Affordable Employee Time Tracking Software 2025: Top Tools & Tips for Small Teams

Your small team is running flat out. Projects pile up, deadlines loom, and everyone wonders, “Where did the day go?” You need a way to track hours—not only for payroll, but to understand how long tasks take and whether you’re charging clients accurately. Big corporate solutions are expensive and complex, but there’s good news: numerous affordable time tracking tools can help small teams and freelancers stay organized without breaking the bank. In this guide, we’ll explore what makes a good time tracker, compare feature‑rich yet affordable employee time tracking software options, and show how integrating Everhour can supercharge your workflow.

What Is Employee Time Tracking Software?

Employee time tracking software records the hours individuals spend on tasks, projects, or clients. It typically offers:

• Timers: Start and stop clocks for tasks or log time manually.
• Timesheets: Weekly or monthly views of hours logged.
• Reports: Insights into billable vs non-billable hours, project costs, and productivity.
• Project & client budgets: Set limits and track progress.
• Integrations: Connect with project management, accounting, or payroll tools.

These tools help small teams manage payroll accurately, bill clients correctly, understand how long tasks take, and plan better.

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Key Features to Look For

When evaluating affordable time tracking software, keep these essentials in mind:

• ⚡ Ease of use – Quick adoption, clean interface, minimal steps to log time
• 💰 Cost structure – Free plans & low-cost tiers; check if billed per user, per project, or flat
• 🔗 Integrations – Works with Asana, ClickUp, Trello, Slack, QuickBooks
• 📊 Reporting & budgets – Billable vs non-billable hours, estimates vs actuals, set budgets
• 📱 Mobile & web access – Log time anywhere with smartphone apps
• 👥 User roles & permissions – Right access levels for managers & team members
• 🛠️ Support & updates – Active development & responsive help even in affordable plans

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Top Affordable Time Tracking Tools for Small Teams

We’ve compiled a list of budget-friendly time tracking software suitable for small teams and freelancers in 2025. Below, we compare their features, pros, cons, and pricing.

1. Everhour

Everhour is a time tracking tool designed to integrate seamlessly with popular project management platforms such as Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Notion, and Basecamp. It focuses on accuracy, budgeting, and reporting.

🧠 Key features

• Timers & manual entry
• Project budgets & alerts
• Comprehensive reporting (projects, tasks, users)
• Invoicing & payroll exports
• User roles & approval workflows
• Integrations with project management and accounting apps

💰 Pricing

• Free: Limited features; ideal for personal use or a small business.
• Team: Around $8.50/user/month; budgets, invoicing, approvals.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for advanced needs.

✅ Pros

• Deep integration with project management tools—timers appear next to tasks.
• Accurate budget tracking and alerts.
• Detailed reports for billing and internal analysis.

❌ Cons

• The free plan has limited features.

💡 Ideal for: Agencies, consultants, freelancers and small teams using tools like Asana or Trello who need precise budgets and reports.

2. Toggl Track

Toggl Track is known for its simple interface and one‑click timer. It supports manual entries, tags, and labels, and has a generous free plan.

🧠 Key features

• One-click timers
• Billable vs non-billable tags
• Project and client organization
• Basic reporting and insights
• Integrations with dozens of tools
• Pomodoro timer and reminders (paid plans)

💰 Pricing

• Free: Up to 5 users; basic tracking and reporting.
• Starter ($9/user/month): Deeper reporting, tags, and project budgeting.
• Premium ($18/user/month): Time audits, scheduled alerts, team management.

✅ Pros

• Very easy to use.
• Generous free tier.
• Strong browser and mobile apps.

❌ Cons

• Limited budgets on the free plan; advanced reporting requires paid tiers.
• No built‑in invoice functionality.

💡 Ideal for: Freelancers, small teams needing quick time logging without complex features.

3. Clockify

Clockify stands out for its generous free plan that includes unlimited users and projects. It offers timers, manual entries, timesheets, and simple reports.

🧠 Key features

• Unlimited users and projects on the free plan
• Time tracking via web, mobile, and desktop
• Timesheet approvals
• Export reports to CSV, Excel, and PDF
• Project budgets (paid plans)
• Invoicing (paid plans)

💰 Pricing

• Free: Unlimited tracking and basic reports.
• Basic ($3.99/user/month): Unlimited tracking, timesheet approvals, and advanced filters.
• Standard ($5.49/user/month): Adds invoicing, billable rates, and expense tracking.
• Pro: ($7.99/user/month): Adds scheduling, forecasting, alerts, and more.
• Enterprise: ($11.99/user/month): Adds SSO and audit logs.
• Productivity Suite: ($12.99/user/month): Combines all features from Enterprise, plus time tracking and project management.

✅ Pros

• Low cost with robust free option.
• Simple UI.
• Time tracking plus optional invoicing and expense management.

❌ Cons

• Limited analytics on the free tier.
• Some features (budgets, invoices) are reserved for higher tiers.

💡 Ideal for: Small teams on a tight budget or non-profits needing a free yet capable tool.

4. Harvest

Harvest is popular among freelancers and small agencies for combining time tracking with invoicing. It also integrates with scheduling (Forecast) for resource planning.

🧠 Key features

• Timers & manual entry
• Expense tracking
• Invoicing & payment collection
• Budget alerts
• Integrations with Asana, Trello, Slack, and PayPal
• Harvest Forecast (add-on) for resource planning

💰 Pricing

• Free: One user, two projects—good for freelancers.
• Pro ($11/user/month): Unlimited projects, invoicing, and reporting.
• Premium: ($14/user/month): Custom support, SSO, activity logs, and many more.

✅ Pros

• Built-in invoicing saves time.
• Expense tracking and budgeting.
• Simple to use and well-designed.

❌ Cons

• Limited free plan.
• Requires a separate subscription for Forecast if you need scheduling.

💡 Ideal for: Small agencies and freelancers that bill clients and need both time and expense tracking.

5. TimeCamp

TimeCamp combines time tracking with productivity monitoring. It offers automatic time tracking based on website/app usage and supports budgets and invoices.

🧠 Key features

• Automatic time tracking (detect apps, websites)
• Manual tracking with tasks
• Project budgets
• Productivity & attendance analysis
• Invoicing
• Integrations with project management tools

💰 Pricing

• Free: One user with unlimited projects.
• Starter (Time & Billing): $2.99/mo per user billed annually, or $3.99 month-to-month
• Premium (Profit & Productivity): $4.99/mo per user billed annually, or $6.99 month-to-month
• Ultimate (Analytics & Collaboration): $7.99/mo per user billed annually, or $10.99 month-to-month
• Enterprise (Management & Security): $11.99/mo per user billed annually, or $14.99 month-to-month

✅ Pros

• Affordable pricing.
• Automatic tracking may reduce manual entry.
• Productivity insights.

❌ Cons

• Automatic tracking might be intrusive for some teams.
• The reporting interface can be complex.

💡 Ideal for: Teams needing a balance between time tracking and productivity analysis.

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Comparison Table

Below is a summary of the top affordable time tracking tools:

Tool	Free plan	Key features	Pros	Cons	Best for
Everhour	Limited features	Integrations, budgets, reporting, invoicing	Deep integration, detailed budgets	Limited free tier	Project-based teams needing precision
Toggl Track	5 users	One-click timer, tags, basic reporting	Easy to use, good free plan	Advanced features cost extra	Freelancers, small teams
Clockify	Unlimited users	Timers, timesheets, basic reporting	Generous free plan	Budgets on paid plan	Tight budgets, large teams
Harvest	1 user, 2 projects	Timers, expenses, invoicing	Invoicing included	Limited free plan	Agencies, freelancers
TimeCamp	1 user	Automatic tracking, budgets, invoicing	Productivity insights	Interface complexity	Teams wanting automatic tracking

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Workflow Integration: Everhour’s Role

Everhour stands out for its integration-first approach. Here’s how it can enhance your small team’s workflow:

• Project management integration: Everhour embeds into Asana, Trello, ClickUp, and more. Users start/stop timers inside tasks, which ensures accurate logging and reduces context switching.

• Budget management: Managers set budgets for projects and tasks. Everhour alerts you when you’re close to or exceeding your limit. This prevents overruns and helps maintain profitability.

• Reporting & invoicing: Everhour generates detailed reports showing hours per project, task, or team member. It can create invoices directly, streamlining billing processes.

• Payroll & timesheets: Export timesheets to payroll platforms like QuickBooks or Gusto. Approval workflows ensure managers verify hours before processing.
• Time estimates: Compare estimated versus actual hours. Learn how long tasks truly take and refine future estimates.

Example use case:
A small marketing agency uses Asana to manage campaigns. Everhour integrates with Asana tasks. Designers and copywriters start timers directly in Asana, and managers see real-time budgets. When the client requests an invoice, Everhour generates it with a click. The agency stays on budget and bills accurately.

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Tips & Best Practices

• ⚡ Prioritize ease of use – Test the interface with your team to ensure adoption.
• 🎯 Start with free trials – Track time for a week to see if the tool fits your workflow.
• 🔗 Integrate early – Choose tools with native integrations (e.g., Everhour with Asana, Trello, ClickUp).
• 📢 Set clear policies – Explain the purpose of tracking; provide training to reduce resistance.
• 💰 Use budgets & estimates – Compare planned vs actual time; use alerts to stay on track.
• 📊 Review reports regularly – Weekly/monthly reviews help spot bottlenecks and improve workflows.
• 💳 Combine with expense tracking – Use tools like Harvest or Clockify Pro for seamless invoicing.
• 🔒 Respect privacy – Avoid intrusive monitoring; build trust with transparent tracking.
• 🧾 Align with payroll – Ensure exports match your payroll system to prevent errors.
• 🔄 Iterate & improve – Reassess as your team grows; upgrade when needed.

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FAQ: Affordable Employee Time Tracking Software

Do affordable time tracking tools lack features?

Not necessarily. Many low-cost tools (e.g., Clockify, TimeCamp) offer robust features. Larger features like budgeting or invoicing may require paid tiers.

Can we use free time tracking software long-term?

Yes, depending on your needs. Clockify’s free plan supports unlimited users and projects. However, features like budgets or invoicing may be restricted.

How does Everhour pricing compare to other tools?

Everhour’s paid plans start at around $5/user/month, similar to competitors like Toggl and TimeCamp. Its strength lies in deep integrations and budgeting.

Which tool is best for freelancers?

Toggl or Harvest. Both offer simple interfaces and invoicing (Harvest). Everhour could work if you use project management tools.

Do these tools support mobile time tracking?

Yes. Everhour, Toggl, Clockify, Harvest, and TimeCamp all offer mobile apps for iOS and Android.

What about privacy?

Affordable employee time tracking software typically tracks time manually, not via screenshots. If privacy is a concern, avoid tools with intrusive monitoring or disable those features.

Are these tools compliant with labor laws?

They record hours but may not include labor compliance (break tracking). For that, look at tools like Homebase or Deputy.

Can I change time entries?

Yes, most tools allow users or managers to edit time entries. Tools like Everhour have approval workflows so managers review changes before they go to payroll.

What about offline access?

Some tools (Toggl, Harvest) allow offline tracking and sync once online. Check each tool’s documentation.

Which tool integrates with QuickBooks?

Everhour, Clockify (paid), Harvest, and TimeCamp all integrate with QuickBooks.

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Affordable Employee Time Tracking Software: Final Thoughts

Effective time tracking is essential for small teams and freelancers—it ensures accurate billing, fair compensation and informed project planning. Affordability shouldn’t force you to compromise on quality. Tools like Everhour, Toggl Track, Clockify, Harvest and TimeCamp provide robust features at budget-friendly prices. Everhour stands out for its seamless project management integrations and budgeting capabilities, making it ideal for project-based teams that need precise insights without paying enterprise prices.

When choosing a tool, focus on ease of use, integration with existing workflows, and scalability. Start with a free plan or trial, communicate clearly with your team, and iteratively refine your processes. By combining an affordable time tracker with a mindset of transparency and continuous improvement, you’ll gain valuable insights into your team’s work—and ensure projects stay profitable and on time.

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