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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteEditor’s note: This is a historical buying guide for 2021, not a recommendation based on today’s prices or app features. Time-tracking software has changed substantially since then: TSheets is now QuickBooks Time, Toggl is generally branded as Toggl Track, and plan limits and pricing have been revised. Use the categories below to understand what made each tool useful in 2021, then verify current terms before subscribing.
The right choice depended less on a universal ranking than on what you needed to measure: billable hours, project costs, employee attendance, field-service locations, or your own working habits.
What to look for in a time-tracking app
A basic tracker starts and stops a timer. More specialized products may capture app usage, record GPS locations, connect hours to invoices, calculate payroll data, or monitor activity on company-owned computers. Those are different jobs, so comparing every product as if it were interchangeable can produce an expensive mismatch.
| If you need to… | Prioritize… |
|---|---|
| Invoice clients for your time | Billable-hour tagging, rates, reports, and invoice integrations |
| Understand where your own day goes | Automatic activity capture, categories, and privacy controls |
| Manage a remote team | Timesheets, approvals, attendance, and—if justified—activity signals |
| Track mobile or field employees | GPS, geofencing, mobile reliability, and payroll integration |
| Run payroll or control labor costs | Approvals, exports, overtime rules, and accounting compatibility |
Before buying, answer four practical questions:
- Will people enter time manually, use a timer, or allow automatic capture?
- Do you need a record of hours only, or also location and device activity?
- Does the software connect to your accounting, payroll, project-management, or invoicing system?
- How will you handle corrections, missed timers, overlapping entries, and employee privacy?
Best time-tracking software by use case in 2021
Best for freelancers and solo billable work: Toggl Track
Toggl Track was a strong fit for freelancers, consultants, and other solo professionals who needed a simple timer without adopting a full workforce-management system. You could organize time by client, project, and task, then use reports to review billable hours.
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Its usefulness came from flexibility: tracking was available through the web, desktop and mobile applications, and browser extensions. The desktop application also supported automatic activity recording, capturing apps and websites used for more than 10 seconds. That information was not automatically a finished timesheet; the user decided which activities should become time entries.
Best fit: someone who wants a low-friction timer and client-ready reports.
Watch out: Toggl’s pricing and plan structure are no longer the same as they were in 2021. Current paid subscriptions are based on organizational licenses, not simply the number of people actively entering time. In the current interface, review Subscription → Overview → Licenses and remove vacant licenses when people leave. A deleted or deactivated member may otherwise leave a paid license in place.
Best for agencies and client billing: Harvest
Harvest was a natural choice for agencies and service businesses that needed time tracking connected to project budgets, expenses, and invoicing. Its value was not merely recording “8.5 hours”; it helped managers compare logged time with project estimates and identify work that was becoming unprofitable.
For an agency, that distinction matters. A timer can tell you that a designer worked 20 hours. A project-billing system can help answer whether those 20 hours were included in the client quote, whether expenses should be passed through, and whether the project is nearing its budget.
Best fit: client-service teams that need time, expense, and billing information in one workflow.
Watch out: a tool designed around project billing may be more administration than a freelancer needs. Confirm the number of users, projects, invoices, and integrations included in the current plan before migrating.
Best free or low-cost starting point for teams: Clockify
Clockify was frequently included among the free or highly rated time-tracking options discussed in 2021. It appealed to small teams that wanted shared projects, timers, timesheets, and reports without immediately committing to an expensive platform.
The main advantage was accessibility: a team could begin with basic tracking, establish a consistent process, and decide later whether it needed scheduling, approvals, invoicing, or more advanced controls.
Best fit: a small business testing whether employees will actually log time consistently.
Watch out: “free” does not mean every administrative feature is free. Check current limits for users, projects, reports, approvals, integrations, and historical data exports. Also budget for the human cost of chasing incomplete timesheets.
Best for automatic productivity measurement: RescueTime
RescueTime was better suited to personal productivity analysis than to traditional employee timesheets. It automatically observed computer activity and categorized time spent in applications and websites, helping users see how much of the day went to productive work, communications, meetings, or distractions.
That made it useful for someone trying to answer questions such as:
- How much time do I actually spend writing rather than checking email?
- Which sites interrupt focused work?
- Am I working the hours I think I am?
It was not, however, a complete substitute for project billing. RescueTime’s current plans distinguish between Focus-oriented features and plans that add Timesheets, including client, project, task, billable-rate, rounding, and export capabilities.
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- Real-Time Location Tracking with No Monthly Fees: Keep track of what matters most without any hidden costs. This GPS locator uses the SeekTag app to show your item's real-time location on your phone. There are no subscriptions and no SIM card required, making it a cost-effective tracking solution for your auto, motorcycle, truck, or trailer. You can track over a long distance with peace of mind.
- Universal Compatibility for Both iOS and Android: Whether you use an iPhone or an Android phone, this smart tracker works seamlessly for everyone. Simply download the free SeekTag application, pair the device via wireless Bluetooth connection, and you're ready to start tracking. It's the perfect personal equipment for families with mixed phone types.
- Compact, Durable Design with Multiple Attachments: Despite its powerful tracking capabilities, this device is remarkably small, tiny, and portable. The included magnetic mount securely attaches to metal surfaces, while the keychain allows for easy attachment to dog collars, kid backpacks, or luggage. With an IP65 rating, it's protected against dust and water splashes, ready for any adventure.
- Versatile Tracking for Your Valuables, Pets, and People: This isn't just for cars. Use it as a pet tracker to monitor your dogs & cats` location, a child locator for your children's safety, or an item finder for your bags and valuables. Its long range and tiny size make it an incredibly versatile tool for protecting your people and possessions from being lost.
- Reliable and Discreet for Long-Term Use: Engineered for reliability, this locator is designed for long-term use. Its efficient power management ensures a long battery life up to 360 days, providing extended tracking without frequent replacement battery. The small and undetectable design allows for discreet placement on your auto or other personal items, offering a reliable security solution.
Best fit: a solo worker who wants automatic insight into computer habits.
Watch out: automatic activity data can be misleading when multiple devices are used simultaneously. A user review from the period reported skewed totals in that situation; treat this as a reported edge case, not proof that every account will have the same problem. RescueTime also measures device activity, not the quality or value of the work.
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Best for remote-team monitoring: Hubstaff
Hubstaff occupied the more intensive end of the category. In addition to time tracking, its desktop applications could provide screenshots, app and URL tracking, and activity measurements. Mobile applications added location tracking, making the product relevant to teams working across locations.
That can be appropriate where there is a legitimate need to document work time, locations, or access to company systems. It can also create employee-relations and privacy problems if introduced as a blanket surveillance system. Screenshots, mouse and keyboard activity, and application records are signals about device use—not independent evidence of attention, quality, or completed work.
Best fit: organizations with a clearly defined operational, billing, or compliance reason to collect activity data.
Watch out: features vary by client. Hubstaff’s current comparison shows screenshots and app/URL tracking on Windows and Mac desktop applications, but not in the Chrome extension or Web Timer. The Web Timer supports time tracking only. Mobile apps support time and location tracking but do not offer the same desktop activity features. The Chrome extension’s activity measurement also uses 15-second granularity, which may overstate activity for work involving intermittent input.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Best for field-service GPS tracking and payroll connections: QuickBooks Time, formerly TSheets
In 2021, many buyers knew this product as TSheets. Intuit subsequently rebranded it as QuickBooks Time, while retaining the core product experience described in the rebranding announcement. It was aimed at businesses that needed more than a browser timer: GPS and geofencing, mobile time entry, payroll connections, and visibility into when employees started and stopped work.
This made it especially relevant to contractors, construction companies, home-service businesses, and other employers whose employees moved between job sites. Integration with QuickBooks could reduce duplicate entry between time records, payroll, and accounting.
Best fit: businesses already using QuickBooks or managing employees in the field.
Watch out: do not rely on 2021 prices or the old TSheets name when making a current buying decision. GPS also raises legitimate questions about consent, retention, access, and whether location tracking is necessary for the job.
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- QuickBooks Online: All apps → Time → Time entries → choose the date range → choose the team member → Expand menu → View timesheet history.
- QuickBooks Time: open the timesheet and choose Time entries → View log.
- Consolidated merge history: Reports → Logging and Auditing → Timesheet Merge History → choose All time or a week → Download CSV.
Intuit’s support documentation also says that edits to QuickBooks Online weekly timesheets and single-time activities now sync automatically with QuickBooks Time in both directions. That support article was updated May 26, 2026, so it should be treated as a current behavior rather than a 2021 feature claim.
Best for payroll, attendance, and scheduling: When I Work
When I Work was among the options highlighted in 2021 comparisons of free or highly rated time-tracking software. Its emphasis was closer to workforce scheduling and attendance than to a freelancer’s billable-hours notebook. That made it more suitable for businesses managing shifts, clock-ins, and hourly employees.
Best fit: retail, hospitality, and other shift-based employers that need schedules and attendance in the same operational workflow.
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- Premium GPS Tracker — The LandAirSea 54 GPS tracker provides accurate global location, real-time alerts, and geofencing. Easily attaches to vehicles, ATVs, golf carts, or other critical assets.
- Track Movements in Real-Time — Track and map (with Google Maps) in real-time on web-based software or our SilverCloud App. Location updates as fast as every 3 seconds with historical playback for up to 1 year.
- Powerful & Discreet — The motion-activated GPS tracker will sleep when not in motion for extended periods, preserving the battery life. The ultra-compact design and internal magnet create the ultimate discreet tracker.
- Lifetime Warranty — This GPS tracker is built to last. LandAirSea, a USA-based company and pioneer in GPS tracking offers a unconditional lifetime warranty that covers any manufacturing defects in the device encountered during normal use.
- Subscription Required — Affordable subscription plans are required for each device. Fees start as low as $9.95 a month for annual plans and $19.95 for monthly plans. No contracts, cancel anytime for a hassle-free experience.
Watch out: scheduling software is not automatically a full payroll system. Confirm whether the current product exports the fields your payroll provider needs, how it handles breaks and overtime, and whether managers can correct missed punches with an audit trail.
Other notable 2021 options: TimeCamp and Teamwork Projects
TimeCamp appeared in 2021 roundups as an option for time tracking and productivity reporting. It was worth considering for teams that wanted time records connected to work activity and project reporting.
Teamwork Projects was another notable option where time tracking was part of a broader project-management system. If a company already organized tasks, deadlines, and client work there, recording time in the same system could reduce duplicate updates.
These products illustrate an important buying rule: an adequate tracker inside the project-management system your team already uses may be more valuable than a technically richer standalone app that employees forget to open.
How to choose without overpaying
- Start with the output. Decide whether you need an invoice, payroll export, attendance report, project-margin report, or personal productivity summary.
- Run a small pilot. Test the workflow with a few users for one pay period or one client project. Measure completed timesheets, correction requests, and report quality.
- Test the awkward cases. Enter a missed start, edit an approved entry, switch projects, work offline, use a phone, and track time on two devices. These scenarios reveal more than a sales demonstration.
- Check the integration in practice. A logo for QuickBooks, payroll, or project software does not guarantee that the fields you need will sync correctly.
- Review privacy controls. Explain what is collected, when it is collected, who can see it, and how long it is retained. Do not use monitoring data as a simplistic proxy for performance.
- Audit billing seats. For subscription products such as Toggl Track, check licenses after removing staff. Vacant paid seats can continue to generate charges.
Common mistakes with time-tracking software
Choosing by feature count
GPS, screenshots, automatic capture, payroll, scheduling, invoices, and analytics sound impressive in a comparison table. They may also add cost, training, privacy obligations, and implementation work. Buy the smallest feature set that produces the record you actually need.
Confusing activity with productivity
A keyboard signal can indicate input. It cannot establish that the input was useful. A website visit can be research, a distraction, or part of a client assignment. Treat monitoring data as context, not a complete performance review.
Assuming every client supports every feature
Desktop applications, browser extensions, web timers, and mobile apps can have different capabilities. Hubstaff is a clear example: desktop monitoring features are not available in the same form through its Web Timer, Chrome extension, or mobile apps.
Ignoring the correction process
Real timesheets contain missed timers, wrong projects, breaks, travel, and late approvals. A system with an understandable edit history is safer than one that makes changes difficult or invisible.
Recommended Free Tools
Our 2021 shortlist
| Category | Best fit | Why consider it | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo billable work | Toggl Track | Simple timers, project organization, and reports | Current plan limits and license billing differ from old guides |
| Agency billing | Harvest | Time, expenses, project budgets, and invoices | May be more system than a solo user needs |
| Low-cost team rollout | Clockify | Accessible shared tracking and reporting | Advanced features and current limits require checking |
| Personal productivity | RescueTime | Automatic app and website activity analysis | Activity records are not proof of output |
| Remote-team oversight | Hubstaff | Desktop activity signals and location options | Monitoring features vary by device and raise privacy concerns |
| Field work and QuickBooks | QuickBooks Time, formerly TSheets | GPS, geofencing, mobile tracking, and accounting connections | 2021 pricing and product naming are obsolete |
| Shift attendance | When I Work | Scheduling and hourly workforce management | Verify payroll export and overtime handling |
FAQ
What was the best time-tracking software in 2021?
There was no universal winner. Toggl Track suited freelancers, Harvest suited agencies, RescueTime suited personal productivity, Hubstaff suited teams needing desktop or location signals, and QuickBooks Time—then commonly called TSheets—suited field businesses and QuickBooks users.
Is TSheets still the name of the product?
No. Intuit rebranded TSheets as QuickBooks Time. Older 2021 articles may still use the TSheets name, but current research and purchasing should use QuickBooks Time and its current plans.
What is the difference between time tracking and employee monitoring?
Time tracking records hours against projects, tasks, or shifts. Employee monitoring may add screenshots, app and URL records, keyboard or mouse activity, or GPS. Those signals document device or location activity; they do not independently prove productivity or work quality.
Can I use a free time tracker for a small business?
Often, yes, but free plans commonly limit users, projects, reports, integrations, or administrative features. Test a complete pay period or client project, including corrections and exports, before assuming the free tier will support your long-term process.
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The Bottom Line
For a freelancer billing clients in 2021, Toggl Track was the simplest starting point; agencies had stronger reasons to consider Harvest; RescueTime was better for personal productivity than payroll; and field-service businesses could benefit from QuickBooks Time, formerly TSheets. Hubstaff made sense only when its monitoring or location features served a clear business purpose.
Because this is a 2021 guide, do not use its historical prices or feature lists as current buying information. Compare today’s plans, test the exact desktop, browser, and mobile clients your team will use, and verify that the resulting records are useful for billing, payroll, or budgeting before paying for a larger system.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
