It is the second week of December. Your part timer says she worked 47 hours last week covering holiday shifts; your notebook says 43. In Ontario, overtime starts after 44 hours in a work week, so the gap is the difference between owing overtime and not, and the law expects you, not her, to have the record.
The short answer: five time tracking apps have a free plan a small business can actually run on. Connecteam is free for up to 10 users with a GPS time clock and scheduling. Jibble says its free plan is free forever for unlimited users. Clockify is free for up to 5 users, Toggl Track for up to 3, and Harvest for 1 person and 2 projects. The right one depends on whether you clock staff in or bill clients by the hour.
Key takeaways
- For staff who clock in at a counter or on site, Connecteam's free Small Business plan covers up to 10 users, active and archived, with GPS stamps and exportable timesheets.
- For billing clients by the hour, Clockify's free plan allows up to 5 users with unlimited projects, but reports only cover a one month date range and invoicing starts on a paid plan.
- Ontario employers must record the dates and times each employee worked and keep those records for three years, so pick an app you can export from.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Free plan limit | Paid from | Canadian note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecteam | Shift staff, cafes, shops, field crews | Up to 10 users, active and archived | Basic US$29 a month for the first 30 users, billed yearly | Prices in USD only |
| Jibble | Teams larger than 10 that only need clock in and timesheets | Unlimited users, core time tracking and basic timesheets | Premium; price not listed on the pages we read | Regional pricing, per its help centre |
| Clockify | Freelancers and small agencies tracking billable projects | Up to 5 users, reports limited to a 1 month range | Basic $3.99 a seat a month, billed yearly (currency not stated on the page) | Page shows prices for your region |
| Toggl Track | Solo owners or pairs who want a simple timer | Up to 3 users | Starter $9 a user a month (currency not stated on the page) | No CAD price shown |
| Harvest | One freelancer who invoices from the same app | 1 seat and 2 projects | Teams US$9 a seat a month, billed yearly | All prices in USD |
How we chose
- Official pages only for every limit and price, and published features rather than hands on testing.
- What matters to a small Canadian business: a free plan for more than one person, exportable records and a known currency.
- Nobody pays to be included.
Two kinds of time tracking
A time clock records when staff start and finish a shift, so you can run payroll and prove hours. A project timer records time per client or job, so you can bill accurately. Connecteam and Jibble are built around the first job. Clockify, Toggl Track and Harvest are built around the second.
Time clocks for staff
Connecteam
Connecteam is an app for teams that work away from a desk, combining a time clock, scheduling, chat and HR tools.
Best for: a cafe, shop, cleaning company or trade business with up to 10 people on shifts.
- Time clock with GPS stamps and a map display, included on the free Small Business plan.
- Geofences with unlimited sites and automatic clock out when someone leaves a geofence, also on the free plan.
- Scheduling and exportable timesheets.
Why it stands out: the free plan includes all hubs and features, so a 10 person team gets scheduling and a GPS time clock for $0.
Limits: the 10 user count includes archived users, so former staff still use up spots. Direct payroll integration is listed as not included on the Small Business plan, so you export timesheets instead.
Price: free for up to 10 users. Above that, the Operations Hub Basic plan is US$29 a month billed yearly (US$35 monthly) for the first 30 users, plus US$0.80 a month for each extra user on yearly billing.
Jibble
Jibble is time and attendance software with mobile, web and desktop clock in.
Best for: more than 10 hourly workers who need simple clock in and timesheets.
- Unlimited users on the free plan, which Jibble describes as free forever.
- Clock in from mobile, web or desktop, with basic timesheets.
- Integrations with Slack, Microsoft Teams and QuickBooks listed at no cost.
Why it stands out: it is the only app here with no user cap on the free plan.
Limits: Jibble's plan pages do not say which advanced features, such as geofencing, stay on the free plan, so test before you roll it out. Monthly paid plans have a minimum charge of 3 licences.
Price: Free is $0 for unlimited users. Paid plans are Premium and Ultimate, with a 14 day free trial and no credit card required; the official pages we read do not list a price, so check it in your account before you upgrade.
Project timers for billable work
Clockify
Clockify is a time tracker with a timer, weekly timesheet, desktop and mobile apps, and browser extensions.
Best for: a freelancer or small agency of up to 5 people tracking time across many clients.
- Unlimited tracking, projects, tasks and clients on the free plan.
- Timer or manual entry, a daily or weekly timesheet, and idle detection with reminders.
- Apps for desktop and mobile, plus browser extensions.
Why it stands out: unlimited projects and clients for a five person team is the most generous free project timer here.
Limits: reports are limited to a one month date range on the free plan. Kiosk starts on Basic, approvals and invoicing on Standard, and GPS tracking on Pro.
Price: Basic $3.99, Standard $5.49 and Pro $7.99 a seat a month billed yearly ($4.99, $6.99 and $9.99 monthly). The page shows a $ sign and says it displays prices in the currency for your region, so the currency is not stated on the page; confirm it at checkout.
Toggl Track
Toggl Track is a timer focused time tracker with calendar integrations.
Best for: a solo owner or a team of two or three who wants the simplest possible timer.
- Manual and real time timers.
- Google and Outlook calendar integrations, so meetings can become time entries.
Why it stands out: calendar integrations help owners who lose track of time in calls.
Limits: free covers up to 3 users and personal level reports only. Billable rates and team reports start on Starter; timesheet approvals are on Premium.
Price: Starter $9 and Premium $16 a user a month on yearly billing, or $12 and $24 monthly. The page shows only a $ sign, so the currency is not stated on the page.
Harvest
Harvest is a time tracker with invoicing and expense tracking built in.
Best for: one freelancer with one or two ongoing clients.
- Time tracking, invoicing and expense tracking on the free plan.
- Mac and iOS apps.
Why it stands out: it is the only app here with invoicing on the free plan.
Limits: free stops at 1 seat and 2 projects. Timesheet approvals are an Enterprise feature. All prices are in USD.
Price: Teams US$9 a seat a month billed yearly (US$11 monthly), Enterprise US$14 billed yearly (US$17.50 monthly).
What Canadian employment rules mean for your app
Each province sets its own employment standards, so check yours; Ontario's rules show what your app has to support.
- Record dates, times and hours. Ontario's guide to the Employment Standards Act says the employer must record the dates and times each employee worked, and the hours for each day and each week.
- Keep them three years. Hours records must be kept for three years after the day or week of work, and they can be kept by someone else on your behalf, such as an app, as long as they are readily available for inspection.
- Overtime starts after 44 hours. In Ontario, overtime pay is 1½ times the regular rate after 44 hours in a work week, unless you and the employee have an averaging agreement.
So the export matters more than the dashboard. With a one month report window, like Clockify's, export every month.
Worked example and a timesheet you can copy
Using Ontario's rule, an employee paid $20.00 an hour who works 48 hours in a week earns:
- Regular hours: 44 × $20.00 = $880.00
- Overtime hours: 4 × $30.00 (1½ × $20.00) = $120.00
- Total for the week: $1,000.00
If you are not ready for an app, a spreadsheet with these columns covers what Ontario asks you to record. Copy the header row and add one line per shift:
Employee | Date | Start time | End time | Unpaid break (minutes) | Hours worked | Week total | Overtime hours | Approved by
Check that your app's export gives you the same columns, and save one file per pay period.
Red flags before you sign up
- Archived users count. On Connecteam, former staff still count toward the 10 user limit. Plan for seasonal turnover.
- Short report windows. If reports only go back a month, export every pay period.
- Currency surprises. Connecteam and Harvest charge in USD, so your cost moves with the exchange rate.
- Payroll connection. Hours flowing straight into payroll often sits on a paid plan.
Our take
This is a judgment based on the published features and pricing, not a hands on test.
Service business with staff on shifts (cafe, salon, shop): Connecteam, as long as you stay at 10 users including archived ones.
More than 10 hourly workers: Jibble, because it has no user cap.
Freelancer or agency billing by the hour: Clockify for a team of up to 5, Toggl Track if you are on your own or in a pair and live in your calendar.
Solo consultant with one or two clients: Harvest, because tracked hours turn into an invoice without a second tool. Pair it with free invoicing software or accounting software once you outgrow 2 projects.
When the pick changes: if your payroll provider or accountant already works with a specific time tracker, use that one. For more picks by job, see the software hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free time tracking app for a small business with employees?
For shift staff, Connecteam's free plan covers up to 10 users with a GPS time clock and scheduling. For more than 10 hourly workers, Jibble's free plan has no user cap.
Is Clockify still free for unlimited users?
No. Clockify's pricing page says the free plan is for up to 5 users; unlimited users start on Basic at $3.99 a seat a month billed yearly.
How long do I have to keep employee time records in Ontario?
Ontario's guide to the Employment Standards Act says hours of work records must be kept for three years after the day or week of work.
Can I use a free time tracker to bill clients?
Yes, but invoicing is usually paid. Harvest includes invoicing on its free plan for 1 seat and 2 projects. Clockify starts invoicing on Standard, and Toggl Track adds billable rates on Starter.
Sources
- Connecteam Small Business plan (official)
- Connecteam pricing (official)
- Jibble: free forever and upgrade plans (official)
- Jibble Help: subscription plans
- Jibble Help: FAQ about subscription plans
- Clockify pricing (official)
- Clockify free plan features (official)
- Toggl Track pricing (official)
- Harvest pricing (official)
- Ontario: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act, record keeping
- Ontario: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act, overtime pay
