Compare Monthly Pricing of Popular Timesheet Management Tools (2025 Edition)
When evaluating timesheet management software, most teams start with one simple question:
How much does it cost per month?
But monthly pricing alone doesn’t tell the full story.
For startups, small teams, and remote companies, the real cost includes manual effort, inaccurate data, wasted hours, and poor visibility into project ROI.
In this article, we compare the monthly pricing of popular timesheet management tools, analyze what you actually get at each price point, and identify which tools are genuinely cost-efficient in real-world use.
Why Monthly Pricing Matters for Growing Teams
As teams scale, monthly pricing directly affects:
- Predictable operating costs
- SaaS spend per employee
- Project and client profitability
- Time spent on admin work
A tool that looks affordable on paper can become expensive if it relies heavily on manual timesheets or complex workflows.
Tools Covered in This Comparison
We’ll compare the monthly pricing and value of:
- Time Doctor
- Toggl Track
- Hubstaff
- Clockify
- Harvest
- Backlsh
All prices are per user per month, based on commonly used plans in 2025.
Quick Monthly Pricing Comparison
| Tool | Monthly Price (per user) | Free Plan | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Doctor | $9.99 – $20 | ❌ | Enterprise teams needing monitoring |
| Toggl Track | $10 – $20 | ✅ (limited) | Freelancers & small teams |
| Hubstaff | $7 – $25 | ❌ | Workforce monitoring |
| Clockify | $4.99 – $15 | ✅ | Budget-conscious teams |
| Harvest | $12 – $16 | ❌ | Agencies with invoicing needs |
| Backlsh | $4.99 | ❌ | Startups & remote teams using automated timesheets |
At a glance, Backlsh sits among the lowest-priced tools, but pricing alone doesn’t explain why some teams save significantly more using it.
1. Time Doctor: Pricing vs Value
Monthly pricing:
- $9.99/user (basic)
- Up to $20/user for advanced features
What’s included
- Employee monitoring
- Screenshots
- Website & app tracking
- Productivity scoring
- Manual project tracking
Cost perspective
Time Doctor is designed primarily for monitoring-heavy environments.
Small teams often find themselves paying for features they rarely use.
Hidden cost:
Manual project assignment and higher-tier feature dependency increase the total cost of ownership.
2. Toggl Track: Simple, but Manual
Monthly pricing:
- Free (limited)
- ~$10/user (Starter)
- ~$20/user (Premium)
What’s included
- Clean interface
- Manual time tracking
- Project reports
- Team dashboards
Cost perspective
Toggl works well for individuals and freelancers.
However, for teams, manual timers often lead to:
- Missed entries
- Inaccurate project data
- Time spent correcting timesheets
Hidden cost:
Time lost managing time tracking itself.
3. Hubstaff: Monitoring Comes at a Price
Monthly pricing:
- ~$7/user (Starter)
- Up to ~$25/user (Enterprise)
What’s included
- Screenshots
- GPS tracking
- Payroll integrations
- Workforce monitoring
Cost perspective
Hubstaff suits operational or field-based teams but may feel excessive for knowledge workers and startups.
Hidden cost:
Lower adoption and employee resistance can reduce ROI despite the features.
4. Clockify: Affordable but Manual
Monthly pricing:
- Free plan available
- Paid plans: $4.99 – $15/user
What’s included
- Manual time tracking
- Reports
- Project breakdowns
Cost perspective
Clockify is attractive on price, but it still relies heavily on manual timesheets.
Hidden cost:
Accuracy decreases as teams grow and projects multiply.
5. Harvest: Built for Billing
Monthly pricing:
- ~$12 – $16/user
What’s included
- Time tracking
- Invoicing
- Expense tracking
- Client billing
Cost perspective
Harvest is useful for agencies focused on billing, but many teams pay for features they don’t need.
Hidden cost:
Higher pricing when used mainly for internal project tracking.
6. Backlsh: Low Cost with High Automation
Monthly pricing:
- $4.99/user (flat)
What’s included
- Automatic timesheets
- Automatic project time tracking
- Website-to-project mapping
- Project-level time insights
- Lightweight desktop app
Cost perspective
Backlsh is designed to eliminate manual timesheets entirely.
Instead of asking employees to remember timers or fill timesheets later, Backlsh automatically tracks how much time is spent on each project — creating accurate, real-time project data with minimal effort.
There are no expensive tiers and no feature gating for core functionality.
Automation vs Monthly Cost
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Automation Level | Manual Timesheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Doctor | High | Medium | Yes |
| Toggl | Medium–High | Low | Yes |
| Hubstaff | Medium | Medium | Yes |
| Clockify | Low–Medium | Low | Yes |
| Harvest | High | Low–Medium | Yes |
| Backlsh | Low | High | No |
Automation plays a major role in long-term cost savings.
The Real Monthly Cost Most Teams Miss
Most companies only calculate:
- Subscription cost × number of users
They often ignore:
- Time spent starting/stopping timers
- Filling or correcting timesheets
- Admin review and approvals
- Inaccurate project data
Even 10 minutes per employee per day adds up to hours of lost productivity each month.
Automatic timesheets remove this overhead completely.
Which Tool Is Most Cost-Effective by Team Type?
Freelancers
- Toggl Free or Clockify Free can work well.
Small Teams (5–20 people)
- Manual tools become inefficient quickly.
- Backlsh offers strong automation at a low monthly price.
Startups & Remote Teams
- Need accurate project-level ROI.
- Automation matters more than feature volume.
- Backlsh is well suited for this use case.
Enterprises
- Time Doctor or Hubstaff may be justified.
- Higher cost, heavier controls.
Final Verdict: Monthly Pricing vs Real Savings
If you compare price alone, Backlsh is among the most affordable options at $4.99/user/month.
If you compare price + automation + accuracy + reduced manual work, the difference becomes clearer:
- Expensive tools often include unused features
- Cheap manual tools hide productivity costs
- Affordable automated tools deliver the best long-term savings
Key Takeaway
The most cost-effective timesheet management tool isn’t the one with the lowest sticker price —
it’s the one that removes the most wasted time.
For startups, small teams, and remote companies that want accurate project time tracking without manual timesheets, Backlsh provides a strong balance of affordability, automation, and clarity.
