Time tracking tools for agencies, freelancers, and contractors
This page compares time tracking and timesheet tools for agencies, freelancers, contractors, and project-based teams, and explains where Petl Pay fits: not as another timer, but as what happens after the timesheet.
- Log time directly in Petl Pay, or connect your own time tracking app via MCP and API
- Approved time rolls into contributor and client invoices automatically
- One client payment can route to many contributors, across borders
- Works alongside tools you already use; nothing to rip out on day one
Time tracking tools compared
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 from 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, either logged directly or connected from your own time tracking app via MCP and API. | 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 doesn't 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 doesn't 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 don't yet need automated multi-party payouts or cross-border settlement. |
| Harvest | Agencies and consultancies that want time tracking bundled with basic invoicing. | Timers and manual entries by project and task, with budgets and billable rates. | Supports single-client invoicing directly, without multi-party splits or embedded cross-border payment links. | Tracks a team's time centrally, but payouts to individual contributors still happen outside the tool. | A solid step up from a pure timer, if your invoicing stays one client at a time. |
| Everhour | Teams already living in Asana, Trello, or similar project tools who want time tracking layered on top. | Time tracking embedded directly into existing project management boards and cards. | Supports budgets and basic client billing reports, not multi-party invoicing or payment links. | Good visibility across a team's board, but no allocation logic for paying multiple contributors from one payment. | Fits well if your team already runs entirely inside a PM tool and just needs time added to it. |
// On mobile, scroll horizontally to view the full table. Clockify, Toggl Track, MyHours, Harvest, and Everhour are strong time tracking tools in their own right. 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.
Bring your own time tracking app
Time Entry Service
timeentry.importLIVEYou don't have to give up the timer your team already uses. Petl Pay is MCP-native and has an open API, so you can connect your own time tracking app, whether that's one of the tools compared above or something else entirely, and feed approved hours straight into Petl Pay's project, invoicing, and payout workflow. Query and action time entries, invoices, and payments from Claude or ChatGPT through the MCP, which reads and writes, or build a direct integration on the API.
// This describes an open integration path over MCP and API, not a pre-built one-click connector for a specific third-party tool. Building the connection is on you or your dev team; the workflow it feeds into is Petl Pay's.
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 isn't 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.
STEP 01Create 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.
STEP 02Log time, or connect your own tracker
Contributors log hours directly in Petl Pay against tasks, deliverables, sprints, or retainers, or you connect an existing time tracking app via MCP and API so entries flow in automatically. Every entry ties to a project and contributor.
STEP 03Review 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.
STEP 04Generate 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.
STEP 05Create client invoices with embedded payment links
Petl Pay rolls the relevant time and fees into client-facing invoices and adds payment links. Project owners can add management fees, tax, and discounts in the same flow so commercial terms stay transparent.
STEP 06Route 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 standalone 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.
Using Petl Pay alongside existing time tracking tools
Many teams already use tools such as Clockify, Toggl, MyHours, Harvest, or Everhour for day-to-day time capture. Petl Pay doesn't 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
- Connect that same timer to Petl Pay via MCP and API, so approved hours flow in without re-entry
- Use Petl Pay as the source of truth for project structure, rates, allocation rules, invoices, and payout tracking
- Move more of the time tracking into Petl Pay over time if it simplifies the workflow
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's designed for agencies, contractors, and fractional teams that work across borders and want one workflow from time logged to money sent.
Can I connect my own time tracking app to Petl Pay?
Yes. Petl Pay is MCP-native and has an open API, so you can connect an existing time tracking app and feed approved hours into Petl Pay's invoicing and payout workflow, rather than re-entering them by hand. This is an open integration path, not a pre-built one-click connector for a specific tool.
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's 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.
Start turning time logged into invoices and payoutsRelated pages
Automating finance for contractor-heavy businesses
Petl Pay is the middleware that connects your project finance, internal tools, and the AI your team and clients already use, so one client payment flows out to every contributor.
