Guide
Best Time Tracking Software for Agencies (2026)
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 9 min read
Summary
Toggl Track is the best for pure time tracking; Harvest is the best for tracking plus invoicing; Productive is the best for agency profitability; Bonsai is the best for freelancers and solo studios. Prices and ratings were checked in October 2026 and change often.
What are the best time tracking software for agencies in 2026?
Time data is how an agency knows what it earned. If hours are tracked loosely, invoices are guesses and project margins stay a mystery. The good news is that tracking has become easy, and the real decision is what you want to happen after the hours are logged.
We compared four tools that cover that range: a pure tracker, a tracker with invoicing, an agency operations platform, and an admin suite for freelancers. Each handles billable time a little differently.
Our shortlist, in order: Toggl Track, Harvest, Productive, Bonsai. The table puts them side by side.
| Tool | Best for | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | Best for pure time tracking | 4 / 5 | G2 4.6, Capterra 4.7 | Free plan. Starter about $9 and Premium about $16 per user per month (billed annually). |
| Harvest | Best for tracking plus invoicing | 4.1 / 5 | G2 4.3, Capterra 4.3 | Free for 1 seat. Teams $9 and Enterprise $14 per seat per month (billed annually). |
| Productive | Best for agency profitability | 4.3 / 5 | Capterra 4.6, G2 4.6 | 7-day free trial on Essential. Essential about $10-$12 and Professional about $25-$29 per user per month; Ultimate is quote-based. |
| Bonsai | Best for freelancers and solo studios | 3.9 / 5 | Capterra 4.6, G2 4.3, Trustpilot 4.5 | 7-day free trial. About $9-$49 per user per month on annual billing (Basic to Elite). |
How did we choose the best time tracking software?
We included tools that agencies and freelancers actually shortlist for billable time, and that publish pricing we could verify. We left out tools aimed mainly at employee monitoring.
Each tool was compared on timer experience, reporting, invoicing, and what it can tell you about project profitability. Editorial scores reflect fit for agencies billing clients by time or by project.
What we looked for
- Timer experience: one-click start and stop across devices.
- Reports detailed enough to attach to client invoices.
- Billable rates and approvals before billing.
- Invoicing in the same product, or a clean export.
- Profitability reporting by client and project.
Is Toggl Track a good time tracking tool for agencies?
Best for pure time tracking: Toggl Track is a clean, low-friction tracker with detailed reports. It does time and cost data well and leaves invoicing and project planning to other tools. Billable rates start on Starter, and approvals and profitability reports are on Premium.
Toggl Track is a dedicated time tracker with one-click timers, idle detection, tags, and reports you can export for invoicing. It tracks time and costs, and leaves task and project planning to other tools.
Who it suits: Freelancers, consultants, and small agencies that bill by the hour or need to see where time goes per client and project.
Toggl Track pros
- Very low friction: start, stop, and edit timers from desktop, browser, and mobile.
- Reports are detailed enough to attach to client invoices without reformatting.
- Free plan works for solo use and very small teams.
- Integrates with a large number of work tools and calendars.
Toggl Track cons
- It does not manage tasks, projects, or invoices, so you need other tools for those.
- Billable rates, team reports, and profitability reports require paid plans.
- Approvals and project dashboards (actual vs estimate) sit on the Premium plan.
- Per-user pricing adds up for larger teams.
Is Harvest a good time tracking tool for agencies?
Best for tracking plus invoicing: Harvest tracks time and expenses and turns them into invoices, with a well-liked mobile app. Reporting is less flexible than some agencies want, and profitability reporting and timesheet approval need the Enterprise plan.
Harvest tracks time and expenses and turns them into invoices, with a mobile timer and a large integration list. Profitability reports and timesheet approvals sit on the Enterprise plan.
Who it suits: Freelancers and small to mid-size agencies that bill by time or project and want tracking and invoicing in one product.
Harvest pros
- Simple, quick timer and manual entry, plus a well-liked mobile app.
- Time, expenses, and invoices live together, so billing is fast.
- Integrations with Asana, Basecamp, Slack, and QuickBooks.
- Free plan for one seat and two projects.
Harvest cons
- Reporting is less flexible than some agencies need, so many export to a spreadsheet.
- Profitability reporting and timesheet approval require the Enterprise plan.
- Accounting and payment integrations start on the Teams plan.
- Permissions and recurring-entry options are limited.
Is Productive a good time tracking tool for agencies?
Best for agency profitability: Productive builds time tracking into a full agency platform with budgets, resource planning, and profitability. It takes longer to set up and is more than a small team needs, but it shows margin by client and service.
Productive is built for agencies and professional services. It combines project and task management, budgeting, resource planning, time tracking, and reporting in one system.
Who it suits: Agencies of roughly 10 to 200 people that want to see project profitability, utilization, and budgets without stitching several tools together.
Productive pros
- Budget and profitability tracking by client, project, and service.
- One flow from deal to project to time to invoice integration.
- Resource planning and time tracking on every plan.
- Reviewers praise responsive support and an intuitive interface.
Productive cons
- Setup and onboarding can take days.
- Less customizable than ClickUp or monday.com, and notes on tasks are limited.
- The sales pipeline is lighter than a dedicated CRM.
- Advanced time tracking and revenue forecasting are on the top plan.
Is Bonsai a good time tracking tool for agencies?
Best for freelancers and solo studios: Bonsai wraps time tracking in proposals, contracts, invoices, and payments, which suits freelancers who want the whole paperwork cycle in one place. Reviewers report payment holds and support delays, and it is light on team features.
Bonsai bundles the paperwork a solo operator needs: proposals, contracts, time tracking, invoices, payments, and basic accounting. It is aimed at freelancers and very small studios.
Who it suits: Freelancers, consultants, and tiny agencies that want one tool for the client paperwork cycle.
Bonsai pros
- Contract templates and invoicing save time on admin.
- Time tracking is included on every plan.
- Priced per user with a 7-day trial, and cheaper than assembling several tools.
- Unlimited clients on all plans.
Bonsai cons
- Invoicing, contracts, and accounting are not in the cheapest Basic tier.
- Reviewers report payment holds and support delays.
- Tax features cost extra, and plan prices rose for some users.
- Light on project management and team features for larger agencies.
How much do the best time tracking software cost?
Per-user prices are similar at the entry tier, but the features agencies want sit higher up. Billable rates, approvals, and profitability reports are on mid or top plans, and Harvest adds usage-based charges for extra invoices and projects.
| Tool | Plan | Price | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | Free | $0 | Timers, tasks, boards, personal reports; free for up to 3 users per the pricing FAQ |
| Toggl Track | Starter | $9 per user/month (annual billing); $12 monthly | Billable rates, team reports, tags |
| Toggl Track | Premium | $16 per user/month (annual billing); $24 monthly | Approvals, profitability reports, fixed-fee projects, SSO |
| Toggl Track | Enterprise | Custom | Custom roles, priority support |
| Toggl Track | Time Off Pro (add-on) | $2 per user/month (annual billing); $2 monthly | Approval workflows, accrual balances, custom policies |
| Toggl Track | Capacity Management (add-on) | $5 per user/month (annual billing); $6 monthly | Capacity beyond the current month, forecasting in reports |
| Harvest | Free | $0 | 1 seat, 2 projects |
| Harvest | Teams | $9 per seat/month (annual billing); $11 monthly | Team reports, accounting and payment integrations |
| Harvest | Enterprise | $14 per seat/month (annual billing); $17.50 monthly | Profitability, approvals, SSO, unlimited custom reports |
| Harvest | Enterprise Plus | Custom | Custom terms |
| Productive | Essential | $10 per user/month (annual billing); $12 monthly | Budgeting, resource planning, time tracking, API |
| Productive | Professional | $25 per user/month (annual billing); $29 monthly | Approvals, rate cards, invoicing integrations, advanced reports |
| Productive | Ultimate | Quote-based | Revenue forecasting, scenarios, SSO, webhooks |
| Bonsai | Basic | $9 per user/month (annual billing); $15 monthly | Time tracking, unlimited clients |
| Bonsai | Essentials | $19 per user/month (annual billing); $25 monthly | Invoices, payments, proposals, contracts |
| Bonsai | Premium | $29 per user/month (annual billing); $39 monthly | Gantt view, deals pipeline, profit reports |
| Bonsai | Elite | $49 per user/month (annual billing); $59 monthly | Custom permissions, timesheet locking, 3 user minimum |
What do reviewers say about these time tracking software?
Time trackers earn high scores because the core job is simple. The written feedback shows the differences: Toggl Track is praised for reports, Harvest for invoicing and its mobile app, Productive for budgets, and Bonsai for contracts and invoices.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggl Track | G2 | 4.6 / 5 | 1,588 |
| Toggl Track | Capterra | 4.7 / 5 | 2,590 |
| Harvest | G2 | 4.3 / 5 | 843 |
| Harvest | Capterra | 4.3 / 5 | 367 |
| Productive | Capterra | 4.6 / 5 | 108 |
| Productive | G2 | 4.6 / 5 | 86 |
| Bonsai | Capterra | 4.6 / 5 | 95 |
| Bonsai | G2 | 4.3 / 5 | 101 |
| Bonsai | Trustpilot | 4.5 / 5 | 639 |
Reviewer themes for Toggl Track
- G2 shows Toggl Track at 4.6 from 1,588 reviews, and Capterra at 4.7 from 2,590 with 97 percent positive sentiment.
- Reviewers praise the one-click timer, idle detection, and detailed reports.
Reviewer themes for Harvest
- G2 shows Harvest at 4.3 from 843 reviews, and Capterra shows 4.3 from 367 reviews.
- Capterra reviewers describe the interface as easy to learn and call the timer and manual entries straightforward.
Reviewer themes for Productive
- Capterra shows 4.6 from 108 reviews, and G2 shows 4.6 from 86 reviews.
- Reviewers say it covers many agency needs in one tool and works well if you adopt its approach.
Reviewer themes for Bonsai
- Capterra shows Bonsai at 4.6 from 95 reviews, G2 at 4.3 from 101, and Trustpilot at 4.5 from 639.
- Reviewers value an all-in-one tool that covers the freelance business cycle.
How do you choose the right time tracking tool for your agency?
Decide what happens after the hours are tracked. If it becomes an invoice, look at Harvest or Bonsai. If it becomes a profitability review, look at Productive. If you already invoice elsewhere, Toggl Track gives the cleanest data.
Whichever you choose, set up clients, projects, and rates exactly as you bill them and agree a daily tracking habit with the team.
A quick decision guide
- Clean time data and your own invoicing tool: Toggl Track.
- Tracking and invoicing in one product: Harvest.
- Budgets, resource planning, and margin by client: Productive.
- Contracts, proposals, and invoices for a solo practice: Bonsai.
- Check where approvals and profitability reports sit before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best time tracking software for agencies?
- Toggl Track is best for pure tracking and reports, Harvest for tracking plus invoicing, and Productive for agencies that want budgets and profitability in the same system.
- Which time tracker can send invoices?
- Harvest and Bonsai create invoices from tracked time. Toggl Track does not invoice, and Productive lists invoicing integrations.
- Is there a free time tracking option?
- Toggl Track and Harvest both have free plans with limits. Productive and Bonsai offer free trials.
- Which tracker shows project profitability?
- Productive is built for it. Toggl Track Premium and Harvest Enterprise also include profitability reports.
- Can I switch trackers without losing data?
- Most tools export time entries as CSV, but rates and project names usually need matching by hand, so switch at the start of a billing month.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- Toggl Track pricing page
- Harvest pricing page
- Productive pricing page
- Bonsai pricing page
- G2
- Capterra