Time Tracking · Researched comparison

Best Time Tracking Software for Billable Hours

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Key takeaways

  • Clockify has the lowest starting price at $3.99 per seat per month, billed annually, while TimeSolv has the highest entry price at $49 per user per month.
  • Harvest, Toggl Track, Clockify, Everhour and Paymo offer a free plan, while TimeSolv and Bill4Time offer a free trial and BigTime offers neither.
  • If you bill legal work, TimeSolv and Bill4Time carry the matter billing features, while Harvest, BigTime and Paymo cover invoicing for broader service teams.
  • A 10-person team pays from $39.90 per month with Clockify to $490 per month with TimeSolv at the starting prices in this guide, so team size changes the ranking fast.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
HarvestInvoicing for service teams$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Toggl TrackSimple timers and billable rates$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
ClockifyLow-cost tracking for small teams$3.99 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes
TimeSolvLegal billing and trust accounting$49 per user/monthFree trial (10 days)
BigTimeFull PSA for project firms$20 per user/monthNo
Bill4TimeLegal and consulting billing$39 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
EverhourTracking inside project tools$8.50 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes
PaymoAll-in-one projects and invoicing$5.90 per month (billed annually)Yes

How we choose

We reviewed the vendor pricing pages and feature docs for each tool in this guide and compared starting prices, free plans, billable rates, invoicing and the limits that shape billable-hour work. Every price in this article comes from the vendor pricing page linked in Sources. Where a vendor does not publish a price, we say quote only rather than guessing. We did not claim hands-on testing, and we did not use customer counts, awards or test results. We compared tools that fit teams that bill by the hour, and we left out tools whose main feature falls outside billable-hour tracking. The ranking follows fit for billable hours, not a score, and the decision table in the next section shows what each starting price means for a 10-person team.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

The best time tracking software for billable hours

2

Harvest

Best for Invoicing for service teams

Website: https://www.getharvest.com

Best for: Invoicing for service teams

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: built-in invoicing with QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe sync; billable and cost rates set per person

Cons: free plan stops at 1 seat and 2 projects; entry plans can add Flex usage fees for active projects, clients, tasks and invoicing on top of the seat price

Harvest pairs time tracking with invoicing, which suits teams that bill clients by the hour and want the invoice to follow from the same tracked time. The entry plan includes billable and cost rates set per person, so a team can separate what a client is charged from what the work costs internally. Built-in invoicing connects with QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe, which keeps the step from tracked hours to a sent invoice inside one workflow.

The free plan is narrow, with 1 seat and 2 projects, so it works as a trial of the layout rather than a lasting setup for a team. Teams that grow past that limit move to the entry plan at $9 per user per month, billed annually, and should also check the Flex usage fees that can apply to active projects, clients, tasks and invoicing on top of the seat price. That makes Harvest a strong fit for small service teams that invoice often, as long as the total monthly cost is checked before signup.

3

Toggl Track

Best for Simple timers and billable rates

Website: https://toggl.com

Best for: Simple timers and billable rates

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: one-click timer with manual, real-time and calendar tracking; billable rates and team reports from the Starter plan

Cons: free plan has no billable rates, team reports or approvals; profitability reports, timesheet approvals and SSO need Premium at $16

Toggl Track centers on a one-click timer, with manual, real-time and calendar tracking for people who switch between client tasks through the day. Billable rates and team reports arrive from the Starter plan, which gives a small team the two pieces that matter most for billable hours: a rate attached to each hour and a report that shows where those hours went.

The free plan covers basic tracking but leaves out billable rates, team reports and approvals, so a team that bills by the hour will need to move up. Profitability reports, timesheet approvals and SSO need Premium at $16 per user per month. That tiered shape makes Toggl Track a good pick for teams that want simple tracking first and can add reporting depth later, with the cost of each step clear from the pricing page.

4

Clockify

Best for Low-cost tracking for small teams

Website: https://clockify.me

Best for: Low-cost tracking for small teams

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: lowest starting price in this set; free plan includes unlimited tracking, timesheet, calendar and mobile and desktop apps

Cons: free plan capped at 5 users; invoicing, timesheet approval and QuickBooks sync need Standard at $5.49; once a workspace upgrades, every active or invited user occupies a seat

Clockify has the lowest starting price in this set at $3.99 per seat per month, billed annually, and its free plan is unusually broad. It includes unlimited tracking, timesheets, a calendar view and mobile and desktop apps, which covers the core of billable-hour work without a monthly charge. For a small team that needs to record hours and build a timesheet, the free plan carries a long way.

The free plan is capped at 5 users, so a growing team will hit a limit. Invoicing, timesheet approval and QuickBooks sync need Standard at $5.49 per seat per month, billed annually. Once a workspace upgrades, every active or invited user occupies a seat, so the monthly total follows the full headcount. Clockify suits teams that want the lowest entry cost and a free plan that does real work, with the Standard plan as the next step when invoicing enters the picture.

5

TimeSolv

Best for Legal billing and trust accounting

Website: https://www.timesolv.com

Best for: Legal billing and trust accounting

Starting price: $49 per user/month

Free plan: Free trial (10 days)

Pros: legal-specific billing with trust accounting, LEDES billing and conflict checks; TimeSync desktop capture works offline

Cons: no free plan; $49 starting price is the highest entry price in this set; CRM and website add-ons cost extra ($147 and $149 per month billed annually)

TimeSolv is built for legal billing, with trust accounting, LEDES billing and conflict checks that general time trackers do not carry. TimeSync desktop capture works offline, which helps lawyers who record time away from a stable connection and need those hours to land in the right matter. The $49 per user per month starting price is the highest entry price in this set, and there is no free plan, only a 10-day free trial.

The price makes sense only when the legal features are used often. A firm that needs trust accounting and LEDES export will find those features in the entry plan, while a general service team will find the same hours tracked for less elsewhere. CRM and website add-ons cost extra, at $147 and $149 per month billed annually, so a firm that wants those extras should add them to the monthly total before comparing TimeSolv with a general tracker.

6

BigTime

Best for Full PSA for project firms

Website: https://www.bigtime.net

Best for: Full PSA for project firms

Starting price: $20 per user/month

Free plan: No

Pros: full PSA depth, with time, expenses, billing, invoicing and QuickBooks sync in every plan; project budgeting, resource management and DCAA compliance in higher tiers

Cons: no free plan and no self-service trial, so it cannot be tried before a demo; Advanced, Premier and Enterprise prices are not published on the page (quote only)

BigTime is a full PSA, with time, expenses, billing, invoicing and QuickBooks sync in every plan. That depth suits project firms that want one system from tracked hours to invoice, rather than a timer plus a separate billing tool. Higher tiers add project budgeting, resource management and DCAA compliance, which matters for firms that work on government contracts or manage a large bench of staff.

There is no free plan and no self-service trial, so the only way to see BigTime before buying is a demo. The entry plan starts at $20 per user per month, while Advanced, Premier and Enterprise prices are not published on the pricing page and are quote only. BigTime fits firms that need PSA depth and are ready to talk with sales, rather than teams that want to try a tool on their own first.

7

Bill4Time

Best for Legal and consulting billing

Website: https://www.bill4time.com

Best for: Legal and consulting billing

Starting price: $39 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: time tracking, invoicing, client portal, expense management and QuickBooks integration in the entry plan; 14-day trial needs no credit card

Cons: no free plan; the $39 entry plan omits legal features (trust accounting, conflict checker, LEDES export need Legal Pro at $59)

Bill4Time covers time tracking, invoicing, a client portal, expense management and QuickBooks integration in the entry plan, which gives a small firm a complete billing setup from one subscription. The 14-day free trial needs no credit card, so a firm can walk through a full billing cycle of setup and invoicing before deciding. At $39 per user per month, billed annually, it sits between general trackers and legal-specific tools.

There is no free plan, so the trial is the only no-cost way in. The $39 entry plan omits legal features, and trust accounting, a conflict checker and LEDES export need Legal Pro at $59 per user per month, billed annually. Bill4Time fits legal and consulting firms that want billing, a client portal and expenses in one place, with the Legal Pro tier as the step up for matter billing.

8

Everhour

Best for Tracking inside project tools

Website: https://everhour.com

Best for: Tracking inside project tools

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: timer lives inside Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Trello, Notion, Monday and Linear; one Team plan includes all features (budgets, invoicing, expenses, SSO) with no tier gating

Cons: Team plan has a 5-seat minimum, so a 1 to 2 person team pays for 5 seats ($42.50 per month minimum); free plan excludes integrations, billing and invoicing

Everhour puts its timer inside Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Trello, Notion, Monday and Linear, so people track time without leaving the tool where the work already lives. One Team plan includes all features, with budgets, invoicing, expenses and SSO, and there is no tier gating that holds a feature back for a higher plan. That single-plan shape keeps the choice simple: one price, every feature.

The Team plan has a 5-seat minimum, so a 1 to 2 person team pays for 5 seats, or $42.50 per month at $8.50 per seat per month, billed annually. The free plan excludes integrations, billing and invoicing, which are the features that make Everhour useful for billable work. Everhour suits teams of 5 or more that already live in one of the supported project tools and want time, budgets and invoicing in the same view.

9

Paymo

Best for All-in-one projects and invoicing

Website: https://www.paymoapp.com

Best for: All-in-one projects and invoicing

Starting price: $5.90 per month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: projects, time tracking and invoicing in one app; Paymo Track can record desktop app time automatically

Cons: free and Solo plans are single-user only, so any team starts on Plus at $10.90 per user per month; Gantt charts, scheduling, timesheet approvals and leave management need Pro at $16.90

Paymo brings projects, time tracking and invoicing into one app, so a small team can plan work, record hours and send an invoice without switching tools. Paymo Track can record desktop app time automatically, which helps people who forget to start a timer and need a record of where the day went. The starting price is $5.90 per month, billed annually, on the Solo plan.

The free plan and the Solo plan are single-user only, so any team starts on Plus at $10.90 per user per month, billed annually. Gantt charts, scheduling, timesheet approvals and leave management need Pro at $16.90 per user per month, billed annually. Paymo fits a solo operator at the entry price and a small team on Plus, with Pro as the step up when scheduling and approvals matter.

What to check before you buy

Before you buy, check whether billable rates are included in the plan you would buy, not only in the product. A free plan can look generous until you find that rates, approvals or invoicing sit in a higher tier. Check the seat rules too: Clockify counts every active or invited user as a seat once a workspace upgrades, and Everhour has a 5-seat minimum, so the monthly total can be higher than the per-seat price suggests. Check the accounting sync as well, since Harvest, BigTime, Bill4Time and Clockify on Standard connect with QuickBooks, and that link saves the most time each month. Finally, check the trial: TimeSolv gives 10 days and Bill4Time gives 14 days, while BigTime offers no self-service trial at all.

These figures use the starting prices in this guide. Paymo uses Plus at $10.90 per user per month because Solo is single-user only. Everhour uses $8.50 per seat per month and meets its 5-seat minimum at 10 seats. Where a price is billed annually, the monthly figure is the annual billing rate. Add-ons and usage fees can raise the total, so confirm the final figure on the vendor pricing page before you buy.

FAQ

Which time tracking tool is cheapest for billable hours?

Clockify is the cheapest starting point in this guide at $3.99 per seat per month, billed annually, and its free plan covers unlimited tracking, timesheets and a calendar for up to 5 users. Invoicing and timesheet approval need Standard at $5.49 per seat per month. A team that only needs to record hours can start free, while a team that invoices clients should compare Standard with Harvest at $9 per user per month.

Do I need a free plan or a free trial to start?

A free plan suits a team that wants to record hours over time without a monthly charge, and Harvest, Toggl Track, Clockify, Everhour and Paymo offer one. A free trial suits a team that wants to test a fuller plan for a set number of days, and TimeSolv offers 10 days while Bill4Time offers 14 days. BigTime offers neither, so a demo is the only way to see it before buying.

What should a law firm look for in a time tracker?

A law firm should look for trust accounting, LEDES billing and conflict checks, which TimeSolv includes in its entry plan and Bill4Time includes in Legal Pro at $59 per user per month, billed annually. Offline capture also helps, and TimeSolv TimeSync works offline. A general tracker can record hours, but it will not cover matter billing, so the legal features decide the choice more than the timer.

How much does a 10-person team pay each month?

At the starting prices in this guide, a 10-person team pays $39.90 per month with Clockify, $85 with Everhour, $90 with Harvest or Toggl Track, $109 with Paymo on Plus, $200 with BigTime, $390 with Bill4Time and $490 with TimeSolv. These figures use the starting price for each tool, and Paymo uses Plus because Solo is single-user only. Add-ons and usage fees can raise the total, so check the pricing page before you buy.

Can I track billable hours without invoicing in the same tool?

Yes, you can track hours in one tool and invoice in another, as long as the tracked time can move to the invoice, either through an integration or an export. Toggl Track and Clockify cover tracking well, while Harvest, BigTime, Bill4Time and Paymo add invoicing in the same app. A team that already invoices in QuickBooks should check the sync first, since that link saves the most time each month.

Sources we checked

  • https://www.getharvest.com/pricing
  • https://toggl.com/track/pricing/
  • https://clockify.me/pricing
  • https://www.timesolv.com/pricing/
  • https://www.bigtime.net/pricing/
  • https://www.bill4time.com/pricing/
  • https://everhour.com/pricing
  • https://www.paymoapp.com/pricing/
How we score

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The best time tracking software for billable hours#1 PICK