15 Best Time Tracking Software for Startups in 2024

The nature of startups requires them to be very flexible in how they do business. They might have a physical office but also work remotely from any location. They also might need to collaborate with freelancers or outsource talents locally or abroad. This is why using the right apps like time tracking software and project management software are essential to the success of startups. These products help startup teams better collaborate and increase productivity even if they’re working as distributed teams.

This article rounds up 15 of the best time tracking software for startups so it can be easier to make a shortlist before you sign up with any vendor. Throughout the article, you’ll learn about the core features of each product and some more tools that make them unique compared to other solutions in the market. A few details of product pricing plans are also included.

Companies are spending more on tech tools such as time-tracking and collaboration software as a result of the work disruptions caused by COVID-19. In one study, 53% of businesses spent more on online collaboration and project management tools in 2021, which often include time tracking features.

The pandemic has greatly affected the way people work and many business and buyer activities are now completed online while being handled by distributed teams. Although most of the working population globally are moving back to the office, statistics show that hybrid work setups and remote work will still continue; thus sustaining the demand for time tracking and collaboration software into the future.

Moreover, the benefits of tracking time are well documented and companies stand by their testimonials on how the software has helped them in their operations. For instance, companies that use software with timekeeping and payroll capabilities were 44% less likely to commit errors. Meanwhile, automated time tracking can reduce the work involved in calculating time cards from seven minutes per card per pay period to one minute per card per pay period. Check the best time tracking software for startups below to see which ones have the features that can also help you in your payroll or workflow processes.

List of Time Tracking Software Examples

1. monday.com

monday.com is a web-based project management and collaboration software designed for individuals and teams alike. With customizable dashboards and automation features, monday.com helps streamline any workflow no matter what the nature of your business might be. It connects teams, gets rid of silos, and makes it easy to track progress for each task or project.

Time tracking on monday.com can be added to the dashboard for each task. It’s a highly visual platform, complete with Kanban, Timeline, and Gantt views, among others, to track projects. File sharing and real-time feedback/communication with collaborators are also included in the platform. monday.com has many integrations, so it won’t be a challenge to use with your existing apps. It seamlessly integrates with business applications like Adobe Creative Cloud, Gmail, Zoom, Mailchimp, and Google Drive.

Price Range: monday.com offers a free plan for two users. Other paid plans range from $6 to $22. It also offers a quote-based plan for larger organizations.

monday.com

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What is unique about monday.com?

1. Scalable. Whether it’s for one person or an enterprise, monday.com offers great flexibility to its users. An individual can use it for managing personal projects or collaborating with others. On the other hand, companies can use monday.com for employee management, payroll, sales and marketing, and much more.
2. Easy-to-use time tracking feature. Users can simply add a time tracking column on monday.com’s dashboard. When you’re ready to start a task, simply click the “play” button located beside the task. You can pause the tracker anytime and start it again. Data for tracked time can be exported to Excel for easy reporting.
3. Customizable workflows. No matter what your project or processes might be, monday.com can be an excellent solution to manage your team’s workflow. You can automate steps, approvals, and track the progress of each task easily in one location.

2. Sage HR

Sage HR is a full-featured HR software that covers all aspects of employee management, including recruitment, shift scheduling, performance report, and expenses management. Sage HR consists of different modules, so it can be a cost-effective solution for startups who only want to pay for features they need for their current operations.

Sage HR comes with customizable workflows that can be adjusted to any type of requirement. For example, managers or admins can create timesheets for specific projects and set up approval workflows for these timesheets before endorsing them to the payroll department. This can take out a lot of manual processes for faster payroll processing. Sage HR can be integrated with any custom-built software or third-party apps. These include G Suite integrations, Active Directory, and Slack.

Price Range: Sage HR is priced based on the number of users and the modules you wish to include in your package. Contact the vendor to receive a quote-based pricing plan.

What is unique about Sage HR?

1. Focused on HR. Sage HR is a full-featured HR software that covers all aspects of employee management, including recruitment, shift scheduling, performance report, and expenses management. Startups looking to improve their HR processes can greatly benefit from this product.
2. Modular interface. Sage HR is also cost-effective for startups because of its modular design. Users can choose only the modules they want. Examples include timesheets, recruitment, and shift scheduling.
3. Smart timesheets. Time tracking in Sage HR is done using timesheets. Users can adjust hours worked and submit their timesheets for approval. Updates on timesheets are automatic—if an employee is away, their timesheet reflects this automatically.

3. Wrike

Wrike is a work management and collaboration software that’s versatile and adapts to however your team works. It includes a wide range of features useful to all departments like marketing, creatives, consulting, agile software development, and professional services, among others. Wrike allows users to customize dashboards, workflows, and request forms. Collaborators can also have discussions on tasks, use task prioritization to work on the most urgent tasks, and get real-time updates on each task’s progress.

Wrike has a built-in time tracker button that tracks time even if you close your browser. The software is also powered by AI technology that enables smart automation and project risk prediction. Moreover, it has pre-built workflows to speed up common projects in an organization like onboarding and event management. Some integrations of Wrike include WordPress, Dropbox, and MS Excel.

Price Range: Wrike has a free plan suitable for one to five users. However, the time tracking feature is available only to users of their paid plans. Pricing for Wrike starts at $9.80/user/month.

Wrike

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What is unique about Wrike?

1. Custom request forms. Request forms in Wrike make it easy to communicate with other team members or departments. These forms help other users understand what the requesting party needs and for what purpose.
2. One-click time tracker. Users can simply open a task and click the Start Timer button beside the task to track time. To pause the time, users just need to click the Pause Timer button at the top of their workspace and click it again once they’re ready to restart work. All recorded hours are visible in the Timelog view, which shows time log entries for all tasks and subtasks under a particular project, folder, or workspace.
3. Timelog view. Wrike’s Timelog view allows users to see logged times for all tasks and subtasks quickly. Some of the details you can see in the Timelog view include the task title, user, project folder, and billing type.

4. ConnectWise Manage

ConnectWise Manage is a project management platform specifically designed for MSPs and technology service providers. Its time tracking features allow businesses to keep track and oversee their technicians’ time and understand their utilization rate. Additionally, time tracking can improve the way teams work by controlling time spent on specific activities. This can lead to an overall increase in efficiency and productivity for employees.

ConnectWise Manage helps businesses meet SLA commitments by enabling users to track time spent on specific tickets, issues, projects, or clients. Using the time tracking feature also automates client invoicing, making it simpler. ConnectWise Manage includes ITSM collaboration and documentation features, ticket creation and submission, and help desk capabilities. It can provide a competitive edge since it’s an all-in-one business management platform.

Price Range: Pricing for ConnectWise Manage is only available as a quote-based plan. Contact the vendor directly to receive your customized quote.

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What is unique about ConnectWise Manage?

1. Industry-specific. ConnectWise is designed specifically for MSPs and technology service providers. Thus, its features can be more beneficial to users or companies engaged in this industry.
2. On-site time tracking. Businesses can track their technicians’ work hours from any location. Whether technicians are working at the office, on-site, or from home, ConnectWise time tracking can be used to input work hours.
3. Invoicing. ConnectWise time tracking provides clear visibility into billable hours so it’s always easier to issue invoices to clients. Also, the platform has automation features to send out invoices on time, every time.

5. Rippling

Rippling is an employee management platform that helps businesses simplify tasks in HR and IT. It enables a simplified and automated processing and management of payroll, benefits, devices, apps, and more—in one place. Rippling is highly scalable—from 2 to 2,000 employees—and allows a secure way to manage employees’ devices and apps remotely.

Rippling is mobile-optimized, so remote clock-ins are possible with the software. Users can also create custom workflows and approvals. With automated processes and efficient workflows, payroll professionals can avoid error-prone spreadsheets and save time and resources. Rippling comes with pre-built reports that enable accurate tracking of key business performance metrics such as employee performance and turnover. Rippling integrates with over 500 apps, including Canva, Google Workspace, Slack, and Asana.

Price Range: Rippling starts at $8 per user per month. Contact the vendor for a custom plan based on your business needs.

What is unique about Rippling?

1. HR and IT management. Rippling includes features for HR and IT management. It simplifies processes like payroll and provides a secure way to manage employees’ devices and apps remotely.
2. Mobile-optimized. With Rippling, employees can easily clock in using mobile devices, a tablet kiosk, or their computers. This makes it easy and convenient to track time, especially if employees are working remotely.
3. Easy payroll runs. Managers can review and approve hours directly on the platform. As a result, payroll can be processed in just 90 seconds. Tracked hours in Rippling can be synced with payroll records for faster processing.

6. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is an online project management software for any business. It’s suitable for startups looking for a way to plan projects, track work efficiently, and collaborate with team members whether they’re at the office or elsewhere. With its drag-and-drop functionality, the software makes new automation easier to visualize and deploy. Users can create custom fields, dashboard layouts, statuses, and workflows to perform tasks specific to their work much more efficiently.

Zoho Projects’ time tracking features record employee work hours using timesheets and task timers. It lets users break down projects into smaller milestones, tasks, and subtasks for easier tracking. Team members can also collaborate through multiple channels such as chat, feeds, and forums. Zoho Projects seamlessly connects with other Zoho applications and third-party apps like Microsoft Office 365, Google Spreadsheets, and Basecamp.

Price Range: Zoho Projects is free for up to three users. The paid plans range from $5 to $10 per user per month.

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What is unique about Zoho Projects?

1. Fits any business. Zoho Projects is a project management software for any business. It’s easy to use and has all the essential features for effective collaboration.
2. Automatic time tracking. Every project created in the platform includes a timesheet where team members can clock in their hours for each task. Project managers can indicate planned time estimates for each task and monitor the progress of their team by comparing planned hours with the actual number of hours taken to complete each task.
3. Zoho integrations. Businesses using Zoho products will have no problem integrating Zoho Projects with their current Zoho apps. Zoho Projects also connects with many popular third-party apps.

7. Zola Suite

Zola Suite is an end-to-end legal practice management software for individual practitioners. Built for the business of law, Zola includes best-in-class matter management and features for email management, billing and accounting, and reporting in the cloud. It also comes with prospecting tools like dynamic CRM, automation for intakes, and lead management.

As a legal billing software, Zola Suite combines time and billing and accounting features that maximize efficiency and revenue. Plus, the platform has a client portal that is available on the web and mobile. It includes document management features, a notes organizer, and contract management to help layers and their team efficiently manage cases and share timesheets and documents with clients. Zola Suite integrates with popular business apps like QuickBooks, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Word.

Price Range: Zola Suite’s pricing is based on the features included in the package. The price range is from $59 to $89 per user per month for an annual subscription.

What is unique about Zola Suite?

1. Made for the legal industry. Zola Suite’s features are specifically designed to support legal practice. It combines tools for case management, time tracking, and case-related email management.
2. Track time on mobile devices. Zola Suite works on desktop and mobile devices. This is important for the law business since tasks and client consultations don’t always happen inside the office.
3. Invoicing capabilities. Aside from a variety of ways to input and record time entries, Zola also makes it easy to send invoices to clients. Users can customize columns, rows, fonts, and colors to properly represent their office/business brand.

8. When I Work

When I Work is a time tracking and employee scheduling software that’s easy to use and fast to set up. It has a dedicated mobile app that teaches users how to use the app quickly. In no time at all, managers can schedule employee shifts while staff can do mobile clock in, shift tasks, submit time-off requests, or manage their availability all in one platform.

When I Work has a time clock where users can integrate their schedules. Additional features such as 1-on-1 and group messaging, early clock-in restrictions, and time-off requests are also built-in on the platform. When I Work can eliminate the use of paper time cards and expensive hardware as it can be accessed on any digital device. It integrates with other third-party apps like QuickBooks Online and Gusto.

Price Range: When I Work costs $2 per user per month for up to 100 users. It also offers a quote-based plan for companies with more than 100 users.

When I Work

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What is unique about When I Work?

1. Easy to use and set up. When I Work has an app that teaches users how to set up and use the app. In just a few minutes, managers can schedule employees and staff can start tracking their work hours.
2. GPS capability. The time clock in When I Work has GPS for accurate clocking in. This enables employees to track time across all devices and locations.
3. Affordable price. Startups looking for an affordable yet powerful time tracking software can benefit from using When I Work. For just $2/user, it already comes with all the essential tools for effective time tracking and employee management.

9. Celoxis

Celoxis is a full-featured project and resource management software that helps users track and solve complex project management issues. Using meticulous engineering and a user-friendly interface, Celoxis makes it easy to handle project planning, accounting, project request tracking, and team and client collaboration.

As a resource management platform, Celoxis includes features that help users quickly allocate resources to tasks based on availability, demand, and skills. It has time and expense tracking tools to help businesses to optimally utilize their workforce and detect bottlenecks in their project pipelines. Celoxis is highly customizable and has visual reporting tools for business analysis and presentation. It also has built-in collaboration and communication tools for teams and clients. It integrates with popular business systems, including Salesforce.com, QuickBooks Online, Google Drive, and Excel/CSV.

Price Range: Celoxis offers a cloud-based paid plan at $22.50 per user per month billed yearly. It also has an on-premise solution priced at $450 per user billed once.

Celoxis

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What is unique about Celoxis?

1. Built-in timers. Celoxis has an integrated timesheet and expense module. This allows users to track time, costs, and billing for every project.
2. Project accounting. Project managers can get real-time visibility into receivables, expenses, and profitability across projects and portfolios. Celoxis takes care of profit and margin monitoring, revenue forecasting, and KPI tracking.
3. Resource management. Celoxis is a powerful resource management platform to optimally utilize your workforce. It includes features like instant overload alerts and capacity planning and helps manage holidays and exceptions.

10. Workpuls

Workpuls is a time tracking software for startups and other business sizes. It provides businesses with full visibility into how their employees use their time. It includes features like screenshots, real-time monitoring, timekeeping, and productivity tracking to keep all critical operations in check. With Workpuls, teams can see where their time is going and be able to address issues causing delays in their tasks.

When it comes to control and security, Workpuls gets all the checkmarks. The software has manager and employee login permissions, raw data about employees’ computer activities, manual time entries, and productivity alerts. It also includes behavior analytics features like stealth mode and activity tracking. Managers receive reports via email daily, weekly, or monthly. Workpuls integrates with many business apps, including Zoom, Hubspot, and Zoom.

Price Range: Workpuls’ pricing is based on the features included in the package. Paid plans start at $6.40 per employee billed annually. It also offers a quote-based plan for larger organizations.

Insightful

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What is unique about Workpuls?

1. Stealth mode. Workpuls includes behavioral analytics that monitors employee app and website usage and activity logs. It also detects suspicious and malicious activities to protect business data.
2. Timekeeping feature. The timekeeping feature of Workpuls allows businesses to access data for up to two years. This feature comes in handy for making reports, forests, and business decisions.
3. Productivity alerts. Workpuls’s productivity alerts are helpful in overseeing projects and making sure that goals are met on time and on budget. Productivity alerts send notifications on productivity levels and unwanted activities.

11. actiTIME

actiTIME is a time tracking and project management software that allows businesses to see where their time goes across projects, tasks, teams, and employees. It has modern tools used for time and project tracking, team management, workflow, billing and invoicing, and customer care among others. actiTIME can be deployed as an online program or as self-hosted software, providing companies with added flexibility and security.

Users can track their work hours manually or automatically through their mobile devices or straight from their browser via Google Chrome extension. Managers or project leaders have access to a variety of tools to analyze productivity and performance. All data on time use and output can be turned into visual charts for reporting or presentation. actiTIME connects with many apps, including QuickBooks, Trello, and Outlook.

Price Range: actiTIME is priced based on the number of users but it offers a free account for one to three users only. Price starts at $6 per user per month billed annually.

ActiTIME

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What is unique about actiTIME?

1. Many ways to track time. Users of actiTIME can clock in conveniently from their smartphones and other mobile devices. They can also simply download the actiTIME Chrome extension to track time online right in their browser.
2. Custom workflow. Time tracking in actiTIME can be integrated into any workflow. Users can fine-tune actiTIME based on their work structure, paid-time-off rules, and individual work rules.
3. Data visualization. actiTIME has powerful data visualization tools to help teams quickly get insights from their data. Users can turn time and performance data into colorful charts or graphical representations of abstract information, like measurements, statistics, and figures.

12. Time Doctor

Time Doctor is a time tracking software ideal for startups and freelancers who need to track their work hours for clients and projects. Businesses also use Time Doctor to effectively monitor the work hours of employees and manage how much time goes into each team’s projects. The software includes time monitoring features like screenshot capture and recordings, manual time entries, and payroll processing.

For professionals and freelancers running their own business or providing services, Time Doctor can be an excellent product to accurately record work hours for invoicing clients. It has a silent and interactive version and sends time-use alerts to remind users of their progress in a task. Time Doctor is an extensible platform and integrates with many third-party apps. These include Asana, ClickUp, and Freshdesk.

Price Range: Time Doctor offers three paid plans based on the number of users and features. The rates per user start at $7 per month.

What is unique about Time Doctor?

1. Client access. Time Doctor is an ideal time tracker for professionals and freelancers. They can provide access to clients and clients can see screenshots and timesheet reports without additional cost.
2. Payroll integration. Businesses can avoid wasting time on manual payroll processing by integrating timesheets in Time Doctor to their payroll software. The software can also be integrated into payment systems like PayPal to make payouts even faster.
3. Silent and interactive version. Time Doctor’s silent version continuously runs in the background tracking computer activity as long as it’s on. On the other hand, the interactive version allows users to switch the time tracker on and off. The former is ideal for company-owned computers while the latter is best for managing remote employees.

13. ProjectManager

ProjectManager is an online project and work management software created with hybrid teams in mind. With project planning, reporting, and scheduling features, ProjectManager can handle small and large projects and track the progress of teams with members from any location.

No matter how your team or organization prefers to work, ProjectManager has the ideal real-time dashboard to offer. Users can manage tasks using task lists and Kanban boards and collaborate faster by adding comments and feedback on tasks. ProjectManager also includes robust resource management features and time tracking using 100% accurate timesheets. The reporting features of ProjectManager track costs and team progress across different projects, so team leaders always have access to real-time business intelligence. ProjectManager connects with more than 400 business and productivity apps, including Pipedrive, LiveAgent, and Slack.

Price Range: ProjectManager has a free plan for up to three users. Paid plans range from $11.50 to $20.50 per user per month billed annually.

What is unique about ProjectManager?

1. Real-time dashboards. ProjectManager’s real-time dashboards can fit the way your team works. Dashboards are fully customizable and up to date. Users can track team progress, project costs, workload, and more with live graphs.
2. Kanban boards. Kanban boards offer a more visual way to manage tasks. ProjectManager’s Kanban board key features include sprint planning, custom workflows, and file storage.
3. Automated timesheets. ProjectManager has automated timesheets that make it easy to keep track of worked hours. Users can add time to timesheets by simply selecting their tasks. The system automatically logs hours on timesheets.

14. Clarizen

Clarizen is a work management and collaboration software that’s scalable and provides a wide range of tools for hybrid work setups. Its core features include the most basic office tasks like document management and go all the way to issue tracking, workforce management, budgeting, and risk management. It can be an all-in-one solution for startups looking for a simple task management solution with real-time visibility over workflows.

For small businesses and startups, Clarizen offers Clarizen Go. It has all the essential tools for task management, time tracking, and reporting so that agile teams and PMOs can have full visibility when working together on any number of projects. Clarizen Go includes multiple boards, customizable stages, and file management features. Clarizen products integrate with many business systems ,including Tableau, Microsoft Teams, and Zendesk.

Price Range: Clarizen offers quote-based plans only. Contact the vendor to get a custom plan for your team.

What is unique about Clarizen?

1. Document management. Clarizen is able to store and manage documents for teams in one place. This means workers can collaborate easily with all the files they need in one location.
2. Multiple boards. Clarizen Go has multiple boards to help teams stay organized. Boards can reflect different projects, clients, teams, or products.
3. Custom stages. Clarizen Go has custom stages that help users manage more specific tasks. Each board can have unique workflows and can be adjusted based on the developments that happen to a task. 

15. Harvest

Harvest is a simple and intuitive time tracking software used by more than 70,000 customers worldwide. Harvest allows users to easily track their worked hours for each task and see exactly how they are progressing in key aspects like budget, schedule, and costs and resources. The app is lightweight and integrates with many established business and collaboration apps so it’s easy to adopt for daily use. It’s mobile-ready, has auto-reminders for time use, and allows for manual time editing/entry.

Aside from time tracking features, Harvest also covers capabilities for invoicing and payments. It connects with different online payment gateways to make payment processing faster. Harvest also has powerful reporting tools that make it easy for PMOs and business owners to analyze employee performance and project progress.

Price Range: Harvest is free for accounts with up to two users and one project. The paid plan is priced at $12 per seat per month. 

What is unique about Harvest?

1. Simple time tracking. Harvest is an easy-to-use time tracker fit for any startup, small business, or individual. Users simply click on the track time button next to their assigned task and click again to pause or restart the timer.
2. Invoicing and payments. Accounting and payroll professionals can use Harvest time tracking to quickly turn timesheets into invoices. Invoices can be sent automatically to clients and integrated into online payments solutions so the business gets paid faster.
3. Reporting. Harvest has a wide selection of visual reports templates that keep your team supported when it comes to reporting and analysis. These visual reports can help in capacity planning for better utilization of resources. Reports are also important for ensuring projects don’t go over budget.

Choose a Time Tracking Software that Scales with You

With more working professionals collaborating online and businesses accepting remote work setups, time tracking software solutions have also become mainstream. The benefits of using time tracking software prove that it can be a powerful product in every company’s tech stack.

In particular, products that combine time tracking with capabilities like payroll and invoicing are some of the most useful types of time tracking software that startups should consider. Additional features like in-platform messaging and document management are also important and can significantly contribute to more efficient workflows. Full-featured time tracking software not only records the work hours of employees but can also help businesses—especially those that are just starting— to save on additional costs in investing in multiple software solutions.

One such platform you can consider is monday.com. While it is built as a collaboration software, it offers great time tracking tools to help you stay on top of your projects. In case you want to expand your options, you can also take a look at our list of leading time tracking tools.

By Louie Andre

B2B & SaaS market analyst and senior writer for FinancesOnline. He is most interested in project management solutions, believing all businesses are a work in progress. From pitch deck to exit strategy, he is no stranger to project business hiccups and essentials. He has been involved in a few internet startups including a digital route planner for a triple A affiliate. His advice to vendors and users alike? "Think of benefits, not features."