Jira Time Tracking Doesn't Have to Be a Chore: 5 Tools to Save the Day

We love Jira. But project time tracking is not its strongest feature.

Luckily for anybody stuck with Jira’s native time tracking, there are ways to make it infinitely better with clever plugins and add-ons. In this blog post, we’re diving deep into the topic of Jira issue time tracking.

How to track time in Jira (the default way)

Time tracking is available in Jira by default. That’s because, in Jira’s own words, Agile time tracking is “essential”. The two biggest jobs time tracking is supposed to accomplish in an Agile process are resource planning and payment processing. This is not unique to Agile teams as all service businesses use time tracking for resource allocation and client billing.

In Jira, these jobs are accomplished by tracking time spent on each issue and generating timesheets with input from all team members for client invoicing. We’ll now briefly review the key elements of Jira’s time tracking process for issues as designed by default.

Default time units

To make sure the time tracking feature serves a wide range of software development teams, Jira makes it possible to adjust the default time unit.

Depending on the billing model and the primary intent for time tracking (capacity planning vs billing), teams can choose to track time in minutes, hours, days, or weeks. While some software developers bill in small increments of e.g. 15 minutes, other teams charge an hourly rate and sell weeks’ worth of development time to clients at once.

Estimated vs logged time

To assess the efficiency of the development process at large and SLAs in particular, Jira offers Estimated, Remaining, and Logged time fields. These can be specified in the time units of your choice, which can come in handy when estimating child issues (up to 100 in order to be able to use time tracking at all).

Comparing estimated vs actual time to resolve issues is the #1 tool for improving the accuracy of project estimates. Having the Remaining time field, on the other hand, helps PMs keep track of project health and adjust resources as needed. As you log more time on a Jira issue, you’ll see a progress bar visualizing how much time is left against the total allotted time.

Manual time entries

The key thing to understand about the Jira time tracking process is that it’s manual and retroactive. To log time on issues, users are required to remember how long they worked on each and then manually add these time entries with the option to edit them later.

Editing and deleting time entries in Jira is available to users whose permissions are configured accordingly. Manipulating your own or other people’s time entries is not something that’s available out of the box and requires granting permission.

Jira time reporting & Timesheets by Tempo

All Jira projects come with standard reports, time tracking and workload being just a few examples. The Version Time Tracking Report, for one, uses time estimates and work logs to show progress towards completing a version. The Time Tracking report, on the other hand, displays time tracking information on issues for a version.

In addition to standard reports, you also have subreports.

• Time spent per issue
• Time tracking overview
• Time spent per user per issue
• Time logged per user
• Issues with most time spent

Timesheets by Tempo

Anybody who’s ever looked into time tracking for Jira came across Tempo sooner rather than later. It’s the #1 add-on for Jira project time tracking and reporting. Tempo amplified the default time tracking features available in Jira and extended its application towards profitability management.

Most notably, software development teams use Tempo for its timesheets. Timesheets provide a summary of hours worked, available as a calendar or list. After setting a date range, Tempo users can visualize their progress towards a billable hour target, see a breakdown of logged time by issue, and log time on issues retroactively.

While Tempo extends the functionality of Jira’s time tracking and allows teams to streamline client invoicing and billing, it still remains a manual timekeeping tool. As such, it can benefit from further automation and more reliable entries than retroactive logs based on memory.

What’s wrong with Jira task time tracking

Now that we have an overview of project time tracking features available in Jira (this goes for both Jira Cloud and Jira Server), we can take a critical look at them and figure out why so many teams struggle with Jira time tracking. Spoiler alert: it’s not their fault.

1. It relies on memory

As a software engineer, you may have the best memory in the world. But you’d be silly to use that memory capacity to keep in mind how many minutes you worked on a Jira issue last Tuesday. Or even earlier this morning.

We know for a fact that:

• By the end of the day, you remember 67% at best.
• By the next day, you can only recollect 55% tops.
• By the end of the week, you’re lucky to remember 36%.

This is the nature of human memory. When dealing with complex, creative tasks like software development, our brain capacity is best used for finding solutions, not keeping track of admin. The manual, retroactive hour logging offered by Jira is flawed because it relies on human memory.

2. AI doesn’t save time

You may have come across the terms “automation” and “AI” when researching Tempo. It’s important to understand the meaning behind them so you can adjust your expectations.

Tempo offers automated timesheets through AI suggestions. By pulling data from calendars and IDEs, it promises to “half the time needed to log work” by teaching the algorithm to predict which projects and issues you’re working on and log your hours towards respective projects and issues.

We’ve explored the concept of AI in time tracking earlier on this blog. If you’re curious about it, you’re welcome to read the full guide. The gist of it is this: AI suggestions take time to improve and, in the end, still require double-checking because they concern sensitive information required for client billing.

3. Teams hate it

The #1 most important part of any time tracking workflow is getting your team on board with the idea of tracking time. Not coming up with a ballpark weekly figure to appease the PM but actually sticking to a routine of timekeeping and diligent self-reporting.

Let’s be honest: teams hate Jira time tracking because the default tools aren’t good enough. And Tempo, being a step ahead, still lacks real automation, i.e. automated recording of your day, not automated project time entries based on what you recorded manually.

5 no-BS plugins for Jira time tracking

The Atlassian marketplace is vast. In the Time Tracking category alone, you’ll find 335 apps. Below are 5 vendors for Jira time tracking that make a real difference. Each app’s Atlassian marketplace listing is linked below.

1. Memtime – private activity tracking with 2-way sync

Yes, Memtime is our very own time tracker for Jira Cloud/Server + Tempo. We’re unashamed to put it first on the list because it’s objectively the best time tracking plugin for Jira. Here’s why.

• Self-hosted app that records activity in all programs 24/7.
• Keeps all recorded data offline on user device only.
• Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Tracks all computer programs, apps, and browsers.
• Displays your work day in 1-60 minute intervals.
• Integrates with all calendar apps (including CalDAV).
• Two-way sync with Jira Cloud/Server + Tempo.

The idea behind Memtime is simple: it automatically and quietly keeps track of every minute of your day to help you remember in detail what you worked on and log time on Jira issues with precision. It does so while protecting your privacy because all recorded data remains offline on your device.

You can go back to any day in the past and see a detailed breakdown of your time. Then, you easily create time entries and assign them to projects and issues imported from Jira. As soon as you do so, voila – time entries appear in Jira under the right projects and issues.

Memtime pricing

Memtime Connect (includes Jira + 100 more integrations) is $18/user with a 24-month contract. A 14-day free trial is available to all users, no credit card required. A team trial for 10 users at once is available by booking a call.

2. Timely – second memory with AI timesheets

Memory by Timely is a desktop time tracker for Jira Cloud. Similar to Memtime, it runs quietly in the background and automatically records the time spent in all programs to serve as a second memory whenever time needs to be logged.

Below is everything you need to know about Timely’s solutions for Jira time tracking.

• Desktop app for Windows and macOS.
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android.
• Quietly records all work on Jira issues and projects.
• Keeps time data private to the user.
• Offers AI suggestions for timesheets.
• Does NOT sync Jira projects to Timely.

As you can see, while Memory automates the process of timekeeping for Jira Cloud, it can’t sync Jira projects to Timely. Therefore, when you need to log time on Jira issues, you’ll be able to do so in Timely’s own timesheets without automatic sync to Jira. For some teams, this solution is sufficient while others prefer to minimize admin with 2-way sync.

Timely pricing

Timely Starter is $9/mo per user (up to 5 users) with an annual subscription. If you need more seats, Timely Premium is $16/mo per user. A 14-day free trial is available without a credit card.

3. Automated Log Work – timer-based tracker inside Jira

Automated Log Work is a simple timer that’s embedded into Jira to ease the process of issue time tracking. It’s the missing piece to Jira’s native time tracking functionality as it provides a manual way to track work on issues in real time as opposed to logging time retroactively based on memory.

Automate Log Work offers 2 ways to use its Jira timer: automatic and manual. In the automatic mode, the timer is activated on its own whenever an issue is moved to “In Progress”. Once it’s moved to “Done”, the timer is stopped. In the manual mode, starting and stopping the timer requires pressing a button.

• Manual and automatic timers inside Jira issues.
• Multiple simultaneous timers.
• Compatible with Jira Cloud/Server.
• Worklog report with export to Excel.
• Minimalistic time tracking for Jira only.

Automated Log Work won’t give you a detailed breakdown of your time in all programs – that’s not what it’s for. It solves a single problem of Jira issue time tracking with a semi-automated timer. If your goal with Jira time tracking is simply recording the time in development and having some basic worklog reports without going into the territory of profitability management, this might be your kind of tool.

Automated Log Work pricing

$5/mo per user. A free 30-day trial is available with no credit card required.

4. Everhour – Jira Cloud timer with instant sync

Everhour is a timer-based tracker for Jira that offers a simple 2-way integration with Jira Cloud for quick project and time entry sync. Similarly to Automated Log Work, Everhour adds a timer to the Jira interface and allows you to start and stop it as you’re working on issues.

You can either start the timer from Jira or Everhour under imported Jira projects. Whether you’re tracking in real time or adding time retroactively, all changes will be instantly reflected on both sides.

• Manual timer added to the Jira interface.
• Browser extension for tracking time in other apps.
• Automatic project synchronization.
• Time entries created in Everhour appear in Jira.
• Time tracked with Everhour is added to Jira reports.
• Time clock app for clocking in and out.
• The option to take screenshots.

Even though Everhour is a manual time tracker, its 2-way sync of time entries with Jira makes it a valuable tool for teams that want to streamline their timekeeping. If you’re diligent about starting and stopping the timer, Everhour is enough for issue time tracking and billing.

Everhour pricing

In order to be able to use Jira sync, you’ll need Everhour’s Team plan that costs $8.50 with an annual subscription and a minimum of 5 users. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card info required.

5. Pomodoro Time Tracking+ – focus app for Jira Cloud

Last on the list is a non-conventional time tracking app in that it’s a countdown timer for productivity with an added bonus of issue time tracking for Jira Cloud. It offers a standard 25-minute Pomodoro timer inside the Jira interface that you can adjust to a time period of your choice.

As a productivity app, it offers additional features for better focus and efficiency.

• Customizable timer available in the Jira issue sidebar.
• Focus and break modes.
• Worklogs are submitted to Jira issues.
• All data remains within your Jira instance.
• Personal to-do lists for productivity.
• Keeps track of total time spent.
• Works for Confluence too.

While Pomodoro Time Tracking+ doesn’t offer sophisticated features for billing and invoicing or tracking time in other programs and apps, it helps teams get things done in Jira and Confluence and improve overall focus and concentration in a multitasking environment.

Pomodoro Time Tracking+ pricing

The app is free for up to 10 users.

Final thoughts

There are many benefits to project time tracking in Jira. From better estimates to resource planning and profitability management, teams that nail issue time tracking are able to make the most of their Agile process.

Tedious as it is, Jira time tracking doesn’t have to be a chore – you just need the right tools to make it better for your team. I hope this guide gives you a good overview of your options with Jira time tracking plugins and allows you to reap the full benefits of it.

Make sure you give the 5 featured time tracking plugins for Jira a try and see which one works best for your team and process. None of the tools mentioned above require your credit card information or complex setup. Give your Jira time tracking a makeover and see the difference even before your free trial is over.

And if you’re willing to give Memtime a try as your trusted round-the-clock time tracker for Jira and 100+ other tools, don’t hesitate to start your free trial right now or schedule a call with us if you’re a team of multiple Jira users looking for a better way to track time on issues and projects.