Have you ever mindlessly scrolled Instagram or TikTok without noticing the hours slipping away? If you’re at work, this can lead to major losses in productivity and revenue. It’s even worse if you work for yourself — there’s no one to cover you.
One way to do better is to track time on your iPhone. It’s convenient, accessible, and provides insights from the palm of your hand. But with countless options in the market, how do you choose the right time tracker?
This guide offers an honest review of the nine best time tracking apps for Apple users based on 20+ years of real-world experience in the time tracking industry (and a lot of personal insight from someone who works for themselves and tracks time to make sure I’m not losing income due to distractions).
Best time tracking apps for iPhone at a glance
- Timely: Best for those requiring an intuitive, easy-to-use app with minimal setup.
- Hubstaff: Best for organizations needing to track productivity through screenshots or keyboard and mouse movements.
- Toggl Track: Best for small business owners, freelancers, and anyone who wants an intuitive time management platform with mobile time tracking app with great integrations.
- Harvest: Best for individuals and small businesses needing to generate invoices easily.
- Clockify: Best for businesses requiring a generous free plan for all of their team members.
- Connecteam: Best for companies in the market for a comprehensive employee management platform.
- TimeLog: Best for businesses seeking time tracking and project management features in one platform.
- TimeCamp: Best for teams focused on simple time and project management.
- QuickBooks: Best for those already using QuickBooks Online or similar QuickBooks tools.
What makes a great time tracking tool for your iPhone?
If you’ve never used a time tracking app before (in or outside your work hours), it can be hard to separate the features you need from the nice-to-haves. Here are some of the essentials.
⏱️ Automatic time tracking
The app should offer both automatic time tracking and a start-stop timer for manual time entries. This functionality makes it easy to clock in and out, track billable and nonbillable time, and see which specific tasks you worked on, when, and for how long.
😌 Ease of use
Your preferred app should have a great user interface, enabling everyone to track time from anywhere. A user-friendly app is easier to adopt, especially if your team has never used time-tracking apps before. You should be able to just grab the app from the App Store, install it, and get started in just a few moments.
⏱️ Compatibility across devices
You may be focused on the iPhone iOS app, but check that your chosen tool also has dedicated versions for Mac, iPad, Windows, and Android devices and even a Google Chrome extension. Ideally, you should be able to start tracking time on one device and seamlessly transition to another if you like to hop across platforms.
🔌 Integrations with other apps
Integrations with other apps can save a lot of time and increase productivity for solo users and small teams.
Look for integrations with project management software such as Asana, Trello, Basecamp, and others to tie time data to tasks and subtasks easily. Also, explore integrations with invoicing apps such as QuickBooks. This allows you to create invoices and bill your clients easily.
Integrations with calendar apps such as Google Calendar give you a bird’s-eye view of your team members, their tasks, and their capacity. A Zapier integration is also nice for connecting time tracking apps with thousands of other mobile, web, and desktop apps.
📄 The ability to create detailed reports
The most illuminating part of tracking time is reading a report detailing how you spent it. Whether for yourself, a client, or your manager, a report or timesheet is an excellent way to view your activity for the day (or week, month, etc.) at a glance.
For small business owners, agencies, and freelancers, reports are an invaluable tool for proving what you worked on and why you’re invoicing them for a certain amount of money.
🤝 Managing clients, projects, and tasks
You should be able to track project time and assign it to an individual client or task. With one click, you can attribute the time you just started tracking to client A, which you’re billing at $50/hr, and then switch to a task for client B, which you’re billing for $60/hr.
This minimizes going back and forth between the mobile, MacOS, or web app and reduces the chances of manual errors.
🪄 Customization options
Some users want to track their time in real time, while others prefer adding logs manually. Some want Pomodoro time trackers, while others want to use time blocking.
Before committing to a paid plan, make sure the iPhone time tracking app has a variety of customization options. You should be able to choose your time tracking devices, how you generate reports, who sees your timesheets, and much more.
The 9 best free time tracking apps for iPhone
Whether you’re looking for a simple time tracker or something to manage your agency or small business, we have just what you need. These are the very best time tracking apps for your iPhone, with their pros, cons, and pricing plans.
iPhone time tracking app | Who is this iPhone time tracking app best for? |
---|---|
Timely | Timely is easy to use and has a good feature set. Its AI tools are handy for those who don’t want to manually categorize their timesheets. |
Hubstaff | Timely is easy to use and has a good feature set. Its AI tools are handy for those who don’t want to categorize their timesheets manually. |
Toggl Track | Toggl Track boasts ease of use, an excellent user interface, and tailored features for small businesses, freelancers, contractors, and agencies. |
Harvest | Harvest is a solid choice for those who don’t want a single cent to slip through the cracks. Automated invoices are great for contractors, consultants, and small business owners. |
Clockify | Clockify has a solid free plan, and the paid plans are very affordable, too. It’s a solid way to get started with time tracking as a practice. |
Connecteam | Connecteam is an excellent solution for companies that need one platform for |
TimeLog | TimeLog has a wealth of features for small businesses that need time tracking, invoicing, reports, and more in one platform. |
TimeCamp | TimeCamp is easy to use, automatic time tracking, works well for individuals as well as larger teams. |
QuickBooks Time | If you’re already in the Quickbooks ecosystem, using Quickbooks Time on your phone may be the most efficient way to get time tracking features for yourself and your team. |
1. Timely
If you never used time tracking apps before, Timely is a good starting point. The setup takes just a few minutes and you don’t need much to learn the ropes. It’s also one of the rare time tracking apps with AI features.
🏆 Top features
- Automatic time tracking
- AI-powered time categorization (timesheets)
- Project dashboard (project and task management features)
- Workspace capacity (get an overview of your team’s workload)
- Billable rates for agencies and freelancers with fully customizable options
⚖️ Pros & cons
Here’s what iPhone users like:
- Timely is very easy to use, even for complete beginners
- Excellent automatic time tracking, as Timely works in the background
- AI-powered categorization of time tracked
Some cons include:
- Does not track actual phone activity, such as phone calls or app usage
- Does not capture idle time, so you may have to add this manually later on
- Is quite expensive (especially for freelancers and small business owners; even the cheapest version may be too expensive)
G2 reviews: 4.8 (419)
Capterra reviews: 4.7 (702)
💰 Pricing and plans
The below costs are based on annual pricing:
- Starter: $9 per user/month
- Premium: $16 per user/month
- Unlimited: $22 per user/month
- Enterprise: Accurate pricing available on request
Why we recommend this tool: Timely is easy to use and has a good feature set. Its AI tools are handy for those who don’t want to manually categorize their timesheets.
2. Hubstaff
Hubstaff could be a strong choice for remote companies needing to stay on top of their team’s productivity. If you need a deeper look at who does what at any given point in time, Hubstaff is a good option.
🏆 Top features
- Employee productivity monitoring features (screenshots, activity and location tracking, idle time monitoring)
- Employee scheduling (time off, shift management, PTO)
- Employee timesheets
- Project cost management
- Integrations with project management, payroll, invoicing, and many other types of platforms
⚖️ Pros & cons
Here’s what iPhone users like:
- Great option for remote, hybrid, or distributed teams with productivity problems
- Easy to input hours manually
- Tracking activity levels helps you uncover productive employees and departments, as well as find out what project is stuck and where
Some cons include:
- Productivity features that can feel too intrusive or unnecessary for some teams
- Doesn’t have an offline mode
- Reports could use more customization options
G2 reviews: 4.4 (1042)
Capterra reviews: 4.6 (1490)
💰 Pricing and plans
Hubstaff has four pricing plans, each requiring at least two seats. Here is the annual pricing breakdown.
- Starter: $4.99 per seat/month
- Grow: $7.50 per seat/month
- Team: $10 per seat/month
- Enterprise: $25 per seat/month
Why we recommend this tool: If you need detailed productivity insights, this is one of the top choices in the industry.
3. Toggl Track
Toggl Track users come from all backgrounds, including small businesses and individuals who want more control over their time. Contractors, freelancers, and agencies also benefit from the extensive feature set.
🏆 Top features
- Automatic time tracking with timesheets
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS
- Invoicing
- Time reporting and analytics
- 100+ integrations with various business tools
⚖️ Pros & cons
Here’s what iPhone users like:
- One of the simplest and easiest-to-use time trackers on the market
- Great free plan available
- Free iOS and Android apps with shortcuts and widgets
Some cons include:
- The free plan is only available for up to five users
G2 reviews: 4.6 (1750)
Capterra reviews: 4.7 (2367)
💰 Pricing and plans
Here’s the breakdown of current Toggl Track plans based on annual pricing:
- Free: Free for up to five users
- Starter: $9 per user/month
- Premium: $18 per user/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing is available for larger teams; book a free demo for teams of 20+ users
Why we recommend this tool: Toggl Track boasts ease of use, an excellent user interface, and tailored features for small businesses, freelancers, agencies, and contractors.
4. Harvest
There is a lot to like about Harvest. It offers a simple pricing structure, ease of use, and a decent feature set for small businesses. It’s not the cheapest tool in this lineup, but it does pack some functionality that lets it stand out in the market.
🏆 Top features
- Project and team reporting
- 50+ integrations with project management and various other types of apps
- Automated invoicing and team reporting
- Custom notifications and reminders
⚖️ Pros & cons
Here’s what iPhone users like:
- Very functional Google Chrome extension for web app time tracking
- Automatically generates invoices based on timesheets and reports
- Users applaud the great customer support team
Some cons include:
- Harvest lacks in the number of integrations compared to tools like Toggl Track and Clockify
- Mobile and desktop apps have different user interfaces, which may cause some issues with onboarding
- Lacks more sophisticated reporting and analysis features for some teams
G2 reviews: 4.3 (806)
Capterra reviews: 4.6 (597)
💰 Pricing and plans
There are only two plans available:
- Harvest: Free for one seat and two projects
- HarvestPro: $10.80 per seat/month based on annual pricing
Why we recommend this tool: It’s a solid choice for those who don’t want a single cent to slip through the cracks. Automated invoices are great for contractors, consultants, and small business owners.
5. Clockify
Clockify is one of the world’s most popular time trackers, especially for large teams. Clockify offers a free account for your entire team, although features are limited at this level. But there are a few more extras you should consider, too.
🏆 Top features
- Timekeeping with timesheets, time kiosks, and timers
- Client budgets per project
- Attendance and time management for team members
- Payroll features
- Resource, capacity, and utilization management
⚖️ Pros & cons
Here’s what iPhone users like:
- Easy to use, even for beginners
- The free plan is available for unlimited team members
- Timesheets and reports look great and are easy to interpret
Some cons include:
- Customer support is not the greatest
- Reports could be more personalized and customized
- Offers a free version of the tool with significant limitations compared to the paid plans
G2 reviews: 4.5 (170)
Capterra reviews: 4.7 (4912)
💰 Pricing and plans
Clockify pricing is a bit more complex than that of other time tracking apps. There are five plans in total.
- Free: Unlimited users but very basic features
- Basic: $3.99 per seat/month
- Standard: $5.49 per seat/month
- Pro: $7.99 per seat/month
- Enterprise: $11.99 per seat/month
Why we recommend this tool: Clockify has a solid free plan, and the paid plans are very affordable, too. It’s a solid way to get started with time tracking as a practice.
6. Connecteam
Connecteam is an all-in-one employee app best suited for larger organizations. From scheduling to payroll, you get all the tools for organizing and paying your employees in one place.
🏆 Top features
- Employee scheduling
- Geofencing
- One-click payroll
- Task management
- Forms and checklists for employees
⚖️ Pros & cons
Here’s what iPhone users love:
- Broad feature set for complete business management
- Accurate and easy payroll
- Manual time entries that require manager approval
Some cons include:
- Integrations don’t work as described (e.g. Quickbooks)
- Frequent time tracking inaccuracies
- Task management function does not work as intended on mobile apps
G2 reviews: 4.7 (760)
Capterra reviews: 4.8 (337)
💰 Pricing and plans
Connecteam has three hubs: Operations, Communications, and HR & Skills. The time tracking features are in the Operations hub, which has the following plans:
- Small business: Free
- Basic: $29/month
- Advanced: 49/month
- Expert: $99/ month
Why we recommend this tool: It’s an excellent solution for companies that need one platform for various different business functions.
7. TimeLog
If time tracking is just the tip of the iceberg for your organization, try Timelog. This platform combines resource planning, project management, invoicing, finance, and reporting into one app.
🏆 Top features
- Easy time tracking
- Project management features
- Resource management and planning
- Project accounting and invoicing
- Payroll management
⚖️ Pros & cons
Here’s what iPhone users love:
- Good variety of project and invoice templates
- Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- Great resource planning features that help run a more predictable business
Some cons include:
- Linking TimeLog to financial management has been challenging for some users
- Does not work well across all devices
- Despite being on the market for a few years, the number of reviews is minuscule compared to other entries on this list
G2 reviews: 4.4 (15)
Capterra reviews: 4.3 (68)
💰 Pricing and plans
There are five pricing plans available in Euros.
- Time: Free
- Starter: 13EUR per user/month
- Growth: 29EUR per user/month
- Professional: 46EUR per user/month
- Enterprise: Contact TimeLog for a quote
Why we recommend this tool: A wealth of features for small businesses that need time tracking, invoicing, reports, and more in one platform.
8. TimeCamp
If you need both time tracking and project management in one app, TimeCamp is a good place to start. While TimeCamp helps you manage time entries, you can purchase an extra called TimeCamp Planner to stay on top of projects and tasks.
🏆 Top features
- Easy automatic time tracking
- Invoicing features
- Time clock kiosks for on-site teams
- Accurate geofencing and GPS
- Time budgeting
⚖️ Pros & cons
iPhone users love:
- Easy to use, precise time tracking
- Excellent automatic tracking features
- Works well for larger organizations with multiple projects and clients
Some cons include:
- Reports and timesheets need more customization options
- Does not automatically log time on software other than website browsers
- The desktop app has some glitches compared to the web and mobile apps
G2 reviews: 4.7 (319)
Capterra reviews: 4.7 (598)
💰 Pricing and plans
Five plans are available in TimeCamp. Apart from the free plan, you can choose from the following:
- Starter: $2.99 per user/month
- Premium: $4.99 per user/month
- Ultimate: $7.99 per user/month
- Enterprise: $11.99 per user/month
Why we recommend this tool: TimeCamp is easy to use, automatic time tracking, works well for individuals as well as larger teams.
9. QuickBooks Time
QuickBooks is an extremely popular accounting software used by thousands of companies globally. If you already use this platform and don’t want to risk your new time tracking app having a QuickBooks integration, this is the right choice.
🏆 Top features
- Mobile time tracking with the QuickBooks Workforce app
- Customizable reports
- Real-time collaboration on tasks through a live activity feed
- Geofencing with reminders to clock in and out
- Easy integrations for payroll and invoicing
⚖️ Pros & cons
iPhone users love:
- Accurate time tracking with GPS features
- The mobile app makes it easy for on-site employees to log hours and add time manually
- Plugs right into QuickBooks online for easy payroll management
Some cons include:
- You need a Quickbooks Online account to use this tool
- The customer support is not very good
- Lack of flexibility and customization with time tracking options
G2 reviews: 4.5 (1430)
Capterra reviews: 4.7 (6901)
💰 Pricing and plans
To be able to purchase Quickbooks Time, you first need a Quickbooks Online account, which starts at $17.50 per month. After you purchase that account, you can get Quickbooks Time with the following plans:
- Time Premium: $10/month
- Time Elite: $20/month
- Time Premium + Payroll Premium: $42.50/month
- Time Elite + Payroll Elite: $65/month
Why we recommend this tool: If you’re already in the Quickbooks ecosystem, grabbing Quickbooks Time may be the most efficient way to get time tracking features for yourself and your team.
Download a free iOS time tracking app
Toggl Track’s mobile app provides everything you need to manage time straight from your iPhone. It’s easy to use, has a generous free plan, and integrates with the most important apps you use every day. You can access it on your Apple Watch, iPad, Mac, and other devices.
Toggl Track is completely free for up to five users, so download the app today and get started!
Mile is a B2B content marketer specializing in HR, martech and data analytics. Ask him about thoughts on reducing hiring bias, the role of AI in modern recruitment, or how to immediately spot red flags in a job ad.