The Best Time Tracking Apps for Marketing Agencies in 2024 

2024 is upon us, and marketing agencies are continuing to lean on sophisticated time tracking apps to boost their performance. 

I’ve put in my time working at an agency, and I know they operate in a fast-paced, project-driven environment with tight deadlines and high client expectations. In an agency setting, specialized time tracking apps can be crucial in balancing creativity with productivity. 

Time tracking tools for marketing agencies cater to the unique needs of marketing professionals by providing insights into how time is spent on different tasks and projects. These tools aren’t just about counting hours — they’re about optimizing team workflows, enhancing project management, and boosting profitability. 

In this post, we’ll explore the best time tracking apps tailor-made for marketing agencies this year. We’ll cover pricing, key features, and customer reviews.

Key features to look for in a marketing time tracking app

Marketing agencies need more than basic functionality in their time tracking tools. They need comprehensive solutions that cater to their unique needs.

Here are the advanced features that set the best apps apart, helping agencies optimize their workflows and manage resources effectively:

• Integrations with marketing tools. It is crucial for agency time tracking software to be able to integrate with other marketing tools. These integration capabilities enable agencies to streamline their workflows by connecting their time tracking efforts directly with project management, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and other digital marketing platforms. 
  
• Productivity reports. Dive into analytics with customizable reports that do more than count hours. They tell stories of productivity peaks, client demands, and budget alignments, offering insights that can reshape your agency’s strategies.
  
• Scalable functionality. Whether you’re a boutique firm or a sprawling agency, you need a tool that can scale to meet your needs. Agency time tracking tools grow with your team and ensure that every minute is tracked from five members to five hundred.
  
• AI-driven insights. With a touch of artificial intelligence, some apps don’t just track time; they predict it. Forecasting tools analyze past projects to give you a heads-up on future timelines, helping you prepare for the demands of upcoming campaigns.

These features transform ordinary time tracking software into a dynamic tool that can manage productivity, predict future outcomes, and scale as your team grows. 

Now, let’s look at some time tracking tools that offer this functionality and then some. 

Best time tracking apps for marketing agencies

In 2024, marketing agencies have their pick of time tracking apps tailored to their specific needs. Here’s a breakdown of some of the best options available:

Tool	Key features	Pricing
Hubstaff	– Automated time tracking – Billing and payroll – Invoicing – Manage client budgets – Integrations – Advanced project management features – Insights add-on	$7 per user/month
Toggl Track	– Time tracking – Detailed reporting – Integrations – Billable rates – Multi-platform support	$10 per user/month
Tick	– Budget tracking – Multiple timers – Auto timers – Integrations	$19/month for 10 projects
Harvest	– Time tracking – Budget management – Integrations – Team management  – Reporting	$12 per seat/month
Everhour	– Time tracking – Integrations – Budgeting management – Reporting – Workload management	$10 per seat/month
Time Doctor	– Automated time tracking – Screenshots and activity levels – Detailed analytics – Web and app usage monitoring – Payroll integrations	$7 per user/month

Now that you know the basics, let’s dive in deeper.

1. Hubstaff – Best for workforce management tailored to agencies

Tailored for the fast-paced environment of marketing agencies, Hubstaff is an all-in-one workforce management solution that can track time spent on projects, provide real-time productivity updates, and help you invoice and pay teams and clients. 

Key features

• Automated time tracking. Track time and see real-time updates on hours worked, earnings, and more. Users can automatically generate timesheets the moment they begin tracking time, allowing you to focus more on crafting creative content and less on administrative tasks. You can also tweak idle timeout settings, create reminders, and add manual time as needed. 
  
• Billing and payroll. Track billable hours efficiently to streamline project billing and client management. Then, streamline your payment processes with automated timesheets. You can also set custom pay rates for different agency roles and pay teams across a multitude of payroll integrations simultaneously right from the Hubstaff app.
  
• Manage client budgets. Stay ahead on client budgets with Hubstaff. Always know how much client spend is available and which campaigns are approaching deadlines. 
  
• Invoicing. Enhance client transparency with Hubstaff’s invoicing feature. You can track time per client project and automatically generate and send detailed invoices based on your team’s billable rates right from the app.
  
• Integrations. Hubstaff offers robust integration capabilities with over 30 tools, including popular tools like Asana, Trello, Wrike, Slack, QuickBooks, and more. 
  
• Advanced project management features. Use the Hubstaff Tasks add-on to manage marketing projects and efficiently assign tasks to your team. This feature allows for detailed task breakdowns and time tracking, ensuring that every part of a client’s marketing campaign is accounted for and billed accurately. 
  
• Productivity Insights. Leverage Hubstaff Insights to delve deeper into your team’s productivity and utilization. This tool is valuable for marketing agencies aiming to optimize workflows and improve team performance on creative projects.

Customer reviews 

• G2: 4.4/5  
• GetApp: 4.6/5 
• Capterra: 4.6/5

Pricing 

Hubstaff offers a free version for a single user with time tracking, timesheets, and limited payment features. If you need more users and features, you can opt for one of the paid plans — all of which support unlimited users:

• Starter: $7 per user/month
• Grow: $9 per user/month
• Team: $12 per user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing is available upon request

You can also level up Hubstaff with these additional add-ons:

• Insights: $2 per user/month
• Tasks: $3 per user/month
• Data retention: $2 per user/month
• More screenshots: $3 per user/month 

Try Hubstaff’s time tracking app, free for 14 days. 

2. Toggl Track – Best for small teams

Toggl Track offers streamlined features that make it a favorite among marketing agencies looking to enhance time management and productivity. In fact, the company began as a consulting agency, so you know they can empathize. Their in-house time tracker became such a fan favorite that they started Toggl and haven’t looked back. 

Key features

• Time tracking. Start tracking time with a single click. Toggl simplifies the task of recording billable hours with a beautiful, intuitive interface. 
  
• Detailed reporting. Access comprehensive reports that help analyze time spent on projects. These sleek reports help improve task management and client billing.
  
• Integrations. Toggl seamlessly integrates with project management tools like Asana and Trello, facilitating smoother workflow management for agencies of all sizes.
  
• Billable rates. Set custom rates for different team members or projects, ensuring accurate invoicing based on the actual time spent on tasks.
  
• Multi-platform support. Toggl is available on web, desktop, and mobile devices so that team members can track time from anywhere, anytime.

Customer reviews

• G2: 4.6/5
• GetApp: 4.7/5 
• Capterra: 4.7/5  

Pricing

• Free
• Starter: $10 per user/month
• Premium: $20 per user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing  

3. Tick – Best for large agency time tracking

Tick offers a suite of features that are particularly well-suited for marketing agencies, focusing on enhancing both efficiency and profitability through precise time and budget management.

Key features

• Budget tracking. Track the time spent on projects against your project budget in real time, ensuring you never overspend without realizing it.
  
• Multiple timers. Run multiple timers to easily switch between tasks throughout the day. This makes it easier to multitask and have a better handle on project management.
  
• Auto timers for recurring projects. Set timers to automatically track regular tasks and projects to save time and reduce the hassle and admin time spent on manual entries.
  
• Integrations. Easily sync with popular project management tools like Asana. This enhances workflow efficiency by allowing you to manage tasks and track time across multiple platforms seamlessly.

Customer reviews

• G2: 4.5/5
• GetApp: 4.5/5 
• Capterra: 4.5/5  

Pricing

• 1 Project: Free
• 10 Projects: $19/month
• 30 Projects: $49/month 
• 60 Projects: $79/month
• Unlimited Projects: $149/month

4. Harvest – Best time tracking app for personal use

Harvest offers a comprehensive set of tools designed specifically for marketing agencies, aiming to streamline project time tracking and client billing processes. 

Key features

• Time tracking. Harvest time tracking allows users to start and stop timers as needed directly from their desktop app or mobile devices. 
  
• Budget management. Use Harvest’s budgeting features to monitor budgets in real-time. This ensures projects stay on track financially from the start.
  
• Integration. Easily generate invoices based on tracked time and expenses and receive payments directly through the platform.
  
• Team management. Harvest also provides insights into team members’ time usage, helping manage workloads and productivity.
  
• Reporting. Comprehensive reports on project progress, team hours, and budget status make for more effective decision-making. 

Customer reviews

• G2: 4.3/5
• GetApp: 4.6/5 
• Capterra: 4.6/5 

Pricing

• Harvest: Free
• Harvest Pro: $12 per seat/month

5. Everhour – Best for budgeting

Everhour is a comprehensive time tracking tool designed to meet the needs of marketing agencies. 

Key features

• Time tracking. Everhour provides precise time tracking capabilities, including the ability to log time against specific tasks. This makes it easier to monitor the duration of individual activities.
  
• Integrations. Everhour syncs with popular project management software, enabling users to track time directly within their project management environment without needing to switch applications. 
  
• Budgeting management. Budget management tools allow you to set up project budgets and expense tracking to give your agency full control over its financials to prevent budget overruns.
  
• Reporting. Generate detailed reports and customize them to display time spent on projects, team performance, budget utilization, and more to facilitate informed decision-making.
  
• Workload management. With Everhour, you can manage team schedules and allocate resources effectively, ensuring that work is evenly distributed and deadlines are met.

Customer reviews

• G2: 4.7/5
• GetApp: 4.7/5 
• Capterra: 4.7/5  

Pricing

• Free plan 
• Team: $10 per seat/month
  

6. Time Doctor – Best for employee monitoring 

Time Doctor is a versatile time tracking and employee monitoring tool for tracking and managing time that is well-suited for marketing agencies.

Key features

• Automatic time tracking. Tracking time with Time Doctor is seamless. The app automatically records time spent on tasks with minimal input required from users.
  
• Screenshots and activity levels. Time Doctor takes periodic screenshots and measures keyboard and mouse activity to provide insights into productivity and focus.
  
• Detailed analytics. Gain access to helpful time usage analytics, providing a clear breakdown of how work hours are distributed among projects and tasks.
  
• Web and app usage monitoring. Tracks the use of applications and websites, helping identify potential distractions and improve time management.
  
• Payroll integrations. Integrates with payroll systems to streamline the calculation of how many hours your team has worked and simplify the payment process.

Customer reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 
• GetApp: 4.5/5 
• Capterra: 4.5/5 

Pricing

• Basic: $7 per user/month 
• Standard: $10 per user/month
• Premium: $20 per user/month

Implementing your time tracking solution

Implementing a time tracking solution is not just about monitoring hours; it’s about integrating every facet of a campaign, from creative brainstorming sessions to client revisions, into a cohesive system that maximizes creativity and productivity.

1. Choose the right tool: Begin by selecting a time tracking tool that meshes well with the dynamics of your marketing agency. Use the list above to narrow down your options and pick whichever tool works best with your workflow. 
   
2. Set up and customize: Once you’ve chosen your tool, customize it to fit your specific needs. Define project types, set up client profiles, and tailor invoicing templates to match your agency’s workflow.  
   
3. Integrate with existing systems: Connect your time tracking tool with other systems already used at your agency. Seamless integration ensures that all tools work together harmoniously.
   
4. Train your team: Roll out a training session for your team. It’s vital that everyone understands how to use the new system effectively. Focus on how the tool will help manage projects better and highlight features that can simplify daily tasks.
   
5. Monitor and adjust: As your team starts using the time tracking tool, monitor its impact on work processes and overall productivity. Solicit feedback from the team on what’s working and what isn’t. 

Adding a new time tracking system in a marketing agency should ultimately lead to more than just measured hours; it should enhance the clarity and efficiency of every campaign your team takes on. 

Key takeaway: Learn to leverage time tracking data to boost agency performance

Mastering the art of time tracking is more than just a managerial task — it’s a strategic advantage. By choosing the right time tracking app, agencies can not only keep a meticulous log of hours but transform this data into actionable insights that propel business growth.

The key benefit? Advanced project management. With an agency time tracking tool, you can analyze past projects to pinpoint where time was well-spent and where it wasn’t. This data becomes invaluable as you plan future campaigns, allowing for adjustments that optimize team efforts and resources.  

Plus, these insights feed directly into improving client billing processes. Accurate time tracking ensures that every billable hour is accounted for. This not only builds trust with clients through greater transparency but also ensures that your agency is compensated fairly for its hard work. This can significantly improve cash flow and project profitability in the long term. 

If you’re ready to see how a sophisticated time tracking tool like Hubstaff can revolutionize the way your marketing agency operates, it’s time to give it a try. Explore its features, integrate it into your daily workflows, and start turning time into your agency’s most valuable asset.