BEST-OF · 2026

The Best Time Tracking Software for Agencies

If you bill by the hour, untracked or mis-tracked time is money walking out the door. These are the best time tracking tools for agencies, from the simplest timer to time-plus-invoicing.

Reviewed by Marcus Taylor · how we score · Updated June 2026 · affiliate disclosure

PICK

Toggl Track 84/100 · EXCELLENT BEST TIME TRACKING

Toggl Track wins time tracking by getting out of the way. Starting a timer is one click, the apps are everywhere your team works, and the reports turn tracked hours into clean answers about where time actually goes. The reason it works is adoption: a timer nobody resents is a timer people actually use, and that is most of the battle for an agency trying to bill accurately.

✓ PROS

The simplest timer in the category — one click
Accurate reporting on billable hours
Generous free plan

✕ CONS

Not a full project-management tool
Invoicing needs an add-on or integration

Best for: Agencies that want accurate billable-hour tracking without the friction

AT A GLANCE

Ease of use9.2/10

PricingFree plan available

Agency fitUnlimited tracking

Free, then $9/user/mo

Try free ↗ Read full review →

PICK

Harvest 82/100 · EXCELLENT BEST TIME + INVOICING

Harvest closes the loop that Toggl leaves open: it tracks time and then invoices from it, in the same tool. For an agency that bills by the hour, that means a team member logs work against a client, and at month end you turn those hours straight into an invoice — no export, no re-keying, no reconciliation between two systems. That single workflow is the reason to choose it.

✓ PROS

Time tracking and invoicing in one tool
Bill clients straight from logged hours
Built-in expense tracking

✕ CONS

Reporting less flexible than Toggl
Interface feels dated in places

Best for: Agencies that want to bill clients directly from tracked time

AT A GLANCE

Ease of use8.6/10

PricingFree for 1 seat

Agency fitTime + invoicing

Free, then $11/user/mo

Try free ↗ Read full review →

At a glance

Tool	Index	Ease	From	Free	Best for
Toggl Track	84	9.2	Free, then $9/user/mo	✓	Agencies that want accurate billable-hour tracking without the friction
Harvest	82	8.6	Free, then $11/user/mo	✓	Agencies that want to bill clients directly from tracked time

HOW TO CHOOSE

Choosing the right tool

Adoption is the whole game. A timer the team forgets to start tells you nothing. The single most important quality in a time tracker is that starting and stopping it is effortless, which is why simplicity wins over feature lists here.

Decide whether you bill from the hours. If you invoice clients from tracked time, a tool that does both — like Harvest — saves a painful monthly export. If your PM tool or accounting already handles billing, a pure timer like Toggl is the cleaner choice.

Use the reporting to find leaking retainers. The real payoff is not the timer, it is the report. Tag time by client and project and you can finally see which accounts are profitable and which are quietly eating your margin.

Mind whether it needs to live alongside PM. Time tracking is rarely a standalone need. Check it integrates with your project management — or pick a PM tool like ClickUp or Teamwork that tracks time natively.

FAQ

What is the best time tracking tool for an agency?

Toggl Track for the simplest, most accurate timer your team will actually use, or Harvest if you want to invoice clients directly from the hours you log.

Toggl Track or Harvest?

Toggl is the sharper pure timer with better reporting; Harvest adds invoicing and expense tracking. Choose Toggl if you only need tracking, Harvest if you bill straight from logged time.