Time is a precious resource that we all have in equal measure, yet it often feels like there is never enough of it. For those who work on a Mac, it can be incredibly challenging to keep track of our time and ensure we’re using it efficiently. Fortunately, several time-tracking apps available for MacOS can help us stay organized, prioritize tasks, and ultimately boost our productivity. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best time-tracking apps for MacOS to help you make the most of your time and achieve your goals.
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Best Time Tracking Apps for Mac
Here are our top 5 time-tracking apps for macOS to boost your productivity.
1. Toggl – Best Mac Time Tracking Software for Freelancers
Toggl is a versatile cross-platform app available on mobile (iOS and Android), desktop (Windows, Mac, and Linux), and as an extension for Chrome and Firefox. This makes it an ideal choice for anyone looking for a time tracker that can be used across devices.
With Toggl, you can open the app, create a new entry for the project you’re working on, and start the timer. It will begin counting down the seconds and minutes, and when you’re finished, you can click the “Stop” button, and the total time will be saved in your Toggl account. There are additional features available for those who are interested.
The user interface is designed to be clean and simple, displaying a list of the actions you have performed and what you are currently doing. If you need a detailed report, Toggl has a full-fledged web interface with rich functions.
Toggl’s enterprise version has most of the features available for team integration, but the team dashboard makes it easy to manage team members, their projects, and internal activities.
While the free version provides essential tools for tracking time and detecting downtime, you can manage up to five commands. Paid plans start at $9 per month.
Pros: Toggl features a clean, user-friendly interface that integrates with macOS seamlessly. It also comes with a Pomodoro timer.
Cons: None worth mentioning.
Ideal for: While Toggl caters to individuals and teams, we recommend it, particularly for freelancers. Compared to other Mac time-tracking apps, Toggl offers a more intuitive interface and streamlined management of time slots.
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2. Harvest – Best Mac Working Time Tracker for Teams
Harvest is a reliable time-tracking program for macOS primarily designed for teams, but individuals can also use it. The comprehensive Harvest package includes the macOS version, allowing you to view and edit your data from multiple devices, including Windows, Android, and iOS. Although the macOS app lacks a dedicated window, you can access it easily from the menu bar.
With just one click, you can enter all the details and start tracking a specific project, and Harvest will display the elapsed time on the menu bar while the task is running. To access advanced features such as invoicing and expense management, you’ll need to use the Harvest web interface to generate comprehensive reports based on your plan.
One of the best things about Harvest is its intuitive user interface that presents all the necessary features in a user-friendly manner. Users can also ignore certain features and use only their needs, making it a versatile and customizable time-tracking solution.
Pros: Harvest includes its intuitive user interface, improved billing support, schedule support, and menu bar integration.
Cons: Harvest may not be suitable for users requiring an essential time-tracking tool.
Ideal for: If you’re looking for a time-tracking tool for a team, Harvest is an excellent option as it provides all the necessary features for enterprise use while maintaining a simple user interface. Therefore, Harvest is the way to go if you want your team to have a top-notch time-tracking experience.
3. Timing App – Best Automatic Time Counter for macOS.
I personally love using Time, one of the best time-tracking apps for Mac, as it helps automate the entire process. You don’t need to worry about starting or stopping timers, as Time monitors and analyzes everything you do on your Mac, allowing you to know exactly where you’ve spent your time. Additionally, Time automates the labeling process.
The Timing UI is straightforward and easy to use. When you open the app, you’ll see a timer icon in the menu bar, which allows you to start and stop tasks quickly. You can even create tasks in advance, and Time will take care of the rest.
One of the best features of Timing is that it provides an accurate breakdown of your time, so you know exactly how much time you spend on each task. At the end of the day, you can easily drag and drop time slots into individual projects or tasks. You can also add tasks you’ve completed outside of your Mac. Finally, Timing offers robust reporting features that can help you gain insights into your productivity.
Pros: Fully automated time tracking with deep app-level tracking features and a native macOS app.
Cons: None worth mentioning.
Ideal for: Freelancers will find Timing to be the perfect time-tracking app. As a freelancer, I have been using Timing for quite some time now, and the automation feature is one of the main reasons I love it. Despite its advanced tracking capabilities, Timing remains a flexible and user-friendly tool.
4. Clockify – Best FREE Time Tracker for Teams
Finding a free time-tracking app for teams can be challenging, but Clockify is an exception. With Clockify, you can track hourly time for as long as you want without any limitations on the number of users. While it is mainly a SaaS, the macOS app is also highly functional.
Adding a task and tracking time on it is easy with Clockify. You can even minimize the window and view the total time spent on the task directly from the menu bar. Although the user interface is minimalistic, Clockify offers a range of features to enhance time tracking.
Clockify Desktop serves as a simple client for time tracking. You and your team can access the web interface for reporting and analysis. The package includes numerous features, including a visual breakdown of time spent and scheduled data exporting. Clockify is also one of the market’s most widely used time-tracking solutions.
Pros: Clockify is completely free and offers a simple user interface with enough features.
Cons: The desktop client is elementary.
Ideal for: Clockify is recommended for anyone who needs a free time tracking app for teams on macOS. If you have an office with multiple iMacs to work with, Clockify is worth considering, as it comes with no limits.
5. Timely – Best for Tracking and Scheduling Working Hours
In some instances, tracking time is not enough, and planning its allocation is also necessary. Timely can fulfill both requirements with its comprehensive set of features. It can help plan future tasks and monitor daily time usage, and it operates automatically, adhering to the designated schedule.
Timely’s user interface is minimalistic but efficient, resembling that of Timing, another auto-tracking application we mentioned earlier. The interface comprises several tabs, allowing for effortless navigation and exploring different tracking areas.
Timely is suitable for team-based time management, akin to Timing. All data is synchronized with the server and accessible to the team, making it useful for project management. Even when working solo, there are ample scheduling possibilities. Thanks to artificial intelligence, Timely can detect even the most minor actions taken within each app.
Pros: Fully automated with planning and artificial intelligence features.
Cons: Steep learning curve.
Ideal for: Timely is an excellent choice to enhance your time tracking accuracy, plan your tasks and improve your productivity. However, it may not be the most budget-friendly option for everyone. Timely comes with a full macOS client for improved user experience.
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Which time-tracking apps are best for Mac?
When it comes to choosing a time tracking app on macOS, it depends on what you need. If you’re a busy freelancer, Toggl may be the right choice for you. But if you’re looking for an automated system, we suggest Timing or Timely, depending on whether you’re working alone or with a team. All of these apps offer standard time tracking features on macOS, but it’s important to choose the one that best suits your needs.
