Most agencies don't lose money because nobody tracked the hours. They lose it when a client looks at an invoice, asks "what did we actually get for 40 hours?", and nobody can show them quickly.
So we judged agency time tracking software on one question the usual lists skip: how easily can you prove billed hours to a client? We also looked at price, invoicing and how much your team will put up with.
A quick disclosure: we make TeamTrackin, and it's on this list. We've tried to be fair. Where another tool is the better fit, we say so, and we list our own drawbacks too. Prices were checked on each vendor's site in October 2026 and change often, so confirm before you buy.
Quick picks
| Tool | Best for | Paid plans from |
|---|---|---|
| TeamTrackin | Agencies that need to prove hours to clients and invoice from the same tool | $3.99/user/month |
| Hubstaff | Distributed teams that want monitoring plus payroll payments | $4.99/seat/month (annual) |
| Time Doctor | Larger teams that want deep productivity analytics | $6.70/user/month (annual) |
| Harvest | Simple time-to-invoice with accounting sync | $9/seat/month (annual) |
| Toggl Track | Teams that refuse screenshot monitoring | $9/user/month (annual) |
| Clockify | Tight budgets and teams that start free | $3.99/seat/month (annual) |
| Productive | Agencies that want full resourcing, budgets and profitability | $10/user/month |
How we judged them
- Client proof: Can a client see tracked time, and is there evidence behind it?
- Invoicing: Can you turn tracked hours into a client invoice without a second tool?
- Price at 10 to 50 people: Per-user cost on the plan an agency would actually need.
- Team acceptance: Can monitoring be switched off or tuned per person?
- Fit with your stack: Integrations with the project tools agencies already use.
1. TeamTrackin
TeamTrackin is an all-in-one platform built for agencies, dev shops and remote teams. A desktop tracker for Windows, macOS and Linux records time automatically, with a screenshot each 10-minute slot and keyboard and mouse activity percentages.
Where it stands out for agencies is the client side. On Premium, each client gets a login on your own subdomain (yourcompany.teamtrackin.com/client). There they can see project progress, tracked versus active hours, and ticket worklogs with screenshot thumbnails. When a client questions a bill, you point them to the evidence rather than a spreadsheet.
Invoicing lives in the same place. You can bill hourly, fixed or by milestone, add VAT, pick any currency and choose from six templates. Invoices download as PDF and export to XLSX.
Strengths
- Client portal, screenshot-backed worklogs and invoicing in one tool
- Time syncs to Jira, Asana, ClickUp, Linear, Trello, Monday.com and GitHub, so developers don't log twice
- No keystroke logging; screenshots, app and URL tracking can be turned off per employee
- Pays staff in about 150 currencies, which helps UK and US agencies with offshore teams
Drawbacks
- No direct QuickBooks or Xero sync yet; invoices export to XLSX instead
- Clients mark invoices as paid in the portal; there's no online card payment
- The portal uses your subdomain but shows TeamTrackin branding
- A smaller integration list than Hubstaff or Time Doctor
Choose TeamTrackin if clients regularly question your hours and you want tracking, client visibility and invoicing in one bill.
2. Hubstaff
Hubstaff is one of the best-known trackers for remote teams. It offers screenshots, activity levels and client invoices from its entry plan, with payroll and payments on higher tiers.
Strengths
- A mature product with a wide integration list
- Built-in payments on the Team plan
Drawbacks
- Screenshots capped on Starter (500 per user per month) and Grow (1,500)
- Payroll needs Team or above
- No client portal listed on its pricing page
Choose Hubstaff if you pay contractors by the hour and want the payment run inside the tracker.
3. Time Doctor
Time Doctor focuses on workforce analytics. It offers screenshots on every plan, payroll from Standard, and client login access on Premium.
Strengths
- Detailed productivity reports
- 60+ integrations from Standard
- Client login on its top plan
Drawbacks
- Client access only on Premium at $16.70, about twice TeamTrackin Premium
- HRIS and payroll integrations are $200 per integration per month add-ons
Choose Time Doctor if analytics matter more to you than cost, and you have a bigger team to justify it.
4. Harvest
Harvest is a long-standing favourite for agencies that bill by the hour. It's clean, quick to learn and built around invoicing.
Strengths
- Invoicing on every plan
- QuickBooks Online, Xero and Stripe sync on Teams
Drawbacks
- No screenshot or activity evidence to show a client
- Timesheet approvals need Enterprise
Choose Harvest if your clients trust you and you mainly need tracked time to become invoices in Xero or QuickBooks.
5. Toggl Track
Toggl Track is a well-designed manual and automatic timer. Toggl states plainly that it does not take screenshots or monitor employees.
Strengths
- Easy for staff to adopt
- Strong reporting and billable rates
Drawbacks
- Without screenshots or activity data, your proof to clients is the timesheet itself
Choose Toggl Track if your team culture rules out monitoring and clients don't ask for evidence.
6. Clockify
Clockify has a free plan for up to 5 users and some of the lowest paid prices around.
Strengths
- Invoicing and timesheet approvals from Standard
- Screenshots on Pro
Drawbacks
- Screenshots, invoicing and approvals together need Pro at $7.99, the same as TeamTrackin Premium, which also includes the client portal
Choose Clockify if you want to start free and grow into paid features.
7. Productive
Productive is a full agency management platform: budgets, resource planning, profitability and time tracking together.
Strengths
- The deepest budgeting and profitability features on this list
- Client access to budgets
Drawbacks
- More than most 10 to 50 person agencies need, and more per seat
- No screenshot-based proof of work
Choose Productive if you're running resourcing and margin across many retainers and want one operations system.
Side-by-side comparison
| Tool | Paid from (per user/month) | Free option | Screenshots | Client access | Invoicing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TeamTrackin | $3.99 | 14-day trial, no card | All plans | Client portal on Premium ($7.99) | Premium |
| Hubstaff | $4.99 (annual) | 14-day trial, no card | Yes, capped on lower plans | Not listed | From Starter |
| Time Doctor | $6.70 (annual) | 14-day trial, no card | All plans | Client login on Premium ($16.70) | Not covered here |
| Harvest | $9 (annual) | Free for 1 seat | No | Not listed | All plans |
| Toggl Track | $9 (annual) | Free plan | No, by design | Not listed | Billable rates |
| Clockify | $3.99 (annual) | Free up to 5 users | Pro ($7.99) | Not listed | From Standard |
| Productive | $10 | 14-day trial, no card | No | Client access to budgets | Via integrations |
How to choose: four questions
- Do clients question your hours? If yes, you need evidence clients can see. Look at TeamTrackin or Time Doctor Premium.
- Does your team accept monitoring? If not, pick Toggl Track or Harvest. If it's mixed, choose a tool that lets you switch screenshots off per person.
- Where does the invoice go next? If it must sync straight to Xero or QuickBooks today, Harvest is the safest pick.
- What will it cost at your size? Multiply the plan you actually need, not the entry plan, by your headcount.
FAQ
What is the best time tracking software for small agencies?
For a 10 to 50 person agency that bills clients by the hour, pick a tool that combines tracking, client visibility and invoicing. TeamTrackin Premium does all three for $7.99 per user per month. Harvest is a simpler choice if clients don't need evidence.
Is there a good Hubstaff alternative for agencies?
TeamTrackin, Time Doctor and Clockify are the closest alternatives with screenshots. TeamTrackin adds a client portal. Clockify has a free plan.
Can clients see tracked time without seeing everything else?
In TeamTrackin, clients have a separate login and only see the boards, projects, invoices and records you grant them.
Is employee screenshot monitoring legal in the UK?
Generally yes, if it's proportionate and staff are told. Check the ICO's guidance on monitoring workers, and keep monitoring to what you need.
The bottom line
If your clients never question an invoice, a simple timer like Harvest or Toggl Track will do. If they do, the best agency time tracker is the one that lets them see the work behind the hours.
Send your next client a portal link, not a spreadsheet
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