attotime.com

All posts

December 5, 2022

Top 5 Best Offline Time Tracking Apps For 2023

cover-img

Table of Contents

Tired of paperwork?

Offline time tracking is important for any business that wants to accurately track working hours. Because the internet can be quite unpredictable, it’s important to have simple offline time tracking software that’s reliable and easy to use.

Even though connectivity issues are quite common within teams who work remotely, their efficiency and work don’t need to be affected. Being able to accurately track time offline is one of the best perks that modern software can offer. 

We’ve gathered the 5 best tools that offer offline time tracking with screenshots of each so that you can get a quick glimpse of what they offer.

But first, let’s get into why you need real-time offline tracking tools.

Why do you need offline time tracking software?

Employers can track employees' working hours even when there is no internet connection if they implement a time-tracking tool that can track offline hours as well. So, even with erratic Wi-Fi and other internet problems, employees can still record their time. 

Both productive and unproductive hours are tracked, and all offline time data is synced as soon as the employee regains internet connectivity. You don’t have to only rely on an online time tracking tool, and freelancers as well as large and small businesses can benefit from the functionality of an offline tool.

Some of the benefits of offline time tracking include:

  • Keep the workflow uninterrupted

With employee offline time tracking software, workflow is streamlined and unaffected by network connectivity instability and issues.

  • Maintain employee motivation 

You can keep employees motivated with offline time tracking tools because working while offline still counts as productive time.

  • Track time efficiently and calculate effort over time

Always keep track of how much time is spent working, even while working offline

  • Boost productivity

The productivity of employees is increased overall when offline and online productive time are both counted making sure no working hours are lost.

  • Keep from procrastinating

For any work to progress, there is no need to wait for a reliable network connection to track working time.

5 top offline time tracking tools for 2023

If you’re thinking of getting an offline time tracking tool but are not sure which one to choose, we’ve compiled the 5 best ones on the market right now. Let’s take a look at each of them.

1. Atto

Atto is a type of time tracker software that is simple to use and doesn't require any technical expertise. It offers companies the option of assembling all of the tools they’ll need in one location to manage their team’s time.

Company managers can use the software to build a personnel database with employee profiles, assign tasks to staff members, and set access restrictions. It allows employees to choose jobs, enter check-in and check-out times, and select the jobs they want to work. 

When you’re offline, a red banner that says “No Internet Connection” will appear at the top of your device’s screen. When you’re offline, you can clock in & out, add/change jobs, start a break and add notes. 

You’ll only see a “No Internet Connection” banner at the top of your screen, but as soon as your device reconnects to the internet, all account activity while offline will be synchronized online.

Image from Atto.

Features

Some of Atto’s features include:

  • Access Controls/Permissions

  • Activity Dashboard

  • Alerts/Notifications

  • Attendance Management

  • Attendance Tracking

  • Automatic Time Capture

  • Billable & Non-Billable Hours

  • Clock In / Out

  • Employee Management

  • Employee Time Tracking

Pros & cons

Pros:

  • Simplicity and sign up. User-friendly setup and time entry.

  • Easy for team members to track their time on the go directly from their mobile app

Cons: 

  • If an employee is removed, so are all of their timesheets.

Pricing info

Pricing starts from 7$ per user per month.

Atto also offers a 14-day free trial.

2. TMetric

Tmetric is a web and desktop app that offers time and activity tracking with an efficient workflow setting and attendance management. Automatic time tracking, task management, project scope management, and the creation of work schedules are all provided. 

Users of TMetric can create a variety of reports, including daily reports, detailed reports, project, task, and team summaries. It works as a web app, on desktop devices (Linux, Windows, and Mac) and on mobile devices (Android and iOS).

TMetric also enables users to track time without the internet, as long as they are logged into the desktop app. This way, tracked time is recorded and then added when the device is reconnected to wifi.

Image from TMetric.

Features

  • Tracking time automatically.

  • Screenshots surveillance.

  • Keep tabs on both your billable and unbillable time.

  • Clients' billing.

  • Comprehensive time and expense reports.

  • An upcoming, planned, and used time off calendar is displayed.

  • Asana, Trello, JIRA, SalesForce, Todoist, QuickBooks, GitLab, Wrike, FreshDesk, Zendesk, and 50 other services and applications can all be integrated with TMetric.

Pros & cons

Pros:

  • The simplicity of tracking time by project and activity through excellent reporting capabilities. 

  • Utilizing the product is very simple.

  • The ability to easily track projects and activity, especially with seamless Google Suite and desktop integrations. 

Cons:

  • Occasional failures or loss of service without warning or apparent reason.

  • Lack of API integration with other IT systems.

Pricing info

Free plan - 5 users per account are now the maximum for the free plan. Most of the features have been retained, and new ones have also been added.

Professional plan - includes unlimited users, billable rates, task management, tasks, and to-do lists. If billed annually, the service fee is $4 per user/month; if billed monthly, it is $5.

Business plan - includes cost rates and time synchronization. If billed annually, the service fee is $6 per user/month; if billed monthly, it is $7.

3. Clockify

Clockify is a free offline time tracking app that offers a free option and helps teams keep track of hours worked on various projects. You can track project progress, evaluate employee productivity, and handle all necessary reporting and administrative tasks in one location for an unlimited number of users, projects, and clients.

With Clockify, you’re also able to track time while offline on multiple devices and platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome).

Image from Clockify.

Features

  • Tasks can be easily organized daily and weekly using a calendar. 

  • Simple to plan projects, set goals, see who is available and for how long, schedule shifts, and track time.

  • Clock in and out using a single device via a kiosk. 

  • GPS time clock.

  • Easily keep track of time spent on a project while monitoring progress and spending. 

  • Analyzing, creating, and exporting all the data for client viewing is possible with the help of reports.

  • Managers or clients may formally approve timesheets and expenses.

  •  Over 80 integrations are available, making it simple to integrate Clockify into your workflows. 

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Easy to use, inexpensive, and simple to set up.

  • Helpful graphs that businesses can use to analyze reports.

  • Offers a free time tracking tool version.

Cons

  • When there is a problem with the internet connection, you may need to log back in.

  • Sometimes there are limitations to integration with other applications.

Pricing info

Clockify is free forever for unlimited users, projects, and tracking.  You can opt-in for a 7-day free trial to try advanced features. 

Available paid plans include: 

  • BASIC ($3.99/user) for administration features like Adding time for others, Required fields, and Bulk edit,

  • STANDARD ($5.49) for time sheeting and billing features, like Time off, Invoicing, and Approval

  • PRO ($7.99) for cost and productivity features, like Scheduling, Expenses, Budgeting & estimates, and 

  • ENTERPRISE ($11.99/user) for advanced security features.

4. Apploye

Apploye is a time tracking tool that can be used to keep track of the time spent on various tasks. The software is compatible with both mobile and desktop devices. One of the coolest things about Apploye is how easy it is to do group scheduling, project, task tracking, invoicing and billing. 

With Apploye, you can track time in cases of no internet connection. You would, however, need to reconnect to the internet if you want the hours to sync to existing data.

Image from Apploye.

Features

  • Made to support companies of all sizes, especially in managing remote teams.

  • You can check the daily, weekly, and monthly timesheets.

  • Geofencing can be used to keep an eye on a construction site.

  • Assign roles to managers, administrators, and members.

  • Work on an unlimited number of projects and tasks while keeping precise time records.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Excellent for determining the true cost of implementing a project within the team.

  • Your understanding of how to use the product is quick and easy thanks to the user-friendly UI and features like offline sync.

  • The development and sales teams' productive time spent on various tasks and activities can be planned and tracked very effectively.

Cons

  • The screenshots taken may cause employees discomfort.

  • In cases of internet issues, some hours may be lost.

Pricing info

Apployee offers a free trial, as well as other plans:

  • Apploye TimeTrack - $4 /user/month

  • Apploye FieldTrack - $5 /user/month

  • Apploye RemoteTrack - $6 /user/month

5. timeBro

timeBro automatically detects the time spent on tasks on a computer. According to their website, timeBro saves 75% of time for tracking and connects to any project software with an open API protocol. It runs in the background and tracks all activity done on a computer. 

It is an offline tool that isn’t intended for employee monitoring but only for personal task tracking. No data is uploaded or synced to a cloud-based system or dashboard, and the only person who can see the data is the user themself.

Image from timeBro.

Features

  • TimeBro is an entirely automatic time-tracking application for Windows and macOS that records every minute spent working on various projects.

  • TimeBro acts as a memory aid, assisting users in recalling every minute of their working day. 

  • 100% Privacy and data protection.

  • TimeBro offers +25 project management tool integrations in addition to fully automatic tracking.

  • Users can easily export all of their time entries after importing all of their projects, tracking their time on projects in timeBro. 

Pros & cons

Pros 

  • Option to quickly and easily record billed time along with automatic activity tracking.

  • Excellent handling of other software and a very cool overview of the work.

  • Simple to use, automated, and integrated with good reporting.

Cons

  • Synchronizing projects/tasks with teamwork may be challenging.

  • Not suitable for companies that need an overview of employee work hours.

Pricing info

Starting prices (yearly): 

  • Basic for 14$ user/month, 

  • Connect for 18$ user/month, 

  • Premium for 30$ user/month.

There is also a free trial available.

How to find the right app for time tracking offline?

In order to find the right app for time tracking offline, you should follow 4 simple steps.

  • Check if the app offers offline tracking,

  • Make sure it has all the features you need,

  • See if it is easy to implement and use, and

  • Check if there are any hidden costs.

Step 1 - Check if the app offers offline tracking

There are many time tracking tools out there, and the first step you need to take is to make sure that the ones you’re researching actually offer the option to track time without the need to be connected to the internet.

Step 2 - Make sure it has all the features you need

The second step is to make a list of all the features you need, and then cross-check that with the list of features of a specific tool. Some apps may have all the features you need, and some may only offer a few main ones. You can then decide what’s essential for your business.

Step 3 - See if it is easy to implement and use

An app that is difficult to install and use probably won’t offer you the results you want, even if it’s a really good app. This is why you should always look out for software that has a user-friendly UI and can be used easily by employees.

Step 4 - Check if there are any hidden costs

The final step is to check if a time tracking tool offers any hidden costs. Whether an app is free or subscription-based, you should make sure that the plan you choose won’t make you pay for any hidden fees.

Final points on the best offline time tracking apps

In many cases, employees tend to stop doing tasks or postpone their work when they’re not connected to the internet anymore. Connectivity issues, therefore, lead to procrastination. In our case, with the help of trusty time tracking software, this won’t be a problem. 

With Atto, for example, the software keeps running in the background even with no internet connection. It’s great for employee scheduling, as there is no need for employees to postpone their work or try to shift tasks throughout their schedule. Once back online, our reliable time tracking software automatically uploads the data and everything is up and running like before. 

When employees can track their working hours offline, it’s a huge relief not only to them but to their employers as well. There is no room for misunderstandings and there will always be a professional and accurate way to deal with potential issues. 

In turn, work-from-home teams and field teams can continue to be productive and stay motivated while adding value to the company even with no constant internet connection. Efficient time management, project time tracking and payroll automation are also major benefits of a simple time tracking solution.

You can try Atto for free for 14 days and test the offline time tracking feature without the need to add a credit card.

Related Articles

cover-img

How to love time tracking

There are reasonable arguments as to why employees do not like to use a time tracking solution. But, if the benefits of time tracking are communicated the right way then there is a chance that they will start loving it.

cover-img

The best ways of measuring productivity

The decision on how to best measure productivity is an ongoing quest for all businesses. Managers have to always remain updated on the latest trends with regard to employee management. Here are a few of these trends to guide your way forward.