5 Best Time Tracking Software Tools for Teams & Enterprises in 2026

Accurate timekeeping is vital for project efficiency and profitability. Time tracking software (also called employee time tracking or timesheet software) provides an online system to record work hours against tasks and projects. It lets team members start/stop timers or log hours manually, centralizing all data in one place for reporting. In practice, this means managers can see who worked on what and for how long, and can convert those hours into invoices or forecasts. Below, we compare the top time tracking tools – including Celoxis, Wrike, Clockify, Asana, and Paymo – highlighting their features and pricing. We also explain why Celoxis often stands out as the best all-in-one project management and time tracking solution.

What is time tracking software?

Time tracking software is an application used to record work hours. It allows employees to log time spent on tasks using web or mobile timers or manual entries. All entries are stored centrally, and the software generates summaries (timesheets) and reports by employee, project, or client. In other words, it automates traditional punch-in or spreadsheet timesheets, giving managers accurate, real-time visibility into labor usage. This data supports billing, payroll, and project planning more accurately than manual methods.

How does time tracking software work?

Typically, a time tracking tool lets users start and stop timers on their tasks or enter hours manually. Each time an entry is saved to the system in real time. The software then aggregates these entries, allowing managers to run reports on total hours by project, task, or person. For example, in many tools (like Asana Advanced or Wrike), time can be logged with an embedded timer or by typing in hours per task. This information automatically feeds into project schedules and budgets. In short, time tracking software works by capturing time events (via timers or logs) and turning them into actionable data (timesheets, charts, invoices) in one platform.

How do time tracking tools improve project management efficiency?

Time tracking tools boost efficiency by providing visibility and data-driven control over projects. Detailed logs of actual hours show where the team is spending time and where waste may occur. Managers can compare actual vs. estimated time, adjust schedules, and identify overworked employees before deadlines slip. For example, tracked hours can be drilled down by project or role, so stakeholders can see real-time progress against budgets. This clarity often leads to increased productivity and profitability: organizations frequently report smoother delivery and fewer delays once they deploy time tracking across projects.

List of the Top Time Tracking Software Tools:

1. Celoxis – All-in-One Project & Time Tracking Software

Celoxis is an enterprise-grade project management platform with built-in time tracking. It unites scheduling, resource planning, timesheets, billing, and reporting in one system. Users log hours at the task level (with web or mobile timers), and these hours automatically update project schedules and budgets. Managers can set up approval workflows for timesheets, distinguish billable vs. non-billable hours, and generate real-time utilization and profit reports. In practice, Celoxis turns raw time logs into insights: its dashboards and custom reports reveal team productivity, project variances, and resource load, all in the context of overall project plans.

Features:

• All-in-one platform: Time tracking is fully integrated with project planning and resource management.
  
• Flexible time entry: Users can start/stop timers or manually log hours for any task.
  
• Approval workflows: Configure timesheet submission and sign-off processes to ensure accuracy.
  
• Billable hours & invoicing: Flag hours as billable and generate client invoices directly from Celoxis.
  
• Advanced reporting: Custom dashboards and drill-down reports (by project, role, client, etc.) show utilization, margins, and budget variance.

Pricing: Celoxis plans start at $25/user/month (Essentials tier, includes timesheets and resource planning). A basic Core plan is $10/user (no timesheets), while advanced plans go up to $45/user (Business tier, adds billing, client portal, etc.). (All prices are per user/month, billed annually.)

2. Wrike – Project Management Software with Time Tracking

Wrike is a robust project management suite that includes advanced time tracking. Teams can record hours using a live timer or by manual entry on tasks. Wrike then ties those hours to project schedules and lets managers review and approve timesheets as needed. This level of control supports accurate billing and payroll. In use, Wrike displays real-time utilization charts and budget vs. actual comparisons. It also offers powerful resource management: you can see exactly where team time is spent, balance workloads, and forecast capacity. In short, Wrike’s integrated timesheets improve visibility into project progress and revenue.

Features:

• Live and manual tracking: Log time with built-in timers or add hours manually to any task.
  
• Workload analytics: View team availability and workload distribution; reassign tasks to avoid bottlenecks.
  
• Timesheet approvals: Create, review, lock, or restrict timesheets (weekly/monthly) for accurate accounting.
  
• Advanced reports: Drill into billable vs. non-billable tasks, and automate custom reports/invoices for clients.
  
• Project-level insights: Use built-in dashboards to track hours per project, ensuring projects stay on schedule and within budget.
  

Pricing: Wrike has a free plan for small teams (basic task management). Its paid tiers start at $9.80/user/month for the Team plan and $24.80/user/month for the Business plan, both billed annually. Higher tiers (Enterprise, Pinnacle) add unlimited automation, BI reporting, and advanced security; pricing for those is custom.

3. Clockify – Free Time Tracking & Reporting Software

Clockify is a free time tracker used by millions. Its free forever plan supports unlimited users and projects, making it ideal for teams of any size. Users can track time using a timer or by manually entering hours; there’s also a Kiosk mode for shared clocks. Clockify provides weekly timesheet views and powerful reports for costs and budgeting. Teams benefit from tools like attendance tracking, scheduling, and expense logging as they upgrade plans. In short, Clockify covers all core time-tracking needs at no cost, with paid plans that add features like SAML single sign-on and advanced analytics.

Features:

• Unlimited free plan: Unlimited projects, tasks, and users on the free tier.
  
• Flexible tracking modes: Start/stop timers or manually log hours in timesheets or kiosk mode.
  
• Detailed reporting: Generate billable vs. non-billable reports and budget/cost analyses.
  
• Resource planning: Track team capacity and time off (scheduling features).
  
• Cross-platform: Web app plus Windows, Mac, Linux desktop clients, and iOS/Android apps for on-the-go tracking.

Pricing: Clockify’s core plan is free. Paid tiers unlock extra features: Basic plan is about $3.99/user/month (billed annually) with added reports, Standard is $7.99, Pro $11.99, and Enterprise $12.99. (All paid plans are per user/month.)

4. Asana – Work Management Platform with Time Tracking

Asana is a popular work management tool for organizing tasks, projects, and workflows. It offers flexible views (lists, boards, timelines) and automation to keep teams aligned. In Asana’s upper-tier plans, you can enable time tracking: users add an embedded timer or manually enter hours per task. This lets teams compare estimated vs. actual time. Asana also provides Workload and Reporting views: managers can see who’s overbooked, track progress with charts, and include time-tracking data in dashboards. The platform integrates with dozens of apps (including time trackers like Clockify and Everhour) so you can extend its capabilities.

Features:

• Multiple task views: Lists, boards, timeline/Gantt and calendar views for scheduling.
  
• Built-in timers: (Advanced/Enterprise plans) start a timer or log hours on tasks to capture work time.
  
• Workload balancing: Visualize team capacity and rebalance work to avoid overload.
  
• Reporting dashboards: Create custom charts for metrics like time by project or priority.
  
• Integrations: Connect 100+ apps (Slack, Teams, Harvest, etc.) – including time-tracking add-ons for extra reporting.

Pricing: Asana offers a free Basic tier (up to 2 users). Paid plans start at $10.99/user/month (Starter, billed annually) and $24.99/user (Advanced). (Advanced/Enterprise plans are needed for built-in time tracking and workload views.)

5. Paymo – Time Tracking & Invoicing Software

Paymo is an all-in-one solution geared toward small teams. It combines project management, time tracking, and invoicing in a single platform. Paymo provides web, desktop and mobile apps so users can log hours via timers on any device. It even offers an automatic time tracker (Paymo Track) that silently records which apps you use to generate accurate timesheets. Beyond timers, Paymo has full task management (with Kanban, list, and Gantt views) and resource planning. Crucially, every tracked hour can be turned into an invoice: you just flag billable entries and Paymo generates client invoices from your timesheet data.

Features:

• Multi-device tracking: Native apps (browser, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android) plus an automatic tracker to capture idle time.
  
• Timers and timesheets: Start/stop timers or add hours manually; view live task timers and weekly logs.
  
• Task & project mgmt: Create tasks, subtasks, Kanban boards, and Gantt charts to plan work.
  
• Invoicing & estimates: Convert unbilled time into professional invoices with one click; send recurring invoices and online payments.
  
• Reporting & analytics: Track project profitability and employee performance with built-in reports (e.g. profit margins, utilization).

Pricing: Paymo offers a Free plan (limited to 1 user). Paid plans start at $10.90/user/month (Plus) and go up to $16.90/user (Business) when billed annually. The free tier still includes basic time tracking, with higher tiers adding features like unlimited projects and advanced reports.

What makes Celoxis great time tracking software?

Celoxis stands out because it is more than a standalone timer – it’s a full project management suite. All time entries in Celoxis feed directly into project plans and resource calendars, so you immediately see the impact on schedules and budgets. For example, Celoxis can notify managers if any project exceeds its allocated hours. Its powerful reporting engine then lets you drill down (by project, team, client, etc.) to analyze utilization and costs. This deep integration tracking time within the context of planning, gives enterprises unparalleled control. In short, Celoxis is ideal for organizations that need detailed timesheet tracking combined with advanced analytics.

How does Celoxis streamline time tracking?

Celoxis ties every time entry to a specific task or milestone. You can log hours via web, mobile or even email, and Celoxis automatically allocates those hours in the project schedule and Gantt chart. Timesheets are submitted through customizable workflows so you ensure data accuracy before billing. Because Celoxis includes built-in invoicing, teams simply mark entries as billable, and invoices are generated from the tracked time. In practice, this means no manual copying of hours between systems; the platform handles it all. By eliminating extra data entry steps, Celoxis ensures time tracking is fast, accurate, and immediately useful for planning and billing.

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Conclusion

Effective time tracking is essential for on-time, on-budget projects. The tools above vary from free stand-alone timers (Clockify) to full-featured work management platforms (Asana, Wrike) and all-in-one suites (Celoxis, Paymo). Each has strengths depending on team size and needs. For example, Celoxis uniquely combines enterprise-grade project planning with integrated time and resource management. This makes it especially powerful for organizations that require tight control over billing, profitability, and capacity. In summary, any of these time tracking software solutions can improve your project efficiency, but Celoxis often emerges as the best choice when you need comprehensive, project-level time tracking and analytics