Time Tracking Software For Project Manager (8 Options)

A time tracking software for project managers is a specialized computer application or tool designed to help project managers monitor and record the amount of time spent on various tasks, projects, and activities. 

These software solutions enable project managers to track the time invested by themselves and their team members, providing insights into employee productivity, task completion rates, and resource management. 

Time tracking apps often include features such as manual time entry, automated timers, reporting, integration with project management tools, and the ability to generate detailed analyses of time usage for improved project planning and decision-making.

Time tracking software can help project managers address various challenges and improve project management processes. 

Here are the top three issues that project managers can tackle using time tracking software:

1. Resource Allocation: Time tracking software provides project managers with real-time insights into how team members are allocating their time. This helps in distributing tasks and workloads more efficiently and ensuring that resources are utilized effectively.

2. Project Planning: Time tracking data helps project managers estimate how much time specific tasks or projects are likely to take. This aids in creating more accurate project timelines, setting realistic goals, and avoiding overcommitting or missing deadlines.

3. Remote Work Management: With the rise of remote and distributed teams, time tracking software helps project managers monitor the activities of remote workers and ensure they are contributing effectively to projects.

What To Look For In A Project Management Time Tracking Software?

When choosing a project management time tracking software, there are several important factors to consider to ensure that it meets the needs of your project and team.  Here’s a list of key features and considerations to look for. 👉 Ease of Use: The software should be user-friendly and intuitive for both project managers and team members to use without requiring extensive training. ⏰ Time Tracking Methods: Look for software that offers various methods for tracking time, such as manual entry, automated timers, and integration with other tools you may already be using. 📊 Task and Project Tracking: The software should allow you to associate time entries with specific tasks or projects. This helps to track progress of each project and understand where time is being spent. 📈 Reporting and Analytics: Robust reporting features are essential. The software should provide detailed insights into time usage, task completion rates, project progress, and other relevant metrics. 🔌 Integration: Check if the software integrates with your existing project management tools, communication platforms (like Slack, Jira, etc), and other software used in your workflow (like spreadsheets or Kanban boards). This streamlines data sharing and minimizes the need for duplicate data entry. 📱 Mobile Accessibility: A mobile app (Android or iOS) or responsive web interface is important for remote and on-the-go teams. This allows team members to keep track of time from anywhere. 🤝 Collaboration Features: If you work in a team, the software should support collaboration by allowing team members to see each other’s time entries, communicate within the platform, and share progress updates. 👥 Client Access: If you need to share time tracking information with clients, look for software that allows you to grant controlled access to clients or external stakeholders. 🎨 Customization: The ability to customize time tracking categories, labels, and settings can help tailor the software to your specific project needs. 🌐 Offline Mode: Some projects may require time tracking in environments with limited or no internet access. In such cases, having an offline mode can be beneficial. 🔐 Privacy and Security: Ensure that the software complies with data privacy regulations and provides adequate security features to protect sensitive time tracking information. 🛠️ Support and Updates: Look for software that offers reliable customer support and regular updates to ensure that any issues are addressed promptly and the software remains up-to-date. 🔍 Trial Period: Many software options offer a trial period. Take advantage of this to assess whether the software meets your needs before committing to a subscription.

Time Tracking Software For Project Manager

• Buddy Punch
• Timely
• Insightful
• When I Work
• Timecamp
• Wrike
• ClickUp
• Clockify

1. Buddy Punch

Buddy Punch is a cloud-based time tracking tool that equips project managers with the tools they need to encourage accountability across organizations.

No matter the size of your workforce, Buddy Punch can enable project managers to quickly collect time reports and keep track of individual employee performance. 

This solution is ideal for organizations looking for new ways to promote team accountability.

How Buddy Punch’s Time Tracking Software Works

Our time tracking application enables you to dramatically simplify project management time tracking and seamlessly track project progress, no matter where your employees are working. 

Regardless of the devices employees are using, we make it easy for you to keep a close eye on their progress. This project time tracker will take employee progress to the next level.

Built-In Notifications For Project Managers

With built-in notifications for project managers on project progress, team leaders are kept in the loop at all times. Buddy Punch gives project managers access to dashboards designed to instantly offer snapshots of employee progress. 

With Buddy Punch in your corner, it’s never been easier to streamline project planning and track employee progress in real time.

Punch In And Out With Webcams

When an employee punches in or out, Buddy Punch’s webcam feature will automatically take a photo of the employee. 

Project managers and team leaders can instantly take a look at their time clock dashboards to see who has punched in. 

While this feature is entirely optional, many organizations feel facial recognition adds an extra layer of security to punching in and out.

GPS Tracking For Complete Transparency

By using Buddy Punch’s GPS feature, you can see where your team members are in real time. 

As part of the platform’s efforts to centralize data and streamline workflows, you can view each employee’s location by viewing your dashboard or taking a look through an employee’s time card. 

When employees are on the clock, it’s now never been easier to see where they are.

Deadline Management For Improved Efficiency

Buddy Punch allows project managers to set specific deadlines for tasks and projects within the software. 

These deadlines are associated with the time-tracking functionality, creating a comprehensive tool for managing not only time but also task completion timelines like setting up due dates. 

Here’s how project managers can benefit from this feature:

1. Task Prioritization: Project managers can assign deadlines to tasks based on their importance and urgency. This helps in prioritizing tasks and ensuring that critical tasks are completed on time.
2. Real-Time Tracking: As team members track their time using Buddy Punch, the software also monitors the progress of tasks against their set deadlines. Project managers can view real-time updates on how tasks are progressing and whether they’re on track to meet the specified deadlines.
3. Efficient Planning: By setting and visualizing deadlines within Buddy Punch, project managers can create more accurate project timelines and schedules. This leads to better planning and coordination of tasks, reducing the chances of bottlenecks or missed deadlines.

Resource Scheduling For a Better Workload Ratio

Resource scheduling involves assigning tasks and projects to team members in a way that optimizes their skills, availability, and capacity. It aims to distribute workloads evenly to prevent overburdening certain individuals while underutilizing others.

On the other hand, workload ratio refers to the balance of tasks and projects assigned to each team member. A balanced workload ensures that no one is overwhelmed with excessive tasks, while others have insufficient work. 

Achieving a better workload ratio leads to improved productivity, reduced stress, and higher job satisfaction among team members.

How Buddy Punch Helps!

1. Availability Tracking: The software enables project managers to view team members’ availability in real-time. This helps in making informed decisions when assigning tasks, ensuring that work is allocated to those who can take it on.
2. Skill Matching: Project managers can use Buddy Punch to match tasks with team members possessing the relevant skills. This ensures that tasks are delegated to individuals who can complete them efficiently, reducing the likelihood of errors and delays.
3. Time Tracking: Buddy Punch’s time tracking feature provides insights into how much time team members are spending on tasks. This data helps project managers assess whether workloads are balanced or if adjustments are needed.
4. Flexible Project Scheduling: Buddy Punch allows project managers to create flexible work schedules, accommodating part-time, full-time, and remote workers. This flexibility contributes to better workload management.

Team Engagement and Collaboration

While Buddy Punch is primarily known as a time tracking software, it can also provide tools to enhance team interactions and cooperation. 

Buddy Punch can facilitate better communication by allowing team members to communicate within the platform. Project managers can share updates, task instructions, and important announcements related to projects. 

This transparency ensures that everyone is on the same page and reduces misunderstandings.

Upon taking Buddy Punch for a test drive and exploring the broad range of useful features offered by our time tracking platform, we recommend reading through the documentation on our “Knowledge Base” – which is home to an extensive range of helpful resources on how to hit the ground running with Buddy Punch. Our support team is also always on hand and ready to help.

You can book a one-on-one personalized demo here.

Buddy Punch Provides Project Managers WIth Many Other Useful Features

The best bit? That’s just the start! This is far more than just a project management tool. Buddy Punch also comes with the following features:

• Employee Scheduling
• Overtime Calculations
• Multiple Punch and Login Options
• Adding, Editing, or Deleting Punches

And so much more. (Click here to explore our comprehensive feature list.)

Pros

• Excellent time tracking
• Easy customization
• Simple interface
• Useful Reports

Cons

• Didn’t find any 

Buddy Punch’s Online Reviews

As of the writing date, Buddy Punch has 4.8 out of 5 stars and 673 reviews on Capterra.

Below, we’ll list just a few reviews that speak to Buddy Punch’s ease of use and great customer support service. (Click here to explore the full list of reviews.)

As reviewers have noted, Buddy Punch takes the hassle out of project management and gives team leaders the tools they need to promote team accountability:

“The thing I like most about the software is the geographical location requirement. Every time you punch in/out it shows your employer your location. Making time clock fraud one less worry as a business owner and the employee more responsible about time maintenance because you cannot get paid if you are not physically at work.”

Click here to read the full review.

“My staff loves that the software works seamlessly and I love the easy payroll reporting process. Best of all, when I have a question, Buddy Punch really listens and always walks me through the answer or offers to help themselves.”

Click here to read the full review.

“Overall, it’s a great app! I was able to easily navigate the app and desktop app. The guys were able to easily use it! It was much more efficient than the handwritten timesheets we have been using.”

Click here to read the full review.

“This software has accomplished what we were hoping for – punching in and out when on site. We are a custom fab shop, so we use a lot of job codes and the software is easy to use. We eliminated paper tallies which over the course of a year’s time has saved us payroll in regards to employee rounding time on timesheets. I am able to access all the information even when I am on the road, so I am always in the loop on attendance and who is working on what projects.”

Click here to read the full review.

Try Buddy Punch for Free  

If you feel that Buddy Punch might be the right fit for your business, sign up for a free trial. You can also book a one-on-one demo, or view a pre-recorded demo video.

2. Timely

Timely is an automated time tracking platform designed to remove administrative tasks from your workflows and focus project managers on supporting their teams. With a full range of project management features to support your workflows, Timely enables you to keep a close eye on project workflows and hold individuals accountable for their work.

At the time of writing, Timely has a total of 207 reviews on Capterra, with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Some of its key features include:

• Automatic Time Tracking
• Project and Team Planning
• Team Time Management
• Project Time Management
• App Integrations

Pros

• Simple user interface
• Can easily add team members
• Compatible with various popular devices
• Easy task scheduling

Cons

• Very slow customer support

“I use Timely across 3 platforms – iPhone, iPad, Mac – and all work seamlessly to keep track of my billable (and unbillable) hours. The interfaces are simple to understand and use, and I’m much more confident in my recorded time than with other methods I’ve used. I appreciate how hard the Timely team works to add features to the product, and the company is responsive to my questions.”

Click here to read the full review.

3. Insightful

Insightful is employee monitoring software that offers real-time insights into how employees are spending their time. If you want to get more out of your team and need to see where things are going wrong, Insightful delivers a complete picture. Fortunately, the pricing plans offer a free trial so your team can take Insightful for a spin without any commitments.

At the time of writing, Insightful has a total of 47 reviews on Capterra, with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Some of its key features include:

• Employee Monitoring
• Time Tracking
• Automatic Time Mapping
• Screenshots

Pros

• Excellent reporting abilities
• Flexible scheduling
• Easy time-off management

Cons

• A bit slow customer support
• Do not provide access from mobile browsers

“I love the ability to monitor the productivity of the team, particularly with flexible working options. This doesn’t mean we micromanage our team but instead, it allows us to better manage our workforce and understand their workloads.”

Click here to read the full review.

4. When I Work

For accurate clocking, When I Work uses GPS technology to precisely track employee working hours. This time clock software is remarkably easy to use and comes with a broad range of features, including team messaging. 

From attendance tracking to cross-team communication, When I Work centralizes many different aspects of team productivity. 

At the time of writing, When I Work has a total of 924 reviews on Capterra, with an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Some of its key features include:

• Employee Scheduling
• Employee Time Clock
• Timesheets
• Team Messaging

Pros

• Let attorneys communicate with administrators easily
• Easily request time off
• Perfect drag-and-drop scheduling

Cons

• Limited reporting 
• A bit slow customer support

“My overall experience has been great with this clock app. It has many great features, Employees can easily view their work schedules and clock in and out from a mobile device. The HR department can easily find attendance sheet & create payroll by this software.”

Click here to read the full review.

5. TimeCamp

TimeCamp is a one-click time tracker. This makes it easy for team members to open up the application on their devices and begin working – without any distractions. For project managers, TimeCamp presents real-time data in an easy-to-navigate dashboard. At a glance, you can quickly gain an understanding of how long employees are spending on different apps.

At the time of writing, TimeCamp has a total of 552 reviews on Capterra, with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. TimeCamp comes with the following features:

• Automatic Time Tracking
• Timesheet Approvals
• Attendance Tracking
• Time Tracking Reports
• Productivity Tracking
• Custom Billing Rates
• Easy Invoicing

Pros

• Effective integrations with other productivity tools 
• Invoicing tools to streamline tracking billable hours on hourly rates
• Detailed reports

Cons

• Free plans do not include any integration
• The mobile app is hard to use
• The manual time tracker has glitches

“I’ve been using TimeCamp as an extension to Trello and it’s made life so much easier. I can track time on a project at the click of a button and stop that timer in the very same way.”

Click here to read the full review.

6. Wrike

Wrike stands out as an excellent time tracking software for project managers due to its robust features designed to streamline project management, enhance team collaboration, and improve overall efficiency. 

With its user-friendly interface and customizable workflows, Wrike seamlessly integrates time tracking into project management processes. 

Project managers can effortlessly monitor task progress, allocate resources (whether in-house employees or freelancers) effectively, and make informed decisions based on accurate time data.

Additionally, Wrike’s reporting and analytics capabilities empower project managers to generate detailed insights, enabling them to optimize resource planning, address inefficiencies, and refine project strategies. 

By incorporating time tracking directly into its project management features, Wrike facilitates better communication, informed decision-making, and the successful execution of projects.

At the time of writing, Wrike has a total of 2,454 reviews on Capterra, with an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars. Wrike comes with the following features:

• Initiate Work
• Structure Work
• Collaborate
• Report and analyze
• Integrations and automation

Pros

• Ticket submission
• Campaign organization

Cons

• The user interface could be made better
• Gantt chart could be better

7. ClickUp

ClickUp is an exceptional time tracking software for project managers due to its robust features designed to streamline project management and enhance time tracking capabilities. 

As an all-in-one project management solution, ClickUp integrates time tracking seamlessly into its platform, making it convenient and efficient for project managers to monitor tasks, allocate resources, and manage team productivity. 

The software’s user-friendly interface and diverse features make it a powerful tool for project managers seeking comprehensive time tracking and project management capabilities.

At the time of writing, ClickUp has a total of 3,778 reviews on Capterra, with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. ClickUp comes with the following features:

• Task Management
• Team Collaboration
• Customization (custom fields, statuses, assignees, filters, hotkeys, etc.)
• 2-Way Calendar Sync
• Link To Comments

Pros

• Easy to use
• User payload data 

Cons

• Needs training to use because of its complexity 

8. Clockify

Clockify stands as an exceptional time tracking software for project managers due to its comprehensive set of features designed to enhance project efficiency, streamline workflow, and provide valuable insights. 

Its user-friendly interface allows project managers to effortlessly track time spent on various tasks and projects, enabling accurate performance evaluation and informed decision-making. 

Clockify’s robust reporting capabilities offer project managers a detailed overview of time allocation, helping them optimize resource distribution and refine project timelines. 

Its integration with project management tools further fosters seamless collaboration and enhances task visibility, making Clockify an indispensable tool for project managers seeking enhanced productivity and precise project management.

At the time of writing, Clockify has a total of 4,611 reviews on Capterra, with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Clockify comes with the following features:

• Time Tracker
• Timesheet
• Calendar
• Integrations
• Reportings
• Time Off
• Expenses

Pros

• Offers great project management 
• Easy to use for beginners

Cons

• The refund policy is confusing
• The desktop app has some issues with opening webpages

What Is Project Time Tracking?

Project time tracking refers to the practice of recording and monitoring the amount of time spent on various tasks, activities, and projects within a professional services setting. 

It involves systematically tracking the time that individuals or teams allocate to specific tasks, to gain insights into how time is utilized, managing workloads, improving efficiency, and facilitating more accurate project planning and management.

Project time tracking typically involves the use of software tools or applications that allow individuals to input their work hours manually or automatically through timers. 

The data collected through time tracking helps project managers, team leaders, and employees to:

1. Monitor Progress: Time tracking provides visibility into the progress of tasks and projects. Managers can see how much time has been spent on each task and how close they are to completion.
2. Project Budgeting: For projects with budget constraints, tracking time helps in managing project costs and preventing budget overruns.
3. Performance Evaluation: Time tracking data can be used to evaluate individual and team performance, allowing for more objective assessments and feedback.
4. Task Prioritization: Understanding how time is spent helps in identifying which tasks are consuming more time than anticipated, leading to better task prioritization.
5. Project Planning: Historical time tracking data aids in creating more accurate project timelines and estimates for similar tasks in the future.
6. Decision Making: Data from time tracking can guide decision-making by providing insights into workflow efficiency and areas for improvement.
7. Client Communication: Accurate time tracking data helps in providing clients with transparent updates on task progress and project milestones.
8. Process Optimization: Analyzing time tracking data can reveal inefficiencies in processes and workflows, leading to process improvements.

Which Project Management Time Tracking Software Is Best For Project Managers?

When it comes to project management time tracking software, Buddy Punch stands out as an exceptional choice for project managers who are looking to enhance efficiency, streamline collaboration, and gain valuable insights into their team’s productivity. 

Here’s why Buddy Punch is the best time tracking software for project managers:

Sure, here are the points with emojis added:

🌟 User-Friendly Interface: Buddy Punch offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface that ensures a smooth onboarding process for both project managers and team members. Its easy navigation makes it an ideal choice for teams of all sizes.

⏱️ Accurate Time Tracking: With Buddy Punch, project managers can accurately track time spent on various tasks and projects. This precision ensures that project timelines are well-managed, leading to better planning and resource allocation.

📊 Comprehensive Reporting: Buddy Punch provides detailed and insightful reports that help project managers analyze time data effectively. These reports empower project managers to make informed decisions about task priorities, resource allocation, and process improvements.

🤝 Collaboration Features: While primarily a time tracking software, Buddy Punch recognizes the importance of collaboration. It allows team members to communicate within the platform, facilitating better task coordination and fostering a sense of teamwork.

🌐 Remote Work Support: In today’s remote work landscape, Buddy Punch is designed to accommodate the needs of distributed teams. It ensures that remote team members can easily track their time, improving overall project coordination.

🎨 Customization: Recognizing that every project and team is unique, Buddy Punch offers customization options to adapt to your specific workflow. This flexibility ensures that the software aligns perfectly with your project management needs.

💼 Client-Friendly: For projects involving client billing, Buddy Punch’s accurate time tracking enables seamless invoicing based on billable hours, promoting transparency and professionalism.

💰 Cost-Effective: Buddy Punch offers value for its features, making it an affordable option for project managers who want a comprehensive time tracking solution without breaking the bank.

🔧 Excellent Support: The Buddy Punch team provides reliable customer support to assist with any questions or issues that may arise during implementation or day-to-day usage.

FAQs

Try Buddy Punch for Free  

If you feel that Buddy Punch could be the right fit for your business, sign up for a free trial. You can also book a one-on-one demo, or view a pre-recorded demo video.

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