GITNUXSOFTWARE REVIEW
Business FinanceTop 10 Best Project Timekeeping Software of 2026
Compare project timekeeping software options for project teams, with practical tradeoffs and tools like Harvest, Workyard, and Clockify.
How we ranked these tools
Vendors set the topic, but our editors set the inclusion criteria and the evaluation framework before research starts.
Agents extract product evidence with provenance, then collect written reviews and transcribe video reviews and podcasts.
Framework: Features 40% · Ease 30% · Value 30%
Gitnux may earn a commission through links on this page — this does not influence rankings. Editorial policy
Harvest is the best pick for SMBs that need task-level timesheets and approvals, since automated reminders plus structured sign-off help keep entries complete before reporting deadlines, whereas Workyard fits project teams that rely on API-driven integrations and audit-ready reporting exports.
Editor’s top 3 picks
Three quick recommendations before you dive into the full comparison below — each one leads on a different dimension.
Harvest
Automated timesheet reminders and structured approvals help prevent missed entries before reporting deadlines.
Best for: Fits when teams want task-level timesheets, approvals, and strong integration exports for reporting and billing.
Workyard
Editor pickAPI-driven time entry and reporting data extraction for automated integrations beyond manual timesheet export.
Best for: Fits when project teams need controlled approvals, task attribution, and audit-ready exports.
Clockify
Editor pickWebhooks deliver time entry and timer events so external systems can react immediately.
Best for: Fits when teams need API-driven time capture and exportable reporting across projects.
Comparison Table
Harvest
SMBTime tracking and invoicing platform built around project-based work.
Automated timesheet reminders and structured approvals help prevent missed entries before reporting deadlines.
Harvest centers time tracking workflows around projects, clients, and optional tasks, then routes work through an approval process before reporting. Core reporting includes utilization views by person and project, and it can segment time for client billing and internal cost analysis. Configuration supports rate setup for billable work and locking behavior to prevent post-approval edits.
A tradeoff appears in organizations that need highly granular approval hierarchies or contract-specific compliance workflows, since Harvest’s native controls focus on time approval rather than government-grade rule engines. Harvest fits teams that want fast adoption with task-level entry and strong export and API access for downstream billing systems, even when project setup must be kept disciplined.
- +Task-level time entry keeps effort aligned to work plans
- +Approval workflow reduces post-hoc edits with timesheet locking
- +API and exports support automation into finance and delivery tools
- +Project and client reporting covers billable and non-billable splits
- –Approval logic is less granular than enterprise approval hierarchies
- –Workflow controls rely on accurate project, client, and rate setup
- –Offline and kiosk capture are limited compared with field-first products
- –Advanced governance needs add-ons or custom integrations
Project management offices
Track task effort by project
Fewer manual timesheet corrections
Operations and finance teams
Reconcile billable time for clients
Cleaner month-end reconciliation
Show 2 more scenarios
Integrations and RevOps
Sync timesheets into systems
Reduced manual data movement
API access supports pulling and pushing time, projects, and related metadata to downstream tools.
Distributed professional services
Standardize time capture across teams
More reliable resource visibility
Structured time entry and approvals keep remote work consistent for utilization reporting.
Best for: Fits when teams want task-level timesheets, approvals, and strong integration exports for reporting and billing.
Workyard
vertical specialistWorkyard tracks construction labor by project with GPS time capture, geofencing, scheduling, and cost reporting.
API-driven time entry and reporting data extraction for automated integrations beyond manual timesheet export.
Workyard records employee time against projects and tasks with approval flows that support structured timesheet approval workflows. The system includes mobile time capture, admin-controlled rounding, and project billing rate fields to align recorded time with cost and billing needs.
Reporting covers project and resource utilization views plus timesheet audit trail exports for accounting and payroll workflows. Workyard also provides an API surface for syncing work data, creating time entries, and pulling reporting extracts.
- +Task-level time entry maps directly to project reporting categories
- +Timesheet approvals support hierarchy with configurable lock periods
- +API supports time entry creation and reporting data extraction
- +Export formats support accounting review workflows with audit trails
- –DCAA compliance coverage depends on configuration choices and internal process
- –JIRA integration requires careful field mapping for consistent task attribution
Contractors with field crews
Clock job labor via mobile devices
More consistent attendance records
Project administrators
Run job cost reporting from time
Earlier job cost visibility
Show 2 more scenarios
Site supervisors
Capture daily time-sequenced field evidence
Searchable project history
Supervisors log daily progress with time along with photos and notes in mobile daily logs.
Construction dispatch managers
Update crew assignments tied to jobs
Clearer crew assignments
Dispatchers assign crews to jobs on a dispatch board and apply schedule updates from the field.
Best for: Fits when project teams need controlled approvals, task attribution, and audit-ready exports.
Clockify
SMBFree time tracker with project, task, and client-level time entry.
Webhooks deliver time entry and timer events so external systems can react immediately.
Clockify fits teams that need fast time capture across projects while keeping reporting aligned to client and project structures. Its core workflow covers starting and stopping timers, entering adjustments, and organizing time by project and task. Reporting then uses those groupings to produce utilization and project summaries that can be exported via CSV for downstream analysis.
A key tradeoff is that complex approval rules can require more setup discipline than tools that model approvals inside the time entry form itself. Clockify works well when managers review timesheets on a recurring cadence and when admins want API and webhooks to automate intake into billing or ERP workflows.
- +REST API and webhooks for time event automation
- +Project and task grouping stays consistent across reporting
- +Exportable timesheet data supports external BI workflows
- +Multi-user workspaces support shared reporting views
- –Approval complexity takes careful configuration to match policies
- –Advanced field-level governance is limited compared with dedicated PSA suites
Operations analytics teams
Automate utilization reporting
Faster reporting cycles
Project managers
Track task-level effort by project
Clearer effort tracking
Show 2 more scenarios
Integrations engineers
Sync time with business systems
Less manual data entry
Webhooks and REST API coordinate time events into downstream billing workflows.
Finance and billings teams
Export time for invoicing support
Cleaner invoice inputs
CSV exports provide structured time logs mapped to client and project labels.
Best for: Fits when teams need API-driven time capture and exportable reporting across projects.
Toggl Track
SMBLightweight project time tracker with one-click timers and reporting.
Task-level time capture tied to Jira-linked work records, then reportable in project and team views.
Toggl Track fits teams that need quick time capture plus structured reporting across projects and tasks. It offers approval and timesheet workflows that can be tightened with locking and edit controls, which helps preserve a consistent audit trail. Integration coverage includes Jira and QuickBooks, and data export supports CSV workflows for teams that manage invoices outside the timekeeping system.
- +Task-level timers with tags for clean billable vs non-billable reporting
- +Jira integration supports time capture aligned to work items
- +CSV export supports custom invoicing and payroll pipelines
- +REST API enables automated time imports and reporting pulls
- –Approval governance is less granular than PSA-first timekeeping suites
- –Advanced reporting often needs exporting and reformatting
- –Complex multi-rate setups require careful configuration to avoid mistakes
Consulting teams
Jira-linked task time capture
Fewer manual timesheet rollups
Operations and finance
Export timesheets to accounting
Consistent invoice inputs
Show 2 more scenarios
Revenue operations analysts
Automate time sync and reports
Less spreadsheet work
The REST API enables scripted time ingestion and report extraction for internal dashboards.
Project managers
Track capacity across projects
Better resource decisions
Team and project breakdowns support capacity planning using captured time activity.
Best for: Fits when services teams need fast task tracking plus exports and Jira-linked reporting.
Deltek Costpoint
vertical specialistDeltek Costpoint supports government contracting with project timekeeping, labor accounting, billing, and enterprise resource planning.
Timesheet lock period combined with approval workflow controls to protect late changes during billing and reporting cycles.
Deltek Costpoint pairs project timekeeping with an ERP-grade foundation for government contracting and complex cost accounting. The system supports task- or project-coded time entry, multi-level approval workflows, and audit trail controls such as timesheet lock periods.
- +Ties time entry directly to cost accounting and rate structures for reporting consistency
- +Multi-level timesheet approval hierarchy supports controlled sign-off
- +Timesheet lock period supports tamper resistance after reporting windows close
- +API supports automation of time data movement into external systems
- –Governance setup is required to keep coding, rates, and approvals consistent
- –User experience can feel heavy for teams without ERP process needs
- –Mobile and offline capture are not the fastest path for drive-by time logging
- –Deep configuration for billing mapping can slow initial rollout
Government contractor finance teams
Post labor by project and contract
More traceable project costs
Contract billing teams
Convert eligible time to billings
Billing aligned to activity
Show 2 more scenarios
Program controls teams
Link labor to performance reporting
More consistent labor traceability
Program teams associate labor time with contract structures used for performance reporting.
Project controllers
Compare budgets to cost variances
Earlier variance visibility
Controllers compare budgets, posted costs, and purchase commitments to identify cost-code variances.
Best for: Fits when government contractors need ERP-aligned timekeeping, approval controls, and audit trail governance.
QuickBooks Time
SMBQuickBooks Time tracks employee hours, project time, GPS locations, schedules, and payroll data.
Timesheet approval and edit controls with timesheet lock period to protect accounting-ready time entries.
QuickBooks Time ties timekeeping to the QuickBooks ecosystem through native QuickBooks integration workflows that many project teams already use for invoicing and reporting. It supports timesheets with project and activity tracking, mobile time entry, and configurable approval flows that fit internal review and signoff.
- +Tight QuickBooks integration links time data to invoicing workflows
- +Approval hierarchy supports structured timesheet review before export
- +Time rounding and timesheet lock period features reduce late edits
- +Mobile time tracking supports task-level time entry on the go
- –API and webhook coverage for time events is not as extensive as specialist tools
- –Project phase and task granularity can require admin configuration discipline
- –Workflows for complex PSA approvals may feel less granular than dedicated PSA systems
- –Offline time tracking can lag behind the most field-focused timekeeping options
Project managers in services
Track hours by project and task
More detailed time summaries
Timekeeping coordinators
Review exceptions in timecards
More consistent corrections
Show 2 more scenarios
Payroll administrators
Move approved hours into payroll
Controlled payroll handoff
Payroll teams review approved hours and move time data into QuickBooks workflows for payroll processing.
Managers of distributed teams
Oversee mobile time across locations
Centralized time visibility
Managers use location-aware clocking and approval history to oversee time records across work locations.
Best for: Fits when teams already run QuickBooks and need controlled timesheet approvals plus exportable audit trails.
FunctionFox
vertical specialistFunctionFox provides project time tracking, estimates, approvals, invoicing support, and reporting for creative teams.
Configurable timesheet lock and rounding rules that prevent late edits after workflow milestones.
FunctionFox captures employee and contractor time against projects, tasks, and job codes in a web workflow built around approval and reporting. Teams can configure timesheet rules like rounding and lock periods and then export approved hours for invoicing and finance.
- +Timesheets can be rounded and locked to enforce policy before approval
- +Approval hierarchy supports consistent review before exports
- +Export options support common invoicing workflows without heavy rework
- +Role-based access limits who can edit, approve, or export time records
- –API and automation surface is thinner than top-tier PSA ecosystems
- –Task-level reporting requires careful project and job-code setup
- –Geofencing and biometric clock options are not positioned for strict field security
- –Complex cost and utilization calculations need more admin configuration discipline
Project managers and agency leaders
Compare budgets with recorded effort
Visibility into budget use
Creative agencies and services teams
Attach time to clients and tasks
Organized client time records
Show 2 more scenarios
Agency billing staff
Prepare invoices from tracked time
Less manual time rollup
Billing staff use tracked time, expenses, and project billing rules to produce invoice-ready outputs.
Creative and architecture teams
Connect planning to tracked work
Plans tied to tracked work
Teams use estimates and task planning so project plans and timelines align with tracked work activity.
Best for: Fits when services teams need structured timesheets with approvals and repeatable exports for billing.
Raken
vertical specialistRaken provides construction field time tracking with production reporting, project cost data, and mobile crew workflows.
Role-based timesheet approval tied to project tasks, so supervisors can validate labor at the entry level.
Raken is built for project teams that need job-based timekeeping with contractor-oriented workflows and reporting. Core capabilities include mobile time capture tied to projects and tasks, approval workflows, and timesheet exports for billing and internal review.
- +Mobile time capture organized around job and task context
- +Timesheet approval workflow with clear accountability for supervisors
- +Reporting built around project and team time rollups
- +Audit-style visibility into edits and approval state changes
- –API coverage is lighter than high-extensibility PSA tools
- –Complex rate setups require careful governance across projects
Construction project managers
Connect production updates to work schedules
Updated progress for office teams
Project controllers and construction managers
Allocate labor and production to cost codes
Structured job costing evidence
Show 2 more scenarios
Site supervisors
Record daily jobsite progress with time
Consistent field records
Supervisors capture progress with photos and notes from active sites in daily jobsite records.
General contractors
Turn photos into punch item actions
Clear ownership for follow-up
Teams convert daily observations and photos into punch items and job actions linked to the project record.
Best for: Fits when field teams need job-based timesheets with approval flow and export-ready reporting for project billing.
Timely
SMBTimely combines automatic time capture with project tracking, team timesheets, budgets, and reporting.
Calendar-driven time capture with project context reduces entry friction while keeping records traceable for approvals.
Timely is a project timekeeping tool built around quick time entry and calendar-aware tracking for teams that need consistent timesheets. It supports project and task-level capture, timers with pauses, and approval flows that fit common timesheet approval workflow patterns.
- +Timer-based entry reduces missed work between meetings and project tasks
- +Calendar-aware capture helps keep time aligned with daily schedules
- +Approval workflow supports structured review before exports and reporting
- +Project and task-level tracking supports granular attribution for reporting
- –Advanced governance controls require careful org configuration
- –Export formats can limit direct mapping for complex billing schemas
Project teams
Capture work into project-based timesheets
More complete time records
Managers and finance teams
Review weekly utilization by project
Clear view of project distribution
Show 2 more scenarios
Salon managers and client staff
Use visit history for rebooking outreach
More structured repeat outreach
Beauty businesses use appointment history and reminders to encourage repeat visits and client retention.
Salon operations teams
Coordinate service menu and schedule changes
Fewer scheduling conflicts
Salons manage service menus, staff availability, online bookings, and daily appointment changes.
Best for: Fits when teams need accurate task-level time entry, approval workflow, and exportable reporting for project billing.
Beebole
SMBBeebole provides configurable project timesheets, approvals, labor reporting, and integrations for growing organizations.
Timesheet approval workflow with configurable lock periods that control when entries can be changed after signoff.
Beebole is a project timekeeping tool focused on multi-user workforce tracking and admin control for organizations that need more than timesheets. It supports task-level and project-based time entry with approval workflows, plus reporting for utilization and billing preparation.
- +Approval workflow supports structured timesheet signoff across teams
- +Reporting covers utilization-focused views and project billing preparation
- +Integration options help route time into project and accounting systems
- +Admin controls support disciplined enforcement of entry rules
- –Task-level reporting can require consistent project and task naming
- –Approval design can feel rigid for unconventional signoff chains
- –Automation depth depends on integration coverage for each target system
- –Advanced export needs can lead to spreadsheet cleanup for consistency
Project controllers
Analyze labor use by rates and budgets
Better labor cost visibility
Compliance-oriented managers
Govern changes with lock periods
More auditable timekeeping
Show 2 more scenarios
Consulting and agency firms
Track billable hours to client matters
Traceable billable hours
Consultants record hours against clients, projects, matters, tasks, and billing codes for traceability.
Resource and operations leaders
Compare recorded hours to capacity
Visibility into capacity use
Managers compare recorded hours with projects, budgets, and active demand to review allocation decisions.
Best for: Fits when project teams need approval-controlled time entry and utilization reporting with external system integrations.
Conclusion
After evaluating 10 project timekeeping software, Harvest stands out as our overall top pick — it scored highest across our combined criteria of features, ease of use, and value, which is why it sits at #1 in the rankings above.
Use the comparison table and detailed reviews above to validate the fit against your own requirements before committing to a tool.
Frequently Asked Questions About Project Timekeeping Software
How do Harvest and Toggl Track handle task-level time entry for project reporting?
Which tool exposes time entry data through an API for automation workflows?
When should teams use timesheet lock periods in QuickBooks Time and Deltek Costpoint?
What breaks if scheduled reminders are missing in Harvest for timesheet completion?
How do approval workflows differ between Workyard and FunctionFox?
Which tool is better for job-based timesheets used on construction or field projects?
How do timesheet exports support audit trails in Clockify and Beebole?
What security controls are available for single sign-on and provisioning in project timekeeping tools?
When is offline or mobile capture essential, and how do Raken and QuickBooks Time differ?
How do Clockify and Toggl Track differ in how they connect time capture to project and ticket systems?
Tools reviewed
Primary sources checked during evaluation.
Referenced in the comparison table and product reviews above.
How to Choose the Right Project Timekeeping Software
The options that feel different usually come down to how reliably each tool handles project time entry and approval, and how well it automates the follow-up work. In practice, Project time capture coverage and timesheet approval workflow define whether hours land where they should, with the right controls and records.
Project time capture coverage
Why it matters
When project timekeeping software covers the project structure you use, people can enter time with fewer workarounds. This matters because incomplete mapping leads to messy edits and gaps when you reconcile reports.
How to check
On a demo, ask to create a sample project with at least two layers of work (such as a project and one level of sub-work) and enter time against each. Then check whether entries can be corrected and reclassified without breaking the history.
Timesheet approval workflow
Why it matters
A clear timesheet approval workflow reduces back-and-forth and prevents unauthorized changes. It also affects how fast managers can review and lock work for reporting.
How to check
Request a walkthrough of an approval flow for a single employee: submit, manager review, revise, approve. Confirm who can approve, what happens on rejection, and whether you can see the current status per employee and project.
Audit log and change tracking
Why it matters
For project timekeeping software, audit log and change tracking are what you rely on when hours don’t match expectations. Good tracking makes investigations and corrections less painful for admins and project owners.
How to check
Make a change in a submitted timesheet during the demo (for example, adjust a line item), and verify you can view who changed what and when. Ask whether the original entry remains attributable or gets overwritten.
Reporting and export outputs
Why it matters
You will eventually need project-level reporting that matches how your teams bill, forecast, or analyze labor. Strong reporting outputs reduce manual copying and the risk of inconsistent numbers across tools.
How to check
Show a project summary view (by employee, project, and date range) and a report definition screen, if available. Then ask the admin to generate two reports with different filters and verify the numbers reconcile to the underlying entries.
Admin configuration and RBAC
Why it matters
Admin configuration and RBAC determine who can edit projects, manage approvals, and view sensitive time data. When permissions are too loose or too rigid, teams either circumvent controls or block legitimate work.
How to check
Ask the demo to set up two roles: a standard time entry role and a project manager role. Verify what each role can do (enter time, submit, approve, and view cross-project totals) and whether role changes take effect immediately.
Red flags
- The approval flow forces edits after approval without clear rejection paths
- Reports don’t match what you see in the underlying time entries
- Permissions look binary (too much access or not enough to complete reviews)
Fit by situation
- If our teams enter time across many projects and sub-work, prioritize Project time capture coverage.
- If managers must review and approve regularly before reporting, prioritize Timesheet approval workflow.
- If we frequently reconcile hours and investigate discrepancies, prioritize Audit log and change tracking.
Funding and competing interests
This study was co-funded by several of the vendors assessed in it. No single vendor funded it. Funders could propose the market studied.
They had no role in selecting vendors, setting or weighting criteria, analysing data or drawing conclusions, and they received the same factual-accuracy check as every other vendor assessed.
Market definition, inclusion rules and criteria weights were fixed by an editor before research began and did not change afterwards. Editorial process →
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