Are you looking for a time tracking app for Asana? As part of the extended Asana ecosystem, here at Velocity, we often get requests and questions from customers about 3rd party time tracking tools.
We spent some time putting together this article as a resource to help Asana customers find the right time tracking software for their organization’s needs.
NOTE: Although we focus on Asana reporting and time tracking, we think this guide will be helpful for customers of other project management tools as well!
What to Look For in a Time Tracking App
We thought we would save you some time (see how I did that?) and list the essential features to look for in a first-class tracking software to help you with your project management:
- Timesheets
Timesheets are a feature found in top-quality time tracking software, enabling users to organize all their team and individual real-time recorded billable hours. The timesheet can essentially play the role of an attendance report that also tracks absences and time-off. This feature should have the capability of exporting to PDF or CSV and then be used for payroll or invoicing.
- Stopwatch
Team members need to have the ability to start and stop their time tracker. When individuals get up and leave their computer or jump on a phone call, particularly when working remotely, this function enables accurate reports of time taken to complete tasks. In the long run, it will save you and your client money.
- Budgeting / Invoicing
If you are billing clients by the minute or hour, you will need a high-end invoice feature included in your app. The invoice feature should auto-generate bills based on the precise settings you have selected—this feature will help invoice clients with transparency and avoid discrepancies.
A good time tracking app should automatically create payroll calculations, another great way to save time in a growing business. Employees should only need to clock in/out and their time captured on a timesheet that is sent into a payroll system.
- Basic reporting
A seamless Asana integration will allow your team to easily import/export and sync with Asana projects and tasks. Users should be able to create reports and summaries easily to interpret a wide range of data relating to tasks. Reports should be visualized in charts and graphs for fast interpretation. Most solutions available should also provide templates with customization options.
- Price
Many time tracking products will offer free time tracking for Asana, in one capacity or another. Make sure you completely understand your needs (features, number of users, etc.) before evaluating pricing options, as these products offer a range of payment options to choose from.
Now you have an idea of the features to look for in a time tracking solution, you can begin to make an informed decision. A great place to start is with Asana’s directory of time tracking apps: Asana has conveniently placed a list of its recommended time tracking apps HERE on their website.
Top 5 Time Tracking tools for Asana
- Harvest: this is the only product that is embedded directly into Asana.
- TMetric: great billing options, including non-billable, time and materials, and fixed fee.
- Everhour: task time estimate function so you can compare the time taken to complete tasks and archive time tracking information to help quote time estimates in the future.
- Tick: email notifications for individual task updates and monthly reconciliation for ongoing projects so you can bill clients repeatedly without having to re-enter project information for a new month.
- Hubstaff focuses on worker productivity, taking random screenshots of team members’ desktop screens while they are working on a task.
1. HARVEST
This is Asana’s built-in tracking app that and easily activated through the App Settings Tab. This app is considered fairly intuitive by users, many finding it an easy and painless experience to set up.
Features include:
- No workflow interruption: Time tracking function is built into Asana so your team can stay in Asana while starting timers. No Chrome extension is needed!
- Track Teams: Great for tracking teams working together on a project. Enables you to track the progress of individual members and specific tasks assigned.
- Reports and Analysis: Simplified visual reporting to quickly track status.
- Invoices: Automatically generate invoices to turn tracked time into revenue.
Harvest comes in a paid and free versions:
FREE VERSION: 1 seat and 2 projects
PAID VERSION: $12 per seat per mont. Unlimited projects.
2. TMetric
TMetric installs as a Chrome Extension, and, similar to Harvest, automatically creates a time button next to your Asana tasks. Although it requires a Chrome Extension, the setup takes about 3 minutes, and there is no manual input required.
Features include:
- Asana link system: Individual time entries are directly linked to an Asana task. Anyone can simply click the link in TMetric, and it will take them straight to the specific task or entry they are looking for in Asana.
- Devices: Desktop and Mobile friendly!
- To-Do List: If you have projects that are often similar in nature, TMetric has a to-do list function for projects that can be easily added as tasks saving you time on repeat input jobs.
- Work Type Rates: Set rates for different types of jobs, i.e., design, content writing, research.
- Add tags: Set tags that will match up and appear in corresponding Asana tasks. Tags are viewable to each team member that is assigned to the specific task chosen, i.e., Urgent, Not urgent,
TMetric comes in paid and free versions:
Our friend and partner, Paul Minors, has a great video that dives deep into TMetric. Check it out here:
3. Everhour
Another excellent option, Everhour has a simple and clean interface that integrates nicely with Asana (and other project management tools). WIth Everhour’s Chrome Extension – you don’t have to leave Asana to use its features!
Features Include:
- Built with Project Management in mind: As an app specifically built for Project Management, it provides a viable option for small to large teams who build their workflows around Asana (or another Project Management tool)
- “Explain Your Progress” Option: Your team members can add extra information describing what they are explicitly starting work on within the task before beginning the timer.
- Project Board: Each project has a board where members can add pictures, videos, and links to their task allowing the team manager to check proof of progress quickly.
- Reports: Strong reporting and dashboard features include timesheets and detailed breakdowns by task. The reports and data are always up to date with Evermore’s auto-syncing feature for all active projects.
Everhour comes in a paid version or a free 2-week trial:
PAID: $8.50 per month; includes unlimited users and unlimited projects.
FREE: 2 week trial
4. Tick
Tick imports everything into its own interface from Asana, allowing users to take advantage of all that the Tick platform has to offer. Tick compliments and enhances your Asana experience, often recommended for smaller teams or individuals.
Features include:
- Simplifies Asana features: Independent freelancers can track their own time. Recommended for up to 2-3 people (not suggested for larger teams).
- Asana Imports into Tick: Import projects and tasks into the Tick interface giving users more time tracking features.
- Automatic nightly syncing of tasks and subtasks directly into projects so your team can track their time to the task they have been working on.
Tick has 4 paid subscription options and a free option:
5. Hubstaff
This app is not just for time tracking and provides a wide range of features relating to productivity and employee monitoring. With these tools, Hubstaff helps customers determine their project profitability.
Features include:
- Productivity Monitoring: This software can identify how much a mouse is being used or keyboard. Your team will be individually monitored and given a percentage of productivity based on the level of activity that has taken place during their tracked time.
- Advanced tie tracking features including: overtime limits, geo-fencing, product budgeting and more
- Time data analysis: Timesheets that provide clear visual reports so you can see your team’s progress at a glance.
- Desktop App for Mac and PC: Software to monitor and track time, taking periodic screenshots of team member screens to record progress.
Watch how Hubstaff is used:
Hard to Choose?
Although many of these solutions boast similar features, there are also unique elements to every software available. Each interface has a unique look and feel to it that will suit some users but not others.
Our recommendation is to narrow down the search to a few solutions that meet your company’s needs, download a few free trials, and see what works best for you.
Keep in mind, flexible reporting capabilities in your time tracker will allow you to generate custom reports.
However, these solutions are limited to time tracking and often don’t have the advanced reporting options of a product specifically for reporting on ALL your Asana data and fields, like Velocity.
By using your custom fields (including those gathered by your time tracking tool), you can go deeper by using Velocity to answer questions such as:
- How much time is my team spending on high priority tasks?
- Which tasks are taking the longest to complete?
- Which team members take the longest amount of time to complete a task?
- And more!
Velocity’s tools help identify trends and patterns and easily share these findings across the entire organization.
You can learn more about Velocity here, and access our 7 day free trial here – no credit card needed!