Toggl Track
Simple time tracking tool used by accounting firms and freelancers.
About Toggl Track
Toggl Track runs a one-click timer in the browser, desktop, or mobile app, tags the entry to a client and project, marks it billable or non-billable, and exports a timesheet. That covers 90% of what a solo bookkeeper or a five-person firm needs from time tracking. Automated timesheet generation pulls those entries into a PDF or CSV that goes straight into an invoice workflow. The QuickBooks and Xero integrations sync client and project data bidirectionally, so you're not re-keying names. The free plan handles unlimited time entries for up to five users, which makes Toggl the default starting point for freelancers before they've committed to a full practice management suite. Paid tiers add billable-rate management, required fields to enforce timesheet discipline, and team utilization reports that show who is over or under capacity. Where it falls short: Toggl is a time tracker, not a practice management tool. There's no built-in invoicing, no client portal, no workflow automation beyond what you wire up through Zapier. Firms already running Karbon, Canopy, or Financial Cents will find Toggl redundant unless those platforms' native timers are noticeably worse. The reporting is clean but thin — you can see utilization rates but not profitability per engagement without exporting to a spreadsheet.
Best for
Freelancers and small teams wanting simple, lightweight time tracking
Key Features
- One-click time tracking with billable hour categorization
- Project-based time allocation for client work
- Automated timesheet generation for billing
- Team productivity reporting and utilization tracking
Pros & Cons
Pros
- One-click timer works across browser extension, desktop app, and mobile with entries syncing instantly — no manual reconciliation across devices.
- Billable-rate tagging lets you assign different hourly rates to different clients or projects, and the timesheet export reflects those rates ready for invoicing.
- QuickBooks and Xero integrations pull in your existing client list so new time entries map to the correct contact without duplicate data entry.
- Free plan supports up to five users with unlimited time entries — sufficient for a small bookkeeping practice or a freelancer running multiple clients.
- Team utilization reports on paid tiers show logged hours versus capacity by team member, useful for identifying who is at risk of burnout before a deadline.
- Automated timesheet generation exports to PDF or CSV on a schedule, removing the end-of-month scramble to reconstruct hours from memory.
Cons
- No invoicing built in — Toggl captures the time but you must generate the invoice in QuickBooks, Xero, or a separate billing tool.
- Profitability reporting is absent. You can see hours by project but not margin, so cost analysis requires an export and manual calculation in a spreadsheet.
- Required fields and billable-rate management are locked behind the Starter paid tier ($9 per user per month), which stings for small teams who need that discipline.
- Firms already paying for Karbon, Financial Cents, or Jetpack Workflow — which include native timers — are paying twice for overlapping functionality.
- No client portal or approval workflow. Clients cannot review or approve timesheets inside Toggl; that handoff happens entirely outside the tool.
- Historical data export becomes critical if you leave, and the process is not well-documented — factor in migration effort if you plan to switch practice management platforms later.
Ledger Brief Take
This remains one of the most straightforward time tracking solutions available, with genuinely useful integrations to accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero that many competitors lack. While it doesn't revolutionize the category, Toggl's strength is doing basic time capture exceptionally well without the bloat that plagues more ambitious practice management suites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions accountants ask about Toggl Track.
What does Toggl Track cost, and what does the free plan actually include?
The free plan supports up to five users with unlimited time entries, basic project tracking, and CSV export. Paid plans start at $9 per user per month (Starter) and add billable rates, required fields, and timesheet rounding. The Premium tier at $18 per user per month unlocks team scheduling and priority support. No free trial limit on the free plan — it stays free indefinitely.
How does the QuickBooks or Xero integration work in practice?
Toggl connects to QuickBooks Online and Xero via OAuth. Once linked, it pulls your existing client and project list into Toggl so time entries map to the correct contact. Time data does not push invoices automatically — you still create the invoice in QuickBooks or Xero. The integration eliminates re-keying client names but does not replace your billing workflow.
How does Toggl compare to the time tracking inside Karbon or Financial Cents?
Karbon and Financial Cents include timers tied directly to workflow tasks, so time rolls up against a specific job and feeds profitability data without an export step. Toggl's timer is more flexible and polished for general use, but it sits outside your workflow tool. If you already pay for Karbon or Financial Cents, use their native timers unless you find them unreliable.
Is Toggl Track secure enough for client billing data?
Toggl encrypts data in transit and at rest, and the company publishes a SOC 2 Type II report. Time entry data includes client names, project descriptions, and hours — sensitive enough that you should review Toggl's data processing agreement before onboarding. The tool does not store financial account data or invoices, which limits exposure compared to your accounting software.
Can Toggl Track generate timesheets automatically for client billing?
Yes. Toggl generates timesheet reports filtered by client, project, date range, or team member and exports to PDF or CSV. You can schedule summary reports by email. The report shows billable hours, rates, and totals, but you import that into your invoice — Toggl does not send invoices directly to clients.
Does Toggl work for a sole-practitioner bookkeeper, or is it overkill?
It is the right fit for a solo bookkeeper tracking hours across five to fifteen clients. The free plan covers that workload entirely. If you need to bill clients directly from the tool or track profitability by engagement, you will hit Toggl's ceiling quickly and should look at tools like TaxDome or Jetpack Workflow that bundle billing with time tracking.