Toggl Track is a cloud-based time tracker sold by subscription, built around timers and reports with a web dashboard. Clockgauge is software you host on your own computer, bought once, which adds consented random screenshots and activity levels. They differ mainly in where data lives, how they are priced and how much monitoring is built in.
Differences at a glance
| Toggl Track | Clockgauge | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is delivered | Cloud service with web, desktop and mobile apps | Host app on your computer plus an employee desktop app |
| Pricing model | Subscription, with a free tier for small teams at times (check current plans) | Free for 1 host + 1 employee; $199 once for up to 20 people |
| Where data lives | Vendor's servers | Your Host computer |
| Screenshots | Not the focus of the product (check current features) | Consented random screenshots, blur and retention settings |
| Manager access | Web dashboard from anywhere | Dashboard on the Host computer |
| Best known for | Simple timers and reports across many integrations | Self-hosted tracking with activity levels and consent |
These are summaries. Both products change; compare current documentation.
Where they overlap
Both let people start and stop a timer, assign time to projects and see reports by person, project or period. Both suit teams that bill by the hour or want to understand where time goes.
Both can export data for invoicing, though the formats and detail differ.
Where they differ most
- Where the data lives. A cloud service holds your time data on its servers, which is convenient and means you rely on the vendor for security and availability. Clockgauge keeps everything on a computer you control, so you take on backups but nobody else holds the data.
- Pricing over time. A subscription grows with headcount and continues for as long as you use it. A one-time licence front-loads the cost. Work out three years for your team size; see one-time versus subscription.
- Monitoring depth. Clockgauge includes consented screenshots, activity percentages and mouse-jiggler detection, with a consent screen. If you want a plain timer with no monitoring, a simpler tool may fit.
- Access. A web dashboard is reachable from anywhere. Clockgauge's dashboard lives on the Host; staff reach it remotely through the matchmaking connection, and managers use the Host computer.
Questions to ask yourself
- Do my managers need to sign in from any device?
- Do I want my staff's data on my own computer or on a vendor's servers?
- Do I want screenshots at all, and have I told staff?
- Which costs less over three years for my headcount?
- Which integrations do I need?
When each tends to fit
A cloud tracker tends to fit teams that want zero infrastructure, many integrations and access from anywhere. A self-hosted tracker tends to fit small teams that prefer to own their data, avoid monthly fees and want built-in consent-based monitoring. Neither is right for everyone.
Information about Toggl Track is general and as of writing; check its own website for current features and pricing. Toggl Track is a trademark of its owner. Clockgauge is not affiliated with Toggl Track.
Try Clockgauge
Clockgauge is an employee and freelancer time tracker that runs on your own computer: timers, consented random screenshots, activity levels, clients, projects and tasks, budgets, payroll balances and reports, paid once instead of per user per month..