Clockify vs Time Doctor: Full Comparison
Clockify is a simple, low-cost timer with a real free plan. Time Doctor adds screenshots, activity scores, and payroll for teams that manage remote staff.
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Our quick verdict on both tools
Pick Clockify if you want a simple, low-cost or free timer and do not need to watch how your team spends its time. Pick Time Doctor if you manage remote or outsourced staff and need screenshots, activity scores, and payroll tied to the hours they log.
Start tracking freeWhat this comparison covers
Clockify and Time Doctor are both time tracking tools, compared here side by side so you can see how they differ.
Worth a look too: TimeTracker takes a different path, tying tracked hours to project budgets and client invoicing instead of monitoring or a free timer.
Compare the two products at a glance
Both tools solve time tracking. Here is what each one includes, side by side.
Clockify
Priced lower than most competitors, and its Free plan (capped at 5 users) still includes timers, timesheets, and basic reports.
- Best for
- Freelancers and small to mid-size teams who want a low-cost or free time tracker for billing clients.
- Pricing
- Free plan cut from unlimited users to 5 in April 2026. Paid from $4.99/user/mo (Basic) up to $14.99/user/mo (Enterprise), billed monthly; annual is about 20% less.
- Timer, manual entry, and auto tracker
- Kiosk mode for shared-device clock in/out
- Timesheet approvals (Standard plan+)
- Invoicing and QuickBooks integration
- GPS and expense tracking (Pro plan+)
- 100+ app integrations, even on Free
- Labor cost vs billable rate reports
Time Doctor
Pairs strict activity monitoring (screenshots, keystroke activity, idle alerts) with built-in payroll and client-facing reports.
- Best for
- Distributed and outsourced teams, agencies, and BPOs that need proof-of-work evidence tied to billing.
- Pricing
- No free plan, 14-day trial only. Billed annually: Basic $6.67, Standard $11.67, Premium $16.70 per user a month. Month to month it is $8, $14 and $20. Eleven paid add-ons sit on top, from $2 a user a month up to $200 a month each for payroll sync, HRIS sync, SSO and provisioning.
- Idle detection and distraction alerts
- Random screenshots with optional blur
- Activity level scoring
- Website and app usage tracking
- Payroll reports and attendance data (Standard+)
- 60+ integrations (Standard plan+)
- Client login for shared reports
See how they stack up
Pricing, best fit, and top strengths for both tools, side by side.
Pricing checked 2026-07-31. Confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Which one fits your team
Choose Clockify when…
Your team just needs a free timer and does not want to pay for tracking at all.
Clockify's free plan covers timers, timesheets, and basic reports at no cost, which suits a cost-conscious team.See how
You do not want to monitor your team with screenshots or activity scores.
Clockify stays monitoring-light by design, so staff log hours without feeling watched.See how
You already use a lot of other apps and want the widest integration list.
Clockify connects to 100 plus apps even on its free plan, more than most rivals offer at that price.See how
You want the shortest possible learning curve for a new team.
Clockify's simple, familiar interface needs almost no training, which helps a team get started fast.See how
You need kiosk mode for staff to clock in from a shared device.
Clockify's kiosk mode covers shared-device clock in and out, something Time Doctor is not built around.See how
You want GPS and expense tracking without paying for a full monitoring suite.
Clockify's Pro plan adds GPS and expense tracking at a lower price point than Time Doctor's monitoring-focused tiers.See how
Choose Time Doctor when…
You manage remote or outsourced staff and need proof that work actually happened.
Random screenshots and activity level scoring give you evidence beyond a timer log, which matters when staff are offshore or on contract.See how
You want payroll paid out from the same tool that tracks the hours.
Time Doctor builds payroll payments in, so hours-to-payout is one workflow instead of two systems to reconcile.See how
You bill agency clients and want them to see hours worked directly.
Client login gives clients their own view of logged hours, which is unusual among time trackers at this price.See how
You need to catch idle time and distractions across a distributed team.
Idle detection and distraction alerts flag time that looks logged but was not actually worked.See how
You run a BPO or outsourcing shop and need auditable activity history.
Website and app usage tracking builds a record that an outsourcing client can review, not just a total hours count.See how
You want integrations plus payroll without stitching together a separate payout tool.
Time Doctor's Standard plan and up bundle 60 plus integrations and built-in payroll into one subscription.See how
Popular features
Employee time tracking your team will actually use
One click starts a timer, or people type hours in by hand. Every entry ties to a client, project, and task, so the record stays clean.
Explore Time Tracking→Bill for every hour you earn
Mark each entry billable or non-billable while you work. Approved hours roll straight into reports you can bill from.
Explore Billing→See where the time really goes
Break hours down by client, project, and team member. Find the work that pays off and the projects that run over.
Explore Reports & Dashboards→Use cases this solves
Frequently asked questions
- Is Clockify cheaper than Time Doctor?
- Yes. Clockify has a real free plan capped at 5 users, and its paid tiers start under $5 a user a month. Time Doctor has no free plan and starts at $8 a user a month. See the billing page for how billing features compare across tools.
- Does Clockify take screenshots like Time Doctor?
- No. Clockify stays monitoring-light by design and does not take screenshots. Time Doctor takes random screenshots with an optional blur, and scores activity level. If you want hours tracked without a monitoring layer, see non-billable time tracking for a lighter approach.
- Which tool is better for managing outsourced or offshore staff?
- Time Doctor is built for this. Screenshots, activity scores, and app and website usage tracking give a manager evidence beyond a timer log, which matters when staff work offshore or on contract. See how utilization tracking works for teams that need this kind of visibility.
- Does either tool pay staff directly?
- Time Doctor builds payroll payments into the product, so hours convert straight into a payout. Clockify does not run payroll, though its timesheets export cleanly for an external payroll tool. Read more about billable hours tracking to see how tracked hours get used downstream.
- How do timesheet approvals compare?
- Clockify offers approvals from its Standard plan up, not on the free plan. Time Doctor's plans include reporting a manager can review, though it leans on activity evidence more than a formal sign-off step. For a tool built around a lock-and-approve step, see timesheet approvals.
- Which tool has more integrations?
- Clockify wins here. It connects to 100 plus apps, even on its free plan. Time Doctor offers 60 plus integrations, but only from its Standard plan and up. Either way, both cover the core reporting most teams need without extra tools.
- Can clients see logged hours directly in either tool?
- Time Doctor offers a client login so agency clients can view logged hours themselves, which is unusual in this category. Clockify does not offer this on its lower tiers. See client reporting for how shared reporting typically works.
- Is Time Doctor's monitoring too much for a small in-house team?
- For an in-house team with no outsourcing or contractor concerns, Time Doctor's screenshots and activity scoring can feel like overkill. Clockify's lighter touch usually fits better there. See time tracking for what a simple timer setup looks like.
- Which tool is easier to learn for a new team?
- Clockify is simple and fast to pick up, which is one of its real strengths. Time Doctor takes a bit more setup because screenshots, activity scoring, and payroll all need configuring. Most teams on either tool are tracking real hours within a day, see time tracking for the basics both tools share.
- Are there other options besides Clockify and Time Doctor?
- Yes. If neither tool fits, a broader list of options is worth checking, including TimeTracker, which is built around project budgets and client invoicing rather than a free timer or activity monitoring. Our Clockify alternatives page covers more ground than this one page.
Ready to pick the right time tracker?
Clockify and Time Doctor solve different problems. Weigh cost against monitoring depth, then check a few more options before you commit.
Compare alternatives