Measuring the use of your time is a crucial aspect of personal and business management. Whether you're a freelancer who has to manage all aspects of your business or an individual looking to boost productivity and streamline processes, time-tracking apps can help you keep accurate records and make better use of your time.
By measuring and recording the amount of time spent on various tasks and projects, you can avoid overloading yourself, undercharging for large projects, or missing billable hours. Time-tracking apps make the process of keeping track of time easier, more consistent, and much more accurate.
Tracking time is essential for managing work and generating revenue. To achieve this, a time-tracking tool should have essential features such as a timer, manual editing and adding options, task and project attribution, detailed reports, and invoicing capabilities. After evaluating a variety of solutions, I have selected the top five time tracking apps that cater to individuals as well as small teams.
1. DeskTime
DeskTime is an easy-to-use time-tracking app that provides three key features: employee monitoring, project management, and productivity analysis. It helps managers and teams identify their inefficiencies by categorizing web pages and applications as either “Productive” or “Unproductive”.
The app calculates daily productivity and efficiency based on the categorization of URLs, programs, and apps, with more time spent on productive activities leading to a higher daily productivity score. DeskTime also allows for individualized productivity management by creating employee groups and setting custom productivity standards for each group.
Features:
- A timeline of daily productivity
- Visual and downloadable reports with intricate details
- Automatic screenshot capturing
- Compatibility with other project management applications
- Absence management through a calendar
- Shift scheduling capabilities
Pricing:
- Pro – $6.42 per user per month
- Premium – $9.17 per user per month
- Enterprise – $18.33 per user per month
2. ProofHub
ProofHub is a user-friendly online project management and time-tracking software with robust collaboration capabilities. The platform has an intuitive interface, making it easy for teams to adopt.
With ProofHub, you can track billable hours using its built-in timer or manually enter time records. The time information is stored in visually appealing timesheets, which can be used for invoicing purposes.
ProofHub's time reports allow you to monitor individual productivity, and they can be integrated with third-party apps like FreshBooks for streamlined billing and invoicing. In addition, the software offers advanced features such as online proofing, file sharing, group chat, customizable workflows and kanban boards, note-taking, and more.
Features:
- Powerful project management capabilities
- Collaboration tools for real-time teamwork
- Customizable reporting options
Pricing:
- Essential – $45.00 per user per month
- Ultimate Control – $89.00 per user per month
3. Hours Timelord
Hours is a basic time-tracking app accessible through a mobile platform. Ideal for those seeking minimal features, it allows you to keep a running list of timers and easily switch between tasks.
In Hours, tasks and projects can be differentiated using color coding.
The app's timeline feature also enables easy adjustment of timestamps, so you can accurately reflect your working hours. For instance, if you started a task at 10:00 am but forgot to start the timer until 10:15 am, you can adjust the start time to 10:00 am by simply dragging it.
Features:
- Color-coded tasks and projects
- Timing reminders
- Compatibility with Apple Watch
Pricing:
- Free – $0.00
- Personal – $9.99 per year
- Pro – $49.00 per year
- Teams – $199.00 per year
4. Timecamp
Timecamp is a cloud-based solution for tracking work hours, both manually using timers and automatically with the desktop app. Project managers can collaborate, track billable hours, and monitor project progress, as well as generate automatic payroll and send invoices. The app also provides productivity insights for employees. Its standout feature is the extensive list of over 50 integrations with project management and help desk apps, allowing for seamless task and ticket imports.
Features:
- Optimize Daily Productivity with Analysis Reports
- Easily Generate and Store Client Invoices
- Stay Informed with Invoice View Notifications
- Track Attendance with Ease
Pricing:
- Free – $0.00
- Basic – $6.99 per user per month
- Pro – $9.99 per user per month
- Enterprise – contact sales
5. Toggl
Toggl is a user-friendly time-tracking system based on timers. To start tracking, simply create a project and then add tasks within the project. When you're done working on a task, stop the timer and switch to another task. After completing the project, you can generate an invoice for your client within the app, and share the project time report in Excel, CSV, or PDF format to provide transparency.
Toggl also offers project management features such as assigning responsibilities, and setting estimated timelines, and budgets. This allows you to easily monitor which projects are behind schedule or exceeding the budget, so you can adjust your time and resources accordingly.
Recently, Toggl introduced a new Android app that you can use in conjunction with your existing Toggl account for enhanced time tracking and improved productivity.
Features:
- Plan project schedules and allocate budgets with ease
- Stay productive on the go with the Toggl Android app
- Enjoy seamless time tracking with browser extensions for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox
Pricing:
- Free – $0.00
- Starter – $9.00 per user per month
- Premium – $18.00 per user per month
- Enterprise – get a custom quote
Bottom-line
Whether you're a large business owner managing multiple teams, a freelancer juggling several clients, or someone looking to organize different aspects of your life, there is a productivity app designed just for you. Efficiently complete tasks and projects, fight procrastination, enhance mood and focus, and improve communication skills with the aid of top-notch time-tracking tools.
We've put together a list of noteworthy apps to help you achieve your goals. These tools provide an all-in-one experience, with features such as automated productivity tracking, GPS-based time tracking, budgeting, project management, workflow oversight, shift scheduling, absence scheduling, and more.
These tools, equipped with user-friendly interfaces and dependable software, offer an excellent option for those seeking to boost efficiency. The app that best fits your needs is a personal decision, but we hope this list will take your employee time tracking to the next level.
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