Time tracking and timesheet software records how many hours people spend on clients, projects and tasks, so a business can bill accurately, cost projects and approve hours for payroll. For Indian agencies, IT services firms, consultancies and CA practices, the best fit is usually a project-time tool with approvals and invoicing, such as Clockify, Toggl Track or Harvest. Companies that mainly need hours to feed payroll and overtime should instead look at the timesheet add-on of their HRMS, such as greytHR's Timesheets at ₹35 per user per month. Tools that capture screenshots or activity levels, such as Hubstaff, suit remote and outsourced teams, but they raise data-protection questions under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 that need a written policy before rollout.
Executive summary
- Decide the purpose first: billing, costing, payroll or monitoring. Each purpose points to a different class of product. Mixing them in one tool without clear policy creates friction with employees.
- Global tools publish transparent USD pricing. Clockify lists Basic at $3.99, Standard at $5.49, Pro at $7.99 and Enterprise at $11.99 per seat per month billed annually. Harvest lists Teams at $9 per seat per month monthly or $108 per seat per year. Toggl lists Starter at $9 and Premium at $16 per user per month.
- HRMS timesheets are cheaper when payroll is the goal. greytHR publishes project time tracking at ₹35 per user per month for its Growth plan, with timesheets included in Premium.
- Working-hours law is now under the Labour Codes. The four Labour Codes took effect on 21 November 2025. Overtime and working-hour records that feed wages should be reviewed against the new framework and the relevant state rules.
- Monitoring features need a DPDP policy. Screenshots, app and URL tracking and GPS collect personal data. The DPDP Rules, 2025 require clear, purpose-specific notices and security safeguards, phased in over 18 months.
Market context
There is no official government figure for the Indian time-tracking software market, and we do not cite private estimates. The public context is the size and structure of the workforce whose time is tracked and the rules that apply to working hours and personal data.
Workforce scale. MoSPI's Periodic Labour Force Survey annual report for July 2023 to June 2024 puts the labour force participation rate for persons aged 15 and above at 60.1% and the worker population ratio at 58.2%, with an unemployment rate of 3.2%. The businesses that buy timesheet software are mainly in the formal, salaried and professional-services segment of this workforce.
Formal hiring momentum. EPFO's July 2025 payroll release reported a net addition of 21.04 lakh members. Growing teams in services businesses are exactly where manual spreadsheets for hours break down, particularly once projects are billed by the hour or by milestone with effort-based cost tracking.
Working-hours regulation. The Government made the four Labour Codes effective from 21 November 2025. The Code on Wages, 2019 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 are the relevant ones for wages, overtime and working conditions. Where timesheet hours determine overtime pay, keep records that an inspector or auditor could follow: who logged, who approved, and when.
Monitoring and data protection. The DPDP Rules, 2025 operationalise the DPDP Act, 2023 around principles including purpose limitation, data minimisation and security safeguards. Screenshots can capture personal messages, bank pages or health information on an employee's screen, so monitoring features should be scoped narrowly and disclosed clearly.
Three types of product.
- Project time trackers (Clockify, Toggl Track, Harvest): timers and timesheets by client and project, billable rates, approvals, reports and, in some cases, invoicing.
- Workforce monitoring tools (Hubstaff, DeskTime, ActivTrak): automatic time capture, activity levels, app and URL usage, sometimes screenshots and GPS.
- HRMS timesheet modules (greytHR, Keka PSA, Zoho People): hours linked to attendance, leave and payroll.
For attendance and shift-based work (factories, retail, field staff), see attendance management systems and shift roster and overtime software instead.
Evaluation framework
App Advisor methodology: weighted criteria for time tracking and timesheet software. Weights total 100.
| Criterion | Weight | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of time entry | 20 | One-click timers, weekly timesheet grid, mobile and browser extensions, reminders for missing time |
| Projects, rates and budgets | 15 | Client and project hierarchy, billable/non-billable, hourly rates by person or role, budget alerts |
| Approvals and audit trail | 15 | Manager approval, locking approved periods, edit history |
| Reporting and invoicing | 15 | Utilisation, profitability, export to accounting; invoice generation or integration |
| Payroll and HRMS integration | 10 | Approved hours flow to payroll and overtime; leave and holidays respected |
| Privacy controls | 15 | Monitoring features off by default, configurable, disclosed to employees; data retention settings |
| Cost transparency | 10 | Published per-seat price; clear treatment of inactive and kiosk users |
Vendor comparison
Official prices only; USD as published, INR where published. Taxes extra unless stated.
| Product | Type | Published pricing (official page) | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clockify | Project time tracker | Free (up to 5 users); Basic $3.99, Standard $5.49, Pro $7.99, Enterprise $11.99 per seat per month billed annually ($4.99, $6.99, $9.99, $14.99 monthly); kiosk-only limited seats from $0.79 (pricing) | Cost-conscious agencies and IT services teams |
| Toggl Track | Project time tracker | Free for a limited number of users; Starter $9 and Premium $16 per user per month; Enterprise custom; annual plan advertised as 4 months free (pricing) | Teams wanting a polished timer experience and reports |
| Harvest | Time tracking with invoicing | Free (1 seat, 2 projects); Teams $9 per seat/month or $108 per seat/year; Enterprise $14 per seat/month or $168 per seat/year; Enterprise Plus custom (pricing) | Consultancies that invoice from tracked time |
| Hubstaff | Time tracking and workforce monitoring | Full plan table not readable on the page we could access; the page's billing FAQ cites the Team plan at $10 per seat per month (pricing) | Remote and outsourced teams that need proof of work |
| Jibble | Time and attendance | Advertises a free plan for unlimited users; paid plan prices not published on the page we could access (pricing) | Small teams starting with clock-in/clock-out |
| greytHR Timesheets (greytHR) | HRMS add-on | Project time tracking ₹35 per user per month on Growth; included in Premium (pricing) | Payroll-led SMEs linking hours to salary |
| Keka PSA (Keka HR) | Projects and timesheets in Keka | Not published on the page we could access (pricing) | Keka customers billing projects |
Total cost of ownership
Illustrative model — assumptions stated. A 40-person Indian digital agency compares Clockify Standard with Harvest Teams over three years, on annual billing.
Assumptions:
- 40 people log time; headcount is flat.
- Clockify Standard: $5.49 per seat per month billed annually. Harvest Teams: $108 per seat per year.
- Set-up effort: 24 hours of operations time at an assumed ₹800 per hour.
- Weekly reminder and approval effort: 1 hour per week for the operations lead at the same rate.
- Revenue recovery: before the tool, the agency estimates (assumption) that 2% of billable hours were never billed. Recovery depends entirely on your own baseline, so it is shown separately and not netted off.
- Exchange-rate movement and GST excluded; USD lines stay in USD.
| Cost line | Clockify Standard, per year | Harvest Teams, per year |
|---|---|---|
| Licences | 40 × $5.49 × 12 = $2,635.20 | 40 × $108 = $4,320 |
| Set-up (year 1 only) | 24 h × ₹800 = ₹19,200 | 24 h × ₹800 = ₹19,200 |
| Weekly admin | 52 h × ₹800 = ₹41,600 | 52 h × ₹800 = ₹41,600 |
| Year-1 total | $2,635.20 + ₹60,800 | $4,320 + ₹60,800 |
| Years 2 and 3, each | $2,635.20 + ₹41,600 | $4,320 + ₹41,600 |
The admin line dominates the rupee cost, so reminder automation and approval simplicity matter as much as the licence. Harvest's higher licence may be justified if invoicing from tracked time saves finance hours; model that from your own process timings.
Implementation roadmap
| Phase | Weeks | Activities | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Policy | 1 | Define purpose (billing, costing, payroll), who logs time, minimum increment, deadlines, and whether any monitoring is used | Time policy |
| 2. Structure | 1–2 | Build client, project and task lists; set billable rates and budgets; map to accounting codes | Project structure |
| 3. Selection and trial | 2–4 | Trial 2 tools with one team for two weeks; test mobile entry, approvals, reports and exports | Chosen tool |
| 4. Privacy review | 3–4 | If monitoring features exist, decide which stay off; write employee notice; set retention | Approved notice |
| 5. Rollout | 5–6 | Import users; enable reminders; train on timers vs timesheets | Live system |
| 6. Approvals and integration | 6–8 | Set weekly approval; connect accounting or payroll; lock approved periods | Integrated workflow |
| 7. Review | 12 | Compare utilisation and billed hours with baseline; adjust categories | 90-day review |
Risks and compliance checklist
- Clear purpose. Tell employees why time is tracked and how data is used (billing, costing, payroll).
- Monitoring scope. Keep screenshots, keystroke-based activity and URL tracking off unless there is a documented need; never enable them silently.
- DPDP notice and retention. Give a clear notice, collect only what is needed, and delete monitoring data on a fixed schedule.
- Overtime records. Where approved hours drive overtime wages, keep approval history and align with the Code on Wages, 2019 and applicable state rules.
- Contractor vs employee. Time tracking for contractors should follow the contract; heavy control over contractors' hours can blur employment status.
- Client confidentiality. Screenshots may capture client data; check client contracts before enabling.
- Data location and vendor terms. Review where the vendor stores data and its breach notification commitments.
- Currency exposure. USD subscriptions change in rupee terms; budget with headroom.
KPIs to track
| KPI | Definition | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Timesheet compliance | Timesheets submitted on time ÷ expected timesheets | Without it, every other metric is wrong |
| Utilisation rate | Billable hours ÷ available hours | Core productivity measure for services firms |
| Realisation rate | Billed value ÷ value of billable hours logged | Shows write-offs and discounts |
| Budget variance | Actual hours ÷ budgeted hours per project | Early warning on fixed-fee overruns |
| Approval turnaround | Days from submission to approval | Slow approvals delay invoices and payroll |
| Non-billable share by category | Internal, sales, training hours ÷ total | Guides capacity planning |
| Invoice cycle time | Days from period end to invoice | Links time data to cash flow |
How to choose
- Billing-led services firm: start with Clockify, Toggl Track or Harvest; pick Harvest if you want to invoice from time.
- Payroll and overtime-led: use your HRMS timesheet module so approved hours reach payroll without exports.
- Remote or outsourced teams needing proof of work: consider Hubstaff or DeskTime, but write the privacy policy first and keep monitoring proportionate.
- Check the seat definition. Clockify notes that every active or invited user on the Team page occupies a paid seat.
- Look at exports. Make sure time entries export cleanly to your accounting or project tool.
- Pilot for two pay periods. Adoption problems show up in week two, not on day one.
Questions to ask vendors before signing
- How is a paid seat defined? Some tools count every invited user, others count active users only, and some offer cheaper kiosk or limited seats. Map your real users to the vendor's definition.
- Can monitoring features be disabled company-wide? If you only need project time, confirm that screenshots, app tracking and location cannot be switched on by individual managers.
- How do approvals and locking work? Approved periods should lock so hours used for invoices or payroll cannot be edited silently; ask to see the edit history.
- What happens with public holidays and leave? Indian holiday calendars vary by state. Check whether holidays and approved leave reduce expected hours in utilisation reports.
- Which accounting and payroll integrations are native? Ask for the exact list and whether Indian accounting tools are supported directly or only via file export.
- Where is data stored and how long is it kept? Confirm storage location, retention settings and breach notification commitments, particularly if any monitoring data is collected.
- What does the mobile app do offline? Consultants and field teams often log time without a connection; test that entries sync correctly.
- Is billing available in rupees? Most global tools bill in USD by card; confirm invoice format and GST treatment with your finance team.
For teams that also track attendance and shifts, compare with attendance tracking for field staff before buying two tools.
See also project management software in India, audit software for chartered accountants, the time tracking category and the project management category.
FAQs
What is the difference between time tracking and attendance software?
Attendance software records when an employee starts and ends work, often with biometrics or GPS, for payroll and leave. Time tracking records how working hours are spent across clients, projects and tasks, for billing and costing.
Is Clockify free?
Clockify's pricing page lists a free plan for up to 5 users with unlimited tracking. Paid plans start at $3.99 per seat per month on annual billing.
Is employee screenshot monitoring legal in India?
Monitoring involves processing personal data, so it must be handled under the DPDP Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025, as well as your employment contracts and policies. Take legal advice, give clear notice, and limit monitoring to what the stated purpose requires.
Can timesheet software calculate overtime?
Many HRMS timesheet and attendance modules calculate overtime from approved hours and shift rules. Standalone project trackers usually report hours but leave overtime pay calculation to payroll.
Which timesheet software integrates with Indian payroll?
HRMS suites such as greytHR and Keka keep timesheets inside the same system as payroll. Global trackers usually export hours to payroll through files or integrations; check the exact connector before buying.
How much does Harvest cost?
Harvest lists a free plan for 1 seat and 2 projects, Teams at $9 per seat per month or $108 per seat per year, and Enterprise at $14 per seat per month or $168 per seat per year.
Do I need time tracking for fixed-price projects?
Yes, if you want to know whether fixed-price projects are profitable. Tracking effort against the budget shows overruns early, even when the client is not billed by the hour.
Sources
- PLFS annual report press note, July 2023–June 2024 (MoSPI): https://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/press_release/Press_note_AR_PLFS_2023_24_22092024.pdf
- EPFO payroll data, July 2025 (PIB): https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2169975
- Four Labour Codes made effective (PIB): https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2192463®=3&lang=2
- DPDP Rules, 2025 notified (PIB): https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2190014®=3&lang=2
- Clockify pricing: https://clockify.me/pricing
- Toggl Track pricing: https://toggl.com/track/pricing/
- Harvest pricing: https://www.getharvest.com/pricing
- Hubstaff pricing: https://hubstaff.com/pricing
- Jibble pricing: https://www.jibble.io/pricing
- greytHR pricing: https://www.greythr.com/pricing/
- Keka pricing: https://www.keka.com/pricing
