For most organizations, labor is the single largest operating expense. Whether you manage a remote dev team, run an agency, or oversee field operations, staying profitable requires a clear understanding of where your team’s time is actually going.
Relying on spreadsheets, emails, or manual check-ins quickly creates chaotic, error-prone workflows. Automated time tracking software solves this by streamlining payroll, improving billable accuracy, and providing real-time visibility into project profitability.
In this guide, we review the 7 best employee time tracking software to help you evaluate key features, compliance requirements, and pricing so you can select the perfect fit for your team.
We have created a guide of best employee time tracking software after reviewing a few options. List down the features you need, and you will find the best software for your business.
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1. OfficeClip
OfficeClip is a complete solution to track Time, manage Expenses and track Time Off for employees.
It will provide you with all the data to evaluate project status, work details, and employee performance. This analysis, in turn, will help to take corrective actions towards profitability.
This employee time tracking software will streamline the work in your organization and accelerate the work process.
Features:
- Project and Task management
- Customer Portal
- Report sharing
- In/Out timesheet
- DCAA compliance
- Manages currency
- Proxy data entry
- Captures employee time-off
- Integration with Quickbooks and ADP payroll system
- Mobile access
Pricing:
- The pricing for the Professional online edition starts from $3/user/month.
- The Installed version (install on your computer or cloud) Professional edition begins for $24/user.
- If your organization does not need most of the features, we have a Free timesheet for unlimited users and time.
2. nTask
nTask is an incredible project management, time tracking, and task management application, that allows you to manage all of your remote teams easily from any part of the world.
The application is equipped with an impressive arsenal of features for your team members, and the best part is that they can get used to the software in a matter of hours and continue their productivity streak as if nothing has changed.
Features:
- Task management
- Time tracking
- Risk management
- Project management
- Meeting management
- Kanban boarding
- Gantt charting
- Document management
- Team management
Pricing:
- They have a 14-days Free trial.
- Their Premium edition starts from $3/month which is billed yearly.
- The Business edition starts from $8/month which is billed yearly.
- Talk to sales for a custom subscription in the Enterprise edition according to your needs and requirements.
3. Deputy
Deputy is a powerful workforce management and employee time tracking platform, built specifically for businesses with shift-based teams.
It combines AI-powered scheduling, GPS-verified clock-in, and one-click payroll export into one intuitive platform. Overall eliminating the manual burden of scheduling, timesheets, and payroll prep.
With over 330,000 businesses and 1.4 million workers managed worldwide, Deputy is trusted across retail, hospitality, healthcare, and logistics to reduce scheduling time while keeping businesses compliant with labor laws.
Features:
- AI-powered auto-scheduling
- GPS and geofencing clock-in verification
- Facial recognition kiosk for time capture
- Automated digital timesheet generation
- Timesheet approval workflow
- Fatigue management and overtime alerts
- Leave and absence management
- Built-in team communication and shift swapping
- Labor law and award compliance rules
- 200+ integrations including ADP, Gusto, Xero, QuickBooks, Square, and Toast
- Mobile app for iOS and Android
Pricing:
- Deputy offers a Free plan for small teams with basic scheduling and time tracking features.
- Paid plans typically start from around $4.50/user/month (billed monthly).
- Custom pricing is available for larger teams and enterprise requirements.
4. GoodDay
GoodDay is an all-in-one project and work management platform with built-in time tracking for teams that want to connect employee hours directly to tasks and projects. Employees can log time manually, use a built-in task timer, and report work through daily or weekly timesheets.
Features:
- Built-in task timer
- Manual time reporting
- Daily and weekly timesheets
- Project and user time reports
- Time estimates and effort analytics
- Project and task management
- Custom workflows
- Workload and resource management
- Gantt charts
- Dashboards
- CRM
- Automations
- AI
Pricing:
- GoodDay has a Free plan for up to 15 users, but built-in time tracking starts with Professional.
- Professional starts at $4/user/month and includes time tracking, Gantt views, unlimited automations, custom fields, reports and advanced analytics, advanced integrations, and API access.
- Business starts at $7/user/month and adds workload and resource management, a finance module, CRM, a customer portal, AI Chat & Agents, advanced HR, and expense tracking.
- Enterprise has custom pricing and adds unlimited members, SAML 2.0 SSO, advanced access controls, custom reports, and a private cloud option.
5. Toggl
Toggle is a time tracking software for individuals and organizations. Their project management will help you capture and schedule tasks by dragging and dropping them on the timeline.
With their project tracking, businesses will be able to visualize and balance the team’s workload, so that no one is over or underworked. In addition, the task manager will provide all information in one place and streamline communication with your team.
Features:
- Time tracking across all the devices
- Pomodoro timer, Idle detection, and tracking reminders
- Drag and drop tasks on the Timeline
- Export reports in PDF and CSV format
- Unlimited projects & clients
- Integration with Google calendar, Basecamp, and Github
- 100+ integrations with the Toggl track browser plugin
Pricing:
- Available free for up to 5 users.
- Starter edition for small teams for $10/user/month.
- They not only provide a tailored solution but also custom pricing for large organizations.
6. ActiTime
ActiTime time tracker captures time manually or automatically in the browser. In addition, their application comes with Project and Task management that helps to identify time spent by the teams.
Their reports will provide an insight into employee performance, project costs, and profit and losses all in one place.
Features:
- Deadlines and billing rates for daily tasks
- Project Tracking
- Team management
- Track time with a timer for the weekly timesheet
- Powerful reporting
- Invoicing
- Integration with Quickbooks
- Mobile app available
Pricing:
- They have a Free version for 1-3 users with limited functionality.
- For 1-40 users, pricing starts from $6/user/month which is billed yearly.
- For 41-200 users, pricing begins from $5/user/month which is billed yearly.
7. ClickUp
With ClickUp you can plan, track and manage any work with project management with highly customizable views. You can chat with your team in real-time, assign comments on action items and receive notifications.
You can track teams’ progress in real-time by connecting tasks to goals. They have 20+ real-time views to track tasks, update workflows on a board, drag and drop due dates on Calendar, and much more.
Features:
- Time tracking
- Integromat
- 50+ native integrations
- Zapier
- Custom exporting
- Gantt charts
- Dashboards
- Custom view
- Custom fields
- Notifications
Pricing:
- They have a Free version.
- Their unlimited edition for small teams begins from $5/user/month.
- Business edition for mid-sized teams starts from $12/user/month.
- Business plus edition for multiple teams starts from $19/user/month.
Quick Overview:
| COMPANY | FREE VERSION | PRICING STARTS FROM | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
OfficeClip | Free forever with unlimited users | $3/user/month |
 |
NTask | Free forever available for upto 5 users | $3/month |
|
Deputy | Free plan for small teams | $4.50/user/month |
|
GoodDay | Free plan for up to 15 users | $4/user/month |
 |
Toggl | Free version available for upto 5 users | $10/user/month |
 |
ActiTime | Free version available for upto 3 users | $6/user/month |
 |
ClickUp | Available Free forever | $5/user/month |
What Should You Look For in Employee Time Tracking Software?
With hundreds of time tracking tools available, selecting the right one requires evaluating your business model, workforce setup, and reporting needs. Here are the essential criteria to evaluate before making a decision:
1. Flexible Time Capture & Entry Options
Different roles require different ways to record time. Look for a system that supports:
- Manual vs. Automatic Timers: On-the-fly timers for developers/designers vs. weekly grid entries for project contractors.
- In/Out Punch Clocks: Check-in/check-out functionality with real-time break tracking for hourly employees.
- Mobile & Kiosk Access: iOS and Android apps with GPS/Geofencing for remote or field teams.
2. Multi-Level Project & Task Tracking
Recording total hours isn’t enough—you need to know where those hours went. Ensure the software lets you attribute time down to the Customer, Project, and Task level. This enables precise profitability tracking and billable vs. non-billable hour segregation.
3. Approval Workflows & DCAA/Labor Compliance
For smooth payroll processing and client invoicing, your system must support structured approval chains.
- Custom Routing: Auto-route submitted timesheets to supervisors or project managers for review.
- Audit Trails & DCAA Compliance: Essential if you manage government contracts or strict regulatory standards requiring immutable time logs.
4. Robust Reporting & Executive Dashboards
Your software should turn raw hours into actionable business insights. Look for:
- Granular filtering (by project, client, task, rate, or custom parameters).
- Scheduled auto-reports sent directly to management.
- Role-based access controls to protect sensitive payroll or billable rate data.
5. Seamless Integrations (Payroll, Accounting & CRM)
Avoid double data entry. Choose a solution that integrates natively or via API with your accounting and payroll stack (such as QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto, or Slack). CSV/XLS export capabilities are a must-have fallback.
6. Deployment Flexibility (SaaS Cloud vs. On-Premise)
While most vendors force SaaS subscriptions, some organizations—especially those with strict data governance or local compliance rules—require on-premise installation or private cloud options. Ensure the vendor fits your security architecture.
7. Transparent Pricing & True ROI
Watch out for hidden tier lock-ins or seat minimums. Calculate the total cost based on active user volume, available free tiers, and whether annual discounts exist.
The best way to calculate pricing is to find the ROI (Return on Investment). First, quantify the benefits and then try to determine the time it will take to recoup your purchase cost.
Apart from these points you can also check for features like kanban boarding, DCAA compliance, mobile app, and leave management depending upon your business requirements.
Need a Manual Solution For Now?
If you feel you are not ready to commit to timesheet software, we have a simple solution to help you stay organized. Download our Free Timesheet templates in various formats. You can print, download and customize these templates and start tracking time today.
There are a lot of employee time tracking software available in the market today. Carefully review all the features, compare them, and find the best that suits your needs.
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Note: This blog was published in 2022 and has been updated.
Deepa Kapoor is an online writer for small businesses. She loves to write on the advancements of new technologies and how it affects our lives. She always explores ways to make small businesses more profitable. When not writing, she enjoys reading books and cooking exotic traditional food.
