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Our Verdict
Consider ManicTime Time Tracking Software if your business needs a comprehensive time-tracking software that excels in automatic activity monitoring, reporting with adequate details, and integration with diverse work tools. It offers you both cloud-based and on-premise deployment, catering to your privacy and data control needs.
While it provides you with extensive features like offline tracking, attendance management, and invoicing, you and your team might need to learn how to use it effectively which involves a complex setup, particularly for advanced integrations.
Despite its cost and potential privacy concerns, ManicTime is suitable for your business if you need accurate, automatic time tracking with flexible deployment and extensive reporting capabilities.
Pros
- Tracks your computer usage without the need for you to start or stop a timer manually.
- Generates comprehensive reports on your application and website usage, productivity, overtime, and attendance.
- Gives you the permission to easily assign time to specific tasks or projects productively like a work time table.
- Monitors your activities even when you’re offline, and once you’re back online, it syncs the data.
- Integrates smoothly with various apps like Jira, GitHub, and Asana, allowing you to import tasks and sync time-tracking data across different platforms.
- Offers you a cloud-based solution for easy access and automatic updates or an on-premise setup for enhanced data control and security
- Gives you full control over what data it tracks including when, and what it shares, satisfying your privacy and data security needs.
- Makes it easy for you to monitor attendance, manage vacation quotas, and track leave, to maintain a comprehensive overview of team availability and punctuality.
- Allows you to generate invoices directly from time tracking data, ensuring accurate and professional client invoicing.
Cons
- Requires you to manually assign time to tasks and categorize idle time, which can be tedious.
- Lacks the entire capacity to fully meet your needs if you rely on niche or custom tools.
- Raises privacy concerns, especially with the cloud version, as it involves storing data on external servers.
- Is costly, particularly if you have many users or need additional features which go beyond minimal tracking needs.
- Has a complex setup if you want to fully utilize its advanced features.
- Offers limited offline functionality, as you need an active internet connection to access its full features.
Who ManicTime Time Tracking Software Is Best For
Go for ManicTime Time Tracking Software if you:
- Need a reliable tool to automatically monitor your work activities even when you are away from your computer.
- Want to improve your time tracking with features like screenshot capture, location tracking, and offline functionality.
- Are looking for a way to accurately categorize and assign your time to different tasks or projects without relying on manual time entries.
- Require reports on your employees productivity, application usage, overtime, and attendance.
- Seek a solution that integrates smoothly with other apps like Jira, Asana, or GitHub, allowing you to import and sync tasks for precise time tracking.
- Prefer adaptable deployment options with easy access and updates or enhanced data control and security.
- Need a robust system for managing attendance, vacations, and leave approvals within your team, ensuring accurate tracking of time off and work hours.
- Value privacy and control over your data, with the ability to decide what information to track, when to track it, and how much to share.
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Who ManicTime Time Tracking Software Is Not Right For
Opt for alternatives to ManicTime Time Tracking Software if you:
- Prefer to track your employees’ work time manually.
- Have no need for reports on productivity, attendance, or the time you spend on tasks.
- Are looking for a free or extremely low-cost time tracking solution.
- Lack requirements for advanced integrations with other software systems or services.
What ManicTime Time Tracking Software Offers
Automatic Device Usage Tracking
ManicTime automatically tracks your device usage, recording when you’re actively working or not, and which applications you make use of. It can also capture screenshots to add context to your work activities and help you with accurate time tracking and task assignment.
Location and Offline Tracking
If you use a mobile phone, ManicTime includes location tracking, to know where you are when you attend meetings or work offsite. It continues to track your work even when offline and updates the data once you get internet connection.
Idle Time Management
ManicTime tracks your idle time just as it tracks your active time. It prompts you to categorize idle time, ensuring a complete record of your day.
Project and Task Assignment
Say goodbye to manual time tracking. ManicTime automates the process so you can assign time to specific tasks with ease. It also integrates with tools like Jira, GitHub, and Asana, for your accurate time entry across different platforms.
Comprehensive Reporting and Invoicing
ManicTime generates in-depth reports on how productive your staff are, application usage, and more, providing you with valuable insights into your workflow. You can also create extensive timesheets and invoices directly from your data to simplify billing and financial management.
Attendance and Vacation Tracking
ManicTime tracks start and end times for your activities based on device interaction, providing a clear view of employee attendance and punctuality. It also offers you tools for tracking vacations, sick leaves, and other absences, with customizable leave quotas and approval processes.
Flexible Integration and Deployment
ManicTime allows you to integrate with different platforms, including web API and direct database access for easy merging with your existing systems. You can choose between a cloud-based solution for easy access and updates or an on-premise solution for complete data control and security.
Privacy Control
You have control over what data to track, when to track it, and what to share with the server, ensuring it meets your organization’s privacy requirements.
Licensing and Pricing
With ManicTime, you have the options of subscription-based or one-time payment, which supports your needs whether it’s just for you or if you run a business.
ManicTime Time Tracking Software Details
For One User
Cloud Subscription
- For non-Windows devices and tracking multiple devices
- Requires monthly or annual subscription
Standard Plan
- $7/user/month (annual billing)
- Maximum of 3 devices
Ultimate Plan
- All Standard Plan features
- $9/user/month (annual billing)
- Maximum of 5 devices
- Screenshot Storage
License
- $67
- For a single Windows device and individual hosting
- Pay once with one year of support and updates then use the latest version continuously or renew for more updates
For Organizations
Cloud Subscription
- For small teams
- Requires monthly or annual subscription
Standard Plan
- $10/user/month (annual billing)
- Maximum of 3 devices with cloud backups
Ultimate Plan
- All Standard Plan features
- $13/user/month (annual billing)
- Maximum of 5 devices with cloud-based screenshot storage
License
- $120/2 licenses (with room to adjust the number of licenses)
- For large teams or companies
- Pay once with one year of support and updates then use the latest version continuously or renew for more updates
All plans include 30-day free trial and are tax exclusive based on location.
Where ManicTime Time Tracking Software Stands Out
Automatic Time Tracking
ManicTime records your device usage automatically without you having to start or stop timers manually. This allows you to focus on your work while it logs your activities in the background with how much time you spend on each one.
Comprehensive Activity Recording
ManicTime monitors which applications you use, for how long, and can even take screenshots at intervals. This gives you a record with details of your workday, offering insights into how productive you are and helps you recall specific tasks.
Robust Reporting and Invoicing
ManicTime offers you and your employees a powerful reporting tools that give you insights into your work patterns, including overtime, active periods, and the use of applications or websites. From these reports, you can generate timesheets and invoices, simplifying billing processes and ensuring accurate client charges.
Attendance and Leave Management
It observes your first and last interaction with your computer each day. It also supports vacation tracking, including helping you set annual leave quotas and manage employee time-off requests through an approval system, making it easy to manage employee attendance and absences.
Privacy and Data Control
ManicTime gives you full control over data tracking and sharing. You can customize tracking settings, choose when to track, and decide how much data to share with the server, ensuring that your company privacy is intact according to your preferences.
Cost-Effective Plans
ManicTime offers you various pricing plans that suit your business if you intend to use it personally or for your business, with options for cloud subscriptions or one-time license purchases. All its plans include multi-device support and a 30-day free trial, allowing you to test it before you subscribe.
PRO TIPS >>>Â RescueTime Time Tracking Software Review
Where ManicTime Time Tracking Software Falls Short
Complexity of Integration
ManicTime gives you the opportunity to integrate with various apps and services, its setup can be complicated, especially if you do not have adequate technical expertise.
Learning Challenge
ManicTime’s comprehensive feature set, while powerful, can overwhelm you. It has various reports, integrations, and customization options that require you spend time to learn and configure, which can be a barrier for you if you are looking for a quick and easy time-tracking tool.
Pricing Structure
Its pricing model for ManicTime is not ideal for just anyone. Its cloud subscription is based on a monthly or yearly fee, which can add up over time. Additionally, its one-time payment option, although it includes a year of support and upgrades, you might not find it to cost-effective if you require long-term access to its latest features.
Limited Platform Support for Advanced Features
With advanced features, like screenshot capture and location tracking, you need specific platforms, particularly Windows to be effective. If you use other platforms, such as macOS or Linux, you might not have access to its full range of functionalities, which can limit its effectiveness for you and your team.
Privacy Concerns
Despite its privacy controls, the extent of data tracking and sharing can still raise concerns for you or your team members. You need to manually configure the information it observes and shares, which can be a drawback, particularly for if you prioritize data security and confidentiality.
How to Start Using ManicTime Time Tracking Software
To start using ManicTime for time tracking, follow these steps:
- Selecting a suitable plan. You can opt for a cloud subscription or a one-time license.
- Sign up for the plan you choose and download ManicTime for your device. Select the trial option to test the features.
- Configure and customize ManicTime to track your relevant activities.
- Allow ManicTime to start recording your computer usage details automatically.
- Use ManicTime dashboard to track, review, and manage data.
- Set up adequate integrations to streamline your workflow and ensure accurate time tracking across all platforms.
- Take advantage of its additional features to enhance your productivity and reporting.
Alternatives to ManicTime Time Tracking Software
ActivityWatch
ActivityWatch is a free and open-source tool that automatically tracks how you use your computer. It categorizes your activities and provides you with a visual timeline of your work. It’s compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android.
Toggl Track
Toggl Track is a time tracking tool that you can make use of because of its simplicity and effectiveness. It allows you to easily track time, manage projects, and generate extensive reports. Toggl Track integrates with various other tools, making it a convenient option for your professional work. It is available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and as a web app, caters to a lot of users.
RescueTime
RescueTime is a time management app that helps you analyze your productivity, monitoring how you spend your time on your computer. It provides insights into your daily habits, helping you identify areas where you can improve your focus and efficiency. RescueTime is available on Mac, Windows, and on web app.
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Customer Reviews
ManicTime has an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5 on G2.com, owing to 13 reviews. A lot of users rate it highly, with 10 five-star reviews, 2 four-star reviews, 1 two-star review. Users applaud its ease of use, detailed time-tracking features, and comprehensive reporting.
However, some users find its web UI lacking a few features which its desktop version has and also encounter minor bugs. Despite these issues, ManicTime’s robust tracking capabilities and strong customer support are major positives.
Pro Tips
- Take full advantage of the platform’s automatic tracking feature to ensure you capture every moment, even during brief sessions or when multitasking.
- Make it a habit to regularly categorize your idle time so it reflects in your reports how you spend your time, whether working or taking breaks, and helps you avoid inaccuracies.
- Ensure you continue to track offline activities, so when you reconnect, all your data syncs automatically.
- Integrate your existing tool with the platform of your choice to sync your tasks and project tracking seamlessly.
- Use reporting features to create custom reports that fit your specific needs to help you optimize your workflow and identify areas for improvement.
- Take control of your data–customize what the platform tracks and when. Set clear boundaries on what information it shares to maintain your privacy and data security.
- Adopt attendance and leave and availability tracking features to help you maintain a clear overview of team presence and ensure accurate payroll and compliance.
- Save time on client billing when you generate invoices directly from time-tracking feature.
- Take adequate time to learn its features and explore its interface to make your time tracking more efficient and effective.
- Add context to your activity logs using screenshot capture, to help you remember specific tasks and provide evidence for client reports or productivity assessments.
Recap
ManicTime is an automatic time-tracking software that you can use if you need detailed activity monitoring and comprehensive reporting for your business. It offers you flexible deployment, robust privacy controls, and seamless integration with tools like Jira and Asana.
While it excels in accuracy and offline tracking, it can be difficult for you to learn and its pricing can be steep, particularly for cloud features. Alternatives like ActivityWatch and Toggl Track are also worth considering for time management.
