Best Resource Management Software With Time Tracking

Smartsheet plans work on a grid that looks like a spreadsheet, which makes it easy for teams that live in rows and columns. Resource management views show who is assigned to what and how loaded they are, and the dashboard can roll up hours, costs and status across many sheets at once. Time tracking is available through a time tracking column and integrations, with native time entry on higher plans, and the tool connects to Harvest and Clockify for teams that want a dedicated timer. Automations move rows, send alerts and request updates, which keeps the sheets current without manual checks.

The free plan covers one user with basic sheets, which is enough for a trial. Pro costs $9 per user a month billed annually and adds Gantt views, dashboards and more automation, while Business costs $19 and adds resource management views, approvals and single sign on. The limits are that time tracking is lighter than a dedicated tool, the entry plan has no resource views, and the per user price climbs as editors are added.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (30 days)

Website: smartsheet.com

Productive is built for agencies and consultancies that sell time. Budgets sit at the centre: each project carries a budget in hours and money, and time tracking feeds directly into it, so a manager sees margin as work happens rather than at month end. Resource planning shows who is booked and who is free, with rate cards and billable versus non billable time, and the sales pipeline connects new deals to future capacity. Invoicing links to the same data, so the path from a booked hour to a client invoice stays inside one tool.

Essential costs $10 per user a month billed annually and includes budgeting, time tracking, resource planning and reporting, with a three seat minimum on new accounts. Professional costs $25 and adds rate cards, approvals, recurring budgets and advanced reports, while Ultimate is quote only. There is no free plan, only a 14 day trial, and the limits are that the tool is built for agencies, so teams outside services work may find the finance features heavy.

Price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: productive.io

Scoro is a full work management platform for agencies and consultancies. Projects carry tasks, quotes, time entries and invoices in one place, and the planner shows resource bookings against capacity across the team. Time tracking feeds billing directly, with billable and non billable rates, and the CRM holds clients, contacts and deals, so the sales pipeline and the delivery plan share the same data. Dashboards show utilisation, project profit and team workload, which gives managers the numbers they need without exporting to a spreadsheet.

Essential costs $26 per user a month billed annually, with a five user minimum on every plan, so the real entry cost is $130 a month. Standard costs $37 and adds resource planning, while Pro costs $63 and adds the CRM and advanced reporting. There is no free plan, only a 14 day trial, and the limits are the high entry price, the seat minimum and a setup process that takes longer than simpler tools.

Price: $26 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: scoro.com

Paymo is a work management tool for small teams that need projects, time and invoices in one place. Task views include kanban, calendar and table, and the time tracking covers timers, manual entry and timesheets, with billable rates and invoicing built in. Employee scheduling and workload views arrive on the Business plan, along with Gantt charts, task dependencies and leave management, which is the tier that turns Paymo into a resource management tool. File proofing and client portals suit creative teams that pass work back and forth with clients.

The free plan covers one user with time tracking and limited projects, which is enough for a freelancer to test the tool. Starter costs $5.90 per user a month billed annually and adds unlimited clients and projects, while Small Office costs $10.90 and adds profitability reports and recurring invoices. Business costs $16.90 and adds scheduling, workload and Gantt views. The limits are that resource planning needs the top plan, the design feels dated next to newer tools, and support on lower plans is limited.

Price: $5.90 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: paymoapp.com

BigTime comes from the time and billing side of professional services, and it shows. Time and expense tracking feed project budgets directly, with alerts when a project nears its budget, and invoicing pulls from the same records. Resource planning and skills management sit on the Premier plan, which adds staffing views and forecasting, while Advanced adds a client portal and DCAA compliance for government contractors. The QuickBooks integration is a real strength, syncing invoices, expenses and payments without manual entry.

Essentials costs $20 per user a month billed annually and covers time and expense tracking with basic project management. Advanced costs $35 and adds the client portal and compliance features, while Premier costs $45 and adds resource planning, skills management and forecasting. There is a free trial, and the limits are that real resource planning needs Premier, the interface feels dated, and setup takes longer than lighter tools.

Price: $20 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Website: bigtime.net

Kantata, formerly Mavenlink, is a professional services platform for large firms that need forecasting as well as delivery. The resource planner shows capacity, skills and availability across the whole firm, and the forecasting tools project future demand against the pipeline, so managers can hire ahead of a gap. Time tracking feeds project financials directly, with budgets, burn rates and margin shown in real time. The tool integrates with Salesforce and NetSuite, which suits firms that already run their business on those platforms.

Kantata does not publish prices, so every deal starts with a demo and a custom quote, and the sales process is the first cost a buyer meets. There is no free plan and no published trial, and implementation takes weeks rather than days, with training and configuration included in the onboarding. The limits are the hidden price, the long setup and the weight of the tool for teams under fifty people. For large services firms, the forecasting depth can justify the effort.

Price: quote only

Free plan: No

Website: kantata.com

Accelo is a professional services automation platform that runs client work from sale to invoice. The sales pipeline, project plans, retainers, tickets and billing share one record, so a client moves through the business without re entry. Time tracking sits on every task, with approvals and billable rates, and the dashboards show utilisation, project profit and retainer burn. Scheduling and forecasting tools show who is free and what the pipeline will need, which is the resource planning layer that earns Accelo a place on this list.

Accelo no longer publishes prices, and its pricing page is a demo request form, so buyers get a custom quote after a sales call. The last public figures, from 2023, ran from about $20 per user a month for Core to $90 for Advanced, with seat minimums on every tier, but those numbers are no longer current. There is a 7 day trial, and the limits are the hidden price, the seat minimums and the onboarding fee, which is charged separately and not published.

Price: quote only

Free plan: Free trial (7 days)

Website: accelo.com