Most teams start looking for a new time tracker for one of three reasons: timesheets are incomplete, client data is getting mixed up, or exports and reports take too much manual work. Whichever tool you use today, the way to choose its replacement is the same: write down what your agency needs, then test each option against it with real work.
This checklist does not rate other products. Features change, so check each vendor's current documentation and run a trial. What follows is what to look for, and how Tickr answers each point.
What makes the best agency time tracker for billable hours
Starting a timer takes one click
If starting the clock asks for a project and task first, people start late or not at all. Look for non-blocking time tracking: start instantly, fill in details while the work runs.
Required fields are enforced when the entry is saved
Complete data matters for billing. The tool should refuse to save an entry without the fields your workspace requires, and say what is missing.
Billable and internal time are separated on every entry
Each entry should be marked billable or internal, with amounts calculated from rates rather than typed in.
Exports are complete and always available
You should be able to export every entry, with every column, to CSV, Excel and PDF. See zero lock-in time tracking for a test you can run.
What to test, depending on what you are replacing
Looking for a Toggl alternative for agencies
Agencies usually care about structure more than individuals do: clients, projects, tasks, rates and approvals. During a trial, check how the tool handles several clients with different billing rules, and whether incomplete entries can reach a report.
Looking for a Clockify alternative with workspace isolation
If you run several brands or business units, test isolation directly: add one person to two workspaces with different roles, then confirm that reports, exports and settings in one never show the other. The workspace data isolation guide lists the questions to ask.
Looking for a Harvest alternative for software studios
Software studios switch context constantly: a review, a call, a quick fix. Check how many clicks it takes to start and switch timers, whether a forgotten timer is visible, and whether start times can be corrected after the fact.
Run a one-week trial with real work
- Pick two or three people who track the most varied work.
- Set up your real clients, projects and required fields.
- Track every task for one week, including short ones.
- At the end, export everything and rebuild one invoice from the export.
- Compare completeness with the same week in your current tool.
How Tickr answers the checklist
- Non-blocking start: START never asks for anything.
- Required fields on STOP: each workspace chooses which of description, project, task and tag are required.
- Workspace data isolation: roles per workspace, with no data shared across the boundary.
- No lock-in: export time logs to CSV, Excel and PDF.
- Free for every team, with no credit card.
Read why we enforce required fields on STOP, not START, or see pricing.