Time Tracking

8 Best Billable Time Tracker Apps To Boost Profitability

14 min

Best billable time tracker apps to boost profitability

Wish to increase your business profitability? Introduce a billable time tracker app and watch how it fuels your money machine.

An hourly work tracker is the one app that can help you increase productivity and effectively organize work so you can stay on top of your schedule. It’s also one of the quickest ways to grow the treasure trove, as billable hours software does exactly what it promises: measures time spent on client projects, ensuring accurate billing.

So, does this mean you can simply download a time tracking app and see your profits skyrocket overnight?

Not quite.

It means you have to find the right software to track billable hours so you can control where your time and money go. The results will come over time.

Making profit through billable hours tracking

Moreover, not every time tracking software can fit your needs and preferences.

Be meticulous and demanding when choosing the suitable billable hours timer. After all, time is money一and vice versa一and you need an app that will help you maximize both. An app that will give you exactly what you are looking for: a tool with great reviews, optimal price-performance ratio, heaps of useful features, and customization options.

To help you find the right hourly work tracker, we listed 8 top ones that will boost your profitability. Let’s check them out together.

Table of contents:

But first, what is a billable hour?
How do billable hours relate to profitability?
How can a billable time tracking app help you increase profitability?
How to choose the right software to track billable hours for your business
Wrapping it up

But first, what is a billable hour?

Billable hours are the time you (and your team) spend working on tasks to contribute to a client's project. Here are some common examples of tasks that count as billable hours across industries:

For lawyers: researching case law, drafting legal documents, and attending court hearings.
For consultants: performing market research, developing strategies, attending meetings.
For web developers: building websites, doing maintenance, communicating with clients.
For graphic designers: creating logos, sketching illustrations, and developing layouts.

And the list goes on.

How do billable hours relate to profitability?

The math is pretty straightforward: you make a deal with a client, and the more time, a.k.a, billable hours you charge a client, the bigger your revenue will be. To ensure your business is more profitable, you can either work more hours or charge more for the same amount of work; it’s up to you to determine your billable hours policy.

How can a billable time tracking app help you increase profitability?

Short answer: in more ways than you can imagine.

As mentioned above, a billable hours timer is like a very quiet virtual assistant that jots down everything you do. Not only that, it transfers your working hours into billable ones, allowing you to invoice clients accurately and ensure you get paid an accurate amount on time.

But it’s not just about the money, right?

It’s about saving time and understanding where it goes so you can optimize your workflow.

When you introduce a billable hours app, you automate a huge part of your business: you can say “goodbye” to manual timekeeping and errors related to time tracking. Moreover, you get insights into your time usage, allowing you to pinpoint “time-drains” and inefficient periods.

Basically, when you keep track of billable hours, you improve your project management and budget tracking. No matter if you run an agency, a big law firm, or work as a consultant, you will experience increased productivity, improved client communication, and ultimately, increased profitability.

How to choose the right software to track billable hours for your business

Here comes the tricky part.

So many billable time trackers are available on the market, how can you choose?

To assist you in decision-making, we decided to give you a list of 8 apps that are:

Decently priced. All tools from the list come with several free and paid plans so you can find the plan that suits you or your team the best.
Compatible across multiple operating systems. The billable time tracker should work on multiple systems and, if there’s room, on various devices.
Feature-rich. A billable time tracking app should have useful features for your business, such as automatic tracking, quickly generating reports, and integrations with other apps.
Flexible. You should be able to customize a billable time tracker to some extent, so you can adjust it to your workflow and requirements.

Let’s dive right in.

#1 Memtime

Pricing: Multiple plans (including a custom one for enterprises), the Basic one being $12/month per user with a 2-year subscription.

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Without a doubt, Memtime stands out as the best.

Am I being a bit biased? Sure.

But trust me, once you learn all it can do, you’ll understand why I love this app so much.

In its essence, Memtime is an automated billable time tracker used by software development companies, law firms, agencies, and creative teams.

You don’t need a tutorial to start tracking your time, just open the app, let it run in the background一oh, so seamlessly一and it will capture your activity in apps and browsers as long as your computer is turned on.

Memtime chronologically displays your activities in programs and all data is stored locally on your computer.

Here are some of Memtime’s features worth noting:

Your day and time in programs is displayed in 1-60 minute intervals. The 6-minute or 0.1-hour increment is available and used commonly by lawyers. With the 6-minute increment set as default, activity in all programs is displayed in 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 30, or 60-minute intervals.
Once all your activity is captured, you can create unlimited time entries to export to your project software or logged locally. Time entries can be just 1 minute long and there’s no limit on maximum duration.
You can have multiple project software systems connected to your Memtime account.
You can import tasks and projects and sync time entries directly into one of the 61 project software tools (like Asana, QuickBooks, Xero, and so on). There’s also the option to have unlimited custom integrations developed for you.
You can sync Memtime with your calendar, as it pulls events from any calendar you connected it to (Google Calendar, iCloud, CalDav, etc.).
You can log time entries using Memtime Projects, if you don’t use a project management app.
With timesheet reporting, you can see all your logged work and productivity insights for any period of time (unlimited historical data).

Timesheet reporting with billable and non-billable work

As you can see, Memtime is very precise when it comes to tracking billable hours, ensuring you can bill for every minute of your own or your team’s work.

If you want to give Memtime a try, start with our 2-week free trial; no credit card details required.

Or if you need Memtime for your team of multiple users, book a call. Our team will answer all your questions in real time, giving you a guided tour and explaining how the app can increase your profitability.

Start growing profits

#2 DeskTime

Pricing: Three plans available, the Pro being the most affordable one, charging $7/month per user.

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux, as well as Android and iOS.

DeskTime is an automatic time tracking software created as a productivity and accountability tool. It’s designed for freelancers and small teams with remote employees who want to monitor productivity.

Now, the big emphasis is on “accountability”. DeskTime offers the option to take screenshots (which you can blur for more privacy) at certain intervals, as well as real-time app and URL usage tracking. DeskTime promotes the Screenshots features as a method of boosting individual productivity, believing that such monitoring empowers employees, helping them focus on their tasks better.

Here are some of the DeskTime features:

Automatic recording of arrival time, left time, productive time, time at work, and idle time.
Custom projects within DeskTime so teams can be assigned to work on them.
A “private time” option that disables all tracking activity, so whatever users do during their private time can’t be seen by admins.
Streamlining payments based on calculated work hours. The software creates accurate estimates by inputting project or task-specific rates for each employee.
Project software integrations with tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, Zapier, and more.
Pomodoro timer as a break reminder system.
URL tracking for every app, website, and program employees use while on company time classified into productive, unproductive, or neutral.

Overall, if you are looking for a billable time tracker that also offers employee monitoring features, this tool might be the one for you.

#3 Paymo

Pricing: Three plans available (Starter, Small Office, and Business) starting from $5.9 per user per month.

Compatibility: Windows, iOS and Android, and a browser extension.

Paymo is a project management tool, a two-in-one, solution, that offers time tracking and invoicing.

The tool promotes tracking and team collaboration as pillars of successful business. It is primarily marketed towards freelancers and small to medium-sized teams that need task management and invoicing options.

Here are some of the tool’s features:

A manual timer that users can start and stop, plus a desktop widget that tracks activity (it requires user input to categorize or assign time to specific tasks or projects).
Turning captured activities into logged time entries.
Creating task lists, assigning users, and setting deadlines.
The Gantt chart feature is useful for visualizing project timelines and dependencies.
The Kanban board feature gives a more visual representation of the workflow.
Pre-made project templates that can be customized.
Invoicing system that relies on the time tracking feature.
The proofing feature in which clients and team members can communicate directly to discuss projects.
Real-time chat between teams that can also be used for file sharing.
Project management software integrations like Zapier, QuickBooks Online, etc.

Overall, Paymo is a good option if you run an agency or a software development company and want to be able to track billable time and invoice clients all within one app.

#4 Toggl Track

Pricing: Free and three paid plans (Starter, Premium and Enterprise) ranging from $9 per user per month to custom pricing.

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and a browser extension.

I am sure you have heard of Toggl Track, especially if you are a seasoned freelancer. It is a group of time tracking and productivity tools marketed towards freelancers, consultants, accountants, creatives, law firms and IT companies.

Toggl Track offers automatic and manual time tracking. Automatic time tracking is available on the desktop app and manual within the mobile app.

Here are some of the most notable Toggl Track features:

The desktop app sends you notifications about your idle time.
Pomodoro Timer is a system that reminds you to take breaks and works via the desktop app or the browser extension.
Start/stop timer on the mobile app.
Google and Outlook Calendar integrations so you can sync events from your connected calendar to the tool.
Integrations with 4 project management software tools一Salesforce, Jira, Asana, and QuickBooks.
All time tracking data is stored in the cloud.
The tool offers profitability projections, earnings-per-client, ROI, and milestone setting.
Export options include Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, and CSV files.

In my humble opinion, Toggl Track is a productivity-boosting tool that can also improve profitability.

#5 TrackingTime

Pricing: One free and three premium plans, starting from $8/month.

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, for desktop, Android and iOS for mobile, plus a browser extension.

TrackingTime is a billable time tracker that doesn’t just offer time tracking and reporting but also invoicing clients. The tool is also big on project management, as your team can share files and create custom reports to help them be more productive on projects.

The tool promotes trust between management and employees by allowing team communication and keeping everyone in the loop.

Here are some of the tool’s features worth mentioning:

Automatic time tracking with no start/stop timer.
Create timesheets for each process, task, or project, and users can share them with clients.
Customizing timesheets by day, project, or client.
Users can define deadlines for tasks, and organize project timelines.
Tracking billable hours so users can generate invoices.
Calendar synchronization with Google and Outlook Calendars.
The Project Report feature gives a representation of a team’s progress per project.
The Time Cards feature, in which timecards are generated automatically from time entries captured by the time tracker.

If you need a tool that will generate timesheets, keep an eye on your team’s performance and generate invoices, TrackingTime might be the one.

#6 Harvest

Pricing: Two plans: Harvest and Harvest Pro. The first one is free, while Harvest Pro costs $10.80 per seat/month, billed annually.

Compatibility: Windows, macOS and Linux, as well as Android and iOS for mobile, plus a web extension.

Harvest is a billable hours time tracker with a start/stop timer. But it’s not just a time tracking app, as it also includes features for generating invoices and payments. The tool is primarily marketed towards entrepreneurs and startups.

Here are some of the Harvest features worth noting:

The app comes with a manual timer.
The mobile app can track time, create reports, and send invoices.
Harvest integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, accounting platforms, to help users generate invoices.
The free plan offers time tracking, auto-reminders, budget monitoring, invoicing, payments, reporting, as well as cost and expense tracking.
The Timesheet Approval feature allows managers to review and approve timesheets for accuracy before finalizing them.
Project budgets based on hours or costs, alerts for when you’re close to the limits.
The app provides detailed visual reports for deeper insights into team productivity and project progress.
Helps manage retainers by tracking how much of a retainer has been used and how much remains.
Automates invoicing for recurring projects, reducing manual work.

Overall, Harvest is a flexible tool with a lot of functionality. It can be suitable for various business needs.

#7 Clockify

Pricing: Six plans, one free and five premium ones. The premium plans start from $3.99/month, billed annually.

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as Android and iOS, plus a web extension.

Clockify is a well-known billable semi-automatic time tracker for agencies, lawyers, startups, consultants, developers, and construction companies.

As soon as you log into the app, you see the options to start a timer or use a timesheet to enter time manually. I put Clockify on this list because it allows users to set custom hourly rates for different clients, projects, or tasks, enabling accurate calculation of costs based on time worked.

Here are some of the most notable Clockify features:

Semi-automatic time tracking. The app starts and stops the timer based on user activity or inactivity, such as when users log into their computers.
If users forget to start their timer manually, Clockify sends them a notification.
A browser extension is used for tracking time inside project tools like Trello, Asana, and Jira.
The desktop app sends users notifications about their idle time, offers a Pomodoro timer, and custom reminders.
It includes app and website tracking so users know how they spend their time.
The idle time detection feature is available via the browser extension and can detect if users are away from their computers.
Clockify is integrated with Kiosk, an add-on for clocking in/out with a PIN using another device, and works even with the free plan.
When using the Standard plan, users can generate invoices to send to clients based on billable time and expenses; they can add their company logo, name, and address to the invoice.
Multiple reports can be generated on billable time, making it easier to track which hours are invoiced and which are yet to be billed for.

Overall, Clockify is a reliable tool for tracking and billing time spent on client work, and it can ensure your team members get paid for every hour worked.

#8 Hubstaff

Pricing: Four premium plans, ranging from $4.99 per seat/month to $25 per seat/month (Enterprise).

Compatibility: Windows, macOS and Linux , as well as Android and iOS, plus a browser extension.

Hubstaff markets itself as a productivity software rather than a billable time tracker. It’s more of an employee monitoring tool that simultaneously cares about employee privacy to determine productivity. It does track employees’ work time.

The reason it’s called Hub-staff is because it’s actually a hub for time and task tracking, employee monitoring and reporting features, and works as a productivity “detective”. You can also use Hubstaff to track payrolls and pay employees using one of the payment platforms.

Here’s are some of Hubstaff’s features:

Offers manual (with a timer) work hours tracking, review, and approval in one tool.
It calculates in-meeting time compared to total work hours, as well as unproductive time.
There is an option to discard idle time if users forget to stop the timer.
Hubstaff offers 22 different project software integrations.
It can track the current expenses per project and the remaining time for each project.
Users can set project budgets in hours or money and track how close they are to exceeding these budgets.
The Screenshots feature takes screenshots of employees’ computer screens every 10 minutes. The system provides notifications when screenshots are taken.
Hubstaff doesn’t track keystrokes but calculates actions on each employee’s keyboard or mouse pad to determine productivity.

All the mentioned features make Hubstaff a comprehensive tool for tracking billable hours, monitoring employees, and enhancing productivity.

Wrapping it up

I’ll keep this short—because you’ve already survived quite the read.

We discussed the relationship between billable hours and profitability, finding the right app, saving time, and optimizing workflows to boost revenue. Now, it’s up to you to decide what you want to do to create a more profitable operation.

So, in a nutshell, pick the right app, track those billable hours like a hawk, and watch your business grow. Who says you can’t turn time into goldmine?

Aleksandra Doknic

Aleksandra Doknic is a copywriter and content writer with six years of experience in B2B SaaS and e-commerce marketing. She's a startup enthusiast specializing in topics ranging from technology and gaming to business and finance. Outside of work, Aleksandra can be found walking barefoot in nature, baking muffins, or jotting down poems.