Time Tracking Software for Consultants (2026): 10 Compared

For a consultant, time tracking isn't admin, it's the invoice. Every hour you forget to log is an hour you've worked without being able to bill it, so the tool that makes tracking effortless tends to earn its place fastest.

Here are ten options, listed alphabetically and in no particular order, with each description taken from the vendor's own website, read as of Oct 2026. If you're comparing general trackers rather than ones aimed at client work, my roundup of time tracking software covers the wider field.

Consultant time trackers compared

I checked the free plan column on each vendor's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the page names a free plan, a free version or an open source edition. Trial only means it names a time-limited free trial. Not stated means the page I read named neither, so check the vendor's own site before you sign up.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Avaza	Project, time and invoicing software	Timesheets, scheduling and invoicing for growing teams	Not stated
Bonsai	Business management software	Client work from proposal to invoice	Not stated
Hubstaff	Time tracking with productivity insights	Automated timesheets, project tracking and GPS job sites	Not stated
Kantata	Professional services automation	Forecasting, delivery, resourcing and financials for firms	Not stated
Paymo	Time tracking, projects and invoicing	Turning timesheets into invoices	Not stated
Productive	Agency management and PSA software	Time tracking with resourcing, CRM and profitability	Trial only
Replicon	AI-powered time tracking from Deltek	Time tracking for professional services firms	Not stated
Scoro	Professional services automation	One platform for consultancies, agencies and IT firms	Not stated
Timely	Automatic time tracking	Timesheets filled in automatically from client work	Trial only
TMetric	Time tracker for service teams	Billable hours, billing rates and project margins	Trial only

Ten time tracking tools for consulting work

Avaza

Best for: Growing consultancies that want project management, timesheets, resource scheduling and invoicing, including retainer and recurring invoices, in one tool.

Bonsai

Best for: Consultants who want CRM, proposals, agreements, a client portal, time tracking, timesheets and invoicing in one business management platform.

Hubstaff

Best for: Teams that want time tracked across devices, projects and tasks, turned into automated timesheets, plus GPS job sites for on-site client work.

Kantata

Best for: Services firms that want an AI-driven professional services automation platform covering forecasting, delivery, resourcing and financials.

Paymo

Best for: Independent professionals and small teams doing client work who want time tracking, task management and timesheets converted into invoices.

Productive

Best for: Agencies and services teams that want time tracking joined to resource planning, a sales CRM, invoicing, forecasting and profitability reporting.

Replicon

Best for: Professional services firms with a global workforce that want AI-powered time tracking to speed up billing and help them stay compliant.

Scoro

Best for: Consultancies in business, legal, accounting, environmental or IT services that want a professional services automation platform built for firms like theirs.

Timely

Best for: Consultancies and agencies that want client time logged automatically, without timers, with projects, reports and invoices built from logged time.

TMetric

Best for: Client-facing teams that want billable hours, billing rates and project margins tracked, with approved timesheets feeding billing and project reports.

Three kinds of tool for three sizes of practice

• Professional services suites. Built for firms with several consultants, these join time tracking to resourcing, forecasting and project profitability. Deltek's Replicon describes AI-powered time tracking that helps professional services firms accelerate billing across a global workforce.
• Project and invoicing tools. For small teams and independents who run projects and bill from the same place. Paymo's page talks about converting timesheets into invoices so every billable hour is accounted for, and Avaza offers retainer and recurring invoicing beside its timesheets.
• Trackers. For consultants who already have project and invoicing tools and just need the hours captured well. Hubstaff adds GPS job sites that clock teams in and out, which helps if your work happens at the client's office.

Suites talk about delivery, trackers talk about hours

Here's something you won't guess from the category name. Kantata's homepage calls it a professional services automation platform, yet its opening text doesn't use the words "time tracking" at all. It talks about forecasting, delivery, resourcing and financials instead. The suites assume you'll track time and sell you everything around it.

The trackers go the other way. TMetric says it's built for "agencies, consultancies, and client-facing teams that need to reduce revenue leakage", which is the plain problem: hours worked and never billed. So if your real pain is lost hours, a tracker may solve it faster than a suite. If it's knowing which consultant is free in a few weeks and which project is losing money, look at the suites.

How to stop billable hours slipping through

The fix starts with capture. Timely says it logs client time automatically, without timers, which helps if you always forget to press start. Whatever you choose, the routine below matters more than the tool.

1. Capture time as you work, not on Friday afternoon, with a timer, one click or automatic capture.
2. Set a billing rate for each client or project before you log a single hour, so invoices come out right first time.
3. Approve timesheets every week. A quick review catches the hour logged against the wrong client before it reaches an invoice.
4. Turn approved hours into invoices from the same tool, or connect it to your invoicing software, so nobody retypes anything.
5. Check margin by project every month. If a fixed-fee project keeps running over, you'll see it while there's still time to fix the scope.

If invoicing is the weak link rather than tracking, my comparison of invoicing software for freelancers and small businesses is worth a look.

Do you make time tracking or professional services software for consultants? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice for consultants choosing a time tracker

Match the tool to the size of your practice. If it's just you, a tracker or a project tool that invoices will save you hours without months of setup. If you've got a team and clients on retainers, a suite that joins time to resourcing and profitability pays you back in fewer surprises. Use the free trial where there is one on a live client project, not a test, so you see how it copes with real work.

And make tracking the easy part of your day. The best system is the one you'll keep using on a busy Thursday. If you work alone and want more ideas, my guide to time tracking tools for solo business owners goes into the habits that make it stick.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

What's the easiest way for a consultant to track time?

Use a tool that captures time automatically or with one click, then review and approve the hours each week before they go onto an invoice.

Do I need professional services automation software?

Only if you manage several consultants and need resourcing, forecasting and project profitability in one place. Most solo consultants are fine with a tracker or a project tool that invoices.

Can time tracking software create invoices?

Many can. Several tools here turn approved timesheets into invoices, and some handle retainer or recurring invoices too.

How do I track time on a retainer?

Log hours against the retainer as you would any project, then compare them with what the retainer covers each month. Some tools offer retainer invoicing to make that easier.

Is automatic time tracking private?

It depends on the tool. Before you switch it on, check what it captures, where that data is kept and who in your team can see it.