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BEST-OF · 2026

Best CRM, Tasks and Time Tracking Software for Agencies That Want Separate Tools

Plenty of agency software roundups push the all-in-one route: CRM, projects, time, billing and client work in one suite. That can work, but it can also leave each team using a thinner version of the tool they actually need. This guide is for agencies that want clear ownership instead. Sales lives in HubSpot, delivery lives in ClickUp, and time tracking sits in Toggl Track or Harvest depending on how close time needs to be to invoices. We favoured tools that play one job cleanly inside a best-of-breed stack. The trade-off is admin: separate tools need someone to own integrations, naming rules and reporting checks.

Reviewed by Marcus Taylor · how we score · Last updated 2026-06-30 · compare tools · affiliate disclosure

1
PICK
ClickUp logo ClickUp 85/100 · EXCELLENT BEST VALUE PM

ClickUp tries to be the one app an agency runs its delivery on, and on value it largely succeeds. Tasks, docs, goals, whiteboards and native time tracking all live in one place, so the path from a brief to tracked, billable work never leaves the tool. For a price-conscious agency, that consolidation is the whole pitch.

✓ PROS
  • Packs projects, docs and time tracking into one app
  • Generous free plan that small teams can live on
  • From about $7/user/mo when you do pay
✕ CONS
  • Feature overload can overwhelm new users
  • Occasional performance lag on big workspaces
Best for: Agencies that want project management, docs and time tracking in one cheap tool
AT A GLANCE
Ease of use7.6/10
PricingGenerous free plan
Agency fitPM + docs + tracking
Free, then $7/user/mo
Try free ↗ Read full review →
2
PICK
Toggl Track logo 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 →
3
PICK
GoHighLevel logo GoHighLevel 91/100 · EXCEPTIONAL EDITOR'S CHOICE

GoHighLevel is the closest thing the agency world has to an operating system. It bundles a CRM, email and SMS marketing, landing pages and funnels, calendars, pipelines and a deep automation builder into one account — and then lets you slap your own logo on it and sell it to clients as software. For agencies whose business is running marketing for other businesses, that combination is hard to beat.

✓ PROS
  • Replaces a stack of separate tools with one login
  • True white-label — sell it as your own product
  • CRM, email, SMS, funnels and automations in one place
✕ CONS
  • Steep learning curve — expect a slow first month
  • Can feel overwhelming until you turn features off
Best for: Agencies that want to run client marketing and resell software under their own brand
AT A GLANCE
Ease of use7.8/10
PricingFrom $97/mo
Agency fitWhite-label / resell
from $97/mo
Start free trial ↗ Read full review →
4
PICK
Teamwork logo Teamwork 83/100 · EXCELLENT BEST FOR CLIENT WORK

Teamwork is the rare project tool designed around the agency model rather than adapted to it. Billable time, client-facing users, retainers and budget burn are first-class features, not bolt-ons, so the gap between "work done" and "work invoiced" is much smaller than in general-purpose tools. If your business is selling time to clients, that focus pays off quickly.

✓ PROS
  • Built for client work, not retrofitted for it
  • Billable time tracking against tasks and projects
  • Client users you can safely invite in
✕ CONS
  • Busier interface than Asana
  • Smaller integration ecosystem
Best for: Agencies that bill time to clients and need it tracked against projects
AT A GLANCE
Ease of use8.0/10
PricingFree tier + $10.99/user
Agency fitBillable time + clients
Free, then $10.99/user/mo
Try free ↗ Read full review →
5
PICK
Pipedrive logo Pipedrive 83/100 · EXCELLENT BEST SALES CRM

Pipedrive does one job and does it cleanly: it manages your sales pipeline. For an agency, that usually means new business — tracking prospects from first call to signed retainer. The whole product is built around a visual, drag-the-deal pipeline that is simple enough that your business development lead will actually keep it current, which is the only thing that makes any CRM useful.

✓ PROS
  • Dead simple to set up and use
  • Visual pipeline the team will actually maintain
  • Affordable from about $14/seat/mo
✕ CONS
  • Light on marketing and automation vs HubSpot
  • Extras cost more via add-ons
Best for: Agencies that want a focused, easy sales CRM, not a marketing suite
AT A GLANCE
Ease of use9.0/10
PricingFrom $14/seat/mo
Agency fitVisual sales pipeline
from $14/seat/mo
Start free trial ↗ Read full review →
6
PICK
Harvest logo 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 →
7
PICK
ActiveCampaign logo ActiveCampaign 85/100 · EXCELLENT BEST EMAIL AUTOMATION

ActiveCampaign is where email gets serious. The automation builder is the best in this set — branching logic, conditional waits, behavioural triggers and segmentation deep enough to run genuinely sophisticated client campaigns. For an agency whose value is in clever lifecycle and nurture sequences, it gives you room the simpler tools do not.

✓ PROS
  • Best-in-class automation builder
  • CRM and email in one platform
  • Handles complex client campaigns well
✕ CONS
  • Automation builder has a learning curve
  • Pricing scales with contact count
Best for: Agencies running sophisticated email automation for client campaigns
AT A GLANCE
Ease of use7.4/10
PricingFrom $15/mo
Agency fitEmail + CRM automation
from $15/mo
Start free trial ↗ Read full review →
8
PICK
Close logo Close 80/100 · VERY GOOD

Close is a sales CRM built for teams that live on the phone and in the inbox. Calling, emailing and SMS happen inside the tool, so a rep can work a list of prospects without bouncing between apps. For an agency running real outbound to win new clients, that tight loop makes a measurable difference to how many touches actually get made.

✓ PROS
  • Calling and email built directly into the CRM
  • Made for outbound and follow-up cadences
  • Fast for a rep working a list all day
✕ CONS
  • Niche — overkill if you are not doing outbound
  • No free plan
Best for: Agencies doing high-volume outbound that need calling and email in the CRM
AT A GLANCE
Ease of use8.4/10
PricingFrom $19/user/mo
Agency fitBuilt-in calling/email
from $19/user/mo
Start free trial ↗ Read full review →

At a glance

ToolIndexEaseFromFreeBest for
ClickUp 857.6Free, then $7/user/mo✓Agencies that want project management, docs and time tracking in one cheap tool
Toggl Track 849.2Free, then $9/user/mo✓Agencies that want accurate billable-hour tracking without the friction
GoHighLevel 917.8from $97/mo—Agencies that want to run client marketing and resell software under their own brand
Teamwork 838.0Free, then $10.99/user/mo✓Agencies that bill time to clients and need it tracked against projects
Pipedrive 839.0from $14/seat/mo—Agencies that want a focused, easy sales CRM, not a marketing suite
Harvest 828.6Free, then $11/user/mo✓Agencies that want to bill clients directly from tracked time
ActiveCampaign 857.4from $15/mo—Agencies running sophisticated email automation for client campaigns
Close 808.4from $19/user/mo—Agencies doing high-volume outbound that need calling and email in the CRM

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HOW TO CHOOSE

Choosing the right tool

Choose separate tools only if the work has separate owners. HubSpot is a strong CRM layer for leads and pipeline, while ClickUp is better suited to delivery work. The catch is handoff discipline: won deals, project templates and client names need consistent rules.

If time needs to become invoices, start with HubSpot + ClickUp + Harvest. Harvest is the better fit when tracked hours, expenses, budgets and invoicing sit close together. The downside is cost complexity, especially where usage-based billing or payment fees apply.

If the team mainly needs a clean timer and reports, use HubSpot + ClickUp + Toggl Track. Toggl Track is easier to justify when adoption is the risk and invoicing happens elsewhere. The limitation is that paid Toggl billing applies at organisation level, with no free licences on paid plans.

Do the free-plan maths before you build the stack around it. HubSpot Free is useful for small teams, but the cited CRM limit is up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts. ClickUp Free is generous for tasks, but includes 60MB storage and time-tracking limits.

Do not treat ClickUp time tracking as a full replacement by default. It can be enough for rough project visibility, especially early on. If you need approvals, stricter reporting, invoicing, or finance controls, compare Toggl Track and Harvest properly.

Map the workflow before buying anything. A lead becomes a deal in HubSpot, a won deal becomes a project in ClickUp, and time is tracked in Toggl Track or Harvest against the right client and task. Use native integrations or automation tools where supported, but expect some reconciliation work.

FAQ

Should an agency use separate tools instead of an all-in-one platform?

Use separate tools if sales, delivery and finance each need a focused system. HubSpot, ClickUp and a dedicated time tracker can be sharper than one broad platform. The downside is operational overhead, so agencies that want one login and one bill may be better comparing all-in-one tools instead.

Which separate-tool stack is the best fit for most agencies?

HubSpot + ClickUp + Harvest is the strongest fit if time needs to flow into invoicing and payment workflows. HubSpot + ClickUp + Toggl Track is leaner if you invoice somewhere else and mainly need accurate time capture, reports and billable rates.

Can ClickUp replace Toggl Track or Harvest for time tracking?

ClickUp can work if you only need basic time visibility inside project tasks. It is weaker if time tracking becomes a billing, approval or profitability process. Free and advanced time-tracking limits also matter, so check the plan before relying on it.

Are the free plans enough for a small agency?

Free plans are good for testing the workflow, but they break quickly in client work. HubSpot Free has user and contact limits, ClickUp Free has storage and time-tracking limits, Harvest Free is for one active person and two active projects, and Toggl describes its Free plan as for a limited number of users.

Which tool is ranked first on this list?

ClickUp is ranked first here because it has the strongest overall fit for this use case in our current scoring model.