Top 5 Employee Time Tracking Apps in 2024

Undoubtedly, the corporate world thrives on productivity. The higher the productivity levels, the clearer the chances of accomplishing goals. According to Forbes, 90% of productivity conflicts arise due to the lack of technology. But that’s not permanent.

Here’s the catch: Tracking employee productivity levels has been challenging for organizations, especially if done manually. It mostly happens when organizations sidestep technology. As a result, they counter inaccurate attendance records, improper productivity levels, and more.

This is where the boon of technology steps in as the savior – productivity & time-tracking tools. The market has ample time trackers, but selecting them can be confusing. So, we’ve shortlisted the top 5 employee time-tracking apps for 2024.

Read on & find out the best one.

What Makes the Best Time-tracking Software?

Comprehensive Tracking Capabilities

Effective time-tracking software should offer various tracking options, allowing users to record time spent on tasks, projects, and clients. 

It should accommodate multiple work scenarios, such as billable hours, project-specific tracking, and non-billable activities.

Multi-Platform Accessibility

The software should be accessible across multiple platforms, including desktop, web, and mobile devices. 

This ensures that users can log their time regardless of their location or device, making it convenient for remote workers and those on the go.

Integration with Other Tools

Seamless integration with other productivity and project management tools is crucial. 

The best time-tracking software should integrate calendars, project management apps, and accounting software, streamlining workflows and reducing manual data entry.

Customizable Reporting and Analytics

Robust reporting and analytics features are essential for gaining insights into time utilization and productivity trends. 

The software should provide customizable reports, allowing users and managers to analyze time data based on projects, clients, and specific periods.

Automation and Alerts

Automation features, such as reminders and alerts, help users stay on track with their time management.

The software should be capable of sending notifications for approaching deadlines, reminding users to log their time, and providing real-time alerts for exceeded time limits.

Security and Compliance

The best time-tracking software should prioritize security, ensuring time data is stored and transmitted securely. 

Compliance with data protection regulations is crucial, especially for businesses handling sensitive client information. Features like user permissions and data encryption contribute to a secure environment.

The best time-tracking software combines a user-friendly design with robust tracking capabilities, accessibility across devices, integration with other tools, customizable reporting, automation features, and a strong focus on security and compliance.

The Need for Time Tracking App

Pros For Employers

• Increased Productivity: Time tracking helps identify time-wasting activities, allowing employers to optimize workflows and enhance productivity.
• Accurate Billing: Employers can bill clients accurately based on actual hours worked, reducing disputes and ensuring fair service compensation.
• Project Management: Time tracking provides insights into project timelines, enabling better resource allocation and timely completion.
• Performance Evaluation: Employers can assess employee performance objectively by analyzing time spent on tasks and projects.
• Cost Management: Efficient time tracking aids in cost control by identifying areas where resources are allocated ineffectively or where additional training may be needed.

Pros For Employees

• Time Awareness: Employees better understand how they allocate their time, fostering better time management skills.
• Fair Compensation: Accurate time tracking ensures that employees are fairly compensated for the actual hours invested in their work.
• Improved Focus: Knowing that time is being tracked can motivate employees to stay focused and minimize distractions during work hours.
• Work-Life Balance: Time tracking helps employees balance work and personal life by effectively visualizing and managing their time.
• Goal Setting: Employees can set realistic goals and deadlines based on their historical time data, promoting a sense of achievement and progress.

Top Employee Time Tracking Apps in 2024

1. Toggl Track

The first on the list is Toggl Track, a popular time-tracking application. It is designed to streamline time management and offers various features catering to individual users and teams.

Key Features

• One-Click Time Tracking: Toggl Track simplifies time tracking with its one-click functionality, allowing users to start and stop timers effortlessly promoting accurate time recording.
• Project and Task Organization: Users can categorize time entries by projects and tasks, providing a structured approach to time management and facilitating detailed project tracking.
• Reports and Analytics: Toggl Track offers robust reporting features that provide insights into time usage patterns, project progress, and individual performance, aiding in data-driven decision-making.
• Client Billing: The application supports client billing by associating time entries with specific clients or projects, making it convenient for freelancers and businesses to invoice accurately.
• Offline Mode: Toggl Track includes an offline mode, enabling users to track time even when disconnected. The app syncs data once an internet connection is reestablished, ensuring no time entry is lost.

User Interface Highlights

Toggl Track boasts a clean and user-friendly interface, making time tracking straightforward. The dashboard provides an organized view of ongoing tasks and projects, with intuitive navigation for easy access to key features.

Integration Capabilities

• Asana: Toggl Track integrates seamlessly with Asana, enhancing project management capabilities. Users can link time entries directly to Asana tasks for cohesive project tracking.
• Slack: Integration with Slack promotes real-time collaboration. Users can start timers, receive notifications, and update project information directly within the Slack interface.
• Evernote: Toggl Track syncs with Evernote, allowing users to link time entries to specific Evernote notes. This integration streamlines time tracking for tasks associated with note-taking.
• GitHub: Toggl Track integrates with GitHub, facilitating efficient tracking of time spent on coding and development projects. This integration ensures accurate time recording for software development tasks.

Toggl Track is simple, offering a straightforward solution for individuals and teams looking to optimize time tracking and project management. With its clean interface, key features, and integrations, Toggl Track remains a top choice for users in 2024.

Pricing 

Free for up to five users; $9/user/month billed annually for the Starter plan, featuring time rounding, billable rates, saved reports, and more.

Toggl Track Review

2. Workstatus

Bagging the second sweet spot, Workstatus is an advanced employee time-tracking app designed to refine workforce management. This comprehensive platform combines a friendly UI with cutting-edge features, making it a standout choice for businesses looking to increase employee productivity.

Key Features

Time & Attendance

Workstatus streamlines time tracking. Its intuitive interface and automated features provide real-time visibility into time tracking, attendance management, shift management, live location tracking, and more.

Workforce Management

With Workstatus’s comprehensive workforce management tools, it becomes easier to refine productivity levels. Gain real-time insights into employee scheduling, workforce optimization, employee monitoring, and more.

Reporting & Analytics

Workstatus is equipped with robust reporting and analytics capabilities. It simplifies generating customizable reports and making data-driven decisions for workload management, productivity reports, overtime tracking, and more.

Project & Task Management

Workstatus’s integrated project management features simplify tracking project expenses. Businesses can gain insights into task management, project budgeting, online invoicing, and more.

User Interface Highlights

Workstatus has an intuitive and visually appealing user interface. The design is user-centric, allowing for seamless navigation through various features. The dashboard is designed for clarity, providing at-a-glance information for quick decision-making.

Pricing & Integration

Users can acquire the best features of Worktstatus at the most affordable rates, starting at $4/user/month*. This time-tracking tool can be easily integrated with third-party apps like Zoho and Trello.

Workstatus Review

3. TimeDoctor

TimeDoctor, standing third, is a versatile time-tracking and resource management tool designed to optimize productivity and streamline project workflows. It offers a wide range of features that cater to individual users and collaborative teams.

Key Features

• Silent Tracking: TimeDoctor silently tracks employee productivity in the background. This not only helps streamline overall operations but ensures the protection of the company’s performance.
• Custom Data Export: This exclusive feature of TimeDoctor enables the authority to check and analyze the data that matters the most. Hence, bid farewell to data clutter on the dashboard. 
• Resource Allocation: TimeDoctor enables users to allocate resources effectively, providing insights into team availability and preventing the overloading of tasks for improved project planning.
• Detailed Reporting: The platform provides detailed and customizable reports, offering insights into time utilization, project progress, and team efficiency, aiding in performance analysis.
• Collaborative Workspaces: TimeDoctor supports collaborative workspaces, allowing teams to collectively coordinate and manage their projects. This feature enhances communication and transparency within the team.
• User Interface Highlights: TimeDoctor’s user interface is designed for simplicity and clarity. The visual representation of time blocks and drag-and-drop functionality contributes to an intuitive experience, allowing users to manage their time effectively.

Pricing & Integration

TimeDoctor can be easily integrated with different third-party apps. It is compatible with Asana, Azure, Hubspot, Flow, Evernote, Freshworks, etc. The pricing of TimeDoctor begins at $11/user/month.

Timedoctor Review

4. Timely

Timely is a sophisticated time-tracking platform designed to enhance productivity and streamline time management. With its advanced features and integrations, Timely caters to the needs of individual users and collaborative teams.

Key Features

• Automatic Time Tracking: Timely stands out with its automatic time tracking feature, capturing and logging activities in the background to ensure accurate and effortless time recording.
• Project Budgeting: The application includes project budgeting capabilities, allowing users to set and monitor budgets for individual projects and promoting better financial management.
• AI-Powered Insights: Timely utilizes AI-powered insights to provide users with valuable analytics on their work patterns, helping individuals and teams identify areas for improvement and optimization.
• Mobile Accessibility: Timely ensures accessibility with its mobile app, enabling users to track time, manage tasks, and stay productive from anywhere.
• Team Collaboration: Timely supports team collaboration with features like shared calendars and collaborative project timelines, enhancing communication and coordination among team members.

User Interface Highlights

Timely boasts a clean and intuitive user interface, offering a visually appealing experience. The interface is designed for ease of use, allowing users to navigate seamlessly through features such as project views, calendar timelines, and reporting.

Pricing

Timely can be easily integrated with third-party apps like Azure, ActivCollab, BaseCamp, Drupal, and more. Its pricing starts at $9/user/month.

Timely Review

5. RescueTime

RescueTime is a robust productivity tracking tool designed to help users understand and optimize their time usage. RescueTime aims to enhance personal and professional productivity by providing insights into digital habits.

Key Features

• Automatic Time Tracking: RescueTime excels in automatic time tracking, monitoring digital activities in real-time to provide users with a detailed breakdown of time spent on various applications and websites.
• FocusTime: This feature allows users to block distracting websites and applications during dedicated focus periods, promoting a more focused and productive work environment.
• Goal Setting and Alerts: Users can set productivity goals and receive alerts when predefined limits are reached, helping individuals stay on track and balance work and leisure.
• Detailed Reports: RescueTime generates detailed reports, offering insights into daily and weekly trends, allowing users to identify patterns, set priorities, and make informed decisions for improved time management.
• Offline Time Tracking: RescueTime includes offline time tracking, ensuring that activities conducted away from the computer are also considered in the overall productivity analysis.

User Interface Highlights

• RescueTime features a user-friendly interface, clearly visualizing time spent on various categories of activities. The dashboard presents a concise summary, making it easy for users to grasp their productivity patterns at a glance.
• Pricing & Integration
• RescueTime, a time-tracking tool, supports various third-party apps, including Slack, Google Calendar, and Office 365/Outlook. Its pricing plans begin at $6.50/user/month.

ResecueTime Review

Feature-Based Comparison – See Who Has Got What!

Getting Started with Time Tracking App

Using a time tracker app for better productivity and time management involves a few key steps. Here’s a guide to help you get started:

1. Select the Right Time Tracker App
Choose a time tracker app that suits your needs. Consider the features offered, user interface, device compatibility, and any specific functionalities you require.

2. Download and Install the App
Once you’ve selected a time tracker app, download and install it on your preferred devices, whether your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Ensure that the app is compatible with your operating system.

3. Create Your Account
Most time tracker apps require users to create an account. Provide the necessary information to set up your account, including a valid email address and a secure password.

4. Customize Settings
Explore the app’s settings and customize them to align with your preferences. This may include setting work hours, defining categories or projects, and configuring notifications or reminders.

5. Understand Basic Features
Familiarize yourself with the basic features of the time tracker app. Learn how to start and stop timers, log manual entries, and categorize activities. Understanding the core functionalities ensures you can use the app effectively.

6. Set Up Categories or Projects
If the app allows, create categories or projects for tasks you commonly work on. This helps organize your time entries and gain insights into how you spend your time.

7. Establish Productivity Goals
Many times, tracker apps allow you to set productivity goals. Define your goals, whether a certain number of hours focused on work or limiting time spent on specific activities. This helps create a framework for your time management.

8. Start Tracking Your Time
Begin using the time tracker app to log your activities. Start and stop timers as you switch between tasks, and make manual entries for activities that aren’t computer-based, such as meetings or phone calls.

9. Review Reports and Insights
Regularly review the reports and insights generated by the app. Analyze how you spend your time, identify patterns, and assess your productivity. This information is valuable for making informed decisions to optimize your time management.

10. Adjust and Optimize
Based on the insights gained from the app, make adjustments to your work habits and time allocation. Experiment with different strategies to optimize your productivity, and use the app for continuous improvement.

11. Explore Advanced Features
Once you are comfortable with the basic functionalities, explore the app’s advanced features. This may include integrations with other tools, advanced reporting options, or additional settings that can enhance your experience.

Parting Thoughts

Consistency is crucial for effective time management. Make using the time tracker app a daily habit, and regularly review your progress to ensure you stay on track with your productivity goals.

By following these steps, you can integrate a time tracker app seamlessly into your routine, leading to better productivity and enhanced time management.

Conclusion 

Congratulations on making it to the bottom line!

Seeing you here indicates that your queries about the time-tracking tools discussed above have been pacified, and you’re ready to take the final call. Analyzing the top 5 tools based on features and pricing, each has something to offer for every business type.

However, the final judgment favors Workstatus owing to its functionalities, features, UI, and pricing. Overall, Workstatus emerges as the best time-tracking app of 2024, with access to many features without drilling holes in pockets.

FAQs

Q. Why is employee productivity tracking important?
Ans. It ensures employees stay focused, deadlines are met, and resources are used efficiently, contributing to overall business success.

Q. What’s the best tool to track employee productivity?
Ans. Workstatus is an all-in-one employee monitoring software that offers time tracking, activity monitoring, and reporting for effective productivity management.

Q. How does Workstatus monitor employee activity?
Ans. It provides real-time activity monitoring and generates reports based on tasks, projects, and time spent on each.

Q. Can Workstatus track remote employees?
Ans. Yes, it includes GPS tracking and geofencing features to ensure remote employees are working from their designated locations.