Connecteam is the best time tracking software for most teams with hourly employees in 2026, and Clockify is the best budget pick for small teams. Connecteam pairs a mobile time clock with scheduling, and Clockify gives up to five users free time tracking, with paid plans from $3.99 per user per month.
The other picks fit different jobs. Toggl Track suits agencies and consultants who bill clients by the hour. QuickBooks Time fits businesses that run payroll in QuickBooks, and Harvest suits service firms that want tracked hours to become invoices.
Check your state’s labor rules before you roll anything out. Break, overtime, and record-keeping requirements vary, and the tool needs to capture hours in a way that holds up if a wage claim ever comes up. Have a few hourly employees test the clock-in flow on their own phones first.
Our top pick
Connecteam
A mobile time clock and scheduling in one app built for hourly teams.
Quick picks
Best overall
Best on a budget
Best for billable work
Best for QuickBooks payroll
Best for invoicing
How we ranked these tools
We scored each tool on five criteria: fit for time and attendance or billable time tracking, depth of features such as clock-ins, approvals, and reports, pricing and value, ease of use for employees and managers, and support. We based the scores on vendor documentation, published pricing pages, and public user reviews. No vendor paid for placement. Prices reflect published rates as of October 2026, so confirm the current price with the vendor.
The 5 best time tracking software tools
1. Connecteam
Best for hourly and deskless teams
Our rating4.7 / 5
Starting price$29 / month (up to 30 users)
Free planYes (up to 10 users)
Connecteam is an all-in-one app for deskless teams that combines a mobile time clock, shift scheduling, and team communication. Employees clock in from their phones, managers approve timesheets, and hours export to payroll. Paid plans start at $29 a month for up to 30 users, and a free plan covers small businesses with up to 10 users. A 14-day free trial needs no credit card. Office teams that bill clients by project will find Toggl Track or Harvest a better match.
Pros
- Free plan for up to 10 users
- Flat price covers the first 30 users
- Scheduling and chat in the same app
Cons
- Built for hourly teams more than project billing
- Advanced features sit in higher tiers
Key features
- Mobile time clock with GPS
- Timesheet approvals
- Shift scheduling
- Payroll exports
2. Clockify
Best for small teams on a tight budget
Our rating4.6 / 5
Starting price$3.99 / user / month
Free planYes (up to 5 users)
Clockify has one of the most generous free plans in time tracking: unlimited tracking, timesheets, a timer, and mobile and desktop apps for up to five users. Paid plans start at $3.99 per seat per month billed annually, or $4.99 monthly, for Basic. Standard, Pro, and Enterprise add more admin, approval, and project features as you move up. Every active or invited user takes a paid seat, so deactivate former staff promptly. Reports on the free plan cover only a one-month range.
Pros
- Free plan for up to five users
- Low per-seat price on paid plans
- Apps for web, desktop, and mobile
Cons
- Free reports limited to one month of data
- Every invited user counts as a paid seat
Key features
- Timer and timesheets
- Idle detection
- Calendar sync
- Team reports
3. Toggl Track
Best for billable client and project work
Our rating4.5 / 5
Starting price$9 / user / month
Free planYes (up to 3 users)
Toggl Track is a simple, quick timer built for knowledge workers who bill clients by the hour. One click starts a timer, browser extensions track time inside the tools you already use, and reports break hours down by client and project. The free plan covers up to three users. Starter costs $9 per user per month billed annually, or $12 monthly, and Premium costs $16, or $24 monthly. Both include a 30-day trial. It lacks the shift scheduling that hourly crews need.
Pros
- Very easy for staff to adopt
- Free plan for up to three users
- Clear client and project reports
Cons
- No shift scheduling for hourly crews
- Monthly billing costs noticeably more than annual
Key features
- One-click timer
- Browser extensions
- Billable rates
- Project reports
4. QuickBooks Time
Best for businesses that run payroll in QuickBooks
Our rating4.4 / 5
Starting price$20 / month + $10 / user
Free planNo
QuickBooks Time, formerly TSheets, tracks hours from a mobile app, a web clock, or a shared kiosk and sends approved timesheets to QuickBooks payroll and invoicing. Time Premium costs $20 a month plus $10 per user, and Time Elite costs $40 a month plus $12 per user. It fits businesses already on QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, where the sync removes manual entry. Outside the QuickBooks ecosystem, the per-user cost looks high next to Clockify or Connecteam.
Pros
- Direct sync with QuickBooks payroll
- Mobile app with GPS tracking
- Kiosk option for shared devices
Cons
- Per-user fees add up quickly
- Best value only inside QuickBooks
Key features
- Mobile and kiosk clock-in
- GPS location tracking
- Timesheet approvals
- QuickBooks sync
5. Harvest
Best for turning tracked hours into invoices
Our rating4.3 / 5
Starting price$9 / seat / month
Free planYes (1 seat, 2 projects)
Harvest combines time tracking and invoicing for agencies, consultancies, and other service firms. Team members log hours against projects, managers watch project budgets, and billable time becomes an invoice in a few clicks. The free plan covers one seat and two projects. Teams costs $11 per seat per month, or $9 billed annually, with unlimited seats and a 30-day trial that needs no credit card. Like Toggl Track, it does not handle shift scheduling or on-site clock-ins.
Pros
- Tracked time turns into invoices
- Project budget tracking
- 30-day trial with no credit card
Cons
- Free plan is limited to one seat
- No shift scheduling or GPS clock-in
Key features
- Time tracking
- Invoicing
- Expense tracking
- Project budgets
Compare the top time tracking software
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecteam | Hourly and deskless teams | $29 / month (up to 30 users) | Yes (up to 10 users) | 4.7 |
| Clockify | Small teams on a tight budget | $3.99 / user / month | Yes (up to 5 users) | 4.6 |
| Toggl Track | Billable client and project work | $9 / user / month | Yes (up to 3 users) | 4.5 |
| QuickBooks Time | Businesses that run payroll in QuickBooks | $20 / month + $10 / user | No | 4.4 |
| Harvest | Turning tracked hours into invoices | $9 / seat / month | Yes (1 seat, 2 projects) | 4.3 |
How to choose time tracking software
Separate attendance from project tracking
Time and attendance tools such as Connecteam and QuickBooks Time record when hourly employees start and stop work so payroll is accurate. Project trackers such as Toggl Track and Harvest show where salaried or billable hours go. Decide which problem you are solving first, since few tools do both equally well.
Confirm the payroll connection
Hours that get retyped into payroll create errors. Check that the tool exports or syncs approved timesheets to the payroll provider you use, and run one test pay period side by side before you switch over fully.
Price your real headcount
A base fee plus a per-user charge looks small for five people and large for fifty. Connecteam’s flat price for 30 users and Clockify’s low seat price scale very differently from QuickBooks Time’s base fee plus $10 per user. Run the numbers for your actual team, not the example on the pricing page.
Set clear rules for location tracking
GPS clock-ins help confirm field staff start work on site. Write a short policy that explains when location is recorded and why, and confirm it fits your state’s privacy rules before you turn it on.
Frequently asked questions
What is time tracking software?
Time tracking software records the hours employees or contractors work. Some tools act as a digital time clock for hourly staff and feed payroll. Others track time against clients and projects for billing and profitability. Most include mobile apps, timesheet approvals, and reports.
How much does time tracking software cost?
Time tracking software ranges from free to about $25 per user per month. Clockify, Toggl Track, Harvest, and Connecteam all offer free plans with limits. Clockify starts at $3.99 per user per month, Connecteam at $29 a month for up to 30 users, and QuickBooks Time at $20 a month plus $10 per user.
Is free time tracking software good enough?
For very small teams, often yes. Clockify’s free plan covers five users and Connecteam’s covers up to 10. The limits show up in report history, approvals, and integrations. Upgrade when you need payroll syncing, overtime rules, or room for more people.
Can time tracking software calculate overtime?
Many tools can. Time and attendance products track hours by pay period and flag overtime so payroll is correct. Check that the overtime settings match your state’s rules, since some states require daily overtime in addition to weekly overtime, and confirm how breaks are recorded.
Which time tracking app is best for freelancers?
Toggl Track is the best pick for most freelancers because it is quick to use and its free plan is generous. Freelancers who also want to invoice from the same app should look at Harvest, whose free plan covers one seat and two projects.
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