To grow your accounting firm and keep your CPAs focused, it’s essential to know exactly how your team spends their work hours. 
Manual time tracking methods—like spreadsheets or handwritten logs—are not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. 

Thankfully, modern time tracking software built for accountants eliminates these challenges by: 

• Streamlining workflows, 

• Automating repetitive tasks, and 

• Enhancing the way you serve your clients. 

To help you choose the best solution for your firm, I’ve personally reviewed some of the top-rated time tracking and billing tools on the market today.  
 
 
#1 Timesheet 365 – Best Time Tracking Software in the industry  
 
Timesheet 365 is a top choice among accountants for time tracking and billing. With its intuitive interface, precise time tracking capabilities, and robust invoicing tools, it’s become a go-to solution for accounting professionals aiming to streamline their workflows. 

How does Timesheet 365 work? 
You’ll be glad to know that Timesheet 365 offers two simple methods for tracking time: 

• Timer – Start and stop a timer as you work through various tasks in real time. 

• Timesheets – Log your hours manually by entering time blocks into a weekly timesheet view. 

 
 
Timesheet 365 – Track time effortlessly with Timesheet 365 
 

While testing Timesheet 365, I found myself using the timesheet view the most, though the built-in timer works just as well—it really comes down to your workflow preferences. 

Adding new time entries was refreshingly simple. All you need to do is: 

• Select the client or project you’re working on, 

• Pick the relevant weekday, 

• Enter the number of hours spent on the task, and 

• Optionally include a description or tags for better categorization. 

The entire process is user-friendly, even if you’re new to time tracking software. 

For accountants, Timesheet 365 makes it easy to manage multiple clients by letting you create dedicated projects and organize work using detailed descriptions and tags. 
Plus, with real-time visual reports automatically generated from your team’s logged hours, you get a clear picture of productivity and project progress at a glance.  
 
 

Summary Report in Timesheet 365 – Stay on top of your work with Timesheet 365 

With Timesheet 365’s summary report, I could easily get insights into: 

• Which tasks consumed the most time, 

• Who on the team worked on specific projects and tasks, and 

• Which clients delivered the highest return during any given period. 

While logging time, I had the option to mark tasks as billable or non-billable, giving me better control over what to charge. 

Using this data, Timesheet 365 automatically generates professional invoices, which can be sent directly to clients from within the app. 

As someone familiar with managing invoices, I can confidently say that automating the billing and invoicing process is a huge productivity booster.   
 
 
Invoice Management in Timesheet 365 – Take control of your billing with Timesheet 365 
 

Timesheet 365 makes it easy to manage invoices by letting you assign status labels such as fully paid, partially paid, void, sent, or unsent. You can quickly view all invoice amounts and due dates at a glance, helping you stay on top of cash flow with minimal effort. 

Manage Invoices with Timesheet 365 

Timesheet 365 Pros 
Here’s why many accountants choose Timesheet 365 for time tracking and billing: 
1.Simple and user-friendly time tracking interface 
2. Real-time visual reports for tracking profitability 
3. Robust invoice management with status tracking 

Timesheet 365 Cons 
A couple of areas to keep in mind: 
1. Invoicing tools are part of the paid plans 
2. Some third-party accounting integrations may require additional setup 

What’s New in Timesheet 365? 
As of October 2024, Timesheet 365 rolled out a new team scheduling feature—enabling managers to assign and schedule tasks for individual team members with ease. This helps streamline work distribution and improve visibility across projects.  
 
#2 Harvest   
 
 
Harvest is a timesheet tool built for accountants and other professionals, offering robust features for tracking expenses and managing billable hours. 

How does Harvest work? 
When I began using Harvest, I primarily logged time by manually entering it into the weekly timesheet. The process was straightforward and functional. 

You can also track time by starting a timer as you begin a task, but finding the timer feature wasn’t as intuitive as expected. It seems Harvest prioritizes manual time entry, which might not suit users who prefer automated tracking. 

 
Logging Time in Harvest 

When entering time in Harvest, I could: 

• Assign the entry to a specific client or project, 

• Select the task I was working on, and 

• Input the total hours spent. 

However, one noticeable limitation was the lack of scheduling detail. The entries simply showed how many hours were worked—without indicating the actual start and end times. 

So, while you might log 4 hours for a task, there’s no way to tell whether that time was logged in the morning or afternoon. 

Harvest does generate straightforward reports based on these time logs, helping you see which tasks are billable. After using it for a while, I could also view how different team members were allocating their time across projects. 

 
In my experience, Harvest’s reports are neat and visually appealing, but they fall short when it comes to depth. Aside from tracking billable hours and expenses, the reports don’t offer much insight to support strategic decision-making. 

That said, Time tracking is where Harvest really excels. Team members can log detailed expense notes for each project and sort them into categories like: 

• Mileage 

• Transportation 

• Meals 

• Lodging 

• Entertainment, and more 

You’re not limited to just entering the cost—you can also upload receipts, tickets, or any relevant documentation. This feature is especially helpful for accurately billing clients and keeping high-budget projects in check. 

Highlights of Using Harvest 
Here’s what stands out when using Harvest: 
1. Sleek, user-friendly interface 
2. Admins have the ability to correct or update submitted timesheets 
3. Powerful tools for logging and organizing expenses 

Areas Where Harvest Falls Short 
Some limitations worth noting include: 
1. Time logs don’t indicate specific hours worked (just total time) 
2. Reporting lacks advanced analytics or deeper insights 

What’s New in Harvest? 
As of October 2024, Harvest introduced an updated version of Forecast, their companion project planning tool. Forecast now offers enhanced workflow visualization, project scheduling, and workload balancing—making it easier to manage your team’s time across multiple projects. 

 
 
#3: Hubstaff 
 
Hubstaff is a time tracking and billing solution designed for accountants and remote teams, offering built-in productivity monitoring and optional tools for managing projects. 

How does Hubstaff work? 
Tracking time in Hubstaff is straightforward. Once you choose the relevant project and task, you can start recording your work hours using a web-based timer. Just hit the play button to begin, and pause it whenever you take a break or switch tasks. 

 
Web Timer in Hubstaff 
In addition to the web timer, Hubstaff allows you to manually log your hours through a timesheet. However, it’s evident that the platform primarily encourages the use of the web timer for accurate tracking. 

When I added a time entry manually, I was prompted to select a reason for not using the timer. Personally, I found this feature a bit unnecessary, almost implying that manually logging time was a mistake 

 
Adding Time Entries in Hubstaff 
If you’ve set billing rates for different tasks or team members within your organization, Hubstaff lets you automatically generate invoices based on the time tracked. 

Once the invoice is created, you can easily send it to clients via email or export it as a PDF for offline use. 

 
While Hubstaff offers a variety of time tracking features, its standout functionality lies in its employee monitoring tools. 

The platform’s dashboard is dominated by a large world map, showing the real-time locations of your team members as they log in. In addition to location tracking, Hubstaff also monitors web activity and takes periodic screenshots of employees’ screens. 

After further research and reading employee feedback online, I discovered that many users find these monitoring features invasive. Many consider it overly intrusive, which creates tension within teams. Personally, I felt the same way. 

It’s crucial to communicate the monitoring capabilities of Hubstaff to your team before integrating it into your operations. 

Hubstaff Pros 
Some of the key advantages of using Hubstaff include: 
1. Intuitive web timer for easy time tracking 
2. Alerts for idle time to prevent employee inactivity 
3. A newsfeed with app updates on the homepage 

Hubstaff Cons 
Here are a few drawbacks to consider: 
1. No free plan available for users 
2. Perceived as overly invasive with its employee monitoring features 

What’s New in Hubstaff? 
In 2024, Hubstaff launched a role permissions matrix, allowing managers to quickly see and adjust the permissions for various team roles in real time. 

 
#4: TimeCamp 
 
TimeCamp is another time tracking and billing software designed for accountants, offering additional features like staff monitoring, including location and web activity tracking. 

How does TimeCamp work? 
As a timesheet-based tool, TimeCamp lets you create detailed time entries by specifying the hours spent on various tasks. Unlike Harvest, TimeCamp allows you to add exact timestamps, such as recording that you worked on Task A from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on a specific day. This level of detail is standard in most accounting software for time tracking and billing. 

What sets TimeCamp apart, however, is its tagging system. By tagging projects and tasks, I could easily organize and search through my entries, allowing me to quickly retrieve the information I needed without scrolling through lengthy lists. 

 
For example, if your accounting firm manages multiple clients within the same industry, you can create specific tags to group their projects. This makes it quick and easy to access them whenever needed. 

However, despite its intuitive interface and innovative features, TimeCamp falls short due to its employee monitoring capabilities, which are reminiscent of those found in Hubstaff—something many users may find intrusive. 

TimeCamp Pros 
Here are some of the key benefits of using TimeCamp: 
1. Seamless integration with Trello for streamlined project management 
2. Timesheets that allow you to view multiple weeks at a glance 
3. A simple desktop app that’s easy to install and use 

TimeCamp Cons 
Despite its advantages, TimeCamp has a few notable drawbacks: 
1. Syncing issues between the web and mobile apps, leading to occasional delays 
2. Exported reports lack some of the detailed information that is available within the app 

What’s New in TimeCamp? 
In September 2024, TimeCamp launched a Favorites feature, allowing users to pin important tasks to the top of their lists for faster access. 

#5 Toggl 
 
is another popular time tracking tool for accountants and professionals, designed to make time tracking and billing as simple as possible. 

How does Toggl work? 
With Toggl, tracking your time is straightforward. You can start and stop a timer to log your work as you go or manually add time entries later. The app also allows you to categorize each entry by project, client, and task, ensuring that you stay organized. 

One of Toggl’s standout features is its easy-to-use interface, making it a great option for users who are new to time tracking. Additionally, the app provides detailed reports that break down your logged hours by client, task, or project. 

Toggl Pros 
Some of the key advantages of using Toggl include: 
1. Simple and intuitive interface, easy for beginners 
2. Ability to track time manually or with the timer 
3. Detailed reporting and insights into time usage 
4. Seamless integration with other tools like Trello, Asana, and more 

Toggl Cons 
Despite its strengths, Toggl has a few downsides: 
1. Lacks some advanced features like invoicing and project management 
2. The free plan comes with limited functionality