana are important since it helps you track time as well as project progress easily. Also, since most of the apps come integrated with Zapier, you can simply add whichever tool you want to your time tracking software. It’s customizable.

6. Which tracking tool is right for me?

No size fits all. To choose the best time tracking tool, assess your business needs. A freelancer will not need the same functionalities as a large enterprise. So explore, compare and choose wisely.

7. Do Time Tracking Software Work for Large Companies?

All leading time tracking software are scalable. This means they allow you to increase the number of users with their advanced plans. However, this comes with some added costs. For instance, a time tracking tool might offer its basic plan for no cost but might charge as much as $14 per user for its Enterprise Plan, meant for large firms. But note that there are discounts in place if you subscribe to a yearly plan instead of paying by the month.

8. Do Time Tracking Software Really Work?

In simple words - yes, they do. Time tracking apps save costs by ensuring you get optimal productivity from your employees. They also automate several ends of your operations, such as tracking time spent on projects, billable hours, recording attendance, and providing accurate figures and statistics to help you make better business decisions. With this: Replace this copy: With such a full range of capabilities, you can definitely benefit from time tracking software, provided you choose the one suited for your needs.

9. Why Do I Need a Mobile App?

You don’t specifically need a mobile app, but it’s an added feature most time tracking software offer without extra costs.

So why not use it to stay on top of your work no matter where you are? As more and more teams work remotely or switch to a hybrid system, it becomes crucial for time tracking software to be convenient. Offering a mobile app to use on your smartphone, no matter where you are located can help you streamline the work process. Use it to monitor progress consistently and ensure excellent team performance across the board.

Part B - Product Overviews

1. Toggl

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1. Product Overview

Toggl is a multi-featured tool, but since we are focusing on time tracking, we will discuss Toggl Track. This app uses a timer to record the hours spent on a project. Set up a project, and create a subtask. As you or your employee start working, press the timer. Once done, press stop, and voila! The billable hour is recorded easily.

Want to start working on another task after a short break? It’s easy - go to the subtask and repeat the process. This app ensures every task of every project is tracked. You can share the time and expense sheet with your client with just a few clicks. You can also set project timelines, assign tasks, define responsibilities and allocate the budget per project.

2. Features List

The main features of Toggl include:

Background tracking
Single-click timer
Auto timer
Calendar Integration
Favorite Time Entries
Jira Sync
Over fifty third-party integrations
Added features such as Toggle Hire and Toggle Plan

3. Top Three Features

The top three features of Toggl that make this app one of the top choices are:

A. Single-Click Timer

Toggle - Timer Mode

Whether you use a desktop, mobile, or web app, you can track your time with a single click. Your records and timesheets are automatically synced, which means no matter where you work, your billable hour will be recorded. It’s easy and quick, making it extremely user-friendly and suitable for several businesses and individuals.

B. Background Tracking

No one likes disruptions in their workflow. If a time tracking tool interrupts the creative process, it can lead to the compromised work quality. However, Toggl Track runs quietly in the background, eliminating unnecessary disturbances while you or your employee is working. You can track the time you spend on a particular webpage automatically and record it for records.

C. Autotracker

Toggle - Auto Tracker

It’s human to forget to turn time tracking on. However, if you and your employees forget to turn the timer on, you will have invested your money for nothing. Say goodbye to this potential problem with Toggl. The tool comes with an auto tracker that reminds you to turn the timer on as you begin working. It automatically triggers a suggestion to enter the task you have started to use, preventing the loss of logged hours.

4. Pros & Cons

Pros

The interface is clean and easy to use
It reminds you to start the timer and even suggest favorite entries
It generates weekly reports
It incorporates efficient functionalities like creating a project, setting subtasks, and tracking the time for each task individually.

Cons

The customization options are limited, which means you’re stuck with the theme the app comes with
Linking the invoices feature with time tracking can prove to be inconvenient sometimes
Some users find the reports difficult to understand

5. Pricing

Toggl Track offers the following plans:

The monthly Plan is free for up to 5 users.
The starter Plan costs $9/user monthly.
Premium Plan costs $18/user monthly.
Enterprise Plan is available at a custom rate for enterprises with unlimited user access.

If you choose the annual billing option, you can save up to 10%. Also, the app offers discounts to students, NGOs, and educational institutions.

6. Integrations

The most useful integrations include:

Asana
Trello
Teamwork
Evernote
Google Calendar
Todoist
Salesforce
Gmail
Slack
Zapier

7. Average Rating from Top 3 Software Directories

Toggl Track’s aggregate rating from the top 3 software directories is a solid 4.6. That’s quite impressive, we must say!

8. Testimonials

Here are some testimonials from users:

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9. Customer Support Options

Toggl Track claims to have excellent customer support on deck. Their teams respond to your queries and questions as quickly as within three hours.

10. Product Screenshots

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Toggle - Billable Hours Toggle - Preferences

11. Support Platforms

Toggl Track is available on:

Windows, Linus, Mac
Android and iPhone
Web platforms with Chrome and Firefox extensions

12. Bottom Line

As you just saw, Toggl Track has quite a wide range of features. With its multiple integrations, the app only becomes doubly powerful and appealing to several businesses. While it might demand a learning curve at the start, we recommend giving it a go and deciding whether it’s the best fit for you.