100% Free Time Tracking Apps to Track Time Wherever You Are

Paymo is first among free time-tracking apps because of its generous free offering—not time-limited. The free plan calls for users, unlimited time tracking, invoices, and tasks. The primary limits are ten projects and five clients. Most small teams will find this adequate; if a company has more than five clients, it is probably worth switching to a paid plan, which is also among the most reasonably priced in the sector. It is a perfect fit for creative teams, consultants, and small businesses of up to 20 people.

Beyond its generous free plan and affordable pricing, what truly sets Paymo apart from other time-tracking apps is how it seamlessly integrates the entire business flow. Paymo covers the entire business flow, from tracking time to generating invoices. To expedite the payment process, you can readily create invoices from your tracked time and let clients pay you straight from the invoice itself, thanks to its own PM Payments gateway—available only in the United States— and payment integrations like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net.

Small businesses handling daily tasks that aim to simplify their workflow by automatically creating invoices upon task completion will find great benefit from this time-tracking app. Paymo offers these capabilities in the free package, unlike competitors who save them for more expensive models.

A standout feature of Paymo is the Paymo Track app, which automates time tracking by recording desktop activities, including apps and websites, without requiring manual input. This tool logs time spent on applications and links them to tasks or projects by setting up linking rules. Unlike alternatives like TimeDoctor or Hubstaff, Paymo Track doesn’t take screenshots, ensuring user privacy. While more advanced AI-powered apps like RescueTime aim for greater automation, they often introduce unnecessary complexity, making Paymo Track a simpler, more practical option for small businesses.

Time records get registered automatically under a standard timesheet, so you receive all the necessary insights to run a team. Paymo’s native invoicing module allows you to bill clients by turning timesheet data into an invoice with a button. It’s a great alternative to an invoice builder found online (although we’ve tested and reviewed invoice generators if they interest your business).

Check this brief video to see how easy it is to track time manually or automatically in Paymo:

If you’re a fan of the Pomodoro technique, Paymo offers an exceptionally well-designed Pomodoro timer. The timer defaults to 25-minute focus periods, followed by short breaks of 5 and 15 minutes, all of which can be easily customized. You can also enable audible alerts to signal when a session ends. The interface visually tracks four Pomodoros in a row, guiding you through a focused work cycle before signaling a more extended break, making it an intuitive and helpful tool for maintaining productivity.

Paymo provides a free mobile time-tracking app for employees using their smartphones for work. Paymo’s mobile app allows employees to track time from home, the office, or on the go. The mobile app works well for tracking personal time despite being less complex than the web version. You can start a timer and keep it in focus or run it in the background. If you forget to start the timer, adding time in bulk is also an option.

Free mobile time tracking app

Paymo stands out as one of the best time-tracking apps because it also provides advanced project management features, which distinguishes it from a large number of other competitors. It includes tools such as Gantt charts, task dependencies, and milestones that help teams plan and monitor projects in detail. Paymo’s ability to integrate time tracking directly into these advanced features makes it a comprehensive solution for businesses that must manage both time and project complexity.

Communication among teammates continues to be a challenge despite the numerous advantages of Paymo. Like many time-tracking apps, it lacks an integrated chat feature and instead relies on task comments, project discussions, and notifications to facilitate team collaboration. While this can be useful when combined with external tools such as Slack, it may not fully meet the needs of teams that require constant communication among teammates. Paymo is not ideal for teams that require solid, in-platform communication. Teams that rely heavily on collaborative interactions may benefit more from alternatives such as Basecamp, which has more robust internal communication features.

Opinions on Paymo’s user-friendliness are mixed. Some users like its interface, but others, especially those with little technical experience, find it less intuitive than simpler alternatives like Toggl Track or Harvest. Toggl Track is especially popular among freelancers who prefer simple time-tracking tools. However, while Toggl’s simplicity is advantageous for basic tracking, it can become limiting when dealing with more complex projects that require more advanced features, whereas Paymo provides more functionality.

Paymo is one of the most affordable time-tracking apps on the market, with a good price-to-feature ratio. Its support team is exceptional and comparable to platforms such as Timely, Harvest, and Replicon, offering dependable and helpful assistance. This is a significant advantage over competitors such as TimeDoctor or Zoho, where support quality frequently falls short. Paymo, like TrackingTime, could improve its integration capabilities to better connect with other apps and streamline workflows.

Initially a basic time-tracking and invoicing tool, Paymo started in 2008 and developed into a complete work management system today used by agencies and small and medium-sized companies in more than 50 countries. Time tracking stays a top priority, even with feature development. Based on user comments, its long history shows a constant attempt to adapt and grow. Particularly important for companies needing official tracking of employee hours, one of the most recent major updates in fall 2024 improved Paymo’s timesheet approval system. This update guarantees accuracy and responsibility for payroll or client billing by allowing managers to approve timesheets more quickly.

Clockify ranks second on my list of the best free time-tracking apps due to its generous free plan, complementing Paymo’s offering well. It’s ideal for users who find Paymo’s limitations restrictive, such as the 10-project cap. Clockify offers a forever free version with unlimited projects, but unlike Paymo, it doesn’t include unlimited invoicing in its free or the basic $4 plan. Invoicing only comes with the $5.5 plan. Both Clockify and Paymo offer unlimited users and time tracking, but Clockify is better for unlimited projects, while Paymo excels in providing unlimited invoicing.

Apart from its free offering, Clockify stands out from many competitors in two key areas: GPS tracking and kiosk capability. These features do, however, have a price. For those who need location tracking, GPS monitoring is only accessible in the Pro package, hence it is a more costly choice.
While Kiosk functionality is included in the free plan, its scope is very limited. These features make Clockify unique but might require users to upgrade for full functionality, especially if GPS tracking is a priority.

Although Clockify’s GPS tracking and Kiosk features are additional costs, they significantly improve the mobile and on-the-go experience when compared to other time-tracking apps on the market. The GPS tracking allows users to monitor activities outside of the office, whereas the Kiosk allows for simple clock-ins and clock-outs on a shared device, making it ideal for workplaces such as retail stores or construction sites. The Kiosk feature eliminates the hassle of manually logging time on personal devices. Employees simply clock in using a shared tablet or computer by entering their unique PIN or name, making the process quick and easy. This setup is particularly useful in environments with a large number of employees, such as retail or hospitality, where manually tracking each schedule can become chaotic. Employers benefit from reduced administrative work and a lower risk of missed time entries, resulting in accurate time tracking without constant supervision.

Clockify’s mobile time-tracking app also supports time-off requests, receipt photo management for expenses, and Pomodoro timer integration, providing versatility for remote or fieldwork scenarios. The mobile app allows users to track time manually or automatically, even when offline, making it accessible even without an internet connection. Once reconnected, it seamlessly syncs across all devices, ensuring consistent records.

However, the mobile time tracking app is not a complete replacement for the desktop application. It has fewer features for administrators, particularly in reporting, scheduling, and approvals, making it better suited for individual use rather than team management. Users have also reported occasional issues, such as time records becoming mixed up between days or completely losing track of jobs, indicating areas where the app could be improved to improve reliability.

Users frequently praise Clockify’s cost-effectiveness. According to the reviews I’ve read, affordability is a common theme, with some calling it a “cost-effective time-tracking tool.” Clockify outperforms more expensive alternatives by providing robust features even with its free plan. Many users appreciate how inexpensive it is, making it a better choice than more expensive tools such as Harvest or Toggl. Clockify, like Paymo, strikes a balance between affordability and functionality, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious teams.

Paymo offers far more robust project management capabilities than Clockify. Paymo allows for detailed task management, including task dependencies, file attachments, and visual project timelines, making it better suited for complex projects. Clockify, on the other hand, provides a more basic approach to managing projects and tasks. While you can create projects and assign tasks to users, Clockify lacks features like detailed task descriptions, attachments, and task hierarchies.

Compared to more dedicated project management tools like Trello and Asana, to which Paymo comes close, Clockify falls short in areas like day-by-day scheduling views, conflict alerts, and managing complex workflows. It offers only a list-based task management system without the ability to add notes or files to tasks, making it less suitable for teams with intricate project needs. However, many of these project management tools lack robust time-tracking features, where Clockify excels.

Many users have complained about technical issues with Clockify, particularly with the mobile app, where time records are sometimes mixed up or lost. Another common complaint is the slow response time from customer service, with reports of users waiting days for help with even minor technical issues. This can be especially problematic when dealing with time-sensitive issues involving billable hours. In contrast, other services, such as Paymo, are consistently praised for their excellent customer service, providing quick and effective responses and making it more reliable than Clockify for users who require prompt assistance.

Clockify launched in 2017, quite late in the time-tracking apps industry, but it consistently releases updates monthly. One of its recent updates, rolled out in fall 2024, specifically in October, addressed nearly 30 bugs and introduced two new features related to user assignments.

Mobile time tracking app

Toggl has rebranded itself as Toggl Track, and ranks as the third most appealing free time-tracking app, complementing the limitations of Paymo and Clockify. Like its competitors, it offers unlimited time tracking, but unlike Paymo and Clockify, the free plan only allows up to 5 users.

Toggl Track compensates by providing unlimited clients, whereas Paymo limits this to 5. While Paymo includes unlimited tasks, Toggl Track does not offer tasks in its free version. Compared to Clockify, Toggl Track offers unlimited invoicing, while Clockify reserves invoicing for more expensive plans.

Another standout feature of Toggl Track that most competitors lack is QR Code tracking. With this functionality, users can effortlessly start tracking tasks by scanning a QR code with the mobile app, making it ideal for quickly logging time at meeting rooms or worksites. The QR code contains all relevant details, including the project, client, description, and billable status. If users have access, time entries begin instantly. Creating a QR code is simple—just generate it from the entry, print it, and place it where it’s most convenient.

Toggl Track’s standout feature is its straightforward approach to time tracking, making it an ideal choice for users who need a simple, no-frills tool. If all you require is efficient time tracking without extra complexities, there’s no need to invest in additional features. Toggl Track perfectly balances essential functions and ease of use, offering the right mix for those seeking efficiency without added complications. This makes it especially appealing for users who value simplicity in their workflow.

For those handling more complex project management, especially across multiple clients, Toggl Track’s design may not be as accommodating. Users often mention its interface, with excessive empty space, which limits the visible information to just a few lines or projects at a time, making it harder to manage many tasks. Additionally, the reliance on color coding for projects intended to aid organizations can become confusing. Suggestions include clearer labeling, like color-coded bubbles, to improve usability.

While Toggl Track offers a competitive free plan, its pricing starts at $8 compared to more budget-friendly options like Clockify or Paymo. In terms of pricing, Toggl Track’s paid plan starts at $8 per user, which is higher compared to Paymo’s $3.9 and Clockify’s basic plan at $3.99, making Toggl Track a pricier option.

Toggl Track, known initially as Toggl, was established in 2006. Toggl Track releases quarterly updates, with the latest in fall 2024 introducing a new feature called Toggl Track Goals, which allows users to set specific time-tracking targets for tasks, projects, or billable hours. You can establish goals for both work and leisure, helping shape productive habits. Toggl Track Goals motivates team members by setting clear targets and tracking progress.

Personal goals are available in the free plan, while team-level goals are accessible to admins in the Starter, Premium, and Enterprise plans. Other updates include the Audit Log, which allows admins to track account activities for improved transparency, and Historical Labor Costs, letting users adjust labor costs for past work, making cost tracking more accurate.

Mobile time tracking app

TimeCamp has come a long way in tracking your time in its design and features, ranking fourth as the most generous free time tracking app, offering unlimited projects and GPS tracking but no invoicing and limited task management (no subtasks). Paymo includes invoicing and unlimited tasks in its free package but no GPS tracking. Toggl Track lacks unlimited tasks in its free tier but includes invoicing. Timecamp edges out Clockify in GPS tracking, as Clockify only offers it in pricier plans, though Clockify does include unlimited projects and tasks.

Timecamp offers one of the cheapest packages in the time tracking app industry, starting at $2.99, lower than Paymo’s $3.90 or Clockify’s $3.99. This price also includes invoicing, whereas you have to pay $5.49 on Clockify to access invoicing. Paymo and Toggl Track both include invoicing in their free packages.

Timecamp, like Paymo and Clockify, offers a free automated time-tracking app. However, app and website tracking is available only in the more expensive package. With this desktop app, you can monitor your team’s work time by tracking all open windows, browser tabs, and apps.

The work time feature ensures accurate tracking of billable hours. When personal activities come up, the private time button allows users to pause tracking. The app also records attendance by logging the start and end of the workday, along with any breaks taken. This helps in keeping an accurate record of working hours. Clear productivity reports provide useful insights that help assess team performance.

TimeCamp also addresses the employee monitoring side of team management with the ability to take screenshots, similar to Clockify, Hubstaff, or TimeDoctor. Some competitors, like Paymo, don’t agree with this approach to privacy and leave out these features. Others, like Hubstaff, take it a step further by offering more advanced supervising tools.

TimeCamp is known for its ease of use, from the initial setup to daily tasks, providing consultants with an efficient way to track time and create reports. Its integration with various external tools helps streamline workflows, and the intuitive timesheet features reduce the time spent on administrative tasks.

However, there are some challenges to be aware of. Occasional bugs can interfere with task submissions or editing time entries, and users have reported system lag when moving or deleting time entries, especially when dealing with bulk actions.

New users may face a steep learning curve when setting up invoices or selecting clients, which can take some extra time to get used to. Additionally, there are noticeable differences between the desktop app and the Google Chrome extension, with many finding the Chrome extension or web version easier to use than the more cumbersome desktop version.

TimeCamp was founded in 2008. It started as a class assignment from the CEO and evolved into its first version later that same year. Since then, the app has come a long way, benefiting from years of learning and user feedback. Today, the app is more intuitive and refined, designed to cater to teams of all sizes and even freelancers.

Timecamp is updated about once a quarter, a bit slower than most competitors. In the most recent update from fall 2024, they introduced improvements to the mobile app, an enhanced task picker, UX and security fixes, and new integrations with Notion and Jira.

Mobile time tracking app

Here’s a more in-depth review of TimeCamp’s time tracking capabilities.

Everhour is another time-tracking app with a decent free version, though it’s more limited than the ones mentioned earlier. It offers unlimited time tracking with projects and tasks but restricts the number of users to 5 and doesn’t include invoicing in the free plan. The paid version is also pricier, starting at $8.50, while Timecamp starts at $2.99, Paymo at $3.90, and Clockify at $3.99.

A standout feature of Everhour’s free package, which other competitors don’t offer, is the timer button that integrates directly with popular websites. While most time-tracking apps focus on integrations within tools, Everhour’s timer button works on websites like Intercom, Zendesk, Freshdesk, and Helpscout. Once you enable the integration, a “Start Timer” button appears on the website, allowing you to track time seamlessly without switching between different apps.

Everhour also offers optional screenshots of employees’ screens, but only in the paid package. Reminders are also included in the paid version, while Clockify provides reminders in its free plan. Additionally, Everhour’s support team is frequently praised in user reviews for its responsiveness and helpfulness.

A limitation of Everhour is its lack of advanced project management features, especially when compared to more comprehensive solutions like Paymo. For users needing more than just time tracking, pairing Everhour with a dedicated project management tool like Asana, Jira, Notion, or ClickUp is often necessary. This reliance on an additional tool and Everhour’s higher per-user cost of $8.50 can make it a more expensive option.

The cost becomes even more noticeable when you compare it to alternatives like Paymo, which offers both advanced project management and time tracking at a lower price. As a result, Everhour is best suited for users who are already committed to a project management tool and want to enhance it with time tracking, reporting, and invoicing despite the higher price.

The pricing challenge is further amplified by Everhour’s requirement that you purchase a minimum of five seats, leaving no option to start with fewer users. This can be a drawback for smaller teams looking to test the platform without making a larger upfront commitment.

Everhour and Harvest are similar in many ways. They both rely heavily on integrations with project management and productivity tools, allowing users to track time directly within platforms like Trello and Asana. Both tools focus on making time tracking seamless and user-friendly, helping users log hours and manage client billing with minimal friction. Additionally, they allow tracking across multiple projects and generate reports based on tracked time, offering insights into project progress and team performance.

Everhour was launched in 2015, relatively late in the time-tracking apps industry. It launched slightly earlier than Clockify, which started in 2017 but far behind Paymo, which began in 2008. Everhour releases monthly updates, similar to Clockify, though their updates are more limited in scope. In the last two updates from the fall of 2024, they introduced a new inbox feature, navigation improvements, Evermenu (a MacOS menu bar app), task details, and comments.

Mobile time tracking app

TrackingTime offers a decent free package with unlimited clients, projects, and tasks, plus automated time tracking, but it’s limited to just three users and doesn’t include invoicing. If you’re considering free options with advanced invoicing capabilities, opt for project management software with free invoicing. It also has some nice quality-of-life features not often found in other free time tracking tools, like reminders, notifications, recurring time entries, calendar view, time rounding, and estimates.

However, it imposes a strict 100 MB storage limit for file uploads. For comparison, Paymo’s free plan provides 1 GB of space, which is usually enough for managing multiple projects. In contrast, 100 MB is quite restrictive—large files like high-resolution images or detailed documents can quickly eat up this limit, making it hard to manage even a few projects without hitting storage issues.

The lack of invoicing is a major downside, mainly because competitors like Paymo and Toggl Track include it in their free plans. Upgrading is costly, at $5.75 per user per month when billed annually. Task management features are also locked behind the paid version, further restricting the free package.

If you or your team often forget to track time, saying things like “I forgot to start the timer,” then TrackingTime might be the perfect solution.

An automatic reminder system paired with a function checks each team member’s scheduled work hours against their actual logged hours. Together, these features ensure that reminders are both timely and relevant, going beyond the typical, easily ignored notifications.

A notable disadvantage for freelancers in the paid version of TrackingTime is its pricing structure, which is quite strange. The standard Pro account costs $5.75 per user, but you must buy a minimum of 3 users. Here’s where it gets weird: the Freelancer account, meant for just one user, is more expensive at $8 per month if you pay for a full year in advance. So, if you’re a freelancer without a team, you pay more, which seems counterintuitive. You’d expect the single-user option to be cheaper, but it’s not.

TrackingTime used to have a decent update frequency, with almost monthly updates from 2021 to 2023. But in 2024, things went downhill quickly. They only released two updates: one in February and one in July. I checked recently, and nothing has been updated up to fall 2024. However, the updates seem larger in scope. For example, the July update improved navigation, introduced a cleaner visual system, simplified form design, and added other quality-of-life improvements. In contrast, the February update didn’t bring much new.

MyHours MyHours is another time-tracking software with a solid, free forever account. It’s limited to 5 users and doesn’t include invoicing, but it offers unlimited clients, projects, and tasks, making it similar to TrackingTime and Everhour. What sets MyHours apart is its simplicity and user-friendly interface, often compared to Paymo and TimeCamp. Users love its clean, minimalistic design that reduces distractions and eliminates unnecessary steps, making the time-tracking process straightforward and hassle-free.

However, compared to Paymo, it could improve in areas like reporting and invoicing. MyHours integrates with several popular tools, but its integration options are somewhat limited compared to more feature-rich competitors like Everhour or Harvest. Despite these gaps, MyHours is an excellent choice for those who prioritize simplicity and ease of use over feature-heavy platforms.
It is among the most expensive in terms of pricing, with the paid plan at $8 per user per month, comparable to some of the priciest competitors in the industry, like Harvest and Toggl Track.

MyHours is one of the oldest time-tracking tools, launched in 2002. It’s been rewritten twice to keep up with the latest technologies, and it still gets updated fairly often—just under once a month, sometimes every few months. Some of the recent updates in fall 2024 introduced several new features, including custom IDs, admin permissions, billing improvements, and enhancements to tasks. While this is slightly below the industry average of monthly updates, its long history combined with a steady update cycle is a positive. It shows that MyHours has stood the test of time and continues to improve.

In comparison, Clockify, launched in 2017, maintains a monthly update schedule but lacks the long-term track record of MyHours. MyHours’ age and its near-monthly updates show that it has been reliably maintained for over two decades, offering stability and consistency that can reassure users looking for a well-established tool. Paymo, with a similar update frequency and a long history, launched in 2008, further demonstrating that older tools can keep pace with modern demands while providing proven reliability.

Mobile time tracking app

Homebase is primarily an employee scheduling platform, but it can also function as a free time tracking app for budget-conscious small businesses that need scheduling features but not project planning. The free package is decent, though it’s limited to 20 users and is not usable by remote workers, as it only supports one location.

Employee scheduling refers to organizing and assigning work shifts or time slots to employees. In platforms like Homebase, this feature allows managers to plan, adjust, and track employee work hours, ensuring that all necessary shifts are covered. It includes setting up work schedules, managing time off requests, and sending notifications or reminders about upcoming shifts.

Homebase is focused on employee scheduling, which means that projects and tasks are not included in the free version, nor are they part of the paid version. The platform was not primarily developed for managing projects, so it doesn’t have built-in tools for task management or project planning. However, for businesses that do need basic task functionality, Homebase offers a task add-on that can be purchased separately. This add-on provides task management features, but it’s geared toward organizing daily responsibilities rather than full project workflows.

Homebase’s standout features simplify creating staff schedules, managing clock-ins and outs, processing time cards, and streamlining organizational communication. Users particularly value its ability to duplicate weekly schedules, easily saving time on repetitive tasks. The platform’s communication tools are also a big plus, as employees don’t need to share personal contact information to stay in touch.

Additionally, Homebase is commended for its group announcement capabilities, shift reminders, and timely notifications for late arrivals, all of which contribute to smoother team management.

However, a common concern among Homebase users is how its features are allocated across different pricing tiers, which can become significantly more expensive, especially when only one feature from a higher-priced package is needed. This makes accessing certain functionalities costly for smaller businesses or those with more specific needs.

The most significant drawback, as highlighted by many user reviews, centers around Homebase’s pricing and marketing practices. Users have criticized the platform for aggressively promoting its “cash out” cash advance program, particularly to new hires. This program is frequently pushed, and some employees have felt pressured or confused into enrolling, thinking it was necessary to get paid. One user review noted, “They also keep spamming new employees with their cash-out program, and several of them were ‘forced’ to enroll, believing they had to get paid.”

When I checked before fall 2024, there was not much public information available about the Homebase team, as their “About Us” page focuses mostly on their clients. They also lack a clear page listing past updates. However, they have some public pages discussing upcoming releases, including features like background checks, a task manager, and an AI assistant.

Mobile time tracking app

Tick is a free time tracking app better suited for solopreneurs, as it offers some generous features but also has strict limitations. It’s free for unlimited users, clients, and tasks but only allows for one project and doesn’t include invoicing. This makes it useful for solopreneurs who work on just one main project and handle their invoicing manually or through another app. It is also useful for those using QuickBooks for invoicing, as it integrates seamlessly. However, if you need built-in invoicing and don’t use QuickBooks, you’ll have to pay extra for another app that integrates with Tick to handle invoices.

The most stringent limitation of the free version is that it is restricted to a single project. However, there’s a workaround if you like the time-tracking app and want to keep using it: all plans allow unlimited archived projects. Archived projects don’t count against your plan’s project limit, so you can continue tracking time for new projects by archiving completed ones. If this doesn’t bother you and you don’t mind archiving projects to manage your workflow, Tick can still be a solid option for solopreneurs needing basic time tracking without multiple active projects.

However, being restricted to a single project and lacking invoicing in both the free and paid versions, with the need to purchase an additional app for invoicing, significantly affected Tick’s position on my free time tracking apps list. Most competitors include invoicing directly in their app because it’s almost a mandatory feature—getting rid of that pesky process is a huge advantage when almost everyone needs it to get paid.

Additionally, while many competitors offer invoicing in their paid packages, competitors like Paymo and Toggl Track even provide unlimited invoicing in their free versions, making them a more appealing choice.

A standout feature of Tick is its pricing structure, which charges users based on the number of projects, unlike most free time tracking apps with paid plans. This could be an excellent option for those who don’t work on many active projects. However, in practice, this makes the app one of the most expensive on the market.

The free package includes only one project, and the next tier jumps to $19 per month for just ten projects, with no intermediary options. A gradual pricing increment would make much more sense. For comparison, both Clockify and Timecamp offer unlimited users and unlimited projects in their free plans, and they don’t include invoicing either.

A good thing about Tick is that it includes quality customer support in all their packages, something that many competitors, like Desktime or Hours TimeLord (which I will review later), do not offer. This is a significant advantage for users who value having reliable support available

Tick has good integration options, two of the most noteworthy being its integration with Basecamp and compatibility with the Apple Watch. However, it offers a very limited feature set compared to most competitors. For instance, it lacks task management features and automated time tracking. Beyond basic time tracking and reporting, there isn’t much else it can do, which limits its overall functionality.

The online presence of Tick is also quite limited, with only a basic help section and not much else. For example, there’s no “About Us” page, no roadmap, and no page listing past releases or updates. I’m writing this review in the fall of 2024, and I’d like to know how the app has evolved to compare it with others. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about that, as there’s no public information available. While most competitors grow and improve constantly, it seems this hasn’t happened for Tick.

Jibble offers a generous free time tracking app, but it’s mainly useful for businesses operating in two or fewer locations. The free plan includes unlimited users in these two locations and GPS tracking, but it does not include projects, tasks, client tracking, or invoicing features. 

A standout feature in Jibble, which I haven’t seen in any competitors as of fall 2024, is biometric verification with facial recognition. As an admin, you can require facial recognition to verify each time entry, ensuring accuracy. This feature is particularly useful when combined with GPS tracking for monitoring employees who may have lower trust levels or aren’t as reliable. The paid plan furthers this feature by adding “face spoofing prevention.” This advanced functionality ensures the facial recognition system can detect and prevent attempts to trick it using photos, videos, or masks. It adds an extra layer of security, ensuring the person clocking in is genuinely present. It further enhances trust and accuracy in time tracking, especially for businesses that must closely monitor their workforce.

The free version of Jibble also includes useful features, such as an on-site kiosk that restricts team members from clocking in or out from a single location. Additionally, it offers regular device screenshots to monitor employee activity, though storage for these screenshots is limited to just 3 days.

Jibble’s free version is quite generous compared to competitors like Toggl Track, Desktime, or Hours TimeLord, offering many quality-of-life improvements that some competitors don’t even provide in their paid packages. For example, Jibble allows time tracking using NFC or RFID cards in kiosk mode, prevents team members from changing the device they clock in from, includes a Holiday calendar, and lets admins view their past, present, and future leave requests. It also offers decent integrations, making it a strong option for businesses seeking more comprehensive time-tracking features at no cost.

Even the paid version of Jibble offers some standout features, assuming you can overlook that it doesn’t include native invoicing. For example, in the paid version, you get live location tracking, allowing you to see team members’ locations and routes while they are on the clock. You can also enable automated geofence-based clock in and out, a feature rarely found in competitors. Plus, the paid packages are very affordable, with prices starting at just $2.49 per user per month and going up to $4.99 for the package with the most features, making Jibble one of the most cost-effective time-tracking apps.

Jibble does not have a public roadmap or much information on its “About Us” page, but they are part of a software development group based in Palo Alto, California. I couldn’t find details about their update frequency or longevity, but it seems they are one of the newer players in the time-tracking apps industry. However, by the fall of 2024, Jibble stood out as one of the apps with the highest number of features, which is quite the opposite of many competitors, like Desktime, Toggl Track, or even Harvest.

Connecteam is more of an employee scheduling tool than a time tracking app, but it offers a decent free package with time tracking features. Although it supports tasks, the focus isn’t on project or task management but on employee scheduling, with basic task functionalities and no invoicing features.

The free package is limited to small businesses with ten users but includes a huge list of features. It’s quite similar to Homebase and Jibble in many ways. However, what makes Connecteam stand apart is its extensive employee scheduling feature set, which is included in the free package. This starkly contrasts with tools like Toggl Track, Tick, Desktime, Harvest, or Hours TimeLord, which have more limited feature sets.

Some of the standout features in the free time tracking package include a kiosk station, GPS geolocation stamps, geofencing (to ensure employees track time only at specific locations), breadcrumbs (to track an employee’s location trail), numerous shift-related actions, task-related actions, and a wide range of user management features.

The pricing is atypical, requiring a fixed payment of $29 for a subscription covering up to 30 users, even if your team is smaller. This means teams with 25 to 30 members get a great deal, while smaller teams of 10-15 pay the same price. Larger teams are favored, but you can pay extra for each additional user beyond 30, based on your needs. So, for teams of 25 to 30 users, it might be one of the cheapest prices on the market. However, for teams of around 11 users, the pricing is on the higher end.

Connecteam has a large team, which explains its extensive range of features. However, there isn’t much public information about its company values or beliefs. Security is one thing they take seriously, more than many other time-tracking apps—especially free ones. They have a dedicated page outlining the steps to protect user data and ensure everything is secure. Additionally, Connecteam offers a public roadmap where users can submit feature requests, vote on them, and track which ones are in development or planned for future updates.

In the last update from the fall of 2024, Connecteam added several new features, including celebrations, custom fields, the ability to set expiration dates on documents, and recognitions for multiple employees at once. These updates further enhance the platform’s flexibility and user management capabilities, adding even more value to an already feature-rich offering.

Mobile time tracking app

Timeneye is a time-tracking tool tailored for Microsoft Office Suite users. It offers a decent free time tracking package, free for up to 2 users. The key standout feature of Timeneye is its specific design and integration with the Microsoft Office Suite, making it an ideal choice for users deeply embedded in Microsoft’s ecosystem. 

However, Timeneye’s free package is one of the most restrictive among time tracking apps, as it limits the time entries you can view. You can only see the tracking records from the last 90 days, a harsh limitation not imposed by most other free time tracking apps. On the plus side, it does allow you to work with tasks, a feature not present in many competitor tools, especially those focused on employee scheduling. Timeneye doesn’t include invoicing in either the free or paid versions.

Timeneye integrates smoothly with Microsoft Teams, To-Do, Projects, Azure AD, Planner, and Outlook Calendar, and it’s also compatible with Asana, ClickUp, and Jira. However, its feature set is more limited than that of other tools. It falls short in areas like project management and automated time tracking, where tools like Paymo excel, and lacks employee scheduling features in platforms like Jibble or Connecteam.

Timeneye, launched in 2013, is a well-established tool that upgraded to embrace remote workflows in 2020 and has an office in Modena, Italy. It frequently releases updates, sometimes every month. One of the most recent updates, in the fall of 2024, focused on time and expense approvals, which has a significant impact.

Harvest is one of the free time tracking apps with the most limited functionalities in this package. The free version only works for one user and two projects, which is very restrictive. This makes it best suited only for freelancers and solopreneurs. Its main strengths lie in its simplicity and ease of use. In the paid version, the platform offers essential features like visual project health, expense tracking, and seamless integration with tools such as Trello, Asana, and Slack, improving workflow without causing distractions. Its interface is user-friendly, which makes it accessible for users who don’t need complex functionalities.

One of Harvest’s standout features is its time-to-invoice workflow. The quasi invoicing software allows users to easily convert tracked hours into client invoices, reducing administrative work and minimizing the chances of billing errors. Its project health visualization also helps teams monitor their progress, ensuring projects stay within budget and time limits.

However, Harvest falls short in several areas. It lacks advanced project management features like task dependencies, Gantt charts, or automated time tracking, available in tools like Paymo. Users have noted that managing larger projects or teams with Harvest can feel cumbersome.

Harvest, founded in 2006, is one of the oldest time-tracking tools available, but this time, the age doesn’t translate to many benefits for the user. In fact, it has one of the slowest update schedules, releasing improvements about once every four months. So, despite being around for a long time, the tool hasn’t evolved as quickly as others. Competitors like Clockify and Paymo, for example, push updates around once a month. In 2024, Harvest had just one update around April, and up to fall 2024, there hasn’t been anything new.

Mobile time tracking app

DeskTime is one of the free time tracking apps with the most limitations on its free package, making it useful only for a limited range of users. One of those groups is freelancers who don’t require invoicing. Even in the paid packages, DeskTime lacks invoicing features, so it’s best for freelancers who handle their billing separately. However, it does offer automated time tracking via a desktop app, which is included in the free plan.

As for standout features, DeskTime includes a few handy extras, like “meeting and video time tracking,” which helps prevent idle time during meetings or while watching videos. It also offers URL and app tracking. Beyond that, besides a few basic reminders, the free package doesn’t include much more.

One of the biggest downsides of DeskTime is that support isn’t included in the free package nor in the cheapest paid plan, which costs $6.42 per user per month. This price point is on the higher end for time-tracking apps, yet it still doesn’t include customer support. To get support, you’ll need to upgrade to the next tier, priced at $9.17 per user per month, making it even more expensive than many industry competitors.

Overall, DeskTime’s pricing falls in the very expensive range for time tracking tools, especially considering its highly limited feature set, even in the paid plans. It lacks almost any project management capabilities and doesn’t offer invoicing based on tracked time. Users might expect more comprehensive features for this price, but DeskTime falls short compared to other platforms like Paymo, Clockify, Timecamp, or TrackingTime. This is why it ranks near the bottom of this list, as its limitations and high cost make it a less attractive option for most users.

DeskTime was launched in 2011. In 2012, it updated its interface with a fresh design; by 2015, it released its third version. 2019, it introduced shift scheduling, followed by a new mobile time-tracking app in 2020. Since then, it has seen a few more usability updates.

The last major update was in January 2023, when they improved the project section with a new look and added more features. However, no new updates were introduced from the beginning of 2023 to the fall of 2024.

Mobile time tracking app

Hours TimeLord is a free time-tracking app with just one user and five timers, making it a highly focused mobile app for time tracking. Unlike other platforms, which often have mobile and desktop versions, Hours TimeLord is exclusively available on mobile phones. This focus makes it stand out for users who prioritize tracking time on the go, but it also means that there’s no desktop option, which could be a drawback for those needing advanced reports that are hard to visualize on small mobile phone screens.

Many time-tracking mobile apps from popular platforms tend to underwhelm with limited features and poor stability, but Hours TimeLord fills this gap. Its app delivers a smooth and efficient experience, perfect for consultants or freelancers who work primarily from their phones. It doesn’t overwhelm with extra features like automatic tracking, AI, or invoicing but instead shines through its simplicity and ease of use.

The pricing structure is also unusual—you don’t pay per user monthly. Instead, you pay annually. It’s one of the cheapest options for personal use at $9.99 per year. However, if you need the team package, it jumps to $199 per year for up to 5 users. This isn’t cheap, especially if your team has fewer than 5 users. You can find more affordable options on Timecamp, Paymo, or Clockify. However, where it truly shines is for solo consultants. If you need it just for yourself and prefer to manage everything strictly on your phone, Hours TimeLord becomes an excellent choice.

Its low personal-use pricing and mobile-focused design make it a perfect fit for professionals who don’t need complex features or desktop access but want a reliable and straightforward time-tracking app on the go.

Another drawback is its limited online presence. Hours TimeLord’s basic, single-page website lacks comprehensive tutorials, guides, or detailed descriptions of its features, which could frustrate users looking for in-depth support. It also lacks a clear roadmap or update history, making it difficult to compare with competitors.

There’s no way to gauge how often it has been updated or what changes were made, for instance, by fall 2024. This lack of transparency could concern users who want to know the app’s development progress or what new features and improvements are in the pipeline.