13 Timesheet Apps Categorized For 2024: Best, Unique, And With Monitoring Features (+FREE)

People have been keeping track of work hours for over 6000 years.

Over that time, timesheets were used in various forms to make time logging faster and more accurate — from clay tablets to paper and computers, they never stopped evolving.

But today, as work gets more dynamic with remote teams and flexible schedules, efficient employee timesheet solutions are more important than ever. These shifts fuel innovation in traditional timesheets, resulting in automatic timesheet apps and, more recently, AI-powered timesheets.

However, some businesses still prefer or need the standard method of manual timesheets. 

Toggl has been in this space for almost 20 years, and we’ve thrived over all these years because we understand the diverse needs of our users. However, we see that many online sources fail to account for that diversity.

So we decided to put our experience to use — we read user reviews, tested apps, and compiled a list of the best timesheet apps for 2024 and beyond that align with your business goals and employee preferences.  

Here are our top picks!

Best timesheet apps: No wrong choice with these ones

❓ TIMESHEET vs TIME TRACKING APPS: What’s the difference ❓

Timesheet and time tracking apps perform the same function: they are both used to record and manage time spent on tasks and projects. But they have different approaches.

Time tracking apps are used to track the time spent on employee tasks in real-time. They’re usually automated and typically provide report tools to measure where time is spent with the intention of productivity analysis and project management.

On the other hand, Timesheet apps are often used for documenting and approving employee hours. They rely on manual time entries and are mostly used to manage employee payroll and customer invoicing.

Some apps integrate both functions.

They use the time tracked to generate timesheets for various purposes like invoicing, payroll, etc. So, consider what your business needs before choosing a timesheet app because you may just end up paying extra for features you don’t need.

How to choose a timesheet app

Which timesheet app you choose depends on what you need. 

If your main goal is just to track when employees start and stop work, a basic timesheet app or an Excel sheet might be enough. This simple method is good for keeping basic records. But, if you’re looking to get more insights, like understanding work patterns or managing payroll accurately, you’ll need something more advanced.

Time tracking apps that also have timesheet features are great for this.

They give you detailed info on how every employee spends their time, not just their overall work time. That’s because they can track time spent on individual tasks. This helps not only in payroll but also in getting a clearer picture of your team’s work project-by-project and task-by-task.

As a general rule of thumb, watch out for these common issues when picking an app:

• Manual Time Entries: Some apps support only automatic time tracking. But it’s good to have a manual option because people sometimes prefer to enter time themselves. It gives them control and doesn’t make them feel monitored all the time.
• Approval Workflows: Timesheets are mostly for tracking clock in and clock out times. To avoid mistakes, it’s good to have a way for managers to check and approve these timesheets to keep the records accurate.
• Compliance with Labor Laws: Remember, labor laws are serious business. They usually apply to how you monitor employees and non-compliance can result in legal trouble or fines. Look for tools that comply with your local laws to issues.

In the end, think about what your team really needs. Do you just want to record hours? Or do you want to understand and manage work better? The answer will help guide you to the right type of app.

How we curated our list of the best timesheet apps

First, we found the best-rated timesheet apps based on user reviews. We then set up a project in each app and punched in our time over the three weeks it took to create this article. Throughout the process, we noted our experience with each app.

Following this method allowed us to assess each app in four criteria we believe every timesheet app must meet:

• Ease of Use — how easily your team can adapt to using the platform
• Supporting Features — how well do other features complement the timesheets  
• Integrations — how easily can you integrate the tool with your company’s tech stack
• Pricing — how likely you are to convince your boss to invest in the tool

We found that every app on the market is designed to meet specific needs, while some excelled in all areas. So we grouped them into three categories: best timesheet apps overall, best timesheet apps for specific needs, and best timesheet apps with employee surveillance.

These apps offer a complete timesheet solution with supporting features to enhance your business operations.

These apps offer reliable timesheet solutions and address a specific use case.

These apps offer timesheets but support employee surveillance.

❗ DISCLAIMER: ❗

Now that we’ve laid the scene, let’s jump into the app reviews!

1. Toggl Track – Best timesheet app for medium to large enterprises

In 2006, Alari Aho and Krister Haav started Toggl to help teams track time and boost productivity. The platform was later renamed Toggl Track after the release of Toggl Plan and Toggl Hire.

Toggl’s flagship time tracking feature records and updates your timesheet. You can choose from multiple timesheet visualization options to see the logged time by day, month, and project. The layouts provide an in-depth look into employee work habits and trends, especially when used with Toggl’s Analytics and Insights tools. Meanwhile, the Approvals feature lets you approve employee timesheets and ensure projects stay within time and budget. Toggl Track doesn’t offer any employee monitoring tools. Instead, it focuses more on offering value with deep insights while respecting employee privacy.

Toggl Track designed its timesheets to help team managers track and approve employee hours while fostering a culture of growth, performance, and trust with a tool that helps employees and doesn’t stand in their way.

Toggl has a transparent timesheet approval process.

Toggl Track is a time tracking app that includes timesheet features.

Employees can use it to track their time with the web app, browser extension, mobile app, or desktop application. No matter which app they use, the logged time gets displayed in the “Timer” tab, while a timesheet is automatically generated in the Approvals tab.

When satisfied with the timesheet, employees can submit the timesheet for review and approval by managers.

On the other side, managers can see both submitted and unsubmitted employee timesheets from their dashboard and have the option of approving or rejecting them. 

However, it’s worth noting that the Approvals feature is only available with the Premium plan.

Users with lower plans can still generate timesheets by using the Reports tab. It gives a detailed breakdown of employee time (including billable amounts and working time) but doesn’t include an approval workflow.

Toggl Track also includes a unique feature for timesheets that most other tools don’t — Rounding. It lets you round logged time up, down, or to the nearest value to simplify the payroll process.

Toggl Track offers specific integrations to simplify accounting and payroll.

Toggl Track also enhances your timesheet with accounting and payroll integrations like Xero and Zoho Books. Apart from this, Toggl also has third-party integration with OneTracking for FreshBooks to sync Toggl time tracking records with FreshBooks for easier invoicing.

Toggl Pricing

Toggl’s pricing plans are designed for different target audiences. 

Freelancers and teams of up to five members, looking for a free timesheet app, will enjoy the free plan with timesheets and reports with full functionality. They can export these detailed reports to measure their productivity, and even generate simple invoices to streamline payment processes. 

Meanwhile, the paid plans start at $10/user/month.

Paid users can link their calendars to Toggl to streamline time entries and generate invoices. It’s ideal for managers of all team sizes who need detailed timesheets to review and approve employee hours. They can also integrate with third-party tools like Xero or FreshBooks to efficiently run employee payroll.

Use Toggl if: 

• You want timesheets with multiple visualization options to easily analyze time data.
• You want a hassle-free platform to review and approve employee timesheets.
• You want to integrate your timesheets app with a third-party payroll system.

Note: If you’re not set on using a timesheet app yet, you should check out our FREE timesheet templates!

2. When I Work – Best timesheet app for shift-based workplaces

When I Work was founded in 2010 by Chad Halverson, Garret Voight, and Dan Olfelt to help shift-based teams be more productive.

It is known for features like its:

• Intuitive scheduler dashboard  
• Detailed timesheets
• Payroll integrations

When I Work is built for managers and supervisors looking for a convenient platform to easily assign and update shifts for employees working in warehouses, supermarket chains, retail outlets, and so on. 

When I Work Features

When I Work’s timesheets are divided based on managerial and employee activities:

1. You can assign employee shifts using the Scheduler. Admins can carefully plan out shift assignments without much hassle thanks to a very simple employee scheduling layout. They can assign roles, add tasks, and leave notes so employees are aware of their shift responsibilities.

2. You can review and update employee hours using Timesheets. It offers a summary at the top with an overview of overtime, sick leaves, PTO, or holidays for each employee. Each entry includes detailed shift information like role, location, breaks, and more.

When I Work also supports payroll functions that work in tandem with timesheets. It even modifies the payouts after accounting for taxes to make admins’ lives easier.

It integrates natively with ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex, QuickBooks Online, and Square. So managers won’t have to manually export pay period data to payment processors — reducing wrong entries and ensuring payouts happen on time.

When I Work Pricing

When I Work’s pricing has three paid plans with two levels for each plan: with time & attendance features and without time and attendance features. Since we are covering the best timesheet apps, we only listed the paid plans that include time & attendance features. 

• Essentials costs $4/mo/user.
• Pro costs $7/mo/user.
• Premium costs $10/mo/user.

You can test out all its features during the 14-day trial. But note that you’ll have to contact a service rep to access payroll features.

Use When I Work if:

• You work in shift-based workplaces like warehouses, supermarket chains, and retail outlets.
• You are looking for an employee timesheet app to streamline tracking and scheduling shifts.
• You want to integrate with third-party payroll systems. 

3. Replicon – Best employee timesheet app for IT firms & consultancies

Replicon was founded in 1996 by Raj Narayanaswamy and Lakshmi Raj to help businesses grow by optimizing and managing their most important asset — time.

Replicon’s top features include:

• Timesheet alerts
• Business-specific product suites
• Invoice & expense tracking

Managers in consultancies and IT enterprises will benefit from Replicon’s simple project-based timesheet tool and integrated billing feature. 

Replicon Features

Replicon has a simple and intuitive timesheet layout that doesn’t compromise on details. Users can add time logs for each task, so managers have access to granular data when processing payroll and creating invoices. 

It also offers an aggregated view of all employee timesheets with information on which employees aren’t utilizing their breaks, missing shifts, etc. Managers can use the information from individual employee timesheets to provide data-driven performance reviews.

Along with timesheets, Replicon offers billing, invoicing, and time tracking tools as separate subscriptions within the same ecosystem. The decentralized nature means you only pay for the features you need, making it scalable and economical in the long run. 

Replicon Pricing 

Replicon prices its Time & Attendance toolset at $6/user/month. 

However, to get the most out of the platform, you’ll need to combine it with the Project Time Tracking toolset ($12/user/month), effectively bringing the price up to $18/user/month. 

Meanwhile, if you are a consultancy or IT firm, you may want to consider the Professional Services Automation Suite ($29/user/month) bringing your overall cost to $34/user/month.

Use Replicon if:   

• You are a consultancy or IT firm working on large projects regularly.
• You are looking for an affordable timesheet app with the option to scale at any time.
• You want to enhance your timesheet app with dedicated product suites for specific use cases.

4. Harvest – Best timesheet app for generating invoices

Danny Wen and Shawn Liu began Harvest in 2006 to create a well-designed, innovative application that simplifies time management and invoicing for businesses. 

Today, Harvest boasts features like:

• Invoice customization
• Bulk time entries
• Detailed timesheet reports

Harvest is for freelancers or small businesses that need an easy-to-use time management platform to create custom invoices for each client.  

Harvest Features

Harvest continues its minimalistic approach to simplify time tracking-related activities like timesheet approvals and invoicing. 

Timesheets are integrated into the time-tracking dashboard, so you can add time entries and review your timesheets simultaneously. You can also send the timesheet for approval directly from the dashboard.

Employees submit timesheets and send them to you along with basic insights into the percentage of billable hours and expenses. It also offers a detailed time breakdown to check where employees spend the most time. 

Along with this, Harvest also lets you create customized invoices. You have to choose every element that appears on the invoice like hours by task, person, project, or a combination of the three. 

We found this process refreshingly useful, especially if you’re a freelancer or contractor who regularly creates invoices for different projects and clients. 

Harvest Pricing

Like the application, Harvest’s pricing plan is also quite simple. You get full feature access with both plans but with limits to the number of projects and users:

• Free plan offers one seat for two projects.
• Pro plan at $12/seat/month for unlimited projects.

Use Harvest if:

• You are looking for a platform with a simple timesheet approval workflow. 
• You want to create personalized invoices with detailed cost breakdowns.
• You need basic time reports with various visualization options.

Not sure if Harvest is for you? Read our in-depth comparison of Harvest and Toggl Track!

Best time tracking apps for specific needs

During our research, we came across a few apps that didn’t make our main list because they lacked in a specific area. However, they offered some unique feature that was comprehensive enough or served a specific use case so well that it deserves a shoutout.

So, let’s quickly go through these unique timesheet apps!

5. Beebole – Best timesheet app for creating custom dashboards

Beebole is a highly customizable time tracking software with widgets for everything, including timesheets. Widgets allow you to create custom dashboards by dragging and dropping important ones. You can choose from widgets like:

• Team Calendar to compare the number of hours each employee has worked.
• Timesheet to update time entries for each day, week, or month.
• Approval to check and approve employee timesheets. 

Since everything is on one dashboard, you can easily review how changes or updates affect business. You can also add notes to time entries for yourself and your manager. 

However, it doesn’t have an invoicing feature, and we found it wasn’t very intuitive, making it hard for new users to get used to. So, we didn’t include it in our main list of timesheet software.

Beebole Pricing

Beebole offers a flat rate of €6.99/user/month* with access to all features, including unlimited projects and 1:1 customer supports.

6. Paymo – Best timesheet app with integrated revenue tracking

Paymo streamlines your workflows by providing all its project tracking features on a single dashboard, including timesheets. Like other apps on the list, Paymo also offers comprehensive timesheet visualizations.

You can use the timesheets to generate invoices on Paymo directly or integrate with accounting software like Xero or QuickBooks so your current billing workflows aren’t disrupted.

These features make Paymo ideal for development teams looking to simplify invoicing with timesheets that integrate with a comprehensive revenue tracking feature.

Paymo Pricing

Paymo’s pricing starts with a robust free plan that supports unlimited invoices. But, you can only create 10 projects, which means it supports up to 10 timesheets (one timesheet per project).  

If you’re looking for more advanced features for your timesheets and invoices, your best bet is choosing from their three paid plans:

• Starter charges $9.3/user/month with advanced features with unlimited clients and projects. 
• Small Office charges $15/user/month with access to everything in Starter plus bulk time entries, active timers, and timesheet reports. 
• Business charges $22.5/user/month for access to everything in Small Office plus team management features, leave management, and priority support.

7. MyHours – Best timesheet app for employee time auditing 

MyHours has a Timesheet view to add bulk time entries. Employees can also send their timesheets for approval from the same location. It also has a Timesheet Reports feature where managers can get an overview of how their team spends time across different days, clients, projects, and tasks. 

However, its simplicity also comes with drawbacks. For example, you can only add a short description to tasks, which makes time audits more difficult when complex workflows are involved. Also, updating timesheet entries individually was a slow, drawn-out process. 

Having said that, we still feel freelancers and consultants will find the timesheet auditing and invoicing features quite useful. But since usability ranks high among timesheet users, we decided MyHours fits better on our special mentions list of timesheet apps.  

MyHours Pricing 

MyHours offers just two pricing plans:

• The Free plan which lets you track time and billable hours for unlimited team members and projects. 
• The Pro plan for $9/user/month with access to time log editing, invoicing, and time audit approvals. 

Timesheet apps with employee surveillance features

At Toggl, we aren’t fans of employee surveillance and micromanagement — and this is reflected in our culture and our tech. We believe in developing a trust-based culture where timesheet apps don’t encroach on employee autonomy, but empower them. 

But some timesheet apps in the market don’t share our vision. Although we don’t see eye to eye with them on their approach, we can’t deny their timesheet features do have a lot to offer — which is why we feel like it would be wrong not to mention them.

Final verdict

Despite time tracking apps being around for years, many traditional workplaces still use timesheets to track employee hours, manage payroll, and generate invoices. Before deciding on a time tracking app, it may be wise to understand why you’re looking to invest in such an app.

In this article, we’ve listed the best timesheet apps in the market today and categorized them according to the business needs they’re looking to address. Here’s our verdict based on our testing:

• Toggl Track is ideal for team managers looking to streamline the review and approval of employee hours on detailed timesheets linked to specific workflows.
• When I Work is built for managers and supervisors in shift-based workplaces looking for a convenient platform to assign and update employee shifts easily.
• Replicon is optimal for consultancies and IT managers who need a simple project-based timesheet tool with an integrated billing feature.