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Time tracking & employee monitoring compared
Time clocks, timesheet apps and workforce analytics tools we've reviewed, compared on free plans and price per user.
This page is for small business owners, managers and freelancers who need to know where work hours go: time clocks for shift and field teams, timesheets for billing clients, and analytics tools that track activity on work computers. If you work alone and bill a few clients, a free timer app may be all you need.
Decide how much tracking you need and how your team will feel about it. Simple time clocks and timesheets record hours and feed payroll; monitoring tools can track apps, websites and screenshots, which some employees find invasive. Be open with staff about what you track, and check local rules before monitoring. Compare price per user, base fees, GPS and mobile apps, payroll links and whether a free plan covers your team size.
Prices we saw ran from free plans to about $3 to $10 a user a month, with some tools adding a monthly base fee.
Best for
- Best free plan for any team size: Jibble. A free plan with unlimited users.
- Best for small shift teams: Connecteam. Free for up to 10 users, with a 14-day trial of paid plans.
- Best for billing clients by the hour: Hubstaff. Starter $4.99 a seat billed yearly, with a 30-day money-back.
Picked from the prices and terms in the table below, checked on the dates shown. Our blue Our Pick label is separate: how we choose.
Compare all 11
| Company | Type | Best for | Starting price | Trial, refund or free plan | Prices checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActivTrak Checked by Vetteroo | Activity analytics | Managers who want productivity analytics for remote teams | Free (3 users); from $10/worker/mo | Annual billing | October 31, 2026 |
| Buddy Punch Checked by Vetteroo | Time clock and scheduling | Small businesses that want a simple, low-cost time clock | Starter $4.99/user/mo + $19/mo base fee | 14-day free trial, no card | October 28, 2026 |
| Connecteam Checked by Vetteroo | Employee app with time clock | Field and shift-based teams that run time tracking and scheduling from phones | Free for up to 10 users; paid hubs from $29/mo for 30 users | 14-day free trial, no card | October 29, 2026 |
| DeskTime Checked by Vetteroo | Automatic time tracking | Small teams that want automatic, hands-off time tracking | Pro $6.42/user/mo billed yearly ($7 monthly) See price | 14-day free trial | October 29, 2026 |
| Hubstaff Checked by Vetteroo | Time tracking and timesheets | Teams that bill by the hour or pay staff from tracked time | Starter $4.99/seat/mo billed yearly ($7 monthly) | 14-day free trial; 30-day money-back | October 29, 2026 |
| Insightful Checked by Vetteroo | Workforce analytics | Companies that want workforce analytics for remote and office staff | Workforce Analytics $8/seat/mo billed yearly See price | Free trial | October 29, 2026 |
| Jibble Checked by Vetteroo | Time clock and attendance | Teams that want free time tracking for any number of users | Free; paid from $4.49/user/mo yearly per Timely (third party), as of October 29, 2026 | Free plan | October 29, 2026 |
| Mera Work Checked by Vetteroo | Monitoring and time tracking | Managers of remote and hybrid teams | $3 per user/month (annual) | Free trial | October 31, 2026 |
| Modge Checked by Vetteroo | Workforce analytics and time tracking | Remote teams tracking time and productivity | From $4/seat/month billed yearly | See its terms | October 30, 2026 |
| Time Doctor Checked by Vetteroo | Time tracking and productivity reports | Managers who want detailed productivity reports for remote staff | Basic $6.67/user/mo billed yearly ($8 monthly) | 14-day free trial of Premium, no card | October 29, 2026 |
| TimeCamp Checked by Vetteroo | Timesheets and billing | Teams that need low-cost time tracking and billing | Free; from $3.99/user/mo billed yearly | Free plan and free trial | October 30, 2026 |
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How we checked
We checked each tool's pricing page, free plan limits and trial terms on the date shown. We compare features and costs; we didn't test tracking accuracy.
Our reviews
ActivTrak Checked by Vetteroo
Workforce analytics and employee activity tracking.
Read more →ReviewBuddy Punch Checked by Vetteroo
Employee time clock, scheduling and payroll software.
Read more →ReviewConnecteam Checked by Vetteroo
Employee app for time clock, scheduling, chat and HR for deskless teams.
Read more →ReviewDeskTime Checked by Vetteroo
Automatic time tracking and productivity analytics for teams.
Read more →ReviewHubstaff Checked by Vetteroo
Time tracking, timesheets and workforce analytics for remote and field teams.
Read more →ReviewInsightful Checked by Vetteroo
Workforce analytics and employee monitoring software.
Read more →ReviewJibble Checked by Vetteroo
Time tracking and attendance app with a free plan.
Read more →ReviewMera Work Checked by Vetteroo
Employee monitoring and time tracking software.
Read more →ReviewModge Checked by Vetteroo
Workforce analytics, time tracking and employee monitoring.
Read more →ReviewTime Doctor Checked by Vetteroo
Time tracking and employee productivity monitoring software.
Read more →ReviewTimeCamp Checked by Vetteroo
Time tracking and timesheets.
Read more →Related pages
- Part of Remote work tools.
Being listed here isn’t a recommendation. Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our disclosure.
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Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we believe are useful. Read our full disclosure.