5 Best Time Tracking Apps for Contractors in 2024

Contractors know it’s crucial to make every second of the day count, and software tools are necessary to be successful.

Time tracking apps for contractors, in particular, have become a staple in many contractors’ toolkits because of their powerful potential to improve productivity. With the best time tracking app for contractors, you can accomplish tasks without losing control of your time.

In this article, you’ll discover time tracking software that will help tame the chaos of your projects. We’ve rounded up the top five time tracking tools contractors use, breaking down their features, limitations, and pricing information.

1. Hubstaff

Hubstaff is the ultimate time tracking app for individual contractors and businesses of any size and type. Thanks to its unique blend of a robust feature set and impressive ease of use, Hubstaff has earned the trust of 95,000+ companies.

Hubstaff is more than a time tracking app for contractors. With robust productivity tools and over 20 reports, it shows how you use your time in great detail. Its online invoicing capabilities make client billing significantly easier, too.

Hubstaff has desktop and mobile apps, so you can track time whenever and wherever. The desktop app consumes minimal resources, so it’ll never get in the way of your work.

Does it have a free trial?

Yes. You can try Hubstaff for free for 14 days.

Does it support integrations?

Yes. Hubstaff seamlessly integrates with Zapier, Asana, GitHub, and 30+ other tools for:

• Project management
• Customer relationship management
• Accounting
• Communication

Features

• Idle time detection: Caught up in another task and forgot to stop your timer? Hubstaff will stop tracking after a pre-set time to keep your timesheets accurate.
• Scheduling: Plan shifts and synchronize with team members. Hubstaff will also notify you of late or missed shifts.
• Online timesheets: Automatically generate timesheets by tracking time. Then review and approve timesheets with one click.
• Automated payroll: Assign pay periods and automate contractor payments through PayPal, Wise, and other payment platforms.
• Online invoicing: Keep track of billable hours, generate invoices automatically, and send them to clients straight from the Hubstaff app.
• Location-based tracking: With the Hubstaff mobile app and geofenced time tracking, contractors can automatically clock in when they enter a job site.
• Time and activity reports. Say goodbye to billing errors with precise time reports. Understand your team’s performance and track project progress with detailed time tracking data and productivity metrics.

Limitations

Hubstaff’s free version is available for one user only. While it’s enough for purely time tracking, it only offers basic activity features and limited reports.

Pricing

• Free
• Starter: $7 per user/month
• Grow: $9 per user/month
• Team: $12 per user/month
• Enterprise: $25 per user/month (annual pricing only)

Need more advanced features? Hubstaff also offers extra add-ons that boost its primary team management features:

• Tasks ($3 per user/month): A Kanban-based project management tool that lets you track multiple projects, collaborate with teammates, and build custom workflows.
• Insights ($2 per user/month): Advanced workforce management analytics like focus time, industry benchmarks, and productivity trends.
• Data retention ($2 per user/month): Extend the storage of your data within Hubstaff.
• Locations ($4 per user/month): Access to location-based features like GPS tracking, work orders, and geofenced job sites.
• More screenshots ($3 per user/month): Capture more screenshots over time.
• Corporate add-on ($3 per user/month): Access to enterprise features — automatic timers for company devices and account provisioning. Included in the Enterprise plan.

2. Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a popular time tracker app used by over 70,000 teams. The company prides itself on the simplicity of its time tracking without compromising on features or flexibility.

Does it have a free trial?

Yes, 30 days of Toggl Track Premium for free.

Does it support integrations?

Yes. Toggl Track boasts 100+ integrations, including Wrike, Salesforce, and Zoho Books.

Features

• Estimates and profitability: Stay within budget and estimate project performance and labor costs.
• Team reminders: Automate email notifications to team members about hourly or weekly targets.
• Payroll calculation: Track the hours contractors work and export to a payroll app.
• Visual reporting system: Access highly visual and comprehensive reports to better understand how you work.

Limitations

While Toggl Track can calculate payment amounts, it doesn’t let you pay contractors through the platform. You also can’t create and send invoices directly via Toggl Track, but you can export data.

Finally, Toggl Track doesn’t have productivity tools outside of time tracking.

Pricing

• Free
• Starter: $10/user/month
• Premium: $20/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

3. Time Doctor

With a massive global audience of over 250,000 users, Time Doctor is not only a time tracking tool for contractors but also a popular employee monitoring solution.

Does it have a free trial?

Yes, 14 days of free usage.

Does it support integrations?

Yes. You can connect your favorite tools like PayPal, HubSpot, monday.com, and 60+ others with Time Doctor.

Features

• Screen recording: Allows you to capture employee screens in real time.
• Inactivity reminder: Time Doctor can notify managers of employee absences or inactivity and send reminders if they forget.
• Login access for clients: Clients can check project advancements themselves, so they don’t need to ask for updates from contractors or freelancers.
• Timeline and productivity reports: See how your team progresses over time and gauge your workflow’s effectiveness.

Limitations

Time Doctor doesn’t have a free plan. If time tracking and basic time reporting are the only features you need, you’ll still need to subscribe to a paid plan.

Pricing

• Basic: $7/user/month
• Standard: $10/user/month
• Premium: $20/user/month

4. TimeCamp

TimeCamp is popular among freelancers and independent contractors thanks to its automatic time tracking functionality.

Many small businesses also rely on TimeCamp, with more than 18,000 teams from various industries having tried it.

Does it have a free trial?

Yes, TimeCamp has a 14-day free trial.

Does it support integrations?

Yes. TimeCamp integrates with Slack, Trello, Zendesk, and 80+ other tools for effective contract work management.

Features

• Keyword-based time tracking: Connect time entries with relevant tasks based on keywords you can set.
• Geofencing: Contractors can automatically start tracking time when they arrive at job locations.
• Real-time performance insights: Access activity metrics and over 20 report types for contractors.
• Budgeting and billing: Easily track billable hours so you can accurately estimate project budgets.
• Task management: Plan tasks with to-do lists and basic project management features.

Limitations

TimeCamp doesn’t have a payroll feature. It’s a good tool for contract work thanks to its time tracking and invoicing features, but if you’re managing a team, you’ll need a separate platform to pay them.

Pricing

• Free
• Starter: $3.99/user/month
• Basic: $7.99/user/month
• Pro: $10.99/user/month
• Enterprise: Contact sales

5. Harvest

Harvest is a cloud-based time-tracking solution used by many contractors and creative professionals. Over 70,000 businesses trust Harvest to help with their time management needs.

Does it have a free trial?

Yes, 30 days of a fully featured Harvest account for free.

Does it support integrations?

Yes. With Harvest, contractors can synchronize their data with QuickBooks, ClickUp, and over 50 other tools.

Features

• Online timesheets: Generate and manage accurate timesheets. You can also view time entries based on task, project, or client.
• Automated invoices and payments: Convert time entries to payments automatically with Harvest’s accurate payroll capabilities.
• Costs tracking: Receive real-time notifications when you reach specific cost levels.
• Project visualization: Track your progress in projects via easily digestible visual reports.

Limitations

Harvest has good time tracking and project budgeting features, but it doesn’t have productivity features like activity tracking and advanced performance metrics. 

Pricing

• Free
• Pro: $12/user/month

Bonus time management tips for contractors

Analyze non-billable time

Non-billable hours don’t mean non-relevant. According to Anthony Martin, founder and CEO of Choice Mutual, “On the one hand, tracking non-billable hours improves contractor’s billing accuracy overall. On the other – it helps analyze the time spent, spot less-profitable projects and clients, and see potentially lucrative sources of billable hours.” Learn the difference between billable and non-billable hours.

Set mini-milestones and celebrate them

Tiny milestones demonstrate how you advance toward a larger goal. They’re also an excellent way to stay motivated even in long and complex projects.

“Recognizing small wins evokes positive emotions, increases confidence, and makes you feel appreciated and valued. Even a simple thank-you can be a good start to celebrate your completed work,” says Jerry Han, CMO at Prize Rebel.

Pay extra attention to timesheets

Timesheets aren’t just for payroll purposes. They can also be used as a reference if you ever need to provide proof that work has been done.

“Precise attention to work hours is never extra. If you are a contractor, every second counts. Incorrectly submitted timesheets can lead to disputes with clients or managers, and you may be forced to settle them legally,” notes Andrew Pierce, CEO at LLC Attorney.

Schedule breaks

Breaks — even small ones — contribute significantly to preventing burnout. Include ample time for breaks in your daily schedule to avoid fatigue.

“Burnout and stress are not uncommon among contractors in any sphere of work, whether in the construction, IT, or medical field,” remarks Alex Milligan, co-founder and CMO of NuggMD. “But there’s a cure: multiple breaks throughout a workday. They shouldn’t be too long. Typically, scheduling 10-minute breaks at least four times a day may be an ideal balance for a contractor.”

Use a time management matrix

The Eisenhower matrix categorizes tasks into four types so you can prioritize more effectively:

• Do: Urgent and important tasks
• Decide: Important but not urgent
• Delegate: Urgent but not important
• Delete: Not urgent and not important

“To manage time more efficiently, contractors should use the Eisenhower Matrix – a diagram of four urgency-importance quadrants. It’s one of the greatest task prioritization systems to become more productive overall,” says Ryan Hamill, co-founder and executive director of the Ancient Language Institute.

Minimize time on non-productive work

The average employee spends 28% of the workweek on emails. On top of that, common distractions like social media are also a concern.

“Among other distractions like virtual chats or gaming apps, email checking and social media scrolling are two worst enemies of contractors. Several email checks or Instagram swipes can end up in lost hours,” says Jesse Hanson, Content Manager at Online Solitaire and World of Card Games.

Consider replacing emails with communication and collaboration tools to improve workflow efficiency. Hanson also recommends using website and social media blockers during working hours.

Make every hour count with time tracking software

Time is every contractor’s greatest asset. It never stops regardless of the amount of work on your plate, but you can make the most of it with time tracking apps.

The key to finding the right one is identifying the most important features for your type of work. If you want to see how much time you spend on each task or determine a baseline for your own performance, then a basic time tracker will likely suffice.

On the other hand, if you’re constantly working with multiple clients, you’ll benefit a lot from time trackers with invoicing and budgeting features. Payroll features come in handy when you’re managing teams.

For the best results, pair your time tracking tools with effective time management methods. More efficient work means more time for clients — and also more opportunities to profit.