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11 best time tracking tools to optimize your time

Time tracking software is essential for managing budgets, time spent, and resource usage. Best tools to help businesses stay on top of their projects.

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📆 Last update:

07/2025

Key Takeaways

As an HR manager, manager, or manager, you know how important time management is to boost productivity, reduce overtime, and meet regulatory obligations.

homepage de toggl track

Time management software (or GTA for Time and Activity Management) makes it possible to track schedules, absences and activities, going beyond a simple timer to integrate decision-making dashboards and the automation of HR processes.

What is time management software and why should you use it in business?

Time management software is a tool SaaS or installed that helps to monitor, analyze, and optimize employee work time.

In 2025, 75% of businesses report a 20-30% improvement in productivity thanks to these tools (according to Gartner).

c'est quoi un Logiciel de Gestion du Temps

Unlike a generic tool like a shared calendar, it ensures labor regulatory compliance (e.g. respect for rest periods), reduces input errors and optimizes human resources.

Key Features of Time Management Software

🕒 Key Features of Time Management Software – 2025 Comparison
📌 Feature 🧾 Description 🔄 Integration 🎯 Benefits
⏱️ Work Time Tracking Automatic or manual recording of hours (arrivals, breaks, departures) Time clock, mobile, HRIS, API Reliability of declared times, legal traceability
📊 HR Dashboards Visualization of worked time, absences, overtime HR portal, Excel export, Power BI Detailed analysis of workloads and anomalies
📅 Absence and Leave Management Requests, validations, shared calendars, alerts Connected to payroll, managers, employees HR efficiency, reduction of scheduling errors
🕹️ Multi-site / Multi-scope Support for variable schedules, multi-team planning HRIS, scheduling tools Adapted to complex structures or remote work
💶 Payroll Integration Automatic transfer of time and absence data to payroll software Sage, ADP, Nibelis, Cegid, etc. Time saving, reduction of payslip errors
🧮 Automatic Calculations Worked time, overtime, premiums, justified absences Configurable rules according to collective agreement Legal compliance, automation of anomalies
📱 Mobile Application Mobile time clock, geolocation, HR notifications iOS, Android Ideal for fieldwork, technicians, salespeople
🔐 Rights and Access Management Differentiated roles (employee, manager, HR), traceability SSO / LDAP login Data security and GDPR compliance

What Benefits Can You Expect from Implementing Time Management Software?

The implementation brings a reduction in input errors (up to 40%, Gartner 2025), better visibility of HR data (e.g. absence analysis to reduce turnover by 15%), and optimization of human resources (e.g.: reallocation of time for +20% productivity).

planning de gestion des temps

For a manager, this means less overwork, fluid management of variable schedules, and decision-making dashboards to manage the workforce.

Differences between Time Management and Project Management Tools

📊 Differences Between Time Tracking (GTA) and Project Management Tools
🛠️ Tool Type 🎯 Primary Objective 🔍 Key Features 👥 Ideal Use Case 📌 Examples
⏱️ Time Tracking Tools (GTA) Precise tracking of working time
  • Time clocking
  • Productivity analysis
  • Payroll integration
  • HR dashboards
  • Multi-site tracking
Companies with HR constraints Clockify, Factorial, Timmi Temps, monday
📋 Project Management Tools Planning, coordination, and project delivery
  • Task assignment
  • Deadlines & priorities
  • Progress tracking
  • Automations
  • Team collaboration
Project teams (marketing, IT, product) Asana, Trello, monday
🧩 Hybrid Tools (Time + Project) Mix of time tracking + task management
  • Built-in time tracking
  • Project management
  • Custom reports
  • Payroll + client export
Freelancers, agencies, or SMEs ClickUp, Toggl Track

Is There Free Time Management Software?

timer sur clockify

Yes, solutions like Clockify and Toggl Track offer robust free versions for teams, with basic scores and reports. Free RescueTime tracks individual time. For businesses, opt for freemium if a tight budget, but paying for advanced HR features (e.g. multi-site management).

Comparison Chart of the Best Time Management Software

Here is a table summarizing the current data (based on CapTERRA, Forbes, and PCMag):

⏱️ Time Tracking Tools – Complete Comparison (2025)
📌 Software 💰 Price / Month 🛠️ Key Features ⭐ Rating 👥 Ideal Team Size 🆓 Free?
Clockify Free (Pro: $4.99) Virtual time clock, absence reports, payroll export ⭐ 4.7 SMBs (1–50) ✅ Yes (unlimited)
Toggl Track Free (Premium: $9) Automatic tracking, project tags, HR dashboards ⭐ 4.8 Freelancers / small teams (1–20) ✅ Yes (basic)
TimeCamp $14 Absence analysis, multi-site tracking, detailed reports ⭐ 4.6 Medium businesses (20–100) 🕒 14-day Trial
Harvest $15 Time billing, leave management, HR visibility ⭐ 4.5 Project teams (10–50) 🕒 30-day Trial
Hubstaff $14 Geolocation, time control, compliance audits ⭐ 4.4 Multi-site / field teams (50+) 🕒 14-day Trial
RescueTime $12 (Premium) Auto-tracking, productivity, HR reports ⭐ 4.6 Individuals / freelancers (1–10) ✅ Yes (limited)
Monday.com $9 HR planning, hybrid time management, team portal ⭐ 4.7 SMBs (20–200) 🕒 14-day Trial
Time Doctor $7–20 Screenshots, inactivity alerts, task tracking ⭐ 4.5 Hybrid / remote teams (10–100) 🕒 14-day Trial
Wrike $9.80 Time + project management, Slack/Teams integrations ⭐ 4.6 Project teams / IT (10–200) ✅ Yes (Free plan)
Paymo $9.90 Time tracking + billing, tasks, timesheets ⭐ 4.4 Agencies & freelancers (1–20) 🕒 15-day Trial

How to Choose Software Based on the Size of Your Team or Business?

  • Self-employed/Freelancers (1-5) : Choose Toggl Track or RescueTime for simple and free tracking, focus on personal productivity.
  • Small teams/small businesses (5-20) : Clockify or Harvest for payroll integration and absence management, with intuitive interface.
  • Medium-Sized Businesses/SMEs (20-100) : TimeCamp or Monday.com for advanced reporting, contract management, and multi-site scheduling.
  • Large Structures (100+) : Hubstaff for real-time monitoring, compliance audit and remote team interaction.
interface de toogl track sur mobile et desktop

Consider your needs: Regulatory compliance for HR, or project monitoring? Test with free trials for optimal data reliability.

In conclusion, time management software like Clockify or TimeCamp transforms your HR approach, aligning with your operational needs. Start with a trial to see the impact — you will gain efficiency and peace of mind. If you're managing a team, prioritize integration with your existing tools for an optimized user experience. Contact us for more expert advice!

What is working time tracking software?

Time tracking software is a tool used to track time spent on specific tasks at work.

When you're spending hours working on something, it can be difficult to determine how much time was spent on that specific project — especially if there are multiple people involved in certain tasks.

interface d'un logiciel de suivi du temps de travail

This can lead to differences of opinion about the progress of a task, or even arguments between colleagues about who should complete a group of tasks based on who started them or how much time is spent on these tasks.

That's where time tracking software comes in: employees will be able to accurately track their working hours and employers will be able to easily access this information to make important decisions.

Best time tracking software - Comparative guide & expert opinion

Managing time has never been so strategic: invoicing, payroll management, payroll management, remote working, project management... The right monitoring tools transform the productivity of any team. Discover the leading solutions: their advantages, limitations, and who they are really made for.

1. Clockify

page d'accueil de  clockify

Rate: Free (Pro starting at $4.99/month)

For whom: VSE/SMEs, freelancers, hybrid teams

Clockify is the reference for free time tracking tools. You can use it with an unlimited team, track absences, manage payroll, and get detailed reports without paying anything. Getting started is immediate, whether on web, mobile or desktop.

  • Very complete free version
  • Payroll export and detailed absence reports
  • Multisite and unlimited users

To remember: Clockify remains the No. 1 choice for testing or structuring the time management of a small team without headaches. For advanced needs (validation, role management, advanced HR monitoring), switching to the Pro plan is necessary.

2. Toggl Track

page d'accueil de toggl track

Rate: Free (Premium starting at $9/month)

For whom: Freelancers, creators, agile project teams

Toggl Track focuses on simplicity and speed. Its automatic tracking detects your activities effortlessly. Project tags, dashboards, and integrations (Slack, Trello...) make them the ideal ally for creative professions and freelancers.

  • Automatic tracking and smart suggestions
  • Visual dashboards and tag analysis
  • Multiple integrations, frictionless UX

Remember: If you are looking for a tool that doesn't take up your head and that saves you time on each project, Toggl Track is unavoidable. The advanced functions are still chargeable, but the core of the monitoring is available to everyone.

3 ClickUp

fonctionnalité de suivi du temps de travail de ClickUp

Tarif : Free (up to 100MB of storage), paid plans starting at $7/month

For whom : SMEs, startups, project teams, demanding freelancers

ClickUp has established itself as the “all-in-one” platform of the moment. It manages tasks, time tracking, documents, documents, chat, agendas, goals... without changing tools. Its time tracking is integrated: direct start/stop in each task, reports by member/project, exportable timesheets, multi-client management.

  • Time tracking integrated into each task (web, mobile, desktop, Chrome)
  • Automatic reminders and workload management
  • Customized dashboards to visualize time, goals, and productivity
  • Strong integration with Google Calendar, Slack, Zapier, Harvest, Toggl

To remember: ClickUp is ideal if you want to centralize time, task, and collaboration management without juggling multiple apps. Its dense interface requires a bit of adaptation at first, but its free version is already powerful. We also appreciate the depth of the integrations and the potential to manage both small projects and complex workflows. For teams that want to manage everything in one platform (and who are not afraid to dig into the settings), this is really a serious candidate.

4. TimeCamp

site web de Timecamp

Rate: $14/month (14-day free trial)

For whom: SMEs, multi-sites, advanced HR management

TimeCamp excels at absence analysis, managing multiple sites, and customizing reports. Perfect for growing structures that want to professionalize HR management and cross-reference their activity data.

  • Automatic analysis of absences and presences
  • Multi-site monitoring, detailed exports
  • API for ERP/HR integration

To remember: TimeCamp is designed for companies that want a very structured HR management. The prices vary according to the modules, so study the offer carefully before you commit yourself.

5. Harvest

site web de Harvest

Rate: $15/month (30-day free trial)

For whom: Agencies, offices, teams that charge by the time

Harvest is the go-to solution for time spent billing. Everything is designed to make life easier for teams: leave management, payroll exports, overtime alerts, accounting integrations (Quickbooks, Xero).

  • Billing time tracking
  • Multi-client and multi-project management
  • HR visibility and overrun alerts

To remember: Harvest simplifies the life of agencies and consultants. Ideal for those who want to automate invoicing based on time tracking without multiplying tools.

6. Hubstaff

page d'accueil de Hubstaff

Rate: $14/month (14-day free trial)

For whom: Field teams, multi-sites, mobility

Hubstaff combines geolocation, compliance audit, and field schedule monitoring. It is popular in logistics, transport, or maintenance to monitor the productivity and mobility of teams.

  • Real-time geolocation and activity tracking
  • Time control, inactivity alerts
  • Automated payroll and compliance reports

Key Takeaway: For businesses with dispersed or mobile teams, Hubstaff provides real HR traceability and facilitates travel management.

7. RescueTime

page d'accueil de Rescuetime

Rate: $12/month (Premium), limited free version

For whom: Individuals, freelancers, teleworkers

RescueTime automates the tracking of the time spent on each application, site or task. Its focus: to help each user identify their “time thieves” and to stay focused.

  • Automatic productivity analysis
  • Detailed reports, focus alerts
  • Anti-procrastination features

What to remember: Ideal for those who want to understand (and correct) their productivity without imposing constraints on an entire team.

8. monday

page d'accueil de monday

Rate: $9/month (14-day free trial)

For whom: SMEs, growing teams, hybrid work

Monday.com is a real OS for team management: time tracking, HR planning, automation, collaborative portals... Its big advantage: centralize and automate everything without coding.

  • Resource and work time planning
  • Hybrid management (face-to-person/telework)
  • Numerous integrations and visual boards

What to remember: For SMEs and HR managers who want to monitor both projects and time in the same interface, Monday is a scalable, intuitive solution that centralizes everything.

9. Time Doctor

page d'accueil de timedoctor

Rate: $7 to $20/month (14-day free trial)

For whom: Hybrid teams, teleworking, HR management

Time Doctor takes time monitoring a step further with screenshots, inactivity alerts, and detailed analysis of each task. It promotes commitment and well-being by avoiding burn-out.

  • Detailed tracking of time and applications used
  • Engagement and alert tools
  • Automated reports for managers

What to remember: To precisely monitor the productivity of a hybrid or remote team, while ensuring work/life balance, Time Doctor stands out as a reference.

10. Wrike

page d'accueil de wrike

Rate: $9.80/month, free plan available

For whom: Project teams, IT services, advanced management

Wrike goes beyond simple time tracking: it integrates project management, activity tracking, and integrations with Slack, Teams, Google Drive. Ideal for multi-project teams who want a complete vision.

  • Gantt charts, kanban views, and timelines
  • Time tracking integrated into each project/task
  • Advanced and customizable reporting

To remember: Wrike appeals to those who want a powerful tool, capable of managing time + tasks + projects with high level reporting.

11. Paymo

page d'accueil de  paymo

Rate: Starting at $9.95/month (15-day free trial, free plan possible)

For whom: VSEs, freelancers, agencies

Paymo centralizes time tracking, project management and invoicing in a single modern interface. We like its multiple views (Gantt, Kanban, calendar) and its desktop/mobile applications.

  • Time tracking + tasks + billing
  • Real-time reports, organization by project
  • Customer management, notifications and alerts

What to remember: An ideal solution for structures that want a clear vision on all axes — without multiplying tools and without an explosive budget.

calendar, dates, schedule, days, wall calendar, year, meeting, office, planning, calendar, calendar, calendar, calendar, calendar, schedule, schedule

Expert advice: Always try the free trials to gauge usability. Focus on ease of use if your teams are not used to this type of tool. Check the HR/accounting exports and integrations. Finally, adapt the solution to your real needs: some tools are better suited to individual productivity, others to collaborative management.

Conclusion

All of the best time tracking apps are designed to work seamlessly with the other programs and services you already use in your business.

Time-tracking applications can provide detailed reports, analytics, and frequent update notifications for managers at all levels, while providing basic features such as user registration, project setup, and task assignment at no additional cost.

ensemble des logos des logiciels de time tracking

In short, the “best” tool depends in part on your context.

  • Clockify and Toggl remain essential for small budgets.
  • Harvest, TimeCamp, and Monday increase in power as soon as we talk about HR and billing.
  • Wrike and Paymo are doing well in terms of project collaboration.

The important thing is to adopt a tool that makes daily life more fluid and gives real visibility to your team — and not the other way around.

Keeping the characteristics mentioned above in mind when choosing of an application With time tracking, you'll be able to choose the perfect software and start monitoring your team's work hours and productivity like never before.

FAQ

What is time management software for professionals?

Time management software helps professionals track the duration of each activity via a timer or time tracker. It offers dashboards to analyze performance, manage absences, and ensure compliance. Benefits: Fewer errors and better team presence (Gartner 2025: +20% productivity).

What are the best products for tracking working hours?

The list includes Clockify, Toggl Track, TimeCamp, each adapted to categories such as SMEs and SMEs. Clockify is free, TimeCamp excels for its multi-site dashboard. Choose according to your terms or use: freelancers (Toggl) or large teams (Hubstaff).

How does time management software differ from project tools?

GTA software tracks overtime and HR statements, not just tasks like Asana. It optimizes the schedule for each worker, with an operation focused on duration. Hybrids like Monday.com combine the two for all needs.

What are the advantages of time tracking software for my professional activity?

The use of software reduces the error rate by 40% (Gartner 2025), boosts performance via dashboards, and reduces costs. An SME with Hubstaff reduces overtime by 25%, freeing up time for the business world.

How do I set up a timer for my team?

Download Clockify or TimeCamp, create categories (projects, vacations), and start the timer. Link to a payroll partner for statements. At the end, adjust the report format for the activity. Simple, even without expertise, in 2025.

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