Ditch the ever-expanding spreadsheet in favor of a slick time reporting app that employees love to use. There are some impressive solutions out there, so keep reading for our top 10 choices. 

Using a digital tool for time reporting is one of the easiest ways to simplify payroll and billing, while at the same time reducing costs and increasing productivity. It’s great for both managers and workers, and can help ensure tasks are completed on-time and within budget. On the flip side, tracking employee hours using a spreadsheet is inefficient, costly, and prone to error.

The best time reporting apps allow employees to clock in and out of shifts, with time tracked accurately down to the second. This gives you a clear overview of labor costs and who is currently working. Advanced features like geofencing, break management, and overtime alerts help you keep on top of your workforce. What’s more, all-in-one apps with tools like scheduling and task management make it even easier to manage your workforce.

In this article, we discuss the how a modern time reporting app can help your business, the most important time reporting features you should look for in an app and explore 10 of the most popular time reporting apps available today.

If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.

Our Top Picks

  1. Best all-in-one time reporting app to stay on top of your workforce

  2. Good for no-frills time tracking

  3. Good for managing freelancers

What to Look For in a Time Reporting App

With such a wide range of time tracking apps at your disposal, it’s important to know which features will add the most value to your business. Here’s what to look for in a time reporting app:

  • Time clock: A mobile time clock allows employees to easily punch in and out of shifts. This provides accurate time reporting, down to the second. Workers can do so from their mobile devices or from a kiosk you’ve set up at a job site.
  • GPS tracking and geofencing: These features make it simple to know who is working where. Not only can you coordinate your team more efficiently, GPS time clocks help eliminate time theft. Geofencing ensures nobody can clock in until they’re on-site.
  • Timesheets and reporting: Hours tracked by a time reporting app can be converted into detailed timesheets, complete with overtime and billable hours. This helps streamline payroll and billing. Reporting that offers insights into labor costs and productivity, which helps improve decision-making. 
  • Invoicing: Billable hours can be converted to invoices for individual clients and projects, saving you time and reducing errors.
  • Scheduling: Look for scheduling features such as a team calendar, shift templates, assignments, notes, and a dashboard that shows you if shifts have been clocked into. Hint: Drag-and-drop scheduling greatly simplifies the task.
  • Task management: Find a time reporting app that makes it easy to assign tasks to teams or individuals and track their progress. Workers can select projects and complete tasks as they work, helping you keep track of where time is being spent.
  • Integrations: Connecting your time reporting app to third-party payroll software, like QuickBooks, simplifies paying wages and receiving client payments.
  • Customer support: Having access to solid customer support is key to using your time reporting app effectively.

The 10 Best Time Reporting Apps of 2023

  1. Connecteam — Best for: All-in-one time reporting app

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android

    Connecteam combines time reporting with a full suite of employee management tools, including scheduling, internal communication, employee directory, document management, and training and onboarding.

    Tracking your team’s working hours gives you better business insight, as you can easily access shift information, employee data, training statuses, and more.

    Keep reading for Connecteam’s competitive time reporting features.

    Time clock

    Connecteam’s time clock is very easy to use. A one-click start and stop button lets workers accurately track time from any device. These hours can be neatly categorized by project, client, or other custom labels.

    As a manager, you have a real-time overview of all your employees’ activity. Visual flags help highlight overtime, double-time and daily limits, while alerts notify you when employees are late for shifts. Likewise, push notifications remind workers to clock in on-time and at the right location. 

    GPS tracking

    The time clock doesn’t only register employees’ start time, it also securely records their location using GPS, while they are clocked in. This helps ensure the right people are at the right location at the right time. Knowing where everybody is also makes it easier to coordinate multiple job sites and quickly dispatch workers where they’re needed. 

    Payroll and compliance

    The Connecteam app makes payroll a breeze. The visual overview makes it easy to spot and correct payroll issues, helping to save time and money. You can instantly calculate hours and wages, including PTO, breaks and overtime, define payroll periods, and import timesheets into QuickBooks or Gusto. Custom and automated rules can be used to stay compliant with local and federal laws. 

    Shift scheduling

    Get team schedules done in just a few minutes by using templates, recurring shifts, and drag-and-drop editing. You can assign shifts to team members or allow bids for open shifts, while having an overview of staff availability, time off, and overtime status. Add information to shifts, such as location and notes, and job done. Shifts can be clocked into and are labeled “Completed” at the end.

    Task management

    Using a task tracker alongside time reporting means you can easily measure productivity and track workers’ progress. With Connecteam, task management is straightforward—create a task, set a due date, and assign it. To save time, recur and automate tasks. For example, set the equipment maintenance task to recur every week and add a client check-in task at the beginning of each project.

    In-app chat

    Connecteam’s in-app chat function separates work messages from personal channels. Have secure one-on-one and group chats, with both easily accessible from other app features, including shifts and time reporting. Users can attach files and audio notes, and admins can remove any inappropriate content. You can link to specific tasks or shifts in your chats, keeping conversations focused and efficient.

    Custom reports

    It’s quick and intuitive to build custom reports focusing on the data you need the most. Firstly, you can automate live reports for a bird’s eye view of who’s clocked in right now. Reports can also flag repetitive negative patterns, like clocking in late. Secondly, you can select and save specific metrics in a report, like total hours worked per employee per project, and automate it every pay period to ensure timely payments.

    Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Get Started Now!

    Pros

    • All-in one employee management

    • Highly intuitive design

    • Forever-free plan for up to 10 users

    • Affordable pricing

    Cons

    • Integrations required for payroll

    Pricing

    Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users

    14-day free trial, no credit card required

    Start your free trial
  2. Clockify — Good for: No-frills time tracking

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Clockify webpage

    Clockify is a simple time tracking app where your employees can use a stopwatch or add time entries manually to count hours worked. Time is measured to the second, helping reduce business costs.

    You can create multiple projects and tasks, then assign your staff to them. On your management dashboard, hours worked on tasks and projects stack up in real time at an individual and team level. Hours marked “Billable” get converted to client invoices directly on Clockify.

    Timesheets are generated automatically from employees’ reported time each pay period, thus streamlining your payroll. The reporting function helps you understand which business areas take up the most labor time and cost, and whether operations are running efficiently.

    Learn more about Clockify

    Key Features

    • Time reporting
    • Project and task classification
    • Invoicing
    • Reporting

    Pros

    • Simple to use
    • Converts to timesheet

    Cons

    • No task management
    • No communication tools

    Pricing

    Starts at $3.99/user/month Trial: Yes — For PRO features Free Plan: No

  3. Toggl Track — Good for: Managing freelancers

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Toggl Track webpage

    Toggl Track is a time tracking system that helps you optimize project resources. Employees enter the corresponding tasks and projects before timing their shifts, but time entries can also be edited manually. They can even track their time offline, and sync the updates when next online.

    Toggl’s reporting is quite detailed, featuring project analysis and forecasts. You could, for instance, break down project hours by tasks, estimate sales from billable hours, and compare a task’s productivity across projects.

    A differentiating factor is the Pomodoro timer, which splits workers’ schedules into regular work and break intervals, reducing burnout. Also, Toggl has native Salesforce and Jira integrations, facilitating access to customer records and product development tickets straight from Toggl.

    Learn more about Toggl Track

    Key Features

    • Time reporting
    • Advanced reporting
    • Pomodoro timer
    • Native Salesforce and Jira integrations

    Pros

    • In-depth project insights
    • Intuitive design

    Cons

    • No task management
    • No chat function

    Pricing

    Starts at $9/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: Yes — For up to 5 users

  4. Buddy Punch — Good for: Mobile workforce

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the buddypunch webpage

    Buddy Punch is a clock in-and-out app, with time tracking tools including time editing, overtime tracking, time off requests, and a real-time view of who is on the clock. Geolocation through GPS tracks your employees’ location when on the clock, which is handy if you’re in deliveries, logistics, or other mobile sectors. In addition, facial recognition technology prevents time theft, including—ironically—buddy punching.

    The solution includes shift management features which enable you to create shift templates and schedules, view employee availability, and facilitate shift trading. This is useful, as staff can clock directly into shifts. Timesheets are generated automatically each pay period, making your payroll quicker.

    As an add-on, you can purchase a payroll plan from Buddy Punch. This includes automated payroll payments, tax filing, and other features, keeping key HR processes under one platform.

    Learn more about Buddy Punch

    Key Features

    • Time reporting
    • Shift scheduling
    • GPS tracking
    • Payroll

    Pros

    • Includes scheduling and payroll
    • Has GPS location tracking

    Cons

    • No internal communication features
    • No onboarding or training capabilities

    Pricing

    Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  5. Harvest — Good for: Invoicing clients

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the Harvest webpage

    Harvest helps your team track time accurately with regular reminders to clock in delivered to their mobile or desktop device. The software is intuitive and easy to use, with a start and stop button to punch in and out, and the option to edit your hours. The management dashboard shows you hours spent on specific projects and tasks, including overtime.

    The reporting feature includes budgeting analytics for each project, to help you ensure your labor costs are on track. For client-facing projects, you can generate invoices based on billable hours and facilitate client payments directly from Harvest by integrating with Stripe or PayPal. While we think Harvest offers an attractive set of tools, we don’t believe the relatively high monthly cost is justified.

    Learn more about Harvest

    Key Features

    • Time clock
    • Projects and task classification
    • Advanced reporting
    • Invoice generation and payment

    Pros

    • Great for billing clients
    • Useful analytics

    Cons

    • Relatively expensive
    • No scheduling tools

    Pricing

    $10.8/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: Yes — Up to 1 seat and 2 projects

  6. Timecamp — Good for: Desk-based activity tracking

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the TimeCamp webpage

    On TimeCamp, employees use a modern, intuitive interface to track time spent on specific activities. The software features a one-click tracker, a drag-and-drop timesheet, a project calendar, reminders to clock in, and keyword-based time tracking. Billable hours seamlessly convert to invoices, which clients can pay via PayPal.

    TimeCamp is clearly geared towards device-heavy roles, such as desk-based research, sales, and operations. Keywords are used to automate which clients or projects are assigned to hours worked—for instance, the word “construction” in a URL or window title can automatically trigger a project label. In addition, its productivity tracker monitors idle time and hours spent on specific websites and apps, a summary of which appears on the admin dashboard.

    Learn more about Timecamp

    Key Features

    • Time clock
    • Project-specific keywords
    • Productivity tools
    • Invoicing

    Pros

    • Advanced device monitoring tools
    • User-friendly interface

    Cons

    • No scheduling features
    • No internal communication tools

    Pricing

    Starts at $6.99/user/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes

  7. QuickBooks Time — Good for: Integrated accounting tools

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the QuickBooks Time webpage

    QuickBooks Time has a powerful set of time reporting and schedule management tools that would suit a growing business with complex needs. Team leaders set budgeted hours against projects and tasks, which are compared against actual hours clocked by employees. For added formality, timesheets can be signed digitally by employees, with the app producing proof of completed work.

    You can run customizable reports on employees, jobs, and tasks. For example, you can filter your data to a specific time period and employee geolocation, trackable by GPS, to get a location history. Such advanced analytics support important decisions like creating budgets and promoting employees.

    A big advantage of using QuickBooks Time is the ease of integrating with other QuickBooks tools, like its accounting and bookkeeping software. Another bonus point is the project activity feed, where team members can add posts, images, and other project-related materials.

    Learn more about QuickBooks Time

    Key Features

    • Time reporting
    • Scheduling
    • Customizable reports
    • Collaboration tools

    Pros

    • Includes GPS tracking
    • Integrates with QuickBooks Accounting and Bookkeeping

    Cons

    • No free-forever plan
    • No chat function

    Pricing

    Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: No

  8. Hubstaff — Good for: Project management

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Screenshot of the Hubstaff webpage

    Hubstaff’s suite of tools covers not only time reporting, but also employee monitoring, scheduling, invoicing, and agile project management tools. It serves both desk-based employees with tools like proof of work, and mobile workforces with GPS location tracking. The scheduling and time clock features work seamlessly together, with employees punching into specific shifts and getting automated timesheets.

    Its project management functionality is a rare feature among time reporting apps. Firstly, you can assign highly detailed tasks to projects and shifts, which employees mark as completed. This helps you understand whether hours worked create tangible outcomes. 

    Secondly, a dedicated agile methodology tool, Hubstaff Tasks, helps plan sprints using drag-and-drop Kanban boards. Digital status updates can replace time-consuming stand-up calls and individual to-do lists help workers plan their day.

    Learn more about Hubstaff

    Key Features

    • Time reporting and timesheets
    • Scheduling
    • Agile project management
    • GPS tracking

    Pros

    • Supports efficient project delivery
    • Employee productivity insights

    Cons

    • No chat function
    • No onboarding and training function

    Pricing

    Starts at $4.99/user/month, 2 user minimum Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — 2 user minimum

  9. Timely — Good for: Automating time tracking

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the Timely webpage

    Timely tracks time, projects, and teams using automation, thus reducing admin workloads. While it doesn’t feature a time clock, worked hours can be tracked against the work apps used on an employee’s device. For example, using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can automatically trigger a sales development task and the start of a shift.

    Timesheets are generated automatically and team leads can analyze budgeted versus actual hours, among other report metrics. A real-time overview of staff availability and project deadlines helps you better plan your team’s workstreams.

    Timely opposes surveillance tactics and lets employees control the privacy of their time tracking data. For instance, start time, end time, and hours worked on a project may be visible to managers, but the use of specific business apps may not.

    For an additional fee, you can add Timely’s Tasks feature to assign and schedule tasks for individual team members.

    Learn more about Timely

    Key Features

    • Automated time reporting
    • Project budgeting
    • Team availability
    • Task tracking

    Pros

    • Friendly interface
    • Advanced automation

    Cons

    • No forever-free plan
    • No time clock

    Pricing

    Starts at $16/user/month, for 6-50 users Trial: Yes Free Plan: No

  10. MyHours — Good for: Custom reports

    Available on

    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Screenshot of the MyHours webpage

    On MyHours, time reporting is combined with task management and client invoices based on billable hours. First, you organize your team’s workstream by projects and tasks. Your employees then track their time and mark tasks as completed. Meanwhile, the software tracks labor costs in real time and includes billable hours for client-facing reports.

    Its custom reports are quite detailed—you can select the metrics you want to visualize or export, including project name, billable rate, cost, timesheet approval status, and more. A downside to the MyHours interface, particularly in reporting, is that it feels cluttered and the next step on a webpage isn’t always intuitive.

    While not offered a team chat tool, project leads can interact with employees via comments on time logs.

    Learn more about MyHours

    Key Features

    • Task tracking
    • Time reporting
    • Custom reports
    • Invoicing

    Pros

    • Includes task lists
    • Powerful reports

    Cons

    • Cluttered interface
    • No chat feature

    Pricing

    Starts at $7/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: Yes

Compare the Best Time Reporting Apps

Topic Start for free
Reviews
4.8
4.7
4.7
4.8
4.6
4.7
4.7
4.6
4.7
4.8
Pricing
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
Starts at $3.99/user/month
Starts at $9/user/month
Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month
$10.8/user/month
Starts at $6.99/user/month
Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month
Starts at $4.99/user/month, 2 user minimum
Starts at $16/user/month, for 6-50 users
Starts at $7/user/month
Free Trial
yes
14-day
yes
For PRO features
yes
30-day
yes
yes
30-day
yes
14-day
yes
30-day
yes
14-day
yes
yes
30-day
Free Plan
yes
Free Up to 10 users
no
yes
For up to 5 users
no
yes
Up to 1 seat and 2 projects
yes
no
yes
2 user minimum
no
yes

What is a Time Reporting App?

A time reporting app, or time tracking software, helps businesses keep track of employees’ working hours and associated labor costs. This is particularly important when you pay staff an hourly wage or bill external clients on an hourly basis. Time trackers help streamline the payroll process by generating employee timesheets automatically, which managers review and approve. 

Reporting features give you additional insights, such as the difference between budgeted and actual labor costs. Some solutions include additional employee management features, such as project and task management, scheduling, location tracking, and chat functionality.

How Do Time Reporting Apps Work?

In time reporting apps, employees get assigned to specific projects and tasks. For example, in a hospitality company, a project could be a client event, and tasks can include cooking and waiting. Users track their time by clocking in and out, with the app measuring total hours worked to the second. 

Hours worked can also be entered manually and edited later on and are included in timesheets every pay period. Timesheets are then approved by managers and sent to payroll, usually by integrating with a third-party payroll software.

Meanwhile, employees mark tasks as complete and team leads oversee project progress on the dashboards. Analytics such as total labor costs and billable hours are viewed in real time and can be exported as spreadsheet reports. The solution is accessible to staff via internet connection on a browser, desktop or mobile app, and via browser extensions.

The Benefits of Time Reporting Apps

A time reporting app replaces lengthy manual admin tasks and leads to more accurate estimates of hours worked. By contrast, tracking individual employees’ time in a spreadsheet or on paper can add many hours to your overhead each pay period. Here are the top benefits you can expect from a time reporting app.

Accurate time tracking

If timesheets are inaccurate, you may be overpaying or underpaying your staff, or not billing your clients properly. However, a combination of time clock, punch-in reminders, shift scheduling, and timesheet-generating features ensure that human error doesn’t get in the way.

Ease of use

Most time trackers are very easy to use, with a one-click start/stop button and a simple user interface. You won’t need to invest much time or money into training your staff on how to use one. An intuitive design also makes it easier for employees to do their work, increasing overall job satisfaction.

Streamlined payroll process

Preparing payroll manually adds significant time and risk of error to the process. Automatically generated timesheets, however, only require a manager’s approval and integration with payroll software, thus making the payroll process quicker and more efficient. As a plus, your colleagues will appreciate being paid on time.

Reduced admin cost

Not only do your labor costs become more accurate, your admin costs also decrease with digital time reporting. As the time clock is quick to use and employee-controlled, your HR team doesn’t waste valuable time updating records. That means you pay less for admin and can reinvest that money elsewhere.

Valuable insights

The benefits of time reporting analytics can’t be understated. Ranging from real-time overviews to automatically generated reports, you can quickly see if you’re meeting your project budget or overspending on overtime, and even get an income forecast based on billable hours. Such insights support better decision-making across project management, shift assignments, and more.

How Much Do Time Reporting Apps Cost?

Time reporting apps are highly affordable, considering the time saved and timesheet accuracy. Prices range across providers, but most charge a base fee plus a per-user fee, or solely a per-user fee. You usually have a choice between monthly and annual billing, with the latter involving a small discount.

On our list, base fees range from $10 to $29 per month, with per-user fees falling between $2.99 and $10 per month. Check what features you’re getting for your fee, as some solutions are more comprehensive than others. 

In terms of value for money and long-term cost, Connecteam’s low monthly per-user fee is a clear winner among time reporting apps. Not only that, but the forever-free plan covers up to 10 employees—ideal for a small business.

FAQs

Is there an app to track hours?

There are a variety of time reporting apps for employees to track hours worked against projects and tasks. Fortunately, Connecteam is a great choice for workforces of any size and projects and clients of any type. It comes with everything you need for recording hours, delegating tasks, tracking progress, managing budgets, and much more. 

Is there a free timesheet app?

Some time tracking apps let teams punch in and create timesheets for free. You’ll have basic functionality, limited to a handful of employees. Connecteam’s free plan, on the other hand, offers full access to a time clock, timesheets, scheduling, and more, for up to 10 users.

What is the simplest time tracking app?

The simplest time tracking app lets you achieve tasks, like clocking in and out, with minimal time and energy. Connecteam’s time tracking feature is super simple, with an intuitive design and clear shift labeling such as “Accepted”, “Completed”, and “Rejected”.

The Bottom Line On Time Reporting App

Time reporting apps save you time and money and increase the accuracy of timesheets. Yours employees can clock in and out with ease, while the app takes care of calculating hours, time off, and everything else for payroll. You can quickly see time spent on individual projects or tasks, and convert billable hours to client invoices. Custom reports give you ever greater insights into project budgets, forecasted income, and more.

Choose a solution that integrates well with other elements of your HR strategy. All-in-one apps such as Connecteam provide even more value by combining time tracking with scheduling, task management functionality, training and onboarding, and an in-app chat.

Try Connecteam 100% for free now. No credit card required.