Buyer’s guide · Technology
Best Time Tracking Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison
We compared four time tracking tools on public pricing, free plan limits, billable rates, and core reporting so you can shortlist by team size and invoicing needs.
- Solo users or teams of up to 5: Clockify Free or Toggl Free — unlimited tracking at $0 within user caps.
- Teams that need billable rates and invoicing: Clockify Standard or Harvest Teams — published per-seat rates starting under $10.
- Agencies that want profitability reports: Toggl Premium or Clockify Pro — higher published tiers with approvals and cost tracking.
- Teams that prefer automatic background tracking: Timely Starter — published starting price with AI-assisted timesheets.
Time tracking software records hours spent on projects, clients, or tasks so teams can bill clients, analyze productivity, and manage capacity. Many also include invoicing or integrate with accounting tools.
We used the same fields for every vendor: published pricing, free plan or trial, core focus, and main limitation. The order is not a quality ranking. We sorted by public $0 or published list price first, then higher tiers last.
| Platform | Published pricing | Free plan or trial | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Clockify | Free (up to 5 users); Basic $3.99/user/mo annual; Standard $5.49; Pro $7.99 | Forever free plan with user limit | Teams that want low-cost tracking and invoicing | Visit → |
| 2. Toggl Track | Free (limited users); Starter $9/user/mo annual; Premium $16; Enterprise quote | Forever free plan with user limit; 30-day trial on paid | Teams that want clean timers and team reports | Visit → |
| 3. Harvest | Free (1 seat, 2 projects); Teams from $9/seat/mo annual; Enterprise from $14 | Forever free for solo; trials available | Service teams that invoice directly from tracked time | Visit → |
| 4. Timely | Starter from $9–$11/user/mo; Premium $16–$20; Unlimited $22–$28; Enterprise quote | Trial available; no permanent free plan | Teams that want automatic background time capture | Visit → |
Prices are public list prices in USD where published, checked 16 October 2026; they change often — confirm on the vendor’s pricing page. How we evaluated: see methodology below.
The four companies in detail
Clockify
Best for low-cost teams under 5 users
Best for: freelancers and small teams that need unlimited tracking and a clear upgrade path to invoicing and approvals.
| Attribute | Clockify |
|---|---|
| Published pricing | Free up to 5 users; Basic $3.99/user/mo annual; Standard $5.49; Pro $7.99 |
| Free plan or trial | Forever free plan (5-user cap after 2026 changes) |
| Core focus | Timers, projects, reports, later invoicing and scheduling |
| Main limitation | Billable rates, CSV export, and invoicing moved to paid plans |
- Strong free tier for basic tracking up to 5 users.
- Lowest published paid starting price among major tools.
- Free plan report date range is limited; some exports require paid.
Toggl Track
Best for clean team time reports
Best for: teams that want a simple timer, calendar integrations, and team-level productivity reports.
| Attribute | Toggl Track |
|---|---|
| Published pricing | Free (limited users); Starter $9/user/mo annual; Premium $16; Enterprise quote |
| Free plan or trial | Forever free for limited users; 30-day trial on paid plans |
| Core focus | Time tracking, billable rates, team reports, timeline views |
| Main limitation | Free plan user cap; profitability and approvals on higher tiers |
- Published free plan for small teams.
- Clear annual pricing with billable rates on Starter.
- Enterprise features and some integrations require higher plans or quotes.
Harvest
Best for teams that invoice from time
Best for: service businesses and agencies that track time and generate invoices in the same tool.
| Attribute | Harvest |
|---|---|
| Published pricing | Free (1 seat, 2 projects); Teams from $9/seat/mo annual; Enterprise from $14 |
| Free plan or trial | Forever free for solo users with project limits |
| Core focus | Time tracking, invoicing, expenses, team reporting |
| Main limitation | Usage fees can apply above included allowances on paid plans |
- Direct invoicing from tracked time on published plans.
- Free solo plan available.
- Base seat price is only part of the cost if usage exceeds allowances.
Timely
Best for automatic time capture
Best for: teams that want background tracking and AI-assisted timesheet drafting rather than manual timers.
| Attribute | Timely |
|---|---|
| Published pricing | Starter from ~$9–$11/user/mo; Premium ~$16–$20; Unlimited ~$22–$28; Enterprise quote |
| Free plan or trial | Trial available; no permanent free plan |
| Core focus | Automatic time tracking, AI timesheets, project health, billable hours |
| Main limitation | No free forever plan; pricing is per user with project or user caps on lower tiers |
- Strong automatic capture that reduces manual entry.
- Published starting prices with annual discounts.
- Higher per-user cost than basic timer tools; no free tier.
I am a solo freelancer or tiny teamWant $0 tracking
I need to invoice clients from tracked hoursService business
I hate manual timersPrefer automatic capture
Timely is built for background tracking and AI timesheets.
Buying tip
Check whether the free plan still includes billable rates and exports. Several tools moved those features to paid plans in 2026. Also confirm if usage fees sit on top of the seat price.
Which time tracker has a free plan for more than one person?
Do free plans include invoicing?
Usually not. Invoicing and billable rates are on paid tiers for most of these tools after 2026 changes.
Is pricing per user or flat?
Almost always per user or per seat. Multiply the published rate by your active seats.
Can I switch from free to paid without losing data?
Yes on all four. Historical time entries generally carry over when you upgrade.
Related comparisons
Last updated 16 October 2026 · Pricing checked 16 October 2026.
Disclosure: Kurums is reader-supported. Some links may be affiliate or sponsored links, marked as such; they never affect rankings.
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