Time Doctor is an automatic time tracking and employee monitoring tool tailored for small and middle-sized teams. Time Doctor captures idle time, time spent in apps, chats, websites, calls and meetings, takes screenshots and provides managers with time and productivity reports. Along with that, it offers a simple scope management structure to distribute working hours across projects, clients and tasks.
Though Time Doctor is marketed as software that improves productivity, many users complain that it fails to deliver this and other benefits. For example, as long as this app tracks idle time, after a few minutes of inactivity time, it displays a popup message asking you to click on the popup and confirm that you are working, which users find annoying and unprofessional. Some users report that their time isn’t recorded accurately, which leads to inaccurate bills and damaged customer relationships.
There are thousands of time tracking solutions on the market, but none of them is perfect and covers all the needs. If you are looking to switch from Time Doctor to another piece of software, you’ll find a list of Time Doctor alternatives and our expert advice below.
Best Time Doctor Alternatives
actiTIME
Price: free, paid plans start at $5 per user per month
Key features:
- Weekly Timesheets
- Workflow Customization
- Overtime Tracking
- Cost Tracking
- Billing & Accounting
- Browser Extension
- Mobile App
Online timesheet interface in actiTIME where every user can select task parameters
they want to see in their timesheets
actiTIME is time tracking software that offers weekly timesheets, timers and manual time entries. Unlike Time Doctor, actiTIME doesn’t support activity monitoring functionality and is tailored for professional teams that don’t look for employee tracking features.
actiTIME delivers solid project and cost management functionality that serves freelancers and enterprises alike. For companies with strict privacy and security policies, actiTIME offers self-hosted software available at a one-time payment.
When switch to this Time Doctor alternative: You are ready to trade employee monitoring for advanced task and project management capabilities. Companies that use time tracking for billing and payroll calculation will benefit the most.
actiTIME enables us to balance workload better
I found in actiTIME all the requirements I was looking for. We are getting a lot of benefits – the tool enables us to better balance workload, have a constant view of what people are doing. I really recommend it, I evaluated a lot of tools, also had an in-house development before which demanded a lot of maintenance, and actiTIME solved all problems with no hassle.
QuickBooks Time
Price: free, paid plans start at $8 per user per month + $20 base fee per month
Key features:
- Activity Tracking
- Time Tracking
- Employee Scheduling
- GPS Tracking
- Billing & Invoicing
- Mobile App
QuickBooks Time is a business time tracker that suits office-based, remote and on-site teams alike. The mobile app allows workers to clock in and out, track time, attach photos and share location with managers when they are on the clock. Managers can modify employee schedules, notify their teams, and build reports for time management, payroll, and billing purposes.
When switch to this Time Doctor alternative: QuickBooks Time offers employee tracking features that on-site teams will benefit the most. Powerful mobile app with GPS and geofencing features will ensure that your workers stay accountable for their hours worked without offline supervision.
DeskTime
Price: free, paid plans start at $6 per user per month
Key features:
- Employee Tracking
- Absence Calendar
- Shift Scheduling
- Invoicing
DeskTime is an employee tracking software with automatic time tracking capabilities. It records user’s idle time and activity in apps and on websites and awards employees with productivity scores. Managers can also use the software to create employee shifts, calculate project costs, create invoices, and more. Employees can submit their leaves in the absence calendar, while managers can review the submissions and approve or deny them.
When switch to this Time Doctor alternative: DeskTime is another employee monitoring app for office-based, scattered and remote teams. Unlike Time Doctor, DeskTime offers absence calendars that will streamline leave management in your company.
Toggl
Price: free, paid plans start at $9 per user per month
Key features:
- Time Tracking
- Project Management
- Team Planning
- Task Management
- Cost Management
- Mobile App
Toggl is a time tracking app built for freelancers and small teams. It offers timers, background tracking and manual time entries. Toggl reports provide time-, project- and cost-related insights that you can share with clients. What makes Toggl stand out from other time trackers is that it’s available as a web app, desktop software, a browser extension and a mobile app.
When switch to this Time Doctor alternative: You no longer want to track employee activity but look for software with basic time and project management features. Small office-based and remote teams will most likely enjoy it.
Timely
Price: starting at $8 per user per month
Key features:
- Automatic Time Tracking
- Task Management
- Project Planning
- Resource Management
- Desktop App
Timely is another time tracker that uses user activity to record work hours. Unlike Time Doctor, it is not meant to monitor employees – instead, it records web and app time in private mode, uses this data and AI to generate timesheets and allows users to adjust the data. Timely can also boast its user-friendly and intuitive interface that, combined with simple project planning features, will most likely satisfy small teams.
When switch to this Time Doctor alternative: You look for a more employee-friendly solution that doesn’t record user activity and takes screenshots but still provides automatic time tracking. If you don’t use complex project management methodologies and manage a small team, chances are you will like it.
Asana
Price: free, paid plans start at $10.99 per user per month
Key features:
- Task Management
- Project Planning
- Resource Management
- Project Monitoring
- Workflow Management
- Self-Hosted Software
- Mobile App
Asana is software with a focus on team collaboration and work management. It allows you to create projects, break them down into tasks, assign team members and track time. With Asana, you can leave task notes and attachments, combine related tasks, add deadlines and organize them by priority. For ultimate project collaboration, you can connect Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Salesforce, Dropbox, Slack and GitHub accounts.
When switch to this Time Doctor alternative: If you want to move your focus from employee activity tracking to project management and team collaboration, Asana is one of the best options. Recommended for mid-sized and large teams.
Wrike
Price: free, paid plans start at $9.80 per user per month
Key features:
- Time Tracking
- Agile Project Management
- Team Management
- Knowledge Management
- Risk Management
Wrike is a work management tool that is focused on task management and collaboration. It visualizes project progress and accelerates project delivery through resource management and prioritization. Unlike Time Doctor, it is tailored for team and project management and uses time tracking data for project planning purposes.
When switch to this Time Doctor alternative: You are ready to give up on employee monitoring and look for a solution with a strong focus on project management. Growing Agile teams will find this software the most attractive option.
RescueTime
Price: free, paid plans start at $6 per user per month
Key features:
- Time Tracking
- Employee Activity Monitoring
- Task Management
- Billing & Invoicing
- Leave Management
- Mobile App
RescueTime is an employee tracking tool that allows managers to research their daily habits of their team members and look for ways to improve their productivity. The software records their app and web usage, giving users and managers detailed reports on their performance. Contrary to the interactive nature of Time Doctor, RescueTime runs silently in the background and can be configured to block distractions.
When switch to this Time Doctor alternative: Unlike RescueTime, Time Doctor offers a more extensive set of features, integrations and mobile apps for Android and iOS devices for the same price. At the same time, RescueTime can boast email alerts, trend analysis and performance metrics that Time Doctor does not provide. If you put more focus on employee productivity than employee monitoring, you should give it a try.
Ready to Implement New Time Tracking Software?
At actiTIME, we believe that employee monitoring solutions create a culture of mistrust and lower job satisfaction. That’s why we included solutions focused on time tracking and project planning – the two pillars of effective business management. If you are not sure where to start, try actiTIME – time tracking software that automates project management, cost tracking and accounting routines.
Reports dashboard in actiTIME – set up real-time data widgets
and add report shortcuts for quick access
Try a free 30-day trial (no credit card required) or book a product demo with our experts.
