Time Tracking · Researched comparison

Best Time Tracking Software for Professional Services Firms

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Key takeaways

  • Professional services firms need time tracking tied to clients, projects and billing rates, because every hour should map to a client matter or an engagement.
  • Entry prices run from $3.99 to $9 per user per month on annual billing, while Replicon and ClickTime publish no prices and ask buyers to request a quote.
  • Timesheet approvals, invoicing and profitability reports often sit on higher tiers, so check which tier holds the features your billing process needs.
  • Free plans from Clockify, Everhour, Toggl Track, Harvest and Paymo suit small teams, but user caps and missing integrations can force an upgrade as the firm grows.
  • Start with a pilot on one team, compare billed hours against tracked hours for a month, then roll the winner out to the whole firm.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
ClockifySmall firms on a tight budget$3.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HubstaffFirms that want activity proof$4.99 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
PaymoSmall firms that also manage projects$5.90 per user/month (Solo plan)Yes
Time DoctorFirms that need productivity detail$6.67 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
EverhourFirms that live in Asana, Jira or Trello$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Toggl TrackFirms that want a simple timer$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HarvestFirms that bill clients from tracked time$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TimelyFirms that want automatic time capture$9 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
ClickTimeFirms that need approvals and budgetsquote onlyNo
RepliconLarge firms with complex billing rulesquote onlyNo

How we choose

We reviewed each vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026 and recorded the lowest tier price, the free plan terms and the trial length. We compared features on the vendor docs pages, including timesheet approvals, invoicing, integrations and reporting, and we noted which features sit on higher tiers. We did not run hands-on tests, and we did not use review scores. The order follows entry price, with quote-only tools at the end, so a firm can see the cost range before reading the detail.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

The best time tracking software for professional services firms

A professional services firm sells hours, so its tracker must connect time to clients, projects and billing rates. The tools below range from simple timers to full billing platforms, and each one was checked against its vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026. The list is ordered by entry price, with the two quote-only platforms at the end.

2

Clockify

Best for Small firms on a tight budget

Website: https://clockify.me/

Best for: Small firms on a tight budget

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Free plan with unlimited tracking; low entry price for growing teams

Cons: Free plan capped at 5 users; invoicing needs a higher tier

Clockify gives a professional services firm a timer, a timesheet view and project tracking at the lowest entry price in this list. The free plan covers unlimited time tracking, which suits a small firm that wants to test a tracker with the whole team before spending anything. Projects, clients and tags keep hours organised by engagement, and the dashboard shows who worked on what during the week.

The limits show up as the firm grows. The free plan caps at 5 users, so a firm with six or more staff must move to a subscription tier. Invoicing, timesheet approval and scheduling need the Standard tier at $5.49 per user per month on annual billing, and activity monitoring sits on the Pro tier at $7.99. A firm that bills from tracked time should price the Standard tier, not the Basic tier, because approvals and invoices are part of the billing workflow.

3

Hubstaff

Best for Firms that want activity proof

Website: https://www.hubstaff.com/

Best for: Firms that want activity proof

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

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Screenshots and activity levels for remote teams; strong payroll integrations

Cons: 2-seat minimum on every tier; Starter caps screenshots at 500 per seat per month

Hubstaff suits firms with remote or hybrid teams that need proof of work alongside hours. Screenshots, app and URL tracking, and activity levels show what happened during tracked time, which helps managers who cannot see their team in the office. The Starter tier at $4.99 per user per month on annual billing covers time tracking, timesheets and basic reporting.

The 2-seat minimum applies to every tier, so a solo practitioner cannot buy a single seat. Starter also caps screenshots and app and URL tracking at 500 per seat per month, which can run short for a team that tracks every working hour. Payroll, invoicing and deeper reporting sit on the Grow tier at $7.50 and the Team tier at $10. Firms that only need hours and approvals may find the screenshot features unnecessary, so weigh the monitoring tools against the cost.

4

Paymo

Best for Small firms that also manage projects

Website: https://www.paymoapp.com/

Best for: Small firms that also manage projects

Starting price: $5.90 per user/month (Solo plan)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Project management built in; invoicing from tracked time

Cons: Free and Solo plans are single-user only; Gantt charts need the Pro tier

Paymo combines time tracking with project management, task lists and invoicing, so a small firm can run client work in one place. The free plan covers one user, one client, two projects and 1 GB of storage, which suits a solo consultant testing the workflow. Time entries feed directly into invoices, and the project view shows budgets against hours worked.

The catch is the single-user limit. Free and Solo are both single-user plans, so a firm with two or more staff must start at the Plus tier at $10.90 per user per month on annual billing. Gantt charts and scheduling sit on the Pro tier at $16.90. A firm that grows past one person should budget for Plus from the start, because the headline Solo price does not apply to teams.

5

Time Doctor

Best for Firms that need productivity detail

Website: https://www.timedoctor.com/

Best for: Firms that need productivity detail

Starting price: $6.67 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Detailed productivity and distraction reports; payroll tools on higher tiers

Cons: Basic tier has no integrations or payroll; no free plan

Time Doctor records time with screenshots, app and website usage, and productivity ratings, which gives managers a detailed view of how the working day is spent. The Basic tier at $6.67 per user per month on annual billing covers time tracking, screenshots and basic reports, and a 14-day trial lets a firm test the monitoring features before committing.

Basic is a narrow tier. It has no integrations, no payroll tools and no web and app usage reporting, so a firm that needs data to flow into payroll or accounting software must move to Standard at $11.67 or Premium at $16.70. There is no free plan, only the trial, so the cost starts from the first month after the trial ends. Firms that value privacy should also note that screenshots and activity tracking can feel intrusive to staff.

6

Everhour

Best for Firms that live in Asana, Jira or Trello

Website: https://everhour.com/

Best for: Firms that live in Asana, Jira or Trello

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Deep Asana, Jira and Trello integrations; budget alerts on projects

Cons: 5-seat minimum on the subscription tier; free plan excludes integrations

Everhour lives inside the tools a firm already uses, adding a timer and budget tracking to Asana, Jira, Trello and ClickUp. The free plan covers up to 5 seats, which suits a small team that wants to test the integration before spending. Budget alerts warn when a project nears its hour or cost limit, and reports break time down by client, project and team member.

The subscription tier has a 5-seat minimum, so the lowest monthly cost on annual billing is $42.50. The free plan excludes all integrations, which removes the main reason to choose Everhour, so most firms will need the Team tier. A firm that does not use Asana, Jira or Trello gets less value here, because the native interface is thinner than the integrations that sit on top of it.

7

Toggl Track

Best for Firms that want a simple timer

Website: https://toggl.com/

Best for: Firms that want a simple timer

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Fast one-click timer; free plan with unlimited projects

Cons: Timesheet approvals need the Premium tier; capacity tools cost extra

Toggl Track is the simplest timer in this list, with one-click start and stop, project tags and a clean weekly view. The free plan covers unlimited projects and clients, which suits a small firm that wants every team member tracking from day one. Reports show billable against non-billable hours, and the 30-day trial opens the full feature set for testing.

The limits sit on higher tiers. Timesheet approvals, single sign-on and profitability reports need the Premium tier at $16 per user per month on annual billing, and Capacity Management is a $5 per user per month add-on. A firm that needs managers to approve timesheets before invoicing should price Premium, not Starter. For firms that only need hours recorded and reported, Starter at $9 is enough.

8

Harvest

Best for Firms that bill clients from tracked time

Website: https://www.getharvest.com/

Best for: Firms that bill clients from tracked time

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Clean invoicing from tracked time; QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe integrations

Cons: Flex usage fees on top of seat prices; approvals need the Enterprise tier

Harvest turns tracked time into invoices with little extra work, which is the core need for a firm that bills by the hour. The free plan covers one seat and two projects, so a solo consultant can run a small practice on it. The Teams tier at $9 per user per month on annual billing adds unlimited projects, clients and invoicing, plus integrations with QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe.

Two costs deserve attention. Flex usage fees are charged on top of seat prices for active projects, clients, tasks and invoicing, so the monthly bill can rise above the seat price. Timesheet approval, profitability reporting and single sign-on sit on the Enterprise tier at $14 per user per month on annual billing. A firm that needs approvals should price Enterprise, and a firm with many active projects should ask how Flex fees apply before signing up.

9

Timely

Best for Firms that want automatic time capture

Website: https://timelyapp.com/

Best for: Firms that want automatic time capture

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

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Automatic capture of work across apps; clean project budgets

Cons: Starter caps at 5 users and 20 projects; Tasks is an add-on that costs extra

Timely records work automatically by watching the apps and documents a person uses, then suggests time entries for review. That removes the end-of-day scramble to remember what happened, which suits firms where staff juggle several client matters. The Starter tier at $9 per user per month on annual billing covers automatic tracking, project budgets and reporting, with a free trial to test the capture.

Starter caps at 5 users and 20 projects, so a growing firm hits the ceiling quickly. The Tasks feature is an add-on from $5 per user per month, which adds cost for firms that want task-level planning. There is no free plan, only the trial. Timely fits firms that value automatic capture over manual timers, but the caps mean larger firms should look at the higher tiers first.

10

ClickTime

Best for Firms that need approvals and budgets

Website: https://www.clicktime.com/

Best for: Firms that need approvals and budgets

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Strong approvals and budget controls; resource planning views

Cons: No published prices; expense tracking is a $4 per user per month add-on

ClickTime focuses on timesheets, approvals and project budgets, with dashboards that show hours against budget in real time. Managers approve timesheets in a queue, and resource views show who has capacity for new work. That fits firms where a partner must sign off hours before they reach the client invoice.

The vendor publishes no prices, so buyers must request a quote and a demo before they know the cost. Expense tracking is a $4 per user per month add-on on every tier, and automated time tracking and approvals start at the Team tier, not Starter. A firm that wants a quick self-serve signup will not get one here, but a firm that needs strict approval chains may find the controls worth the sales process.

11

Replicon

Best for Large firms with complex billing rules

Website: https://www.replicon.com/

Best for: Large firms with complex billing rules

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Deep time, expense and billing rules; global compliance coverage

Cons: No published prices and no self-serve signup; sales-led process only

Replicon handles time, expenses and billing for large firms with complex rules, multiple currencies and global compliance needs. It covers project time tracking, time off, expenses and invoicing in one platform, with approval chains and audit trails that suit regulated work. Large firms with offices in several countries use it to keep one set of time rules across regions.

The trade-off is access. Replicon publishes no prices and offers no self-serve signup, so buyers go through a sales demo and a custom quote. There is no free plan, and the pricing page offers a demo only. A small firm will find the process slow and the cost unclear, while a large firm with complex billing may find the depth worth it. Ask for the full price including implementation before committing.

What to check before you buy

Check the tier that holds timesheet approvals, because many firms need a manager sign-off before hours reach an invoice. Check the free plan user cap, because a 5-user cap forces an upgrade as soon as the sixth person joins. Check whether invoicing is included or needs a higher tier, and ask about usage fees on top of seat prices. Check the trial length and whether a card is required, then run a pilot with one team for two weeks before rolling the tool out to the whole firm.

FAQ

What is the cheapest time tracking software for professional services firms?

Clockify is the cheapest entry point in this list, at $3.99 per user per month on annual billing, and its free plan covers unlimited tracking for up to 5 users. Hubstaff follows at $4.99, and Paymo Solo costs $5.90 for a single user. The cheapest option is not always the best fit, because invoicing and approvals often sit on higher tiers, so check which tier holds the features your billing needs before choosing on price alone.

Do professional services firms need timesheet approvals?

Most firms that bill by the hour need a manager or partner to approve timesheets before hours reach the client invoice, because an error caught late costs money and trust. Clockify, Harvest and Toggl Track put approvals on higher tiers, while ClickTime and Replicon build approvals into their core workflow. If your firm bills weekly, approvals matter more than if you bill monthly, because the review cycle runs four times as often.

Which tools have a free plan?

Clockify, Everhour, Toggl Track, Harvest and Paymo all offer a free plan, with user caps from 1 to 5 seats. Hubstaff, Time Doctor and Timely offer a 14-day free trial instead, and FreshBooks-style invoicing tools vary. ClickTime, Replicon, BQE CORE and Monograph offer no free plan and ask buyers to book a demo. A free plan suits a pilot, but most firms outgrow the caps within a year.

Can time tracking software create client invoices?

Yes, Harvest, Paymo, Clockify on its Standard tier and ClickTime all turn tracked time into invoices, with client rates and billable hour rules. Harvest is the most direct, because invoices come straight from approved time entries and connect to QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe. Check whether invoicing is included in the tier you buy, because some tools put it one tier above the entry price.

How long does it take to set up time tracking for a firm?

A simple timer such as Toggl Track or Clockify takes a day to set up, because you add clients, projects and users, then invite the team. A billing platform such as ClickTime or Replicon takes two to six weeks, because rates, approval chains and integrations need configuration. Plan a two-week pilot with one team, compare tracked hours against billed hours, then roll the tool out to the whole firm.

Sources we checked

  • https://clockify.me/pricing
  • https://www.hubstaff.com/pricing
  • https://www.paymoapp.com/pricing/
  • https://www.timedoctor.com/pricing
  • https://everhour.com/pricing
  • https://toggl.com/track/pricing/
  • https://www.getharvest.com/pricing
  • https://timelyapp.com/pricing
  • https://www.clicktime.com/pricing
  • https://www.replicon.com/pricing
How we score

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The best time tracking software for professional services firms#1 PICK