Time Tracking · Researched comparison

Best Online Time Tracking Software for Small Teams

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The short answer

Clockify is the top pick for small teams, because the free plan covers unlimited tracking for up to 5 users and Basic costs only $3.99 per user per month billed annually. It runs in a browser, on desktop, and on mobile, so a small team can start tracking hours the same day without a long setup or a monthly bill.

On this page

Key takeaways

  • Clockify leads for small teams because the free plan covers unlimited tracking for up to 5 users, and Basic costs $3.99 per user per month billed annually.
  • TrackingTime suits small teams that want a free plan with no user cap, with Starter at $4.50 per user per month billed annually.
  • Hubstaff suits small teams that want GPS and payroll on the same record, at $4.99 per user per month billed annually.
  • Toggl Track suits small teams that want fast timers and clean client reports, with Starter at $9 per user per month billed annually.
  • Check free plan user caps and seat minimums before you buy, because a team of 6 often outgrows a free plan built for 5.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
ClockifyA free start with room to grow for small teams$3.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TrackingTimeA free plan with no user cap for small teams$4.50 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HubstaffGPS and payroll for small teams with field staff$4.99 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
Time DoctorScreenshots and activity data for small remote teams$6.67 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
EverhourSmall teams that plan work in Asana, Trello, or Jira$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Toggl TrackFast timers and clean client reports$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HarvestSmall teams that bill clients and want invoicing built in$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
PaymoSmall teams that want tracking, tasks, and invoicing in one place$10.90 per user/month (billed annually)Yes

How we choose

We compared vendor pricing pages, product documentation, and feature lists for online time tracking tools that suit small teams, and we checked free plan limits and starting prices on each vendor site. This guide was prepared by the Taskreports Editorial Team. We reviewed published prices and plan details rather than claiming hands-on use, and we favored tools that offer a usable free plan or trial, keep setup simple, show a clear starting price, handle billable rates and client billing cleanly, and run on web, desktop, and mobile. We left out tools that hide prices or that lack a clear plan for teams under 25 people.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

Clockify

Best for A free start with room to grow for small teams

  • Free plan with unlimited tracking for up to 5 users
  • one click timers on web, desktop, and mobile
Price$3.99 per user/month (billed annually)
See Clockify pricing

Clockify suits a small team that wants to start tracking hours without a monthly bill. The timer runs in a browser, on desktop, and on mobile, and time can be entered by hand in a weekly timesheet. Projects, clients, and tags keep hours organised, and billable rates turn tracked time into figures a manager can use for client billing. Reports show hours by person, project, and client, and exports go to CSV, Excel, and PDF for payroll and invoicing.

Basic costs $3.99 per user per month billed annually and adds time off, invoicing, timesheet approval, and manager roles. Standard costs $5.49 per user per month billed annually and adds attendance, overtime, and QuickBooks sync. The free plan covers up to 5 users, so a team of 6 needs Basic. Check the seat count before you buy, because every active or invited user on the team page occupies one seat.

Price: $3.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: clockify.me

Watch out for

  • Free plan limits reporting depth
  • advanced scheduling sits on the Pro plan
2

TrackingTime

Best for A free plan with no user cap for small teams
$4.50 per user/month (billed annually)

TrackingTime suits a small team that wants a free plan without a user cap. The free plan covers unlimited users, projects, tasks, and clients, which is rare at this price point. Timers run on web, desktop, and mobile, and AutoTrack records time in apps and sites so hours are not lost when someone forgets to start a timer. Shared reports and a team calendar give a manager a clear view of who worked on what each week.

Starter costs $4.50 per user per month billed annually and adds saved reports, automatic weekly reports, schedules, and calendar integration. Pro costs $6.50 per user per month billed annually and adds billing rates, invoicing, timesheet approval, and time off. A small team can stay on the free plan while it learns the tool, then move to Starter when it needs branded reports. Check whether billing matters before you choose, because invoicing is not in the free plan.

Price: $4.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: trackingtime.co

What we like

  • Free plan with unlimited users, projects, and tasks
  • AutoTrack records app and site use

Watch out for

  • Billing and invoicing need the Pro plan
  • attendance features need Pro or higher
3

Hubstaff

Best for GPS and payroll for small teams with field staff
$4.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Hubstaff suits a small team that mixes office work with field work. GPS tracking records where each person clocked in, and geofences limit clock-ins to approved job sites. The timer runs on web, desktop, and mobile, and screenshots and activity levels show what a remote team worked on. Payroll turns tracked hours into pay figures, and scheduling and time off sit on the same record, so a manager does not need a separate tool for attendance.

Starter costs $4.99 per user per month billed annually and covers time tracking, screenshots, activity levels, and limited reports. Higher plans add payroll, scheduling, and client invoicing. There is no free plan, only a 14 day trial, so a small team should trial Hubstaff with one crew before it commits. Check the screenshot and GPS settings before rollout, because staff should know what the tool records.

Price: $4.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: hubstaff.com

What we like

  • GPS tracking and geofences for field staff
  • payroll built from tracked time

Watch out for

  • No free plan, only a 14 day trial
  • activity monitoring can feel heavy for office teams
4

Time Doctor

Best for Screenshots and activity data for small remote teams
$6.67 per user/month (billed annually)

Time Doctor suits a small remote team that needs a clear record of what a distributed team worked on each day. Screenshots and activity levels show which apps and sites each person used, and the timer runs on web, desktop, and mobile. Payroll reports turn tracked time into pay figures, and project tracking shows hours by client and job. The focus is on accountability, which helps when the team works across time zones and the manager cannot see them.

Basic costs $6.67 per user per month billed annually and adds screenshots, activity tracking, and payroll reports. Standard costs $11.67 per user per month billed annually and adds more integrations and deeper reporting. There is no free plan, only a 14 day trial, so a small team should trial Time Doctor with one team before committing. Check the screenshot storage limit on Basic before you buy, because large teams build a large record.

Price: $6.67 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: timedoctor.com

What we like

  • Screenshots and activity levels for remote work
  • payroll reports from tracked time

Watch out for

  • No free plan, only a 14 day trial
  • screenshot storage is limited on Basic
5

Everhour

Best for Small teams that plan work in Asana, Trello, or Jira
$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Everhour suits a small team that already plans work in Asana, Trello, Jira, or ClickUp. The timer lives inside those tools, so a person tracks time without opening a second app. Budgets, billing rates, and invoicing sit on the same record, and reports show hours by project, task, and person. There is one Team plan with every feature included, so a small team does not need to compare tiers to find the feature it needs.

Team costs $8.50 per seat per month billed yearly and covers all features, including budgets, invoicing, and single sign-on. The free plan covers up to 5 seats with limited features and no integrations. Note the minimum of 5 seats on the Team plan, so a team of 2 or 3 still pays for 5 seats. Check the integration list before you buy, because the timer works best inside a supported project tool.

Price: $8.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: everhour.com

What we like

  • Timer lives inside Asana, Trello, Jira, and ClickUp
  • one plan with every feature included

Watch out for

  • Free plan covers up to 5 seats only
  • Team plan carries a minimum of 5 seats
6

Toggl Track

Best for Fast timers and clean client reports
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

Toggl Track suits a small team that wants time tracking to feel light. The timer starts in one click on web, desktop, mobile, and in the browser extension, and calendar events can turn into time entries. Tasks and boards help a small team plan work, and summary reports break hours down by project, client, member, and tag. The design stays simple, which helps a team adopt the tool without a long training session.

Starter costs $9 per user per month billed annually and adds billable rates, team reports, and timeline views. Premium costs $16 per user per month billed annually and adds labor costs, profitability reports, and timesheet approvals. The free plan covers a limited number of users with manual timers and personal reports. Check the free plan user limit before rollout, because a growing team may need Starter sooner than it expects.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: toggl.com

What we like

  • Fast one click timers with calendar integration
  • clean summary reports by project and client

Watch out for

  • Billable rates need the Starter plan
  • capacity planning is an add-on
7

Harvest

Best for Small teams that bill clients and want invoicing built in
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

Harvest suits a small team that bills clients by the hour and wants invoicing on the same record as time tracking. One click timers and weekly timesheets capture hours, and expense tracking logs receipts beside time. Invoices are built from tracked hours, and project estimates show hours and cost before work starts. The Forecast integration adds resource planning, which helps a small team see who is free next week.

Teams costs $9 per seat per month billed annually and covers unlimited seats, projects, and clients, with invoicing and expense tracking. Enterprise costs $14 per seat per month billed annually and adds profitability reporting, timesheet approval, and single sign-on. The free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects, so it suits a solo user more than a team. Check the Flex usage fees for active projects and clients, because they sit on top of the seat price.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: getharvest.com

What we like

  • Invoicing and expense tracking built in
  • Forecast integration for resource planning

Watch out for

  • Free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects only
  • no screenshots or activity monitoring
8

Paymo

Best for Small teams that want tracking, tasks, and invoicing in one place
$10.90 per user/month (billed annually)

Paymo suits a small team that wants one workspace for tasks, time, and invoices instead of three tools. Time tracking runs on desktop and mobile, and task lists, Kanban boards, and calendars organise work by project and client. Timesheet reports show hours by person and project, and invoices are built from tracked time. Estimates and expenses sit on the same record, which helps a small team quote and bill without extra software.

Plus costs $10.90 per user per month billed annually for the first 3 months, then $15.90 per user per month, and adds timesheet reports, project templates, and profitability. Pro costs $16.90 per user per month billed annually for the first 3 months, then $23.90, and adds Gantt charts, scheduling, and timesheet approvals. The free plan covers 1 user, 1 client, and 2 projects. Check the price rise after 3 months before you commit, because the long term cost is higher than the first bill.

Price: $10.90 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: paymoapp.com

What we like

  • Tasks, time tracking, and invoicing in one workspace
  • Gantt views on the Pro plan

Watch out for

  • Plus price rises after 3 months
  • free plan covers 1 user and 2 projects only

What to check before you buy

Check the free plan user cap first, because a team of 6 often outgrows a free plan built for 5 users. Clockify and Everhour both cap free use at 5 seats, while TrackingTime has no user cap on its free plan. Next, check seat minimums on the plan you want, because Everhour charges for a minimum of 5 seats even when the team is smaller. Check whether invoicing, timesheet approval, and payroll sit on the plan you picked or on a higher tier, because these features often cost more than the starting price suggests. Check mobile apps and offline tracking when staff work away from a desk, and check the monthly price as well as the annual price, because the annual figure is lower.

FAQ

Is there a free online time tracking tool for small teams?

Yes. Clockify offers a free plan with unlimited tracking for up to 5 users, and TrackingTime offers a free plan with unlimited users, projects, and tasks. Everhour offers a free plan for up to 5 seats with limited features. A free plan suits a team that is starting out, but check the user cap and reporting limits before you rely on it for client billing.

What is the cheapest online time tracking software for a small team?

Clockify Basic is the cheapest starting point in this guide at $3.99 per user per month billed annually, with a free plan for up to 5 users. TrackingTime Starter follows at $4.50 per user per month billed annually, with a free plan that has no user cap. A team of 5 or fewer can often track hours for free on either tool.

Do small teams need screenshots and activity monitoring?

Most small teams do not need screenshots. Timers, timesheets, and project reports are enough for client billing and payroll in most cases. Screenshots help when a team is fully remote and a manager needs a clear record of work, and Time Doctor and Hubstaff both offer them. Tell the team what the tool records before you turn monitoring on.

Can a small team bill clients from tracked time?

Yes. Harvest, Paymo, Everhour, and TrackingTime Pro all turn tracked hours into invoices, with billable rates by project, task, or person. Clockify adds invoicing on the Basic plan. Set billable rates before the team starts tracking, and check whether invoicing sits on the plan you picked, because some tools keep it on a higher tier.

How long does it take to set up online time tracking for a small team?

Most teams can start in a day. Create a workspace, add projects and clients, invite the team, and set billable rates. Clockify, Toggl Track, and TrackingTime need little setup, while Hubstaff and Time Doctor need extra time for GPS, screenshots, and payroll rules. Run a trial with one team for two weeks before you roll the tool out to everyone.

Sources we checked

How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

We publish the criteria and the weights, so you can disagree with them.

Clockify#1 PICK
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