Best Time Tracking Apps for Consultants Who Bill by the Hour

Most consultants billing by the hour don't have good time tracking. They log hours in spreadsheets. They estimate from memory.

They miss billable time. They undercharge because they don't actually know how long work took.

The right tool captures every minute, shows clients exactly what they're paying for, and makes billing a non-event. It also prevents money loss from unbilled hours.

Harvest - Built for Agency Billing

Harvest is designed specifically for time tracking and invoicing. You log time, it calculates costs and billable amounts, and you're ready to invoice.

The interface is clean. Click start, work, stop. Or manually add hours if needed.

You can organize by project, client, or task. The timer can run on your phone, desktop, or in the browser.

Harvest integrates directly with Asana, Linear, Jira, and other PM tools. This is huge - you can start time tracking from within your PM tool without switching apps.

The invoicing integration is its biggest strength. Log time, click "create invoice," and Harvest populates it with hours worked and cost.

You can show clients a detailed breakdown of hours per task. This transparency builds trust and reduces invoice disputes.

Pricing is per-user, which can add up if you have a team. Expect $12-16 per user per month depending on plan.

Best for: Consultants who bill by the hour and invoice regularly. Teams that want tight integration with project management.

Toggl Track - Simplest and Cheapest

Toggl Track is minimal on purpose. Click start timer. Work. Click stop. That's it.

The interface is bare - some people love it, some find it sparse. But it does one thing extremely well: capturing how time is spent. No complexity, no distraction.

It syncs across devices, so time tracked on your phone shows on your desktop. Mobile support is excellent.

Toggl integrates with Jira, Asana, and others via Zapier. The integrations work but feel less native than Harvest's.

The weakness is invoicing. Toggl doesn't invoice. You'll need to export your time data and import it into invoicing software manually.

This is fine if you already have an invoicing tool. It's annoying if you don't.

Pricing is incredibly cheap. Free version has basic features. $9 per user per month for teams.

Best for: Consultants who want to understand where their time goes. People already using separate invoicing software. Anyone on a tight budget.

FreshBooks - All-in-One Solution

FreshBooks combines invoicing and time tracking. You log time, it auto-populates invoices, and you invoice.

It works smoothly for consultants who want everything in one place. No switching between tools.

The downside: FreshBooks is jack-of-all-trades. It does time tracking okay, not great.

It does invoicing okay, not great. If you need specialized functionality, you'll feel the limitation.

Integrations exist but aren't as deep as Harvest's.

Pricing starts around $17-30 per month depending on features.

Best for: Solo consultants or small teams who want simplicity over specialization. People who don't have strong existing tools.

Everhour - For Project-Based Work

Everhour is designed for agencies and consultants tracking time against project budgets.

You log time against projects. Everhour compares actual hours logged to budget and alerts you if you're going over. This is valuable if you're working fixed-price projects and need to know profitability in real-time.

It integrates with Jira, Asana, Monday.com, and others.

Pricing is reasonable: $7-10 per user per month.

Best for: Consultants doing fixed-price project work who need to track profitability. Agencies managing multiple projects simultaneously.

How to Choose

Choose Harvest if you bill by the hour regularly and want invoicing built in. The integration with PM tools is worth the cost.

Choose Toggl Track if you're on a budget, already have invoicing software, and want simplicity.

Choose FreshBooks if you're a solo consultant and want everything in one tool.

Choose Everhour if you work on fixed-price projects and need budget tracking.

Implementation Tips

Whatever you choose, set it up to match your actual work structure. If you bill by project, organize time tracking by project. If you bill by task type, create task-level categories.

Require same-day time entry. People forget what they did last week. Entries made the same day are accurate.

Review your time data weekly. You'll spot patterns immediately. Are some projects taking longer than estimated?

Time to raise rates. Are some clients eating more time than others? Time to renegotiate or scope better.

FAQ

Should I use spreadsheets instead of software? No. You'll miss hours, make math errors, and spend time managing the spreadsheet. Spend $10-15 per month on a tool and get accurate billing.

What if I forget to start the timer? Add the time manually afterward. Most tools let you add hours retroactively. Same-day entries are still accurate enough.

Should I charge clients for time spent on revisions? Yes, if your contract allows. Log the revision time. Bill it. If clients push back, adjust your scope or increase revision limits next engagement.

How do I handle time tracking for meetings with clients? Log it. Meetings are billable work. If they're not billable, they're overhead that reduces your profit margin.

Can Huddle help with time tracking? Huddle isn't a time tracking tool, but it shows you work across your PM tools. You might use Huddle to see all your projects and tasks, then use Harvest or Toggl to actually track time within those projects.

Most consultants use Harvest or Toggl Track plus a separate invoicing tool. The integration works better than all-in-one tools.

How to Actually Use Time Tracking

The tool doesn't matter if you don't use it. Here's how consultants actually succeed with time tracking:

1. Log time daily, not weekly. Log immediately after finishing a task. Your memory degrades quickly.

2. Be specific about what you're billing for. "Client strategy call" not "work." This helps clients understand what they're paying for.

3. Set daily reminders to log time. Most consultants forget. A recurring phone reminder helps.

Review your time logs weekly. You'll see patterns.

Some tasks take longer than expected. Use this data to improve estimates.

FAQ

Should I track non-billable time?

Yes. You'll learn how much admin, email, and overhead actually costs. This helps you price better.

Can I adjust time entries after logging?

Yes. All these tools let you edit or delete entries. But try not to fudge numbers.

Should clients have access to time tracking?

No, but show them the breakdown on invoices. Transparency matters.

How accurate do I need to be?

Very. 15-minute increments are standard. Some consultants track to the minute.

What if I forget to log time?

Estimate it and log it that day. Better slightly late than never.

Can I use these with a PM tool I already have?

Yes. Most integrate via Zapier. Check before choosing.