| Why Trust This Comparison
This comparison is written by the TimeLive team. We have been honest about where Toggl Track is the stronger choice and where TimeLive leads. All Toggl Track pricing and feature information has been verified from Toggl’s official pricing page and confirmed against multiple independent review sources as of June 2026. |
| Quick Summary
TimeLive wins on billing at no extra cost, GPS geofencing, DCAA compliance, on-premise deployment, expense tracking (free on all plans), time off management, standalone attendance, customizable reporting, 15-language support, and phone support. Toggl Track wins on user experience, free plan features (autotracker and idle detection are free), and interface polish. If your team needs to bill clients, meet compliance requirements, or self-host, TimeLive covers more ground. If you prioritize the smoothest possible daily tracking experience and can live without expense management and compliance features, Toggl Track is one of the most polished tools in the category. |
TimeLive and Toggl Track are evaluated against each other regularly by professional services teams choosing a time tracking platform. TimeLive was built around billing clients directly from timesheets, tracking expenses and time off in one place, meeting compliance requirements including DCAA, and giving organizations the option to host the software on their own servers. Toggl Track built its reputation on making time tracking frictionless: one click to start, a polished interface, and best-in-class automatic time capture. This comparison covers every material difference so you can make a decision based on what your team actually needs.
At a Glance: TimeLive vs Toggl Track
| TimeLive | Toggl Track | |
| Best For | Consultants, architects, healthcare, agencies, DCAA contractors needing billing and compliance | Freelancers, small teams, agencies prioritizing ease of use and tracking experience |
| Free Plan | Timesheet + Billing, 3 users, 3 projects | Up to 5 users, unlimited projects, autotracker, idle detection, Pomodoro |
| Paid Plan Starting Price | $4/user/month per module | $9/user/month (Starter, annual billing) |
| Billing and Invoicing | Free on all plans | Available but invoices download as PDFs only, not sent directly |
| Autotracker (Background Time Capture) | Not available | Free plan (user-visible only, privacy-first) |
| Idle Time Detection | ✕ | Free plan |
| Timesheet Approval Workflow | $4/user/month (Timesheet module) | Requires Premium: $18/user/month |
| DCAA Compliance | ✓ | ✕ |
| Expense Tracking | Free on all plans | Not available |
| Time Off Management | $4/user/month (Time Off module) | Not available |
| Standalone Attendance Module | ✓ | ✕ |
| On-Premise Deployment | ✓ | Cloud only |
| Custom Report Builder | ✓ | Fixed report types, filter-based |
| Languages Supported | 15 languages | English primary |
| Support Channels | Live chat, email, phone | Email and help docs (priority support on Premium) |
| QuickBooks Integration | Direct: Desktop and Online | QuickBooks Online only, one-way sync |
| Xero Integration | ✓ | ✓ |
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Core Time Tracking
Both platforms cover the core tracking methods well. TimeLive’s timer runs on desktop and mobile, supports billable and non-billable classification at point of entry, and ties every entry to a project, client, and billing rate from the moment it is logged. Toggl Track offers a polished tracking experience alongside three free-plan features worth noting: the autotracker records which apps and websites are open in the background (visible only to the individual user, not managers), idle detection prompts employees to discard time when they have been inactive, and a Pomodoro timer is built in. Toggl’s calendar integration with Google Calendar and Outlook is also native and smooth.
Where TimeLive leads: Every time entry is immediately connected to billing rates, approval workflows, and project tracking at the point of entry, not just stored as a time log to be processed later.
Where Toggl Track leads: The autotracker, idle detection, and Pomodoro timer on the free plan provide tracking quality-of-life features that TimeLive does not currently offer. The interface is also consistently rated easier to learn, with most teams achieving full adoption within days.
| Verdict: Tie
TimeLive’s billing integration at entry point is tighter. Toggl’s autotracker, idle detection, and UX polish are genuinely better for teams prioritizing tracking quality over billing workflow. |
Billing and Invoicing
This is a significant structural difference. TimeLive includes billing and invoicing at no extra cost on every plan including the free plan. Client invoices are generated directly from approved timesheets, with per-client billing rates applied automatically and white-label branding with the firm’s logo. Invoices connect directly to QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, and Xero without re-entry. See: billing and invoicing in TimeLive.
Toggl Track does include invoicing, but with significant limitations confirmed by real user reviews. Invoices are created from the Summary Reports section and can only be downloaded as PDFs. They cannot be opened, edited, or sent directly from the Invoices tab. Toggl’s QuickBooks integration is one-way and covers QuickBooks Online only, not QuickBooks Desktop.
| “I couldn’t open or edit the invoice in the Invoices section; I could only download it as a PDF.”
Verified Reviewer | Toggl Track user | Clockify’s independent review of Toggl Track, March 2026 |
| Verdict: TimeLive wins
Billing is permanently free on all TimeLive plans with direct QuickBooks Desktop and Online integration. Toggl’s invoicing is limited to PDF downloads and QuickBooks Online only. |
Timesheet Approval
TimeLive’s timesheet approval workflow is included in the Timesheet module at $4/user/month. Approvers can be configured per project, team, or individual. Approvers can act on individual time entries or the full timesheet at once. Rejected timesheets return to the employee with a documented comment. Multi-level approval (project manager first, finance second) is supported. Timesheets lock automatically on approval and every action is logged in the audit trail.
In Toggl Track, timesheet approvals require the Premium plan at $14/user/month (annual, first year) renewing at $18/user/month from year two. This means a 25-person team pays $350/month in year 1 and $450/month from year 2 onward just for the approval workflow, compared to TimeLive’s $100/month with no renewal increase.
| Verdict: TimeLive wins
Timesheet approval at $4/user/month versus Toggl’s Premium plan at $14/user/month year 1, renewing at $18/user/month from year 2. For a 25-person team, that is a $350/month difference for the approval workflow alone. |
Expense Tracking
TimeLive includes expense tracking free on all plans, covering expense sheets, receipt attachment, expense type categories, an expense approval workflow, and reimbursable expense tracking against projects. See the expense tracking module for full details.
Toggl Track has no expense tracking module. Expenses must be managed in a separate tool and manually reconciled with time data before invoicing. For consulting firms, architecture practices, or any team with reimbursable client expenses, this is a functional gap that requires either a separate expense management subscription or manual workarounds.
| Verdict: TimeLive wins
Toggl Track has no expense tracking capability at any price tier. TimeLive handles both time and expenses in one platform. |
DCAA Compliance
TimeLive’s DCAA-compliant timekeeping is built in. It covers daily time entry requirements, supervisor approval before finalization, correction documentation with reason codes, and a complete audit trail for every entry and edit. These are contractual requirements for US government contractors on cost-reimbursement contracts.
Toggl Track does not offer DCAA compliance. Toggl has described itself as privacy-first and avoids monitoring features, which is philosophically the right direction for most teams but structurally incompatible with DCAA requirements that mandate supervisor oversight and documented audit trails.
| Verdict: TimeLive wins
Non-negotiable for government contractors. Toggl Track cannot meet DCAA requirements. |
Deployment: Cloud vs On-Premise
TimeLive offers both cloud and on-premise installation. Organizations with data residency requirements, security policies prohibiting third-party cloud storage, or air-gapped environments can install TimeLive on their own infrastructure. See: TimeLive on-premises overview.
Toggl Track is cloud-only. No on-premise option exists at any tier.
| Verdict: TimeLive wins
On-premise deployment available. Toggl Track is cloud-only. |
Reporting
TimeLive’s reporting supports summary and detailed reports across daily, weekly, and monthly periods, exportable as PDF, Excel, and CSV. Administrators can build custom report types from scratch and group data by any combination of client, project, employee, department, or date range.
Toggl Track’s reporting is well-designed and one of its strongest features. Summary, detailed, and weekly views are available from Starter. Premium adds labor cost tracking, profitability reports, and project forecasts. However, report types are fixed: users can apply filters but cannot build new report structures. Scheduled email reports are available from Starter.
| Verdict: TimeLive wins
Fully customizable report builder versus Toggl’s fixed report types. For teams with complex billing structures or compliance reporting needs, TimeLive’s administrator-built custom reports are a meaningful advantage. |
Privacy and Employee Monitoring
TimeLive’s approach to tracking is timer-based and calendar-integrated. Employees log their own time through a timer or calendar integration. There is no monitoring of app usage, website activity, screenshots, or keystrokes. TimeLive is privacy-respecting by design.
TimeLive’s approach to tracking is timer-based and calendar-integrated, not activity-monitoring based. Employees log time themselves, with automation through calendar integration and Zapier triggers as described in the timesheet automation guide. There is no monitoring of app usage or website activity. Both platforms are privacy-respecting in that neither surveils employee behavior in the way tools like Hubstaff or Time Doctor do.
| Verdict: Tie
Both tools take a privacy-first approach to time tracking. Neither captures screenshots or monitors employee activity. Toggl’s autotracker is user-visible only. |
Pricing Comparison
TimeLive Pricing
| Module | Price | What It Covers |
| Billing and Invoicing | Free | Invoices from timesheets, per-client rates, white-label branding. All plans including free. |
| Timesheet | $4/user/month | Timer, manual entry, approval workflow, multi-level approval, audit trail, DCAA compliance, billable and non-billable tracking. |
| Expense Tracking | Free | Expense sheets, receipt attachment, approval workflow, expense types, reimbursable expense tracking. |
| Time Off Management | $4/user/month | PTO requests, approval, accrual policies, leave calendar. |
| Attendance | $4/user/month | Standalone attendance, clock in and out, shift scheduling. Works independently from Timesheet module. |
| Advanced Project Management | $4/user/month | Project budgets, phase tracking, task management, profitability reporting. |
Toggl Track Pricing
| Plan | Annual Price | Key Features |
| Free | $0 (up to 5 users) | Unlimited projects and clients, autotracker (user-visible), idle detection, Pomodoro timer, calendar integration, 100+ integrations. No billable rates, no invoicing, no approvals. |
| Starter | $9/user/month | Billable rates at workspace, project, user, and task level. Project time estimates. Time rounding for invoices. Basic profitability reporting. No timesheet approvals. |
| Premium | $14/user/month year 1, then $18/user/month at renewal | Timesheet approvals, labor cost tracking, project profitability and forecasts, scheduled email reports, SSO, required time tracking. Minimum tier for approval workflows. |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Custom integrations, dedicated account manager, tailored onboarding. Negotiated for teams of 20 or more. |
Cost at 25 Users: Common Professional Services Configuration
| Requirement | TimeLive (25 users) | Toggl Track (25 users) |
| Time tracking + billable rates | $100/month (Timesheet module) | $225/month (Starter) |
| Billing and invoicing | Free (included on all plans) | Available via Starter but PDF download only |
| Expense tracking with receipt | Free (included on all plans) | Not available at any tier |
| Timesheet approvals | Included in Timesheet module ($100/month total) | Requires Premium: $450/month |
| Total for time + billing + expense + approvals | $100/month (Timesheet only, billing and expense free, approvals included) | $450/month (no expense tracking) |
| Key Pricing Observation
For a 25-user professional services team that needs timesheet tracking, billing, expense management, and timesheet approvals, TimeLive costs $100/month (expense free). The equivalent in Toggl Track (Starter plan for billing rates, Premium required for approvals) costs $450/month and still does not include expense tracking. Toggl’s free plan is genuinely generous for basic tracking but the cost compounds quickly once professional features are needed. |
What Users Say
TimeLive on Capterra (4.5 out of 5)
| “We shopped around and found other companies wanting outrageous prices monthly for something similar. Then we found TimeLive. The price was decent and we wanted to host the software internally which they do offer.”
Capterra Reviewer | IT Manager, 80+ user organization | Capterra |
Common TimeLive praise: pricing value, on-premise hosting, responsive support, and feature depth for the cost. Common areas of feedback: learning curve for new users and interface takes time to navigate.
Toggl Track on Capterra and G2 (4.7 out of 5)
| “Toggl Track automates the entire process of tracking time on projects which helps save time while reducing manual errors.”
Verified Reviewer | Team Coordinator | Capterra 2026 |
Common Toggl Track praise: exceptional ease of use, polished interface, best-in-class autotracker, strong free plan. Common areas of feedback: invoice editing is limited (PDF downloads only), advanced features locked behind expensive Premium tier, mobile app sync delays reported by some users.
Who Should Choose TimeLive?
- Consultants, architects, agencies, and freelancers who need to bill clients from timesheets with full invoice generation and direct QuickBooks or Xero integration.
- Teams that need expense tracking alongside time tracking at no extra cost. TimeLive includes expense tracking free on all plans. Toggl Track has no expense module at any price tier.
- Government contractors that must meet DCAA timekeeping requirements as a contractual obligation.
- Organizations with on-premise deployment requirements due to security policy or data residency rules.
- Teams that need timesheet approval workflows without paying Toggl’s Premium price of $14/user/month (rising to $18/user/month at renewal).
- International teams needing a platform in 15 languages including German, French, Chinese, Thai, and more.
- Healthcare, manufacturing, and mixed workforce teams needing a standalone attendance module that works independently from project time tracking.
Who Should Choose Toggl Track?
- Freelancers and small teams (under 5 users) who want the most polished daily tracking experience available and whose primary need is logging time against projects without billing or compliance requirements.
- Teams that need background autotracking and idle detection on the free plan. These features are genuinely useful for individuals who forget to track consistently, and Toggl includes them free where TimeLive does not currently offer them.
- Teams that do not need time off management, DCAA compliance, or on-premise deployment and where the primary value of the tool is understanding how time is spent rather than billing for it.
- Organizations that are evaluating tools and want to start free with a genuinely capable product before committing. Toggl’s free plan includes more features than almost any competitor at the same price point.
Pros and Cons
| TimeLive Pros | TimeLive Cons |
| Billing and invoicing permanently free DCAA compliance built in On-premise deployment available GPS geofencing with polygon boundaries and location-stamped attendance Expense tracking with receipt attachment (free on all plans) Time off and attendance management Standalone attendance module Timesheet approval at $4/user/month Fully customizable report builder 15 languages, phone support |
No autotracker or idle detection Smaller free plan (3 users vs Toggl’s 5) Interface has a learning curve Fewer native UX convenience features No Pomodoro timer |
| Toggl Track Pros | Toggl Track Cons |
| Best-in-class autotracker and idle detection (free) Polished, minimal interface Generous free plan (5 users, unlimited projects) Pomodoro timer built in Native Google Calendar and Outlook integration SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified Strong reporting at paid tiers | Invoices download as PDFs only, cannot be sent directly Timesheet approvals require Premium at $18/user/month No expense tracking at any tier No time off or attendance management No DCAA compliance Cloud-only, no on-premise option QuickBooks integration is one-way and Online only No standalone attendance module |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TimeLive cheaper than Toggl Track?
For teams that need billing, expense tracking, and timesheet approvals, yes. TimeLive at $4/user/month per module (Timesheet only, expense free) costs $100/month for a 25-user team with Timesheet and Expense modules (billing included free). Toggl Track requires the Premium plan at $18/user/month for approvals, costing $450/month for 25 users, and still does not include expense tracking at any tier. For solo freelancers who only need basic time tracking, Toggl’s free plan covers up to 5 users versus TimeLive’s free plan of 3 users. See TimeLive pricing for full details.
Does Toggl Track have expense tracking?
No. Toggl Track does not offer expense tracking at any pricing tier. Expenses must be managed in a separate tool and manually reconciled with time data.
Does TimeLive have Toggl’s autotracker feature?
Not currently. TimeLive’s automation is based on calendar integration (Google Calendar and Outlook events auto-populating as time entries), automated reminders, and Zapier triggers. Background activity tracking of apps and websites is not currently part of TimeLive’s feature set.
Does Toggl Track support DCAA compliance?
No. Toggl Track does not offer DCAA compliance. Government contractors on cost-reimbursement contracts must use DCAA-compliant timekeeping. TimeLive’s DCAA compliance is built in at the Timesheet module level.
Can Toggl Track be installed on-premise?
No. Toggl Track is cloud-only. TimeLive offers both cloud and on-premise deployment for organizations with data residency or security requirements.
Which has better timesheet approval: TimeLive or Toggl Track?
TimeLive includes multi-level timesheet approval in the Timesheet module at $4/user/month. Approvers can be set per project, team, or individual, and can approve individual entries or full timesheets. Toggl Track requires the Premium plan at $18/user/month for any timesheet approval capability.
Try TimeLive Free
TimeLive is purpose-built for professional services teams that need to track time, bill clients, manage expenses, and meet compliance requirements in one platform. The free plan includes billing and invoicing and the full timesheet feature for 3 users and 3 projects. Add expense tracking, time off management, attendance management, or advanced project management at $4/user/month as your team grows. See TimeLive pricing.
| Try TimeLive Free. Full features on a 14-day trial, no credit card required. Free plan includes billing and timesheet for 3 users and 3 projects permanently. |
