QuickBooks Online and time tracking system integrations make it easy for users to get worker time data to manage client invoicing, labor costs, business expenses, and accounting ledgers. The best time tracker integrations for QuickBooks Online not only allow seamless data syncs between software but also provide access to solid solutions for capturing and monitoring the actual hours that employees spend working on tasks and projects.
There are dozens of time tracking software that integrate with QuickBooks Online. We evaluated 16 popular options and narrowed them down to our top five picks:
- ClockShark: Best for construction businesses
- Homebase: Best for multilocation companies with hourly employees
- QuickBooks Time: Best for QuickBooks users who want seamless client billing
- Timesheets.com: Best for those who need an affordable time tracker
- Time Tracker by eBillity: Best for professional service companies
Top Time Tracking Integrations for QuickBooks Online
Aside from capturing and monitoring employee work hours, all of the software we reviewed come with staff scheduling, alerts and reminders, basic reporting, paid time-off (PTO) tracking, and user permission settings. Here are some of the key features and pricing details.
Free Plan | Starter Monthly Pricing | Required QuickBooks Online Plan | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | New users can choose a 14-day free trial or 50% off base fees for the first three months | ✕ | $8 per user plus $20 base fee | Essentials or above |
 | For one-location businesses with up to 20 employees | $24.95 per location | Plus plan only | |
 | New users can choose a 30-day free trial or 50% off base fees for the first three months | ✕ | $8 per user plus $20 base fee | Essentials or above |
 | Discounted fees for nonprofits | For one freelancer | $5.50 per user | Essentials or above |
| ✕ | $9 per user plus $15 base fee | Essentials or above | |
Key Features | Customer Support | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | ✓ Includes geofencing tools |
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| ✓ Includes geofencing tools |
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| ✓ Includes geofencing tools |
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| ✓ Includes internet protocol (IP) address locking tools |
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| ✓ Includes geofencing tools |
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If you want to know more about QuickBooks Online and its plans, check out our QuickBooks Online plan comparison to help you gauge which one is best for you. You can also read our What Is QuickBooks guide to learn about the different accounting features that it offers.
ClockShark: Best for Construction Businesses
Pros
- Has a free trial
- Generally easy to learn and use
- Supports multiple client payment options, such as cash and card
- Offline time tracking
Cons
- Can get pricey, depending on the number of employees you have
- Paid time off (PTO) tracking and advanced job costing controls are available in premium tier
- Clock-ins with facial recognition scans require a dedicated time tracking device
Integration Requirement
ClockShark integration works with QuickBooks Online Essentials to Advanced plans
ClockShark is one of our top time tracking solutions, especially for those in the construction industry, as it helps business owners track their field employees’ work hours, locations, client jobs, and schedules. It can capture worker clock ins/outs via its iOS and Android apps, but its time clock kiosk feature lets you designate a mobile device as your team’s centralized time tracker. It even comes with facial recognition clock-ins, a functionality that can help eliminate time theft and prevent buddy punching.
While you can use ClockShark’s client invoicing and payments features, integrating the software with QuickBooks Online allows you to use Intuit’s accounting solution to do the same and more, such as track your business’ cash flow and monitor expenses. And, if you get QuickBooks Payroll, you can use it and ClockShark’s time data to pay employees.
In our evaluation, ClockShark received high marks in customer support, general time tracking features, and ease of use. It is also one of the highly-rated time tracking apps on QuickBooks’ marketplace, with very few user complaints about data sync issues and integration errors. However, its lack of a free plan and slightly expensive pricing cost it several points.
ClockShark lets your workers clock in/out, check schedules, add notes about client jobs, upload attachments, and more. (Source: ClockShark)
Its starter monthly fees may be similar to QuickBooks Time ($20 plus $8 per employee)—but ClockShark topped our list because of its solid time tracking features, stellar ease of use, and excellent customer service. It has a support team that you can contact any day of the week (QuickBooks only offers weekday support). Those who left feedback on review sites, such as G2 and Capterra, even said that its support reps are very responsive (the quality of QuickBooks customer service is inconsistent). The software is also one of the highly-rated time tracking apps on QuickBooks’ marketplace (4.5 vs QuickBooks Time’s 4 out of 5 score, as of this writing), with very few user complaints about data sync issues and integration errors.
ClockShark Overview
Homebase: Best for Multilocation Businesses With Hourly Employees
Pros
- Offers a 14-day free trial and a free plan for one-location businesses with up to 20 employees
- Paid time tracking plans come with unlimited employee seats
- Has scheduling, time tracking, hiring, communication, onboarding, and payroll tools
- Multiple time tracking options; via web browsers, mobile apps, and point-of-sale (POS) systems
Cons
- Team communication, PTO tracking, onboarding, labor cost controls, and compliance solutions are available in paid plans
- Payroll is a paid add-on; can’t be purchased as a standalone solution
- Lacks client invoicing tools
- Users report occasional overtime data sync issues
Integration Requirement
Homebase integration only works with the QuickBooks Online Plus plan (as of this writing)
Unlike the other time tracker integrations for QuickBooks we reviewed, Homebase doesn’t charge on a per-employee basis—instead, monthly fees are based on the number of work locations you have. Plus, it logs the actual time when workers clocked in and out for work, and computes the total hours minus break times. This makes Homebase a perfect fit for multi-location businesses that employ mostly hourly workers.
If you connect Homebase with QuickBooks Online, you can easily export employee work hours for client invoicing while avoiding data entry errors. Even if you decide to use Homebase’s payroll add-on to pay employees, its integration with QuickBooks allows you to efficiently update your labor costs and general ledgers. And, if you prefer to use QuickBooks Payroll to process employee payments, Homebase lets you get information about its employee time cards (with break, overtime, and PTO details), for payroll.
These functionalities contributed to Homebase’s overall high rating in our evaluation. We also appreciate that it offers a free trial and a free plan, with HR features that extend to more than time tracking and staff scheduling (it even has hiring tools). However, its email-only support for all plans (live phone support is included in paid tiers) and the user-reported data sync issues for overtime hours prevented it from ranking higher on our list.
Homebase lets you track employee attendance from any web browser and mobile device. (Source: Homebase)
Homebase Overview
QuickBooks Time: Best for QuickBooks Users Who Want Seamless Client Billing
Pros
- Seamless integration with QuickBooks Online and other Intuit products
- Multiple time tracking options (via web browsers, mobile apps, and a time kiosk)
- Has client invoicing and mileage tracking tools
- Unlimited live phone and chat support
Cons
- Can get expensive if you get various QuickBooks products, such as accounting, payroll, and time tracking
- Geofencing, project monitoring, timesheet signatures, and mileage tracking are included in highest plan
- Facial recognition clock-ins only work on the time kiosk
- Inconsistent customer support quality
Integration Requirement
QuickBooks Time integration works with QuickBooks Online Essentials to Advanced plans
If you use Intuit products to manage your business’ accounting and payroll processes, getting QuickBooks Time makes better sense than connecting QuickBooks Online to a third-party time tracking software. Data imports between Intuit solutions are also easier and more seamless, with automatic time data transfers for client billing and even pay processing (if you have QuickBooks Payroll). Plus, upgrading to its Elite plan unlocks mileage tracking and project monitoring features, including an electronic signature tool for digitally signing timesheets.
While QuickBooks Time is great for QuickBooks users, it didn’t get the top spot on our list because of the inconsistent quality of service that its support team provides and the occasional software glitches reported by actual users on review sites (such as G2 and Capterra). Support hours are also limited—you can only contact QuickBooks on weekdays. This is unlike ClockShark, which offers phone and chat support the whole week through.
In addition, it isn’t as affordable as some of the providers on our list. You have to shell out at least $20 plus $8 per employee monthly for QuickBooks Time, whereas Timesheets.com only costs $5.50 per employee monthly. And to integrate it with QuickBooks Online, you have to sign up for the Essentials plan, which is priced at $60 per month.
With QuickBooks Time, your employees can clock in and switch between work projects. (Source: QuickBooks Time)
QuickBooks Time Overview
Timesheets.com: Best for Those Looking for an Affordable Time Tracker
Pros
- Has a 30-day free trial and a free plan for one freelancer
- Project time sheets can track job costs, client bill rates, and grant allocations
- Live phone, chat, and email support
- Document management tools help store your HR files, annual performance reviews, and other employee-related forms
Cons
- Interface looks a bit dated
- Some features aren’t intuitive (requires several clicks)
- Lacks geofencing capabilities (only limits clock ins/outs based on IP addresses and not by location)
Integration Requirement
Timesheets.com integration works with QuickBooks Online Essentials to Advanced plans
While there are different ways that you can track employee hours, Timesheets.com offers the basics for capturing time data—via employee clock ins/outs or an online timer for tracking the number of hours worked. Aside from tracking time, it has staff scheduling, PTO monitoring, and even mileage and expense monitoring tools. Its monthly rate is also less expensive than the other time tracking solutions in this guide, with its basic plan costing only $5.50 per user ($4.40 per user for nonprofit organizations).
Online time sheets are also available to help you keep track of staff attendance, job costs, bill rates, and even grant allocations (none of the software we reviewed can monitor grants for nonprofits). Integrating it with QuickBooks Online helps you send client invoices, monitor customer payments, and update your accounting ledgers. If you have QuickBooks Payroll, you can use its employee attendance data to process salary payments and mileage and expense reimbursements.
However, its mobile apps only have geolocation tracking features. Unlike the other providers in this guide, it doesn’t prevent clock ins/outs from unauthorized locations—you can only limit the transactions based on IP addresses. This, along with the limited break and overtime controls, including the occasional software glitches reported by actual users on popular review sites (like G2 and Capterra) prevented Timesheets.com from getting a higher overall rating in our evaluation.
Timesheets.com lets your workers clock in/out via computers, tablets, and smartphones. (Source: Timesheets.com)
Timesheets.com Overview
Time Tracker by eBillity: Best for Professional Service Businesses
Pros
- Has a 14-day free trial
- Solid time tracking with automatic reports, staff scheduling, and project monitoring tools
- Offline time tracking
- Legal features included in its LawBillity plan
Cons
- Can get pricey as you add more employees
- Project and expense tracking, job costing, invoicing, legal features, and the client portal is only available in higher tiers
- Users report occasional software glitches
Integration Requirement
Time Tracker by eBillity integration works with QuickBooks Online Essentials to Advanced plans
Time Tracker by eBillity is designed for professional service businesses, such as those providing legal, accounting, and marketing services. Aside from tracking your workers’ billable hours, it can handle staff scheduling and project monitoring, as well as GPS tracking via its mobile apps. It even offers a client portal, which your customers can use to monitor project progress, view invoices, and process payments online.
While this provider may have invoicing and payment features, integrating it with QuickBooks Online makes updating your general ledgers easy for accountants. You can also opt to use QuickBooks’ client invoices and payments tools for seamless bookkeeping since QuickBooks will only need to get your actual hours worked from Time Tracker by eBillity to handle invoicing and accounting processes.
In our evaluation, Time Tracker by eBillity received high scores (4 and up) in nearly all criteria given its efficient time tracking solutions, user-friendly tools, and integration capabilities. However, its occasional app and data sync glitches, limited time tracking controls, and expensive paid plans cost it several points.
Time Tracker by eBillity’s time kiosk solution supports facial recognition clock-ins. (Source: Time Tracker by eBillity)
Time Tracker by eBillity Overview
What to Consider When Selecting a Time Tracker QuickBooks Online Integration
In selecting the time tracking software that can connect with QuickBooks Online, consider the following factors:
- Ease of setup and use: In addition to checking if the time tracking software has a user-friendly platform, you should look for solutions that easily integrate with QuickBooks Online so you can start using its features right away. Unless you have an in-house information technology (IT) team, avoid those that require technical expertise or customizations to make the basic integration work.
- Your business needs: Take stock of the time tracking features your business needs, including the time data that you want to incorporate into QuickBooks Online. Let’s say your firm offers professional services, it’s best to get a time tracking system with an online timer for monitoring billable hours instead of one that only logs the time when your workers clocked in/out.
- Pricing: Look for providers that offer transparent pricing so you don’t get billing surprises for additional fees that aren’t included in the original quote. Bear in mind that you may need to pay for two separate providers—the time tracking software and QuickBooks Online—so be sure to check your budget.
- Integration capabilities: Evaluate the extent of integration the solution offers. Also, check if it correctly syncs timekeeping data with QuickBooks Online. You can do this by looking at user reviews posted on review sites, such as G2 and Capterra, or on the QuickBooks Online app marketplace.
- Customer support: In case you have questions about its features or encounter software issues, having access to phone support will make contacting the provider’s support team easier for you. Be sure to check the support team’s availability and the customer service quality offered by the provider.
How We Chose the Best Time Tracking Software That Integrates With QuickBooks Online
To find the best time tracker integrations for QuickBooks, we checked the QuickBooks Online app marketplace to view the list of time tracking software providers that connect with its platform. We considered the ease of integration and looked at user reviews that mention data sync errors and other integration errors.
In addition, we looked for attendance monitoring and scheduling features, including client invoicing, geolocation and geofencing tools via mobile apps, and customer support options. We also compared each software’s ease of use and pricing information.
Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria.
20% of Overall Score
We looked for providers with a free plan and transparent pricing for their paid tiers. Extra points were given to those with paid subscriptions that are priced at $10 or less per employee monthly.
25% of Overall Score
We evaluated each time tracking software based on its ability to track time for specific clients or projects. Plus points were given to those with break options and PTO tracking, staff scheduling and client invoicing, time controls to limit early clock-ins and overtime, and a self-service portal to view attendance data.
20% of Overall Score
We checked if the time tracking software is one of QuickBooks Online’s partner systems (as of this writing). We gave additional points to those that integrate easily with QuickBooks and have very few user-reported data sync errors.
15% of Overall Score
We looked for providers with live phone support and a customer service team that’s available 24/7. Additional scores were given to those whose support teams are easy to contact.
20% of Overall Score
We choose tools that are intuitive and easy to learn, with very few to zero user-reported software glitches. We even considered online user reviews from popular review sites like G2 and Capterra; any option with an average of 4-plus stars is ideal. Also, any software with 1,000-plus reviews on any third-party site is preferred.
Bottom Line
The best time tracker integrations for QuickBooks Online provide real-time data syncs between the two solutions. This helps eliminate errors from manual data entries while allowing for accurate financial reporting and accounting.
For easy time tracking that integrates with QuickBooks Online, we recommend ClockShark. It may be designed for construction businesses, but companies with field service staff can also use its wide range of employee attendance monitoring features—from capturing billable hours to tracking who among your employees is working on client jobs and tasks. It even lets you plan staff schedules, create customer job quotes, send invoices, and accept payments.
Sign up for a ClockShark plan today.
