Published: September 23, 2026
Last Updated: September 23, 2026
Quick Answer: Project management software with time tracking puts task planning and hour logging in one workspace. A built-in timer. Estimate-versus-actual reporting. A way to flag hours as billable. Skip the separate app for client billing.
Most teams start with task boards. Time tracking gets added later, usually once a billing dispute or a budget overrun makes the gap obvious. The tools below build it in from the start.
Keep tracked time in the same workspace as the tasks it belongs to. Hours logged connect straight to invoices sent. No rebuilding that link every billing cycle.
How the top time tracking tools compare
| Tool |
Time tracking type |
Billable time flagging |
Best for |
| Asana |
Native fields (estimated vs. actual time) plus a built-in timer; time on subtasks rolls up to the parent task |
Not a dedicated billable flag — pairs with the Harvest integration for invoicing |
Teams that already plan work in Asana and want time data next to tasks |
| ClickUp |
Native timer on every plan, including free, with manual entry and retroactive logging |
Yes — a dedicated billable toggle plus filtering by billable status |
Teams that need billable/non-billable separation without buying a paid tier first |
| Wrike |
Native tracking, but only on the Business plan and above; free and Team tiers exclude it |
Included once time tracking is unlocked on Business |
Larger teams already budgeting for a mid-tier or enterprise plan |
Methodology note: pricing and feature availability checked against vendor documentation and comparison sources current as of September 2026. Plans change. Confirm current tiers on each vendor’s pricing page before buying.
Why Combine Project Management With Time Tracking?
Task boards show what’s supposed to happen. Time tracking shows what actually did. Put them in the same workspace and the two start pulling weight together.
Skip that link, and a project manager ends up cross-referencing a separate timer app against the task list by hand. Small teams and agencies rebuild these connections every billing cycle. The extra admin time hits hardest for project management software built for small teams and agencies, where there’s usually no room to absorb it.
Combined tools also make estimate-versus-actual comparisons possible without exporting anything, since both numbers already live on the same task.
How Built-In Time Tracking Works
Most tools handle it one of two ways. A start/stop timer that runs while you work. Or manual entry after the fact. Some, like Asana, support both. You can even set an estimate before the timer starts. Compare it against the actual hours later using Asana’s own time tracking guide.
Time logged against a subtask typically rolls up into its parent task. A manager checking the parent sees the full total. No need to open every subtask individually.
The estimate field is optional in most tools. Skip it, and you lose the estimate-versus-actual comparison. That’s often the main reason to track time at all, not just logging hours for the sake of it.
Features to Look For in Time Tracking Software
A timer alone isn’t enough. Before choosing a tool, check for these:
- A native timer, not just a third-party integration, so tracking doesn’t depend on a separate app staying in sync
- A billable/non-billable toggle on each time entry, like the one on ClickUp’s time tracking feature page, so invoicing doesn’t require manual sorting afterward
- Estimate-versus-actual reporting at the task and project level
- Filtering by date, status, tag or team member
- Export to a format your invoicing or payroll system accepts
Skip tools that only offer time tracking through a paid add-on or a third-party sync if billing accuracy is the main reason you’re buying. Every extra sync step is one more place for a time entry to go missing.
How Teams Can Track Billable and Non-Billable Time
Mark time as billable at the moment it’s logged, not afterward. Retroactively sorting hours into billable and non-billable buckets is where most invoicing errors start, since details about what a block of time was actually for fade fast.
If most of a project’s work bills to one client, set the default at the project level, not per entry. Exceptions come up. Internal meetings, admin work. Flag those as non-billable when they happen.
Don’t wait until invoice day. Run a weekly check on unbilled hours instead. A short weekly review catches missing entries while the work is still fresh enough to fill in accurately.
How to Choose Project Management Software With Time Tracking
Start with how your team actually bills, not with a feature list. An agency billing every hour to clients needs a strong billable-time toggle and export. An internal team using time data only for capacity planning can get by with simpler manual entry.
Check whether time tracking is native or bolted on through an integration. Native tracking removes one sync point. One less place for hours to disappear. That matters more once the team grows past a handful of people.
Confirm the plan tier you’re considering actually includes time tracking. Several tools gate it behind a mid-tier or higher plan. The advertised starting price won’t always get you the feature you came for.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does project management software need a separate time tracking app?
No, not if the tool has native time tracking. A separate app adds a sync step and a place for entries to go missing, so native tracking is preferable when billing accuracy matters.
2. Is time tracking included in the free plan of most project management tools?
It varies by vendor. ClickUp, for one, includes a basic timer on every plan, free tier included. Other vendors gate full time tracking behind a paid tier entirely. Check the current pricing page. Don’t assume a feature’s included just because a competitor offers it free.
3. Can I track billable and non-billable time in the same project?
Yes. Most tools with native time tracking let you flag each entry as billable or not. Both types of time sit in the same project. No need for separate tracking systems.
4. How does estimate-versus-actual time tracking help a project?
It shows where a project is running over or under the original plan. There’s still time to adjust scope, staffing, or deadlines. Not just finding out at project close.
The difference is whether tracking lives inside the same workspace as the tasks. Native tracking keeps hours attached to the task they belong to; a separate app requires manually matching timer entries back to the right task and project.
Choose a tool by matching the billing model you already use to the tracking features above, rather than picking whichever tool has the longest feature list. For the full range of options beyond time tracking specifically, see this site’s complete guide to project management software.
