Toggl is one of the most popular time tracking software. Users praise it for its functionality, ease of use, and transparency. What is Toggl? How does it work? What are its main features and how can you use it? Let’s discover how Toggl works and what it has to offer.
What Is Toggl?
Technology has advanced the business world to such an extent, that today it is difficult to imagine work without it. Electronic devices hugely contribute to work enhancement. And with their evolvement, it is now possible to use their wonders in the form of tools and apps. One of the apps that enhance work is Toggl – a time tracking app. It is one of the most popular options available on the market.
Toggl offers a simple and friendly solution for tracking your time. It has all the necessary features you need to track time against projects. The app also helps to improve productivity and get things done on time.
You can use the app to track work hours, personal projects or billable hours. Or just to measure your productivity and improve results. Toggl is also suitable for individuals, and for teams.
Toggl app offers three plans, a free 30-day trial, and a free version with limited features:
- Starter – $9 per user/month (billed annually)
- Premium – $18 per user/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise – custom pricing
But like every tool, Toggl has its limitations. It’s a simple time recording app for non-demanding users. So before you get to use it, see how it works and what time tracking features it offers.
How Toggl Works?
Toggl is a time tracking app that allows you to track all your daily activities and provides you with reports on your work and projects.
The tool is available as a web application, desktop apps (Windows, Mac, Linux), browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox) and mobile apps (Android, iOS).
Additionally, inToggl Master Program you can get training with a consultant which is to help in setting up the software and lead you and your team through the implementation process. You can choose training from three options of a Master Plan:
1) Essential (Best for getting quick info or solving ongoing setup problems) – $95 – 30 minute 1:1 online consultation
2) Kick-start (Best for existing users who want to improve how they use the app) – $150 – 60 minute 1:1 online consultation
3) Advanced (Best for users with larger teams (15+)) – $600
If you don’t know how to use such software and need help in setting up your account or want to personalize your plan, you may want to consider choosing one of the above plans.
However, Toggl is a really simple, intuitive app. It has all the basic features you need – it tracks time spent on work, creates reports based on time entries, and helps to see how long certain processes, tasks, or projects last.
You can either use the automatic time tracker or add time entries manually in the Toggl app.
If you need answers to more detailed questions, you can find everything in Toggl’s knowledge base.
Key Features of Toggl
It’s important to mention that Toggl, in fact, is only a time tracking software. So if you’re looking for software with more extensive features for professional task and project management, you should check Toggl alternatives, or use Toggl Plan – a simple app for managing projects that integrates directly with the timer.
Toggl doesn’t have too complicated features so it’s easy to move around the tool. Here are the main functionalities of Toggl.
◽ Tracking Time
Tracking time with Toggl is easy. You can do it with the use of a one-click start/stop web timer, mobile app, or desktop timer. The latter allows you to easily switch between different tasks or projects. Also, you can use the Pomodoro Timer to stay focused. The app will send you smallish pop-ups informing you about time for a break.
Moreover, you can add tags, the client’s name, and task to your project. Also, idle detection reminds you to track your time. In case you forget to turn on your timer, you can easily add time entries manually to your reports.
When it comes to mobile apps, the timer tracker works similarly. It’s a minimalistic version of the desktop app with all the important elements – times tracker, reports, calendar, and basic settings.
👉 Read also: 15+ Time Tracking Software for Mac OS X
◽ Time Entries
A time entry is the data object that contains your time. Each time entry includes information about the start and stop time, duration, and the app used to track the time. Information such as the description, project, and tags can also be added to a time entry.
◽ Reports
Toggl converts all the tracked numbers into reports which you can access everywhere – the data synchronizes across all devices and platforms.
In the dashboard, you can see a summary of how much time you spent on different activities. Tags and colors help to visualize the data and make it easy to understand the numbers.
In the Reports, you can get more details on every project and filter the data (client, user, project, time entry) and see specific numbers on every task.
◽ Team and Workspaces
In Toggl, you have the functionality of Workspaces. You can create new Workspaces, switch between them or choose one as default via the Workspace switcher. Invite Team Members to your Workspace, assign Tasks and Projects to people and run Reports on the time they’ve tracked.
You can also gather specific team members in a Group to avoid confusion. It helps to keep a hand on all projects and provides transparency. It’s also a simplified version of the project management tool.
◽ Integrations and Extensions
If you’d like to connect the app to other tools, add-ons are available to integrate with some of the most popular apps for project management, task management, productivity improvement, CRM software, web development, writing, communication, and more.
Start tracking your time in TimeCamp, sign up for free and we’ll import all your reports from Toggl!
Other features of Toggl
As already mentioned, if you want to have access to more functionalities, you will have to sign up for one of the paid plans. Let’s see what else you can do with Toggl timer. Here are other features:
- Time audits
- Billable rates
- Locking time entries
- Exporting reports to xls
- Rounding time
- Projects time estimates and alerts for estimates
- Tasks (subprojects)
- Project dashboard
- Adding time for team members
- Integrations with Google Calendar
These are other granular features of the time tracking software available in subscriptions. So if you want track time spent on different tasks and activities throughout the day, Toggl should meet your needs. However, for more advanced time tracking, you should expect some limitations.
Who Is Toggl for – Is It Right For You?
Of course, Toggl is a great solution and we do encourage you to try it. But before you decide to fully implement it in your company, make sure to investigate the market to find the best time tracking software which will meet all your needs. Toggl is one of the top-rated tools and many customers are satisfied with the tool giving it mostly positive reviews.
So how to know if it is the right tool for you and your business? To put it shortly:
✔ YES, if you’re looking for a simple solution only to track work hours and measure productivity. Note that the free plan doesn’t let you track billable hours. Also, only the basic features are available. It’s also appropriate for you if you have a small team to manage and want to keep track of how much time your team spends on specific activities.
❌ NO, if you’re looking for more than a simple time tracking app. There are no timesheets in Toggl so it may be a good idea to consider a different tool if you need to manage timesheets, leave, attendance, and payroll.
? See the comparison between Toggl & TimeCamp!
Conclusion
Toggl is a great solution for individuals and small teams that want a simple time tracker. But for larger teams working on numerous projects, it may not be enough, especially, if you need to monitor the budget, make sure time is tracked against estimates correctly, and things are wrapped up neat and tidy.
What are your thoughts? Have you tried Toggl? What advantages and disadvantages of the app do you see? Does it meet your expectations? Let us know, we’re curious!
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