This Year’s 5 Best Time Tracking Software for Accountants

Any time tracker is better than no time tracker in a business. But if you run an accounting firm, you’ll inevitably find that some of the now various time tracking software available suit your needs better than others.

We decided to test the available time trackers based on their usability for accountants. Which of them would accounting firms find easiest to integrate? Which had features or templates built in that specifically helped accountants with common tasks (like invoicing or payroll)? And which of them had these features available for a price that a standard, small to mid-size accounting firm would be happy with?

Here’s what we found. Here are the best time tracking software for accountants this year.

Criteria For Choosing The Best Time Tracking Software for Accountants

Here are the criteria we used to evaluate time-tracking software and compare them to one another.

First and foremost, the software you choose should be thoroughly user-friendly and intuitive and also offer a range of features tailored specifically for accountants. It should include tools that allow you to track billable hours, allocate time to different clients or projects, and generate detailed reports. If the program has a mobile app, that’s even better! It will allow you to work on the road and keep track of your time in real-time.

A product’s integration capabilities are also essential since you probably already have a lot of data stored in another program. The ideal time-tracking software for accountants should seamlessly integrate with other tools you use in your daily workflow. These may include accounting software, project management platforms, and invoicing systems. By choosing a product that integrates easily, you will not only save time, but you will ensure that your data is accurate and up to date across all platforms.

Data security is another consideration when evaluating time-tracking software. Accountants deal with sensitive financial information, so you need assurance that your data will be handled securely. Any software you coos should offer robust encryption measures, regular backups, and compliance with all industry standards and regulations.

User permissions and access controls should be customizable so that only the appropriate users are able to access any sensitive data. By prioritizing functionality, integration capabilities, and data security, you will be better able to find a solution that safeguards everyone’s information.

#1: Toggl

Toggl is a popular time-tracking software that has really been growing in popularity, primarily because of its user-friendly interface and robust features. It allows accountants to track their time effortlessly and efficiently with a simple and intuitive design.

Many users like Toggl’s clean and easy-to-navigate user interface. It makes it easy to start tracking without a lot of training. With just a few clicks, users can create projects, add clients, and start tracking billable hours. In other words, this is a really easy program to use.

Toggl also offers detailed reporting that showcases billable hours, non-billable hours, project progress, and more. This feature enables accountants to analyze their workload effectively and make better decisions on how to optimize their time.

Toggl integrates with more than 100 different apps and services, making it one of the more flexible products on the market. Some of these products like CRMs like Salesforce or Capsule, task managers, and various accounting systems. In short, Toggl helps accountants save time and reduce errors when it comes to tracking and billing hours.

Toggl offers a free plan with basic features and up to five users, and its most comprehensive plan includes all of its features and a price tag of $18 per user per month.

#2: Harvest

Harvest is a popular time-tracking software that has a user-friendly interface and a variety of robust features that cater specifically to the needs of accountants. It makes it easy to track time across different projects and clients and you can switch between projects and keep track of billable hours with ease.

One thing that a lot of users like about Harvest is its intuitive design. Accountants can categorize their time entries by client, project, or task, and that makes it even easier to generate detailed reports for billing purposes. It also offers powerful invoicing features that are tailored for accountants and are fully integrated into the system.

Creating professional invoices is a breeze, with customized invoice templates where you can add billable expenses, and even set up recurring invoices. This streamlines the entire billing process for many accountants and also ensures more accuracy in billing. The included reporting tools also give accountants valuable data on their time usage and overall profitability.

#3: BigTime

BigTime is another time-tracking software that has a user-friendly interface and powerful features. It offers a comprehensive solution for tracking billable hours, managing projects, and generating insightful reports that provide a breakdown of billable hours by client, project, or task.

Users appreciate the level of granularity that BigTime provides as it allows accountants to analyze their time spent on different activities. Its reporting tools also enable users to generate invoices directly from the system which streamlines the billing process and saves time and money.

BigTime is also able to integrate seamlessly with some of the most popular accounting software packages such as QuickBooks and Xero. So, you can sync time-tracking data with an accounting system effortlessly, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors.

BigTime offers advanced project management tools that can help you stay organized and save even more time. With features such as task assignment, budget tracking, and resource allocation, BigTime is a comprehensive system for managing projects, tracking time, and billing clients.

#4: Clockify

Clockify is a versatile time-tracking software that boasts a user-friendly interface and robust features. It is one of the easiest time trackers to use – with just a few clicks, accountants can start and stop timers for different tasks. This makes it a convenient way to track time accurately throughout the day and ensure accurate billing.

Clockify also makes it easy to track time across various projects and clients and assign specific tasks to each project. Again, this ensures billing that is always accurate.

If you work with multiple clients at the same time, then you need to ensure that you are billing each one effectively. Clockify offers detailed reporting capabilities, enabling accountants to generate reports on billable hours, productivity levels, and other factors.

Its seamless integration with other tools, such as accounting software and project management tools is well-known and you can begin syncing data with just a couple of clicks. This obviously helps to reduce data entry errors and is a real time-saver.

The use of Clockify with other accounting tools reduces manual data entry and ensures that all information is up-to-date across all platforms. Overall, this is a reliable time-tracking solution that is easy to use and also extremely powerful.

#5: TimeCamp

TimeCamp is a real standout among time-tracking software options for accountants This user-friendly tool is designed to meet the needs of accounting professionals and is also very easy to use. The user interface is clean and intuitive, so even the most tech-challenged employee can use it almost immediately.

It also offers detailed reporting features that allow accountants to generate custom reports. These include reports that are based on various criteria such as projects, clients, or specific time periods. These can provide valuable insights into how time is being spent.

TimeCamp integrates seamlessly with some of the most popular accounting software products such as QuickBooks and Xero, so you won’t find yourself re-entering data which can lead to errors. It also allows you to assign different billing rates to various projects or clients to make sure that everyone is fairly billed and compensated.

TimeCamp is a very valuable tool for accounting firms of all sizes. It allows them to streamline their time-tracking processes and maximize profitability without much training or technical knowledge needed.

Comparing the Top: How Do They Vary?

So, let’s take a closer look at the top 5 time-tracking software solutions for accountants and how they compare to each other. If you prefer video, here are a few minutes on the main differences between Toggl, Clockify & Harvest:

Toggl is known for its user-friendly interface and robust reporting capabilities and is a great choice for accountants who need detailed insights into their time spent on various tasks.

Harvest features an intuitive design and seamless integrations with popular accounting tools like QuickBooks and Xero. It is simple to use and highly efficient.

BigTime caters specifically to professional service firms. It is a comprehensive solution for accountants and provides features such as project budgeting and invoicing in an easy-to-use package.

Clockify is a free time-tracking tool and it offers basic functionality that is suitable for solo practitioners or small accounting teams on a budget. It may lack some advanced features compared to other paid options, but it is simple to use and enables small businesses to begin tracking time more efficiently.

TimeCamp offers advanced productivity monitoring tools and detailed timesheet analysis capabilities and is ideal for accountants who want to delve deeper into their work patterns and productivity levels.

Conclusion

It seems that the most important factors when you are looking at the best time-tracking software for accountants are ease of use, integration with other tools, reporting capabilities, and pricing. Each of the solutions reviewed in this article offers unique features that might work well for one company and not another.

It seems that Toggl, Harvest, BigTime, Clockify, and TimeCamp all have their strengths and weaknesses. Toggl has a simple interface and robust reporting features, so it is ideal for individual accountants or small firms.

Harvest is known for its intuitive design and seamless integrations with various project management tools. BigTime is designed for larger accounting firms that have a need for advanced project management functionalities and billing capabilities.

Clockify’s free plan is a great way for smaller companies to get started and it also offers a paid version with more features. TimeCamp offers comprehensive time-tracking and productivity-monitoring tools suitable for accountants who want to know more about how they are spending their time.

Any of these options would suit almost any company, but it is important for you to first evaluate your needs, your budget, your technological skills, and other needs. Then, you will be able to find the right tool that can help you take control of your time and deliver exceptional service for your clients.