Windows does not come with a time tracker for work hours, so most people install one. The good news is that the choice is wide: some apps sit in the taskbar and run a timer, some record every app and document you open automatically, and some read your Outlook calendar and Teams activity so that meetings end up on your timesheet without any typing.
Below are 10 options for time tracking on Windows, with what each Windows time tracker does well on a PC and what it costs. We checked Windows support and pricing on each vendor’s own site in 2026. If your team mixes Windows with Mac or Linux, our roundup of desktop time trackers compares cross platform options.
What to look for in Windows time tracking software
- Native app or browser. A Windows app adds a taskbar or tray timer, keyboard shortcuts, idle detection, and in some cases automatic tracking. A web tool needs no install, which is easier to roll out across a company.
- Microsoft Store or installer. Several apps on this list are in the Microsoft Store, which makes installation and updates simple on managed PCs. Others use a direct download; IT teams may prefer apps that support silent installation.
- Windows 10 and Windows 11 support. Most current apps support both. If you still run Windows Server or older builds, check the system requirements first.
- Microsoft 365 integration. If your day lives in Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams, look for apps that turn calendar events into entries or record which documents and chats you worked in.
- Automatic tracking and privacy. Automatic trackers record apps, windows, and documents. Check whether that data stays on the PC or goes to the cloud, and what managers can see. Tools that add screenshots and activity levels are closer to employee monitoring software.
Windows time trackers compared
| Tool | Best for on Windows | Price |
|---|---|---|
| actiTIME | Team timesheets, approvals, and project costs; can be self hosted on Windows | Free for up to 3 users; from $5 per user per month; Self-Hosted $120 per user once |
| Toggl Track | Simple timers and Outlook calendar entries | Free plan; from $9 per user per month, billed annually |
| Clockify | Free Windows app with auto tracker | Free for up to 5 users; from $3.99 per seat per month, billed annually |
| TimeCamp | Automatic tracking with a free team plan | Free for unlimited users; from $3.99 per user per month, billed annually |
| TrackingTime | Taskbar timer for teams | Free for unlimited users; paid from $4 per user per month |
| Memtime | Private tracking of Office documents, Outlook, and Teams | From €10 per user per month |
| ManicTime | Automatic tracking with a one time license | $87 one time, or $9 per month in the cloud |
| WorkingHours | Personal timer from the Microsoft Store | Free version; Pro is a one time purchase |
| Rize | AI categorization and focus insights | From $9.99 per month, billed annually |
| ActivityWatch | Free, open source automatic tracking | Free |
10 best time trackers for Windows
1. actiTIME
Key features:
- Timesheets and calendar view
- Approvals and time locking
- Budgets and profit reports
- Self hosted on Windows
actiTIME is built for teams that need tracked hours to turn into payroll, invoices, and project costs. People log time on a weekly timesheet, in a calendar view with exact start and end times, or with timers in the mobile app, and the Time Management Assistant extension for Chrome records the websites and web apps you use. Leave and overtime are tracked in the same place.
Managers approve timesheets and lock approved periods so hours cannot change after payroll or invoicing. Cost and billing rates turn those hours into Cost of Work, Profit/Loss, and Estimated vs. Actual reports, time and cost budgets warn you before a project overruns, and invoices come straight from tracked time. For Windows teams that want the data in house, actiTIME Self-Hosted installs on your own Windows PC or server for a one time fee, and everyone uses it in the browser.
Limitation: there is no native Windows desktop app, so it cannot record which desktop programs you use outside the browser.
Pricing: free version for up to 3 users; online from $5 per user per month; Self-Hosted $120 per user, one time; 30 day free trial.
We reduced payroll processing to 45 minutes per week
actiTIME is very robust, integrated well into your business process, and most important, helps you focus on your business instead of monkeying around with technology. actiTIME has reduced our payroll processing from 4-6 hours per week to 45 minutes per week.
2. Toggl Track
Key features:
- Windows 10 or higher
- Outlook calendar entries
- Rules based auto tracking
- Offline sync
Toggl Track has a Windows app for Windows 10 or higher. You start a timer in one click or with keyboard shortcuts, and time tracked offline syncs automatically. You can also set rules that log time based on the apps or keywords you use, or turn on background tracking to capture activity.
For Microsoft 365 users, the useful part is the calendar integration: Outlook events become time entries automatically or with one click, and a calendar view shows your day visually. Smart reminders catch forgotten timers, and there is a built in Pomodoro timer. Our Toggl pricing guide covers the plans.
Limitation: cost and profitability reporting is lighter than in tools built for project billing.
Pricing: free plan; Starter $9 and Premium $16 per user per month, billed annually.
3. Clockify
Key features:
- Auto tracker
- Idle detection
- Pomodoro and reminders
- Free for up to 5 users
Clockify offers a Windows app with a timer, an auto tracker that records the apps and websites you use, idle detection that lets you discard time when you step away, reminders when you forget to start a timer, and a Pomodoro mode.
Its free plan covers up to 5 users, and paid plans start at $3.99 per seat per month billed annually, with approvals from the Standard plan and SSO on Enterprise. That makes it a low risk way to get a small Windows team tracking time. For the details, see our Clockify review.
Limitation: teams over 5 people need paid seats, and profitability reporting is basic.
Pricing: free for up to 5 users; from $3.99 per seat per month, billed annually.
4. TimeCamp
Key features:
- Windows desktop app
- Automatic activity tracking
- Free plan for unlimited users
- Invoicing from Starter
TimeCamp has a Windows desktop app that tracks computer activity automatically, so you can review what you worked on at the end of the day instead of starting a timer for every task. It uses the same account as TimeCamp’s web, Mac, Linux, and mobile apps.
The free plan has no user limit, which is rare. Starter ($3.99 per user per month billed annually, or $5.49 month to month) adds invoicing, and timesheet approvals and billing rates come with the higher plans. Our TimeCamp review has more detail.
Limitation: approvals and billing rates are not on the cheapest paid plan.
Pricing: free for unlimited users; from $3.99 per user per month, billed annually.
5. TrackingTime
Key features:
- Native Windows app
- Opens from the taskbar
- Free for unlimited users
- Tasks and projects
TrackingTime offers a lightweight native Windows app that opens directly from the taskbar, so you can switch between tasks and log hours without opening a browser. You can add and manage tasks and projects from the desktop, and everything syncs with the web app.
Like TimeCamp, it has a free plan with unlimited users, tasks, and projects, which makes it an easy pick for teams on a budget. Paid plans start at $4 per user per month, and they include unlimited external viewers and client users. Our TrackingTime review covers the plans.
Limitation: it is a manual timer, without the automatic activity tracking that TimeCamp, Memtime, or ManicTime offer.
Pricing: free for unlimited users; paid plans from $4 per user per month.
6. Memtime
Key features:
- Reads Word, Outlook, Teams
- Windows 10, 11, and Server
- Silent install for IT
- Data stays on the PC
Memtime is the strongest choice here for people who spend the day in Microsoft Office. It records the apps, documents, browser tabs, and emails you work with and reads the file name of each Word document, Outlook item, or Teams chat, so time spent in each one shows up on a private timeline without any setup.
It runs on Windows 10 and 11, as well as Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025, and IT administrators can install it silently for all users with command line parameters. Raw activity stays on the device, and you decide which time entries to create. Basic is €10 per user per month, Connect (€15) adds sync with more than 100 project tools, and Premium (€20) adds SSO.
Limitation: managers only see what each person exports, and syncing with project software needs Connect.
Pricing: from €10 per user per month; free trial.
7. ManicTime
Key features:
- Automatic tracking and tagging
- One time license option
- Optional screenshots
- Cloud or self hosted server
ManicTime is built around ManicTime PRO for Windows, one of the most detailed automatic trackers for the platform. It records computer use in the background and asks you to tag time afterward, so a 20 minute chat away from the desk can be marked as a project discussion or as personal time. Customer reviews on its site say tagging gets fast once it is set up, and optional screenshots help when you reconstruct a day for billing.
It is also one of the few tools here with a perpetual license: $87 once, with a year of support and upgrades included. Prefer a subscription? The cloud Standard plan costs $9 per month and covers 3 devices, and Ultimate costs $11 and adds two more devices and screenshots in the cloud. Multi device reports work through ManicTime Cloud or a self hosted ManicTime Server.
Limitation: the interface is dense, and tagging time is still a daily habit.
Pricing: $87 one time license; cloud plans from $9 per month; 30 day free trial.
8. WorkingHours
Key features:
- In the Microsoft Store
- Overlay timer window
- Earnings and overtime
- No account needed
WorkingHours is a personal time tracker available in the Microsoft Store, with versions for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android as well. You start, pause, and stop a timer in one click, organize time by client, task, hourly rate, and overtime, and export to Excel or CSV.
On Windows it adds an overlay timer window and idle detection. It needs no account, and if you want sync between devices it uses your own storage, such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or WebDAV, rather than its own servers.
Limitation: it is built for individuals, with no team management or approvals.
Pricing: free version; Pro is a one time purchase per platform.
9. Rize
Key features:
- Automatic app and website tracking
- AI categorization
- Focus insights and breaks
- Client reports on Pro
Rize is a desktop app for Windows and macOS that tracks apps and websites automatically and uses AI to categorize and tag your work. It adds focus insights, smart break reminders, and focus music, which makes it part time tracker and part time management app for Windows.
Individual plans differ mainly by AI credits. Pro adds client and scheduled reports, an efficiency dashboard, and API, webhook, and Zapier access, which suits freelancers and consultants who bill hourly. Team plans start at $29.99 per seat, and Enterprise adds SSO.
Limitation: it is one of the pricier options, and individual plans cover one user only.
Pricing: Basic $9.99, Pro $23.99, and Max $39.99 per month, billed annually; 7 day free trial.
10. ActivityWatch
Key features:
- Free and open source
- Automatic app and website tracking
- Data stays local
- Browser dashboard
ActivityWatch is a free, open source tracker that records which applications and websites you use and keeps everything on your own computer. Once it runs in the system tray, you open the dashboard at localhost:5600 in your browser to see where the day went.
It is the closest thing to a free screen time tracker for Windows, and its developers pitch it as an alternative to RescueTime, ManicTime, and WakaTime. It also runs on macOS, Linux, and Android. For more free tools of this kind, see our list of open source time tracking software.
Limitation: it is built for personal insight, with no projects, billing, or team features.
Pricing: free and open source.
Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft have a time tracking tool?
Not for tracking hours on projects. Windows includes a Clock app with focus sessions, which are timed work blocks with breaks, and Microsoft Teams has a time clock in Shifts for clocking in and out of shifts. Neither records time against tasks or clients, so for work hours most people install a third party app.
Does Windows have a screen time tracker?
Only for family accounts. Microsoft Family Safety shows activity reports of a child’s device use, including screen time and apps. To see your own screen time on Windows, install a tracker such as ActivityWatch, ManicTime, or Rize.
What is the best free time tracker for Windows?
For a team, TimeCamp and TrackingTime have free plans with unlimited users, and Clockify is free for up to 5. For automatic personal tracking, ActivityWatch is free and open source. For a simple personal timer, WorkingHours has a free version in the Microsoft Store. Our list of free time tracker apps covers more options.
What if my team also uses Mac or Linux?
Pick a tool with apps for every platform, or a browser based one like actiTIME, rather than a Windows time tracker only; even when actiTIME Self-Hosted runs on a Windows server, Mac and Linux users simply open it in their browser. For platform specific picks, see our lists of time tracking apps for Mac and Linux time trackers.
Conclusion
The best time tracking software for Windows depends on how much you want it to do on its own. For simple time tracking on Windows with a timer in the taskbar, Toggl Track, Clockify, or TrackingTime are easy to start with. For automatic tracking, Memtime fits Microsoft Office users best, ManicTime offers a one time license, and ActivityWatch is free. For a team, what matters is what happens after the hours are logged: approvals, billing, and knowing what each project costs.
To track time, costs, and profit for your team on any Windows PC, start a free trial of actiTIME.
