Timesheet is a software that allows your employees to track hours spent on projects. This information can be used for billing your clients and calculating payroll for employees. Additionally, it also gives an overview of the detailed breakdown of the work done on multiple tasks.
Most advanced timesheet software include the check-in check-out system to record time, and an automated approval process.
With many options available now a days, time tracking has become much easier. Depending on the organization, employees fill timesheet daily, weekly, or monthly. These timesheets can be filled up manually by entering time and work details.
According to a recent time tracking statistics, on the average, employee spend 50% of their time on non-productive work. These include browsing news sites, social media, personal calls, coffee breaks, etc.
You, the employer, are paying for those times. Only 25% of the companies have proper software to do time tracking. Others use spreadsheet, emails, kiosks, etc.
We reviewed many software in the market and attempted to create a curated list of the best time tracking software for small business, we like below (including ours).
Also check:
- Time Tracker software comparison table
- Disadvantages of tracking time manually
- Benefits of using timesheet software
- Conclusion
1. OfficeClip:
OfficeClip timesheet software is useful for all kinds of industries like Accounting, HealthCare, Construction, IT, Marketing, etc.
This Time tracking solution can record time and employees’ utilization, track project status, analyze employee performance and allocation, analyze project budgets, and has many other features to carry workflow smoothly.
OfficeClip serves as an all-in-one solution for businesses that can manage Employee Time, Business Contacts, and Customer Issues.
Features:
- Records hours manually or with the Check in Check out system.
- DCAA Compliant Timesheets.
- Import/Export timesheets in CSV formats and with ADP Payroll.
- Integrations with QuickBooks and ADP.
- Import time from other OfficeClip applications like Tasks, Contact Manager, Issue Tracker.
- Smooth Approval Process.
- Receive notifications for filling up or submission of timesheets.
- Create invoices with different templates, create invoices by importing Timesheet and Expenses, and get paid online.
- Track Expenses for a project.
- Track Employees Time-Offs.
- Create custom reports, and various in-built reports also available.
- Downloadable timesheet templates for remote work.
- A Mobile app is available.
Pricing:
- OfficeClip has a Free Standard Edition with unlimited users.
- The pricing starts from $3 per user/month.
- They have a Professional and Enterprise Edition with additional features.
Available on:
Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad
Who can use:
Freelancers, small and medium-sized businesses, independent divisions in large-sized businesses, and Remote workers.
Why use OfficeClip Timesheet Software?
- Affordable
- Available in hosted, installed or private cloud (like Amazon EC2)
- Unlimited Users
- Up to 100GB of free storage
- Free Upgrade
2. Clockify:
Clockify is a timesheet tracking tool for freelancers and agencies. It can track time, manage projects, and manage various reports.
Users can also manage tasks, time estimates, and member profiles conveniently with project management and team management tools. They also have integrations with multiple apps.
Features:
- Add Unlimited users and projects.
- Get automatic reminders for logging time
- It helps to track time with any device
- Lock data.
- Export data in PDF, CSV, and Excel format.
Pricing:
- They have a free edition to use with unlimited users with limited features.
- Their pricing starts from $4.99 per user/month.
- They also have various editions like Plus, Premium, and Enterprise with additional features.
Available on:
Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad
Who can use:
Freelancers, Consultants, Remote workers, small and medium-sized business, Digital agencies, and Universities
3. Logmyhours:
Log my hours is a time tracking tool with expense tracking, invoicing, project tasks, and a budget management system.
They have a timer to track time daily for various projects. The supervisor can also view what the whole team is working on. They also have an integration with Rescue Time.
Features:
- Track time manually or with a timer.
- Various kinds of reports available.
- Custom invoice settings.
- Project and Client budget settings.
- Mobile access.
Pricing:
- They have a Solo user plan free, supports two projects, and have some basic features.
- Their pricing starts from $8 per user/month with unlimited projects.
- They have monthly and yearly plans with pro edition and business edition with additional features.
Available on:
Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows
Who can use:
Small and medium businesses, Developers, Contractors, Freelancers
4. TimeCamp:
TimeCamp is a time tracking software that offers a single and centralized platform to manage project time and budgets.
Users can manage billable hours, time tracking, invoices, and attendance. They have various add-ons and integrations.
Features:
- Location tracking via GPS.
- Desktop and mobile app.
- Helps with the project and team management.
- Has an online invoicing system.
- Generates detailed reports.
Pricing:
- They have a Solo edition that is free to use with basic features.
- Their pricing starts from $7 per user/month with unlimited projects and tasks.
- They also have Basic, Pro, and Enterprise editions with additional features.
Available on:
Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad
Who can use:
B2B companies who need to track time and measure profitability
5. GetHarvest:
Harvest time tracking software lets you track time daily by starting a timer, or the users can log hours for the whole week into the timesheet all at once.
They have a visual graph feature that will give you an insight into the team’s work and project status. They have integrations with BaseCamp, Asana, and Trello.
Features:
- Turns timesheets and expenses into invoices and also gets paid online.
- Tracks expenses for a project.
- Tracks time with the desktop, mobile, tablet, and in any browser.
- Detailed Reports.
Pricing:
- They have a Free edition for one user and two projects.
- Their pricing plans start from $12 per user/month with unlimited users and projects.
- They also have a Pro edition on a monthly or yearly usage basis.
Available on:
Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android
Who can use:
Consultants, Businesses, Internal departments in organizations
6. Replicon:
Replicon is the project management and time tracking platform. They have GPS time tracking and a start/stop timing functionality to track time.
Users can add attachments to the timesheets and can receive notifications for timesheet submission. They have integrations with a lot of other systems.
Features:
- Tracks expenses associated with projects.
- Mobile access.
- Manages time off.
- Creates invoices for billing purposes.
- In-built reports and dashboards.
Pricing:
- They have a free trial for 14 days.
- Their pricing starts from $12 per user/month.
- They have various pricing segments for Small, Medium, and Large business size.
Available on:
Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad
Who can use:
Suitable for all types of businesses who want hassle-free time tracking, and faster billing cycles
7. nTask:
nTask is an incredible project management tool that allows you to track your time while you and your team perform different tasks and processes that are a part of the project development process.
The application also provides you with a timesheet feature that can help you, as a manager, to look at how productive your team is being and how you can make them more productive.
Features:
- Time tracking and timesheet management.
- Gantt charting and Kanban boarding.
- Task management and project management.
- Mobile Access.
- Risk management and issue tracking.
Pricing:
- There is a free trial available for use if you and your team want to experience the amazing features that this application has to offer, for free.
- The paid pricing for this incredible employee timesheet management software starts at $3/user/month
Available on:
Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad
Who can use:
Small and medium businesses, Developers, Contractors, Freelancers
8. Time Doctor:
Time Doctor will track the time of all your team members and provide a breakdown of how much time users spend on projects, tasks, or clients.
Additionally, this data can be used to bill your clients or give accurate information while creating payrolls.
Features:
- Managers can take screenshots of employee monitors to identify time-wasting, distractions, and inefficiency.
- Time can be tracked with all devices like Android, iPhone, Mac, Linux, etc.
- Monitors application and internet usage for all users.
- Have integrations with many platforms like Slack, Jira, GitHub, Asana, and many more.
- It has time-use alerts, which remind us to stay off time-wasting applications.
Pricing:
- They have a 14-day free trial.
- Their pricing starts from $7 per user/month.
- They have Business and Enterprise editions with additional features.
Available on:
Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad
Who can use:
Individuals and teams, remote working teams, and companies with hybrid work models.
9. Freshbooks:
Freshbook’s time tracking service will help you track your billable time, send and manage invoices, and collect online payments faster.
Time can be tracked with the timer, and also directly from the apps like Asana, Trello, Basecamp, and Teamwork. In addition, it will also give an overview of your team’s work and time spent.
Features:
- Can create Invoices.
- It will help to track the Expenses.
- They have tools for Accounting.
- Can create all kinds of detailed Reports.
- Mobile App.
Pricing:
- They have a 30-day free trial period.
- Their pricing starts from $6 per user/month.
- They have different editions like Lite, Plus, Premium, and Select.
Available on:
Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad
Who can use:
Self-employed, Businesses, Contractors
10. ClickTime:
ClickTime time tracking software will increase your project visibility, estimate project costs, and review past performance. ClickTime makes it easy to track, plan, and manage employee time.
Features:
- Can track expenses and time Off.
- Integration with various platforms for Accounting, Storage, Project Management, etc.
- Detailed reports are available with Dashboards.
- Mobile app is available.
Pricing:
- They have a 14-day free trial.
- Their pricing starts from $13 per user/month.
- They have editions like Starter, Team, Premier, and Enterprise with additional features.
Available on:
Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad
Who can use:
Businesses who need to plan, manage and report employees’ time and expenses. For organizations looking to reduce cost, improvise operations and manage budgets.
Employee Time tracker software comparison table:
| Timesheet App | Pricing | Free Trial | Free Version | Available on |
| OfficeClip | $3/user/month | 30-day free trial | Available with unlimited users and time | Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad |
| Clockify | $4.99/user/ month | 7-day free trial | Available | Mac, Windows, Android, Linux, iPhone, iPad |
| Logmyhours | $8/user/month | Has free trial | Available | Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad |
| TimeCamp | $7/user/month | 14-day free trial | Available | Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad |
| GetHarvest | $12/user/month | 30-day free trial | Available | Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone |
| Replicon | $12/user/month | 14-day free trial | Not available | Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad |
| nTask | $3/user/month | 7-day free trial | Not available | Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad |
| Time Doctor | $7/user/month | 14-day free trial | Not available | Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad |
| Freshbooks | $6/user/month | 30-day free trial | Not available | Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone, iPad |
| ClickTime | $13/user/month | 14-day free trial | Not available | Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad |
Disclaimer: The above analysis is done from the vendor’s website. The billing amount mentioned above is for monthly cycle. Please contact the individual product website for the latest changes.
Disadvantages of Tracking time manually:
Some companies still follow the traditional method of tracking time manually. However, this method has its disadvantages:
Time theft:
If employees are permitted to track their time manually, a few may not log in the correct hours.
Some of them may log in with round figures for convenience even if they have not worked full time or even provide incorrect information about the hours. This time theft will lead to loss of revenue.
Buddy punching:
This is a common issue with manual time tracking, where employees may attempt to log time for other employees.
As data is entered manually, the employee may try to manipulate log time for their friends even if they come late. Unfortunately, it also makes it difficult for the employer to keep track of the actual check-in time of their employees.
Time-consuming:
Filling up all the time spent and work details is time-consuming, and employees tend to procrastinate filling up time cards daily.
Approving timesheets is a challenging process:
It is challenging to collect all employee attendance data, verify them, and approve the time cards. It may take a lot of time and effort, and validating accurate time is difficult, which delays the payroll process.
Cost calculation:
Calculating work hours and the rates will become tedious and time-consuming if some employees are paid hourly. In addition, manual calculation may also lead to errors.
With manual time tracking, it becomes difficult for supervisors to keep track of employee absence, accurate work hours, or overtime for individual employees.
Considering the above points, it will be wise to adopt time-tracking software.
Benefits of using time tracking software:
Records accurate time:
Time tracking software will help record accurate time and eliminate issues like time theft and buddy-punching.
Your employees can simply check-in and check-out of the system, which will record all the work hours, and the system also prompts the employee to fill up work details.
Edit checks:
If the employee tries to edit the work hours, the modifications done in the timesheet are visible in the history.
During audits, the edit checks are done, and the management can question the employees about the modifications to the timesheet.
Approving timesheets:
Once the workflow for approval is set up, timesheet approval becomes an easy process. Quick timesheet approvals also fasten the payroll process eliminating calculation errors.
Integration:
Today many timesheet software has integration capabilities with third-party apps, where work hours can be quickly synced or exported into other systems.
Easy payroll processing:
Many time tracking software can record employee absence also. So during the payroll processing, the system calculates salaries considering the time offs, overtime, and the number of working hours.
User-friendly system:
The timesheet-filling process is primarily straightforward and doesn’t require much training. In addition, many systems today can send notifications to employees, compelling them to fill up the timesheet for the day.
Measuring performance:
As all the data is stored in the system, it is easy to measure employee productivity and performance through reports.
Invoicing:
Tracking accurate work hours for projects ensures precise billing to clients through invoicing.
Analysis:
As all the data is stored in the system, it is easy to measure employee productivity and performance through reports.
Conclusion:
With timesheet software, management can track various things like project budget, employee utilization and time-offs. In addition, for government projects, it can also enforce rules set as per DCAA guidelines. Proper recording and supervision of time is crucial for businesses to prevent heavy losses.
The downside is that many employees consider filling up a timesheet as an extra burden. Some think that the company is snooping on their work and violating their privacy. Another downside could be extra overhead and cost of implementation of the software.
But, after weighing all the factors, we think that implementation of a proper timesheet software is a huge gain for the organization.
Other recommended Articles on Timesheet:
- What is a Timesheet?
- Why Tracking time is important for Freelancers
- What are the best practices for tracking time?
- How to find your most efficient time for work?
- Time tracking Importance and Best practices
Photo Courtesy:
Computer photo created by rawpixel.com – www.freepik.com
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.