Apps to track working hours
As remote work, flexible hours, and agile project management become the norm, accurately tracking working hours is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. Whether you’re an employee, freelancer, manager, or business leader, time tracking plays a crucial role in many areas: productivity, billing, project management, work-life balance, and legal compliance.
In this context, time tracking applications have become essential tools. But with so many options available, how do you choose the right one? What features really matter? And what are the best solutions on the market — especially for teams working collaboratively?
That’s what we’ll explore in this article, with a special focus on Acollab, a French platform that includes a time tracking module perfectly suited to today’s needs.
Why track your working hours?
Before talking about tools, it’s useful to understand why time tracking has become so strategic.
How many hours are spent on a project? On administrative tasks? In meetings?
Tracking work hours allows you to visualize how time is allocated and helps optimize organization and workflows.
For freelancers and agencies, accurately tracking the time spent on each assignment is essential for fair and transparent invoicing.
Many professions rely on time-based billing, making it crucial to know exactly how much time was spent on each client project. This not only ensures accurate pricing but also helps justify the amounts charged in case of client discussions or disputes.
In France and across Europe, companies are required to document their employees’ working hours, notably to ensure compliance with rest periods and to prevent any abuses.
Time tracking can also serve as a tool for self-awareness. Many professionals work more hours than they realize—or underestimate the time spent on unproductive tasks.
Good tracking allows you to adjust the workload, reassess a schedule, or identify a risk of drift before it’s too late. Indeed, if a task was estimated to take 2 days of work and a manager notices that 5 days have already been spent, they can take measures to prevent significant delays.
Key features to look for in a time tracking application
Before choosing a tool, it is important to define your needs. Here are the main features to consider when selecting among the many time tracking applications available:
- Manual time entry, which allows those handling small tasks to quickly log their hours
- Real-time stopwatch, very useful for those who work on only one or two tasks per day. This helps them track time spent very precisely
- Time allocation by task, project, client, or team
- Reports and statistics that can be easily exported
- Integration with other tools (project management, invoicing)
- Smart notifications or reminders
- Support
Overview of the Best Time Tracking Applications
Here is a selection of time tracking applications highly recommended by professionals:
Created in France, Acollab is a collaborative platform designed to facilitate daily teamwork. It combines several features: project management, documents, forums, calendars… and of course, time tracking.
What we like:
- Time tracking by project or task: users can easily log the time spent daily on their activities. They also have the option to record time spent weekly or even monthly.
- Estimated time vs. actual time spent
- Simple and intuitive interface: no need to be a project management expert, just start the timer linked to a task or manually enter the time spent at the end of the day.
- Summary of logged times: useful for both project managers and users.
- Easy export to Excel format: ideal for accounting or invoicing.
- French solution hosted in France.
Acollab is particularly suited for SMEs, associations, local authorities, or agencies that want to centralize their projects and improve efficiency.
Well known among freelancers and startups, Toggl Track is one of the popular time tracking applications and a powerful tool for tracking work hours.
- Minimalist interface
- Built-in timer
- Detailed statistics
- Numerous integrations (Asana, Trello, Notion…)
Toggl is perfect for freelancers but can be costly for large teams (free version is limited).
Clockify is a free alternative to Toggl, with similar features:
- Manual entry or timer
- Tracking by project/client
- Detailed reports
- Mobile app
It is well suited for growing teams or companies looking for a free solution to get started.
RescueTime is a bit different: it automatically analyzes how you spend your time on the computer.
- Categorizes sites and apps (work/distractions)
- Efficiency reports
- Custom alerts
It’s a valuable tool for those who want to regain control over their personal or professional time.
Time tracking and GDPR: watch out for data privacy
When it comes to time tracking, sensitive data is involved: identity, work patterns, and more. It is essential to ensure that the chosen tool complies with GDPR, especially if the company is based in Europe.
Acollab, for example, hosts all its data in France, guaranteeing both security and compliance with European regulations.
How to choose the right time tracking application?
If you’re a small to medium-sized team, the most interesting solution is an all-in-one tool like Acollab, which allows you to both manage projects and track time without juggling multiple platforms.
What sets Acollab apart is its collaborative approach to work. Time tracking is naturally integrated into a platform that fosters communication and organization with features like:
- Document sharing
- Goals and tasks
- Collaborative calendar
- Team forums
- Polling system
- Collaborative messaging
This makes it a tool especially appreciated by project teams who want to track their work smoothly and without friction.
Conclusion
Tracking your work time isn’t about monitoring or restricting yourself. On the contrary, it’s a way to take back control, better organize your daily routine, and work smarter.
Time tracking apps are here to help you manage your days, projects, and teams with greater visibility.
And if you’re looking for a French, intuitive, and collaborative solution, Acollab definitely deserves your attention.