Best Time Tracking Software for Agencies
Small agencies need time tracking software that captures billable hours, tracks project profitability, and helps identify scope creep. The right tool fits your workflow without unnecessary complexity.
Find My Software StackWhy agencies need time tracking
Small agencies need a clear view of where time is spent. Understanding how time is allocated can improve profitability and pricing decisions. Time tracking software helps you answer these critical questions:
The best agency time tracking software makes capturing this data simple, not burdensome.
What good agency time tracking should provide
Agency-focused time tracking software should support:
Client and project organization
Organize time entries by client, project, and task. Attribute every hour to the work it represents.
Billable and non-billable time
Mark time as billable or non-billable. Non-billable time includes internal meetings, admin work, and unbilled client support.
Timer and manual entry
Support both real-time timer tracking and retroactive entry. Not all work is tracked as it happens.
Reports and insights
View time by client, project, person, and date. Generate reports for invoicing, cost analysis, and profitability.
Budgets and alerts
Set project budgets and get alerted before projects exceed them. Catch scope creep early.
Integrations with your PM tool
Connect with project management software you already use so time tracking doesn't become another separate system.
Best time tracking software for agencies
Here are the most practical time tracking tools for small agencies, with context on when each one shines.
Toggl Track
Best for: Focused time tracking and reporting. Toggl Track is built around simplicity—a timer, timesheets, and robust reporting. Strong for tracking billable and non-billable hours, preparing invoice-ready data, and understanding project profitability. The tool keeps time tracking as its core strength without trying to be a full project management system.
Harvest
Best for: Time tracking + budgeting + invoicing workflow. Harvest bundles time tracking, budgets, profitability reports, and invoicing into one integrated platform. Strong choice when you want time tracking to flow directly into client invoices and financial reports. Built for service businesses that care deeply about billing accuracy and project profitability.
Clockify
Best for: Straightforward tracking with budgets. Clockify offers a Free plan with time tracking, timesheets, and budget tracking. Good choice if you want the essentials—timer, manual entries, billable hours, and project budgets—and prefer to start with a free option.
Everhour
Best for: Agencies already using a PM tool. Everhour integrates tightly with project management software like Asana, Monday, ClickUp, and Jira. Time tracking lives in your PM tool rather than as a separate app. Strong choice if your team already lives in project management software and you want time tracking there too, without context-switching.
Hubstaff
Best for: Time tracking + workforce visibility. Hubstaff combines time tracking with productivity monitoring and team visibility. Useful when you want to see not only how much time is tracked but also understand team activity and productivity patterns. Better fit for agencies prioritizing workforce insights alongside billing accuracy.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Key strength | Consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | Focused tracking | Reporting and simplicity | Separate from PM tool |
| Harvest | Time + billing workflow | Invoicing integration | Full-featured, paid plans |
| Clockify | Budget-conscious teams | Free tier, budgets | Lighter on integrations |
| Everhour | PM tool users | Deep PM integrations | Depends on PM choice |
| Hubstaff | Workforce visibility | Activity monitoring | Privacy considerations |
How to choose the right time tracking tool
Your choice depends on your agency's current setup and priorities:
Solo or small team needing simple tracking
Toggl Track or Clockify. Start with the essentials—timer, timesheets, billable hours—and add budgets if you need project cost visibility.
Tracking directly tied to invoicing
Harvest. If your workflow is time → invoice, Harvest streamlines that directly.
Already using Asana, Monday, ClickUp, or Jira
Everhour. Live time tracking inside your PM tool eliminates context-switching.
Budget-conscious and free-tier users
Clockify. Clockify is worth considering if you want to start with a free time-tracking option and only add paid capabilities when needed.
Needing workforce visibility and activity tracking
Hubstaff. Useful when you want to understand team productivity alongside time tracking, though consider privacy implications with your team.
Time tracking vs all-in-one agency software
Some all-in-one platforms include time tracking. The question for your agency is whether a specialized time tracker or a bundled solution works better.
Specialized time trackers (like Toggl Track) excel at time tracking specifically. They give you depth in reporting, budget tracking, and profitability analysis. Use one if time tracking is a core priority for your agency.
Bundled solutions (like all-in-one project management tools) include time tracking as one feature among many. They work well if you already need the other features and want time tracking to live in the same place. See the project management software page for details on tools that bundle project management with time tracking.
For agencies that already have a project management system, a standalone time tracker can complement it without replacing the existing workflow.
How Kitanva helps
Time tracking software is one piece of your broader agency stack. The best choice depends not only on time tracking needs, but on how it fits with your project management tool, invoicing system, and other software.
Kitanva helps you evaluate your entire software stack based on your agency's specific situation. Instead of choosing tools in isolation, the Kitanva calculator considers your team size, number of clients, budget, and priorities—then recommends a cohesive software stack, including time tracking, that works together for your needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time tracking software for a small agency?
There's no universal best. Toggl Track works well for focused tracking and reporting. Harvest excels if you need time tracking tied to invoicing. Clockify is strong if you want a free option with budgets. Everhour fits if you already use a PM tool. Hubstaff shines if you need workforce visibility. Choose based on your agency's priorities and existing software.
Do agencies need time tracking software?
Time tracking can be valuable for service agencies that bill by time, manage project budgets, or need better visibility into how work is allocated. It is especially useful when actual hours need to be compared with estimates or used for client billing.
How should agencies track billable hours?
Capture time in real-time (using a timer) or after-the-fact (manual entry). Mark time as billable or non-billable. Organize by client and project. Depending on the tool and workflow, teams can review tracked time before using it for invoicing.
Should agencies track non-billable time?
Yes. Non-billable time includes internal meetings, admin work, and unbilled client support. Tracking it gives you a complete picture of team capacity and helps you identify where you're spending time without revenue.
What is the difference between time tracking and employee monitoring?
Time tracking records hours spent on work. Employee monitoring (like Hubstaff's productivity features) also tracks activity, screenshots, or idle time. Time tracking is focused on billing accuracy. Monitoring is about workforce visibility. The tools overlap, but serve different purposes—consider your team's privacy and your actual need before adopting monitoring.
Can time tracking software integrate with project management tools?
Many do. Everhour integrates with Asana, Monday, ClickUp, and Jira. Others like Toggl Track and Harvest integrate with common project management platforms. Check the tool's integrations before committing.
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