Best Time Tracking Software for Remote Design Studios in 2026
TBy the TaskReports Editorial Team Published 2 Nov 2026 · Updated 2 Nov 2026Last verified 2 Nov 2026How we score
TaskReports may earn a fee from some links on this page, and some placements are paid and labelled. Neither one decides the order. See our disclosure.
The short answer
The best pick for most remote design studios is Float Pro. It gives you resource scheduling, capacity planning, time tracking and client rate cards at $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026. That mix fits planning who does what, then proving what it cost. Price source: Float, checked 2 Nov 2026.
design studios that want fast timers and clear project reports
One-click timers, manual entries and calendar integrations
$9 per user per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free plan is $0 for up to 3 users.
Harvest
design studios that bill clients by the hour and want invoices
One-click timers and daily and weekly timesheets
$11 per seat per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free plan is $0 for 1 seat and 2 projects.
Clockify
design studios that want a low price with scheduling on Pro
Timers, timesheets and calendar view
$3.99 per seat per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free plan is $0 for up to 5 users, with unlimited tracking and unlimited projects.
Float
design studios that plan capacity first, then track time against it
Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management
$7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan.
Everhour
design studios that live inside Asana, ClickUp or Trello
Timers inside Asana, ClickUp
$8.50 per seat per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026
Free plan is $0 for up to 5 seats.
Timely
design studios that want automatic tracking with no manual timers
Automatic time tracking with AI-drafted timesheets
$9 per user per month billed yearly, checked 2 Nov 2026
No free plan.
How we choose
We considered 10 tools and shortlisted 6. We compared pricing pages, feature docs and public guidance, and checked every price on 2 Nov 2026. We scored each tool, as set out in how we score, on fit, billing, price, ease of use and integrations.
Remote design studios need to plan who does what, track time against a project, and show a client what the work cost. A tool scored well only if it could schedule capacity, hold billable rates, and export a clean report a client can read.
We checked the vendor pages ourselves. Prices come from the vendor pricing page for each tool. If a vendor shows no price, we write Quote only and say so.
Best for design studios that want fast timers and clear project reports.
One-click timers, manual entries and calendar integrations.
Billable rates, project estimates and team reports from Starter.
Timeline views and project dashboards that show actual time against estimates.
Skip it if skip Toggl Track if you need invoicing in the same tool as your timers.
PriceThe entry plan is $9 per user per month billed annually, or $12 per user per month billed monthly. Premium is $16 per user per month billed annually. See the [Toggl Track pricing page](https://toggl.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Toggl Track lists the entry paid plan at $9 per user per month billed annually, or $12 per user per month billed monthly on its Toggl Track pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free plan is $0 for up to 3 users. Paid plans have a 30-day free trial. Its key features are One-click timers, manual entries and calendar integrations. Billable rates, project estimates and team reports from Starter.
Price: The entry plan is $9 per user per month billed annually, or $12 per user per month billed monthly. Premium is $16 per user per month billed annually. See the Toggl Track pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Toggl Track if you need invoicing in the same tool as your timers.
Unique element: Toggl Track lists Capacity Management as a paid add-on at $5 per user per month billed annually.
No invoicing on any tier, so hours must be exported to bill a client.
The free plan covers only 3 users, so a 4-person team must pay for every seat.
Timesheet approvals, profitability, the audit log and SSO need Premium at $16.
2
HHarvest
Best for design studios that bill clients by the hour and want invoices.
The entry plan is $11 per seat per month billed annually, or $13.75 per seat per month billed monthly. Premium is $14 per seat per month billed annually. See the [Harvest pricing page](https://www.getharvest.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Harvest lists the entry paid plan at $11 per seat per month billed annually, or $13.75 per seat per month billed monthly on its Harvest pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free plan is $0 for 1 seat and 2 projects. Paid plans have a 30-day free trial, and no credit card is required. Its key features are One-click timers and daily and weekly timesheets, with calendar imports. Invoicing from tracked time, with Stripe, QuickBooks Online and Xero.
Price: The entry plan is $11 per seat per month billed annually, or $13.75 per seat per month billed monthly. Premium is $14 per seat per month billed annually. See the Harvest pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Harvest if you need an audit log and approvals without paying for Premium.
Unique element: Harvest Premium is $14 per seat per month billed annually, or $168 per seat billed annually.
What we like
One-click timers and daily and weekly timesheets, with calendar imports.
Invoicing from tracked time, with Stripe, QuickBooks Online and Xero.
Expense tracking, project estimates and billable and cost rates.
Watch out for
The free plan is 1 seat and 2 projects, so any team must pay.
The activity log, timesheet approvals, profitability reporting and SAML SSO need Premium at $14.
Resource planning needs Harvest Forecast, which is billed separately.
Skip it if skip Harvest if you need an audit log and approvals without paying for Premium.
Best for design studios that want a low price with scheduling on Pro.
The entry plan is $3.99 per seat per month billed annually, or $4.99 per seat per month billed monthly. Standard is $5.49 per seat per month billed annually. See the [Clockify pricing page](https://clockify.me/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Clockify lists the entry paid plan at $3.99 per seat per month billed annually, or $4.99 per seat per month billed monthly on its Clockify pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free plan is $0 for up to 5 users, with unlimited tracking and unlimited projects. Its key features are Timers, timesheets and calendar view, with 80 or more integrations. Billable rates from Basic, and invoicing and approvals from Standard.
Price: The entry plan is $3.99 per seat per month billed annually, or $4.99 per seat per month billed monthly. Standard is $5.49 per seat per month billed annually. See the Clockify pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Clockify if you need an audit log and SSO without paying for Enterprise.
Unique element: Clockify Basic is the cheapest paid start in this guide, at $3.99 per seat per month billed annually.
What we like
Timers, timesheets and calendar view, with 80 or more integrations.
Billable rates from Basic, and invoicing and approvals from Standard.
Scheduling, forecasting, project budgets and labour cost on Pro.
Watch out for
The free plan report range is 1 month, and exports are PDF only.
Invoicing and approvals need Standard at $5.49, not the $3.99 entry tier.
The audit log and SSO need Enterprise at $11.99 per seat per month.
Skip it if skip Clockify if you need an audit log and SSO without paying for Enterprise.
Best for design studios that plan capacity first, then track time against it.
The entry plan is $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly. Pro is $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually. See the [Float pricing page](https://www.float.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Float lists the entry paid plan at $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly on its Float pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. No free plan. A 30-day free trial is offered, and no credit card is required. Trials default to Pro. Its key features are Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management. Project scoping with phases, milestones and tasks, plus project cost estimates.
Price: The entry plan is $7 per scheduled person per month billed annually, or $8.50 per scheduled person per month billed monthly. Pro is $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually. See the Float pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Float if you need invoicing in the same tool as your schedule.
Unique element: Float bills only for scheduled people, and guests who are not scheduled are free.
What we like
Resource scheduling with capacity and time-off management.
Project scoping with phases, milestones and tasks, plus project cost estimates.
Utilisation trends, billable against non-billable time, and estimates against actuals on Pro.
Watch out for
Starter at $7 has no time tracking, so a team that needs actual hours must pay Pro at $12.
No free plan, so you must use the 30-day trial to test it.
No native invoicing, so billing needs another tool.
Skip it if skip Float if you need invoicing in the same tool as your schedule.
Best for design studios that live inside Asana, ClickUp or Trello.
The entry plan is $8.50 per seat per month billed annually. Custom is quote only, with a minimum of 50 seats. See the [Everhour pricing page](https://everhour.com/pricing), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Everhour lists the entry paid plan at $8.50 per seat per month billed annually on its Everhour pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. Free plan is $0 for up to 5 seats. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required. Its key features are Timers inside Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Trello, Monday.com and Basecamp. Billable rates, project budgets, invoicing, expenses and time approval on Team.
Price: The entry plan is $8.50 per seat per month billed annually. Custom is quote only, with a minimum of 50 seats. See the Everhour pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Everhour if you do not use Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Trello or Monday.com.
Unique element: Everhour has one paid plan only, Team, so there is no mid-tier choice to compare.
What we like
Timers inside Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Trello, Monday.com and Basecamp.
Billable rates, project budgets, invoicing, expenses and time approval on Team.
Scheduling, time off, SSO and API access on Team.
Watch out for
Team has a 5-seat minimum, so the smallest paid bill is $42.50 a month billed annually.
The free plan has no integrations, billing, budgeting or invoicing.
There is no mid tier, so the only step up from Team is Custom at 50 seats or more.
Skip it if skip Everhour if you do not use Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Trello or Monday.com.
Best for design studios that want automatic tracking with no manual timers.
The entry plan is $9 per user per month billed yearly, or $11 per user per month billed monthly. Premium is $16 per user per month billed yearly. See the [Timely pricing page](https://www.timely.com/pricing/), checked 2 Nov 2026.
Timely lists the entry paid plan at $9 per user per month billed yearly, or $11 per user per month billed monthly on its Timely pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026. No free plan. A 14-day free trial is offered. Its key features are Automatic time tracking with AI-drafted timesheets, so no manual timer is needed. Billable rates, project health monitoring and branded client reports.
Price: The entry plan is $9 per user per month billed yearly, or $11 per user per month billed monthly. Premium is $16 per user per month billed yearly. See the Timely pricing page, checked 2 Nov 2026.
Who should skip it: skip Timely if you need invoicing, or you have more than 5 users and 20 projects.
Unique element: Timely Starter is capped at 5 users and 20 projects, which suits a small studio only.
What we like
Automatic time tracking with AI-drafted timesheets, so no manual timer is needed.
Billable rates, project health monitoring and branded client reports.
Report exports in PDF, CSV and XLS formats.
Watch out for
Starter is capped at 5 users and 20 projects, so a larger team must move to Premium at $16.
Budgets and project-management sync need Premium.
Capacity management needs Unlimited at $22 per user per month.
Skip it if skip Timely if you need invoicing, or you have more than 5 users and 20 projects.
Which time tracking software is cheapest for remote design studios?
Clockify is the cheapest paid start, at $3.99 per seat per month billed annually. Float costs $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually, which is more, but it includes the features most remote design studios need on the working tier. If you need the cheapest useful plan, check what is gated to a higher tier first, because a low entry price can hide approvals, reports or time tracking that you will need in the first month.
Which time tracking software is best for a small team?
Float is the best fit for most small teams, because it covers the core work at a clear price and has a free trial to test. Clockify is the budget choice, at $3.99 per seat per month billed annually, and its free plan can carry a very small team. Count seats carefully, because seat minimums and guest rules change the real cost for a team of three or five.
Which tool turns tracked time into client-ready reports best?
Float does this best in this guide, because it links planned work, tracked time and client rates in one view. Some tools in this guide turn hours into invoices, while others give clean project reports with billable rates. Pick the tool that matches how you bill, and check that reports export as PDF or CSV with rates and totals shown.
Which time tracking software is easiest to start with?
Clockify is the easiest to start with, because it has a free plan and a low entry price. Float is also quick to start, with a free trial and no credit card required on most plans in this guide. Set up one real project, add your team, and log time for a week before you decide. That test shows whether timers, reports and approvals fit your daily work.
What to check before you buy
Scheduling: confirm you can plan who does what, and see who is free or overloaded.
Billable rates: confirm rates can differ by person, project and client.
Client reports: confirm reports show time, rates and totals in a form a client can read.
Async use: confirm timers and timesheets work across time zones without live meetings.
Estimates: confirm you can compare estimated hours with actual hours per project.
Trial terms: confirm the trial length, whether it needs a card, and whether it covers the plan you want.
Which time tracking software is best for remote design studios?
Float is the best fit for most remote design studios because it is the only pick that combines resource scheduling and capacity planning with actual time tracking, estimates against actuals, prefilled timesheets and client rate cards. The price is $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually, checked 2 Nov 2026.
How much does time tracking software cost for remote design studios?
Entry paid plans in this guide start at $3.99 per seat per month billed annually for Clockify. Mid plans run higher, and the top pick costs $12 per scheduled person per month billed annually. A team of ten on Float would pay about $1,440 per year before tax at that rate.
Can part-time staff log time without a full paid seat?
It depends on the tool. Most tools in this guide charge for every person who logs time, including part-time staff and freelancers. Some let you add guests, or limit seats to staff, and collect other hours by import. Count every seat before you invite staff.
What should remote design studios check before they buy time tracking software?
Check scheduling: confirm you can plan who does what, and see who is free or overloaded. Also check billable rates: confirm rates can differ by person, project and client. Confirm the price on the vendor pricing page, the trial length, and whether part-time staff need paid seats.
Do remote design studios need invoicing in the time tracking tool?
Not always. Small teams can export hours and invoice in accounting software. Larger teams that bill by the hour save time when hours turn into invoices in the same tool. If you bill by the hour, pick a tool with invoicing on the plan you buy.