# Essential Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about Essential Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Time Tracking products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/231845/Essential --- # Essential Software Review 2026: Features, Reviews, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 13, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. Independent research methodology Capterra’s researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider’s website. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/) [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Essential ## What is Essential? Essential is a time tracking software for micro and small companies that records attendances and evaluate the absences of its employees. The subscription includes: • Attendance record; • Justification of absences; • Holiday requests; • Automatic calculation of overtime; • Self-service portals for employees and managers. Intuitive, functional and simple use, Essential is a cloud solution for use as a service through a subscription. ## What is Essential used for? [Attendance Tracking](https://www.capterra.com/attendance-tracking-software/)[Time Clock](https://www.capterra.com/time-clock-software/)[Time Tracking](https://www.capterra.com/time-tracking-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 1 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- Starting price €19.9 Per User, Per Month Free trial available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Essential?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.actuasys.com/en&name=Essential) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Essential 5.0 (1) VS. [4.9 (4,762)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172127/Rippling/reviews/) Starting Price €19.9 Per User, Per Month Starting Price $8 Per User, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 5.0 (1) Ease Of Use 4.9 (4,761) Value For Money 5.0 (1) Value For Money 4.8 (3,615) Customer Service 5.0 (1) Customer Service 4.7 (3,897) ## Essential alternatives [4.6 (3,343)](https://www.capterra.com/p/110968/BambooHR/reviews/) Starting price $10.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 95% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.6 (1,147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/153076/Homebase/reviews/) Starting price $30.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 93% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.6 (5,180)](https://www.capterra.com/p/153140/Connecteam/reviews/) Starting price $29.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.9 (283)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172778/Nowsta/reviews/) Starting price $18000.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 99% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Clock In/Out 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track employees' arrival and departure timings for payroll purposes Employee Database 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository Employee Scheduling 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Assign working shifts or tasks to employees based on their availability Leave Tracking 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage and track employee attendance Payroll Management 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently Timesheet Management 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track the amount of time spent on a job or task Essential 42 features Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases Manage the process of evaluating documents or requests submitted for approval Track the attendance of specific individuals or groups Automatically create schedules based on business needs or employee availability and qualifications Automate recording of time to reduce human error Track billable hours and/or non-billable expenses for work performed Facial or other physical recognition to confirm identity Track and manage schedules and meetings via an integrated calendar Track employees' arrival and departure timings for payroll purposes Track and manage adherence to policies for any service, product, process, or supplier Import and export data to and from software applications Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository Track employee schedules, availability, and performance across projects and tasks Online portal where employees can access and track their own information Assign working shifts or tasks to employees based on their availability Track and measure time worked for employees Manage and track employee attendance Access software remotely via mobile devices Manage and support multiple locations Different tiers of pricing and billing for different employees and situations Track employee and task times without internet connection Track employee and task times using internet connection Manage and record overtime hours for hourly employees Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently Clock in and out online or with a card Receive data and information in real time Notifications that are delivered to users as soon as an event occurs Active reporting of data and metrics Receive system updates as soon as any changes are made Timed notification for any upcoming task, deadline, appointment, or activity View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data Set & manage permission levels based on user roles and restrict access to only authorized individuals Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information Track and manage sick leave time Log and record hours worked and costs spent to assist in billing and invoicing Measure and track time including hours worked and paid time off (PTO) Track the amount of time spent on a job or task Request, track, and manage time off requests and vacation time Create, design and manage workflows for repetitive tasks Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 5.0 (1) 5.0 Based on 1 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 5.0 (1) Free Trial Basic €19.90 Per User,Per Month Value for money 5.0 (1) 5.0 Based on 1 reviews Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 5.0 (1) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 5.0 (1) 5.0 Based on 1 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 5.0 Based on 1 reviews Filter by rating 5(1) 4(0) 3(0) 2(0) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent AU Anonymous User Administrativo Online Media ### "Qualidade e execelencia" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 8, 2024 Gostei muito e pretendo adquirir assim que puder. Pros Excelente software para o dia a dia, ajuda bastante. Cons Demora ao abrir o software, deverá ser rápido. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. Independent research methodology Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider's website. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/)