Best-of list
The best time tracker for virtual assistants in 2026
The short answer
The best time tracker for virtual assistants depends on who owns it. A business paying VAs by the hour wants screenshots and timesheets it can approve: AirStaff covers up to 5 VAs for $99 once. A freelance VA tracking billable hours across clients is better served by Toggl Track or Clockify’s free plan.
- $99
- AirStaff for up to 5 VAs, paid once
- 8
- trackers ranked, including two for freelance VAs
- 0
- seats used by a VA who tracks no time that month
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Summary
| Tool | Best for | Price | Screenshots | 3 VAs, 1 year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. AirStaff | Remote and offshore teams that want screenshots and timesheets without a monthly bill | $99–$396 once | Included on every tier | $99 once |
| 2. Backlsh | Very small teams that want the lowest per-user price with screenshots | $2.99 per user per month; billing basis not stated | Included | $108 |
| 3. WebWork | Teams that want the lowest monthly price with screenshots and invoicing | From $3.99 per user per month, annual | Included from Pro | $144 |
| 4. Hubstaff | Teams that need GPS, invoicing or payroll in the same subscription | From $4.99 per user per month, annual | Included, capped on Starter and Grow | $180 |
| 5. Time Doctor | Teams that want payroll, client login or a Linux app | From $6.67 per user per month, annual | Included from Basic | $240 |
| 6. Clockify | Small teams that want free timesheets, or invoicing and time off | Free plan; paid from $3.99 per user per month, annual | Pro plan and above | $288 |
| 7. DeskTime | Office and hybrid teams that want shift scheduling and calendar integrations | From $6.42 per user per month, annual | Premium plan and above | $330 |
| 8. Toggl Track | Freelancers and consultants tracking their own billable hours | Free plan; paid from $9 per user per month, annual | None, by design | $324 |
The 8 tools, one by one
1. AirStaff
- Best for
- Remote and offshore teams that want screenshots and timesheets without a monthly bill
- Price
- $99 once for 5 staff, $198 for 15, $396 for 50
- Screenshots
- Included on every tier; detailed low-res, blurred or off
- Pro
- One payment instead of a per-user subscription, with a 60-day money-back guarantee
- Con
- No GPS, mobile or Linux agent in version 1; integrations are Slack webhooks and CSV export
2. Backlsh
- Best for
- Very small teams that want the lowest per-user price with screenshots
- Price
- $2.99 per user per month; billing basis not stated
- Screenshots
- Included
- Pro
- The lowest published per-user price with screenshots that we found, and a lifetime deal for up to 10 users
- Con
- Its lifetime deals stop at 10 users; the subscription billing basis is not stated
3. WebWork
- Best for
- Teams that want the lowest monthly price with screenshots and invoicing
- Price
- From $3.99 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Included from Pro
- Pro
- Cheapest per-user plan with screenshots, from $3.99
- Con
- Still a per-user subscription; its lifetime deal is sold out
4. Hubstaff
- Best for
- Teams that need GPS, invoicing or payroll in the same subscription
- Price
- From $4.99 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Included, capped on Starter and Grow
- Pro
- Broad feature set, including GPS through an add-on and payroll on Team
- Con
- Screenshots capped at 500 per user per month on Starter
5. Time Doctor
- Best for
- Teams that want payroll, client login or a Linux app
- Price
- From $6.67 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Included from Basic
- Pro
- Linux desktop app and payroll from the Standard plan
- Con
- Payroll and integrations start at $11.67 per user per month
6. Clockify
- Best for
- Small teams that want free timesheets, or invoicing and time off
- Price
- Free plan; paid from $3.99 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Pro plan and above
- Pro
- Free for up to 5 users; invoicing from $5.49
- Con
- Screenshots need the $7.99 Pro plan
7. DeskTime
- Best for
- Office and hybrid teams that want shift scheduling and calendar integrations
- Price
- From $6.42 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- Premium plan and above
- Pro
- Shift scheduling, absence calendar and many integrations on Premium
- Con
- Screenshots only on Premium ($9.17), not on Pro
8. Toggl Track
- Best for
- Freelancers and consultants tracking their own billable hours
- Price
- Free plan; paid from $9 per user per month, annual
- Screenshots
- None, by design
- Pro
- Billable rates and budgets, with no screenshots or keystroke recording at all
- Con
- No screenshots or activity data if you need proof of work
How we ranked them
The buyer here is a business owner with one to five virtual assistants on hourly pay, who wants to see the hours were worked and pay from a timesheet they trust. After AirStaff, trackers with screenshots included come first, cheapest first, and Toggl Track comes last because it does not take screenshots by design.
That order flips if you are the VA. For your own billable hours across several clients, Toggl Track’s billable rates and Clockify’s free plan for up to 5 users are the better fit, and a monitoring tool with screenshots is more than you need. AirStaff is first on this list because this is its site, and because $99 once covers five VAs for less than one year of any subscription here.
Who should own the tracker: you or your VA?
Whoever pays for the hours should own the record of them. If you pay a VA by the hour, a tracker in your account gives you timesheets you can approve and screenshots you can check. If your VA runs their own business and invoices you, they will usually track in their own tool and send you a report.
- You own it when the VA works set hours for you, often through an agency or directly on contract, and you want activity and screenshots. This is what AirStaff, Hubstaff, Time Doctor and WebWork are built for.
- The VA owns it when they bill several clients. Toggl Track and Clockify suit that: billable rates, projects per client, and no monitoring the VA did not choose.
Either way, agree in writing what is tracked before the first shift. AirStaff blocks tracking until the VA accepts a monitoring notice, and shows them the same hours and screenshots you see.
What should a VA timesheet show before you pay it?
A timesheet you pay from should answer three questions without a phone call.
- Hours
- Tracked time by day, against the hours you agreed, with idle time left out
- Changes
- Any manual entry flagged, with the reason given and the original value kept
- Evidence
- Activity and screenshots for any day that looks wrong, so you can check rather than guess
AirStaff’s weekly timesheet grid does this: approvals, audited manual entries, and export to CSV or PDF for payment. Our guide to tracking offshore staff hours covers idle rules and patchy internet, which matter for VAs in the Philippines and India.
What does tracking one, three or five VAs cost?
| Tool and plan | 1 VA, 1 year | 3 VAs, 1 year | 5 VAs, 1 year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirStaff Tier 1 | $99 once | $99 once | $99 once |
| Backlsh Premium | $36 | $108 | $179 |
| WebWork Pro | $48 | $144 | $239 |
| Hubstaff Starter | $60 | $180 | $299 |
| Time Doctor Basic | $80 | $240 | $400 |
| Clockify Pro | $96 | $288 | $479 |
| DeskTime Premium | $110 | $330 | $550 |
| Toggl Track Starter | $108 | $324 | $540 |
What your staff experience
Staff did not choose the tracker, so what they see matters as much as the price. On AirStaff:
- Nothing is recorded until they accept a monitoring notice, and notice periods such as the 14 days required in New South Wales run first.
- Keyboard and mouse activity is counted, never captured. There is no keystroke log.
- They can see which screenshot mode is on, and screenshots are deleted after 60 days by default.
- Their own “My data” view shows the same hours, screenshots and activity their manager sees, with a one-click download.
- Nothing is recorded while they are clocked out, and idle time is never counted as paid time.
The detail is on the privacy-first monitoring page.
Related reading
Sources and how we checked
Prices checked on each vendor’s own pricing page, in US dollars per user per month on annual billing unless stated. Backlsh publishes one price without saying whether it is an annual or monthly rate, and its lifetime-deal prices are from the deal sites’ own listings. Plans and prices change — check the vendor’s page before you decide.
- Backlsh pricing page (Premium plan, screenshots, no keystrokes)
- Dealify listing for Backlsh (lifetime deal tiers)
- DealMirror listing for Backlsh (lifetime deal tiers)
- WebWork pricing page (plans, screenshots, features)
- AppSumo listing for WebWork (lifetime deal sold out)
- Hubstaff pricing guide (plans, screenshot caps, add-ons)
- Hubstaff pricing page (trial)
- Time Doctor pricing plans and features (support article)
- Time Doctor pricing page (plan features, platforms)
- Clockify pricing page (plans and features)
- Clockify help: screenshots require Pro or Enterprise
- DeskTime pricing page (plans, screenshots, integrations)
- Toggl Track pricing page (plans, no screenshots)
Backlsh, WebWork, Hubstaff, Time Doctor, Clockify, DeskTime, Toggl Track are trademarks of their owners. AirStaff is not affiliated with or endorsed by any company named on this page. No competitor logos or screenshots are used.
Questions people actually ask
What is the best time tracker for a business that hires virtual assistants?
For a business paying VAs by the hour on Windows or Mac, one with screenshots, activity and approvable timesheets. AirStaff covers up to 5 VAs for $99 once. Hubstaff and Time Doctor add payroll on higher plans, at a monthly per-user price.
What is the best time tracker for a freelance virtual assistant?
A billable-time tracker rather than a monitoring tool. Toggl Track offers billable rates and budgets and says it takes no screenshots, and Clockify is free for up to 5 users. AirStaff is built for a business managing a team, not for tracking your own hours.
How much does it cost to track the hours of three virtual assistants?
At published annual prices, 3 VAs on Hubstaff Starter cost $180 a year and on WebWork Pro $144. AirStaff Tier 1 covers up to 5 for $99, once.
Do I need my virtual assistant’s consent before tracking them?
You should agree it with them in writing, and the law where they work may require notice or consent: the Philippines has its Data Privacy Act of 2012, for example. AirStaff blocks tracking until the VA accepts a monitoring notice. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can my virtual assistant see the screenshots the tracker takes?
In AirStaff, yes. Every staff member has a My data view with their own hours, screenshots and activity, the same records you see, and can download it. Screenshots are low-resolution by default, can be blurred or turned off, and are deleted after 60 days by default.
Do I pay for a virtual assistant seat in a month they do not work?
Not with AirStaff. A seat is a member with at least one tracked time slot in a calendar month, so a VA you keep on the team but who tracks nothing that month does not use a seat.
Try the one you pay for once.
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