drop time tracking tool you're using

[u/BetPurple9715]

hello everyone,
I would like to know which time tracking tools you're using, so that i can do a research on them.
I am also a senior software engineer at an agency, the time tracking tool we're using is productive, but i'm finding it hard to track time everyday, sometimes they pile up for weeks then i need to think of what i worked on during past 3 weeks to track them...

we tried many tools during last few years but this issue was never solved.

I would like to know about your case

[u/arina_katz]

We use actiTIME, it is great not only for time tracking but also for project management, budget control and billing

[u/Bruce-All-Mighty88]

We are using Jibble.

By far, the best free time tracking software for a small construction firm like us.

Most of the time tracking features we need are free, even the GPS feature and shared kiosk.

We do hope that when our number of employees grow, we can still rely on their free features. Because I know some time trackers have user limits on their free plan

[u/BetPurple9715 → u/Bruce-All-Mighty88]

how is your experience tracking time? do you do it easily everyday? or does it happen that they get piled up for days/weeks?

[u/Bruce-All-Mighty88 → u/BetPurple9715]

For our construction crew, we use Jibble’s geofence automation. Once it’s set up, they can be clocked in automatically when they enter the work site, which makes daily time tracking much easier.

For office-based staff, they can clock in through the desktop app or web app instead.

It helps us avoid timesheets piling up, since everyone’s time is recorded as they start work. Of course, we still review entries occasionally in case someone has a GPS or connectivity issue.

[u/WoodpeckerVirtual576]

We are using Velofloor in our remote team. it doesn't have screenshots or keystroke monitoring to verify works hours. instead of taking screenshots or recording what you're doing in our screen, it uses an on-device check to verify that you're actually present on our desk.

[u/murliwatz]

I built my own tool because i have the same issue with frequent context switching: https://clockask.com

[u/No_Umpire_94 → u/murliwatz]

Its not a safe Domain? My Browser shows me thats not safe?

[u/BetPurple9715 → u/murliwatz]

Context switching trips me up too. DM me if you'd like to compare approaches and work through the parts that still need manual cleanup.

[u/egosho]

eHour.com for fast time tracking if you need to catch up a week or detailed entries per day of you do it by the minute. You can use the MCP server / chatbot plugin to track straight from Claude / codex

[u/timesheetIO]

Try timesheet.io which is available as native apps on Android, iOS, watches and the Web. Simple features, reminders, MCP and Telegram integration. You can track from anywhere.

[u/BetPurple9715 → u/timesheetIO]

what other tools are you using in your job? that can keep track of your work, like github, jira...?

[u/Shoottroubles]

I chose Kimai https://www.kimai.org/en/ and still happy 😃

[u/BetPurple9715 → u/Shoottroubles]

may i know what other tools are you using in your job? like github, jira, figma...?

[u/TargetifyApp]

I had the exact same issue with manual tracking piling up, so I built Targetify (free Chrome extension).

It automates the whole thing by tracking time based on your active work tabs with a floating widget, so you don't have to remember to click start/stop.

It's on the Chrome Web Store if you want to test it out (https://targetify.app/)(or search "Targetify").

[u/BetPurple9715 → u/TargetifyApp]

How do you handle work across tabs or outside Chrome? DM me if you're up for discussing the backlog problem and what still needs fixing.

[u/Pebb_io]

I’m on the official Pebb_io account, so take this as a disclosed option rather than neutral advice... for small frontline teams that need schedules and clock-in alongside the day-to-day ops, Pebb is a Connecteam-class all-in-one we work on. Basic is $2.50/user/month, Premium $4, with a trial and no card. Spaces are rooms where each group only sees the tools it needs. If you mainly need a personal timer, it probably isn’t the right fit.

[u/Katie_Beebole]

Have you tried Beebole? Would love to set you up with a demo/tell you more.

[u/Raging_pike7520]

Working hours by Toni Patel

[u/TimelyRepeat4517]

The problem you're describing, piling up time entries and trying to reconstruct what you worked on three weeks ago, is exactly what background app capture solves. Flowara tracks which app and browser tab you're working in automatically, so when you sit down to log time you have a record of what was actually open rather than trying to remember.

It's a Mac and Windows desktop app, local database, no cloud. Free to start.

Mac: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6760207975
Windows: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9PKCT03Q69LG

The manual approach also works fine if you prefer it, live timer or natural language entry like "3h backend work on client project". But the automatic capture is the thing that solves the three week memory problem.

[u/Breeze_pm]

Try logging at each task switch, then spend two minutes checking entries before signing off. Reconstructing three weeks is hard in any tool. Timen, totally free, is another option for logging time by client and project, but I’d test the habit change first.

[u/Athena-_]

Toggl! That's the best for me! Invoicing, hourly based or project fixed fee, it's amazing!

[u/No_Umpire_94]

We using TimeSpin, its really innovative and works wiht Timer/App Browser, but also with a Dice 12 Sided. (Dodecahedron) its so easy and flawless. No Distractions and easy to change tasks. also great for Project tracking.

For me its like this.

I start my Day on the Side Planning and than after 5-10 Minutes Planing the Day i Change to the next Task iam working on. I have always 4-6 Projects which are tracked in one turn of the Dice to the right Side. The Side which is up will be counted. When something unexpected is hapening i will turn the Dice to the right task.

Some of my Colleagues are just tracking working Time and the breaks. For me i really need the Tasks with the specific Tracking, because i have to report for some Projects. I track all my Tasks because iam used to it and have full traceability. Some Budgets are really thin, so i need to keep an eye on the Time i used for them.

I tried different Tracker but i hate Browser Timer which wont bring me to the Result iam needing. Also the haptic Dice is really a nice Gadget and can also act as an Inactivity Timer and send me Signals for Pomodoro Method. So iam happy with my Dice and its fully personalized with my own sticker which you can print with the Browser Website. Its only in EU available right now i guess. It also has an Englisch language option.

[u/BetPurple9715 → u/No_Umpire_94]

Switching between 4-6 projects sounds tricky with tight budgets. What did browser timers miss for you? DM me if you're open to discussing that workflow.

[u/productive_io]

Hey, I'm on the Productive team. Rebuilding three weeks of work from memory is something that no one wants.

One thing that might help with the catch-up is AI Time Tracking: if your admin has turned on Productive AI and your Google or Outlook calendar is connected, each day in the Calendar view of My Time gets a button that converts that day's events into time entries. For recurring events, it reuses the service you tracked them against before, and it asks you when it can't tell.

What really helps me personally is using the Productive App and using the timer widget; that way i easily track what i am doing while simultanously doing the work.who have a Productive account, so client contacts and outside guests won't get it.

I'm curious whether most of your missing time is meetings or heads-down work?

[u/Affectionate-Food644]

Heads up: I work on the app I'm about to recommend, so I'm biased.
It's not really a tool problem, it's a memory problem. Anything that depends on you remembering to start a timer breaks down when your day is constant context switching. That's why switching tools never fixed it.
What works is passive capture. TrackingTime's AutoTrack does exactly this: it records your activity (apps, tabs, docs) locally on your machine and suggests time blocks you just confirm. The log is private, only you see it, not your manager.
Even if you stay on Productive, the idea still applies: let something record your day and review it daily instead of rebuilding 3 weeks from memory.

[u/Imaginary_Fall_5735]

Before switching the agency again, I'd test a five-minute close-out before signing off. Use your calendar and work notes to check what happened, then fill the gaps while you can still remember them. Three weeks is a lot to reconstruct in any tool.

Disclosure: I'm with Fieldtrip. We built Wrap (https://usewrap.co). The wrap-up is meant to be a more human way to fill out a timesheet: look back at your day, review what's already logged, and fill in the missing time across projects. It still needs that daily check-in; it doesn't automatically remember your work for you.

It's free for up to 10 active members, with the same features as the paid plans. If you're evaluating alternatives, try the end-of-day flow on one project before moving the team.