PeopleMuster

Best time tracking software for consultants

PeopleMuster ranks first on paid price: $3 per person a month covers project timesheets with approvals and utilisation reports, plus leave, attendance and the rest of HR. Clockify ranks second, with its Basic plan at $3.99 per user a month billed yearly.

How this was judged

Ranked on the lowest paid per-person monthly price each vendor publishes for tracking time against client projects.

Six time tracking products were compared on 24 September 2026. Each price was read from the vendor's own pricing page that day and is quoted the way the vendor prints it, yearly billing first where the vendor leads with it. The ranking uses each vendor's lowest paid plan. Free plans are noted on the cards but don't set the rank, since each one comes with its own limits. Harvest and Toggl Track tie at $9 billed yearly and appear in alphabetical order. Disclosure: PeopleMuster is our product, and it sits where the method puts it.

The ranking

01

PeopleMuster

$3 per person a month, every module included, no tiers. $30 per person a year on annual billing.
Who it suits
A consultancy that wants hours, approvals and utilisation on the same record as leave and attendance.
Where it wins
Each consultant logs the day by project and sees logged hours against the expected week. Managers approve timesheets from a queue, and you set how far back people may log. Reports show utilisation by project and by department with a week-over-week trend, and you can post them to Slack. Projects carry billable and fixed-price or hourly flags.
02

Clockify

Basic $3.99, Standard $5.49, Pro $7.99, Enterprise $11.99 per user a month billed yearly ($4.99, $6.99, $9.99, $14.99 monthly). Free tier. 7-day Pro trial. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A consultant or small firm that wants a low-cost timer and can pick from four tiers.
Where it wins
A free tier and the second-lowest paid figure in this set.
Where it falls short
Four paid tiers to choose between, and the trial covers Pro for only seven days.
03

Harvest

Teams $9 per seat a month billed yearly ($11 monthly). Enterprise $14 ($17.50). Free for one seat and two projects. 30-day trial. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A solo consultant on the free seat, or a firm that bills from tracked hours.
Where it wins
Two published paid plans, a free seat to start and a 30-day trial.
Where it falls short
The free plan stops at one seat and two projects.
04

Toggl Track

Starter $9, Premium $16 per user a month billed yearly ($12, $24 monthly). Free for up to three users. 30-day trial. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A small team of up to three on the free plan, growing into Starter.
Where it wins
A free plan for three people and a 30-day trial.
Where it falls short
Monthly billing on Starter is $12 against $9 yearly.
05

Productive

Essential $10 per user a month billed yearly ($12 monthly), Professional $25 ($29 monthly), Ultimate custom. Three-seat minimum. 14-day trial. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A consultancy that wants time tracking inside project delivery software.
Where it wins
Built for agencies and consultancies, with time off and capacity planning included.
Where it falls short
A three-seat minimum, and employee records live in a separate HR system it connects to.
06

BigTime

Essentials starts at $20 per user a month. Advanced and Premier by demo. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A professional services firm that expects a demo-led purchase above the entry plan.
Where it wins
A published starting figure for its Essentials plan.
Where it falls short
The highest entry price here, and the upper plans need a demo to price.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest time tracking software for consultants?

On paid plans, PeopleMuster is lowest in this set at $3 per person a month, then Clockify Basic at $3.99 billed yearly. Harvest and Toggl Track both start at $9 billed yearly. Clockify, Harvest and Toggl Track also have free plans, each with its own limits.

How do timesheet approvals work in PeopleMuster?

A consultant logs the day's hours against each project, and the timesheet moves from draft to submitted. Managers see every pending sheet in an approvals queue, with views by person, by project and a list of sheets that need attention. You also set a logging window, so nobody back-fills a month at once.

Does PeopleMuster track utilisation?

Yes, from the hours people log. Reports show total hours, utilisation percentage and average daily hours by project and by department, with a weekly trend and a team leaderboard. The same hours feed the capacity plan, and approved leave shows on it straight away.

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