Best Time Tracking Software for Ad Agencies

Website: https://www.getharvest.com

Best for: ad agencies that want simple time tracking plus invoicing

Starting price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: simple one-click timers with invoicing built in; clean client and project reporting

Cons: profitability reporting, timesheet approvals, and SAML SSO are Enterprise only; Flex usage fees apply on top of the seat price

Harvest is the classic time tracker for agencies that bill hours. The timer is simple, the timesheet is easy to approve, and invoicing is built in, so tracked hours turn into client invoices without a second tool. Teams at $9 per seat per month billed annually is a fair entry price, and the free plan covers one seat and two projects, which is enough for a freelancer to test the workflow.

The costs beyond the seat price need attention. Flex usage fees for active projects, clients, tasks, and invoicing apply on top of the seat price, and the per-unit rates are not published, so the final bill is higher than the headline. Profitability reporting, timesheet approvals, activity logs, and SAML single sign-on are Enterprise only at $14 per seat per month billed annually.

Website: https://toggl.com

Best for: small ad agencies that need simple billable time tracking and team reports

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: very simple one-click timer that staff actually use; clear billable rates and team reports

Cons: profitability reports, labor costs, timesheet approvals, and SSO are Premium only at $16; Time Off and Capacity Management are extra-cost add-ons

Toggl Track is the easiest timer in this list to get a whole agency using. One click starts the timer, projects and clients are easy to pick, and billable rates attach to the work, so the end of the month brings a clean report instead of a guessing game. Starter at $9 per user per month billed annually is a fair price, the free plan covers up to five users, and the 30-day trial opens the Premium features with no credit card.

The agency controls cost more. Profitability reports, labor costs, timesheet approvals, and single sign-on are Premium only at $16 per user per month billed annually, so most agency controls sit on the higher tier. Time Off Management at $2 per user per month and Capacity Management at $5 per user per month are extra-cost add-ons.

Website: https://clockify.me

Best for: budget-conscious ad agencies that need low-cost time tracking and client billing

Starting price: $3.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: lowest per-user price among the full trackers here; generous free plan for up to 5 users

Cons: invoicing, timesheet approvals, and time off start at Standard $5.49; GPS, scheduling, and expenses start at Pro $7.99

Clockify is the cheapest way to get a capable time tracker for an ad agency. Basic at $3.99 per user per month billed annually undercuts most rivals by half, and the free plan covers up to five users since April 2026, with a 7-day trial of the higher features.

The tier ladder matters. Invoicing, timesheet approvals, and time off start at Standard at $5.49 per user per month billed annually, and project budgets, profitability, GPS tracking, and screenshots start at Pro at $7.99. Single sign-on, SCIM, and audit logs are Enterprise only at $11.99.

Website: https://www.timecamp.com

Best for: ad agencies that want automatic time tracking with invoicing at a low entry price

Starting price: $3.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: automatic time tracking with a generous free plan for unlimited users; invoicing built in

Cons: billable rates, labor costs, and timesheet approvals are Ultimate only at $9.99; Premium allows only 1 integration

TimeCamp suits an agency that wants the tracker to fill itself in. Automatic tracking records app and website use, so staff who forget to start a timer still end the day with a usable timesheet, and invoicing is built in, Starter at $3.99 per user per month billed annually matches Clockify as the cheapest entry in this list, and the free plan covers unlimited users and projects, which is the most generous free tier here.

The limits sit on the higher tiers. Billable rates, labor costs, timesheet approvals, expenses, and screenshots are Ultimate only at $9.99 per user per month billed annually, and Premium allows only one integration, which is tight for an agency with several tools. The AI Time Tracker is billed separately by token use, and geofencing and the Time Clock Kiosk are Enterprise only.

Website: https://hubstaff.com

Best for: ad agencies that want time tracking with activity levels and screenshots

Starting price: $4.99 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: activity levels and screenshots show how work time is spent; scheduling and payroll on higher tiers

Cons: 2-seat minimum on Starter, Grow, and Team, so a solo user pays for two seats; Starter caps screenshots at 500 per seat/month

Hubstaff fits an agency that wants visibility into how tracked time is spent, not just how much time was tracked. Activity levels, app and URL tracking, and screenshots show whether hours went to client work or to distractions, and scheduling and payroll sit on the higher tiers. Starter at $4.99 per seat per month billed annually is cheap, the free plan covers one user,

The seat minimum and caps need attention. Starter, Grow, and Team all carry a 2-seat minimum, so a solo user pays for two seats, and Starter caps screenshots and app and URL tracking at 500 per seat per month. Payroll, scheduling, and GPS Locations need Team at $10 per seat per month billed annually, and Insights, Tasks, and Locations cost extra as add-ons.

Website: https://timely.com

Best for: ad agencies that forget to start timers and want automatic AI-drafted timesheets

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: automatic AI-drafted timesheets from real work, no manual timer needed; clean team planning views

Cons: Starter is capped at 5 users and 20 projects; task-level timers cost an extra $5 per user/month

Timely is the pick for an agency whose staff never remember to start a timer. It watches real work across apps, calendars, and email, then drafts timesheets with AI, so the team reviews hours instead of reconstructing them from memory at the end of the week. Starter at $9 per user per month billed annually is a fair price,

The caps are the catch. Starter is limited to five users and 20 projects, so a growing agency will outgrow it fast, and project-management and accounting integrations, budgets, and team planning only start on Premium at $16 per user per month billed annually. Task-level timers cost an extra $5 per person per month as an add-on, and there is no built-in invoicing, attendance, or time-off management. Timely fits a small agency that wants automatic timesheets and can live without invoicing inside the tracker.

Website: https://everhour.com

Best for: ad agencies already working in Asana, Trello, Jira, or ClickUp that want time tracking inside those tools

Starting price: $8.50 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: time tracking lives inside Asana, Trello, Jira, and ClickUp; budgets, invoicing, and approvals included on Team

Cons: Team has a 5-seat minimum, so the smallest bill is $42.50 per month billed annually; the free plan has no integrations

Everhour is the pick for an agency that already plans work in Asana, Trello, Jira, or ClickUp. The timer sits inside those tools, so staff track time where the work already lives instead of opening a second app, and budgets, invoicing, and approvals come with the Team tier. Team at $8.50 per user per month billed annually is a fair price,

The seat minimum and the free plan limits matter. Team carries a 5-seat minimum, so the smallest monthly bill is $42.50 billed annually, and the free plan covers up to five users but has no project-management integrations, no budgets, no invoicing, and no approvals. Older listings show a Lite tier at $5 to $6, but recent vendor-page checks list Team as the entry tier, so an agency should budget on Team.

Website: https://www.paymoapp.com

Best for: small creative and ad agencies that want projects, time tracking, and invoicing in one tool

Starting price: $5.90 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: projects, time tracking, and invoicing in one tool; low entry price for a solo user

Cons: Free and Solo are single-user, so a team must pay Plus at $10.90; Gantt, scheduling, and approvals are Pro only at $16.90 (billed annually)

Paymo gives a small creative agency projects, time tracking, and invoicing in one tool at a low price. Solo at $5.90 per user per month billed annually covers one user, and the free plan covers one user, one client, two projects, and 1 GB of storage, which is enough for a freelancer to run real client work.

The single-user limit is the catch. Free and Solo are single-user, so a team must pay Plus at $10.90 per user per month billed annually, and Gantt charts, scheduling, workload views, and timesheet approvals are Pro only at $16.90 per user per month billed annually. An agency that grows past one person should price Plus or Pro, not Solo, when comparing Paymo against Harvest or Toggl Track. For a solo creative or a two-person studio, Paymo is good value.

Website: https://www.functionfox.com

Best for: creative and ad agencies that want simple timesheets and project tracking built for creative teams

Starting price: $35 per month for the first user, plus $5 per additional user/month

Free plan: Yes

Pros: built for creative teams, with simple timesheets and project tracking; easy to learn

Cons: the $35 first-user charge makes it costly for very small teams; advanced project management features are gated to Premier at $10 per additional user/month

FunctionFox is built for creative teams, and it shows in the simple design. Timesheets, projects, and estimates use creative language, and the tool is easy to learn, which matters for an agency where designers and writers track time rather than project managers. Classic costs $35 per month for the first user plus $5 per user per month for each additional user, with no annual discount stated, and the free plan covers up to three active users.

The first-user charge is the catch. A one-person studio pays $35 a month, which is far more than the per-user tools in this list, though the maths improves as the team grows, since each extra user costs only $5. Advanced project management features are gated to Premier at $10 per additional user per month, FunctionFox fits a creative team of five or more that wants simple timesheets without enterprise complexity.

Website: https://www.bigtime.net

Best for: larger ad and professional services agencies billing time and materials, especially with QuickBooks

Starting price: $20 per user/month

Free plan: No

Pros: strong time billing with QuickBooks sync; utilization and profitability reporting for client work

Cons: project budgeting and resource planning sit in Premier; advanced resource management needs the Foresight tier, so the usable price is well above $20

BigTime suits a larger ad agency that bills time and materials and runs its accounts in QuickBooks. Essentials starts at $20 per user per month, with Advanced at $35 and Premier at $45, and the QuickBooks sync keeps invoices and time in step without manual re-entry. Utilization and profitability reporting show which staff and which clients earn their keep, which matters for an agency that sells hours.

The tier gates are the catch. Project budgeting, standard resource planning, and skills management sit in Premier, and advanced resource management needs the Foresight tier, so the usable agency price is well above $20 per user per month, and a monthly base fee is also reported. There is no free plan, and no self-service trial is listed on the current pricing page, only a personalised demo, An agency should get the full price, base fee included, in writing before signing.