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Project Time Tracking & Timesheets

Project Time Tracking & Timesheets Software for Xero

Project time tracking & timesheets software for Xero: the products with verified evidence that they serve this segment, and how we evaluate them.

products that fit
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By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated

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Research in progress9 capabilities we evaluate

  • Timers and timesheets
  • Client, project and task codes
  • Billable and cost rates
  • Timesheet approvals
  • Budget tracking
  • Invoicing from time
  • Profitability and utilization reports
  • Accounting integration
  • Edit history

See ranked Project Time Tracking & Timesheets software

Research in progress

Clockify has verified evidence that it serves this segment so far. We rank project time tracking & timesheets software for Xero once at least 3 products have it; until then, this page sets out what matters and what we evaluate.

What we evaluate

  • Timers and timesheets

    Captures time through timers, daily or weekly timesheets, mobile and browser entry.

  • Client, project and task codes

    Organizes time by client, project, phase and task, with billable and non-billable categories.

  • Billable and cost rates

    Applies rates by person, role or project to value time for billing and costing.

  • Timesheet approvals

    Routes timesheets to managers or project leads and locks approved periods.

  • Budget tracking

    Tracks hours and fees against project budgets with alerts.

  • Invoicing from time

    Creates invoices from approved billable time and expenses.

  • Profitability and utilization reports

    Reports margin by project and client, and billable utilization by person and team.

  • Accounting integration

    Syncs clients, invoices and payments with accounting or ERP systems.

  • Edit history

    Records who entered, changed and approved each time entry.

How to choose project time tracking & timesheets software

6 criteria · Requirements by company size · 6 red flags

Project time tracking succeeds only if people actually log their time, so ease of entry matters as much as reporting. Choose on how quickly time gets captured, how rates and budgets are modeled, and how cleanly approved time flows to invoicing and accounting.

Bring a real project to the demo, with its rate card and budget, and ask the vendor to track a week of time, approve it and produce the invoice.

  1. Fast time entry

    Time logged days later is less accurate and often under-reported, which means unbilled work.

  2. Client, project and task structure

    Reports are only as useful as the structure time is logged against.

  3. Billable rates and cost rates

    Profitability needs both what you charge and what the time costs, by person, role or project.

  4. Timesheet approvals and locking

    Approving time before invoicing catches errors, and locking prevents edits after billing.

  5. Budget tracking and alerts

    Overruns found at month end are too late to fix.

  6. Invoicing and accounting integration

    Re-keying approved hours into invoices creates errors and delays cash.

Requirements by company size

  • Small businesses

    • Timers and weekly timesheets that take seconds
    • Billable rates and invoice creation from tracked time
    • Accounting integration

    Watch out for

    • Paying for resource planning you will not use
    • Per-user prices that jump when you add part-time staff
    • No timesheet reminders, so time goes unlogged

  • Mid-sized companies

    • Approval workflows by project or manager
    • Budgets with alerts and profitability reports
    • Role-based billable and cost rates

    Watch out for

    • Reports that cannot combine billable and cost rates
    • Approved time that can still be edited
    • Separate tools for time, expenses and invoices

  • Enterprises

    • Integration with ERP, project accounting and HR systems
    • Audit trail of edits and approvals
    • Multi-entity, multi-currency rate cards

    Watch out for

    • Time codes that drift out of sync with the ERP
    • Weak controls for contract or audit requirements you must meet
    • Long implementations for features a simpler tool already covers

Red flags

  • Time can be edited after approval or invoicing with no history
  • Rates can be set only per person, not per project or role
  • No reminders or reporting on missing timesheets
  • Invoices must be built manually from exported hours
  • The tool is pitched to hourly payroll without overtime, break or rounding rules
  • Activity capture is on by default with no clear employee notice

More tools for Xero

Find your fit

By industry

Best project time tracking software for accounting firmsBest project time tracking software for constructionBest project time tracking software for law firmsFor Nonprofits

By company size

For EnterprisesFor Mid-Sized CompaniesBest project time tracking software for small business

By price

Best free project time tracking software

By integration

Best project time tracking software for QuickBooksBest project time tracking software for SageXero

Frequently asked questions

Which project time tracking & timesheets platforms for Xero offer a free trial?

Clockify lists a free trial, according to its vendor: 1 of the 1 products for Xero.

Is there free project time tracking & timesheets software for Xero?

Clockify lists a free plan, 1 of the 1 products for Xero. Free plans limit employees, features or support.

How we research

A ranking of project time tracking & timesheets for Xero reweights the LeadChange Score: capability coverage 25%, pricing transparency & value 15%, integrations & API 35%, security & compliance 10%, fit & support 5%, and data confidence 10%. Only products with a verified fact showing they serve this segment are listed.

Read the full methodology

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