Whether you’re self-employed or run a small business, choosing the best time tracking app is essential to your day-to-day business. From overtime notifications to analytics, discover the best time tracking software to run your business efficiently and smoothly.

It is surprising to see how inaccurate paper timesheets can be. In fact, in a study conducted by TSheets in January 2018, 80 percent of manual timesheets had to be corrected by employers due to employee error. These errors can be solved through the many features found on time tracking software. From GPS tracking to cloud-based storage, a time tracking app can help to minimize potential inaccuracies.

By adding a time tracking app to your accounting software, you will stay organized and have everything in a single, convenient location.

What are the Best Time Tracking Software Features?

• Multiple Users
• This is a small to medium sized business friendly feature. It allows multiple users to access their timesheets at the same time. You won’t have to worry about collecting data from multiple sources, because this feature keeps all of your employees’ timesheets in one place with a single access point – the app.
• Cloud-Based Storage
• You’ll never have to worry about losing timesheets again! A cloud-based software system ensures that your timesheets back-up automatically. Plus, this system opens up a lot of options for the way this data is used and stored. Data can be synced automatically with any third-party accounting software, and it also means you will be able receive up-to-date information no matter where you access the data from.
• GPS Tracking
• GPS tracking allows you to ensure that all employees are remembering to punch in and out at the correct place. By enabling geofencing notifications, employees are reminded to clock in when they get to work and clock out when they leave. You can also tie certain job codes to a specific geofence, to ensure the correct employee is clocking in and out at the proper jobsite.
• Overtime Notifications
• Sometimes overtime is unavoidable or even unintentional, but overtime alerts will keep you and your employees aware of any weekly or hourly limits. Anytime an employee goes over their daily or weekly hour limit, a push notification will be sent to your phone or email.
• Analytics + Reporting
• Get an overview of your week, month, quarter or year with timesheet reporting and analytics. These reports will summarize your employee timecards and will offer a big picture look at any inefficiencies. This feature also allows you to sort the data according to your business needs and filter out any unnecessary information. You can also use this tool to help visualize your profits verses labour costs, plus, you can export this data into spreadsheets or PDFs.
• Project Management
• Stay on top of your clients, employees, and projects with a project management tool built right into your time tracking app! This feature allows you to keep all of your ongoing projects organized and even compare project progress. Track budgets, employee performance, and more all from one app.

Best Time Tracking Apps

QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time is the go-to time tracking app for small business owners. With over 2000 positive reviews, QuickBooks Time offers a user-friendly, award-winning experience and affordable pricing options. QuickBooks Time will keep everything organized and in one place.

It has all the features needed for a complete timesheet tracking app which will help you stay on budget and on time. QuickBooks Time can also help you map employee locations to see who is on the clock where they’re working, and what they’re working on.

The affordability of QuickBooks Time really makes it a standout! The app also offers a free single-user time tracking account with invoicing and more, making it a perfect choice for freelancers and independent contractors.

Features:

BigTime

BigTime is a great tool for large companies. A lot of their features are intuitive offering automatic time entry rounding, system-generated notifications to managers to keep review and approval processes on track, and compatibility with other accounting software like QuickBooks.

Benefits include in-depth job costing plans and it offers an enhanced project management tool that includes due dates, budgets, assignments, schedules and more. You can also customize timesheets and put restrictions in place to help reduce errors.

This app caters to different businesses including engineering firms, architects, and big marketing agencies. BigTime comes with a slightly higher price point, but thanks to all the features big businesses will be reaping the benefits.

Features:

TimeTracker by eBillity

TimeTracker by eBillity is a collaborative timesheet app that makes tracking your employees’ time super easy. Popular among the legal community, the app will keep all customer data secure with 128-bit encryption and it performs a daily backup of data which means your information is in good hands.

It also offers internal messaging, invoicing, and employee management. They also have a unique service called Online Time Clock Kiosk which requires employees to punch in a unique 4-digit pin and has facial detection software that captures a photo of the person clocking-in.

Synching TimeTracker by eBillity with QuickBooks has never been easier. By connecting the two softwares you will have a complete picture of how your business is spending money and making money. No need for paper timesheets or Excel!

Features:

ClockShark 

Perfect for a workforce on-the-go, ClockShark has everything you need on their mobile app. This time tracking app is great for construction workers, event management, landscapers, and more. It can also be connected to popular payroll and accounting software like QuickBooks.

With over 200 5-star reviews, ClockShark has a loyal user base. Known for their excellent customer service, they also offer features that will make time tracking a breeze. The number one benefit is definitely how user-friendly their mobile app is, making it easy to update and track on-the-go. The app will update in real-time and sync across all devices.

ClockShark also gives you the option to automate time tracking sheets for ease of use and has a custom geofencing feature that will give your employees an easier and more accurate way to log their time.

Features: