Time Tracking · Researched comparison

Best Time Tracking Software for UX Teams

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Key takeaways

  • UX teams split time between research, design, testing and client calls, so the winning tool must tag hours by activity as well as by project.
  • Clockify and TimeCamp start at $3.99 per user per month billed annually, the lowest entry prices here, and both include a free plan.
  • Harvest and Paymo turn tracked research and design hours into client invoices without a separate billing tool.
  • Timely drafts each designer's timesheet automatically, which suits teams that lose hours to forgotten timers during long research sessions.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
Toggl TrackSimple timers for design work$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, up to 5 users
ClockifyTight budgets and small teams$3.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, up to 5 users
HarvestClient billing from design hours$9 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes, 1 seat and 2 projects
TimeCampLow-cost automatic tracking$3.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, unlimited users and projects
PaymoSmall teams that bill clients$10.90 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, 1 user, 1 client, 2 projects
EverhourTeams inside Asana, Trello or Jira$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)Yes, up to 5 users
TimelyAutomatic AI-drafted timesheets$9 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
Time DoctorScreenshots and attendance proof$6.67 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)

How we choose

We reviewed the vendor pricing pages, feature lists and documentation for each tool on 2026-11-11, and compared starting prices, free plan limits, trial lengths, and the plan level where approvals, screenshots, invoicing and budgets appear. We compared tools that serve UX teams specifically: hours tagged by research, design and testing, reports by client and activity, and exports that feed payroll and client billing. We did not run hands-on tests, and we did not use review scores or star ratings. Prices change, so check the vendor pricing page linked in Sources before you buy.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

The best time tracking software for UX teams

2

Toggl Track

Best for UX teams that want a fast timer tied to projects

Website: https://toggl.com

Best for: UX teams that want a fast timer tied to projects

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 5 users

Pros: one-click timer with browser and desktop apps; integrations with Asana, Trello, Jira and Figma workflows

Cons: timesheet approvals and billable rates need Premium at $16 per user per month billed annually; no screenshots or activity tracking

Toggl Track suits a UX team that wants the timer out of the way during research and design. A designer starts the timer when a research session opens, stops it when the session ends, and the hours land on the right client and project without a separate form. Starter costs $9 per user per month billed annually and adds billable rates, project templates and time audits, while the free plan covers up to 5 users with unlimited projects and clients.

The limits sit on the higher tiers. Approvals and fixed-fee project budgets need Premium at $16 per user per month billed annually, so a team that needs a lead to sign off every week will pay more than the headline price. There are no screenshots and no activity levels, which is a plus for designer privacy and a minus when a client asks for proof of the hours. Reports export to CSV, and the 30-day Premium trial needs no card.

3

Clockify

Best for UX teams on a tight budget

Website: https://clockify.me

Best for: UX teams on a tight budget

Starting price: $3.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 5 users

Pros: low entry price with a free plan for up to 5 users; calendar view and tags for research, design and testing

Cons: invoicing, timesheet approvals and time off start at Standard at $5.49 per user per month billed annually; project budgets, profitability, GPS and screenshots start at Pro at $7.99

Clockify is the cheapest way to give a UX team a shared record of research and design hours. The free plan covers up to 5 users, and Basic at $3.99 per user per month billed annually adds project templates, time off policies and the ability to hide pages from regular users. A lead can tag hours by activity, so the team sees how much of the week went to research, how much to design and how much to client calls.

The limits show up as the team grows. Invoicing and approvals sit on Standard, while budgets and profitability sit on Pro, so a 20-person UX team that bills clients will likely land on Pro at $7.99 per user per month billed annually. Even then, the total stays below most rivals, which matters when design is a cost centre and every seat is counted.

4

Harvest

Best for UX teams that bill clients for their hours

Website: https://www.getharvest.com

Best for: UX teams that bill clients for their hours

Starting price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, 1 seat and 2 projects

Pros: invoicing built in, with expenses and billable rates on each entry; clean reports by client, project and person

Cons: no screenshots or activity tracking; Flex usage fees apply for active projects, clients, tasks and invoicing; free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects only

Harvest fits a UX team that sells hours, because the path from timer to invoice is short. A designer logs time against a client and a research session, the lead reviews the week, and Harvest turns approved hours into an invoice with the right rates already applied. Teams costs $9 per seat per month billed annually, with a 30-day trial, and Enterprise at $14 adds single sign-on, custom roles and a dedicated success manager.

The trade-off is proof. Harvest has no screenshots and no activity tracking, so a client who wants evidence beyond the timesheet will need another tool. The Flex usage fees on active projects, clients, tasks and invoicing add to the seat price, so a team with many small clients should model the full bill. The free plan covers a single seat, so any real team will pay from day one.

5

TimeCamp

Best for UX teams that want automatic tracking at a low price

Website: https://www.timecamp.com

Best for: UX teams that want automatic tracking at a low price

Starting price: $3.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, unlimited users and projects

Pros: free plan covers unlimited users and projects; automatic tracking with invoicing

Cons: billable rates, labor costs and timesheet approvals need Ultimate at $9.99 per user per month billed annually; Premium allows only 1 integration

TimeCamp has the most generous free plan on this list: unlimited users and unlimited projects, with no user cap at all. That matters for a UX team, because researchers and contractors join per study and the headcount changes every month. Starter costs $3.99 per user per month billed annually and adds automatic time tracking, invoicing and basic reporting, with a 14-day trial and no credit card required.

The limits sit on the higher tiers. Billable rates, labor costs and timesheet approvals need Ultimate at $9.99 per user per month billed annually, so a team that bills clients by the hour will pay more than the headline price. Premium allows only 1 integration, so a team that needs several connected tools should check the tier first. The free plan still covers the core timer and manual entry.

6

Paymo

Best for UX teams that bill clients from tracked hours

Website: https://www.paymoapp.com

Best for: UX teams that bill clients from tracked hours

Starting price: $10.90 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, 1 user, 1 client, 2 projects

Pros: time tracking, task management, invoicing and expenses in one place; resource scheduling shows who is free for the next study

Cons: Solo at $5.90 per user per month billed annually covers 1 user only, so teams need Plus at $10.90; free plan covers 1 user, 1 client and 2 projects; advanced reporting needs the top tier

Paymo suits a small UX team that wants tracking, tasks and invoicing in one place instead of three tools. A designer logs hours against a research task, the lead sees the project budget in real time, and Paymo turns the approved hours into an invoice. Plus costs $10.90 per user per month billed annually, with a 15-day trial, and the free plan covers 1 user, 1 client and 2 projects.

The catch is the entry tier. Solo at $5.90 per user per month billed annually covers a single user, so any team needs Plus from the start. The free plan is narrow, with 1 user, 1 client and 2 projects, so it suits a solo designer rather than a team. Advanced reporting sits on the top tier, so a lead who needs utilisation and profitability views should price that tier.

7

Everhour

Best for UX teams that live inside Asana, Trello or Jira

Website: https://everhour.com

Best for: UX teams that live inside Asana, Trello or Jira

Starting price: $8.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes, up to 5 users

Pros: time tracking embedded inside Asana, Trello, Jira, ClickUp and Monday; budgets, cost rates and invoicing on the Team plan

Cons: 5-seat minimum on the Team plan; no screenshots or GPS; integrations cover a fixed list, so a team on another board must use the API

Everhour suits a UX team that already runs research and design work in Asana, Trello or Jira, because the timer sits inside the task the designer is already looking at. There is no second app to open and no copy of hours from one place to another. Team costs $8.50 per user per month billed annually and adds budgets, cost rates, invoicing and scheduling, with a 14-day trial and a free plan for up to 5 users.

The catch is the seat minimum and the scope. Team needs at least 5 seats, so a three-person UX team pays for two empty chairs. Everhour has no screenshots and no GPS, so it cannot prove attendance the way Time Doctor can. The integration list is fixed, so a team on a board outside that list should check the API before committing.

8

Timely

Best for UX teams that hate manual timesheets

Website: https://timely.com

Best for: UX teams that hate manual timesheets

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: automatic tracking drafts each designer's timesheet from real work; clean capacity and utilisation views for leads

Cons: Starter is capped at 5 users and 20 projects; no free plan, only a 14-day trial; overtime, scheduling and approvals need higher tiers

Timely suits a UX team that never fills in timesheets on time. It watches the apps and documents each designer uses, then drafts a timesheet the designer reviews and confirms, so the week ends with hours that match the work. Starter costs $9 per user per month billed annually, with a 14-day trial and no free plan, and the draft-and-confirm flow removes the Friday scramble for missing hours.

The caps are the thing to check. Starter covers 5 users and 20 projects, so a team with more designers or more clients moves to a higher tier quickly. Overtime, scheduling and approvals sit above Starter, so a lead who needs to sign off every week should price the tier that includes them. The automatic approach also needs clear rules, since designers should know what is being recorded.

9

Time Doctor

Best for UX teams that need attendance and activity proof

Website: https://www.timedoctor.com

Best for: UX teams that need attendance and activity proof

Starting price: $6.67 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: screenshots, activity levels and attendance tracking; payroll and client billing reports built in

Cons: no free plan, only a 14-day trial with no card required; monitoring-first design needs clear team agreement; add-ons on Basic and Standard can cost more than Premium

Time Doctor fits a UX team whose clients ask for proof behind every billed hour. Basic costs $6.67 per user per month billed annually, with Standard at $11.67 and Premium at $16.70, and the 14-day trial needs no card. Screenshots, activity levels and attendance reports show when designers worked and what they worked on, and the payroll reports turn approved hours into pay without a separate export.

The monitoring is also the risk. A team should agree in writing what is recorded, who can see it and how long it is kept, before the first screenshot is taken. Add-ons on Basic and Standard can push the bill above Premium, so a team that needs the full feature set should compare the Premium price directly. There is no free plan, so the trial is the only way to test it.

What to check before you buy

Check how the tool tags hours by activity first. A UX team needs to separate research, design, testing and client calls, not just log a project total. Next, check whether approvals and invoicing sit on the tier you plan to buy, since many tools hold them back for a higher plan. Then check the seat minimum and how the bill changes when researchers join per study, since a per-seat price can spike in a busy month. Finally, test the export: hours should leave the tool as a CSV or through an API, so a vendor change never traps a year's worth of research records.

FAQ

What is the best time tracking software for UX teams?

The best pick depends on how your team works. Toggl Track and Everhour suit teams that live inside Asana, Trello or Jira, Clockify and TimeCamp suit tight budgets, Harvest and Paymo suit teams that invoice from tracked hours, and Timely suits teams that forget to start timers. Start with the free plan or trial, run it through one research study for two weeks, and keep the tool that produces the clearest report by activity.

How should a UX team track time across research and design?

Set each client as a project, each study or sprint as a task, and tag every entry with the activity: research, design, testing or client calls. The tool should report hours by activity and by client, so the lead sees how much of the week went to research and how much to design. Weekly approvals should confirm the hours before they reach payroll or a client invoice.

How much should a UX team budget per user per month?

A small team can start at $0 to $4 per user per month on a free plan or a low tier such as Clockify or TimeCamp. A team of 6 to 20 that needs activity tags, approvals and invoicing should budget $4 to $11, and a team that needs scheduling, single sign-on and utilisation reporting should budget $9 to $17. Add the cost of add-ons, since some tools charge extra for features that look included.

Do UX teams need automatic time tracking?

Not always, but it helps when designers forget to start a timer during long research sessions. Timely and TimeCamp draft timesheets from the apps and documents a designer actually used, so forgotten hours get captured. A manual timer is enough for a team that works in short, clear blocks. If you turn automatic tracking on, agree in writing what is recorded and who can see it.

Is there a free time tracking tool for UX teams?

Yes. Clockify offers a free plan for up to 5 users, TimeCamp offers a free plan with unlimited users and projects, and Toggl Track and Everhour offer free plans for up to 5 users. Free plans usually lack approvals, invoicing and budgets, so a team that bills clients will likely upgrade. Timely and Time Doctor offer 14-day trials instead of a free plan, which suits a short test with one study.

Sources we checked

  • https://toggl.com/track/pricing/
  • https://clockify.me/pricing
  • https://www.getharvest.com/pricing
  • https://www.timecamp.com/pricing/
  • https://www.paymoapp.com/pricing
  • https://everhour.com/pricing
  • https://timely.com/pricing
  • https://www.timedoctor.com/pricing
How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

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

The best time tracking software for UX teams#1 PICK