Best Time Tracking Software for Contractors (2026)
Time tracking feels simple until it hits a real job site. A crew forgets to clock out. A client challenges T&M hours. Payroll needs clean job codes. The office loses Friday cleaning up paper timesheets. Contractor time tracking is different because the app has to hold up through job sites, travel time, shared devices, payroll rules, GPS disputes, and crews that do not want another complicated app.
This audit replaces the old imported article with current vendor pricing and cleaner fit notes. The main corrections: QuickBooks Time requires a QuickBooks Online account, ClockShark now lists Standard at $40 per month plus $9 per user, Connecteam has a free small-business plan for up to 10 employees, Jibble’s free plan is still unusually generous but has geofence and schedule limits, Clockify’s free plan is now best described as up to 5 users, and Hubstaff’s prices shown below are annual-rate prices with a 2-seat minimum.
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Quick Picks
| Need | Start with | Current pricing note |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks payroll/accounting handoff | QuickBooks Time | Premium $20/mo base + $8/user/mo; Elite $40/mo base + $10/user/mo |
| Trades-focused GPS, scheduling, and job tracking | ClockShark | Standard $40/mo + $9/user; Pro $60/mo + $11/user; 14-day trial |
| Free employee app for a crew under 10 | Connecteam | Small Business plan is free up to 10 employees |
| Free GPS time tracking for larger crews | Jibble | Free forever for unlimited users; paid plans from $4.49/user/mo |
| Low-cost hourly tracking for very small teams | Clockify | Free up to 5 users; paid plans from $3.99/seat/mo annually |
| Mixed field, office, and remote workforce tracking | Hubstaff | Starter $4.99/seat/mo annually; 2-seat minimum |
How to Choose Contractor Time Tracking Software
Start with payroll
If QuickBooks payroll or QuickBooks Online already runs the office, integration quality matters more than a long feature list. QuickBooks Time should be the first demo because it sits inside the Intuit ecosystem. If you use another payroll provider, check export formats and payroll integrations before you get pulled into GPS maps.
Decide how much GPS you really need
GPS can settle clock-in disputes, but it can also create trust problems if you roll it out badly. For most contractors, GPS should answer practical questions: did the worker clock in near the job, what route did a crew take, and were hours assigned to the right project? If live location and geofences are central, evaluate ClockShark, Jibble, Connecteam, Hubstaff, or QuickBooks Time Elite. If you only need hours and job codes, a lighter tool may be enough.
Price the crew, not the plan card
Base fees and per-user fees change the real bill fast. QuickBooks Time has a base fee plus users. ClockShark has a base fee plus users. Connecteam uses hub-based pricing with a fixed price for up to 30 users on paid plans. Clockify and Hubstaff are per-seat tools. Jibble can be free for core tracking, but paid features may be needed for unlimited geofences, permissions, and deeper controls.
1. QuickBooks Time - Best If QuickBooks Runs the Office
Look at QuickBooks Time first when QuickBooks Online already touches payroll, accounting, or invoicing. The current pricing page states that a QuickBooks Online account is required to use QuickBooks Time. That requirement matters: this is not the cheapest standalone app if you are not already in the QuickBooks ecosystem.
Current public pricing lists Time Premium at $20 per month base plus $8 per user per month, with one admin included in the base fee. Time Elite is $40 per month base plus $10 per user per month. The page also shows promotional 50% off pricing for the first three months, but regular rates are the numbers to use when you build the budget.
Premium includes the workforce app, schedules, reports, time-off tools, alerts, photo attachments, a kiosk, and time data sync to accounting and payroll. Elite adds mileage, project tracking, estimates vs. actuals, activity feed, timesheet signatures, and geofencing.
| QuickBooks Time detail | Current finding |
|---|---|
| Premium | $20/mo base + $8/user/mo |
| Elite | $40/mo base + $10/user/mo |
| Requirement | QuickBooks Online account required |
| Best fit | Contractors already using QuickBooks for payroll/accounting |
| Watch-out | Not the cleanest fit if QuickBooks is not already part of the office stack |
2. ClockShark - Best Trades-Focused GPS and Job Tracking
ClockShark feels closer to contractor work than a generic office time clock. It pairs mobile time tracking with GPS, scheduling, jobs, tasks, manager approvals, and job-costing controls. Current pricing lists Standard at $40 per month plus $9 per user per month. Pro is $60 per month plus $11 per user per month. Both plans offer a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, and the trial includes Pro plan features.
Standard is the cleaner fit for basic crew time, GPS, scheduling, job/task tracking, Spanish language support, manager roles, approvals, and integrations. Pro adds PTO, multi-department or office controls, advanced job costing controls, shift wrap-up, compliance forms, and personal onboarding options.
ClockShark’s active-user billing is useful for seasonal contractors. The pricing page says customers pay only for active users and that billing is prorated for days users were active.
| ClockShark detail | Current finding |
|---|---|
| Standard | $40/mo + $9/user/mo |
| Pro | $60/mo + $11/user/mo |
| Trial | 14 days, no credit card |
| Best fit | Trade contractors that want GPS, scheduling, job codes, and active-user billing |
| Watch-out | Base fee plus per-user fees can exceed simpler per-seat tools for very small crews |
3. Connecteam - Best Free Employee App for Crews Under 10
Connecteam is the strongest free option when a contractor has fewer than 10 employees and wants more than a basic stopwatch. Its pricing page describes a Small Business plan that is free for up to 10 users and includes all hubs and most features needed by small businesses.
For paid plans, Connecteam uses product hubs. The Operations Hub is the one to price for contractor time tracking because it covers Time Clock, Job Scheduling, Forms, and Quick Tasks. Connecteam’s help center lists Basic at $35 per month on monthly billing or $29 per month equivalent on annual billing, Advanced at $59 monthly or $49 annual equivalent, and Expert at $119 monthly or $99 annual equivalent. These prices cover the first 30 users for the selected hub.
The Basic Operations plan includes GPS location stamps, exportable timesheets, payroll-cycle setup, overtime rules, payroll exports, job scheduling, forms, and tasks. Advanced and Expert add deeper controls such as geofencing, scheduling options, permissions, reporting, and automation depth, depending on hub and plan.
| Connecteam detail | Current finding |
|---|---|
| Small Business plan | Free up to 10 employees |
| Operations Basic | $35/mo monthly or $29/mo annual equivalent for up to 30 users |
| Operations Advanced | $59/mo monthly or $49/mo annual equivalent |
| Operations Expert | $119/mo monthly or $99/mo annual equivalent |
| Best fit | Small crews that want time clock, schedules, forms, and internal communication in one app |
4. Jibble - Best Free GPS Time Tracking for Larger Crews
Jibble has the most aggressive free plan in this list. Its pricing page says Jibble is free forever for unlimited users, with paid upgrades for more controls. The free plan includes core time tracking, GPS time tracking, biometric verification, NFC/RFID time tracking, activities, projects, clients, reports, integrations, and limited geofence and schedule capacity.
The free limits matter. Jibble’s free plan lists a maximum of 2 geofences, 1 work schedule, and 1 kiosk, plus shorter screenshot storage. Premium is $4.49 per user/month and adds unlimited geofences, unlimited work schedules, leave accruals, groups, managers, approvals, and custom policies. Ultimate is $7.99 per user/month and adds custom permissions, live location, attendance insights, and higher support priority. Enterprise is custom.
If the job is replacing paper timesheets with GPS-backed punches, Jibble is hard to beat. If the business needs job costing, field-service scheduling, proposals, or contractor-specific dispatch, Jibble is not a full field service platform.
| Jibble detail | Current finding |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 forever for unlimited users |
| Premium | $4.49/user/mo |
| Ultimate | $7.99/user/mo |
| Trial | 14-day access to Premium and Ultimate features |
| Best fit | Contractors that want free GPS-backed time tracking without buying a full FSM system |
5. Clockify - Best Low-Cost Hour Tracking for Small Teams
Clockify is best when the contractor needs low-cost hour tracking, reports, timesheets, and simple billing support instead of trade-specific dispatch. The free plan is listed for up to 5 users. Paid plans are per seat, with annual rates at Basic $3.99, Standard $5.49, Pro $7.99, Enterprise $11.99, and the CAKE.com bundle at $12.99 per seat per month. Monthly billing is higher.
For contractors, Pro is often the tier to inspect because the pricing page places scheduling, expenses, profitability, GPS, and screenshots at that level. Basic and Standard are cheaper, but they are more about administration, timesheets, billing, approvals, and invoicing.
Clockify fits solo operators, small professional crews, and companies tracking hourly work across projects. It is weaker for crew dispatch, field photos, route visibility, payroll handoff, and contractor-specific job management.
| Clockify detail | Current finding |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 for up to 5 users |
| Basic | $3.99/seat/mo annually or $4.99 monthly |
| Standard | $5.49/seat/mo annually or $6.99 monthly |
| Pro | $7.99/seat/mo annually or $9.99 monthly |
| Best fit | Solo operators and small teams that need low-cost hours and reports |
6. Hubstaff - Best for Mixed Field, Office, and Remote Teams
Hubstaff is not contractor-specific, but it can work for companies that track field workers, office staff, and remote employees in the same workforce. The current pricing page shows annual-rate plans with a 2-seat minimum: Starter at $4.99 per seat/month, Grow at $7.50, Team at $10, and Enterprise at $25. Hubstaff also offers a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Starter covers basic time tracking, timesheets, limited reports, limited screenshots, and limited app/URL tracking. Grow adds one integration, budgets, work breaks, expenses, and more reporting. Team adds payments, payroll, scheduling, unlimited integrations, timesheet approvals, and unlimited screenshot/app/URL limits. Enterprise adds higher controls, compliance, provisioning, and included add-ons.
Hubstaff makes more sense when the company tracks designers, estimators, office staff, remote admin, and field teams in one place. It is less ideal if the main problem is job dispatch, field service scheduling, QuickBooks payroll sync, or contractor job costing.
| Hubstaff detail | Current finding |
|---|---|
| Starter | $4.99/seat/mo annually; 2-seat minimum |
| Grow | $7.50/seat/mo annually |
| Team | $10/seat/mo annually |
| Enterprise | $25/seat/mo annually |
| Best fit | Mixed field, office, and remote teams that need time, activity, payroll, and scheduling controls |
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Best entry point | 5-user regular monthly example | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Time | Premium | $20 base + 5 users at $8 = $60/mo, plus required QuickBooks Online account | Best only if QuickBooks already matters |
| ClockShark | Standard | $40 base + 5 users at $9 = $85/mo | Trade-focused but not free |
| Connecteam | Small Business or Operations Basic | Free up to 10 employees; paid Basic $35 monthly for up to 30 users | Hub pricing can confuse buyers |
| Jibble | Free or Premium | Free core plan; Premium 5 users at $4.49 = $22.45/mo | Free plan has geofence/schedule/kiosk limits |
| Clockify | Free or Pro | Free up to 5 users; Pro 5 seats at $7.99 annual rate = $39.95/mo | Less contractor-specific |
| Hubstaff | Starter or Team | Starter 5 seats at $4.99 annual rate = $24.95/mo | 2-seat minimum; many workforce controls are not field-service tools |
Bottom Line
Choose QuickBooks Time if QuickBooks payroll/accounting is the reason you are fixing time tracking. Choose ClockShark if GPS, active-user billing, scheduling, and job codes matter most for trade crews. Choose Connecteam if the crew is under 10 and wants a broad employee app for free. Choose Jibble if free GPS-backed tracking for many users is the priority. Choose Clockify if the problem is simple hourly tracking and project reports. Choose Hubstaff if the company tracks office, remote, and field work together.
Do not buy a deeper app just because it has more features. The right contractor time tracking tool is the one crews will actually open every day and the office can trust on payroll day.
FAQ
What is the best time tracking app for small contractors?
ClockShark is the best contractor-specific fit for GPS, scheduling, and job tracking. QuickBooks Time is better if QuickBooks payroll is already central. Connecteam and Jibble are better if the budget is the main issue.
Is there a free time tracking app for contractors?
Yes. Connecteam has a free Small Business plan for up to 10 employees. Jibble has a free plan for unlimited users with core time tracking and GPS. Clockify has a free plan for up to 5 users.
Do contractors need GPS time tracking?
Not always. GPS helps when job-site verification, travel time, and clock-in disputes create payroll or billing issues. It is less important for solo operators, trusted small crews, or office-based project work.
Which app is best for QuickBooks users?
QuickBooks Time is the safest first demo because it is built around the QuickBooks ecosystem. The pricing page says a QuickBooks Online account is required.
What should a contractor check before switching?
Test payroll exports, job codes, geofences, mobile app behavior, kiosk mode, offline behavior, approvals, overtime rules, and how corrections are handled after a worker submits time.