Time Tracking Apps for Small Businesses: 2026 Comparison
Which time tracking software fits small businesses? TodayOff, Clockify, TimeTac, and ZEP compared — pricing, mobile, GDPR compliance, and ease of use.
Wichtige Erkenntnisse
- Since January 2026, systematic time tracking is a legal requirement for all employers in Germany — no exceptions.
- TodayOff combines time tracking with absence management in one tool — ideal for SMBs that need both.
- Clockify is free but lacks absence management; TimeTac and ZEP are strong on projects but complex for small teams.
- Mobile time tracking is no longer optional in 2026 — field teams and remote workers need app-based clock-in.
- For teams of 5–20 employees, less is more: a tool that covers compliance without complexity wins.
Time Tracking Apps for Small Businesses: 2026 Comparison
Since the 2019 CJEU ruling and the German case law that followed, it has been clear: employers are required to systematically record their employees' working hours — and since January 2026, the amended German Working Hours Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz) has made this legally binding for all businesses (details: Mandatory Time Tracking 2026). But for many small businesses, there is still a gap between the legal requirement and a workable solution.
The truth is: not every time tracking tool is suitable for small businesses. Many are built for large corporations, packed with features, and require IT expertise to set up. What small businesses actually need is something different: simple, mobile, affordable, and legally compliant.
In this article, we compare the most important solutions on the German market — with a clear focus on small and medium-sized businesses.
What Small Businesses Actually Need from Time Tracking Software
Before diving into the comparison, it is worth taking an honest look at what is actually relevant for a business with 10 to 50 employees.
Simplicity over feature overload: Small businesses do not have a dedicated HR department. The software must be intuitive to use — no training, no manual, no IT ticket required.
Mobile-first approach: Employees in trades, field service, or retail do not have a fixed desk. A real app (not just a mobile website) is essential.
German-language interface and support: English software in a German small business leads to adoption problems. Employees who do not want to read in English simply will not use the tool.
GDPR compliance: Time tracking data is personnel data. The software must run on EU servers and offer a Data Processing Agreement. More on this in our article on GDPR-Compliant Leave Management.
Value for money: For a team of 15, the monthly licence fee should be in double digits — not triple.
Integration with absence management: Time tracking and leave management go hand in hand. Having both in one tool saves you integrations and eliminates sources of error. Our article on Absence Management for Teams explains the basics of using both together.
The Key Providers Compared
TodayOff
TodayOff is a combined time tracking and absence management solution developed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses in the German-speaking market.
Price: from €1.49 per user/month (depending on module and team size, up to €2.99 for the Complete Bundle), no annual contract, no hidden costs.
Mobile app: Native iOS and Android app with push notifications. Employees can clock in with a single tap, log breaks, and view reports.
Time tracking: Manual or start/stop, with daily, weekly, and monthly overviews. No mandatory GPS, but it can be activated optionally.
Absence management: Fully integrated — leave requests, sick notes, team calendar, and balance management all in one system.
GDPR: Data stored on EU infrastructure (Supabase EU), DPA available on request.
Language: Fully German.
Best for: Teams of 5 to 100 looking for a lean, ready-to-deploy solution.
Clockify
Clockify is internationally well-known and offers a free basic version. This makes it attractive for very small businesses and freelancers.
Price: Free basic version; paid plans from approximately €3.99 per user/month.
Mobile app: Available, but sometimes less intuitive than dedicated German solutions.
Time tracking: Very comprehensive — projects, clients, tags, reports.
Absence management: Not included in the free version. A paid add-on is required, which reduces the price advantage.
GDPR: EU servers available, but the company is not headquartered in Germany. A data protection review is recommended.
Language: English-dominant; German translation available but incomplete.
Best for: Freelancers and small teams that need pure time tracking without HR integration.
TimeTac
TimeTac is an Austrian provider with a long-standing presence in the DACH market.
Price: From approximately €2.50 per user/month (depending on module); note the minimum number of users.
Mobile app: Available for iOS and Android, with offline mode.
Time tracking: Comprehensive, including project tracking and documentation to meet Austrian and German legal requirements.
Absence management: Available as a separate module; combining both modules noticeably increases the price.
GDPR: Austrian company, EU servers, GDPR compliant.
Language: Fully German.
Best for: Businesses looking for a mature, modular solution and willing to invest accordingly.
ZEP
ZEP (time tracking for projects) is a German product focused on project-based time recording.
Price: From approximately €9 per user/month.
Mobile app: Available, primarily optimized for project time tracking.
Time tracking: Strongly oriented towards project management — ideal for agencies and IT service providers.
Absence management: Basic functions available, but not the core of the product.
GDPR: German company, servers in Germany, GDPR compliant.
Language: Fully German.
Best for: Agencies, IT companies, and service providers whose primary need is project billing.
Personio Time
Personio is the leading HR software provider for German mid-sized businesses. The time tracking feature is part of a comprehensive HR suite.
Price: Tiered by headcount and module selection; for small teams often in the range of €5–12 per user/month.
Mobile app: Available and well rated.
Time tracking: Integrated into the full system alongside absence management, recruiting, and payroll.
Absence management: Fully integrated and mature.
GDPR: EU servers, GDPR compliant, DPA included as standard.
Language: Fully German.
Best for: Businesses with approximately 50+ employees looking for a complete HR platform and prepared to pay accordingly.
Comparison by Key Criteria
| Criterion | TodayOff | Clockify | TimeTac | ZEP | Personio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price/user/month | from €1.49 | from €0 / €3.99 | from €2.50 | from €9 | from €5 |
| Native mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Absence management included | Yes | Add-on | Add-on | Partial | Yes |
| Fully in German | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EU data storage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No annual contract | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Onboarding in minutes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Recommendation by Team Size
Teams of 5 to 20 Employees
For this size, simplicity is paramount. The effort involved in setup, training, and ongoing administration must be minimal. TodayOff and Clockify (with its paid add-on) are the strongest candidates here. If absence management is in scope, TodayOff has a clear advantage through full integration at no extra cost.
Teams of 20 to 100 Employees
At this scale, reporting and export features become more important. Payroll integration starts to matter more. TimeTac and TodayOff offer a good price-performance ratio here. Personio only makes sense at a certain company size if you want to use the full HR suite.
Special Case: Project-Based Billing
For agencies, consultancies, and IT service providers that need to track and bill time by project and client, ZEP is the strongest specialist solution — at the corresponding price.
What's New in 2026: Mobile Time Tracking as the Default
The trend in time tracking software is unmistakable: desktop applications are losing ground, mobile apps are gaining it. Employees want to clock in and out without logging into a browser interface. Push notifications, offline capability, and a minimalist UX are no longer premium features — they are the baseline expectation.
Our article on the Leave Management App explains which mobile features actually make a difference in a leave management app.
Conclusion: For Most Small Businesses, Less Is More
If you are looking for time tracking software for a small business, don't be dazzled by feature lists. The decisive questions are: will employees actually use the app? Can it be set up in five minutes? Is it GDPR compliant? And does the price fit the budget?
For most German small businesses, a simple, integrated solution with absence management is the smarter choice than an expensive enterprise system that sits 70 percent unused.
Time tracking and absence management in one tool — TodayOff from €1.49/user/month → https://app.todayoff.de