9 Best Time Tracking Apps in 2026 to Track Work Hours

Drowning in too many spreadsheets or manual time cards? A time tracking app helps you record work hours accurately, manage billable time, and reduce errors — whether you’re a freelancer or managing a remote, hybrid, or field-based team.

If you want the short version, here are the top time tracking apps for 2026 by use case:

• Best overall: Hubstaff — best for remote, hybrid, and field teams that need accurate time tracking, automatic timesheets, and payments via integrations
• Best free option: Toggl Track — ideal for freelancers and small teams
• Best budget-friendly team tracker: Clockify — a solid choice for small businesses scaling up
• Best for invoicing-first billing: Harvest — well suited for agencies and client services
• Best for strict oversight: Time Doctor — built for remote teams that need detailed productivity monitoring

Below, you’ll find a side-by-side comparison table showing pricing, platforms, and core features at a glance. After that, we dive into a detailed review of each app — including key advantages, limitations, and who it’s best for — so you can choose the right time tracking tool for your needs in 2026.

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Time tracking tool comparison table

After looking at each tool on its own, it helps to see them all in one place. Laid out below is what each app does well, where it falls short, who it suits best, and how much it costs.

Time Tracking App	Strengths	Weaknesses	Best For	Pricing
Hubstaff	End-to-end time tracking workflow — from tracked hours to visibility, budgets, reports, and payments. Supports remote, hybrid, and field teams with productivity context, GPS tracking, automated timesheets, and integrations.	Field teams’ offline capabilities in remote locations could be limited without a strong internet connection. Also relies on integrations for payroll.	Organizations with distributed teams, outsourcing companies,  IT-managed service providers, large enterprises, and businesses in need of detailed productivity reports.	Starter ($4.99 per user/month, billed annually). Grow ($7.50 per user/month, billed annually). Team ($10 per user/month, includes unlimited integrations for larger teams–billed annually). Enterprise ($25/user/month–billed annually–includes custom setup/dedicated support)
Toggl	Free time tracking plans for freelancers/small teams. Sleek, intuitive time tracking interface.Easy-to-use time entries and timesheet templates.Automatically records websites and apps visited for over 10 seconds.	No payroll capabilities Limited reporting.	Small teams, freelancers, and independent contractors seek a free, easy-to-use time tracking tool.	Free Plan (basic time tracking plan for up to 5 users)Starter Plan for small teams ($9 per user/month–billed annually)Premium Plan ($18/user/month–billed annually)Enterprise plan (available upon request)
Time Doctor	Strict employee monitoring with video screen recording.Work scheduling and attendance tracking features.Inactivity alerts when team members aren’t at their computers.	Manual CSV exports needed for payroll No in-app invoicing No GPS tracking features.	Companies that need strict employee monitoring. Great for teams operating from desks.	Basic ($6.70/user/month–billed annually)Standard ($11.70/user/month–billed annually)Premium ($16.70/user/month. Billed annually or $20 month-to-month)Enterprise plan (available upon request)
Clockify	Accurate work hours tracking and idle time detection. Automated timesheet option.A wider range of interactions is available with project management tools.	Limited productivity measurement features No integrated payroll functionality.	Clockify is excellent for businesses starting out or small teams looking for flexible, cost-effective plans.	Standard: ($5.49 per user/month–billed annually or $6.99 if billed monthly)Pro: ($7.99 per user/month billed annually or $9.99 if billed monthly)Enterprise: ($11.99 per user billed annually or $14.99 billed monthly)Bundle plan: ($12.99 per user/month, billed annually or $15.99 billed monthly)
Harvest	Strong reporting integrations with tools like Parallax, Google Workspace, Plecto, and more. Harvest pairs with most of your existing tech stack. Excellent time tracking functionality for keeping track of billable projects and generating invoices.	Lacks employee productivity and activity monitoring features No payroll functionality.	Harvest is best for generating invoices against billable hours.	Free plan for individuals/freelancersPro ($11 per user/month–billed annually or $13.75 billed monthly)Premium ($14 per user/month–billed annually or $17.50 billed monthly)
Apploye	Productivity Management ($6.40Per user/month billed annually or $8/month billed monthly), Time Tracking ($8.00/user/month billed annually or $10/user/month billed monthly )Process Improvement $12.00 per seat/month (billed annually) or $15/user/month (billed monthly)Enterprise Solution (Pricing is available upon request.)	No payroll integrations	Apploye is excellent for small teams to get started with automatic time tracking and activity monitoring. The Pomodoro timer improves work-life balance.	Standard (2.50/user/month–billed annually or $5/user/month billed monthly)Elite ($3.50/user/month billed annually or $7/user/month billed monthly)
Insightful	The live screen will show you which projects your teams are working on. Robust budget setting and expense tracking.Strong invoicing features for accurate billing.Built-in Pomodoro timer.	No payroll capabilities Intrusive GPS tracking for computer location	Best for businesses needing strict employee monitoring with live screen recording.	Productivity Management ($6.40Per user/month billed annually or $8/month billed monthly)Time Tracking ($8.00/user/month billed annually or $10/user/month billed monthly )Process Improvement $12.00 per seat/month (billed annually) or $15/user/month (billed monthly)Enterprise Solution (Pricing is available upon request.)
Desktime	Powerful shift scheduling and absence calendar feature to streamline employee management. Combines automatic time tracking and reporting features. Offers an API-driven approach for extensive integrations with any other tools.	Limited payroll capabilities. Lacks GPS tracking for managing on-site teams.	Simple time tracking and reporting for small teams looking to try intuitive time tracking.	Free PlanPro ($6.42per user/monthBilled annually or $7/user/month billed monthly)Premium ($9.17/per user /month billed annually or $10/user/month billed monthly)Enterprise (Pricing is available upon request.)
Early App (formerly Timeular)	Physical time tracker with automated time tracking. Capable of calculating overtime and off-time hours for payroll. User-friendly time tracking interface for easy navigation.	Lacks payroll No screenshot captures	Best for a user-friendly time tracking experience without extensive employee monitoring features.	Personal Plan ($7.50/user/month annually or $9.00/user/month billed monthly)Personal Pro ($11.70/user/month annually or $14.00/user/month billed monthly)Team ($15.80/user/month annually or $19/user/month billed monthly). Ideal for up to 20 users only. Enterprise (Pricing is available on request.)

What are key features to look for in a time tracking tool?

Not every team needs every feature — the best time tracking apps are the ones that turn recorded hours into data you can actually use.

Automatic time tracking

Automatically records work hours and generates time entries in the background, reducing manual errors and missed time.

Employee timesheets

Turns tracked time into clear, reviewable timesheets that are easy to edit, approve, and store for records.

Visibility & context

Optional activity data, app or website usage, or GPS tracking help teams understand how time is spent — not just how much.

Project and cost tracking

Links time to tasks, projects, and budgets so teams can monitor progress and prevent overruns.

Payments and integrations

Connect approved time to invoicing or payment tools through integrations to reduce admin work and billing disputes.

Time tracking software features compared side by side

To help you cut through the noise, here’s a quick side-by-side look at how some of the biggest time trackers compare. Use this to see where they overlap and where they differ before we get to the detailed reviews.

Feature	Hubstaff	Toggl Track	Time Doctor	Clockify	Harvest	Early App (formerly Timeular)
Automatic time tracking	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Employee timesheets	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
GPS and geofencing	✔️	❌	❌	✔️	❌	❌
Idle time tracking	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Project and cost tracking	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Payments	✔️	❌	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌

Want to see how it all works in practice? Try it free for 14 days or book a demo.

How to choose the best app for tracking time  based on your business needs

The right time tracking app depends on how your team works — not just how many features it offers.

Choose based on team size

Small teams & freelancers

• Simple setup and ease of use
• Clear timesheets and billable hours
• Affordable pricing

Mid-size teams

• Project and budget tracking
• Payments or invoicing integrations
• Visibility across multiple projects

Large teams & enterprises

• Advanced reporting and permissions
• Compliance and audit-ready records
• Scalable integrations and support

Choose based on work style

Remote teams

• Automatic time tracking
• Optional productivity visibility (not intrusive)
• Reliable reports for async work

Hybrid teams

• Desktop + mobile tracking
• Flexible manual and automatic entries
• Insights across locations

Field teams

• GPS tracking and geofencing
• Mobile time clocks
• Offline tracking with auto-sync

The best tool is the one that fits your workflow today — and still works as your team grows.

9 Best time tracking apps of 2026: Detailed comparative review

1. Hubstaff – Best all-in-one time tracker for remote, hybrid, and field teams

Key advantages

Hubstaff is a time tracking software platform built for teams that need more than just tracked hours — connecting time tracking with visibility into how work gets done and turning that data into budgets, reports, and payments. It works across Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS, making it easy for remote and hybrid teams to track time consistently, no matter where they work.

Tracked time in Hubstaff automatically becomes detailed online timesheets that teams can review, edit, and approve. Once approved, that same data flows into reports, budgets, and payment workflows through integrations — reducing manual admin and billing errors.

For field teams, Hubstaff adds location context to time tracking with GPS tracking and geofenced Job sites that can automatically start and stop time when a worker enters or leaves a location. Invoicing, expense tracking, and 35+ integrations with tools like Trello, Asana, and QuickBooks round out one of the most versatile time tracking apps on the market.

Limitations

Hubstaff doesn’t run native payroll and instead relies on payment integrations such as PayPal, Wise, Deel, and Gusto. While this provides versatility and allows you to pay your team on their preferred app, you will need to create accounts and set up integrations with the provider(s) you wish to use. While it works well for most teams, it may not be suitable for companies seeking a single, in-house payroll system.

Best For

Best for remote, hybrid, and field teams that need accurate time tracking combined with visibility, budgets, reports, and payment workflows.

Pricing Plans

Starter – $4.99 per user/month, billed annually
Grow – $7.50/user/month, billed annually
Team – $10/user/month billed annually
Enterprise – $25/user/month (annual billing)

G2 review: 

“Keeps our remote team on track every day.”

What do you like best about Hubstaff?

I’ve been using Hubstaff for over 4 years now, and it’s been a consistent part of how we manage our remote team. I love how easy it is to track time, check in on productivity, and even pull up reports when needed. The activity rates and screenshot features help keep everyone accountable without being overbearing. It’s super helpful, especially when working across time zones.”

2. Toggl Track – Best free time tracker for freelancers

Source: Toggl

Key advantages

Toggl is one of the best small-market time tracking apps available, and it has a free plan for up to five users. A beautiful, intuitive interface makes it easy for users to track time, website visits, and app usage and create quick time entries with templates. It’s one of the shallowest learning curves of any tool on this list. 

Limitations

Toggl lacks built-in timesheets and payroll functionality (or the ability to integrate with payroll tools and send payments from the app). You’ll need to export time tracking data to another tool to make payments. 

Best For

Freelancers, small agencies, and independent contractors needing a sleek, lightweight tracker.

Pricing plans

Free plan
Starter – $9/user/month
Premium – $18/user/month
Enterprise – Custom pricing

3. Time Doctor – Best for monitoring remote employee activity

Source: Time Doctor

Key advantages

Time Doctor is more than a time tracker. It’s one of the most in-depth employee monitoring tools on the market, and it has video screen recording, alerts for inactivity, and scheduling and attendance tracking. These features keep both in-office and remote managers informed. 

Limitations

Time Doctor lacks GPS tracking and built-in invoicing and relies on manually exporting CSV files to run payroll. Employees may also find video screen recording to be overly invasive if exploited outside of high-compliance or security-sensitive sectors. 

Best For

Remote teams needing strict oversight and performance visibility.

Pricing plans

Basic – $6.7/user/month (billed annually)
Standard – $11.70/user/month (billed annually)
Premium – $16.70/user/month (annually) or $20 month-to-month
Enterprise – Custom pricing available upon request

4. Clockify – Best for small businesses on a budget

Source: Clockify

Key advantages

Clockify is another versatile time tracking solution that boasts idle time detection, automated timesheets, and a versatile suite of integrations. It offers a free plan and the opportunity to upgrade as your team grows, which is great for small businesses on a budget. 

Limitations

Clockify lacks payroll abilities and has limited productivity monitoring capabilities. For teams looking to delve into enterprise-grade workforce analytics, it’s probably best to go in a different direction. 

Best For

Cost-conscious teams and startups looking for flexible/affordable time tracking.

Pricing plans

Standard – $5.49/user/month billed annually or $6.99 if billed monthly
Pro – $7.99/user/month  billed annually or $9.99 if billed monthly
Enterprise – $11.99/user/month billed annually or $14.99 billed monthly
Bundle – $12.99/user/month billed annually or $15.99 billed monthly

5. Harvest – Best for seamless tool integration

Source: Harvest

Key advantages

Harvest is another great time tracking solution. Like Toggl or Clockify, its intuitive interface makes it easy to onboard users as your team grows. The invoicing and reporting features are well-suited for managing client relationships and gaining better visibility on time spent on tasks and projects. 

Limitations

Harvest is a pure time tracking tool. You won’t find built-in productivity monitoring features, payroll, or GPS tracking, but it’s reliable if you’re looking for basic tracking, invoices, expenses, and reporting. 

Best For

Teams looking to plug time tracking into their existing SaaS stack.

Pricing plans

Free for individuals/freelancers
Pro – $11/user/month billed annually or $13.75 billed monthly
Premium – $14/user/month billed annually or $17.50 billed monthly

6. Apploye – Best for teams needing invoicing and budget tracking

Source: Apploye

Key advantages

This tool includes a Pomodoro timer to support focused work sessions, along with invoicing and budgeting features to help manage project finances. Its live project tracking view offers real-time visibility into progress and team activity.

Limitations

It doesn’t support payroll integrations, so teams will need separate tools to manage payments and compensation.

Best For

SMBs looking for work-life balance features and project-specific tracking.

Pricing plans

Standard – $2.50/user/month billed annually or $5/user/month billed monthly
Elite – $3.50/user/month billed annually or $7/user/month billed monthly

7. Insightful – Best for employee monitoring and process optimization

Source: Insightful

Key advantages

Insightful is a time tracker with a strong emphasis on employee monitoring. It goes a step further than tools like Hubstaff and Time Doctor, which have live screen monitoring features for real-time feedback. Shift scheduling, attendance tracking, and custom reports round out a versatile tool. 

Limitations

Like other tools on this list, Insightful lacks payroll functionality and GPS tracking. But, like Time Doctor, the real draw back is likely the overly intrusive live screen monitoring features that can lead to micromanagement and damage employee trust. 

Best For

Companies requiring high levels of employee oversight and data analysis.

Pricing plans

Productivity Management – $8/month billed monthly
Time Tracking – $10/user/month billed monthly
Process Improvement – $15/user/month billed monthly
Enterprise – Custom pricing is available upon request

8. DeskTime – Best for intuitive time tracking with scheduling

Source: DeskTime

Key advantages

DeskTime is an impressive blend of automatic time tracking, reporting, and scheduling. It also has an absence management feature to manage team availability and integrates with your favorite tools. 

Limitations

DeskTime has similar limitations to other tools on this list, with a lack of GPS and geofencing features and limited payroll capabilities.

Best For

Teams seeking easy onboarding and basic reporting.

Pricing plans

Free plan
Pro – $7/user/month
Premium – $10/user/month
Enterprise – Custom pricing is available upon request

9. Early App (formerly Timeular) – Best for physical time tracking and ease of use

Source: Early App (formerly Timeular)

Key advantages

Early App (formerly Timeular) is an easy-to-use time tracking device — even when users are away from their computers. It helps managers monitor time-off, overtime, and app usage in an intuitive calendar view. 

Limitations

Early App lacks payroll and employee monitoring features that provide context to the hours teams are working.

Best For

Users who value simplicity over advanced monitoring features.

Pricing plans

Personal – $7.50/user/month
Personal Pro – $11.70/user/month
Team – $15.80/user/month
Enterprise – Custom pricing

Why Hubstaff is the best time tracking solution

Plenty of time tracking tools can record hours, but few are built to do it in a way that’s transparent, flexible, and genuinely useful for both managers and team members.

Hubstaff goes beyond basic time logs by turning tracked hours into clear data you can use to streamline workflows and increase profits. The focus isn’t on watching people work, but on helping teams understand how time is spent so they can plan better and make smarter decisions.

With Hubstaff, teams can see their own data and understand how their work connects to outcomes. For managers, that means fewer manual processes and more reliable information to guide projects and staffing.

Here’s why Hubstaff stands out as a time tracking solution:

1. Intelligent time tracking, built for every team, anywhere

Track time across desktop, web, mobile, or Chrome extension devices. Teams can download the Hubstaff time tracker, start tracking work hours, and work where and how they want (remote, hybrid, or in-field)

• Optimize team capacity and prevent burnout with real-time visibility
• Allocate resources based on accurate task-level breakdowns
• Strengthen accountability with clear data trails

Hubstaff’s versatility in time tracking sets it apart from the competition. Track from an array of different devices, while working offline, or automatically through geofenced Job sites. You can also import tasks from your favorite project management tools, track project budgets, and make real-time adjustments to prevent overrun. 

2. Advanced productivity monitoring that drives action

Hubstaff’s productivity monitoring capabilities are more advanced than those of other tools. With Insights, you can get work classification data to find bottlenecks and refine productivity. Hubstaff goes beyond activity rates to track:

• Core vs. non-core work
• Focus time (deep work >30 min)
• Unproductive sessions and idle time
• App & URL usage
• Unusual activity monitoring
• Pinpoint what’s slowing teams down
• Identify bottlenecks before they escalate
• Train smarter with patterns of top performers

Hubstaff puts control and transparency at the center of productivity tracking. Teams can customize permissions to enable, disable, or blur screenshots, as well as control app and website tracking. This customization helps businesses create healthy culture centered around fair employee monitoring policies.

More importantly, Hubstaff is built for learning from data, not policing behavior. Productivity insights are meant to highlight work patterns over time. This helps teams and managers adjust workloads, improve focus, and course-correct early.

3. Tracks work hours, converts time tracking data into timesheets

Generate error-free timesheets automatically. Approve, reject, or edit in a few clicks. Hubstaff integrates with popular payroll tools like PayPal, Gusto, Deel, and more to support payment in multiple currencies for distributed teams.

• Eliminate manual payroll processing
• Stay compliant with local labor laws
• Scale globally without the overhead

With Hubstaff, tracked hours flow seamlessly into payroll. Tracked time is automatically converted into accurate timesheets, so payments are based on real work, not manual calculations or messy exports.

From there, you can pay teams through integrated platforms like PayPal, Wise, or Deel without leaving the app.

4. GPS & geofencing for mobile and field teams

Hubstaff’s GPS time tracking functionality is built to track location and movement in real time, helping you track work hours in the field, map routes, provide accurate ETAs, and so much more. Set geofences to auto-start or stop tracking when employees enter or leave Job sites.

• Verify Job site attendance without micromanaging
• Improve job costing with location-based data
• Ensure safety and accountability on the go

Hubstaff combines GPS location tracking with time tracking to give field teams a clear, location-based record of work hours. This is especially useful for construction, delivery, and service-based teams that need accurate time data tied to specific work sites.

5. Comprehensive reporting, from time tracking data to real business decisions 

Get detailed reports on hours, projects, budgets, productivity, and more. Export or integrate with your reporting tools to create custom reports for deeper analysis.

Hubstaff Reports Overview

• Monitor project profitability in real-time
• Spot trends in team efficiency and output
• Make data-backed decisions confidently

While most platforms offer basic exports, Hubstaff delivers customizable, shareable dashboards that tell a story, not just numbers.

Frequently asked questions on tracking work hours effectively

What is a good app to track your hours?

We might be biased, but Hubstaff is a solid choice. In addition to time tracking, it offers comprehensive features like automated timesheets, project budgeting, invoicing, and payroll, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.

How do you track work hours?

To track work hours, you can either track time manually or use a time tracking app. All the apps that are best for time tracking help you meet your goals by improving productivity, helping you stay on top of project budgets, or maintaining accurate records.

Use an automatic time tracker and regularly make manual updates to your time entries as needed. From there, you can review your tracked data and use the additional features at your disposal to improve your time management. 

Is there an hours tracking app for self-employed professionals?

Yes, there are several apps designed specifically for self-employed individuals and solo entrepreneurs. These apps allow you to track time, manage online timesheets, and generate invoices with just a few clicks. Check out the free apps we mentioned above to get started. 

Choosing the right time tracking app is no longer about features but solutions

Empower your teams to do their best work and have their most productive day wherever they are. Whether managing a remote startup, scaling a hybrid workforce, or running field operations, the best time tracking apps can help you boost productivity, improve team accountability, and gain the clarity to make better decisions.

With advanced productivity insights, built-in payroll, GPS functionality, and seamless integrations, Hubstaff goes beyond time tracking; it helps you lead with data, optimizing the entire workflow.

Start your free 14-day trial or book a demo to see how Hubstaff can streamline time tracking and productivity for your team.