Agency time tracking Blog Feature

10 Best Agency Time-Tracking Tools for Creatives, Designers, and Marketers in 2024

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Time-tracking software is like a crystal ball, revealing hidden opportunities to boost your agency’s productivity and profitability. 🔮

With user-friendly interfaces and advanced reporting, these tools make tracking time a breeze—and can unveil a few secrets to success.

The question is: What’s the best time-tracking software out there for agencies?

Well, we’ve done the research and we have answers. 

To help you find the ideal solution for your team, we’ve put together this list of the 10 best time-tracking tools to better manage and maximize your time.

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What Is Agency Time-Tracking Software?

Agency time-tracking apps are popular with creative, design, and marketing agencies. These tools track the billable hours your team members and freelancers spend on various tasks and projects to boost productivity.

This leads to more precise invoicing, greater project transparency, and easier project budgeting. These solutions provide accurate time-tracking data to help you analyze productivity and implement the best time-management techniques for future projects.

Time-tracking tools also serve as employee monitoring software, boosting team productivity and project profitability. This can be significant for digital agency management and project managers who regularly work with remote teams. 🤩

The best time-tracking apps can stand in for goal-tracking apps, becoming an integral part of the workflow. Team members can see how they spend their time, what goals they need to complete, and get real-time updates on their progress.

How to choose the best time-tracking tool for an agency

The best time tracker depends on your agency, industry, and workflow. Here are some key things to look for in time-tracking software for small businesses:

  • Integrations: Choose an agency time-tracking app that works with your existing tools to streamline your workflow and improve efficiency
  • Compatibility: The best time-tracking software options have desktop, web, and mobile apps. They should also be compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome so there’s something for everyone
  • Templates: Save time by picking a tool that provides time-tracking templates, consulting templates, timesheet templates, and more 
  • Collaboration: Find a tool that allows your team to collaborate in real time for better client management, task management, and efficiency 
  • Automations: Some of the best agency time-tracking software features automations to handle things like time entries, timeline creation, and even invoicing so you have more free time 
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10 Best Agency Time-Tracking Software in 2024 

Ready to find the right time-tracking software to streamline your agency’s workflow and improve your bottom line?

Follow along to compare the 10 best time tracking tools for this exact use case. Find key features, limitations, reviews, pricing, and more.  

1. ClickUp

Agency time tracking: manual time tracking in ClickUp
Record time as you go or enter it manually with time tracking in ClickUp

ClickUp is the ultimate all-in-one project management software to help teams, creative agencies, and businesses across industries boost productivity and save valuable time. It’s packed with hundreds of advanced features to centralize all your projects into a single work management platform.

Set time estimates, track time natively within ClickUp, pull time reports, monitor billable hours, and more using one of ClickUp’s many project time tracking tools. And to stay on top of your time management strategies while managing your workload from every angle, choose from ClickUp’s 15+ custom views including Gantt, Timeline, Calendar, and Table view.

ClickUp also offers an extensive library of pre-built templates and over 1,000 integrations to expedite any process. ⏱️

Agency time tracking: time tracking labels in ClickUp
Time tracking labels allow the team to see a granular view of where time is spent, so processes can be continuously improved

ClickUp offers hundreds of pre-built Automations to handle everyday tasks, plus ClickUp AI can help you write emails, social media posts, meeting summaries, blog posts, and so much more.

Agency time tracking: writing a project brief using ClickUp AI
ClickUp AI can generate endless document types like project briefs, lesson plans, and other documents to speed up your workflow

Long story short, we’ve optimized ClickUp for Creative Agencies who need comprehensive project management and employee time tracking. And you can access most features for free—no credit card required.

ClickUp best features 

  • Automatic time-tracking features allow you to set hourly rates, track billable time, estimate working hours, add notes, and view reports to improve agency productivity
  • Web app, mobile app, and desktop app to ensure compatibility with almost every device
  • Thousands of templates for everything from resource management, project costs, and client invoices to brainstorming and project planning
  • Integrations with over 1,000 other tools, including Asana, Slack, Jira, Excel, Trello, GitHub, and Zoom

ClickUp limitations 

  • Some users report a learning curve while mastering ClickUp’s many project management features
  • ClickUp AI only comes with paid plans

ClickUp pricing 

  • Free Forever
  • Unlimited: $7/month per user paid annually; $10/month per user paid monthly
  • Business: $12/month per user
  • Enterprise: Contact for pricing
  • ClickUp AI is available on all paid plans for $5 per Workspace member per month

ClickUp ratings and reviews 

  • G2: 4.7/5 (8,900+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,800+ reviews)

2. Harvest 

Harvest time-tracking software aims to streamline the billing process and create accurate timesheets. It helps agencies generate reports, bill clients, and track project budgets from a single interface.

Harvest best features 

  • The time tracker accurately records freelancer and employee time, allows you to assign permissions for what each person can see, and generates lightweight time reports
  • Team reporting, expense tracking, and project budgeting tools help reduce burnout and improve your bottom line
  • You can set up automatic invoicing and accept online payments through PayPal and Stripe
  • Integrations with tools like QuickBooks, Asana, Jira, and GitHub enhance and unify your agency’s workflow

Harvest limitations 

  • Some user reviews report that Harvest lacks advanced features compared to other time-tracking apps and project management tools
  • Free version is limited to basic features, one user, and two projects

Harvest pricing 

  • Free Forever
  • Pro: $12/month per user

Harvest ratings and reviews 

  • G2: 4.3/5 (700+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.6/5 (500+ reviews)

3. Productive 

Productive is a powerful time-tracking tool that helps individuals and teams stay organized and focused. It also offers detailed task management, time tracking, team collaboration tools, and automatic invoicing to free up your time for other things. 🌻

Productive best features 

  • Track time spent on each task to analyze where team members and managers can improve efficiency
  • Reporting and insights provide data about team productivity and identify areas for improvement
  • Collaboration tools allow you to share documents, leave comments, and communicate in real time
  • Integrations with platforms such as Slack, Trello, and Asana unify your existing workflow

Productive limitations 

  • Some user reviews mention limited invoicing features for client projects
  • No free plan (users can try Productive for free using a 14-day trial)

Productive pricing 

  • Essential: $11/month per user
  • Professional: $28/month per user
  • Enterprise: Contact for pricing
  • Ultimate: Contact for pricing

Productive ratings and reviews 

  • G2: 4.6/5 (30+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.6/5 (70+ reviews)

4. Hubstaff

Hubstaff is an employee monitoring tool that tracks time for remote employees and freelancers. It provides automatic payroll, time tracking, and detailed productivity reports to show managers how their team members spend their time. 👀

Hubstaff best features 

  • Time tracking features include billable hours clock, GPS tracking, and mouse and keyboard monitoring
  • Payroll automations process employee payments based on time-tracking data to make it more efficient
  • Users receive access to additional project management tools that help organize project tasks
  • Integrations with popular apps like Asana, GitHub, and Trello improve team collaboration

Hubstaff limitations 

  • Some reviewers report problems with accurate time tracking during meetings and a lack of automatic tracking when switching between tasks
  • Two-user minimum on all plans and no free plan (users can try Hubstaff using the 14-day free trial)

Hubstaff pricing 

  • Starter: $7/month per user
  • Grow: $9/month per user
  • Team: $12/month per user
  • Enterprise: Contact for pricing

Hubstaff ratings and reviews 

  • G2: 4.3/5 (400+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.6/5 (1,400+ reviews)

5. Wrike

Example of a weekly timesheet created in Wrike
via Wrike

Wrike is a popular project management software helps agencies and teams manage deadlines and streamline workflows. It includes detailed time tracking, real-time communication, task-tracking functions, and automatic project reporting.

Wrike best features 

  • Time-tracking feature allows users to log how much time they spend on tasks and projects, providing managers with insights into their performance
  • Dozens of pre-built project templates for software development, marketing campaigns, and more
  • Collaboration tools include file sharing, real-time commenting, and @mentions to help teams work together and get more done
  • Integrations with popular tools like Slack, Salesforce, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams

Wrike limitations 

  • Some users report the interface isn’t intuitive, resulting in difficulty navigating and understanding Wrike’s features
  • Free version lacks access to time tracking and several other advanced features; paid versions have minimum user requirements ranging from two to five

Wrike pricing 

  • Free 
  • Team: $9.80/month per user
  • Business: $24.80/month per user
  • Enterprise: Contact for pricing
  • Pinnacle: Contact for pricing

Wrike ratings and reviews 

  • G2: 4.2/5 (3,400+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.3/5 (2,400+ reviews)

6. RescueTime

RescueTime is a straightforward time-tracking tool for freelancers and other professionals. It tracks time spent on tasks, generates detailed reports, and can block distracting websites to improve productivity and focus. 🧑‍💼

RescueTime best features 

  • Time-tracking tool provides detailed reports on how employees spend their time on computer and mobile devices
  • Goal-setting functions let employees and managers set goals for how they want to spend their time and track progress accordingly
  • Website blocking allows teams to block specific websites during working hours to increase productivity and reduce distractions
  • Integrations with Slack, Google Calendar, and Outlook facilitate uninterrupted collaboration and a unified workflow

RescueTime limitations 

  • Some reviews report an outdated interface that causes difficulty navigating the app and tracking time
  • RescueTime is made for individuals and may lack the features of more robust agency time-tracking software

RescueTime pricing 

  • RescueTime Lite: Free 
  • RescueTime: $12/month per user

RescueTime ratings and reviews 

  • G2: 4.1/5 (90+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.6/5 (100+ reviews)

7. VeriClock

Vericlock is time-tracking software for small businesses. It tracks employee hours based on a clock-in and clock-out system, provides project management tools, and generates invoices based on hours worked.

VeriClock best features 

  • Clock-in and clock-out functionality allows employees to log their hours on the clock without the need for a kiosk or spreadsheet system
  • Automatic overtime calculation reduces the risk of human error when paying employees for additional hours
  • Time-tracking tools can generate accurate invoices based on employee hours and create customizable reports to track employee productivity
  • Integration with accounting platforms like QuickBooks, PeachTree, and Sage make payroll and bookkeeping easier

VeriClock limitations 

  • Some reviews mention employees not understanding the app or finding it challenging to log their billable hours manually
  • Only one paid plan; no free plan (users can try VeriClock for free on the 14-day trial)

VeriClock pricing 

  • VeriClock: $10/month plus $5/user

VeriClock ratings and reviews 

  • G2: 4.8/5 (3+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.7/5 (30+ reviews)

8. Clockify

Clockify is an agency time-tracking app that allows users to manage their billable hours and track how much time they spend on individual tasks. It also offers tools for project management, collaboration, and automatic invoicing to save time and boost profitability. 💰

Clockify best features 

  • Time-tracking feature allows managers and team members to improve productivity based on detailed reports
  • Desktop, mobile, and web apps are compatible with most devices, including Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and Chrome
  • Team management and integrated reporting functionality allow users to manage teams, track project progress, generate time usage reports, and more
  • Integrations with popular tools like Trello, Asana, Jira, Github, and Wrike centralize collaboration and communication for teams

Clockify limitations 

  • Some reviewers report frequent user errors and difficulty making changes to timesheets when needed
  • Free plan lacks access to advanced features like invoicing, time off, and scheduling

Clockify pricing 

  • Free
  • Basic: $3.99/month per user
  • Standard: $6.99/month per user
  • Pro: $9.99/month per user
  • Enterprise: $11.99/month per user

Clockify ratings and reviews 

  1. G2: 4.5/5 (150+ reviews)
  2. Capterra: 4.7/5 (4,600+ reviews)

9. Time Doctor

Time Doctor time-tracking software works well for businesses and agencies of all sizes. It allows users to manage and log their time on individual tasks and projects to provide detailed reports and productivity insights.

Time Doctor best features 

  • Automated time tracking and breaks eliminate the need for manual updates and increase timesheet accuracy and compliance
  • Detailed employee monitoring features like keystroke logging, website monitoring, and screenshots give managers an in-depth look at what team members are doing
  • Automated invoice creation using tracked time for each employee saves time and reduces the risk of human error
  • Integrations with dozens of platforms like WordPress, Slack, Sentry, Asana, Jira, Gusto, and Bitbucket help keep everyone and everything on the same page

Time Doctor limitations 

  • Some user reviews report issues with syncing and user permissions, increasing errors on employee timesheets
  • No free plan (Time Doctor allows users to try the app without a credit card on a 14-day free trial)

Time Doctor pricing 

  • Basic: $7/month per user
  • Standard: $10/month per user
  • Premium: $20/month per user
  • Enterprise: Contact for pricing

Time Doctor ratings and reviews 

  • G2: 4.4/5 (300+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.5/5 (500+ reviews)

10. Paydirt

Paydirt is a simple invoicing and time-tracking software for freelancers, agencies, and small businesses. This time-tracking tool is designed with the team members in mind, making it quick and easy to track billable hours. Paydirt also provides automatic invoicing, team management, and business reporting features.

Paydirt best features 

  • Time-tracker software enables employees to log up to 60 minutes of untracked time at the beginning of their work session if they forget to start the timer 
  • Optional budget estimates for each task or project help teams stay on track based on the user’s hourly rate and average time spent on similar activities
  • Generate detailed reports to understand team productivity and gain insights to optimize your workflow
  • Integrations with tools like Trello, Chrome, Basecamp, and Redbooth allow employees to track time regardless of where or how they’re working

Paydirt limitations 

  • Lack of feedback on popular review platforms makes it challenging to gauge the standard experience with Paydirt’s time-tracking software
  • The Starter plan is limited to three clients; no free plan (users can try PayDirt on a 14-day free trial)

Paydirt pricing 

  • Starter: $8/month for one user
  • Hustler: $16/month for one single user
  • Co-op: $29/month for three users
  • Small team: $49/month for six users
  • Large team: $79/month for 10 users
  • Agency: $149/month for 20 users

Paydirt ratings and reviews 

  • G2: N/A
  • Capterra: N/A
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Stay on Track, Every Time

There you have it! The 10 best agency time-tracking solutions for 2024. With these tools at your disposal, you can track your team’s productivity, improve project management, and predict performance using detailed analytics and reporting.

While all of these options have great features to offer, we must admit that none compare with the functionality of ClickUp. With thousands of features and integrations, this one-stop platform is just what you need. ✨

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get your team members in sync. Sign up for ClickUp today!

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