If you’re an architect or run an architecture firm, you’d probably agree that there simply aren’t enough hours in your workday. From meeting and billing clients to drawing up plans, you have to deal with a time and number-intensive workload.
So how do you ensure you manage your time efficiently?
By using solid time tracking software for architects!
With the right time tracking software, you can track your billable time down to the second for accurate client billing. It’ll also give you insights into how and where exactly you spend your time, helping you improve your time management skills.
In this article, we’ll explore the top 15 time tracking software for architects to help you decide the best tool for your needs. We’ll also discuss their key features, pricing, and user ratings.
Table of Contents
Let’s get started.
Top 15 time tracking software for architects
Here’s a look at the 15 best time tracking software for architects to optimize their workflow :
1. Time Doctor
Time Doctor is a workforce analytics software used by major companies like Verizon and Ericsson, as well as by SMBs like Thrive Market, to boost team productivity.
Architects can use this tool to optimize their work schedules, track billable hours, and generate accurate invoices.
Moreover, with detailed productivity reports, distraction management features, and project management tools, Time Doctor can help significantly amp up your work efficiency.
Key features
Here’s why Time Doctor is the perfect time tracking app for architects:
A. Track time manually and automatically
Time Doctor lets an architect decide how they want to track their working hours.
To track time using manual time tracking, an architect simply needs to start and stop the timer. This interactive time tracking feature allows architects to track only the billable hours.
But what if you and your team forget to track time?
Thankfully, with Time Doctor, architects can manually edit their working hours when they forget to start the timer.
However, your team may find manual tracking a hassle.
In that case, they can use Time Doctor’s automated timesheet tool to record their computer activity and store it privately, without starting any timers. This automatic or silent time tracker runs in the background without interrupting an architect’s daily work schedule.
B. Employ smart payroll management
Time Doctor lets architects calculate billable hours accurately based on their time tracking data. This can help you and your team build a credible reputation with clients.
Additionally, if you’re running an architectural firm, this time tracking data also allows you to calculate payroll accurately.
With Time Doctor’s smart payroll management feature, you can:
- Automate timesheets to pay your architects regularly.
- Approve a timesheet manually or automatically.
- Customize your architectural firm’s payroll system with options to edit each architect’s payment currency, pay rate, and payment method.
- Use Time Doctor’s payroll integrations with payroll software like Paypal and Wise.
- Export your payroll as a CSV file. Make batch payments by uploading this file to PayPal, Wise, or Gusto.
C. Get actionable insights with productivity reports
Productivity insights can help an architect or a team of architects understand trends and optimize their workflow.
Time Doctor gives you these necessary insights through its in-depth productivity reports.
Some of these reports include:
- Activity report: Get insights on the desktop and mobile app time, unproductive time, active time, etc., of an architect.
- Hours tracked report: Find out how many hours an architect tracked during a specific duration.
- Timeline report: Understand how much time an architect spends on different tasks in a day.
- Project and task report: View the exact time an architect spent on each project and task.
- Web and app usage report: Find out which apps and websites your team of architects uses.
D. Integrate with 50+ productivity apps
For maximum functionality, Time Doctor offers a powerful Chrome extension that integrates with premium tools like:
With this Chrome extension, architects can track time directly while working on several apps. This ensures they don’t juggle between tools to track time.
Pros
- Track time online and offline.
- Assign future projects and tasks to your architects.
- Classify websites and applications as either productive or unproductive.
- Set up screenshots and screen video recording to monitor computer activity while your team’s working.
- Use distraction management features like the idle time pop-up that gently nudges architects to focus on their tasks.
- Access the dashboard to get easy-to-read summary reports of the time spent on each project, client, and task.
- Access the Time Doctor desktop app on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
- Use the robust Android app for flexible time management.
Check out Time Doctor’s feature page for more details.
Pricing
Time Doctor offers a 14-day free trial that doesn’t require credit card details. Its paid plans start as low as $6.70/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.4/5 (380+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (500+ reviews)
2. Toggl Track
Toggl Track is an online time management system that provides multi-device time tracking support.
Key features
- Track time with a one-click timer on the web, desktop, and mobile app.
- Set up Toggl to trigger time entry suggestions as well as automatic time tracking.
- Access detailed productivity reports and schedule the reports to email.
- Receiving customized alerts as an architectural project nears completion.
Pricing
Toggl’s free plan supports up to five team members. Its paid plans start from $9/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.6/5 (1,500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,500+ reviews)
3. Bill4Time
Bill4Time is a great time tracking software for architects with accurate project time tracking features. Apart from easy project management, this tool also provides architects with billing support.
Key features
- Track time online with one-click time trackers.
- Make a manual time entry when you forget to track time.
- Access automatic online expense tracking to help architects easily create an invoice.
- Enable clients to receive invoices and pay online 24/7.
Pricing
Paid plans start at $27/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.6/5 (29 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (190+ reviews)
4. ActiveCollab
ActiveCollab is a collaborative project management software that can help architects measure how much time they spend on different tasks and share their work progress with their clients.
Key features
- Track time spent working on a project or a task as a whole.
- Get a weekly overview of where your team’s time went.
- Compare the tracked time records for each project vs. project estimates.
- Access detailed project budget and expense reports for expense management and tracking.
Pricing
Free plan is limited to three team members. Paid plans start at $8/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.2/5 (90+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (400+ reviews)
5. Journyx
Journyx is a simple time tracker and project management software for architects. It offers insights into time tracking data to help with projects, expense tracking, and resource planning.
Key features
- Make an expense and time entry for each project or client account.
- Access easy offline time tracking.
- Empower your team to log work hours from anywhere using the mobile app.
- Get real-time insights with visual project dashboards.
Pricing
Contact Journyx for custom pricing plans.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.3/5 (120+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (30+ reviews)
6. Minute7
Minute7 is a cloud-based timesheet software useful for architecture and other professional services firms.
With Minute7, architects can track time, plan and manage projects, and take care of their finances.
Key features
- Track time from web browsers and your mobile phone.
- Receive automated time tracking reminders.
- Access expense management software to track project costs.
- Integrates easily with QuickBooks to calculate billable hours.
Pricing
Offers a 30-day free trial. Paid plans start at $8/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.6/5 (60+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (280+ reviews)
7. My Hours
My Hours is a web-based architecture project management software. It allows architects to plan, check project phase completion, and track time for specific projects.
Key features
- Access timesheet reports helping with employee time schedule.
- Create projects for clients and assign tasks to team members.
- Specify billing rates per employee, project, and task assigned on a project.
- Integrate with tools like Quickbooks and Zapier for billing and productivity assistance.
Pricing
The tool is free to use for individuals. Paid plans start at $8/user per hour.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.6/5 (260+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (990+ reviews)
8. Scoro
Scoro enables architects and engineers to deliver high-quality work on time by planning, scheduling, and tracking working hours in one place.
This time tracking software monitors project details on real-time dashboards that combine project, team, client, and financial data.
Key features
- Keep track of your team’s time utilization and ensure accountability for time spent on client work.
- Access a real-time Gantt chart to track project progress, tasks, dependencies, and more.
- Integrate with existing productivity tools in a few clicks.
- Monitor billable time and costs to track profitability.
Pricing
Plans start at $26/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (230+ reviews)
9. TimeCamp
TimeCamp is a cloud-based timesheet software for architects that lets you record time and allocate it to user-defined categories, such as customers, projects, and tasks.
Key features
- Measure your team’s productivity and the time spent on websites and apps.
- Calculate payrolls accurately by measuring attendance.
- Bill clients with detailed data-rich invoices.
- Access insightful and easy productivity reports.
Pricing
Plans start at $1.49/user per month. Offers a 14 day trial period and a free plan.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.7/5 (340+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (540 reviews)
10. Timeneye
Timeneye is a time tracking tool suitable for a medium-sized or small business.
It doubles up as a timesheet software for architects that lets you reallocate time effectively to complete tasks in a timely manner.
Key features
- Access colorful time tracking charts to get an overview of your team’s productivity.
- Choose to track time with automated timers or make manual time entries.
- Access project tracking dashboards to see the real-time team progress.
- Customizable timesheets for architects based on your business needs.
Pricing
Plans start at $7/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (22 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (130+ reviews)
11. Time Analytics
Time Analytics is a time tracking software for architects to monitor their productivity.
This tool lets architects use timesheet templates and fill one up in minutes instead of spreading hours on a Microsoft Excel sheet.
Key features
- Access comprehensive and ready-to-use timesheets for architects.
- Calculate billable and non-billable work hours based on time tracked by architects.
- Manage project profitability by calculating total costs and cost rate per client, activity, and project.
- Review time utilization for a selected period for each architect, task, project, and client.
Pricing
The tool’s free version supports up to five team members and 30 projects. Its paid plans start at $4.99/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.9/5 (4 reviews)
- Capterra: 5/5 (7 reviews)
12. Wrike
Wrike’s project management software has time tracking functionality that allows you to track using a live timer or add a time log manually.
This software is a good fit for mid-sized architecture firms and companies that work on multiple projects at the same time.
Key features
- Get a weekly overview of your team’s tasks with the timesheets feature.
- Use customized dashboards for project overview.
- Access collaboration tools to share files, tasks, and reports.
- Integrate with team collaboration apps like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and more.
Pricing
Wrike’s free plan doesn’t support time tracking features. Its paid plans start from $10/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.2/5 (3,700+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (2,700+ reviews)
13. Dovico
Dovico provides plenty of employee time tracking features best suited for architects looking to manage project costs and increase work efficiency. This online timesheet solution also helps teams bill their projects accurately.
Key features
- Use the timesheet feature to enter and approve a time entry from anywhere.
- Access built-in billing features, including receipt attachments, timesheet consolidation, and more.
- Receive notifications for team timesheet approvals and time budgets.
- Access customizable reporting that matches your business needs.
Pricing
Pricing starts from $9/user per month.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.2/5 (16 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (60+ reviews)
14. Deltek Ajera
Deltek Ajera is a project and time management software that provides 360-degree visibility into your architecture projects and helps maximize productivity and team collaboration.
Key features
- Access one-click timers to track time utilization on different projects.
- Get real-time project updates to view costs and budgets instantly.
- Access cloud deployment that ensures your team has secured access from anywhere.
- View role-specific and configurable dashboards.
Pricing
Contact Deltek Ajera for pricing.
Customer ratings
- G2: 3.9/5 (120+ reviews)
- Capterra: 3.6/5 (60+ reviews)
15. BQE Core
BQE Core makes it easy for architects to manage projects, time, and resources for improved productivity.
Key features
- Access pre-populated timesheets with custom date ranges.
- Get reminders to ensure you don’t miss tracking time.
- Streamline payroll with smart timecards and easy invoicing software.
- Access over 20 standard invoice templates.
Pricing
Contact BQE Core for pricing.
Customer ratings
- G2: 4.3/5 (440 + reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (780+ reviews)
Comparison table: Top 15 time tracking software for architects
| Software | Unique Features | Pricing (Starting) | G2 Ratings | Capterra Ratings |
| Time Doctor | Manual & automatic tracking, payroll, productivity reports | $6.70/user per month | 4.4/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Toggl Track | One-click timer, automated tracking, email reports | $9/user per month | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Bill4Time | Expense tracking, invoicing, client portal | $29/user per month | 4.6/5 | 4.8/5 |
| ActiveCollab | Collaborative task management, project budgets | $8/user per month | 4.2/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Journyx | Offline time tracking, mobile app, dashboards | Contact for pricing | 4.3/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Minute7 | QuickBooks integration, time & expense tracking | $8/user per month | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 |
| My Hours | Project billing rates, timesheets, integrations | Free for individuals, $8/user per month | 4.6/5 | 4.8/5 |
| Scoro | Gantt charts, real-time profitability tracking | $28/user per month | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| TimeCamp | App usage tracking, detailed invoicing | $1.49/user per month | 4.7/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Timeneye | Automated timers, project dashboards | $7/user per month | 4.5/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Time Analytics | Pre-made timesheets, task analysis, cost reports | $4.99/user per month | 4.9/5 | 5/5 |
| Wrike | Task collaboration, custom dashboards, time tracking | $9.80/user per month | 4.2/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Dovico | Custom reporting, notifications, timesheet approvals | $8/user per month | 4.2/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Deltek Ajera | Role-based dashboards, 360-degree project view | Contact for pricing | 3.9/5 | 3.6/5 |
| BQE Core | Pre-populated timesheets, advanced invoicing | Contact for pricing | 4.3/5 | 4.5/5 |
Final thoughts
Time tracking software helps architects record and optimize their work hours efficiently. The optimized workflow can translate to better productivity and accurate billable hours.
Check out the tools we’ve highlighted in this article to pick the one that’s best suited for your business.
If you want an all-in-one time tracking, payroll management, and timesheet software, then Time Doctor is the tool for you.
Get a demo and experience it yourself!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
1. What is the best time tracking software for architects?
The best time tracking software for architects depends on your unique requirements. Some top recommendations include:
- Time Doctor: Best for detailed productivity insights, client billing, and team performance management.
- Toggl Track: Ideal for simple time tracking with intuitive features.
- BQE Core: Perfect for managing projects, resources, and financial data.
- Scoro: Great for real-time project tracking and profitability insights.
For architecture firms, choosing software with features like automatic timesheets, project budgeting, and task allocation is critical.
2. How can architects benefit from time tracking tools?
Time tracking tools can provide multiple benefits, such as:
- Precise client billing: Track every billable second to generate accurate invoices.
- Enhanced productivity: Identify unproductive habits and optimize workflows.
- Efficient project management: Track task completion times and align schedules to deadlines.
- Budget control: Keep track of project expenses and avoid overruns.
- Team collaboration: Enable team members to share updates and stay aligned on progress.
- Data analysis: Use insights from time reports to improve decision-making and operational efficiency.
3. How do I choose the right time tracking software for my architecture firm?
Choosing the best time tracking software involves evaluating several factors:
- Scalability: Ensure the tool can grow with your business.
- Features: Look for tools offering features like project tracking, real-time reports, payroll integration, and offline time tracking.
- Industry-specific needs: Choose software that accommodates architecture-specific workflows, like phase-based project management.
- Integrations: Check compatibility with existing tools like AutoCAD, QuickBooks, or project management platforms.
- Mobile access: Opt for software with mobile apps for tracking time on-site.
- User feedback: Research reviews from other architects to gauge usability and reliability.
4. Can time tracking software integrate with project management tools?
Yes, many time tracking tools integrate seamlessly with project management platforms. For example:
- Time Doctor integrates with Asana, Trello, and Jira.
- Scoro combines time tracking with built-in project management features.
- ActiveCollab offers task tracking alongside project timelines and budgets.
These integrations help architects streamline workflows, track time directly within their project management software, and maintain organized schedules.
5. Is time tracking software suitable for freelancers in architecture?
Absolutely! Freelancers can use time tracking tools to:
- Record the time spent on different tasks for accurate client invoicing.
- Track project phases and allocate time efficiently.
- Generate automated timesheets to save administrative effort.
- Monitor productivity and identify areas for improvement.
6. How do time tracking tools ensure accurate payroll for architects?
Time tracking software automates payroll by:
- Tracking billable hours for each architect or team member.
- Calculating payroll based on hourly rates or project completion.
- Integrating with payroll platforms like QuickBooks, PayPal, and Gusto for seamless payments.
- Providing detailed timesheets for approvals and audits.
For example, Time Doctor allows customization of pay rates, payment currencies, and batch payments for teams.
7. Can time tracking software improve project profitability?
Yes, time tracking tools help improve project profitability by:
- Monitoring billable hours accurately to ensure no revenue is lost.
- Highlighting time spent on unproductive tasks to reduce inefficiencies.
- Offering insights into time and cost overruns in real-time.
- Helping architects allocate resources effectively for maximum output.
8. How do time tracking tools handle offline work?
Many time tracking tools support offline tracking, allowing architects to:
- Record time even without internet access.
- Sync data automatically when back online.
- Log offline hours manually for additional accuracy.
Tools like Time Doctor, Journyx, and Dovico offer offline time tracking, making them ideal for architects working on-site without consistent internet connectivity.
