Time Tracking · Researched comparison

Best Timesheet Software for Architects

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Key takeaways

  • Architecture studios need timesheets tied to projects, phases and billing rates, because every hour should map to a design stage or a client.
  • Entry prices run from $3.99 to $9 per user per month on annual billing, while Monograph and BQE CORE publish no per-user prices and ask buyers to request a quote.
  • Project budgets, phase tracking and invoicing often sit on higher tiers, so check which tier holds the features your billing needs.
  • Free plans from Clockify, Everhour, Toggl Track, Harvest and Paymo suit small studios, but user caps and missing integrations can force an upgrade as the studio grows.
  • Start with a pilot on one project, compare tracked hours against the project budget for a month, then roll the winner out to the whole studio.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
ClockifySmall studios on a tight budget$3.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HubstaffStudios that want activity proof$4.99 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
PaymoSmall studios that also manage projects$5.90 per user/month (Solo plan)Yes
Time DoctorStudios that need productivity detail$6.67 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
EverhourStudios that live in Asana or Trello$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Toggl TrackStudios that want a simple timer$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HarvestStudios that bill clients from hours$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TimelyStudios that want automatic time capture$9 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
MonographStudios that need practice managementquote onlyNo
BQE CORELarge studios that need full practice toolsquote 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 project budgets, phase tracking, 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 the quote-only tools at the end, so a studio can see the cost range before reading the detail.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

The best timesheet software for architects

An architecture studio tracks time across design phases, from concept to construction documents, so the tool must link hours to projects and budgets. The tools below range from simple timers to full practice management 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 studios on a tight budget

Website: https://clockify.me/

Best for: Small studios 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 studios

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

Clockify gives a small architecture studio 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 studio that wants every architect logging hours before spending anything. Projects, clients and tags keep hours organised by design phase, and the dashboard shows who worked on which project during the week.

The limits show up as the studio grows. The free plan caps at 5 users, so a studio 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 studio that bills clients 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 Studios that want activity proof

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

Best for: Studios 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 an architecture studio with remote or hybrid staff, because screenshots, app and URL tracking, and activity levels show what happened during tracked time. That helps principals who manage designers they never meet in person. The Starter tier at $4.99 per user per month on annual billing covers time tracking, timesheets and basic reporting, with payroll integrations for QuickBooks and others.

The 2-seat minimum applies to every tier, so a solo architect cannot buy a single seat. Starter 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. A studio that only needs hours and budgets may find the screenshot features unnecessary, so weigh the monitoring tools against the cost.

4

Paymo

Best for Small studios that also manage projects

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

Best for: Small studios 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 studio can run a project from brief to final invoice in one place. The free plan covers one user, one client, two projects and 1 GB of storage, which suits a solo architect 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 studio 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 studio 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 Studios that need productivity detail

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

Best for: Studios 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 principals a detailed view of how the design 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 studio 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 studio 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. Studios that value privacy should also note that screenshots and activity tracking can feel intrusive to designers.

6

Everhour

Best for Studios that live in Asana or Trello

Website: https://everhour.com/

Best for: Studios that live in Asana 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 studio 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 studios will need the Team tier. A studio 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 Studios that want a simple timer

Website: https://toggl.com/

Best for: Studios 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 studio 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 studio that needs principals to approve timesheets before invoicing should price Premium, not Starter. For studios that only need hours recorded and reported, Starter at $9 is enough.

8

Harvest

Best for Studios that bill clients from hours

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

Best for: Studios that bill clients from hours

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 suits an architecture studio that bills clients by the hour for design work and revisions. The free plan covers one seat and two projects, so a solo architect 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 studio that needs approvals should price Enterprise, and a studio with many active projects should ask how Flex fees apply before signing up.

9

Timely

Best for Studios that want automatic time capture

Website: https://timelyapp.com/

Best for: Studios 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 studios where designers juggle several projects. 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 studio hits the ceiling quickly. The Tasks feature is an add-on from $5 per user per month, which adds cost for studios that want task-level planning. There is no free plan, only the trial. Timely fits studios that value automatic capture over manual timers, but the caps mean larger studios should look at the higher tiers first.

10

Monograph

Best for Studios that need practice management

Website: https://monograph.com/

Best for: Studios that need practice management

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Built for architecture firms; project budgets and forecasting

Cons: No flat per-user price; Pipeline is a separate add-on

Monograph is built for architecture firms, with time tracking, project budgets, forecasting and invoicing in one platform. It tracks hours by project and phase, shows whether a project is on budget, and forecasts workload across the studio. The vendor prices by firm size through a calculator that shows $45 to $490 per month in total, rather than a flat per-user price, so buyers must run the calculator for their team size.

The trade-off is access. There is no free plan and no trial, only a demo, and Pipeline is a separate add-on that costs extra. A small studio will find the process slower than a self-serve signup, while a studio that needs practice management may find the depth worth it. Ask for the full price including the Pipeline add-on before committing, because the calculator total does not include it.

11

BQE CORE

Best for Large studios that need full practice tools

Website: https://www.bqe.com/

Best for: Large studios that need full practice tools

Starting price: quote only

Free plan: No

Pros: Full practice management with billing; strong project accounting

Cons: No published prices; accounting and CRM are separate modules

BQE CORE is a full practice management platform for architecture and engineering firms, with time tracking, billing, project accounting and resource planning in one system. It covers project budgets, invoicing, expenses and reporting, with dashboards that show profitability by project and phase. Large studios use it to run the whole practice from one database.

The vendor publishes no prices, so buyers must request a quote and a demo before they know the cost. Accounting, CRM, HR and Payroll are separate modules on top of Foundations, so full functionality costs extra beyond the base quote. There is no free plan and no trial published. A small studio will find the process slow and the cost unclear, while a large studio that needs full practice tools may find the depth worth it.

What to check before you buy

Check the tier that holds invoicing, because many studios bill clients from tracked time and need invoices in the same tool. Check the free plan user cap, because a 5-user cap forces an upgrade as soon as the sixth person joins. Check whether project budgets and phase tracking are included or need 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 project for two weeks before rolling the tool out to the whole studio.

FAQ

What is the cheapest timesheet software for architects?

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 phase tracking often sit on higher tiers, so check which tier holds the features your billing needs before choosing on price alone.

Do architects need timesheet approvals?

Most studios that bill by the hour need a principal or project manager 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 Monograph and BQE CORE build approvals into their practice workflow. If your studio 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. Monograph and BQE CORE offer no free plan and ask buyers to book a demo. A free plan suits a pilot, but most studios outgrow the caps within a year, so plan the upgrade cost from the start.

Can timesheet software track time by design phase?

Yes, Monograph, BQE CORE, Harvest and Paymo all track time by project and phase, with budgets per phase and reports that show hours against the fee. Monograph is built for architecture phases, while BQE CORE adds project accounting per phase. Check whether phase budgets are included in the tier you buy, because some tools put budget alerts one tier above the entry price.

How long does it take to set up timesheet software for a studio?

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 practice platform such as Monograph or BQE CORE takes two to six weeks, because rates, phases, approval chains and integrations need configuration. Plan a two-week pilot with one project, compare tracked hours against the project budget, then roll the tool out to the whole studio.

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://monograph.com/pricing
  • https://www.bqe.com/pricing
How we score

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The best timesheet software for architects#1 PICK