What Is TrackingTime?
If you’ve been searching for an honest, complete TrackingTime review, this is it. This guide synthesizes everything there is to know about TrackingTime — every feature, what real users say on Capterra, G2, GetApp, Software Advice, and TrustRadius, a full TrackingTime pricing breakdown, and a side-by-side comparison with actiTIME.
Who this review is for: Freelancers evaluating their first time tracker; SMB owners modernizing timesheets; team leads comparing tools; HR and finance managers needing payroll-ready data; agencies billing clients.
Common questions answered: Is TrackingTime free? Is the free plan really unlimited users? How does TrackingTime pricing compare to actiTIME? What are the real limitations?
TrackingTime is a cloud-based time tracking and project management platform designed for small-to-medium teams, agencies, consultancies, freelancers, and remote workers. Its headline value proposition — stated on the official website as of April 2026 — is being “free for unlimited users”, a rare positioning in a market where most competitors charge per seat from day one.
The platform describes itself as helping teams “track hours, run projects, and generate timesheets your finance and HR teams can actually use — free for unlimited users, no credit card required,” and is trusted by 15,000+ teams.
Full Feature Breakdown
Core Time Tracking
One-click play/stop timer on any task. Manual retroactive entry. Real-time sync across all platforms.
User-reported cons: Timer runs indefinitely if forgotten (including over weekends). Chrome extension occasionally shows active state incorrectly. Creating a task before logging time is mandatory — some users want project-level-only tracking.
AutoTrack — Automatic Time Tracking
Background desktop app passively records which apps/windows are used. Users review and assign captured time to projects. A strong differentiator for knowledge workers who find manual timers too much friction. Not available for mobile or field use. GDPR teams should review consent requirements before enabling.
Timesheets
Auto-populated from timer data. HR managers can review, edit, lock, and approve. Exports to PDF, CSV, Excel. Notably supports 0-hour submissions to mark non-working days for
Billable Hours & Rates
Mark entries billable/non-billable. Set hourly rates per user or task. Visual budget progress bar per project. Convert billable time to branded invoices. No built-in payment gateway — payments must be collected via a separate tool.
Project & Task Management
Three project views: List, Board (Kanban), Timeline. Assign tasks with descriptions, deadlines, and owners. Notes and file attachments. Real-time completion tracking from a central dashboard.
Cons: Not a replacement for Jira/ClickUp/Monday for complex PM. Board view could be improved per 2025 user feedback. No native Gantt chart.
Time & Attendance
Employees clock in/out; managers see real-time attendance. Feeds into timesheets.
Gaps: No geofencing, no GPS verification, no facial recognition, no break/overtime enforcement for labor law compliance.
Leave Management
Time-off request and approval workflow. Eliminates paper-based systems.
Gaps: No notice period enforcement. Basic compared to dedicated HR tools.
Reports & Analytics
Real-time reporting on time by user, project, client, task, and date range. Budget vs. actual comparisons. Custom fields extend dimensions. Scheduled email reports. Exports: PDF, CSV, Excel.
Free plan limits: Basic analytics only.
Browser Extension (Most-praised feature)
Places a live timer button inside 60+ web apps — Asana, Trello, Jira, Basecamp, GitHub, Gmail, Figma, and more. Install once; timer buttons appear natively inside other tools. Eliminates context switching entirely.
Custom Fields
Add custom metadata to time entries for business-specific reporting dimensions. Paid-plan feature only. Powerful for niche reporting needs like cost centers or client departments.
Tracking Policies
Enforce how time is logged: mandatory descriptions, min/max hours per day. An advanced governance feature uncommon in tools at this price point. Under-utilized and under-marketed — significant potential for compliance-conscious teams.
Invoicing
Convert billable hours into branded client invoices (company logo, colors). Share online with clients. No payment gateway — payments must be processed separately.
API Access
Available for custom integrations and programmatic data access. One 2025 reviewer requested direct time entry recording to their own company server — suggesting further API flexibility could be expanded.
Reminders & Notifications
Configurable alerts to help users and teams build consistent tracking habits. Useful for onboarding. Doesn’t fully solve the “forgot to stop the timer” problem for all users.
Unique & Standout Features
- Free unlimited users — genuine market differentiator
- Browser extension with in-app timers for 60+ tools — most-praised feature, removes context switching
- AutoTrack passive desktop capture — not standard at this price point
- Three project views — unusual depth for a time tracker
- 0-hour timesheet submissions — subtle but HR-critical
- Tracking policies — team-level time logging governance, rare at this tier
Missing Features / Gaps
| Gap | Severity |
|---|---|
| No GPS / Geofencing | 🔴 High — critical for field teams |
| No Shift Scheduling | 🔴 High — separate tool required |
| Limited Overtime/Break Compliance | 🔴 High — not for CA/strict labor law |
| No Facial Recognition / Biometric | 🟡 Medium |
| No Built-In Team Communication | 🟡 Medium |
| No Payment Gateway | 🟡 Medium |
| iOS App Quality Gap (3.0/5) | 🟡 Medium |
| Limited Data Export Flexibility | 🟢 Low |
| Timer Auto-Stop Inconsistency | 🟢 Low |
TrackingTime Pricing (2026)
TrackingTime offers a free plan and paid plans starting at $3.75/user/month (billed annually) or $5.75/user/month (billed monthly), with a 14-day free trial of PRO features included with any paid plan.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 |
| Starter | $5/user/mo | $3.75/user/mo |
| PRO | $7/user/mo | $5.75/user/mo |
| Business | $12/user/mo | $10/user/mo |
Key billing facts:
- No credit card required for free plan
- Cancel / upgrade / downgrade at any time — no contracts
- 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans
- Billed per active user only; archived users retain data
- Annual billing saves up to 20%
TrackingTime vs actiTIME — Pricing Comparison
Pricing Side-by-Side
| TrackingTime | actiTIME | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Unlimited users (limited features) | Up to 3 users (free forever) |
| Entry paid price | $3.75/user/month (annual) | $6/user/month (1–40 users) |
| Mid-tier (41–200 users) | Per plan tier | $5/user/month |
| 200+ users | Contact vendor | Custom pricing |
| Self-hosted option | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days (PRO) | 30 days (all features) |
| No credit card (free) | ✅ | ✅ |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | TrackingTime | actiTIME |
|---|---|---|
| Time Tracking (manual + timer) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Automatic Time Tracking | ✅ AutoTrack | ❌ |
| Browser Extension | ✅ 60+ apps | ✅ (limited) |
| Multi-view Project Management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Timesheets | ✅ | ✅ |
| Leave Management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Invoicing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mobile Apps | ✅ | ✅ |
| API Access | ✅ | ✅ |
| GPS Tracking | ❌ | ❌ |
| Shift Scheduling | ❌ | ❌ |
| Self-Hosted Deployment | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom Fields | ✅ paid | ✅ |
| Budget Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Payroll Export | ✅ | ✅ |
Value Analysis
TrackingTime wins: Lower entry price · More integrations · AutoTrack · Browser extension depth · Unlimited users free
actiTIME wins: Self-hosting · Longer free trial (30 days) · Proven long-term stability · Strong project financial controls
Verdict: For cloud-based teams valuing integration breadth and low cost, TrackingTime wins on value. For teams needing data sovereignty, or self-hosting, actiTIME is the stronger choice.
Free Plan — In-Depth
Included
- Unlimited users (genuine)
- Basic time tracking (manual + timer)
- Project and task creation
- Basic reporting / dashboard
- Browser extension
- Mobile app access
- Calendar integration
Not Included (Free Plan)
- Advanced analytics
- PDF report exports
- Custom fields
- Branded invoicing
- Timesheet locking / approval workflows
- Tracking policies
Who TrackingTime Is For (and Not For)
✅ Ideal For
| User Type | Why |
|---|---|
| Freelancers & Solopreneurs | Free/Starter plan, billable hours, basic invoicing |
| Small-to-Medium Agencies (5–50) | Multi-project, multi-client, browser extension for Asana/Jira/Monday |
| Remote & Distributed Teams | Unlimited-user free tier, cross-timezone tracking, leave management |
| Developers & Tech Teams | GitHub, Bitbucket, Jira integrations — zero workflow disruption |
| Marketing & Creative Teams | Figma integration, multiple project views, client billing |
| HR & Finance Managers | Payroll-ready timesheets, 0-hour submissions, approval workflows |
❌ Less Ideal For
| User Type | Why |
|---|---|
| Field / Construction / Trade Teams | No GPS, no offline mode, no geofencing |
| High-Compliance Jurisdictions (CA) | Cannot enforce break/overtime rules |
| Enterprises Requiring Self-Hosting | Cloud-only — no on-premise option |
| Teams Needing Shift Scheduling | No built-in scheduling |
| iOS-First Mobile Teams | 3.0/5 App Store rating |
Fresh Review Angles
The “Invisible Tool” Advantage: TrackingTime is genuinely lightweight. The desktop app runs in the background, the browser extension is one click, the mobile app is a tap. For teams where time tracking is operational necessity rather than a core focus, this unobtrusiveness is a real advantage.
The Pricing Paradox: The “unlimited users free” promise attracts teams, but the feature ceiling means most teams will need to upgrade. At $3.75–$5/user/month, it’s reasonable — but plan for it rather than assuming free is permanent.
GDPR & AutoTrack: Passive employee monitoring requires explicit consent in the EU. Teams operating in GDPR jurisdictions should consult legal counsel before enabling AutoTrack.
Conclusion & Final Scorecard
Strengths
- Genuinely free for unlimited users (no time limit)
- Outstanding browser extension — in-app timers for 60+ tools
- AutoTrack passive desktop time capture
- Strong, growing integration ecosystem
- Excellent customer support quality (per 2025 user data)
- Three project views (List, Board, Timeline)
- Payroll-ready timesheets with HR-friendly features
- Transparent pricing — no hidden costs, no contracts
- Competitive paid tier ($3.75/user/month annual)
Weaknesses
- No GPS / geofencing for field teams
- No shift scheduling
- No offline mode
- iOS app quality notably below Android
- Free plan feature ceiling limits full team use
- Not suitable for strict labor law compliance
- No built-in communication tools
- No payment gateway for invoice collection
- Some integration gaps (one-directional, Zapier-dependent)
Bottom Line
Choose TrackingTime if: you’re a freelancer, agency, or remote team embedded in tools like Asana, Jira, or Monday who needs affordable, reliable time tracking with strong integrations and responsive support.
Look elsewhere if: you need GPS/field tracking, offline mode, shift scheduling, self-hosting, or a high-quality iOS-first experience.
