Time Tracking · Researched comparison

10 Best Timesheet Software for Consultants

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Key takeaways

  • Harvest is the best fit for most consultants at $9 per seat per month on annual billing, because hours, expenses, and invoices sit in one place.
  • Toggl Track also starts at $9 per user per month and suits consultants who want simple timers and clear reports without a full invoicing system.
  • Clockify is the cheapest entry at $3.99 per user per month, with a free plan for up to 5 users.
  • Paymo at $10.90 per user per month adds estimates to the mix, so a consultant can quote a job, track hours against it, and invoice from the same record.
  • Avaza costs a flat $9.96 per month and covers 2 timesheet users, while BigTime at $20 per user per month fits larger firms that need project accounting.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
ClockifyLowest cost entry for small firms$3.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HubstaffMonitoring and payroll for remote staff$4.99 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
Time DoctorProof of work with screenshots$6.67 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
EverhourConsultants inside Asana, Jira, or ClickUp$8.50 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
Toggl TrackSimple timers and client reports$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
HarvestHours, expenses, and invoices in one place$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TimelyAutomatic tracking with little manual entry$9 per user/month (billed annually)Free trial (14 days)
AvazaSmall firms wanting one flat monthly price$9.96 per month (billed annually)Yes
PaymoEstimates, hours, and invoices together$10.90 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
BigTimeLarger firms needing project accounting$20 per user/month (billed annually)No

How we choose

We compared vendor pricing pages, plan pages, and feature docs for ten timesheet tools, and we checked each entry price against the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-11-12. We looked at the entry plan only, on annual billing, and we noted the free plan or trial, the seat minimums, and the caps that change the real monthly cost. We gave weight to features a consultant uses every week: simple timers, billable rates, client reports, expenses, and invoicing. We did not test the tools, and we did not use customer counts, awards, or review scores.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

The best timesheet software for consultants

2

Harvest

Best for Hours, expenses, and invoices in one place

Website: https://getharvest.com/

Best for: Hours, expenses, and invoices in one place

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Time, expenses, and invoices in one place; simple project budgets

Cons: Free plan covers only 1 seat and 2 projects; Flex usage fees apply to active items

Harvest is the most complete timesheet tool for a consultant who bills by the hour. The Teams plan at $9 per seat per month on annual billing includes timers, timesheets, expenses, estimates, invoices, and project budgets, so a consultant can track hours for a client, add travel costs, and send the invoice without opening a second tool. Project budgets show how much of a fixed fee has been used, which helps a consultant spot a job that is running over.

The costs to watch are the Flex usage fees, which apply to active projects, clients, tasks, and invoicing on top of the seat price, and the Enterprise plan at $14 per seat per month on annual billing, which adds the controls a larger firm needs. The free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects, which is enough for a solo consultant to test the full loop of tracking, expenses, and invoicing. Price Harvest on your real project count, not just the seat count.

3

Toggl Track

Best for Simple timers and client reports

Website: https://toggl.com/

Best for: Simple timers and client reports

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Very simple timer and reporting; clear reports by client and project

Cons: No built-in invoicing on the entry plan; project budgeting sits on higher tiers

Toggl Track suits a consultant who wants hours recorded fast and reported clearly. The Starter plan at $9 per user per month on annual billing adds billable rates, time estimates, project templates, and saved reports, while the free plan covers basic timers and reporting for a small team. A consultant can run one timer per client and pull a weekly report that shows hours and billable value by client.

The limits are around billing and budgets. Invoicing is not built into the entry plan, so a consultant must export hours to an invoicing tool or use Premium at $16 per user per month for budgeting with alerts. Toggl Track also has no expense tracking on the entry plan, so receipts need a separate tool. Choose it when your firm wants clean, simple hours and already handles invoicing and expenses elsewhere.

4

Paymo

Best for Estimates, hours, and invoices together

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

Best for: Estimates, hours, and invoices together

Starting price: $10.90 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Estimates, time tracking, and invoicing together; team scheduling included

Cons: Price rises to $15.90 after 3 months; solo plan covers only 1 user

Paymo suits a consultant who quotes a fixed fee, tracks hours against it, and then invoices the client from the same record. The Plus plan at $10.90 per user per month on annual billing includes task management, time tracking, estimates, invoicing, and team scheduling, while the Solo plan at $5.90 per month covers a single user. The link between estimate and actual hours shows whether a fixed fee job made money.

The price to watch is the rise after the first 3 months, when Plus goes to $15.90 per user per month, and Pro at $16.90 adds the most advanced reporting. The free plan covers 1 user, which lets a solo consultant test the flow before adding staff. If your firm loses money on jobs that run over estimate, the link between estimate and actual hours is the feature that earns the price.

5

Avaza

Best for Small firms wanting one flat monthly price

Website: https://www.avaza.com/

Best for: Small firms wanting one flat monthly price

Starting price: $9.96 per month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Flat monthly price for the whole team; scheduling and invoicing included

Cons: Flat price covers only 2 timesheet users; extra timesheet users cost $7 each

Avaza is the cheapest option in this list for a very small consulting firm, because the Startup plan costs $9.96 per month on yearly billing as a flat price, not per user. That flat price includes 2 timesheet users, and each extra timesheet user costs $7, so a 5 person firm costs $30.96 per month and a 10 person firm costs $65.96 per month. The same plan includes timesheets, scheduling, expenses, and invoicing.

The limits are the user count and the tiers above. Basic at $19.96 and Business at $39.96 per month add more users and features, and a firm that grows past a handful of timesheet users should compare the flat price against a per user tool. Choose Avaza when your firm is small and you want one predictable monthly bill that covers tracking, scheduling, and invoicing.

6

BigTime

Best for Larger firms needing project accounting

Website: https://www.bigtime.net/

Best for: Larger firms needing project accounting

Starting price: $20 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: No

Pros: Project accounting and utilization reports; built for professional services

Cons: Highest starting price in this list; no free plan

BigTime is the most expensive entry point in this list, and it earns that price only for a larger consulting firm that needs project accounting. The Essentials plan starts at $20 per user per month and includes time tracking, expenses, invoicing, and project management, with higher tiers adding utilization, budgeting, and accounting links. A firm with several consultants and project managers can track hours, costs, and fees in one system and see which clients and which jobs are making money.

The limits are the price and the lack of a free plan, so do not buy BigTime for a solo consultant or a small firm. The full value comes from using the accounting and utilization reports, not just the timer, so a firm that never reads those reports is overpaying. Choose BigTime when your firm has outgrown simple timesheets and needs to manage project profit, not just hours.

7

Everhour

Best for Consultants inside Asana, Jira, or ClickUp

Website: https://everhour.com/

Best for: Consultants inside Asana, Jira, or ClickUp

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Deep links into Asana, Jira, and ClickUp; free plan for up to 5 seats

Cons: Team plan has a 5 seat minimum; no built-in invoicing on the entry plan

Everhour is the strongest choice for a consultant who already plans client work in Asana, Jira, or ClickUp. The Team plan at $8.50 per seat per month on yearly billing adds timers, estimates, budgets, and reports directly inside those project tools, so a consultant can track hours against a task without opening a second app. The free plan covers up to 5 seats, which lets a small team try the workflow before buying.

The limits are the seat rules and the billing gap. The Team plan has a 5 seat minimum, so a firm with fewer than 5 users either stays on the free plan or pays for 5 seats. Invoicing is not part of the entry plan, so pair Everhour with your accounting tool when client billing matters.

8

Timely

Best for Automatic tracking with little manual entry

Website: https://timelyapp.com/

Best for: Automatic tracking with little manual entry

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

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Automatic time capture from apps and calendars; clean project budgets

Cons: Starter caps at 5 users and 20 projects; no free plan

Timely suits a consultant who works across many clients and forgets to start timers. It records time automatically from calendars, documents, and apps, then lets each person review and assign those hours to a client or project, which cuts the end of week chase for missing timesheets. The Starter plan at $9 per user per month on annual billing covers automatic tracking, project budgets, and team capacity views for a small team.

The limits are the caps. Starter allows at most 5 users and 20 projects, so a firm with more consultants or more active clients must move to Premium at $16 or Unlimited at $22 per user per month. There is no free plan, only a trial, so use the trial to check whether the automatic capture matches your real hours. Timely fits a consultant who juggles many small tasks across several clients.

9

Clockify

Best for Lowest cost entry for small firms

Website: https://clockify.me/

Best for: Lowest cost entry for small firms

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

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Free plan for up to 5 users; low Basic price with billable rates

Cons: Activity monitoring starts on Pro at $7.99; free plan limited to 5 users

Clockify gives a consulting firm a full timesheet tool for less than any other option in this list. The free plan covers up to 5 users with unlimited tracking, timers, timesheets, and a calendar view, which is enough for a small firm to run its week. The Basic plan at $3.99 per user per month on annual billing adds time estimates, project templates, required fields, bulk editing, and the ability to add time for other people, so a manager can log hours for the whole team from one screen.

Higher tiers add the pieces a growing firm needs. Standard at $5.49 brings timesheet approval, time off management, and invoicing, while Pro at $7.99 adds activity monitoring, scheduling, forecasting, expenses, and labor costs. Monitoring and forecasting sit behind the higher tiers, and a team above 5 users cannot stay on the free plan.

10

Time Doctor

Best for Proof of work with screenshots

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

Best for: Proof of work with screenshots

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

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Screenshots and activity records from the entry plan; payroll tools included

Cons: No free plan; entry plan lacks some advanced reporting

Time Doctor suits a consulting firm that must show a client exactly what happened during a billed hour. The Basic plan at $6.67 per user per month on annual billing includes timers, timesheets, screenshots, activity tracking, and payroll tools, so consultants and support staff can record hours in the same system. The screenshots and activity records give a project manager a clear trail when a client questions a billable hour.

The trade-off is the monitoring itself, which some consultants and clients may resist, so set clear rules before you switch it on. Basic also lacks some reporting found on Standard at $11.67 and Premium at $16.70, and there is no free plan, only a 14 day trial. Test the trial with one team first and confirm that Basic covers the payroll export you need.

11

Hubstaff

Best for Monitoring and payroll for remote staff

Website: https://hubstaff.com/

Best for: Monitoring and payroll for remote staff

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

Free plan: Free trial (14 days)

Pros: Screenshots and activity levels from the entry plan; built-in payroll

Cons: Two seat minimum on every plan; only one integration on Starter

Hubstaff is built for firms whose consultants work remotely and bill clients by the hour. The Starter plan at $4.99 per seat per month on annual billing includes timers, timesheets, activity levels, app and URL tracking, and a capped set of screenshots, with payroll and client invoicing in the same product. A firm can see when a consultant started work, how many of those hours were billable, and then run payroll from the same records.

The limits matter for budgeting. Every plan carries a two seat minimum, so the lowest annual Starter subscription costs $9.98 per month for both seats combined, not $4.99 in total. Starter also allows only one integration. Grow at $7.50 and Team at $10 add more integrations and reporting, while Enterprise at $25 adds the longest screenshot storage.

What to check before you buy

Check how the tool handles client billing first. A tool without billable rates and client reports will leave your firm retyping hours into invoices, so test the full loop from timer to invoice before you commit. Check the expense flow next, and confirm that travel and receipts can sit on the same invoice as the hours. Check the seat minimums and the caps, because a 5 user cap or a 2 seat minimum changes the real price, and check whether screenshots are on by default, since clients and staff should know what is recorded.

The table below shows the monthly cost at the entry annual rate for a solo consultant, a 5 person firm, and a 10 person firm. Avaza is a flat price plus $7 per extra timesheet user above 2, so it stays cheap for small firms and rises as the firm grows. Timely Starter caps at 5 users, so a 10 person firm must move to a higher tier. Everhour Team has a 5 seat minimum, so a solo consultant pays for 5 seats.

Tool1 user5 users10 users
Clockify$3.99$19.95$39.90
Hubstaff$9.98$24.95$49.90
Time Doctor$6.67$33.35$66.70
Everhour$42.50$42.50$85.00
Toggl Track$9.00$45.00$90.00
Harvest$9.00$45.00$90.00
Timely$9.00$45.00$90.00
Avaza$9.96$30.96$65.96
Paymo$10.90$54.50$109.00
BigTime$20.00$100.00$200.00

FAQ

What is the best timesheet software for a solo consultant?

Harvest is the best starting point for a solo consultant because the free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects, and the Teams plan at $9 per seat per month on annual billing adds expenses, estimates, and invoices. Clockify is cheaper at $3.99 per user per month, but Harvest ties hours straight to invoices.

Do consultants need invoicing inside their timesheet tool?

Not always, but it saves time. Harvest, Paymo, Avaza, and BigTime include invoicing, so hours flow into an invoice without retyping. Toggl Track, Everhour, and Clockify need an export to a separate invoicing tool on their entry plans.

How much does timesheet software cost for a small consulting firm?

Entry prices in this list run from $3.99 to $20 per user per month on annual billing. A 5 person firm costs $19.95 per month on Clockify and $100 per month on BigTime at entry rates. Avaza charges a flat $9.96 per month plus $7 per extra timesheet user above 2, so a 5 person firm costs $30.96 per month.

Can timesheet software track expenses as well as hours?

Yes, most tools in this list include expenses. Harvest, Paymo, Avaza, and BigTime cover expenses on their entry plans, and Clockify adds expenses on Pro at $7.99 per user per month. Toggl Track and Everhour need a separate tool or a higher tier for expenses.

What should a consulting firm check before switching from spreadsheets?

Test the full loop from timer to invoice with one real client, confirm the expense flow, and check the seat minimums and user caps that change the real price. Agree on rules for screenshots and monitoring before you switch them on, and run the new tool beside spreadsheets for one full billing cycle.

Sources we checked

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

Need the method behind these picks?

We publish the criteria and the weights, so you can disagree with them.

The best timesheet software for consultants#1 PICK