Unlike Excel timesheets, time and billing software helps accountants and accounting firms increase work efficiency, bill clients accurately, and improve transparency and trust.
When it comes to time and billing software for accountants, the following features matter:
- Seamless billable and non-billable time tracking
- Easy invoicing
- Detailed time and profitability reports
- Secure and compliant time tracking and billing data
Some time and billing software apps also offer project dashboards to forecast timelines and budgets, expense tracking, and accounting integrations.
But which one’s right for you?
We compared the best time and billing tools accountants can use to track time and bill clients. In this article, you’ll find detailed reviews of these tools comparing their features, pros, cons, and pricing.
Let’s dive in.
Disclaimer: The information below is accurate as of February 16th, 2024.
What is the best time and billing software for accountants?
Here are our top ten time and billing software for accountants:
- Toggl Track: Simple time tracking, invoicing, and reporting software
- Clockify: Most comprehensive time tracking solution
- QuickBooks Time: Time tracking for QuickBooks users
- Harvest: Time tracking, billing, and payments
- TimeAnalytics: Affordable time billing software
- BigTime: Time and expense tracking software
- TimeCamp: Time tracking, billing, and attendance management software
- Xero Practice Manager: Time tracking for Xero users
- Hubstaff: Employee monitoring and workforce management tool
- Apploye: Affordable, feature-rich time tracker
1. Toggl Track
Price: Starts at $10/month.
Toggl Track is a simple and powerful time and billing software for accountants.
Toggl Track’s key features range from accurate billable time tracking and detailed time reports to insightful profitability insights and streamlined payroll.
What we like
- Toggl Track is not only an easy-to-use time-tracking tool. It is also a profitability tool that will help you track and optimize your accounting firm’s efficiency
What’s missing
- You can easily generate invoices in Toggl Track but can’t collect payments through the app. This means you may need to rely on third-party apps to collect client payments.
Best for
Toggl Track is best for accountants who want an accurate billable time tracker that generates detailed employee time reports, whether it’s for improving organizational efficiency or processing payroll
Top features
- Accurate time tracking: Toggl Track gives you multiple options to track time. Use its timer, browser extensions, desktop apps, and mobile apps to track time accurately.
- Insights: Explore time data, and monitor project and employee profitability, labor costs, to run a profitable accounting practice.
- Track billable and non-billable hours: Create accurate invoices, bill clients accordingly, and simplify payroll. Set billable rates for the entire firm, client project, or at employee level to generate invoices accurately. Manage and analyze historical billable rates with just a few clicks.
- Project management: Organize clients, projects, and tasks using simple task lists. Use the task timer to track time spent on client tasks. Use the project dashboard to forecast timelines and budgets and monitor project progress.
- Time reports: Generate custom timesheet reports and export them in PDF, CSV, or Excel format.
Tool integrations
Integrations include accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, and ZohoBooks. Plus 100+ integrations for project management software, HR software, development tools, CRMs, and many more.
Pricing
Toggl Track offers four pricing plans:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Personal use |
| Starter | $10 per user per month | Teams with basic time-tracking needs |
| Premium | $20 per user per month | Teams who need online and offline functionality for tracking time and profitability |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Enterprise teams |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
Top Tip: All Toggl Track plans have a free, 30-day trial of Toggl Track Premium.
2. Clockify
Price: Starts at $4.99/month.
Clockify is a comprehensive time tracker with time and billing features that accountants can use to track billable hours and expenses.
What we like
- With Clockify, you don’t have to worry about invoices. The app creates them automatically based on your tracked billable time.
What’s missing
- Clockify doesn’t have any accounting integrations, so you may be unable to connect the accounting apps you already use to Clockify.
Also, being a comprehensive time tracking solution, it has many time management features, for example, clock-in/clock-out kiosks, GPS tracking, and employee monitoring, which accountants may never need.
Best for
Clockify is best for accountants who want a time and billing app with a comprehensive set of features.
Top features
- Billable and non-billable hours: Set hourly rates for each team member, project, or task and track billable and non-billable hours.
- Detailed reports: Get summary, detailed, or weekly reports for any time period with detailed time and billing insights.
- Automatic invoices: Clockify automatically creates your invoices based on your tracker billable time. You can also edit and delete invoices and record payments once the invoice is paid.
- Expense tracking: Track employee hours, mileage, or overtime pay and keep a clear expense record. You can also track billable and non-billable expenses and approve them in Clockify.
Tool integrations
Integrations include QuickBooks, Google Calendar, and Freshdesk.
Pricing
Clockify offers four pricing options:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $4.99 per user per month | Solo users with basic time-tracking needs |
| Standard | $6.99 per user per month | Small teams with more complex time-tracking needs |
| Pro | $9.99 per user per month | Teams who need a robust project and time-tracking tool |
| Enterprise | $14.99 per user per month | Teams with complex client projects that require advanced time-tracking features |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
3. QuickBooks Time
Price: Starts at $20/month
QuickBooks Time is a time-tracking software that helps accountants and bookkeepers manage payroll, generate invoices, and estimate project costs.
Intuit owns this time billing and expense management tool. Intuit also owns accounting tools like QuickBooks and TurboTax. If you already use any of these tools, QuickBooks Time can be a perfect tool for you.
What we like
- QuickBooks Time real-time reporting gives key insights into project costs and billable time tracked. You can use these insights to compare projects and pick the most profitable ones.
What’s missing
- QuickBooks Time starts at $20 per user per month and can be an expensive proposition for most small accounting firms.
Best for
QuickBooks Time is best for accountants who want a time tracking tool that works alongside QuickBooks accounting or TurboTax.
Top features
- Payroll and invoicing: QuickBooks Time tracks time and converts your billable hours into invoices. It also lets you integrate your employees’ time card data with your accounting solution for streamlined payroll.
- Time off management: Add leave hours, approve or deny time off requests, and view time off reports in one place.
- Geofencing: QuickBooks Time automatically alerts employees to clock in and out when they enter or leave a designated work area.
- Shift and job schedules: Create and assign shifts and job schedules to keep your employees’ work hours organized.
Tool integrations
Integrations include QuickBooks, Square Payroll, and OnPay.
Pricing
QuickBooks Time offers two pricing options:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | $20 per month | Teams with basic time tracking needs who also want payroll and invoicing features |
| Elite | $40 per month | Teams who need timesheet signatures and geofencing |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
4. Harvest
Price: Starts at $12/month
Harvest is a time and billing tool that helps accountants track their time, invoice their clients, process payments, and create data-driven reports.
What we like
- Harvest is a complete billing tool. Harvest can track billable and non-billable time, generate invoices from tracked time, collect payments, and track expenses.
What’s missing
- Some users complain about Harvest’s limited integration capabilities.
It also has only two reports — the project time report and the team time report.
Best for
Harvest is best for accountants who want a time tracker with powerful billing features.
Top features
- Accurate time tracking: Track billable and non-billable time and bill clients accurately.
- Streamlined invoicing: Harvest automatically converts time and expenses into invoices.
- Detailed reporting: Track project budgets, analyze team workloads, and see how profitable your projects are.
- Online payments: Get paid faster and securely on PayPal or Stripe.
Tool integrations
Integrations include InvoicePayout, PayPal, QuickBooks Online, and Stripe.
Pricing
Harvest offers two pricing options:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Solo users |
| Pro | $12 per user per month | Small teams |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
5. Time Analytics
Price: Starts at $5.99/month
Time Analytics is a time tracking software solution that accountants can use to track their time accurately, reduce their payroll costs, and boost profitability.
What we like
- With Time Analytics, you can track revenue and costs in real-time, view income and expenses for every project, and generate profit graphs.
Time Analytics also comes with time off management features for better scheduling.
What’s missing
- Time Analytics doesn’t offer browser extensions.
Best for
Time Analytics is best for accountants who want to streamline their payroll and invoicing with an accurate time tracking solution.
Top features
- Billing and pay rates: Add billing and pay rates based on specific projects, clients, or employees.
- Time off management: Employees can add eight types of time off, including vacation, personal time, or sick leave. Managers can see time off reports to efficiently plan projects.
- Visual reports: See at a glance time and cost data so you can make informed decisions.
- Revenue and profit reporting: Get detailed project profit generation reports and analyze project performance.
Tool integrations
Integrations include Microsoft 365, Excel, and Stripe.
Pricing
Time Analytics offers two pricing options:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5.99 per user per month | Accountants with simple workflows and minimal time-tracking needs |
| Optimum | $8.45 per user per month | Teams with more complex employee time-tracking and team management needs |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
6. BigTime
Price: Starts at $20/month
BigTime is a time tracker for accountants with robust invoicing and reporting features. It allows you to align tracked time, resources, and project rates to generate invoices.
What we like
- BigTime has powerful reporting features. It comes with pre-built reports like time-tracking, invoice, or payroll reports. You can also create custom reports with the data you need and customize user access rights.
What’s missing
- BigTime doesn’t have a rich integration ecosystem, which means you might not be able to connect the apps you already use with BigTime.
Best for
BigTime is best for accountants who need to track their time, access detailed reports, and manage their billing process.
Top features
- Expense management: Track billable, non-billable, reimbursable, and non-reimbursable expenses.
- Powerful invoicing: Use standard invoice templates or create custom invoices, send automated invoice reminders, and generate multi-currency invoices.
- Report Wizard: Customize BigTime’s built-in reports or create your own report from scratch to match your specific needs.
- Capacity planning: Plan schedules realistically and keep your projects going.
Tool integrations
Integrations include QuickBooks, Salesforce, and Slack.
Pricing
BigTime offers four pricing options:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $20 per user per month (billed annually) | Accountants who need basic time tracking, expense, and project management |
| Advanced | $35 per user per month (billed annually) | Teams with more complex employee time-tracking and team management needs |
| Premier | $45 per user per month (billed annually) | Teams who need multi-level approvals and project budgeting |
| Projector | From $60 per user per month (billed annually) | Teams with complex project accounting needs |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
7. TimeCamp
Price: Starts at $3.99/month.
TimeCamp is a user-friendly time tracker for accountants to track time automatically, streamline their invoicing process, and manage their timesheets.
It’s also the most affordable time billing solution on this list.
What we like
- With TimeCamp, you can generate 10+ types of reports. Choose from budget, estimates, attendance, time off, overtime reports, etc.
What’s missing
- Time Camp’s employee surveillance features, like screenshots and app tracking, can make employees feel constantly watched and affect their mental health and job satisfaction.
Best for
TimeCamp is best for accountants who want a time and billing tool to track their time and costs and manage their finances.
Top features
- Manual and automatic time tracking: Manually enter your time or have TimeCamp track it automatically for you.
- Budget and expense tracking: Keep an eye on your project budgets and track expenses easily.
- Timesheet management: Quickly fill in, submit, or approve timesheets for accurate time records.
- Historical billing rates: Access and review historical billing rates and use them as references for billing clients.
Tool integrations
Integrations include QuickBooks, Xero, and Google Calendar.
Pricing
TimeCamp offers five pricing options:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Individual users with minimal time tracking needs |
| Starter | $3.99 per user per month | Teams with more complex time-tracking needs |
| Premium | $6.99 per user per month | Large teams that need advanced time-tracking and resource management features |
| Ultimate | $10.99 per user per month | Multiple teams |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Enterprise teams |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
8. Xero Practice Manager
Price: Starts at $15/month
Xero Practice Manager is a time and billing software that helps accountants manage their time and invoices and automate admin tasks.
This tool is offered by Xero, a popular accounting tool in the United Kingdom.
What we like
- With Xero Practice Manager, you can track billable and non-billable hours on desktop and mobile apps, which helps you bill clients accurately.
What’s missing
- Xero Practice Manager doesn’t come with a free version of the tool. Also, premium plans start at $15 per user per month, which small accounting can rarely afford.
Best for
Xero Practice Manager is best for accountants who need an easy-to-use time and billing system with powerful invoicing and reporting features. If you already use Xero as your accounting software, Xero Practice Manager can help you improve your accounting firm’s efficiency.
Top features
- Invoicing: Create progress invoices for ongoing work or prepayments, or generate final invoices when tasks are completed.
- Track time accurately: Track time manually or let Xero Practice Manager do it for you.
- Detailed reporting: Use pre-built reports, customize or create your own reports on employee productivity, costs, and internal time.
- KPI dashboard: Get insightful data into average revenue per client, average hourly rates, or total business revenue.
Tool integrations
Integrations include Airwallex, Mayday, and Dext Prepare.
Pricing
Xero Practice Manager offers three paid plans:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Early | $15 per user/month | Small teams who need a basic time-tracking solution |
| Growing | $42 per user/month | Professional service teams who need more complex time-tracking and time-management features |
| Established | $78 per user/month | Teams with advanced time-tracking needs |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
Top Tip: Xero Practice Manager prices and feature availability within subscription tiers can vary greatly between different regions, so make sure to take a thorough look at the pricing page if this tool interests you.
9. Hubstaff
Price: Starts at $7/month.
Hubstaff is a time and billing solution that streamlines many admin tasks for accountants so they can focus on important client work.
It also comes with many features for workforce management, including overtime management, time off management, expense tracking, payroll, and payments.
What we like
- Hubstaff’s workforce management features make it an attractive tool for larger accounting firms too.
What’s missing
- Hubstaff’s employee monitoring features, like recording employee screens, monitoring apps, and websites can feel intrusive to employees.
We’ve put Hubstaff shoulder-to-shoulder with Toggl Track and found where each thrives. Get a full picture of Hubstaff vs Toggl here!
Best for
Hubstaff is best for accountants looking for an automated time tracker that makes invoicing and payroll simple.
Top features
- Automated invoices: Hubstaff saves time by creating invoices based on your tracked time automatically.
- Time cards: Receive time cards with daily summaries of work hours and completed tasks.
- Many accounting software integrations: Hubstaff integrates with accounting tools like PayPal, Wise, and Gusto to streamline your workflows.
- Payments & payroll: Automate your payroll and manage payments directly from Hubstaff.
- Workforce management: Manage time off, overtime, and break hours to to track employee absence and generate accurate payroll accordingly.
Tool integrations
Integrations include QuickBooks, TransferWise, and FreshBooks.
Pricing
Hubstaff offers five pricing options:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0 | For individual use |
| Starter | $7 per user/month | Small teams who need a basic time-tracking solution |
| Grow | $9 per user/month | Teams who need more complex time & billing, automation, and time-management features |
| Team | $12 per user/month | Teams with advanced time-tracking and task-management needs |
| Enterprise | $25 per user/month (billed annually) | Enterprise companies |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
Note: Looking for more time tracking tools similar to Hubstaff? Check out our in-depth review of the best Hubstaff alternatives!
10. Apploye
Price: Starts at $5/month
Apploye is an intuitive time-tracking and employee-monitoring tool that can help accountants keep track of time and manage their finances.
It’s one of the most affordable tools that also offers payroll features.
What we like
- Apploye’s client management feature lets you create client profiles and connect projects to clients. Then use the time tracked for your projects to issue invoices to the right client.
What’s missing
- Apploye doesn’t integrate with accounting apps like QuickBooks or FreshBooks, which may limit your financial management workflows.
Best for
Apploye is best for accountant firm owners who want a user-friendly time and billing tracker to manage client work and remote teams.
Top features
- Detailed timesheets: Get daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, and custom timesheets and keep track of your team’s work hours.
- Advanced reporting: See timesheets, apps, and URL activity in Apploye’s straightforward reports.
- Employee monitoring: Apploye takes random screenshots and tracks URLs and app usage.
- Easy invoicing: Generate invoices based on billable time tracked in just a few clicks.
Tool integrations
Integrations include ClickUp, Asana, and Trello Power-Ups.
Pricing
Apploye offers two pricing options:
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $5 per user/month | Accountants and accounting teams who need basic time tracking, invoicing, and budgeting features |
| Elite | $7 per user/month | Remote teams who need screenshot monitoring, URL tracking, and app usage tracking |
Visit the pricing page for more information.
Best accounting time and billing software: Quick comparison
This table offers a quick overview of our top ten accounting time and billing software tools:
| Tool | G2 Rating | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | 4.6 | Simple time tracking, invoicing, and reporting software | From $10/user/month |
| Clockify | 4.5 | All-in-one time tracking solution | From $4.99/user/month |
| QuickBooks Time | 4.5 | Time tracking for QuickBooks users | From $20/month |
| Harvest | 4.3 | Time tracking, billing, and payments software | From $12/user |
| Time Analytics | 4.9 | Affordable time billing software | From $5.99/month |
| BigTime | 4.5 | Time and expense tracking software | From $20/user/month (billed annually) |
| TimeCamp | 4.7 | Time tracking, billing, and attendance management software | From $3.99/user/month |
| Xero Practice Manager | 4.2 | Time tracking for Xero users | From $15/user/month |
| Hubstaff | 4.3 | Employee monitoring and workforce management tool | From $7/user/month |
| Apploye | 4.5 | Affordable, feature-rich time tracker | From $5/user/month |
How do I choose the best accounting time and billing software?
How you choose your accounting time and billing software depends on your needs.
Here are some general things to consider:
- Key features: You should be able to track billable and non-billable hours with your new tool easily. Also, it should let you create detailed profitability reports, quickly generate client invoices, and track project progress.
- Ease of use: Your accounting time and billing tool should be simple with an intuitive and user-friendly interface.
- Cost: Look for a tool that you can afford in the long term. When your business grows, will you still be able to pay for the tool?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Let’s look at some of the most common questions about time and billing software for accountants.
How can CPAs track their time?
CPAs can track their time manually using a spreadsheet or a paper timesheet, or they can use a time tracking app.
What is the best time and billing software for big accounting firms?
The best time and billing software for big accounting firms needs to track time accurately, generate invoices efficiently, and generate detailed reports. The software should also be scalable and customizable to meet the specific needs of big accounting firms.
What features to look for in accounting time and billing software?
Accounting time and billing software should have user-friendly time-tracking features, powerful billing and invoicing, and detailed reporting and analytics.
Track time and bill accurately with the right tool
So, have you made up your mind yet?
Before you make your decision, you might want to give some of these tools a try.
You can start with Toggl Track and see how it can help you:
- Track billable and non-billable hours accurately
- Easily see how profitable your projects and people are
- Make better cost estimates for future projects
Sign up for a free Toggl Track account and see for yourself.
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