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Business FinanceTop 10 Best Time And Materials Tracking Software of 2026
Find the best time & materials tracking software to streamline project management. Compare features, get your fit today.
How we ranked these tools
Core product claims cross-referenced against official documentation, changelogs, and independent technical reviews.
Analyzed video reviews and hundreds of written evaluations to capture real-world user experiences with each tool.
AI persona simulations modeled how different user types would experience each tool across common use cases and workflows.
Final rankings reviewed and approved by our editorial team with authority to override AI-generated scores based on domain expertise.
Score: Features 40% · Ease 30% · Value 30%
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Editor’s top 3 picks
Three quick recommendations before you dive into the full comparison below — each one leads on a different dimension.
Zoho Projects
Timesheets that log time against tasks inside Zoho Projects for audit-ready billable tracking
Built for teams needing time capture tied to tasks and projects, with reporting discipline.
Harvest
Harvest desktop and web time tracking with project and client tagging
Built for service teams needing fast T&M time capture and invoice-ready reporting.
QuickBooks Time
QuickBooks Time mobile time tracking with job and customer tagging for billable hours
Built for service firms needing QuickBooks-linked time and materials billing control.
Comparison Table
This comparison table covers time and materials tracking tools used for project delivery, including Zoho Projects, Harvest, QuickBooks Time, Toggl Track, and Clockify. It highlights how each platform logs time, manages costs, and supports billing workflows so teams can match software capabilities to project and invoicing needs.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoho Projects Track time, manage work, and create billable reports with project budgets for time and materials billing. | project suite | 8.2/10 | 8.6/10 | 7.9/10 | 7.9/10 |
| 2 | Harvest Capture billable time, assign projects and clients, and export invoices or billing reports for time and materials work. | time tracking | 8.5/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.9/10 | 7.9/10 |
| 3 | QuickBooks Time Record employee time on projects and generate timesheets and billing-ready reports for time and materials invoices. | accounting-adjacent | 8.2/10 | 8.6/10 | 7.9/10 | 7.9/10 |
| 4 | Toggl Track Track time by client and project and produce billing reports that support time and materials invoicing workflows. | self-serve | 8.2/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.8/10 | 6.9/10 |
| 5 | Clockify Run time tracking with projects, clients, and rate settings to produce exports for time and materials billing. | budget-friendly | 8.2/10 | 8.2/10 | 8.6/10 | 7.7/10 |
| 6 | TSheets Manage timesheets tied to jobs and generate billing-ready time data for time and materials projects. | workforce time | 7.5/10 | 8.1/10 | 7.3/10 | 7.0/10 |
| 7 | Paymo Track time and expenses, manage tasks and projects, and generate invoices suitable for time and materials billing. | all-in-one | 7.7/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 8 | Kissflow Use workflow automation with project execution to collect time and material inputs for billable tracking and reporting. | workflow automation | 7.2/10 | 7.6/10 | 6.8/10 | 7.0/10 |
| 9 | Microsoft Project Plan project schedules and track resources so time can roll up to cost for time and materials billing support. | PM cost tracking | 8.0/10 | 8.4/10 | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 10 | monday work management Use boards to track time, labor, and costs per project and export billable views for time and materials invoices. | work management | 7.0/10 | 7.2/10 | 7.0/10 | 6.8/10 |
Track time, manage work, and create billable reports with project budgets for time and materials billing.
Capture billable time, assign projects and clients, and export invoices or billing reports for time and materials work.
Record employee time on projects and generate timesheets and billing-ready reports for time and materials invoices.
Track time by client and project and produce billing reports that support time and materials invoicing workflows.
Run time tracking with projects, clients, and rate settings to produce exports for time and materials billing.
Manage timesheets tied to jobs and generate billing-ready time data for time and materials projects.
Track time and expenses, manage tasks and projects, and generate invoices suitable for time and materials billing.
Use workflow automation with project execution to collect time and material inputs for billable tracking and reporting.
Plan project schedules and track resources so time can roll up to cost for time and materials billing support.
Use boards to track time, labor, and costs per project and export billable views for time and materials invoices.
Zoho Projects
project suiteTrack time, manage work, and create billable reports with project budgets for time and materials billing.
Timesheets that log time against tasks inside Zoho Projects for audit-ready billable tracking
Zoho Projects stands out for pairing project work management with built-in time tracking that maps directly to billable activity. It supports timesheets, task-level tracking, and reporting that helps teams monitor work progress tied to hours. It also links projects, tasks, and users in a single workspace, which reduces manual reconciliation for time and materials workflows.
Pros
- Timesheets and task time tracking connect billable effort to specific work items
- Project dashboards and reports make hour-based progress visible without exporting data
- Approval-friendly workflow structure supports controlled time capture and review
Cons
- Billing and invoice creation require tighter setup than time capture itself
- Some time reporting views take configuration to match client billing formats
Best For
Teams needing time capture tied to tasks and projects, with reporting discipline
Harvest
time trackingCapture billable time, assign projects and clients, and export invoices or billing reports for time and materials work.
Harvest desktop and web time tracking with project and client tagging
Harvest stands out with strong, low-friction time capture plus project-based reporting designed for time and materials billing workflows. It supports manual and tracked time, client and project grouping, and detailed utilization and profitability reporting. Users can generate invoices from tracked time and track expenses alongside hours to keep billable work auditable. Automated reminders and integrations help teams reduce missed entries and keep data consistent across tools.
Pros
- Web and desktop time tracking reduce manual entry overhead for billable hours
- Project and client structures support time and materials billing visibility
- Expense tracking links costs to projects for clearer invoice totals
- Robust reporting covers utilization, productivity, and time distribution
Cons
- Advanced billing logic can feel limited for complex T&M contract structures
- Reporting and approvals require careful setup to match strict invoicing rules
- Bulk edits and governance for large teams need more workflow depth
Best For
Service teams needing fast T&M time capture and invoice-ready reporting
QuickBooks Time
accounting-adjacentRecord employee time on projects and generate timesheets and billing-ready reports for time and materials invoices.
QuickBooks Time mobile time tracking with job and customer tagging for billable hours
QuickBooks Time stands out with tight alignment to QuickBooks accounting workflows for service businesses tracking billable hours and building time-based invoices. It captures time by employee and project, supports approvals, and helps flag work that is uncategorized or not tied to a billable job. It also offers mobile time entry and recurring activities to reduce manual effort during day-to-day scheduling. Reporting focuses on hours, labor costs, and billable time views that translate directly into time and materials execution.
Pros
- QuickBooks alignment ties tracked time to invoicing and accounting categories.
- Approvals and role-based controls support billable hour governance.
- Mobile time tracking reduces missed entries during field work.
Cons
- Project and client setup overhead can slow teams with many codes.
- Workflows rely on consistent employee tagging for accurate job costs.
- Reporting flexibility is weaker than purpose-built PSA tools.
Best For
Service firms needing QuickBooks-linked time and materials billing control
Toggl Track
self-serveTrack time by client and project and produce billing reports that support time and materials invoicing workflows.
Track with automated idle detection via Toggl Track Desktop apps
Toggl Track stands out with fast time capture through one-click timers and desktop, web, and mobile apps for consistent timesheet entry. It supports client and project organization, task-level tracking, detailed reporting, and export-ready data for time and materials billing workflows. Automated approvals and team visibility help managers compare planned versus actual effort and spot overtime patterns.
Pros
- Quick-start timers and keyboard-friendly controls reduce time-entry friction
- Project and client hierarchy supports clear time and materials billing structure
- Reports and exports provide audit-friendly summaries for invoicing workflows
Cons
- Advanced billing fields are limited compared with full ERP-style invoicing tools
- Complex approval workflows can require setup across multiple workspace roles
Best For
Agencies and project teams needing lightweight time tracking and reporting
Clockify
budget-friendlyRun time tracking with projects, clients, and rate settings to produce exports for time and materials billing.
Client and project timesheets with exportable reports for time and materials billing
Clockify stands out for its fast time capture experience and its flexible approach to tracking labor across projects and clients. It supports running timers, manual time entry, and organizing work with projects, clients, and tasks for time and materials workflows. Reporting centers on timesheets, utilization-style views, and exportable summaries that help translate tracked effort into billable work. Team collaboration is supported through shared workspaces and permissions that keep approvals and visibility aligned with project needs.
Pros
- Timer-first time capture with quick edits for accurate daily tracking
- Projects, clients, and tasks structure time entries for time and materials billing
- Timesheet views and reports support estimating and billing review cycles
- Exports and integrations streamline delivery of tracked effort to invoicing tools
Cons
- Advanced billing-grade rate rules can require workarounds
- Approval and governance controls are less robust than dedicated enterprise suites
- Reporting customization can feel limited for complex revenue recognition needs
Best For
Service teams tracking billable time with timesheets and project-based reporting
TSheets
workforce timeManage timesheets tied to jobs and generate billing-ready time data for time and materials projects.
Mobile time clocking tied to projects and clients for billable time capture
TSheets stands out for focusing on workforce time capture that connects directly to time and materials invoicing workflows. It supports employee time tracking with projects, clients, and configurable billable rules to convert logged hours into billable quantities. The product also emphasizes mobile-friendly clocking and shift-based oversight so field or distributed teams can record work consistently. Reporting tools help reconcile tracked time with project budgets and billing expectations across active engagements.
Pros
- Project and client-based time tracking supports straightforward time and materials billing
- Mobile time clocking reduces missed entries for on-site workers
- Configurable billable settings help convert tracked time into invoice-ready work
Cons
- Advanced configuration can feel complex for teams with simple billing needs
- Reporting is strongest for time summaries and less flexible for unusual billing logic
- Role-based controls can require extra setup to match strict approval workflows
Best For
Service teams tracking billable labor on projects with recurring invoicing workflows
Paymo
all-in-oneTrack time and expenses, manage tasks and projects, and generate invoices suitable for time and materials billing.
Time tracking with automatic project and client billing linkage
Paymo centers time tracking with client billing workflows, linking tracked time to invoices and project records. It supports both manual and browser-based time logging alongside approvals and role-based access. Projects, tasks, and statuses help organize work so managers can review utilization and billable time. The system also includes resource planning and reporting to support time and materials engagements.
Pros
- Time entries map cleanly to projects and client billing
- Browser timer and manual logging cover common T&M tracking styles
- Reporting supports billable utilization views for project oversight
Cons
- Approvals and workflows can feel heavy for small teams
- Calendar and scheduling needs more setup to stay accurate
- Reporting depth varies across customization options
Best For
Service teams tracking billable labor with approvals and project reporting
Kissflow
workflow automationUse workflow automation with project execution to collect time and material inputs for billable tracking and reporting.
No-code workflow automation for routing time and materials requests through approvals
Kissflow stands out for combining workflow automation with structured work intake for teams that track time and materials alongside operational processes. It supports building configurable forms, routing approvals, and creating audit-ready records that can align labor, expenses, and project work. The platform’s strength is tying T&M tracking to approval and workflow steps rather than acting only as a standalone time-sheet tool. Teams get more value when T&M processes require standardized intake, approvals, and status visibility across projects.
Pros
- Workflow-driven T&M intake with approvals and standardized data capture
- Configurable forms align time entries and materials with project processes
- Audit-friendly records support traceability from request to billed work
Cons
- Time and materials tracking depends on workflow configuration work
- Reporting for billing-style views can require extra setup in workflows
- Complex processes can feel heavy compared with dedicated T&M tools
Best For
Operations teams needing T&M tracking tightly integrated with approvals
Microsoft Project
PM cost trackingPlan project schedules and track resources so time can roll up to cost for time and materials billing support.
Baseline comparisons that reveal schedule and cost variance alongside resource-driven effort tracking
Microsoft Project stands out with a mature project scheduling engine that ties tasks, baselines, and resource workloads to delivery timelines. For time and materials tracking, it supports resource assignments, effort tracking, and cost views that roll up labor and material estimates to task and project totals. It also fits organizations that manage project plans in Microsoft 365, using familiar interfaces for collaboration and reporting.
Pros
- Strong scheduling and baseline tracking to compare planned effort and actuals
- Resource assignments link work effort to tasks and produce rollup cost totals
- Cost and usage views support labor and material breakdowns by task
Cons
- Time and materials workflows require careful setup of resources and rates
- Reporting for T and M requires building custom views and formulas
- Collaboration and real-time entry feel heavier than purpose-built T and M tools
Best For
Project teams needing robust scheduling plus labor and materials cost rollups
monday work management
work managementUse boards to track time, labor, and costs per project and export billable views for time and materials invoices.
Boards plus Automations to calculate and update T&M totals as work status changes
monday work management stands out for turning work tracking into configurable visual workflows using boards, automations, and dashboards. It supports time logging and project tracking through customizable fields, status views, and integrations that connect work effort to reporting. It can approximate time and materials workflows by structuring work items, tracking rates in fields, and rolling totals into summaries. Built-in reporting and automation reduce manual updates, but T&M math depends on careful field design and consistent data entry across projects.
Pros
- Visual boards map T&M processes with statuses, tasks, and customizable rate fields
- Automations update estimates, totals, and statuses when time or inputs change
- Dashboards consolidate time and cost views across projects for quick operational reporting
Cons
- Accurate T&M totals require careful field setup and disciplined time entry practices
- Advanced invoice-grade reporting and tax logic typically need external tools
- Reporting granularity can become complex when rate rules vary by role or job
Best For
Teams needing configurable T&M tracking inside a broader work management workflow
Conclusion
After evaluating 10 business finance, Zoho Projects 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.
How to Choose the Right Time And Materials Tracking Software
This buyer's guide explains how to select Time And Materials tracking software that captures billable time, connects work to projects and clients, and produces invoice-ready reporting. It covers Zoho Projects, Harvest, QuickBooks Time, Toggl Track, Clockify, TSheets, Paymo, Kissflow, Microsoft Project, and monday work management across the key buying criteria that drive real T&M execution.
What Is Time And Materials Tracking Software?
Time And Materials tracking software records labor time against projects, clients, and tasks so hours can be translated into billable work. It reduces manual reconciliation by centralizing timesheets, approvals, and reporting that summarizes billable activity and, in many cases, expenses tied to the same project context. Teams that run ongoing service engagements and project-based delivery commonly use these tools to control audit-ready time capture. Tools like Harvest and Zoho Projects show what T&M tracking looks like when time entries are tagged to client and project records and then used for billing-oriented reporting.
Key Features to Look For
The best T&M tools connect time capture to billable work items so invoices reflect the same structure used during delivery.
Task and project-linked timesheets for audit-ready billable tracking
Zoho Projects logs time against tasks inside the project workspace so billable effort stays tied to specific work items. Harvest also organizes time by client and project so reporting reflects the engagement structure used for T&M billing.
Low-friction time capture across web and desktop or mobile
Harvest pairs desktop and web time tracking with project and client tagging to reduce missed billable entries. QuickBooks Time focuses on mobile time entry with job and customer tagging so field work remains aligned to invoicing inputs.
Client and project hierarchy that supports T&M structure
Toggl Track provides client and project organization plus detailed reporting and export-ready data for time and materials invoicing workflows. Clockify supports timer-first tracking with projects, clients, and tasks so time entries map cleanly to billable categories.
Approvals and role-based controls for controlled time capture
QuickBooks Time includes approvals and role-based controls to govern billable hour capture. Zoho Projects emphasizes approval-friendly workflow structure so time capture can be reviewed within the same workspace used for project execution.
Exportable billing-oriented reporting and utilization views
Clockify centers timesheet views and utilization-style reporting with exportable summaries for time and materials billing workflows. Harvest adds utilization, productivity, and time distribution reporting and supports invoice-ready outputs derived from tracked time and expenses.
Expense tracking and traceability alongside labor hours
Harvest links expense tracking to projects alongside hours so invoice totals remain auditable across labor and non-labor costs. Kissflow extends traceability by routing time and materials requests through workflow approvals and structured intake so labor and materials inputs follow an operational path.
How to Choose the Right Time And Materials Tracking Software
Selection should start with how time entries must map to billable work items, then match governance, capture workflows, and reporting depth to operational reality.
Map your billing structure to the software’s time entry structure
If billable work is task-based inside projects, tools like Zoho Projects tie timesheets directly to tasks so hours land on the same objects used for delivery and reporting. If billing starts with client and project grouping, Harvest and Clockify organize tracked time using client and project structure so invoice-oriented summaries stay consistent.
Choose a capture workflow that matches where employees bill from
If work is split between desktops and quick check-ins, Harvest desktop and web tracking supports fast tagging to projects and clients. If work is frequently done on-site or in the field, QuickBooks Time mobile time tracking with job and customer tagging helps prevent uncategorized time and supports approvals.
Verify governance requirements for approvals and controlled entry
If approvals must happen before time becomes billable, QuickBooks Time provides approval controls tied to job and employee tagging. If controlled time capture needs to align with project execution, Zoho Projects supports approval-friendly workflow structure with time capture and reporting inside the same workspace.
Test whether reporting matches invoice needs without heavy customization
For teams that rely on utilization and productivity reporting alongside time distribution, Harvest provides robust reporting designed for service engagements. For teams that need straightforward exportable reporting from timesheets, Clockify and Toggl Track provide report and export summaries, while monday work management relies on careful field design and consistent entry to calculate T&M totals accurately.
Decide how tightly T&M tracking must integrate with project planning or workflows
If T&M execution must tie back to scheduling baselines and resource workloads, Microsoft Project links resource assignments to tasks and provides cost and usage views for labor and materials breakdowns. If T&M intake must route through standardized approvals and forms, Kissflow emphasizes workflow automation that collects time and materials inputs through routing steps rather than acting as a standalone timesheet.
Who Needs Time And Materials Tracking Software?
The best-fit tool depends on how tightly time capture must tie to projects, clients, approvals, and operational workflows.
Teams that need task-level time tracking tied to projects for billable reporting discipline
Zoho Projects fits teams where billable activity must be tied to tasks, because its timesheets log time against tasks within projects for audit-ready tracking. monday work management can also work for teams structuring work items and rate fields in boards, but it depends on careful field setup for accurate totals.
Service teams that want fast T&M time capture with invoice-ready project and client reporting
Harvest fits service teams because it supports desktop and web time tracking with project and client tagging plus robust reporting for utilization, productivity, and time distribution. Clockify fits teams that want timer-first time capture with client and project timesheets and exportable reporting for time and materials billing workflows.
Service firms that bill through QuickBooks-style accounting workflows
QuickBooks Time is built for service businesses that need tight alignment between tracked time and QuickBooks job and customer tagging for billable hours and approvals. TSheets is also suited for recurring invoicing workflows where mobile time clocking must tie to projects and clients for invoice-ready time data.
Operations teams that require standardized T&M intake through approvals and workflow steps
Kissflow fits operations teams because it routes time and materials requests through configurable forms and approval routing for audit-friendly traceability from intake to billed work. For teams that want visual, automation-driven work tracking, monday work management can approximate T&M tracking using boards and Automations that update estimates and totals when time or inputs change.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many T&M rollouts fail when time capture is not structured like the billing output or when governance and reporting are under-configured.
Capturing time without a structure that matches billable work items
Clockify and Toggl Track both require consistent use of projects, clients, and tasks so timesheets translate into billable summaries. monday work management can produce incorrect T&M totals when rate rules depend on inconsistent data entry and poorly designed rate and status fields.
Underbuilding approvals and review workflows for billable time
QuickBooks Time includes approvals and role-based controls to govern billable hour capture, which helps prevent unreviewed entries. Zoho Projects also provides approval-friendly workflow structure, while Paymo can feel heavy for small teams when approvals and workflows add friction without enough process design.
Relying on flexible reporting when invoice formats require strict mapping
Harvest supports invoice-ready reporting but still requires careful setup when billing logic must reflect complex T&M contract structures. Zoho Projects can require configuration for some time reporting views to match client billing formats, and Clockify can require workarounds when advanced billing-grade rate rules are needed.
Treating T&M tracking as a standalone timesheet with no plan or workflow linkage
Microsoft Project requires careful setup of resources and rates to ensure cost views roll up into accurate T&M labor and materials breakdowns. Kissflow can also require workflow configuration to support T&M tracking, because its tracking strength depends on the structured intake and approvals configured for each routing step.
How We Selected and Ranked These Tools
we score every tool on three sub-dimensions with weights of features at 0.4, ease of use at 0.3, and value at 0.3. The overall rating is the weighted average of those three components computed as overall = 0.40 × features + 0.30 × ease of use + 0.30 × value. Zoho Projects separated itself from lower-ranked tools because its task-linked timesheets support audit-ready billable tracking while also pairing that capture model with project dashboards and reporting that help teams monitor hour-based progress without exporting data.
Frequently Asked Questions About Time And Materials Tracking Software
Which time and materials tracking tool ties labor to billable work at the task level?
Zoho Projects logs time against tasks inside the project workspace, which keeps billable activity aligned to project structure. Harvest also supports time capture with project and client tagging, then produces invoice-ready reporting tied to those identifiers.
What software best fits service businesses that already run accounting in QuickBooks?
QuickBooks Time aligns time capture with QuickBooks workflows by tracking time by employee and project, then supporting approvals for billable control. It also flags time entries that are not tied to a billable job, which reduces uncategorized labor at invoicing.
Which option provides the fastest time entry using timers for teams that fill timesheets throughout the day?
Toggl Track offers one-click timers across desktop, web, and mobile for consistent daily capture. Clockify also supports running timers and manual time entry with project and client organization that maps cleanly to T&M reporting.
Which tool is strongest for utilization and profitability reporting tied to time and expenses?
Harvest builds detailed utilization and profitability reporting from time and paired expense tracking, so labor and spend stay auditable. Paymo also links tracked time to invoices and project records, then supports reporting on utilization and billable time with approvals.
What solution helps teams reduce missed entries with automation and structured reminders?
Harvest includes automated reminders to cut down on missed time entries while keeping project and client tagging consistent. Kissflow strengthens process discipline by routing time and materials intake through configurable forms and approvals instead of treating time capture as an isolated timesheet.
Which time and materials tracking platform supports approvals as a first-class workflow rather than a post-process step?
Paymo includes approvals tied to tracked time and project billing workflows. Kissflow routes T&M tracking through approval steps using no-code workflow automation, which ties labor and expenses to an auditable record trail.
Which option is best for field or distributed teams that need mobile clocking tied to projects and clients?
TSheets emphasizes mobile-friendly clocking with shift-based oversight for distributed teams. QuickBooks Time also supports mobile time entry with job and customer tagging designed for billable hours control.
Which tool is better when time and materials tracking must coexist with project scheduling baselines?
Microsoft Project connects resource assignments and effort tracking to task and project totals, which supports cost views that include labor and material estimates. Baseline comparisons in Microsoft Project help reveal schedule and cost variance alongside resource-driven effort tracking.
Which software is a good fit for teams that want time and materials totals calculated from work status in a visual workflow?
monday work management lets teams model T&M using boards, customizable fields, and automations to roll totals as work status changes. Its effectiveness depends on consistent field design, while Zoho Projects and Toggl Track focus more directly on task or timer-based time capture rather than status-driven calculation.
Tools reviewed
Referenced in the comparison table and product reviews above.
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