12 Best Time Tracking Tools for Remote Workers [2025 Updated]
Whether you're a freelancer billing clients, a remote worker tracking productivity, or a manager overseeing distributed teams, the right time tracking tool can transform how you work. We've reviewed the 12 best time tracking apps to help you choose the perfect solution.
Why Time Tracking Matters for Remote Workers
Remote work has revolutionized where we work, but it's also changed how we work. Without the physical boundaries of an office, it's easy to lose track of time—working too much, too little, or simply not knowing where your day went. Time tracking tools solve this problem by providing visibility into how you spend your work hours.
Accurate Billing
Track billable hours for clients with precision, ensuring you get paid for every minute of work.
Productivity Insights
Understand where your time goes and identify opportunities to work more efficiently.
Work-Life Balance
Set boundaries by tracking when you start and stop, preventing remote work burnout.
How We Evaluated These Tools
We tested and compared 12 leading time tracking tools based on:
- Ease of Use: How intuitive is the interface? Can you start tracking in seconds?
- Tracking Methods: Manual timers, automatic tracking, or both?
- Features: Reporting, invoicing, project management, team collaboration
- Integrations: Does it work with your existing tools (Slack, Asana, etc.)?
- Pricing: Value for money, free plans, scalability
- Platform Support: Web, desktop, mobile availability
- Privacy & Trust: How intrusive is the monitoring? Employee-friendly?
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Price | Tracking Type | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | Freelancers and small teams | Free - $18/user/month | Time Tracking Software | ★4.7 |
| Harvest | Agencies and consultants who need invoicing | Free - $12/user/month | Time Tracking & Invoicing Software | ★4.6 |
| Clockify | Teams wanting a completely free solution | Free - $9.99/user/month | Free Time Tracking Software | ★4.7 |
| RescueTime | Individuals wanting automatic productivity insights | Free - $12/month | Automatic Time Tracking & Productivity Analytics | ★4.5 |
| Timely | Teams wanting AI-assisted time tracking | $9 - $20/user/month | AI-Powered Automatic Time Tracking | ★4.6 |
| Hubstaff | Remote teams needing workforce management | $4.99 - $12.50/user/month | Time Tracking with Employee Monitoring | ★4.5 |
| Everhour | Teams using Asana, Trello, or ClickUp | $6 - $10/user/month | Time Tracking with Project Management Integration | ★4.7 |
| TimeCamp | Teams wanting automatic tracking with manual override | Free - $7.99/user/month | Automatic Time Tracking for Teams | ★4.5 |
| Clockify Pro (with Time Tracking Hardware) | On-site teams needing physical time clocks | Free - $11.99/user/month | Time Clock Kiosk System | ★4.6 |
| Time Doctor | Large remote teams needing detailed monitoring | $7 - $20/user/month | Time Tracking with Productivity Monitoring | ★4.3 |
| My Hours | Freelancers and consultants needing simple timesheets | Free - $8/user/month | Simple Time Tracking & Timesheets | ★4.5 |
| TrackingTime | Visual learners and creative teams | Free - $8/user/month | Visual Time Tracking & Planning | ★4.6 |
Detailed Reviews
1. Toggl Track
Overview
Toggl Track is one of the most popular time tracking tools, known for its simplicity and ease of use. It offers a clean interface with one-click time tracking, making it perfect for freelancers, consultants, and small teams who need to track billable hours without complexity. Available on all platforms including web, desktop, and mobile apps.
Best For
Freelancers and small teams
Key Features
- ✓One-click time tracking
- ✓Detailed reports and insights
- ✓Project and client organization
- ✓Team time tracking and scheduling
- ✓100+ app integrations (Asana, Trello, Slack, etc.)
- ✓Idle time detection
- ✓Offline time tracking
- ✓Calendar view and timeline
Pros
- +Extremely intuitive and easy to learn
- +Beautiful, modern interface
- +Strong mobile apps
- +Generous free plan for individuals
- +Excellent reporting features
Cons
- −Limited project management features
- −No built-in invoicing in basic plans
- −Can get expensive for larger teams
Pricing
Toggl Track pairs perfectly with DeskBreak. While Toggl tracks your work time, DeskBreak ensures you're taking healthy breaks throughout that tracked time. Use our Break Reminder Calculator to schedule breaks around your Toggl sessions.
2. Harvest
Overview
Harvest is a comprehensive time tracking and invoicing solution designed for agencies, consultants, and professional services firms. It combines time tracking with expense tracking, invoicing, and payment processing, making it a complete business management tool. Harvest's strength lies in its seamless workflow from tracking time to getting paid.
Best For
Agencies and consultants who need invoicing
Key Features
- ✓Time tracking with timers or manual entry
- ✓Professional invoice generation
- ✓Expense tracking and receipts
- ✓Online payment processing (Stripe, PayPal)
- ✓Project budgets and alerts
- ✓Visual reports and analytics
- ✓Team capacity planning
- ✓Integrations with 50+ tools
Pros
- +All-in-one solution for tracking, invoicing, and payments
- +Clean, professional invoice templates
- +Excellent project budget tracking
- +Strong team collaboration features
- +Reliable mobile apps
Cons
- −Limited reporting on free plan
- −No GPS tracking for field workers
- −Fewer integrations than competitors
Pricing
Billing clients for time worked? Make sure you're also tracking your wellness. DeskBreak complements Harvest by ensuring your billable hours are also healthy hours. Check out our Sitting Time Calculator to assess your work patterns.
3. Clockify
Overview
Clockify is the only truly free time tracking tool with unlimited users and projects. It's a generous, feature-rich alternative to paid tools, making it ideal for startups, nonprofits, and teams on a budget. Despite being free, Clockify doesn't compromise on features, offering time tracking, timesheets, reporting, and project management capabilities.
Best For
Teams wanting a completely free solution
Key Features
- ✓Unlimited time tracking for unlimited users (free)
- ✓Project and task organization
- ✓Timesheets and calendar view
- ✓Detailed reporting and exports
- ✓Team activity dashboard
- ✓GPS tracking and kiosk mode
- ✓Invoicing (paid plans)
- ✓80+ integrations
Pros
- +Completely free for unlimited users
- +Feature-rich even on free plan
- +Clean, intuitive interface
- +Available on all platforms
- +No credit card required to start
Cons
- −Advanced features require paid upgrade
- −Reporting can be slow with large datasets
- −Less polished than premium alternatives
Pricing
Free time tracking is great for your budget—free break reminders are great for your health! Combine Clockify with DeskBreak's free browser extension to track both your productivity and wellness without spending a dime.
4. RescueTime
Overview
RescueTime takes a different approach to time tracking by running automatically in the background and categorizing how you spend time on your devices. Instead of manual timers, it provides detailed analytics about your productivity patterns, distractions, and focus time. Perfect for remote workers who want to understand and improve their work habits.
Best For
Individuals wanting automatic productivity insights
Key Features
- ✓Automatic time tracking in background
- ✓App and website categorization
- ✓Productivity scores and reports
- ✓Focus session blocking
- ✓Distraction alerts
- ✓Goal setting and tracking
- ✓Daily email summaries
- ✓Offline time tracking
Pros
- +Completely automatic—no manual start/stop
- +Insightful productivity analytics
- +Helps identify time-wasting patterns
- +Privacy controls for sensitive work
- +Great for personal productivity
Cons
- −Not suitable for billable hour tracking
- −Limited team features
- −Can feel intrusive for some users
- −Premium features required for best insights
Pricing
RescueTime shows you where your time goes—DeskBreak helps you use that time healthily. Together, they're a powerful combination for remote workers who want to be both productive AND healthy. Try our Productivity Calculator alongside RescueTime.
5. Timely
Overview
Timely uses AI to automatically track time spent in every app, document, and meeting, then creates a complete record of your workday. Instead of manual timers, Timely's Memory feature captures everything you do, and you simply review and allocate time to projects at the end of the day. It's privacy-focused and ideal for knowledge workers who dislike manual tracking.
Best For
Teams wanting AI-assisted time tracking
Key Features
- ✓AI-powered automatic time capture
- ✓Memory timeline of all activities
- ✓Project and task allocation
- ✓Team scheduling and planning
- ✓Budget tracking and alerts
- ✓Detailed reporting and analytics
- ✓Privacy-first design (no screenshots)
- ✓Integrations with 2,000+ tools
Pros
- +Eliminates manual time tracking completely
- +Privacy-focused (no invasive monitoring)
- +Highly accurate time records
- +Beautiful, modern interface
- +Great for distributed teams
Cons
- −Higher price point than competitors
- −Learning curve for AI features
- −Requires desktop app for best results
- −No free plan
Pricing
While Timely automatically tracks your work, DeskBreak automatically reminds you to take breaks. Both use smart automation to keep you on track—one for productivity, one for health. Perfect partnership for modern remote work.
6. Hubstaff
Overview
Hubstaff is a comprehensive workforce management tool that combines time tracking with optional screenshot monitoring, activity levels, and GPS tracking. Designed for managing remote teams, field workers, and contractors, it provides detailed insights into how time is being spent. While powerful, it's more monitoring-focused than other tools, so it's best for teams comfortable with that approach.
Best For
Remote teams needing workforce management
Key Features
- ✓Time tracking with screenshots (optional)
- ✓Activity level monitoring
- ✓GPS location tracking for mobile workers
- ✓Automatic payroll and invoicing
- ✓Project budgets and limits
- ✓Team scheduling
- ✓Productivity analytics
- ✓App and URL tracking
Pros
- +Comprehensive workforce management
- +Great for field service teams
- +Built-in payroll features
- +Detailed activity insights
- +Affordable pricing
Cons
- −Screenshots can feel invasive
- −May reduce trust in remote teams
- −Complex setup for larger teams
- −Activity tracking not accurate for all work types
Pricing
If you're using Hubstaff's monitoring features, balance them with wellness initiatives. Tracked employees are still human employees who need breaks! DeskBreak's team wellness dashboard complements Hubstaff's productivity tracking.
7. Everhour
Overview
Everhour is designed to integrate seamlessly with project management tools like Asana, Trello, Monday, ClickUp, and Basecamp. Instead of being a standalone tool, it embeds time tracking directly into your existing workflow, allowing you to track time without switching apps. Perfect for teams already committed to a project management platform.
Best For
Teams using Asana, Trello, or ClickUp
Key Features
- ✓Deep integrations with 15+ PM tools
- ✓Time tracking inside Asana, Trello, etc.
- ✓Project budgets and estimates
- ✓Team scheduling and availability
- ✓Expense tracking
- ✓Invoicing with QuickBooks integration
- ✓Detailed reports and dashboards
- ✓Approval workflows
Pros
- +Seamless integration with existing tools
- +Track time without leaving your PM software
- +Strong budget management features
- +Fair, transparent pricing
- +Excellent customer support
Cons
- −Requires compatible project management tool
- −Standalone app is less featured
- −Limited customization options
- −Not ideal if you don't use integrations
Pricing
Tracking time in Asana or Trello? Add DeskBreak's Slack or Teams integration to get break reminders right where you work. Track your tasks AND your wellness in one workflow.
8. TimeCamp
Overview
TimeCamp offers hybrid time tracking—it automatically tracks time spent in applications and websites, but also allows manual time entries and timers. This flexibility makes it suitable for diverse teams with different tracking preferences. It includes billing, budgeting, and attendance features, making it a comprehensive solution for small to mid-sized businesses.
Best For
Teams wanting automatic tracking with manual override
Key Features
- ✓Automatic and manual time tracking
- ✓Desktop and web activity tracking
- ✓Billable hours and invoicing
- ✓Attendance and timesheet approval
- ✓Project budgeting and profitability
- ✓GPS tracking for mobile workers
- ✓200+ app integrations
- ✓Custom reports and exports
Pros
- +Flexible tracking options (auto + manual)
- +Generous free plan
- +Strong billing and invoicing features
- +Good integration ecosystem
- +Attendance tracking included
Cons
- −Interface feels dated
- −Automatic tracking can be inaccurate
- −Steep learning curve for all features
- −Mobile apps need improvement
Pricing
TimeCamp tracks your computer activity—make sure some of that activity includes breaks! DeskBreak ensures your automatic tracking shows healthy work patterns with regular movement breaks.
9. Clockify Pro (with Time Tracking Hardware)
Overview
Clockify's Kiosk mode turns any tablet or computer into a shared time clock where employees can clock in and out with a PIN or QR code. Perfect for warehouses, retail, restaurants, and hybrid offices where employees need to physically check in. Combines the benefits of modern cloud software with traditional punch clock functionality.
Best For
On-site teams needing physical time clocks
Key Features
- ✓Shared device clock in/out
- ✓PIN or QR code authentication
- ✓GPS and geofencing
- ✓Photo verification on clock-in
- ✓Break time tracking
- ✓Shift scheduling
- ✓Overtime calculations
- ✓Export to payroll
Pros
- +Works on any device (tablet, smartphone, computer)
- +Prevents buddy punching with photo capture
- +Free for unlimited users
- +Great for hourly workers
- +Cloud-based, accessible anywhere
Cons
- −Requires dedicated device for kiosk
- −Limited to on-site check-ins
- −Not ideal for remote knowledge workers
- −Advanced features require paid plans
Pricing
Using kiosks for shift workers? Don't forget their wellness during shifts! DeskBreak can remind on-site teams to take their mandated breaks, stretch, and stay healthy during long shifts.
10. Time Doctor
Overview
Time Doctor is a robust time tracking and employee monitoring solution designed for large remote and hybrid teams. It tracks time, websites visited, applications used, and can take optional screenshots. While powerful for managing distributed teams, it's more surveillance-oriented than other tools, so it works best in environments where employees are comfortable with monitoring.
Best For
Large remote teams needing detailed monitoring
Key Features
- ✓Time tracking with screenshots
- ✓Website and app monitoring
- ✓Distraction alerts
- ✓Payroll automation
- ✓Client and project tracking
- ✓Video screen recordings (optional)
- ✓Productivity ratings
- ✓Integrations with 60+ tools
Pros
- +Comprehensive monitoring capabilities
- +Built-in payroll processing
- +Detailed productivity insights
- +Good for compliance and billing
- +24/7 customer support
Cons
- −Very surveillance-focused
- −Can harm employee trust
- −Expensive for small teams
- −May cause stress and burnout
Pricing
Heavy monitoring can increase stress. If you're using Time Doctor's surveillance features, counterbalance them with wellness initiatives like DeskBreak. Show your team you care about their health as much as their productivity.
11. My Hours
Overview
My Hours is a straightforward time tracking tool focused on simplicity and ease of use. It's perfect for freelancers, consultants, and small teams who need to track time across projects without complex features or steep learning curves. The free plan is quite generous, making it accessible for individuals and small businesses.
Best For
Freelancers and consultants needing simple timesheets
Key Features
- ✓Manual time tracking and timers
- ✓Project and task organization
- ✓Timesheet views and approvals
- ✓Billable vs non-billable hours
- ✓Budget tracking
- ✓Reports and exports
- ✓Team time tracking
- ✓Basic integrations
Pros
- +Extremely simple and intuitive
- +Generous free plan
- +Great for basic tracking needs
- +Clean, distraction-free interface
- +Good mobile apps
Cons
- −Limited advanced features
- −No automatic tracking
- −Fewer integrations than competitors
- −Basic reporting on free plan
Pricing
Simple time tracking deserves simple break reminders. My Hours keeps your tracking straightforward—DeskBreak keeps your health routine equally simple. Just click, break, and get back to work.
12. TrackingTime
Overview
TrackingTime stands out with its visual approach to time tracking, offering timeline views, calendar integrations, and visual project planning alongside traditional time tracking features. It's particularly appealing to creative teams, designers, and anyone who prefers visual organization over spreadsheet-style tracking. The interface is colorful and modern.
Best For
Visual learners and creative teams
Key Features
- ✓Visual timeline and calendar views
- ✓Drag-and-drop time entry
- ✓Project templates
- ✓Team scheduling and capacity
- ✓Time off and vacation tracking
- ✓Billable hours and budgets
- ✓Native integrations (Slack, Asana, etc.)
- ✓Mobile and desktop apps
Pros
- +Beautiful, visual interface
- +Easy to understand time allocation at a glance
- +Strong team collaboration features
- +Generous free plan
- +Great customer support
Cons
- −Visual approach may not suit everyone
- −Limited reporting on free plan
- −Fewer power features than enterprise tools
- −Some integrations in beta
Pricing
Love visual planning? You'll love visualizing your wellness too! Pair TrackingTime's colorful timelines with DeskBreak's activity tracking to see both your productivity AND your break patterns in beautiful charts.
How to Choose the Right Time Tracking Tool
1. Determine Your Tracking Style
Manual Tracking: You start and stop timers yourself. Best for focused project work where you want deliberate control (Toggl, Harvest, Clockify).
Automatic Tracking: Software runs in the background and tracks everything automatically. Best for understanding overall time patterns (RescueTime, Timely, TimeCamp).
2. Consider Your Use Case
- Freelancers/Consultants: Need billable hour tracking and invoicing (Harvest, Toggl, My Hours)
- Remote Teams: Need collaboration and project visibility (Everhour, TrackingTime, Clockify)
- Personal Productivity: Want to understand and improve work habits (RescueTime, Timely)
- Agency/Studio: Need client billing, budgets, and team coordination (Harvest, Everhour)
- Workforce Management: Need to monitor distributed teams (Hubstaff, Time Doctor)
3. Evaluate Monitoring Level
Time tracking exists on a spectrum from light (just time logs) to heavy (screenshots and activity monitoring). Consider your team's comfort level:
- Trust-based: Toggl, Harvest, Clockify, My Hours (employees control their own tracking)
- Insight-based: RescueTime, Timely (automatic but private, focused on personal insights)
- Monitoring-based: Hubstaff, Time Doctor (screenshots, activity levels, can feel invasive)
⚠️ Warning: Don't Let Tracking Harm Your Team
Heavy monitoring (screenshots, activity tracking) can increase stress, reduce trust, and actually harm productivity. Research shows that employees who feel surveilled experience more burnout and are more likely to leave. If you must use monitoring features, balance them with strong wellness initiatives and transparent communication.
4. Check Integration Needs
Does the tool integrate with your existing workflow? Key integrations to consider:
- Project Management: Asana, Trello, Monday, ClickUp, Jira
- Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord
- Accounting: QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks
- Development: GitHub, GitLab, VS Code
- Calendar: Google Calendar, Outlook
Pro Tip: Everhour excels at deep PM integrations, while Toggl offers the broadest integration ecosystem.
5. Budget Considerations
Time tracking tools range from free to $20+/user/month. Consider:
- Best Free Options: Clockify (truly unlimited), Toggl (up to 5 users), TimeCamp, My Hours
- Best Value: Clockify ($3.99-9.99), TimeCamp ($2.99-7.99), Everhour ($6-10)
- Premium Tools: Timely ($9-20), Harvest ($12), Toggl ($10-18) - worth it for advanced features
- Monitoring Tools: Hubstaff ($4.99-12.50), Time Doctor ($7-20) - if you need workforce management
6. Mobile & Offline Support
If you work on-the-go or in areas with spotty internet, check that your tool offers:
- Native mobile apps (not just web wrappers)
- Offline time tracking that syncs later
- GPS tracking for field work (Hubstaff, Clockify)
Related DeskBreak Resources
Break & Wellness Tools
Balance your tracked time with healthy breaks using these wellness apps.
DeskBreak Reminders
Smart break reminders that work alongside your time tracking.
Activity Tracking
Track your wellness activities alongside your work hours.
Productivity Calculator
Calculate your optimal work-break ratio for peak productivity.
Work Time Calculator
Calculate total work hours across projects and tasks.
DeskBreak for Remote Workers
Complete wellness solution for distributed teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Manual tracking requires you to start and stop timers deliberately, giving you full control over what gets tracked. It's ideal for project-based work where you want to track specific tasks. Automatic tracking runs in the background and records everything you do on your computer, then lets you categorize it later. It's better for understanding overall time patterns and productivity habits. Some tools (like TimeCamp and Timely) offer both approaches.
Yes! Even if you don't bill by the hour, time tracking helps you understand how long tasks actually take, identify time-wasting activities, balance your workload, and prevent overwork (especially important for remote workers). It's also valuable for project estimation, capacity planning, and demonstrating the value of your work. Tools like RescueTime and Timely are particularly good for salaried workers focused on personal productivity rather than billing.
This is controversial. Screenshot monitoring (like Hubstaff and Time Doctor offer) can be ethical if: (1) employees are fully informed and consent, (2) it's justified by the work type (e.g., contractors where clients require it), (3) it's balanced with privacy controls and wellness initiatives. However, research shows heavy monitoring often backfires—reducing trust, increasing stress, and harming retention. Many modern companies prefer trust-based approaches (Toggl, Harvest) or privacy-first automatic tracking (RescueTime, Timely) instead.
Harvest is the best all-in-one solution with time tracking, invoicing, and payment processing built-in. Toggl Track is ideal if you already have invoicing software and just need excellent time tracking. Clockify is perfect if you want a free solution that doesn't compromise on features. My Hours works well if you prefer simplicity over advanced features. All four are freelancer-friendly with straightforward pricing and no complex team features you don't need.
Yes! Everhour offers the deepest integrations, embedding time tracking directly inside Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Monday, Basecamp, and more—you never have to leave your PM tool. Toggl Track integrates with 100+ tools via browser extensions and API. Clockify offers 80+ integrations. Most modern time trackers integrate with popular PM tools, but Everhour is specifically designed for this use case and is the best choice if deep PM integration is your priority.
Focus on the benefits for employees, not just management: better work-life balance, preventing overwork, identifying bottlenecks, and fair workload distribution. Choose a trust-based tool where employees control their own tracking (avoid screenshot monitoring). Start with voluntary adoption and lead by example. Be transparent about why you're tracking and what you'll do with the data. Pair time tracking with wellness initiatives (like DeskBreak) to show you care about employee health, not just productivity. Most importantly, never use time tracking data punitively—use it to support and improve, not to police.
Clockify is the best free time tracking tool—it's the only one that offers unlimited users, unlimited projects, and no time limits on the free plan. Most competitors limit free plans to 5 users (Toggl) or restrict features significantly. Clockify's free plan includes time tracking, reporting, project organization, and integrations—more than enough for most small teams and freelancers. If you need automatic tracking instead of manual timers, RescueTime offers a generous free plan for personal productivity insights.
Most time tracking tools let you track breaks as separate tasks or mark time as "non-billable." However, for wellness-focused break tracking, we recommend using a dedicated wellness tool like DeskBreak alongside your time tracker. DeskBreak automatically reminds you to take breaks and tracks your wellness activities, while your time tracker focuses on work time. This separation is healthier than trying to track everything in one tool—it reinforces that breaks are a separate, important part of your day, not just "non-billable time."
Track Your Time AND Your Wellness
Time tracking tools help you understand where your time goes—but don't forget to track your health too. DeskBreak ensures your tracked hours are healthy hours with smart break reminders and wellness tracking.
Last Updated: January 2025 • We regularly review and update our recommendations to ensure accuracy.