Looking for the best QuickBooks time tracking alternatives? While QuickBooks Time is a convenient option for businesses already using the QuickBooks ecosystem, it may not be the ideal fit for every team.
Time tracking software can help businesses record work hours, manage projects, monitor billable time, and understand how teams spend their working hours. The right solution depends on whether you need detailed reporting, project budgeting, invoicing, integrations, or simple employee time tracking.
In this guide, we compare four time tracking tools that can serve as alternatives to QuickBooks Time: TMetric, Toggl Track, Clockify, and Harvest.
How we evaluated these tools
Each platform was assessed based on several factors:
- Time tracking: We looked at timer-based tracking, manual entries, timesheets, and options for tracking work across devices.
- Project management: We considered features for organizing projects, tasks, budgets, and billable work.
- Reporting: We evaluated how easily users can analyze tracked hours and create reports.
- Billing and invoicing: We looked at tools that help turn tracked time into billable hours and invoices.
- Integrations: We considered connections with accounting, project management, and productivity platforms.
- Ease of use: A time tracker should simplify time management rather than add unnecessary administrative work.
TMetric
A versatile time tracking platform for projects, teams, and client work.
TMetric combines time tracking with project management, billing, reporting, and team management. Users can track time with a timer or add entries manually, organize work by projects and tasks, and monitor budgets and billable hours.
The platform also supports detailed reports, branded invoices, expense tracking, and integrations with tools such as QuickBooks, Jira, Asana, Slack, and Xero. TMetric is available through web, desktop, mobile, and browser-extension interfaces.
What we like
- Timer and manual time tracking
- Project and task management
- Billable rates and project budgets
- Detailed time and project reports
- Invoicing and expense tracking
- QuickBooks and other business integrations
- Desktop, mobile, and browser apps
Potential drawbacks
The broad feature set may be more than individual users need if they only require a basic timer.
Best for
Businesses, agencies, and freelancers looking for time tracking combined with project management, reporting, budgeting, and billing.
QuickBooks Time
A time tracking solution designed to work closely with the QuickBooks ecosystem.
QuickBooks Time focuses on employee time tracking, timesheets, scheduling, project management, and payroll workflows. Employees can track and submit time through the QuickBooks Workforce app, while managers can review timesheets and see who is working.
For teams working in the field, QuickBooks Time also offers GPS tracking and geofencing features. Its project tools can help businesses compare budgeted hours with actual time and monitor project progress.
What we like
- Strong integration with QuickBooks
- Employee timesheets and approvals
- Mobile time tracking
- Scheduling tools
- Project tracking and reporting
- GPS and geofencing options
- Payroll and accounting workflows
Potential drawbacks
Some advanced project, GPS, and geofencing capabilities are limited to higher-tier plans, and QuickBooks Time is particularly suited to businesses already working within the QuickBooks ecosystem.
Best for
Small and growing businesses that already use QuickBooks for accounting or payroll and want time tracking within the same ecosystem.
Toggl Track
A straightforward time tracking solution with strong reporting capabilities.
Toggl Track is built around making time tracking easy to adopt. Users can track time with a timer or manually, organize entries by clients, projects, and tasks, and access their data across web, desktop, and mobile apps.
Its reporting features allow teams to filter and group tracked time by client, project, task, user, and billability. Toggl Track also supports project estimates, billable rates, profitability insights, and integrations with tools including QuickBooks.
What we like
- Clean and approachable interface
- Flexible time tracking
- Detailed reports and filters
- Project estimates and budgets
- Billable rates
- Mobile and desktop apps
- QuickBooks integration
Potential drawbacks
Some advanced reporting, project management, and team features are reserved for paid plans.
Best for
Teams and freelancers who want an easy-to-use time tracker with flexible reporting and integrations.
Clockify
A flexible time tracking platform with a broad range of features.
Clockify offers several ways to record working hours, including timers, manual entries, and automatic activity tracking. Its project functionality lets users organize work, assign tasks, set rates, and monitor project progress.
The platform also includes reports covering time, attendance, assignments, and expenses, with options to filter, share, and export data.
What we like
- Multiple time tracking methods
- Project and task organization
- Detailed reporting
- Attendance and expense reports
- Automatic activity tracking
- Multiple hourly-rate options
- Large selection of integrations
Potential drawbacks
The number of available features can make the interface feel somewhat complex for users who only need basic time tracking.
Best for
Businesses looking for a flexible time tracking platform with extensive reporting and project management functionality.
What to look for in QuickBooks time tracking software
The best QuickBooks time tracking alternative depends on your workflow and the features your business needs.
Accurate time tracking: Employees and contractors should be able to record their working hours without unnecessary steps.
Project visibility: If you work across multiple clients or projects, look for tools that let you assign time to specific projects and tasks.
Reporting: Detailed reports make it easier to understand workloads, project performance, billable hours, and team capacity.
Billing support: For client-based businesses, connecting tracked hours with billable rates and invoices can reduce administrative work.
Integrations: Connections with accounting, payroll, and project management platforms can help keep information synchronized.
Scalability: Choose software that can continue supporting your workflow as your team and number of projects grow.
Final Verdict
There is no single QuickBooks time tracking solution that works for every business.
- Choose TMetric if you want time tracking combined with project management, budgeting, billing, and detailed reporting.
- Choose QuickBooks Time if your business already relies heavily on QuickBooks for accounting and payroll.
- Choose Toggl Track if you prioritize simplicity and flexible time reporting.
- Choose Clockify if you need a broad feature set for tracking time, projects, and team activity.
The best choice ultimately depends on whether your priority is accounting integration, project visibility, reporting, or an all-in-one approach to tracking and managing work.
What time tracking software does your business use alongside QuickBooks?
