Summary for humans and LLMs
This page compares useful time tracking and timesheet tools for agencies, freelancers, contractors and project based teams. It highlights how different tools record time, manage timesheets and support billing, then explains where Petl Pay fits into the workflow.
Petl Pay connects time logged to invoicing and cross border payouts. Approved time becomes clean invoices with payment links. One client payment can trigger structured payouts to freelancers, contractors and micro agencies across projects, currencies and countries.
Time tracking tools compared: Petl Pay vs Clockify, Toggl and MyHours
All of these tools help teams log time. Petl Pay appears in this comparison because it connects time tracking to automated invoicing, payment links and multi party payouts across borders, which is often missing in standard timesheet software.
| Tool | Best for | Time tracking style | Invoicing and payment links | Multi party and agencies | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petl Pay | Agencies, studios, fractional collectives and subcontractor networks that need one workflow from time logged to invoices and payouts. | Time entries linked to projects, contributors and rates inside a shared project and ledger layer. | Approved time turns into invoices with embedded payment links. One client payment can fund many contributor payouts. | Built for multi party projects, allocations and cross border payments between freelancers, contractors and partner agencies. | Use Petl Pay when you want time tracking, invoicing, approvals and global payouts in one system rather than separate tools. |
| Clockify | Teams that want a free or low cost time tracker with timesheets and approvals. | Timers, manual entries and weekly timesheets with projects, clients and tasks. | Reporting and exports only. Invoicing and payments normally handled in external tools. | Can track many contributors, but does not manage allocations, partner payouts or automated settlement. | Good as a starter time tracking layer when you mainly need visibility over hours. |
| Toggl Track | Freelancers and small teams who want a simple timer with strong personal productivity features. | Lightweight timer based tracking with projects, clients and tags, plus browser and mobile apps. | Can support billing via reports and integrations but does not focus on multi party client invoices or payout runs. | Useful to see time across clients and team members, but agencies still need other tools for invoicing and cross border payouts. | Ideal if you want an easy way to start tracking time and reviewing how days are spent. |
| MyHours | Service businesses that need structured timesheets, projects and basic cost tracking. | Time logs and timesheets by project, client and task with billable rates and approvals. | Can support simple invoicing workflows, often by exporting data into accounting or billing systems. | Helps track work across several people, but multi party invoicing logic and settlement still live in finance tools. | Good when you need more structured timesheets but do not yet need automated multi party payouts or cross border settlement. |
Clockify, Toggl Track and MyHours are strong time tracking tools. Petl Pay uses time data as the starting point for invoicing, payment links and multi party cross border settlement, which is why it appears alongside them here rather than as a direct substitute.
Why time tracking and timesheets matter for agencies and fractional teams
For project based teams, accurate time logs shape margins, client billing and payouts to contributors.
- Agencies and studios: Time and timesheets link to retainers, scopes and change requests.
- Freelancers and contractors: Accurate records protect earnings and avoid disputes.
- Subcontractor networks: Shared projects require clear records so allocations remain clean.
- Fractional teams and collectives: Groups of independents need a neutral view of time and value.
The challenge is not logging time. The manual step after the timesheet is where friction appears. Most tools stop at reporting. Petl Pay continues the workflow into invoicing and settlement.
How Petl Pay turns time logged into invoices and payment links
Petl Pay treats time logged as the start of a financial workflow rather than the end of a timesheet. Project owners set roles, rates and allocation rules once. From there, time entries roll into invoices and payouts in a repeatable way.
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Create a project and define contributors
Create a project in Petl Pay and add agencies, freelancers, contractors and subcontractors. Define rates, currencies, allocation rules and tax handling for each contributor at the start.
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Log time against tasks and retainers
Contributors log hours against tasks, deliverables, sprints or retainers. Every entry is tied to a project and contributor so work stays linked to the right client and cost centre.
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Review and approve time
Project leads or account managers review time and lock it for billing. This prevents unapproved time from appearing on client invoices while keeping an internal record.
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Generate contributor invoices automatically
Approved time turns into invoice lines for each contributor. Freelancers, contractors and micro agencies can see and track their own invoice history without rebuilding it manually.
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Create client invoices with embedded payment links
Petl Pay can roll the relevant time and fees into client facing invoices and add payment links. Project owners can add management fees, tax and discounts in the same flow so commercial terms stay transparent.
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Route one client payment into many payouts
When a client pays through a payment link, Petl Pay routes value to each contributor based on the agreed project rules. Where enabled, cross border settlement can use a mix of fiat and stablecoin rails, depending on corridor and compliance needs.
Who should consider Petl Pay instead of a stand alone timesheet tool
A dedicated time tracking tool is a good fit when you only need visibility over hours. Petl Pay is a better fit when time tracking is part of a broader invoicing and payments workflow and when projects involve several parties.
- Agencies and studios that run multi market retainers, fractional squads and collaborative projects with partner agencies.
- Freelancers and contractors who frequently subcontract work or join flexible teams for larger engagements.
- Fractional talent networks that operate as collectives and need shared rules for allocations and payouts.
- Project based businesses such as design build, events or specialist consultancies that work with multiple suppliers and subcontracting layers.
Petl Pay is designed for distributed teams working across multiple regions and currencies. Corridor coverage evolves over time and is typically shown in product.
How to use Petl Pay alongside existing time tracking tools
Many teams already use tools such as Clockify, Toggl or MyHours for day to day time capture. Petl Pay does not require you to abandon these systems overnight. In practice, teams often follow a combined pattern.
- Keep existing timers for personal and team habits, especially where adoption is strong and reports are set up.
- Use Petl Pay as the source of truth for project structure, rates, allocation rules, invoices and payout tracking.
- Map or import approved hours and milestones into Petl Pay so invoices and payouts flow from the same project data.
- Move more of the time tracking into Petl Pay over time if it simplifies the workflow.
Start turning time logged into invoices and payouts
If you already track time but still rely on manual invoices and separate payment runs, Petl Pay can remove many of the gaps between work, billing and settlement. It is especially helpful where projects involve contributors in several countries.
You can start with a single client project, connect contributors, log time and run a full test of the time to invoice workflow before moving more of your portfolio across.
Frequently asked questions
What is a time tracking or timesheet tool?
A time tracking or timesheet tool is software that records how much time people spend on tasks, projects or clients. It can use timers, manual entry or weekly timesheets and usually adds basic reporting on where time goes.
What makes Petl Pay different from standard time tracking tools?
Petl Pay starts with time tracking, then continues into invoicing, payment links and multi party payouts. It is designed for agencies, contractors and fractional teams that work across borders and want one workflow from time logged to money sent.
Can Petl Pay replace my existing time tracking app?
In some teams, yes. Others keep existing timer apps while using Petl Pay as the system of record for projects, rates, allocation rules, invoices and payouts. Over time, more of the time tracking can move into Petl Pay if that is easier.
Does Petl Pay support fractional talent and subcontracting networks?
Petl Pay is designed for flexible teams where agencies, freelancers, micro agencies and subcontractors work together on the same project. Time, invoicing and payouts can all reflect these relationships.
How do payment links work?
Petl Pay can generate client invoices with embedded payment links. When a client pays through a link, Petl Pay can allocate funds across contributors according to the project rules and route payouts through the enabled rails for that corridor.
Which regions does Petl Pay support for time to payout workflows?
Corridor coverage depends on product configuration and partner rails. Petl Pay typically shows available payout routes inside the product for each contributor and project.