Time Doctor review (2026): features, pros and cons, and what to check before you buy
Employee time tracking and monitoring tool with screenshots, activity levels and attendance reports, sold per user.
Our take for buyers
Time Doctor is a time tracking and employee monitoring product with screenshots, activity levels and attendance reports. It suits remote or hybrid teams and BPO or outsourcing firms that want productivity visibility and payroll-ready hours. Put it on a shortlist only if screenshot-style monitoring is acceptable to your staff and your works council or legal team. G2 shows 4.4 from 490 reviews, with praise for time tracking and productivity reporting.
Reviewers also report app glitches, unexpected shutdowns, inconsistent idle-time tracking and confusion over billing. That makes the trial more important than usual for this tool. The plan you test matters too: attendance, approvals and payroll start on Standard, while SSO and provisioning start on Premium, so a trial on the wrong tier hides what you would actually buy.
Pros
- Solid time tracking and productivity reporting.
- Useful for task management on remote teams.
Cons
- App glitches and unexpected shutdowns.
- Idle-time tracking inconsistencies.
- Billing confusion.
- Best for
- Remote or hybrid teams and BPO/outsourcing firms that want activity and productivity visibility.
- Starting price
- $6.67/user/month billed annually (Basic); $8 monthly
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (490 reviews)
What is Time Doctor?
Employee time tracking and monitoring tool with screenshots, activity levels and attendance reports, sold per user. Outsourcing firms and remote teams that must show clients or finance how hours were spent are the core audience. Staff will see screenshot-style monitoring, so settle the policy first. Budget carefully, because each native payroll integration adds $200 per month on lower tiers and there is no free plan. Time Doctor was founded in 2012.
Category: Time Tracking Software
Time Doctor key features
| Criterion | What we found |
|---|---|
| Timers and timesheets | Automatic and manual tracking, online/offline; time approvals on Standard and up. |
| Billable rates and invoicing | Payroll feature on Standard and up; native payroll integration is a $200/month add-on per integration; client login access on Premium. |
| Project budgets and reporting | Projects and tasks on all plans; timeline and activity reports; client access on Premium (budget alerts not confirmed by the vendor) |
| Payroll and accounting integrations | 60+ integrations on Standard and up; HRIS and payroll native integrations $200/integration/month on lower tiers. |
| Attendance and compliance | Schedules, attendance, leave and break tracking on Standard and up. |
| Pricing model | Per user per month, annual saves two months, no free plan. |
| Target company size | SMB to enterprise; dedicated account manager listed for 50+ users. |
Time Doctor plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $6.67 annual / $8 monthly | per user per month | Automatic tracking, projects and tasks, screenshots, 3 months history |
| Standard | $11.67 annual / $14 monthly | per user per month | Adds attendance, approvals, web and app usage, payroll, 60+ integrations, 6 months history |
| Premium | $16.70 annual / $20 monthly | per user per month | Adds SSO, auto provisioning, open API, video screen recording, AI reports, 2 years history |
| Enterprise | Custom | quote | Private cloud, custom BI dashboards, guided implementation |
Prices from vendor support page (support.timedoctor.com/knowledge/time-doctor-pricing-plans-and-features); the pricing page itself renders prices by script. 14-day Premium trial, no card.
Who should shortlist Time Doctor
A strong fit for
- Remote or hybrid teams and BPO/outsourcing firms that want activity and productivity visibility.
- Companies that need payroll-ready hours with attendance and break tracking.
A weak fit for
- Teams that object to screenshot-style monitoring.
- Buyers who need SSO on a low tier without paying a flat add-on fee.
- Small teams wanting a free plan (none offered)
Time Doctor alternatives
HubstaffRemote and distributed teams that pay contractors across countries (Gusto, Deel, Wise, PayPal listed)
TimeCampSmall teams that want a free plan with unlimited users and projects.
ClockifyBudget-conscious teams that want unlimited free tracking.
Toggl TrackSmall teams and freelancers that want quick timers and clean reports.
actiTIMESmall teams (1-3 users free) and SMBs wanting simple timesheets and approvals.
DeskTimeSmall and hybrid teams wanting automatic time and app tracking cheaply.
Security, admin and compliance
SSO is included on Premium and Enterprise, and sold as a $200 per account per month add-on on Basic and Standard. Automatic user provisioning is on Premium, but the vendor does not confirm the SCIM protocol. Audit logs and a DPA are not published. Data residency is not published except for private cloud on Enterprise. On contract terms, monthly billing is available, only the company owner can cancel in Settings and Billing, and the refund policy sits on a separate page. Ask for the DPA before signing.
- SAML SSO
- Premium and Enterprise; add-on ($200/account/month) on Basic and Standard.
- SCIM provisioning
- Automatic user provisioning on Premium; add-on on lower plans (SCIM protocol not confirmed)
- Data residency
- Private cloud deployment on Enterprise; otherwise not published.
Contract and buying terms
- Contract
- Month-to-month available; only company owner can cancel in Settings/Billing; refund policy on a separate page.
- Implementation
- Guided implementation and onboarding on Enterprise; dedicated account manager for 50+ users.
- Support
- Upgraded support from Standard; Dedicated Success Manager on Premium.
- Starting price
- $6.67/user/month billed annually (Basic); $8 monthly.
- Pricing model
- Per user.
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial.
What to test in a Time Doctor demo or trial
Run the 14-day Premium trial with a real team, not a test account. Watch for the complaints reviewers raise: leave the desktop app running for several days and note any crashes or shutdowns, then compare reported idle time against what people actually did. Check how screenshots, activity levels and web and app usage look in reports, and ask a few employees how they react. Export payroll-ready hours and test breaks and attendance on a Standard configuration. Finally, review the invoice preview carefully, since billing confusion is a known complaint.
Questions to ask Time Doctor before you sign
These are the points Time Doctor's public pages leave open. Get the answers in writing before procurement signs off.
- Which plan includes audit logs, and how long are they kept?
- Can we sign your standard DPA without changes?
- What will the price be at renewal, and is the increase capped?
Things to know before a demo
- SSO is included only from Premium; on Basic and Standard it is a $200 per account per month add-on.
- Historical data retention tiers: 3 months (Basic), 6 months (Standard), 2 years (Premium)
- HRIS and payroll native integrations cost $200 per integration per month each on lower plans.
- Bootstrapped since 2012 with about 150 staff, no outside funding stated.
Time Doctor FAQ
What is Time Doctor used for?
Outsourcing firms and remote teams that must show clients or finance how hours were spent are the core audience. Staff will see screenshot-style monitoring, so settle the policy first. Budget carefully, because each native payroll integration adds $200 per month on lower tiers and there is no free plan. It suits remote or hybrid teams and BPO/outsourcing firms that want activity and productivity visibility.
Does Time Doctor support SSO?
Yes. SSO is included on Premium and Enterprise, and available as a $200 per account per month add-on on Basic and Standard. Automatic provisioning is on Premium, though the vendor does not state whether it uses SCIM.
Who is Time Doctor best for?
Remote or hybrid teams and BPO firms that want activity and productivity visibility, plus companies that need payroll-ready hours with attendance and break tracking. It is a poor fit for teams that object to screenshot-style monitoring.
Can Time Doctor be deployed in a private cloud?
Private cloud deployment is listed on the Enterprise plan, along with custom BI dashboards and guided implementation. Other data residency options are not published.
Vendor profile
- Founded
- 2012.
- Employees
- About 150 (vendor about page)
- Funding or owner
- Bootstrapped (no outside funding per vendor)
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Time Doctor's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.