Best Time Tracking Software for Small Business
Compare the best time tracking software for small businesses, including Toggl, Clockify, Harvest, QuickBooks Time, Hubstaff, and AI-native tools, with pricing.
If you bill by the hour, run payroll for hourly employees, or want to see where your week actually went, you need time tracking software. A spreadsheet works until you hire your second person or take on your fifth client. This guide compares widely known time tracking tools that small businesses commonly evaluate: Toggl Track, Clockify, Harvest, QuickBooks Time, Hubstaff, and Connecteam, plus three newer AI-native options. Time tracking is one part of our guide to the best software for small business.
What does time tracking software do for a small business?
Time tracking software records how many hours were worked, who worked them, and which client, project, or task they were for. What makes it useful is what happens with those hours afterward: they become line items on client invoices, entries on employee timesheets that feed payroll, or a weekly report that tells you which projects are profitable and which are quietly losing money.
Three core jobs cover most of what small businesses need:
- Billing clients accurately. If you charge $150 an hour, an untracked hour is $150 walking out the door. Timers and manual entries close that gap.
- Running payroll. For hourly employees, the timesheet is the paycheck. Errors here cost money and trust.
- Understanding where time goes. A weekly report showing 14 hours on a "quick" client task is the kind of information that changes how you quote future work.
The businesses that get the most out of time tracking are agencies, trades, consultants, law firms, bookkeepers, and any operation that bills by the hour or pays hourly staff. A solo consultant with three retainer clients can get by with a spreadsheet. A five-person agency juggling twelve active projects across two payroll cycles cannot.
How did we evaluate the tools?
We looked at seven things, in this order:
- Pricing transparency and free tier. Does the vendor publish per-user pricing, and is there a free plan a real small business can actually use?
- Setup for non-technical owners. Can the owner get a team logging hours the same day, without a consultant?
- Integrations. QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto, and Stripe are the tools most small businesses already run on. The tracker has to talk to them.
- Mobile apps. Trades and field crews live on their phones. A weak mobile app disqualifies a tool for those businesses.
- Reporting depth. Billable vs. non-billable, per-project profitability, per-client margin.
- User reviews. Where a Trustpilot profile exists, we note it. Some newer AI-native tools have no Trustpilot presence, and we say so rather than invent a score.
- Honesty about surveillance. Some tools take screenshots or track keystrokes. That is a real choice with real morale consequences, and we flag it where relevant.
Which time tracking tools are best for a small business?
Toggl Track: best for freelancers and simple solo use
A one-click timer, clean reports, and a free tier that covers solo users and very small teams. Toggl Track is a strong fit for freelancers who want a simple timer, basic reporting, and minimal setup. Integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, and 100+ project tools cover most billing workflows.
Clockify: best free option for small teams
A five-person team can run Clockify at $0/month indefinitely, with timesheets, projects, and reports included. Paid tiers add invoicing, GPS, and screenshots. Clockify is a practical starting point for small teams that need user-based time tracking before they are ready to pay for software.
Harvest: best for client billing and invoicing
Harvest is built around turning tracked hours into client invoices. You log time against a project, mark it billable, and Harvest generates the invoice with the right line items and rates. It connects to Stripe for payments and to QuickBooks and Xero for the books. Harvest reduces manual invoice prep by turning approved billable hours into invoice line items. If you want a broader look at billing tools, see our invoicing software comparison.
QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets): best for QuickBooks payroll users
QuickBooks Time integrates natively with QuickBooks Online Payroll, which means hours flow into paychecks without a CSV export. It also does geofencing and mobile clock-in for field crews. If your payroll already runs in QuickBooks, QuickBooks Time can reduce CSV exports and duplicate entry. For a wider view of options, see our roundup of the best payroll software for small business.
Hubstaff: best for remote teams needing screenshots and GPS
Hubstaff includes optional screenshots, activity levels (keyboard and mouse usage), and GPS tracking. Some remote teams and field operations need this level of verification, especially for contract billing. Others find it corrosive to team culture. Know which one you are before you install it.
Connecteam: best for deskless and field crews
Connecteam is built for teams that do not sit at desks: HVAC techs, landscapers, cleaning crews, contractors. Mobile-first clock-in, GPS, geofencing, shift scheduling, and a free tier for small businesses under 10 employees. If your team punches in from a truck, this is the shortlist.
Timely (Memory.ai): AI auto-drafts your timesheets
Timely, made by Memory.ai, is a VC-backed AI time tracker that automatically drafts timesheets from your activity, reducing manual entry. Instead of starting and stopping timers, you review AI-drafted time blocks at the end of the day. Timely has no meaningful Trustpilot presence, so we are not citing a score. Evaluate it on a free trial.
Reclaim.ai: AI calendar scheduling with a free tier
Reclaim.ai is an AI calendar and scheduling tool, acquired by Dropbox in 2024 but still offered standalone with a free tier, that automatically blocks time for tasks and habits. It is less a traditional timesheet tool and more a way to protect focus time on your calendar. Its Trustpilot profile is thin (roughly 14 reviews at last check), so treat the data as directional.
Rize: AI activity categorization for solo focus work
Rize is an AI-native focus and time tracker that auto-categorizes computer activity, and it is bootstrapped rather than venture-backed. Best for solo knowledge workers who want a passive record of where their day went without running timers. No Trustpilot profile to speak of.
How do the best time tracking tools compare?
| Tool | Starting price | Free plan | Best-fit business | Key integrations | |---|---|---|---|---| | Toggl Track | ~$9/user/mo | Yes, up to 5 users | Freelancers, small consultancies | QuickBooks, Xero, Asana | | Clockify | ~$3.99/user/mo | Yes, unlimited users | Budget-conscious small teams | QuickBooks, Gusto, Xero | | Harvest | ~$10.80/user/mo | Yes, 1 user / 2 projects | Agencies billing hourly | Stripe, QuickBooks, Xero | | QuickBooks Time | ~$20 base + $10/user/mo | 30-day trial | QuickBooks payroll users | QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto | | Hubstaff | ~$4.99/user/mo | Yes, 1 user | Remote teams needing verification | QuickBooks, Gusto, Payoneer | | Connecteam | Free for up to 10 users | Yes, up to 10 users | Deskless and field crews | QuickBooks, Gusto, Xero | | Timely | ~$11/user/mo | 14-day trial | Consultants who prefer AI-drafted timesheets | QuickBooks, Xero, Asana | | Reclaim.ai | ~$10/user/mo | Yes, unlimited tasks | Calendar-driven knowledge workers | Google Calendar, Slack | | Rize | ~$16.99/mo | 7-day trial | Solo focus work | Calendar, Slack |
Prices reflect published vendor pricing at time of writing. Check each vendor's pricing page for current numbers.
How do you choose the right tool for your business?
The right tool depends on how you make money and how you pay people. Three quick filters:
Match the tool to how you bill. If you invoice clients by the hour, Harvest or Toggl Track will save you the most time because they turn hours directly into invoices. If your work is fixed-fee and you only need timesheets for internal payroll, QuickBooks Time or Clockify is cheaper and simpler. If you do not bill hourly at all and just want to know where your week went, Rize or Timely will feel less intrusive than a timer.
Field and cash-heavy businesses need strong mobile and GPS. An HVAC tech should not have to open a laptop to clock in. Connecteam, QuickBooks Time, and Hubstaff are the shortlist here. Prioritize offline mode, GPS accuracy, and one-tap clock-in over reporting depth.
Online-only businesses should prioritize integrations. If your revenue comes through Stripe and Shopify, and your books live in QuickBooks or Xero, pick the tracker with the cleanest connection to that stack. Harvest and Toggl Track lead here.
Two more checks before you commit:
- Confirm the tool exports to your accountant's software. A CSV is not a replacement for a native integration when it is 11pm on the 15th of the month.
- Run one full billing cycle on the free trial before paying. Track a week of real work, generate real invoices or timesheets, and see whether payroll comes out clean. Every tool looks good on the sales page.
How does time tracking connect to your business bank account?
Time tracking is the front of a workflow that ends with money in your account. Hours become invoices. Invoices become payments. Payments land in a business checking account, where you reconcile them against the original hours worked. If tracked hours, invoices, payments, and deposits do not match, reconciliation takes longer.
A dedicated business checking account keeps client payments separate from personal transactions, which makes it easier to match deposits to invoices and tracked hours. If you are still using a personal account for business, this is the point where that stops working.
Novo has a $0 monthly fee. Novo connects with Stripe and Shopify, so customers can view deposits from those platforms alongside other transactions in their Novo account. Novo also offers free incoming wires, which matters when a larger client pays a five-figure invoice by wire instead of ACH.
One tradeoff to be honest about: Novo does not accept cash deposits. If your business is cash-heavy, such as a mobile detailer paid in cash on-site or a trades operator with cash tips, you will need a separate plan for depositing cash or a traditional bank that handles it. Most agencies, consultants, and online sellers do not hit this constraint. Trades and service businesses that take cash regularly should factor it in.
User review ratings (Trustpilot)
Trustpilot scores as of July 2026 — click any tool for its current rating. Tools with only a handful of reviews are marked early.
| Tool | TrustScore | Reviews | | --- | --- | --- | | Toggl Track | 2.0 | 65 | | Clockify | 3.1 | 76 | | Harvest | 1.9 | 12 (early) | | QuickBooks Time | 3.8 | 16,806 | | Hubstaff | 2.1 | 488 | | Reclaim.ai | 2.5 | 21 |
Connecteam, Timely, and Rize do not have a comparable Trustpilot profile.
What questions do small businesses ask about time tracking software?
Is there a truly free time tracking app for small business?
Yes. Clockify's free plan supports unlimited users and includes timesheets, projects, and reports. Toggl Track's free tier covers up to five users. Connecteam is free for teams under 10 employees. Free forever plans generally cap advanced features like invoicing, screenshots, or GPS, and you upgrade when you need those, not to add another user.
Can I track employee hours without screenshots or surveillance features?
Yes, and most small businesses should. Toggl Track, Clockify's basic plan, Harvest, and QuickBooks Time record hours without taking screenshots or tracking keystrokes. Screenshot and activity-monitoring features are opt-in add-ons in tools like Hubstaff. Employees generally accept a timesheet; they resent being watched. Choose the lower-friction tool unless you have a specific reason not to.
Does time tracking software integrate with payroll providers like Gusto?
Clockify, QuickBooks Time, Hubstaff, and Connecteam offer Gusto integrations that push approved hours into a payroll run. Harvest and Toggl Track connect via Zapier or CSV export. If Gusto is your payroll provider, confirm the integration is native before you commit, because it can save time each pay period.
How does time tracking software handle overtime and breaks?
Some tools can flag overtime and support break tracking, including state-specific rules like California's meal-break requirements, but employers should confirm state-specific requirements and settings in the vendor's documentation before relying on the software. QuickBooks Time, Connecteam, and Hubstaff market this as a supported feature.
Can contractors and W-2 employees use the same system?
Yes. Many time tracking tools can be used for both contractors and W-2 employees, but the payroll and reporting setup differs by vendor. W-2 hours flow into payroll and contractor hours flow into 1099 records or invoices. Harvest and QuickBooks Time make this distinction cleanest for businesses that run both.
Template: Client Time Report
If you do not yet use a dedicated tool, this plain-text template covers the minimum a client wants to see attached to an invoice:
``` CLIENT TIME REPORT Client: [Client Name] Project: [Project Name] Period: [Start Date] – [End Date]
Date Description Hours Rate Total ---------- ----------------------------------- ------- ------- -------- YYYY-MM-DD [Task description] 0.00 $0.00 $0.00 YYYY-MM-DD [Task description] 0.00 $0.00 $0.00 YYYY-MM-DD [Task description] 0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Total hours: 0.00 Total billable: $0.00
Notes:
- [Any scope notes, out-of-pocket expenses, or context]
Prepared by: [Your Name / Company] Invoice #: [XXX] ```
You can paste this template into ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to draft spreadsheet formulas for total hours, line-item totals, and total billable amount. Depending on the tool and interface you use, you may be able to export the generated table to a spreadsheet or convert it into a PDF. Review the output carefully before sharing it with a client, especially formulas, rates, and totals.
Disclosures
Novo Platform Inc. ("Novo") is a fintech, not a bank. Banking services provided by Middlesex Federal Savings, F.A., Member FDIC. Eligibility subject to final Novo determination.
Novo Platform Inc. ("Novo") strives to provide accurate information but cannot guarantee that this content is correct, complete, or up-to-date. This page is for informational purposes only and is not financial or legal advice nor an endorsement of any third-party products or services. All products and services are presented without warranty. Novo Platform Inc. does not provide any financial or legal advice, and you should consult your own financial, legal, or tax advisors.