Comparison guide
How to track client retainer hours and budgets: tools compared (2026)
Disclosure: we make Retainersdesk Agency Retainer Dashboard, one of the options below. This comparison is made from public information on each vendor's own pages, checked 2026-11-11; we did not receive anything from the other vendors.
If you only need to log hours per client and you have a small team, start with a free plan from Clockify, Toggl Track or Harvest and compare logged hours to each retainer by hand. If you want retainer budgets, invoicing and resourcing in one paid system, agency software such as Teamwork.com (Accelerate plan) or Accelo fits better than a template. If your agency already runs its work in Notion and you want a monthly over, close or on-track view per client without a per-user subscription, our one-time Notion template is an option, but it has no timer and needs about 10 to 12 minutes of setup.
Prices checked 2026-11-11.
Agencies that sell monthly retainers need to know, before the month ends, which clients are using more hours than they pay for. This page compares five real tools and our own template for that job: free time trackers (Clockify, Toggl Track, Harvest), agency software with retainer features (Teamwork.com, Accelo) and a workspace template that runs in Notion. Disclosure: we (Bardach Technologies) make one of the options, the Retainersdesk dashboard. This comparison is made from public information on each vendor's own pricing and product pages, checked on 2026-11-11; we did not run long-term tests, and prices can change.
| Option | Type | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clockify | freemium | USD 0 (Free plan, for up to 5 people) / paid plans from USD 3.99 per seat per month billed annually (USD 4.99 billed monthly); project budgets are on PRO at USD 7.99 per seat per month billed annually (USD 9.99 billed monthly) | Small teams that mainly need to log hours per client for free |
| Toggl Track | freemium | USD 0 (Free, up to 3 people per the pricing FAQ) / Starter USD 9 per user per month on the annual toggle, USD 12 on the monthly toggle / Premium USD 16 per user per month on the annual toggle, USD 24 on the monthly toggle | Teams that want a timer plus budget alerts and are willing to pay per user |
| Harvest | freemium | USD 0 forever (Free: 1 seat, 2 projects) / Teams from USD 9 per seat per month (USD 108 per seat, billed annually) or from USD 11 per seat per month billed monthly / Enterprise from USD 14 per seat per month (USD 168 per seat, billed annually) | Freelancers, or teams that want time tracking and invoicing in one tool |
| Teamwork.com | freemium | USD 0 (Free: up to 5 projects and 5 people) / Basics USD 9.99 per user per month billed annually (3-user minimum) / Accelerate USD 24.99 per user per month billed annually (5-user minimum) / Optimize and Enterprise: price on request | Agencies that want retainers, projects and time tracking in one paid system |
| Accelo | paid | Price not published (custom quote based on team size) | Larger agencies that want a full service-operations system and are ready to go through a sales process |
| Retainersdesk Agency Retainer Dashboard (ours) | paid | USD 67.99 one-time | Owners and account leads of small agencies that sell monthly retainers and already run their work in Notion |
How we compared
- Price as shown on the vendor's own pricing page (per user or flat, monthly or annual billing)
- Whether a free plan exists and what its stated limits are (users, seats, projects)
- Whether the vendor's page names retainers, budgets or estimates, and on which plan
- Setup effort and what you need first (sign-up, account, Notion workspace)
The options
Clockify
A time tracker with a free plan that includes a timer, timesheets and reports. Time or money budgets on projects are listed only on the PRO and ENTERPRISE plans.
Good:
- Free plan lists unlimited tracking, timesheet, time tracker and reports
- Low per-seat price on paid plans
- Mobile and desktop apps on the free plan
Watch out:
- Project budgets (time or money) are not on the free plan; the pricing page lists them on PRO and ENTERPRISE
- The pricing page does not mention retainers, so a monthly retainer has to be set up as a project budget
- Requires signing up for an account; the free plan card says up to 5 people while the FAQ says you can invite up to 4 people for free
Best for: Small teams that mainly need to log hours per client for free
Toggl Track
A time tracker with a free tier for up to 3 people. The pricing page says paid plans add billable rates, budgets and alerts; project estimates start on Starter.
Good:
- Free tier includes manual and real-time timers and calendar integrations
- Pricing page describes recurring projects that track budgets and control how unused or overrun hours roll over
- Budget alert thresholds are emailed when reached (per the pricing page)
Watch out:
- Billable rates, project estimates, budgets and alerts are on paid plans, not the free tier
- Per-user pricing grows with team size
- Requires signing up for an account
Best for: Teams that want a timer plus budget alerts and are willing to pay per user
Harvest
Time tracking, invoicing and expense tracking. The free plan is built for individual freelancers; the Teams plan adds unlimited seats and team reporting.
Good:
- Free plan includes time tracking, invoicing and expense tracking
- Project estimates are listed on all plans
- 30-day free trial on paid plans, no credit card required
Watch out:
- Free plan is limited to 1 seat and 2 projects, so it does not cover an agency with several retainer clients
- The pricing page does not mention retainers or budget alerts
- Requires signing up for an account
Best for: Freelancers, or teams that want time tracking and invoicing in one tool
Teamwork.com
Project management software for client work. The free plan lets you log time; time budgets and retainers are listed on the Accelerate plan.
Good:
- Retainers are a named feature ("time budgets & retainers" on Accelerate)
- Free plan includes logging time
- Projects, tasks and time in one tool
Watch out:
- Retainers are only on Accelerate, which has a 5-user minimum, so the lowest cost for that feature is about USD 125 per month billed annually
- Listed prices are for annual billing
- Requires signing up for an account
Best for: Agencies that want retainers, projects and time tracking in one paid system
Accelo
Software for professional services businesses that says you can run fixed-fee projects and ongoing retainers side by side in one tool. Pricing is by custom quote.
Good:
- Retainers are named on the pricing page
- Plans include implementation guidance and onboarding support (per the pricing page FAQ)
Watch out:
- No public price; you have to request a quote or book a demo
- The pricing page does not mention a free plan or free trial
Best for: Larger agencies that want a full service-operations system and are ready to go through a sales process
Retainersdesk Agency Retainer Dashboard (made by us)
A workspace template that runs in Notion. It shows a retainer status for every client and month (Over, Close or On track) from hours used projected to month end, and a view of tasks due in the next 7 days, overdue included. One-time purchase.
Good:
- One-time price, no per-user subscription
- Six linked databases (Clients, Retainers, Time Log, Projects, Tasks, Client Reports) and guide pages, including what to do when a retainer runs over
- Includes a fictional sample agency to try it on, and imports on any Notion plan
Watch out:
- Needs a Notion account and only helps if your team works in Notion
- Notion's import does not carry relations, formulas or views, so you add them by following the guide (about 10 to 12 minutes, our estimate)
- The product page lists a Time Log database but no timer app, invoicing or email alerts, so hours are entered in Notion
Best for: Owners and account leads of small agencies that sell monthly retainers and already run their work in Notion
What you need to track for a retainer
For each client and month you need three numbers: the hours (or money) the retainer includes, the hours used so far, and where usage will end up by month end at the current pace. The third number is the one that lets you talk to the client before the month is over instead of after.
Any of the tools on this page can give you the first two. The difference is how much of the comparison and the warning you get built in, and what you pay for that.
Free time trackers: good for logging, manual for retainers
Clockify, Toggl Track and Harvest all have free plans. They differ in limits: Clockify's free plan card says up to 5 people, Toggl's FAQ says its free tier is for up to 3 people, and Harvest's free plan is 1 seat and 2 projects. On the free plans you log hours per client and then compare the total to each retainer yourself, for example in a spreadsheet.
Budgets and alerts are paid features: Clockify lists time or money budgets on PRO and ENTERPRISE, and Toggl's pricing page says paid plans add budgets and alerts.
Agency software: retainers built in, at a higher cost
Teamwork.com names "time budgets & retainers" on its Accelerate plan (USD 24.99 per user per month billed annually, 5-user minimum). Accelo says it runs fixed-fee projects and ongoing retainers side by side but does not publish prices. If you also want invoicing, resourcing and client reporting in one place, a dedicated tool like these fits better than a template, including ours.
Notion template: if your agency already lives in Notion
A template keeps the retainer view next to the projects and tasks you already manage in Notion, for a one-time price. The trade-offs are setup work (formulas and relations are added by hand after import) and no timer, so hours go into a Notion database. Before buying anything, you can check whether a retainer is profitable at its current fee with our free retainer profitability calculator.
Try it free first
Before buying anything, use the Free retainer profitability calculator. It is free and needs no sign-up.
Questions
How do I track retainer hours for each client?
Log every time entry against a client, add up the hours used in the current month, and compare them to the hours the retainer includes. Projecting usage to month end at the current pace shows early whether a client will go over.
Can I track retainer hours for free?
Yes. Clockify, Toggl Track and Harvest have free plans that log time per client, within their stated limits. On those free plans you compare logged hours to each retainer yourself; budgets and alerts are on paid plans.
Is a spreadsheet or Notion template enough, or do I need agency software?
A spreadsheet or template is often enough for a small agency with a handful of retainers. If you need invoicing, resource planning and retainer billing in one system, agency software such as Teamwork.com or Accelo fits better.
What should I do when a client's retainer runs over?
Tell the client before the month ends, show the hours used against the hours included, and agree whether the extra hours are billed, moved to next month or the scope is reduced.
Sources
- Clockify pricing
- Toggl Track pricing
- Harvest pricing
- Teamwork.com pricing
- Accelo pricing
- Retainersdesk Agency Retainer Dashboard (Gumroad product page)