Asana is a popular project management platform for organizing tasks, projects, and team workflows. But when you need to know exactly how much time goes into each task, Asana's project management features may need a little help.
Asana does offer native time tracking on Advanced, Enterprise, and Enterprise+ plans. It lets users estimate task duration, record actual time with a built-in timer or manually, and compare estimated and actual time.
For more detailed reporting, billable hours, invoicing, budgets, or flexible time tracking, a dedicated time tracking tool can be a better fit.
Here are four tools that integrate with Asana and can help you track time without disrupting your workflow.
1. TMetric for Asana Time Tracking
TMetric is a time tracking tool that integrates directly with Asana, allowing users to start and stop timers from Asana tasks. Its browser extension adds a timer button to Asana, while tracked time is automatically associated with the relevant task and project.
This makes TMetric particularly useful for freelancers, agencies, and teams that need more than basic time logs.
Try it: TMetric
Key features:
- One-click time tracking: Start and stop a timer directly from an Asana task.
- Automatic task and project sync: TMetric can pull task names, projects, IDs, and tags from Asana.
- Detailed reports: Break down tracked time by project, task, user, date, and billable status.
- Project budgets: Compare tracked hours with planned project budgets and estimates.
- Billable hours: Separate billable and non-billable work and apply hourly rates.
- Invoicing: Use tracked time to prepare client invoices.
- Team workload visibility: Review how team members distribute their time across projects.
- Activity monitoring: Optional activity tracking and screenshots are available for workspaces that enable these features.
How to track time in Asana with TMetric
- Create a TMetric account.
- Install the TMetric browser extension.
- Connect TMetric with Asana.
- Open an Asana task and click Start timer.
- Stop the timer when the work is complete.
- Review the recorded time and reports in TMetric.
TMetric also lets users edit tracked entries without losing their connection to the original Asana task.
Best for: Freelancers, agencies, consultants, and teams that need time tracking plus reporting, budgeting, and billing.
2. Clockify
Clockify is another option for adding dedicated time tracking to an Asana workflow. Its browser extension places a timer button directly on Asana tasks, so users can track time without switching between applications.
Clockify can automatically pick up the Asana task name and project when starting a timer. It also supports tracking time on subtasks and from selected text within Asana.
Key features:
- Timer inside Asana: Start tracking directly from tasks.
- Task and project synchronization: Pick up relevant information from Asana.
- Subtask tracking: Track time at a more granular level.
- Manual time entries: Add or edit time when you forget to start the timer.
- Billable hours: Mark work as billable and calculate earnings.
- Reports: Analyze tracked time and export reports.
- Invoicing: Create invoices based on billable time.
- Multiple platforms: Continue tracking from the web, desktop, or mobile apps.
Best for: Freelancers and teams looking for a flexible time tracker with a broad range of integrations and reporting options.
3. Harvest
Harvest is a time tracking and invoicing platform with an Asana integration designed to make recording time part of the task workflow.
Its browser extension adds a timer icon to Asana tasks, allowing users to start and stop tracking without leaving Asana.
Key features:
- Time tracking inside Asana: Start and stop a Harvest timer from an Asana task.
- Browser extension: Available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
- Project-based tracking: Connect tracked work with relevant Harvest projects.
- Time insights: Analyze how time is being spent across work.
- Billing support: Use tracked time to support client billing.
- Invoicing: Turn billable hours into invoices.
- Professional services focus: Useful for teams that need to connect time tracking with client work and revenue.
The integration is especially useful when Asana handles project and task management while Harvest handles time, billing, and financial reporting.
Best for: Professional services teams, agencies, consultants, and businesses that need time tracking closely connected to invoicing.
4. TrackingTime
TrackingTime is a time tracking platform that can be connected to Asana through a browser extension. Once installed, its tracking button appears within Asana tasks, allowing users to start and stop timers from their existing workflow.
When a new Asana task is tracked, TrackingTime can automatically add the task and its project to the TrackingTime account.
Key features:
- Asana task tracking: Start and stop timers directly from Asana.
- Automatic task and project import: New tracked tasks can be added to TrackingTime automatically.
- Timesheets: Organize tracked work into detailed timesheets.
- Project budgeting: Use time data to understand project progress.
- Client billing: Track hours for billable projects.
- Invoicing: Use tracked time for billing workflows.
- Team reporting: Review how time is distributed across projects and tasks.
Best for: Teams looking for a dedicated time tracker with timesheets, project budgeting, and billing capabilities.
Final Thoughts
Asana can handle basic time tracking on supported plans, including estimated and actual time fields, a built-in timer, manual entries, and reporting.
However, a dedicated time tracking tool can make sense when your team needs more detailed data or additional workflows.
- TMetric is a strong option for teams that need time tracking, detailed reporting, budgets, and billing in one workflow.
- Clockify works well for flexible time tracking across tasks, subtasks, and multiple platforms.
- Harvest is a good fit for professional services and teams that connect time tracking with invoicing.
- TrackingTime is useful for teams looking for timesheets, project budgeting, and client billing.
The right choice depends on how you use Asana and what you want to do with your time data after it has been tracked.
