Honest Review:
TimeCamp

Excellently conceptualized software with robust API but its time tracker can be unreliable and the mobile app needs a bit more work.

Written by Asim Qureshi
By Asim Qureshi, CEO Jibble

As a CEO of a time tracking software company, I need to know what my competitors are up to — thus, this TimeCamp 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 TimeCamp review. And in it, I try to be honest, fair, and insightful.

This Review Covers:

Overview

TimeCamp is a time tracking and project management software designed to streamline productivity monitoring, timesheet generation, billing and invoicing, time budgeting, and attendance tracking through automations. It is a cloud-based solution that touts to be an all-in-one solution for most needs of the modern workplace, eliminating the need for manual input and traditional paper-based documentation, ensuring that billable time is recorded accurately, employees are paid fairly, and clients are billed and invoiced accurately, leading to healthy, profitable operations and ultimately, business growth.

With its wealth of features, TimeCamp promises to hit just about every pain point that hinders businesses from achieving their maximum potential. These include an automated time tracker with a one-click timer and keyword-based tracking that boasts of accurately capturing billable hours while working unobtrusively in the background and minimizing the effort of usage, productivity monitoring that allows employers to see exactly where individual employees’ work hours are spent, down to the last app, webpage, and document, and incisive reporting that provide actionable and up-to-date data on individual and team performances, project profitability, attendance, work patterns, finances, and more. It also integrates well with third-party apps for payroll, project management, scheduling, and development.

However, despite all these thoughtfully designed features, TimeCamp presents quite a few downsides that we just can’t ignore. One of the most glaring and ironic issues that plague TimeCamp is the inconsistency of its time tracker and the occasional unresponsiveness of the start/stop button— and for a star feature to have such a problem, this spells trouble. Setup can also be quite complicated, which can be a dealbreaker for businesses that want seamless incorporation into existing IT ecosystems. In addition, the UI isn’t exactly a work of art… it’s quite clunky, which is such a shame because the brilliant idea that is TimeCamp does not deserve a frustrating experience like that. 

The mobile app also leaves much to be desired — it is slow, has issues with updating hours, and can be unreliable. Which is probably why it has measly ratings on the App Store and Play Store. To cap it all off, the productivity monitoring tools may feel quite invasive, because it essentially allows admins to see literally everything that employees do on their computer — even the more personal tasks. 

But for all these faults, I’d still say that I like the idea of TimeCamp and its revolutionary aspirations. It’s great that they have automation as a foremost consideration to cut down on the agonizing and costly hours spent on administrative tasks that can now be done in a matter of clicks and a tiny fraction of the time they usually take. And they have a pretty responsive and dedicated customer support staff too, ready to answer any inquiries and help out with any troubles with the software.

Having said all that, let’s take a closer look at what TimeCamp has to offer, shall we?

TimeCamp layout showing timesheet dashboard

What Do Users Like About TimeCamp?

  • Rich integration options
  • Great customer support
  • In-depth reports
  • Attendance tracking
  • Automated processes save time and money

What Don't Users Like About TimeCamp?

  • Slow and clumsy UI
  • Substandard mobile app
  • Buggy start/stop button
  • Inconsistent automatic time tracking
  • Complex to start with initially
  • Productivity monitoring can feel invasive 

What Pricing Plans Does TimeCamp offer?

TimeCamp offers four plans, one free and three paid. The free plan has the most basic features, while the paid plans progressively get more features and better functionalities as the tier goes up. Here’s what each plan has to offer.

TimeCamp Free Plan

The TimeCamp Free Plan is only suitable for very small and simple operations without complex reporting, billing, and invoicing needs — but it’s free forever. Its time tracking features include the timer, manual time entries, weekly timesheet, calendar, auto tracking, personal activity timeline, idle time tracking, geofencing, GPS location tracking, attendance tracking, the ability to add time for others, and to track time in 80+ popular tools with the browser plug-in. It can be used by unlimited users for unlimited projects on web, desktop and mobile apps, and on any device as a time clock kiosk. Its management features include project templates, bulk editing, and project importation via CSV. It also has 10+ time tracking reports that can be exported to PDF, and integration options with Trello Power-Up and API.

TimeCamp Starter Plan

TimeCamp’s Starter Plan is designed for better efficiency and has all the features of the Plan plus attendance tracking, time-off, overtime tracking, unlimited tasks, attendance reporting, time off and overtime reports, and the ability to export reports in Excel and Google Sheets. At $2.99 per user per month when billed annually or $3.99 per user per month when billed monthly, this plan is reasonable enough for small operations with needs for more efficient time tracking and deeper insights.

TimeCamp Basic Plan

Intended to boost workflow and keep budget on track, TimeCamp’s Basic Plan has all of the Starter Plan’s features, plus billable time, apps and website tracking, unlimited subtasks, unlimited teams, management roles, archive projects, unlimited tags, budget and estimates, scheduled email reports, custom report, and the ability to share reports with a link. Integrations-wise, users can enjoy unlimited integrations for synchronizing projects and tasks, and the ability to export invoices to QuickBooks and Xero. At $5.99 per user per month when billed annually or $7.99 per user per month when billed monthly, this plan is very suitable for businesses with burgeoning administrative needs.

TimeCamp Pro Plan

The most popular among the TimeCamp plans, the Pro Plan is designed for users to have full control over their time. It has all of the Basic Plan’s features, plus timesheet approvals, invoicing, screenshots, mandatory tags, custom user roles, SSO login, 2-factor authentication, billable rates, and labor costs. At $7.99 per user per month when billed annually or $8.99 per user per month when billed monthly, this is where things start to feel a bit pricey, but depending on the needs of the business, it might just be a viable solution well worth the price.

TimeCamp Enterprise Plan

Touting the power to unleash the full potential of businesses with tailor-made solutions for unique enterprise-level needs, the TimeCamp Enterprise Plan is self-hosted and has all of the features of the previous tiers, plus custom integrations development services, private SaaS, custom SLA, and a dedicated success manager who will help with training and set-up. Users on this tier will also get priority support. Prices for this plan are customized based on the needs of the organization and must be discussed with TimeCamp representatives.

Discounts

TimeCamp offers custom discounts for plans with more than 50 seats and for multi-year billing, which needs to be communicated with TimeCamp reps. 

They also offer a whopping 30% discount for non-profits, schools, universities, and students. Prospective users interested in availing of this discount must contact TimeCamp support with a copy of their 501(c)(3) paperwork.

What are the Standout Features of TimeCamp?

1. TimeCamp Automatic Time Tracking

Automatic time tracking is the star feature of TimeCamp, and for good reason. It is designed with unobtrusive efficiency in mind and features a one-click timer that promises minimal effort and maximum accuracy. Working quietly in the background, it eliminates the need for complicated and frustrating clock-in procedures that consume time and energy that could otherwise be devoted to actual work. 

The keyword-based time tracker is also a very smart touch. Instead of bogging users down in multiple task switches throughout the day, TimeCamp takes note of keywords and phrases on window titles and URLs and automatically starts tracking time for specific tasks they are relevant to whenever they appear on active windows or URLs. This allows users to focus on work without the usual distraction brought about by switching between tasks and projects and ensures that administrators get an accurate view of how time is spent on tasks. 

These time reports could help remove the hassle and risk of error associated with manually filled-out timesheets and save time and resources traditionally spent on doing them the old way. For example, if users’ time entries are recurring, they don’t need to manually enter new ones every day — they could easily copy previous timesheets with the ease of just a couple of clicks. 

The data captured and organized by TimeCamp in automatic time reports aren’t just useful for management, but can also help employees understand their work patterns and identify where they can improve, leading to more profitable time usage and better performance — a potential win-win for all!

However, TimeCamp could use a bit of work on this most important feature, beginning with ensuring that the one-touch start/stop button performs as it is supposed to — just with a single touch, not multiple frustrating tries. While the idea behind its automated time tracker is an absolute gem, the reality on the ground shows that it can be unreliable and inconsistent at times, which may lead to lost earnings and friction between employers and their teams. Yikes. 

Interface showing option to start a task and background showing previous activity.

2. Robust Productivity Tracking

TimeCamp’s productivity tools are designed to help businesses streamline the arduous process of keeping an eye on employees to ensure that they are performing at their best whenever they are on the clock. It does this by keeping a log of all websites, apps, programs, and documents used during clocked-in periods. This allows managers to pinpoint exactly where employees spend their time, and if time has indeed been spent wisely.

That level of monitoring may sound daunting and quite invasive, and to a certain degree, it is. Especially for remote workers in work-from-home arrangements where the line between personal and professional time is blurred, having details of their personal lives such as entertainment preferences, political stances, personal information on social media sites, and other sensitive information leaked to colleagues through TimeCamp’s computer usage recording is a very valid fear — dare I even say a very valid threat to employees’ privacy. To assuage this discomfort, TmeCamp has a private time feature that users can use to prevent the software from tracking any computer activity during periods that it is in use. Conversely, to protect employers from time theft, the idle time feature only captures hours spent on actual work. 

These features are supposed to help maintain a transparent, accountable, and healthy work environment and build trust between employees and administration. However, the reality of their usage seems to be quite far off the mark that TimeCamp is aiming to hit.

Aside from computer usage, TimeCamp also has an employee attendance monitoring feature that remembers the beginning and end of daily working hours and even all breaks throughout the day.

The data captured by the TimeCamp productivity tracking tools are automatically generated into highly visual reports chock-full of valuable insights that are extremely valuable in plotting routes of action for increased productivity, enhanced time utilization, and identification of problem areas where a little more focus and redirection is required.

Time spent on different activities and apps displayed.

 

3. Smart Invoicing

TimeCamp allows businesses to create accurate timesheets based on data captured by the automatic time tracker and productivity tracking features, control costs, and invoice clients all in one place. This streamlining and error-free functionality is especially useful for businesses that want to cut down on time and costs incurred by administrative functions without sacrificing precision and reliability, allowing them to focus on growth and other pressing concerns instead.

With TimeCamp’s smart invoicing, the bills sent to clients are assured to be 100% accurate as they are based on tracked billable hours. These are presented in customizable, highly detailed, and immaculately organized invoices that can be tailored to reflect businesses’ brand identities. And when it comes to getting them where they need to be, exporting and sharing is a breeze via PDF, email, and even private links.

TimeCamp’s invoicing also promotes profitability by allowing employers to have adjustable rates for specific projects, tasks, and employees, giving them a real look at how costs stand against revenue and potentially catering to every unique situation that businesses may encounter. 

Best of all, it also facilitates automatic payment reminders and online payment processing in a variety of currencies to ensure that businesses get paid, wherever they may be in the world. It also plays nice with a lot of third-party accounting software such as Xero, QuickBooks, and other heavy hitters.

Display of an invoice with project and tracking details.

4. Insightful Reports 

 Reports are the backbone of future action, and naturally, businesses would want the best and most actionable insights from their project management software. Fortunately, TimeCamp has more than 20 built-in report varieties to help businesses extract and process crucial information needed to create data-driven decisions leading to better allocation of resources that ultimately result in better productivity and profitability.

These reports can even reflect real-time developments to ensure that key information about performance, work progress, budget, and project status can be served piping hot, on demand. And if the built-in report varieties don’t quite cut it, data can be easily organized into custom reports that best address users’ analysis needs. 

In addition to all of that, TimeCamp helps businesses become transparent with clients through shareable report formats that can be sent via email. Now, that’s next-level client involvement! 

Reports showing for each employee 

 

Selected Positive User Feedback: 

  • Easy, and unobtrusive pc app for reporting your activity… The reporting side is also well-thought-out. Gives me everything I need with a few clicks.” – Péter K. (Source G2)
  • The logging of timesheets is easy to perform and assigning tasks to relevant work done is the best feature. Also, sorting for tasks and adding minute-by-minute details is very helpful.” – Mustafa K. (Source G2)
  • I’ve been using Timecamp as an extension to Trello, and it’s made life so much easier. I can track time on a project at the click of a button and stop that timer in the very same way.” – Ryan (Source System Advice)
  • The support team is quick to respond and very professional. The developers are incredibly generous, as there are so many useful features in the free version.” – Lauren L (Source GetApp)
  • Vast library of integrations allows TimeCamp to integrate with almost any workflow.” – Verified Reviewer (Source GetApp)
  • It covered most of my needs with the free version itself. With the desktop application, we can track computer activities, websites, and application usage. This enables to bring trust among the customers.” – Ashok – (Source Software Advice)

Selected Negative User Feedback: 

  • TimeCamp is a little bit expensive. It needs overall improvement in all tools. Moreover, the mobile version is not as useful as the web version of TimeCamp.” – Kate Woodward (Source TrustRadius)
  • At the time, we were desperate for something to track time, but we found it quite difficult to use, and the interface was slow and clumsy.” – Dale C. (Source GetApp)
  • Integrations don’t always function correctly. The application for mobile devices contains some faults that may result in data loss.” – Verified Reviewer (Source GetApp)
  • It is complex to get started with initially, and you do not get the idea about the interface as well. When it comes to reporting, it lacks that efficiency to generate it faster.” – Dawn R. (Source G2)
  • Inconsistent automatic tracking. Feature requests, even simple ones, are slow to implement. The GitHub canal doesn’t seem quite lively.” – Thierry (Source System Advice)
  • Poor mobile app. I think the UI needs improvements and the server load time is very slow. These types of improvements can be done, but overall it is fine.” – Muhammad M. (Source GetApp)
  • There are bugs in the stop/start button. It needs to be more modernized and more visual to have the best report feature to give eye-catching reports on the go.” – Sarah Arrillaga (Source TrustRadius)

    What are TimeCamp's Review Ratings from Review Sites?

    (As of December 2023)

    • Capterra: 4.6/5
    • G2: 4.7/5
    • TrustRadius: 8.7/10
    • GetApp: 4.7/5
    • Software Advice: 4.5/5
    • Play Store: 3.7/5
    • App Store: 3.7/5 

    What's My Final Verdict on TimeCamp?

    Conceptually, TimeCamp is awesome and has all the right stuff — automated time tracking that’s supposed to eliminate the need for manual input and generate accurate timesheets, robust productivity tracking functionalities designed to ensure  that businesses aren’t cheated out of their resources by the blurring of personal and work-related computer activities, smart and accurate invoicing features that ensure businesses get paid right, an army of data-rich reports that present information in ways that businesses need best, and integrations galore.

    However, any concept is only as good as its execution, and TimeCamp fails in some of its most important features. Take for instance the occasional unreliability of its star feature, the automatic time tracker. Users have mentioned in a significant number of reviews that it doesn’t capture hours correctly at times. That occasional unreliability is going to mess up the rest of the system that relies on its function, namely the invoicing, payroll, and reporting systems. For a feature as important as this, “occasional” is too much of a risk to have.

    Add the shoddy mobile app, buggy timer button, steep setup learning curve, and employee resentment brought about by suspicions of privacy breaches by the productivity tracker to the mix, and you’ve got a frustrating mess in your hands. Defective functionalities can lead to other problems down the line and poorly executed ideas like this can cost businesses a lot. No amount of dedicated customer support can remedy that.

    Having said that, TimeCamp can be an absolutely fantastic tool to boost productivity and profitability for businesses with mostly on-desk operations if they fix these issues, and I am fervently rooting for them — great ideas deserve second chances. But if you can’t wait around for that, you can always look elsewhere.