Honest Review:
MinuteDock

Personalized reports and user friendly interface but limited integration options.

Written by Asim Qureshi
By Asim Qureshi, CEO Jibble

December 9th 2023

As a CEO of a time tracking software company, I need to know what my competitors are up to — thus, this MinuteDock review. That means I’m often researching about and/or playing around with their products, you know, it’s part of the job. Here, I share my findings from that research, giving credit to those competitors where credit is due and being honest about which products I believe you really need to avoid. And so, there you have it, this MinuteDock review, and in it, I try to be honest, fair, and insightful…

This review covers:

Overview

MinuteDock is a web-based time tracking software that allows you to keep track of the time you spend on projects and the associated expenses. The app provides you with real-time data on work hours and project progress through its running timer that seamlessly syncs with its web and mobile app.

One of the things I love about MinuteDock is it lets you categorize your time entries based on clients, projects, or tasks, and can even group them automatically on invoices. This lets you save time and reduce the risk of billing errors. Plus, the software configures time billing rates and can be integrated with external payroll and accounting systems like QuickBooks, Xero, MYOB, Freshbooks, Wave, and Sage.

Another thing that makes MinuteDock unique from all other tools in the market is its Dock function which is located at the top of the screen. This acts like a smart input hub where you can enter shortcut commands for manually logging time, opening the project or task picker, or just simply starting and stopping the timer. It takes some getting used to but once you get the hang of it, these shortcut commands can save you some time.

And if that’s not enough, you can create custom reports and set budgets and targets, which can be a real lifesaver when you’re juggling multiple projects.

I should warn you, though, that MinuteDock does have a few flaws. Syncing data with customers on different devices can create issues, and there are only a few integration options available – just 6 to be precise, so big names like ADP, Atlassian, and Jira are excluded. Plus, several other users have complained about discrepancies when it comes to time entries, with some entries recording the wrong dates and even disappearing altogether.

But let’s not judge MinuteDock prematurely, shall we? Let’s dive deeper into its powerful standout features as well as what other users have to say.

Web interface and mobile timer

What do users like about MinuteDock?

  • Intuitive time tracking
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Flexible invoicing options
  • Valuable reporting and insights

What don't users like about MinuteDock?

  • Data syncing issues
  • Lacks large companies’ resources
  • Missing and inaccurate time entries
  • Limited integration options

What Pricing Plans does MinuteDock offer?

MinuteDock offers four pricing plans: Freelancer, Small Team, Business, and Enterprise. Each of these plans is designed to cater to the varying needs and scales of businesses. And they all include unlimited clients, projects, invoices, and time tracking. 

Only a limited number of users are included with each plan’s monthly base fee. To add an extra user, you’ll have to pay an additional US$9/month.

Freelancer: The Freelancer plan is priced at US$19/month and only includes one user. Aside from the main features that are included in all of MinuteDock’s features, the Freelancer plan also gives users access to email support, client time reports, individual goals, and expense tracking (Beta).

Small Team: For $49/month, this plan includes five users and all the features from the previous plan. The only difference is that this time, users with a Small Team subscription can also make use of the team goals feature.

Business: For $99/month, the Business plan includes ten users, email support, client time reports, individual goals, expense tracking (Beta), team goals, and exclusive manager support.

Enterprise: If you have over 25 members on your team, the Enterprise plan presents itself as an ideal choice. It allows businesses to customize the plan based on their unique needs. Pricing is only available upon request to MinuteDock’s support team.

What are the Standout Features of MinuteDock?

1. MinuteDock Time Tracking 

MinuteDock’s time tracking tool allows users to track time against specific clients, projects, or tasks. This provides users with the flexibility to structure their time entries according to the specific needs of their business. You can either track time using the in-app timer or create manual time entries by entering a few details. Both ways are equally straightforward. 

The platform’s unique approach to time tracking sets it apart from other tools in the market. MinuteDock’s Dock, located at the top of the screen, serves as a smart input hub. It can apply certain actions based on the text entered or keys pressed, enhancing the user’s ability to interact with the platform seamlessly.

For added convenience, MinuteDock supports backdating of time entries. Users can simply type a date in brackets in the Dock, allowing for flexible date formats such as (yesterday), (last Friday), or (July 4). Additionally, if an entry is already logged, users can easily edit and change the date using the calendar feature.

Time tab showing employee names

2. MinuteDock Billing and Invoicing

MinuteDock’s billing feature offers a high degree of flexibility to cater to diverse billing scenarios. Users can set specific rates for each contact, providing the ability to customize billing on a per-client basis. Additionally, billing rates can be tailored on a per-project or per-task basis, enabling businesses to manage situations where clients are billed at different rates for various projects.

The invoicing functionality in MinuteDock, on the other hand, is designed with user-friendly customization in mind. Users can choose exactly which time entries to include in an invoice and how to present them to clients. The platform allows users to create invoices based on different criteria, including all uninvoiced time, a custom selection, or pre-made choices derived from docked time entries. The detailed customization options extend to grouping and formatting line items, allowing users to present information in a way that suits their preferences and client expectations. 

Once the invoice is customized, users can finalize it by adjusting the invoice number, currency, date, and due date. The software is also well connected to accounting systems, eliminating the need for double entry, and offers multi-currency support for international transactions.

For those without accounting software, MinuteDock offers the option to email the invoice directly to clients, streamlining the invoicing process and ensuring efficient communication with clients regarding billing matters.

Create invoice interface

3. MinuteDock Reporting & Insights

The layout for MinuteDock’s reporting feature is sort of similar to the invoicing feature. It provides various ways to generate reports and gain insights into time utilization. Users can run reports based on specific periods such as today, yesterday, this week, last week, this month, last month, all time, or a specific time.

Additionally, filters can be applied based on users, contacts, projects, tasks, and other customizable options. The reports are made using real-time data, so they are always up-to-date and made available instantly.

Some reports users can export include work-in-progress reports, payroll reports, per-user/contact/project/task reports, unbillable time reports, and all-time overview reports. The software also lets users see the overall profitability at a glance and thus monitor whether the project is making a profit. Adding on, MinuteDock gives clients access to the private reporting dashboard, which they can check at any point to assess performance. 

Reports showing hours logged by project, contact etc

4. MinuteDock Integrations 

MinuteDock offers seamless integration with six accounting software namely QuickBooks, Xero, MYOB, Freshbooks, Wave, and Sage. This allows users to automatically send clients bills and generate new invoices, eliminating the need for double entry and linking the chart of accounts, services, or items.

On top of this, the software offers hassle-free client syncing, which directs users to focus on their business instead of admin overheads. It also enables employers to use existing invoice branding, deliver bills to the customer, and reconcile payments. 

Integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks

5. MinuteDock Budget Tracking and Teams

MinuteDock offers tools that help set flexible budgets and targets that urge users to stay focused and on track. They can set custom goals for targets, budgets, and estimated completion time for their projects on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and monitor the progress in real-time. This makes it very beneficial when the business has retainer agreements or agreed workloads. 

With MinuteDock’s user-friendly interface, managers can seamlessly keep track of employees, edit their timesheets, and make reports on each employee’s assigned task. It also offers flexible employee permissions that let users customize what employees can see, assign clients to a team member, and hide parts of the business they do not want to publicize (i.e. charge-out rates).

Goals feature for teams

Selected Positive User Feedback: 

  • “Straightforward and easy to understand, huge potential, great for people used to Twitter-style conversations” – seconds (Source Quickbooks)
  • “I am a lawyer and have been using MinuteDock to track my billable time for about two years. I love the program. It’s simple to use, has all the functionality I need, integrates well with QuickBooks Online, and has outstanding technical support.” – SuzyG (Source Quickbooks)
  • “Intelligent and intuitive time tracker. Significantly increased the quality of my billing.” –Forest H. (Source G2)
  • “Simple interface, easy to input your time according to the customer, shows daily totals, integrates with Xero” – Peter H. (Source G2)
  • “What I like most about MinuteDock is that it does what it says it will do. It doesn’t have a bunch of confusing bells and whistles that a lot of minute-timers do.” – Anonymous (Source G2)
  • “With 12 executives, multiple-level project managers, and nearly 100 freelancers, it’s incredible how organized we were using MinuteDock.” – Faye R. (Source G2)
  • “It’s very user-friendly and easy to set up.” – Daisy M. (Source G2)
  • “I can allocate hours worked to a specific client by using hashtags” – Jeremy K. (Source G2)
  • “You can categorize the reports also if you require them per worker, per execution time, or project.” – Doris L. (Source G2)
  • “Quick and easy to enter data-quicker than a spreadsheet. You can see what you’ve entered Dashboard shows all the KPIs we need. Sync with Xero seamless” – Clem R. (Source Capterra)
  • “The ability to track the time each employee is putting in and what they are spending their time on.” – Jeremiah K. (Source Capterra)
  • “I love that I can track which clients are getting the bulk of my time, as well as what type of work I am doing for each” – Hannah K. (Source Capterra)
  • “MinuteDock was easy to learn (with the quick tutorials) and easy to use. The iPhone App means we can track our time anytime, anywhere.” – Sue Irvine (Source appsxero)
  • “Minute Dock is a terrific app, but the seamless connection to Xero makes it even more helpful for this small business.” – Melinda Munro (Source appsxero)
  • “Minutedock works well for my practice and links very well with Xero has not had any issues with the link and has been using it for over 18 months.” – Nicola Harvey (Source appsxero)

Selected Negative User Feedback:

  • “Issues syncing customers doesn’t sync with QBO’s time entry, navigation on site is a bit too simplistic where you can’t find out info about the company, pricing, etc.” –ciconis (Source Quickbooks)
  • “Unfortunately, I used it with Wave accounting, and when Wave was purchased, they significantly changed several features that caused me to look for another accounting app. My new accounting app didn’t integrate with MinuteDock.” – Forest H. (Source G2)
  • “For a company our size, features are missing that would benefit us. The editing process was not as user-friendly as I would have liked.” – Anonymous (Source G2)
  • “No integration with Atlassian, Jira. No mobile version. Maybe it could be made with a more attractive UI” – Peter H. (Source G2)
  • “Usually, people looking for something like this won’t mind paying the cost of MinuteDock, but they might need time or general billing software. But this software has data syncing issues.” – Anonymous (Source G2)
  • “More program integrations. I would love to sync this with ADP’s” – Faye R.
  • “It doesn’t have all the resources a company like mine needs.” – Deisy M. (Source G2)
  • “The free trial should last at least a month, so it would give the whole team time to go a little deeper into the use of the functions and measure their usefulness” – Doris L. (Source G2)
  • “The training videos offered on the website were not as thorough as I would’ve liked in getting me acclimated to the system” – Hannah K. (Source Capterra)
  • “Is there any way MinuteDock can make the period more flexible and have large companies’ resources? I wonder.” – Stella Gouch (Source appsxero)
  • “MinuteDock frequently misses entries, gets the date wrong, or enters zero time (this should be a criminal offense!).” – Eleanor Hadley (Source appsxero)
  • “More than once, I’ve had time disappear on me. That is the worst part of this review, as it has cost me money.” – David Rossi (Source appsxero)
  • “I wish some other tools could be used in integrations with a high level of sophistication in their integration.” –Joseph Hannah (Source appsxero)
  • “Integrating more project management tools to bring in tasks would be better.” – James S. (Source G2)
  • “The only thing that I would have preferred was that other time tracking tools have the option to have a start/stop option within your web browser.” – Adam H. (Source G2)

      What are MinuteDock's Review Ratings from Review Sites?

      (As of December 2023)

      • Capterra: 4.5/5
      • G2: 4/5
      • GetApp: 4.5/5
      • App Store: 2.8
      • SelectHub: 90/100

      What's my Final Verdict on MinuteDock?

      There are tons of things I like about MinuteDock, but there are also several things I’m not quite impressed with.

      One thing I really like is how the app lets employees easily categorize their work entries based on clients, projects, or tasks, and even automatically group them on invoices. Plus the running timer feature lets employees easily sync their work across different devices. It’s super flexible and you can even configure time billing rates, syncing with other payroll systems like Xero and Sage. 

      What’s even better is that you can customize your own reports and set budgets and targets. And the interface, although a bit clunky, is really user-friendly with flexible employee permissions, giving you more control over what you want to see – amazing.

      But, syncing with customers on different devices can be a pain, and there are only a few integration options available. This makes it hard to incorporate MinuteDock into your existing tech stack.

      Another downside users might be wary of with MinuteDock is its price. The freelancer plan starts at US$19/month which is expensive when you compare it to other time tracking options in the market. I know of several other software that offer similar or even more sophisticated features but for half the price!

      Overall, I think MinuteDock still presents itself as a suitable time tracker for individuals and businesses. This is of course if they’re willing to shed out a couple extra dollars every month and adjust to its limited integration options.

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