As a manager, you doubtless know the impact that incorrect time tracking can have on your payroll process.

Unfortunately, many time tracking tools promise to simplify admin and ensure accurate time recording but simply fail to perform in the real world. Some are too complex to get buy-in from your employees, while others aren’t flexible enough to support remote or field-based workers with complex and varied shift patterns.

The way we work has evolved, but the good news is that so has time tracking software. Innovative mobile-first apps now enable hourly teams, including field staff and multi-location teams, to clock in and out whenever and wherever they work. And thanks to clear, accurate timesheets, these tools can improve payroll efficiency, prevent errors, and support business compliance. 

If you’re looking to streamline time tracking in 2026, this guide is for you. Whether you’re tracking remote and hybrid workers, overseeing billable work, or monitoring project performance, I’ve found the best employee time tracking apps to add to your shortlist.

The best employee time tracking apps: Quick comparison 

Our top 3 picks

Compare Buddy Punch, Jibble, and Connecteam side-by-side in the table below.

	Buddy Punch	Jibble	Connecteam
Best for	Overall	Free option	Team chat & HR
Multi-user free plan?	No	Yes	Yes
Prices start at	$19 base fee + $4.49/user/month	$0/month for unlimited users	$29/month (up to 30 users) $0.80/month per additional user
Core time tracking	Clock in/out	Clock in/out	Clock in/out
Clock-in methods	Mobile app, web browser, kiosk, text-to-punch, and group punch	Mobile app, web browser, kiosk, or Chrome extension	Mobile app, web browser, or kiosk
Automatic timesheets	✅	✅	✅
Employee scheduling	✅	✅	✅
Shift trades and covers	✅	❌	✅
Paid time off management	✅	✅	✅
Attendance tracking	✅	✅	✅
GPS location tracking	✅	✅	✅
Accountability	GPS on punch, real-time GPS, geofencing, IP address lock, photo on punch, facial recognition	GPS on punch, real-time GPS, geofencing, device lock, photo on punch, facial recognition	GPS on punch, real-time GPS, geofencing, read receipts, IP address lock, photo on punch
Built-in Payroll	✅	❌	❌
Payroll integrations	✅	✅	✅

Other time tracking apps to consider

If you didn’t find what you were looking for in our top three picks, here’s a side-by-side comparison of the other tools on our list.

	Hubstaff	QuickBooks Time	Toggl Track	Timely
Best for	Remote and hybrid workers	QuickBooks users	Billable work	Managing projects
Multi-user free plan?	No	No	Yes	No
Prices start at	$4.99/user/month	$10/month base fee + $8/user/month (requires QuickBooks Online)	$9/month for 5 or more users	$9 per user/month (max 5 users)
Core time tracking	Clock in/out	Clock in/out	Clock in and automatic time recording	Clock in and automatic time recording
Clock-in methods	Mobile app, web browser, kiosk, or Chrome extension	Mobile app, web browser, or kiosk	Mobile app, web browser, or Chrome extension	Mobile app, web browser, or kiosk
Automatic timesheets	✅	✅	✅	✅
Employee scheduling	✅	✅	❌	❌
Shift trades and covers	❌	❌	❌	❌
Paid time off management	✅	✅	✅	✅
Attendance tracking	✅	✅	❌	❌
GPS location tracking	✅	✅	❌	❌
Accountability	Idle time detection, URL tracker, screenshot capture	GPS on punch, real-time GPS, IP address lock, photo on punch	Idle time detection	GPS on punch, real-time GPS
Built-in Payroll	❌	✅	❌	❌
Payroll integrations	✅	✅	✅	❌

The 7 best employee time tracking apps

Below, you’ll find my detailed reviews of the seven best employee time tracking apps: Buddy Punch, Connecteam, QuickBooks Time, Toggl Track, Timely, Jibble, and Hubstaff.

1. Buddy Punch: Best all-around tool for employee time tracking

Buddy Punch is a time tracking app designed for salaried, hourly, and shift-based teams, combining simple employee time tracking with user-friendly scheduling and payroll-ready reports. Recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, Buddy Punch’s flexible design supports remote, mobile, field, and multi-location teams across industries, including transport, healthcare, manufacturing, and hospitality.

Key features 

• Time tracking tool lets employees clock in via a mobile app, web browser, kiosk, or QR code
• Real-time locations using GPS, geofencing, and IP address locks, plus optional photos on punch to prevent time theft
• Job/project tracking with custom categories to track time per task, client, or location
• Automatic break tracking and overtime calculations based on your own company policy and rules
• Paid time off (PTO) tracking so managers can view accrued time off and approve or reject leave requests
• Employee scheduling that lets you drag-and-drop shifts and instantly notify your team

Pros

• Intuitive and straightforward to use
• Competitive pricing with impressive features, even on the basic plan
• Excellent tools to minimize time theft and manage labor costs
• Detailed reporting and simple payroll integration
• Scheduling add-on is suitable for all industries, including less traditional work patterns

Cons

• No free plan, but pricing plans are transparent with no hidden costs
• No offline mode, so it requires a good mobile reception or a stable Wi-Fi connection

The reason I went with Buddy Punch: I liked how quickly Buddy Punch can be set up and implemented with minimal training for admins and employees. The range of time tracking features is also impressive, even on the basic plan, with additional add-ons and scalable pricing as your business grows.

What stood out most about Buddy Punch was its valuable yet non-invasive location-tracking features, which help you track your workforce and minimize time theft. Whether you’re looking for automatic, error-free timesheets, keeping an eye on labor costs, or managing productivity, Buddy Punch’s customizable reporting tools can provide valuable real-time summaries. 

Let’s take a closer look at Buddy Punch’s features and learn how it streamlines your payroll process. 

Automatic timesheets

Buddy Punch’s simple, intuitive interface is easy to use, offering one-touch clock-in via the mobile app, web browsers, kiosks, or QR codes. Using this data, Buddy Punch automatically creates detailed timesheets ready for your review and approval. In addition to the hours worked over a specific time period, you can set up rules to recognize breaks and overtime hours before calculating total pay.

Reassuringly, as an admin, I was able to view, tweak, and approve employees’ timesheets before processing payroll, so missed punches were easily identified. I loved being able to manage and approve employees’ time off all in one place, with real-time accruals of PTO based on my company’s attendance policies.

I also appreciated how Buddy Punch sends alerts when an employee is nearing overtime, helping me avoid unexpected costs and stay compliant with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Attendance tracking

Buddy Punch tracks more than just time; it also offers a variety of tools to manage PTO and employee attendance.

Thanks to the intuitive dashboard, I could easily see in real time who was clocked on — and whether they’d turned up late. Instant notifications kept me in the loop, even with a remote workforce, with email (or text) alerts if a team member showed up late, logged off early, or failed to show up.

I found the attendance reports very useful, as they showcase an individual’s attendance history over a defined time period. With accurate, data-driven insights based on clock-in history, they helped me to identify trends that may trigger an attendance write-up.

GPS, geofencing, and real-time tracking

Buddy Punch’s GPS tracking provides real-time insights into your workers’ locations, so you’ll always know who’s on shift, who turned up late, and who clocked off early. For mobile workers, I found it particularly useful to see a trail of breadcrumbs mapping their journey throughout the day.

Using defined geofencing locations with a radius you choose, Buddy Punch also ensures your employees can only clock in or out when they’re physically on site.

You can even require a photo or Face ID authentication to prevent buddy punching (when an employee clocks in on behalf of a colleague). I tested this from an employee’s perspective, and while the lighting on my camera certainly didn’t do me any favors, it was quick and easy to snap a photo and successfully punch in.

Reports and payroll

While some time tracking apps can feel overly complex, Buddy Punch’s detailed yet intuitive reporting helps take the pain out of payroll. I liked how employees’ breaks were tracked (and pay automatically deducted) in accordance with my business rules, so no manual calculations were required.

You can easily export overtime summaries, hours by job, attendance history, and even PTO reports for each employee. Timesheets download in a payroll-friendly format, or you can seamlessly integrate with your payroll provider.

Alternatively, small businesses without a dedicated payroll team might want to purchase Buddy Punch’s time tracking and payroll as an all-in-one solution, reducing setup time and ongoing admin.

Scheduling

If your teams have flexible working hours, schedules need to be fluid and adaptable to business needs — an area where I feel many time tracking apps fall short.

Buddy Punch’s scheduling tools, however, shone in this regard. The intuitive drag-and-drop scheduling gives managers the tools to set up recurring shifts, but, more importantly, to update schedules based on business needs.

I also love how employees are notified as soon as schedules are published so they always know where they need to be and when. Even better, you can allow employees to display available times and preferences, or trade shifts with colleagues if something comes up.

Integrations

Once reviewed and approved, the timesheets can be easily exported from Buddy Punch, ready for your payroll provider, or sent directly via Buddy Punch’s integrations with payroll providers. These include:

• QuickBooks
• Gusto
• Paychex
• Justworks
• Rippling
• And more

Pricing

• Starts at: $19 base fee per month + $4.49 per user/month
• Free trial available: Yes (14 days), no credit card required 
• Free plan available: No

What users say about Buddy Punch

“Buddy Punch is a top-tier time tracking solution that perfectly balances security with ease of use. The time editing approval workflow is seamless, and both the web and mobile apps are very intuitive. On top of a great product, their customer support is excellent and the pricing is very fair.” – Mark B.

“Buddy Punch is extremely easy to use and navigate. The use of the mobile app allows employees to clock in at multiple locations but can also show GPS coordinates if you’re questioning an employee’s whereabouts at the time the punch was entered. Entering time off is a breeze as well. Compared to other systems, this is a simple solution offering the same functionality but much easier to use!” – Erin C.

2. Connecteam: Best all-in-one app for hourly teams

Connecteam is an employee management app that includes time tracking, communication, and HR/training tools. Ideal for deskless employees, it offers a free-for-life plan for small businesses.

Key features 

• Time tracking via the mobile app or on-site kiosk app
• Automated digital timesheets with inconsistency alerts and approvals before payroll
• Real-time communications including a secure chat and company feed
• Project tracking categorized per project, job, client, or by used equipment
• Attendance tracking including PTO, sick days, vacation requests, and expenses
• Scheduling tool with a simple approval step and a swap function

Pros

• All-in-one solution that builds strong two-way communication
• One-touch clock-in on the mobile app — ideal for remote workers and field staff
• Free for life plan for small businesses

Cons

• No offline mode — requires a stable internet connection
• Reporting is limited on the basic plan
• Some reviewers found it complex

How Connecteam compares: With a free plan for up to 10 users, Connecteam is a useful tool for small businesses to manage and communicate with their workforce. It automates digital timesheets and manages paid time off while flagging inconsistencies and ensuring manager approval steps are met. It also uses GPS tracking to build accountability and trust.

While Connecteam tracks costs and payroll trends, I found the reporting options on Connecteam’s free plan fairly limited. Plus, with a modular design, costs for enhanced features can start to add up as your business grows.

Here’s a round-up of Connecteam’s main features.

Time clock and digital timesheets

Connecteam allows deskless employees to clock in with a single tap via the mobile app or an on-site kiosk, time-stamped with GPS location. The resulting digital timesheets can be categorized by project, job, or client to help managers track costs.

With mandatory timesheet approval, I liked how clearly anomalies were flagged. This can help prevent disputes or additional work by catching queries before the pay run.

Real-time communications

Working remotely can make it challenging to stay in the loop, which is where Connecteam’s real-time communication tools are helpful.

Whether it’s a whole-business announcement, policy update, or celebration, you can push comms out to your entire team, and more importantly, see who’s read them. You can also securely chat with individual employees — handy if there’s an urgent update while they’re on the way to work.

Scheduling tools

With Connecteam’s user-friendly visual scheduling tool, managers can see who’s available before building and assigning shifts. However, while teams of up to 10 receive all scheduling features on the free-for-life plan, additional costs apply for tools such as shift claiming, repeating shifts, and auto-assigning.

Integrations

Connecteam integrates with several popular payroll and accounting platforms, including:

• Gusto
• QuickBooks
• Paychex
• Xero
• And more

Pricing

• Starts at: $29/month (up to 30 users). $0.8/month for each additional user
• Free trial available: Yes (14 days)
• Free plan available: Yes, capped at 10 users

What users say about Connecteam

“The app helps us stay organized without the high costs that often come with other platforms. It’s user-friendly, efficient, and genuinely supports small businesses in running smoother operations.” – Jose

“One thing I’ve noticed with Connecteam is that moving between different features can sometimes feel a bit clunky. Tasks like reporting or adjusting schedules could be more intuitive, which would make managing the team a lot smoother.” – Jitendra B.

3. QuickBooks Time: Best for payroll efficiency

Previously known as TSheets, QuickBooks Time from Intuit is a time tracking and employee scheduling app for mobile, hybrid, or field-based teams. If you’re already a QuickBooks payroll user, the main draw here is the ability to manage time and pay all in one place. 

Key features

• “See who’s working” feature offers visibility for field-based teams 
• Real-time timesheets with the option to add notes to time entries
• Build, edit, and publish schedules by job or shift and share with your team
• GPS tracking and geofencing with automatic clock-in when employees reach their location
• Mileage tracker based on your mobile employees’ tracked journeys 
• Project/task tracking, including overall time and cost

Pros

• Seamlessly links to QuickBooks Payroll
• Easy to track tasks, projects, and costs through categories
• Works offline

Cons

• Monthly base fee plus per-user charges may prove too costly for small businesses
• Requires QuickBooks Online accounting software

How QuickBooks Time compares: For QuickBooks Payroll users, QuickBooks Time is a seamless choice with no integrations or data exports required. I liked the visual dashboard that shows who’s working at any given time, which, combined with GPS tracking, could save time during emergency call-outs.

I was also impressed by the detailed, customized reporting tools. However, it’s necessary to pay a premium for these.

Here are some of QuickBooks Time’s main features.

Automated timesheets

With QuickBooks Time, employees can clock in via the mobile app, a web browser, or a kiosk, creating a GPS-stamped entry on their real-time digital timesheet.

It applies breaks and overtime hours in accordance with custom business rules so there’s no need for complex manual calculations. As well as tracking field workers’ journeys throughout the day, QuickBooks calculates mileage (in the Elite plan) to reimburse expenses on payday. Employees can also add notes to their timesheets to explain any early clock-outs or late on-site arrivals.

By categorizing projects, tasks, or clients, the dashboard provides managers with visibility of project performance and costs, making it easier to identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies.

Auto clock-ins

By setting up geofence radiuses, QuickBooks can automatically clock in employees when they arrive at work (and clock out when they leave). Or, if preferred, clock-in reminders can be sent directly to employees to build accountability.

Scheduling tool

QuickBooks Time’s scheduling tool is a simple drag-and-drop system that lets managers create and assign schedules and instantly notify employees. If schedules change, workers receive an update right away. That said, there’s nowhere for them to approve or decline changes, which could lead to additional admin if they’re unable to make the proposed shift. Unlike Buddy Punch, employees can’t agree to swap shifts, which I felt would be more efficient.

Integrations

QuickBooks Time integrates with several accounting, payroll, and scheduling systems, including:

• QuickBooks Online
• ADP
• Paychex
• Makeshift
• And more

Pricing

• Starts at: $10/month base fee per month + $8 per user/month (requires QuickBooks Online)
• Free trial available: Yes (30 days)
• Free plan available: No

What users say about QuickBooks Time

“What I like best about QuickBooks Time is how user-friendly it is. It makes tracking hours simple and quick, especially with the mobile app. I also like how easy it is to see time entries in real time, which helps with accuracy and keeps everything organized without feeling complicated.” – Becca G.

“The GPS position isn’t always correct. Also, the app’s functionality might be a little perplexing at times. Additionally, it is dependent on an active internet connection to function.” – Sarah R.

4. Toggl Track: Best for billable work

Running in the background on your computer, Toggl Track is a multi-platform time tracking tool that lets project teams track billable tasks, projects, and productivity.

Key features

• Automatic time tracking to report on your daily activity
• Hundreds of integrations, with an optional Chrome extension that can pull data from other applications such as Salesforce, Outlook, and Google Calendar
• Project planning tools to capture billable hours and productivity

Pros

• Attractive user interface
• Optional Pomodoro timer supports short sprints of focused work
• Powerful reporting tools to help track project performance

Cons

• Black and purple color scheme is tricky to read
• Not suitable for field-based workers or tracking physical locations
• Some users report poor customer support

How Toggl Track compares: Toggl Track is designed for freelancers, agencies, and professional service workers who manage multiple clients or projects. I like how it automatically records how long is spent on each task or client, to capture all billable time.

In addition, Toggl Track’s reporting tools can help managers understand performance and efficiency, highlighting which tasks are taking up the most time or eating into budgets.

Here’s an overview of Toggl Track’s main features.

Automatic time tracking

Toggl Track has a one-touch clock-in and clock-out timer that can categorise time by project, task, client, or another custom category. It also offers automatic time tracking to capture your computer’s activity in the background — useful for projects where clients are billed by the hour, or even by the minute.

While that may all sound a little “Big Brother,” Toggl Track’s anti-surveillance strategy ensures there’s no screen recording, screenshots, or camera tracking. Instead, employees are provided with a private report, and it’s entirely up to them what they share.

I liked how automated time summaries take the burden of manual time recording off professional services staff. However, unlike our top pick, Buddy Punch, Toggl Track doesn’t support GPS tracking or geofencing, so it’s not suitable for managers who want to track employees’ physical locations.

Custom reports

Toggl Track’s reporting tools can help teams juggling multiple clients or projects. Users can set up custom hourly rates, see exactly how many billable hours have been logged per client or project, and generate detailed reports, all of which can be integrated with invoicing tools.

Integrations

Toggl Track can connect to Outlook and Google Calendar, pulling existing meetings directly into its time tracker. This ensures every minute of billable time is captured, even onboarding calls or account reviews.

Toggl Track integrates with other project management tools, such as Airtable, so there’s no duplicated data entry between systems. Once created, projects can be assigned to freelancers, employees, or teams instantly.

Other Toggl Track integrations include:

• QuickBooks Online
• Salesforce
• Asana
• And more

Pricing

• Starts at: $9 per user/month for five users or more
• Free trial available: Yes (30 days); No credit card required
• Free plan available: Yes, for up to five users

What users say about Toggl Track

“The best thing about Toggl Track is how quick it is to start tracking time. You just hit the timer and get back to work, no complicated setup. I also like how it automatically groups your entries and shows everything clearly in the reports. It actually makes you aware of where your time is going without feeling heavy or confusing. The interface is clean, and it works the same on web and mobile, which makes it easy to keep track of things.” – Pratyush A.

“They lack a real customer / user support. Even with severe issues that prevent you from using their service (at least temporary), you have to wait up to a few days until you receive an answer from their, at times, very unmotivated support team.” – Marcel H.

5. Timely: Best for managing projects

Timely is an AI-powered time tracking tool ideal for professional services employees or those managing multiple projects. Working in the background, it produces a private time summary that can easily be assigned to specific projects or tasks.

Key features

• Automatic time tracking creates AI-powered timelines of work
• Automated timesheets with clear summaries of work for invoicing
• Calendar and project management integrations, including Outlook, Teams, and Salesforce
• Project visibility gives managers a real-time view of productivity and performance

Pros

• Easy to check teams are on track to meet project milestones
• AI tool analyzes user behavior and makes efficiency suggestions
• Simple and intuitive to use

Cons

• Doesn’t integrate directly with payroll providers
• Pricing plans based on user numbers rather than features

How Timely compares: With a simple click, Timely’s Memory app automatically tracks employee activity in the background as they work. Providing valuable insights into project progress, it enables managers to closely monitor performance and budgets and adjust staffing plans as needed.

The level of detail in the reports is useful; however, unlike Buddy Punch, Timely doesn’t provide direct payroll integration. It also becomes quite pricey as your business grows.

Here’s a quick look at some of Timely’s standout features.

Automatic time tracking

Timely’s AI-powered time tracker is intuitive to use — clicking the “brain” icon will automatically track a user’s behavior throughout the day. A “memory timeline” then provides a complete private report, so employees can assign each completed task to a specific project or client.

Once employees receive their automated timesheets, they can quickly review and submit them. I like how the app can send either daily or weekly timesheet reminders, so managers don’t have to follow up individually.

While you can see GPS timestamps, Timely doesn’t offer geofencing, so it’s less suited for preventing time theft among field-based workers.

Managers’ view and reporting

Via the manager’s view and reporting tools, Timely provides a detailed overview of project performance. In addition to hours logged per project or client, it lets managers see which tasks are taking longer, monitor projects in real time, and track how much of the overall budget has been spent.

Integrations

Timely integrates with many other project management and communication tools, such as Outlook, Teams, and Zoom. By autopopulating existing meetings into the team’s daily timeline, it provides helpful visibility into your employees’ commitments and ongoing workload to inform project plans.

Other integrations possible with Timely include:

• Asana
• Salesforce
• Stripe
• GitHub
• And more

Pricing

• Starts at: $9 per user/month (maximum of five users)
• Free trial available: Yes (14 days)
• Free plan available: No

What users say about Timely

“Timely offers a clean and user-friendly interface that makes time tracking simple and efficient. The automatic time tracking feature is especially helpful, as it reduces the need for manual entries and ensures accurate tracking of work activities. The timeline view provides great visibility into how time is spent across tasks and projects, which helps improve productivity and planning.” – Parth M.

“One small quirk: The AI Timely logs activities in blocks of 15 minutes. Most of the time that’s fine, but when I have a quick 5-minute call, it either rounds it up to 15 minutes or ignores it completely. Not the end of the world — it kind of balances out, since sometimes I bill a quarter hour and other times nothing at all — but it does mean ultra-short tasks aren’t always perfectly reflected.” – Matthias A.

6. Jibble: Best free time tracking app

Jibble is a simple-to-use time tracking tool suited to small teams or freelancers. Used via a desktop app, mobile app, or web interface, it includes basic clock-in features, attendance tracking, and automated timesheets in its “free for life” plan.

Key features

• Automated digital timesheets using simple clock-in and clock-out data
• Attendance tracking provides historical records of shifts, absence or late arrivals
• GPS location tracking to ensure physical presence on site when clocked in
• Facial recognition (on paid plans) to prevent buddy punching

Pros

• “Free forever” plan for unlimited users
• User-friendly dashboard
• Easy to track time spent on specific activities and projects
• Offline mode

Cons

• The free option is less suitable for businesses with complex shift patterns and flexible rotas
• Limited reporting

How Jibble compares: With a free plan that includes core time tracking features, Jibble is an easy-to-implement tool for small to medium-sized businesses. However, growing businesses or those employing field-based workers may benefit from the higher-priced tier, which includes more geofence locations, schedules, and customized permissions.

Below, we’ll discuss some of Jibble’s standout features.

Simple time tracking

With a single button for clocking in and out, Jibble lets employees easily track their time and assign it to specific tasks or projects. They can also change tasks, click to start a break, or log off for the day.

I liked Jibble’s simple, uncluttered dashboard, which shows at a glance who’s working, clocked off, or on break. Managers can also visually track time spent on predefined projects and view automated timesheets for each team member.

There are three levels of time tracking policy in Jibble: flexible, moderate, and strict. If time theft is a concern, upgrading to a paid plan enables geotagging, geofence restrictions, face verification, and even screenshot capture — though employees may be resistant to the latter.

Attendance tracking

Even on the free plan, Jibble is a useful tool for tracking attendance. Admins can quickly approve leave requests, view vacation balances per business rules, and review a historical audit trail for each employee. I also rated the prebuilt attendance insights report, useful for identifying absence concerns or supporting time management discussions.

Integrations

Jibble integrates with the following project management and payroll tools:

• Airtable
• Asana
• Gusto
• And more

Pricing

• Starts at: $3.49 per user/month for unlimited users
• Free trial available: Yes
• Free plan available: Yes

What users say about Jibble

“I use Jibble for tracking hours in my small team. I find it makes it easier for everyone to log how many hours they are working every week. I like the interface; it is clean, simple, and easy to use. I also like the way the sidebar is laid out, as it makes navigation clear and speeds up the process of figuring out how to add someone to the team or view timetables. The initial setup was very easy.” – Josh B.

“The mobile app occasionally takes a bit longer to sync data when switching networks, which can delay updates on my dashboard. It’s not a major issue, but I’d love smoother real-time syncing.” – Helena F.

7. Hubstaff: Best for remote and hybrid workers

Hubstaff is a time tracking app designed to support global, remote, hybrid, and in-office desk-based employees as well as mobile and field-based staff. With built-in productivity measurement and detailed reporting, it aims to minimize time theft and boost your team’s overall efficiency.

Key features

• Automatic time tracking based on computer usage or physical location
• Activity monitoring, including idle time detection, and app and URL tracking for desk-based employees
• Attendance management tools, such as managing requests for holiday and PTO
• Project tracking of specific tasks, projects, work orders, clients, or locations
• GPS and geofencing give live locations for field-based employees

Pros

• Strong project tracking features
• Affordable pricing for small to medium businesses
• Useful reporting tools and payroll integrations
• Valuable insights into productivity to help reduce the risk of time theft

Cons

• Some monitoring features felt a little invasive
• More setup required than a simple time tracker like Buddy Punch or Connecteam

How Hubstaff compares: If time theft is a significant concern or you need to boost productivity among remote or desk-based employees, Hubstaff’s automated time tracking and monitoring tools provide real-time data on how teams work.

However, while this transparency is helpful, in smaller teams these tools can signal a lack of trust, which can undermine motivation.

Let’s take a look at a roundup of Hubstaff’s main features.

Time tracking and timesheets

Whether employees clock in via the mobile app, desktop web interface, or Chrome extension, Hubstaff tracks the total hours worked, including overtime and breaks based on defined business rules. Managers can quickly view automated daily and weekly timesheets and make manual adjustments as needed.

Hubstaff makes it easy to track time across projects, which is helpful for remote teams. It also allows managers to set different pay rates per project, enabling them to monitor payroll costs even with a variable workload.

Productivity monitoring tools

Hubstaff’s monitoring tools automatically log keystrokes, track URLs, and take screenshots of employee activity before assigning them to core, non-core, or unproductive work. These tools also flag irregular movements that could indicate the use of mouse jigglers, key lockers, or other time theft tools.

Some of this felt a little intrusive, but it’s still completely transparent and alerts team members whenever the app takes a screenshot of their activity. It’s also possible to disable these features or restrict monitoring to specific users and projects. And when applied positively, Hubstaff’s productivity insights can help teams identify both peak efficiency periods and pressure points.

Pre-built reports

At the touch of a button, Hubstaff’s pre-built reports provide a deeper understanding of workforce behavior, including time and activity, daily totals, and the amount of pay owed. I found it easy to customize these as needed, viewing them over a specific time period or filtering by a specific project.

Integrations

Hubstaff integrates with a range of software tools for payroll, collaboration, and project management, including:

• QuickBooks
• Gusto
• Slack
• Asana
• And more

Pricing

• Starts at: $4.99 per user/month
• Free trial available: Yes (14 days)
• Free plan available: Yes (solo use only)

What users say about Hubstaff

“The best thing about Hubstaff is how easily it tracks time and activity in real-time. It provides clear visibility into team workloads. It’s simple to use and most importantly very accurate. It helps improve productivity monitoring and makes reporting effortless.” – Yugma K.

“One downside of Hubstaff is that the monitoring features can feel intrusive for some team members, especially screenshots and activity tracking. The desktop app is required for full functionality, which can be inconvenient. Customization options for reports are limited, and pricing can feel high for small teams or freelancers compared to simpler time tracking tools.” – Yukhti K.

The benefits of employee time tracking apps

Despite being a relatively small investment, a time tracking app can provide considerable benefits.

Eliminate manual timesheets and prevent payroll errors

With automated timesheets, you can wave goodbye to cumbersome manual timesheets and constantly chasing staff for updates.

Employee time tracking apps automatically log the hours (and overtime) your employees have worked over a defined payroll period. With instant, real-time calculations of their total hours and pay, there’s no need for manual calculations and no risk of rounding errors.

In most cases, anomalies, clashes, or missed clock-ins are instantly flagged to the admin and resolved long before payroll runs.

Reduce time theft

Employee time theft often flies under the radar, but even a single employee engaging in a few minutes of time theft consistently can cost your business thousands of dollars a year.

With features such as GPS tracking, geofencing, and photo clock-ins, time tracking apps can prevent buddy punching and ensure staff clock in only after they’ve physically arrived at their designated location.

For office or desk-based employees, automated time tracking tools can monitor the websites they’ve visited, identify irregular mouse movements, or even take screenshots during work hours — keeping teams focused and on-task.

Track your employees from anywhere

By providing real-time data about your workforce, most time tracking apps allow you to see who’s working, who’s clocked off, and who’s on break — even with remote, field, or hybrid teams.

These tools not only help you manage remote workforces with confidence, but they also create a valuable audit trail if there’s a dispute.

Monitor project performance and budgets

Many time tracking apps let you categorize time by client, project, or location, helping you monitor budgets, performance, and productivity. When it’s time to invoice, both you and your client will have a clear picture of exactly where the money has been spent. You can also identify productivity bottlenecks, training needs, or areas where you may have overpromised in your service-level agreements.

Support compliance

Time tracking apps provide a reliable attendance record for each employee in a single, centralized location. If necessary, you can use these records to show you’ve complied with labor laws — including ensuring rest breaks and payment of overtime.

Help plan schedules

Time tracking apps give managers greater visibility into their workforce. In addition to planning schedules and ensuring adequate coverage, time tracking apps can help identify when overtime is likely to occur — before it happens. This foresight allows you to proactively adjust schedules and keep labor costs under control.

Security features to look for in a time tracking app

When choosing a time tracking app, it’s crucial to understand how it will protect your data. You should look for tools that offer:

• Encryption: This converts your employee’s personal data into a secure, unrecognizable code.
• Multi-factor authentication: Ideally, there’s an additional layer of login verification in addition to a password.
• Role-based access: Only admins or super users have access to sensitive data on a need-to-know basis.
• Privacy policies: Providers should demonstrate compliance with applicable privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Secure data centers: Regular security audits should check for vulnerabilities.

How do employee time tracking apps prevent time theft?

Whether they’re exaggerating work hours, clocking in late, leaving early, or buddy punching (asking a colleague to clock in on their behalf), time theft can be a real challenge for businesses with remote, hybrid, or field-based employees.

The best time tracking apps can prevent time theft via the following features:

• GPS tracking that logs coordinates and provides real-time locations for your employees
• Geofencing to prevent employees from clocking in or out unless they’re physically within a defined radius of your specified locations.
• IP address locks, so desk-based employees can only clock in when connected to the company Wi-Fi.
• Face-on-punch, where the app asks for a photo or FaceID authentication upon clock-in to prevent buddy punching.

Of all the time tracking apps I’ve featured, Buddy Punch offers the most comprehensive tools to minimize time theft without compromising trust and transparency.

How to successfully implement a new time tracking app

Here are some tips to ensure the rollout of your new time tracking app goes smoothly:

• Ensure your timekeeping policy is up to date: Include paid time-off accruals, overtime rules, and breaks. Also, check that your employees understand their entitlements.
• Communicate the benefits: These range from better workforce planning to ensuring workers are paid correctly and on time.
• Slow rollout: Roll out to one team or group of employees first, gather their feedback and questions, then roll out to the rest of the business. This allows you to resolve any confusion and identify any further customization that may be necessary before it is widely adopted.
• Training: While most time tracking apps are intuitive, brief two-way training sessions can be beneficial, giving employees hands-on experience with key features. If you don’t have access to quick-start guides like those provided by Buddy Punch, you may want to create your own with basic instructions for employees to refer back to.

The bottom line on employee time tracking apps

Relying on manual processes or spreadsheets can be frustrating, with inaccurate time entries, missed punches, payroll errors, and limited visibility into attendance. Implementing an employee time tracking app can be a game-changer for businesses with deskless, remote, hybrid, hourly, or field-based staff.

The best time tracking apps can take the guesswork out of timesheets, reliably capture your team’s work hours, minimize manual corrections, and provide accurate, clear data you can trust.

Time tracking apps don’t just simplify your payroll, however. Used well, they also help you truly understand workforce productivity, monitor your labor costs, and make better scheduling decisions — all without adding unnecessary complexity.

Methodology: How I chose the apps on this list

• Verified reviews and testimonials: I analyzed customer feedback to identify pros and cons in real-world applications, including independent marketplaces such as G2 and Capterra and trusted industry forums.
• Pricing model: I considered each app’s pricing model, including free plans, free trials, and whether pricing is per-user, a fixed monthly fee, or a combination of the two. I also considered how this fee scales as your business grows and what features are included in basic plans.
• Suitability for remote users: I looked for apps that work across all industries, including those with remote, hybrid, or field-based employees, and which could handle unpredictable, non-recurring, or flexible work patterns.
• Features and functionality: I reviewed the availability of must-have features, including:
  • Clock-in and out features
  • Break/overtime tracking
  • Reporting options
  • Project/task tracking
  • Alerts and notifications
  • Payroll integrations
• Usability: I considered ease of use, required initial setup, customization options, and offline modes for locations with poor internet connectivity.