Created and launched in 2017, Clockify is a cloud-based time tracking app aimed at freelancers and teams who need to accurately track time for payroll or billing clients. Clockify is one of a broader suite of products developed by California-based CAKE.com, which also includes communication and project management tools.

In addition to time tracking, timesheets, and reporting, Clockify’s features also support paid time off (PTO) management, project tracking, and basic employee scheduling.

Consumers generally praise Clockify for its simplicity: the interface is easy to use and intuitive, even for non-technical employees. That said, many report missing features, such as payroll integration, and limited customization and flexibility for larger teams.

I wanted to try Clockify’s features for myself, so I signed up for a free seven-day trial that gave me access to all of its features. The trial helpfully came with some test data to get me started. 

Reviewing from both a manager’s and an employee’s perspective, I tested key functions across the web interface and iOS app, including time tracking, scheduling, attendance, PTO, reporting, and integrations. I also investigated pricing plans and security features. 

To learn where Clockify impressed me and which features I felt were lacking, read on for my full Clockify review.

Final verdict

Clockify is an affordable tool with reliable time tracking features and strong customer support, but it falls short in scheduling, customization, and payroll integration. While it’s a strong choice for smaller teams and freelancers, it lacks the flexibility for full workforce planning.

Total score: 3.38 / 5

(Read the full review below for more information on how each section was scored.)

Account creation and setup	4 / 5
Features	3 / 5
→ Time tracking	3.5 / 5
→ Scheduling	2.5 / 5
→ Payroll	3 / 5
→ Attendance and labor savings	2.5 / 5
→ Timesheets and payroll	3 / 5
→ Paid time off and leave	3.5 / 5
User interface and ease of use	4 / 5
Mobile app	3 / 5
Reporting	3 / 5
Help and support	5 / 5
Pricing	3.5 / 5
Integrations	3 / 5
Security	3 / 5

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Responsive 24/7 customer support via email or chat	❌ Connectivity issues with the iOS mobile app
✅ Simple, intuitive time tracker that’s ideal for non-technical staff	❌ Scheduling is basic and felt unintuitive
✅ Automated timesheets with approvals	❌ Entitlements for PTO management felt complex
✅ Basic scheduling, even on the free plan	❌ No direct payroll integration
✅ Good project tracking and invoicing tools	❌ No geofencing, facial recognition, or other time-theft prevention

Account creation and setup

Getting started with Clockify was relatively simple: I could register by email or authenticate with my Apple or Google account. I chose to use my email and was sent a six-digit verification code.

Clockify asked some basic questions about my time tracking needs, including whether I was using it for personal or team time tracking. For my review, I created a small-to-medium-sized business called Rosewood Accountancy, with 6–10 employees. 

Clockify asks you upfront what you intend to use it for — from tracking time for clients to planning team capacity, with simple checkboxes to make your choice.

Once signed up, I was met with a simple, uncluttered interface and a clear prompt to start tracking time. 

While there was no obvious setup wizard, I was able to access a help center (by clicking on the question mark icon) that included a variety of video tutorials. I was also sent “Getting Started” tips via email, with quick tutorials and a prompt to download the Clockify app. 

My workspace was automatically created on registration. There were many customization settings, including permissions, approvals, and alerts. You can also easily adjust your preferences and activate or deactivate features all in one place. 

As a manager, my first task was to invite some team members. There’s no CSV upload option for this, so I had to copy and paste email addresses in batches of five. While simple enough for my fictional small business, this could be labor-intensive for larger teams.

Despite what Clockify’s video said, I couldn’t find a way to personalize the invite. Later, I found the explanation:

“In compliance with GDPR, personal information such as name and email address can only be updated by the user. Admins and workspace owners cannot modify this information on behalf of other team members.”

That makes sense, but the conflicting guidance had me running around for a while.

 Overall verdict: 4 / 5

While the getting started email and help center were helpful, Clockify was missing some features found in other time tracking tools I’ve reviewed, such as the ability to add employees in bulk. Additionally, the conflicting instructions I found in some of their documentation left me looking around for a while for features that didn’t actually exist in the platform.

Time tracking

Clockify offers a simple time tracking tool accessible via a Mac or Windows web browser, a web app, a browser extension, or the Google or iOS app. Helpfully, time can be assigned to specific projects or tasks. 

I tested this feature as an employee and from a manager’s perspective, observing the time my team had tracked. 

Time tracking with Clockify for managers 

From the dashboard view, managers can easily see who’s currently clocked in and their total hours tracked for the week. I liked that projects are color-coded; I could see at a glance what my team was working on. 

On the Pro or Enterprise plans, Clockify also includes GPS tracking, logging employees’ locations when they start or stop the timer, or creating breadcrumbs of their journey if they move more than 500 meters. For my privacy, I’ve zoomed right out here, but I found the location tracking to be extremely accurate, recording right down to my house number. 

However, unlike other time tracking apps I’ve tested, such as Buddy Punch, Clockify doesn’t offer geofencing, which is disappointing. During testing, I was able to clock in despite still being on the school run — more than a mile away from my office. While Clockify recorded my “off-site” location, it didn’t prevent me from clocking in, which could result in time theft. It also doesn’t alert a manager if someone clocks in late. 

GPS data is only held for seven days, so it’s useful for managers only as a short-term tracking tool. Although it’s on Clockify’s roadmap, there’s currently no option to have employees take a selfie at clock-in — a feature offered by several competitors to prevent buddy punching.

Time tracking with Clockify for employees 

Clockify makes time tracking really simple for employees. There are two main options: timer or manual mode. 

Timer mode

I found the timer mode on the desktop site very intuitive. There’s a big Start/Stop button at the top of the page, plus a free-text box to describe what I was working on. You can also add tags, mark tasks as billable, and assign time to a specific project. 

I liked how the Clockify tab showed with a red icon while the timer was running — a visual reminder so I didn’t forget to clock out. 

I was surprised that the timer could be started without any details but was glad to learn that a task and a project were mandatory when saving my entry. Once the timer was stopped, Clockify automatically added a record to my timesheet.

Manual mode

The manual time entry option was useful, handy if you forget to start your timer or need to record past work. However, it does require some trust. During testing, I was able to add a manual task well in advance, recording a 3.30–5 p.m. task at precisely 3.30 p.m. This could be misused, so managers concerned about time theft may be wary of manual mode, especially as you can only deactivate it in the Pro plan.

Although it’s only available on paid plans, I appreciated that you can split time entries (when a Project A meeting falls in between Project B work) and even track breaks to demonstrate your compliance with state rest and meal break laws. 

Time tracking on the app

While I was impressed with time tracking in the web browser, I had mixed results with tracking time in the mobile app (an issue regularly reported by other users). 

A simple “Play” icon starts and stops the timer. I could see a clear summary of my weekly timesheet and easily submit it for review — so far, so good. I also loved the addition of a Pomodoro timer, which supports periods of focused work followed by short breaks. 

However, I did leave my timer “accidentally” running, and with no visible sign that it was active, users may easily forget to clock out.

I also frequently received an “unstable internet connection” message, despite a 422 Mbps Wi-Fi connection. While Clockify’s offline mode can synchronize data later, it did make me question how reliable the app would be on 4G or in remote locations.

 Overall verdict: 3.5 / 5

Overall, I found Clockify’s time tracking tools simple to use, with helpful features such as manual time tracking, task splitting, and a Pomodoro mode to aid focus. 

The app felt less reliable than the web browser, however. I encountered several connectivity issues during testing, despite having a reliable internet connection. 

Managers can manually monitor who’s clocked in, but for greater control over field workers’ locations, you may want to try a Clockify alternative. 

Scheduling 

Even on the free plan, Clockify includes a basic scheduling tool to help manage capacity, projects, and workforce planning.

With multiple steps to follow, however, I didn’t find this feature very intuitive and needed to watch a step-by-step guide when doing this for the first time. 

Clockify scheduling for managers

To schedule in Clockify, you first need to set up daily capacity for each team member, noting their week start, working days, and daily capacity in hours. This is a manual task, and I couldn’t see a way to do this in bulk.

If you haven’t already done so, you also need to create your projects, add individual tasks, and add “members” to whom project tasks can be assigned. 

Once this initial preparation was complete, creating an assignment was relatively straightforward. After selecting a team member, I completed a basic form to assign the task, time period, number of hours per day, and, if relevant, a start time.

I liked how the hours per day turned red if I over-allocated a member’s daily hours, immediately highlighting that I’d be paying overtime.

For convenience, I was also able to repeat the assignment weekly for as long as I chose.

The schedule view is clear, if a little too spaced-out for my liking. You can move shifts by dragging and dropping them and even integrate with Outlook or Google Calendar to pull in existing commitments and prevent clashes. Booked time off also pulls through to this calendar view, making it clear when alternative coverage is needed.

You can also easily shift the entire timeline (for all members) if circumstances change and quickly copy schedules and apply them to another user to save time.

Once published, notifications are sent to all users immediately.

It’s worth noting that this all has to be done on the web browser, however. Frustratingly, managers can’t create or edit schedules via the app. 

Clockify scheduling for employees 

During my testing, I set up an assignment for my test employee, and an app notification and email were sent almost instantly.

However, I couldn’t see a weekly view in the calendar, so I had to scroll through to find my new assignment. 

For recurring shifts, you also receive only one notification. I’d have loved to have seen a reminder when my assignment was approaching. Despite this missing feature, I was impressed that you can start the timer or create a time entry directly from the assignment in your calendar.

Verdict: 2.5 / 5

Clockify’s basic scheduling tool is ideal for team and project managers to assign tasks and block out time, but in my opinion, it doesn’t go far enough for complete shift building. While assignments are adjustable, there are no shift templates or shift-swapping features like those in Buddy Punch. As such, I feel Clockify is less suitable for teams that require repetitive shifts and complete employee flexibility.

Attendance tracking and labor cost management

Clockify has various tools to help manage attendance and labor costs, though I felt it could improve in this area.

Credit where credit’s due: Although it’s basic, Clockify’s scheduling tool provides a clear visual overview of your workforce’s availability. During allocation, hours turn red if your assignment would put an employee in overtime, prompting managers to reallocate or adjust their hours as needed. 

I also appreciated the detailed time reports and alerts when a project met 50% of its estimate. This not only helps set client expectations but also allows you to readjust workloads, change schedules, or even rescope tasks if needed. 

Now for the not-so-good. While you can track breaks manually in Clockify, there’s no automatic break tracking, and nothing limits how long breaks can be. 

I didn’t find any shift-based rules for clock-in, either. And, as I noted during testing, Clockify doesn’t prevent employees from clocking in before their shift start time or from recording hours long before they’ve worked them.

While admins can enable idle detection and screenshots on higher-priced plans, there are no employee accountability measures, such as geofencing, auto clock-out, or photo authentication. This can leave businesses vulnerable to time theft, especially with field-based employees.

Verdict: 2.5 / 5

While managers can filter reports and set alerts to check capacity, see overtime risks, and track costs, Clockify lacks some of the break, shift, and location restrictions I found in competitive time trackers, all of which could help keep project and labor costs under control.

Timesheets and payroll

While Clockify doesn’t offer direct payroll integration, its automated timesheets can easily generate accurate invoices for clients. Employees and managers can also check pending and submitted timesheets in real time via the app or browser.

Clockify timesheets for employees 

Using time tracking data, Clockify automatically records hours in a clearly laid-out timesheet ready for manager approval.

I like how you can also add time to the timesheet directly if time has been missed, such as for an unplanned meeting or an out-of-hours call.

I also appreciated that you could create editable templates — a big time saver if you regularly do the same tasks each week. Once I was happy with my timesheet (editing if required), I could submit it for approval at the touch of a button: weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly, based on business rules. 

Clockify timesheets for managers

Processing timesheets as a team manager was simple. I could approve them in bulk or individually via the approvals tab on the left-hand menu. I was also able to reject timesheets and leave a note for the employee.

As admin, I liked that you could send reminders to all staff to submit their timesheets or prompt team managers to approve them if there was a delay. A handy archive also keeps a log of all approved timesheets, with a clear audit trail of all changes made in case of a dispute.

When managing multiple clients, the invoicing tool was particularly useful. I could quickly invoice for a specified duration or project and adjust the level of detail to my client’s preferences, providing high-level totals or a detailed breakdown of the time spent on each individual task.

Invoices can be sent directly from Clockify or downloaded for manual email sending.  

Unlike Clockify’s competitors, however, I was disappointed that there’s no direct payroll integration. As such, managers need to export timesheet data to a CSV or Excel file to process payroll. 

Verdict: 3 / 5

Clockify’s timesheets are clear and editable, automatically populating with tracked time. The approval process is simple and intuitive, with useful reminders and alerts for all users. Invoicing clients is straightforward, but the platform doesn’t offer integrated payroll. 

PTO tracking

Clockify doesn’t offer PTO tracking on the free plan, so you’ll need a paid subscription (standard or higher) to manage requests for vacation, unpaid leave, or maternity leave.

Clockify PTO and leave from a manager’s perspective 

Tracking requests for paid time off and vacation in Clockify was straightforward on both the web browser and mobile app. However, I did need to create a time off policy first, outlining my business’s leave rules, including:

• How leave is accrued
• If half-day bookings are allowed
• If negative balances are allowed
• Approval permissions 

Because policies are based on accrued leave, you can’t simply add a total number of days, e.g., 25 days per year, which did take some getting used to. 

For part-time employees or employees with flexible working arrangements, Clockify still requires some manual (and potentially complex) calculations to allocate entitlements — something even experienced managers may find challenging. This is disappointing compared to other time tracking tools like Buddy Punch, which offer fixed PTO balances or accruals. 

That said, I could create policies for all leave types, including vacation, sick, and parental leave, each with a unique icon. I was even able to apply different amounts of holiday to certain groups (perhaps based on length-of-service increments).

In the time-off menu on the left-hand side, managers can view leave requests and filter by pending, approved, and rejected. I also appreciated the timeline tab, which shows leave requests clearly on a visual calendar. With other team members’ leave already populated, I could easily check team coverage before approving. 

Leave could be approved with a single click. Managers can also reject leave or request edits if the dates don’t work entirely. For transparency and morale, I liked that Clockify asks managers to provide a reason when declining leave. 

More importantly, Clockify keeps a history of all leave requests, even those you decline. This audit trail could be helpful if any attendance challenges occur.

Managers can manually add or deduct leave for users at any time (with a mandatory explanation), but unlike Buddy Punch, there are no auto-rollover rules built in. This could result in a big manual task at the end of each year. 

Clockify PTO and leave from the employees’ perspective

Once policies are created and assigned, booking leave is stress-free, even on the app. 

I quickly checked my accrued, taken, and available leave before completing a simple request form. I could check the timeline and my team’s availability before making a request, minimising the risk of a holiday being declined.

I did have to select a policy, which seemed odd, so these must be clearly named to prevent confusion or delay.

Verdict: 3.5 / 5

Overall, requesting, approving, and rejecting PTO on Clockify is straightforward. Managers have a clear view of availability, and crucially, employees can keep track of their balances in real time. That said, the accrual method for leave policies is less flexible than I’d like, making allowance setting feel overly complex. 

Reporting

For at-a-glance data, Clockify’s dashboard was my first point of call, with clear visuals to track time and project progress.

Clockify also has several ready-made reports, including:

• Time
  • Summary
  • Detailed
  • Weekly
  • Shared
• Attendance
  • Attendance
  • Assignments
• Expenses

I found the time summary reports particularly useful, showing at a high level the time tracked per project, client, or task over a week, month, or time period of your choice.

If I needed more detail, I clicked on Clockify’s detailed reports. These dug a little deeper into the data, allowing me to view time entries one by one or filter to show data for a single employee or team. 

In terms of effort, all the reports require extensive filtering and aren’t fully customizable. I’d have loved to be able to save a report with selected filters enabled, ready for the next time I used it. 

Despite some limitations, the option to export data to CSV or Excel was helpful, allowing me to modify the report structure, further manipulate it, and create additional charts if required. 

Verdict: 3 / 5 

Most information is retrievable from Clockify, but it takes patience to get there. Visuals are clear and helpful in demonstrating project progress; I just wish there were more customization tools or the option to create reusable report templates.

User interface

Clockify’s web interface is clear and uncluttered, and I found the blue-and-white color scheme inoffensive and clean. Aside from the quick flash of a “please wait a moment” icon when switching between menus and filters, I experienced no bugs or loading issues with the web interface.

The capitalized left-hand menu was intuitive and easy to navigate, even for those new to time tracking tools. You can filter almost any view to drill down to the specific details.

I appreciated the color-coded projects on the main dashboard and the ability to pin the Team Activities overview to the top of the page. 

If I had to criticize anything, it’s that some screens feel too spaced out — I’d prefer a more compressed view to minimise scrolling, especially with larger teams. 

Verdict: 4 / 5

Clockify has a modern, clean, and uncluttered interface that’s simple and intuitive for new users. 

Clockify’s mobile app

As mentioned earlier, I experienced some connectivity issues with the Clockify app, so offline mode (when enabled) is a bonus. This automatically syncs your data once you’re back online, ensuring nothing is lost.

I found the app very easy to navigate. As an employee, I could track time, view my timesheet, calendar, and schedule, request leave, and even submit expenses for approval. 

I liked receiving a notification when my schedule was published or updated. However, there was no option to decline a schedule or even outline my availability. That means workers will be stuck sending emails or text messages to managers, which can get messy. 

While managers can view, approve, or decline time-off requests on the app, they can’t approve timesheets or set schedules on the fly — which is a tad disappointing.

Unlike many simple tracking apps, however, you’ll still find basic reporting in the app, helping managers quickly track project progress even when they’re away from their desks.

Verdict: 3 / 5

A simplified version of the web browser, Clockify’s mobile app is easy to use. It could be better for managers, however, as it lacks some scheduling and timesheet features. 

Help and support

In addition to a detailed Help Center, Clockify offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat.
I reached out with an email query on a Monday evening, and I received a response 35 minutes later. The tone was polite, and while it could have been AI, it felt very personal, with a named agent resolving my query and using appropriate signposting. Clockify didn’t offer the feature I was inquiring about but offered to escalate my request and add the suggestion to their roadmap.

I also tested the out-of-hours response by filling in the Contact Us form on a Saturday afternoon, and surprisingly, the response was even faster — just 16 minutes.

Live chat, however, was by far the most efficient response. A chatbot passed me to an agent, and they replied within a minute.

On paid plans, you can even access a dedicated success manager (subject to a minimum number of users), who will provide personalized consultations and a concierge service.

Verdict: 5 / 5

I had a really positive experience with Clockify’s customer support, with multiple contact methods and impressive response times, even outside of standard hours.

Pricing

Clockify offers five paid pricing tiers, as well as a free basic plan for up to five users that’s ideal for freelancers and personal time tracking.

	Free	Basic	Standard	Pro	Enterprise	Cake.com bundle
Price per user/month billed monthly	$0	$4.99	$6.99	$9.99	$14.99	$15.99
Price per user/month billed annually	$0	$3.99	$5.49	$7.99	$11.99	$12.99
Example: 25 users, monthly	N/A	$124.75	$174.75	$249.75	$374.75	$399.75
Example: 25 users, annually	N/A	$99.75	$137.25	$199.75	$299.75	$324.75
Example: 60 users, monthly	N/A	$299.40	$419.40	$599.40	$899.40	$959.40
Example: 60 users, annually	N/A	$239.40	$329.40	$479.40	$719.40	$779.40

If you’d like to try before you buy, you can also get a free seven-day trial with access to all features and optional test data.

Verdict: 3.5 / 5

Compared to competitors like Toggl Track and Timely, Clockify is an affordable choice, especially when paid annually. However, if you’re a small or medium-sized business seeking value for money, time tracking apps like Buddy Punch offer more flexible scheduling, better attendance management tools, and time-theft prevention for a similar price.

Integrations

Clockify integrates with over 100 different email, project management, and customer relationship management (CRM) software tools, including:

• Asana
• Trello
• Gitlab
• Monday
• Google Docs
• Airtable
• Gmail
• Salesforce and more

Using Clockify’s browser extension, you can also start timers directly in apps you already use, pulling time data through automatically to your Clockify timesheet. 

Verdict: 3 / 5

While there’s no doubt these integrations are helpful, particularly when managing multiple projects, they are more related to productivity than payroll.

Unlike Buddy Punch, there’s no direct payroll integration, so you need to export timesheets in CSV or XLS format and upload them into your payroll system. 

Security 

Reassuringly, Clockify offers strong security features to keep your team’s personal data safe.

Hosted on secure Amazon Web Services, Clockify uses industry-standard 256-bit SSL encryption — the same level used by most banks and financial institutions.

For an extra layer of security, Clockify can be set up with two-factor authentication, sending an additional verification code to users as they log in. 

In the Enterprise plan, you can even set up single sign-on, allowing your teams to log in to all your business systems with just one username and password. 

In my workforce settings, I was also able to set a variety of permissions, creating different user types with defined visibility. For example, I limited employees to seeing only their own rates and time data, while managers could view timesheets of all the people in their team.

Clockify also takes users’ privacy seriously. It complies with GDPR legislation, which means users can update their personal data at any time. Consent for GPS tracking is also required, with location data automatically deleted after seven days.

Where Clockify falls down is in its lack of security against time theft. There are no geofencing capabilities or auto clock-outs, and the lack of photo verification leaves businesses open to buddy punching. 

Verdict: 3 / 5

Clockify’s data security stacks up against the best time tracking tools, but it could do more to address time theft. 

Methodology: How I tested Clockify

As an HR professional, I’ve used several time tracking tools throughout my career, along with broader HR information systems to manage paid time off. 

To thoroughly test all Clockify’s features, I signed up for a free seven-day trial. I accessed Clockify via the web browser on a Mac and the iOS app. 

In addition to accessing Clockify’s test data, I created manager and employee accounts to provide insights from both perspectives.

I watched hours of demos and training videos in the Clockify Help Center and reached out to customer support with genuine questions to clarify my understanding. 

I worked through all of Clockify’s key features, snapping screenshots and scribbling down notes based on my experience.

As an impartial writer, I ensured a fair and honest assessment, highlighting both the positives and negatives of my Clockify experience throughout.