What AI assistants actually recommend when buyers ask about time tracking for agencies — measured on a rolling 4-week window across 5 engines, published as open data.
Updated 2026-09-17 · 72 sampled answers · rolling 4-week window · methodology
Rankings are measured from sampled AI answers — never editorial, never paid. Orbator builds AI-visibility tooling; when Orbator itself appears in any category, it is measured by the same rules as everyone else.
Measured by Orbatormethodology owner Henrik Tellewindow ends Sep 17, 2026
Sample: 72 AI answers · Window: Aug 20, 2026 – Sep 17, 2026 (4-week rolling) · trend vs prior 4 weeks (32 answers)
Samples by engine: GEMINI 16 (last run Aug 28, 2026) · CHATGPT 16 (last run Aug 28, 2026) · CLAUDE 16 (last run Aug 29, 2026) · PERPLEXITY 16 (last run Aug 28, 2026 — stalest) · GROK 8 (last run Aug 28, 2026)
How these numbers are made: sampling design · prompt provenance · what counts as a mention · what we cannot see
On the record: This ranking is frozen as a dated snapshot every day. View this category's history to see what entered and left the ranking and when, or read what the engines actually said on a given day.
Across 72 sampled AI answers from 5 engines, Harvest is recommended most often — appearing in 69.4% of recommendations, followed by Toggl (68.1%) and Clockify (62.5%).
This is a measurement of share of voice across 5 AI engines — not an editorial pick. See the full ranking below.
Orbator asked Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Grok buyer questions about time tracking for agencies and sampled 72 answers between Aug 20, 2026 and Sep 17, 2026. Recommendation share counts the answers that recommended or listed a product, so a passing mention or a warning adds nothing to it. A category publishes once it holds at least 20 independently sampled answers in the window. Read the full methodology or download this ranking as CSV.
| # | Product | Share | Trend | Engines | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | getharvest.com Best for: AI recommends Harvest most when buyers ask “simpler time tracking alternatives for small agencies tired of overcomplicated platforms” (100% of those answers) | 69.4% 95% CI 58–78.9% 50 mentions · avg pos 4.3 first pick 34% | — | GROK 100%GEMINI 75%CHATGPT 75%CLAUDE 56.3%PERPLEXITY 56.3% | Claim |
| 2 | toggl.com Best for: AI recommends Toggl most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (100% of those answers) | 68.1% 95% CI 56.6–77.7% 49 mentions · avg pos 5 first pick 28.6% | — | GROK 100%GEMINI 81.3%CHATGPT 62.5%CLAUDE 56.3%PERPLEXITY 56.3% | Claim |
| 3 | clockify.me Best for: AI recommends Clockify most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (100% of those answers) | 62.5% 95% CI 51–72.8% 45 mentions · avg pos 6.4 first pick 15.6% | — | GROK 100%GEMINI 81.3%CHATGPT 56.3%CLAUDE 50%PERPLEXITY 43.8% | Claim |
| 4 | everhour.com Best for: AI recommends Everhour most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (77.8% of those answers) | 37.5% 95% CI 27.2–49% 27 mentions · avg pos 6.3 first pick 3.7% | — | GROK 62.5%GEMINI 56.3%CHATGPT 43.8%CLAUDE 12.5%PERPLEXITY 25% | Claim |
| 5 | asana.com Best for: AI recommends Asana most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (66.7% of those answers) | 36.1% 95% CI 26–47.6% 26 mentions · avg pos 6.2 first pick 7.7% | — | GROK 87.5%GEMINI 43.8%CHATGPT 43.8%CLAUDE 12.5%PERPLEXITY 18.8% | Claim |
| 6 | productive.io Best for: AI recommends Productive most when buyers ask “best billable hours tracking tool for client-services agencies” (88.9% of those answers) | 34.7% 95% CI 24.8–46.2% 25 mentions · avg pos 7.9 first pick 8% | — | GROK 75%GEMINI 31.3%CHATGPT 50%CLAUDE 25%PERPLEXITY 12.5% | Claim |
| 7 | paymoapp.com Best for: AI recommends Paymo most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (88.9% of those answers) | 31.9% 95% CI 22.3–43.4% 23 mentions · avg pos 7.6 first pick 0% | — | GROK 75%GEMINI 75%CHATGPT 6.3%CLAUDE 12.5%PERPLEXITY 12.5% | Claim |
| 8 | myhours.com Best for: AI recommends My Hours most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (88.9% of those answers) | 30.6% 95% CI 21.1–42% 22 mentions · avg pos 5.8 first pick 13.6% | — | GROK 37.5%GEMINI 62.5%CHATGPT 6.3%CLAUDE 18.8%PERPLEXITY 31.3% | Claim |
| 9 | tmetric.com Best for: AI recommends TMetric most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (66.7% of those answers) | 29.2% 95% CI 19.9–40.5% 21 mentions · avg pos 5.6 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 75%CHATGPT 6.3%CLAUDE 31.3%PERPLEXITY 18.8% | Claim |
| 10 | clickup.com Best for: AI recommends ClickUp most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (55.6% of those answers) | 29.2% 95% CI 19.9–40.5% 21 mentions · avg pos 7.7 first pick 4.8% | — | GROK 50%GEMINI 43.8%CHATGPT 43.8%CLAUDE 6.3%PERPLEXITY 12.5% | Claim |
| 11 | timely.com Best for: AI recommends Timely most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (88.9% of those answers) | 27.8% 95% CI 18.8–39% 20 mentions · avg pos 9.9 first pick 0% | — | GROK 62.5%GEMINI 37.5%CHATGPT 12.5%CLAUDE 12.5%PERPLEXITY 31.3% | Claim |
| 12 | teamwork.com Best for: AI recommends Teamwork most when buyers ask “what time tracking tool should an agency use to tie hours directly to client invoices” (88.9% of those answers) | 23.6% 95% CI 15.3–34.6% 17 mentions · avg pos 7.2 first pick 0% | — | GROK 50%GEMINI 31.3%CHATGPT 31.3%CLAUDE 6.3%PERPLEXITY 12.5% | Claim |
| 13 | Jira Best for: AI recommends Jira most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (44.4% of those answers) | 23.6% 95% CI 15.3–34.6% 17 mentions · avg pos 7.5 first pick 5.9% | — | GROK 87.5%GEMINI 18.8%CHATGPT 31.3%CLAUDE 6.3%PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 14 | quickbooks.intuit.com Best for: AI recommends QuickBooks most when buyers ask “what time tracking tool should an agency use to tie hours directly to client invoices” (55.6% of those answers) | 22.2% 95% CI 14.2–33.1% 16 mentions · avg pos 6.4 first pick 12.5% | — | GROK 62.5%GEMINI 31.3%CHATGPT 25%CLAUDE 12.5% | Claim |
| 15 | trello.com Best for: AI recommends Trello most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (33.3% of those answers) | 19.4% 95% CI 12–30% 14 mentions · avg pos 6.2 first pick 14.3% | — | GROK 37.5%GEMINI 43.8%CHATGPT 6.3%CLAUDE 6.3%PERPLEXITY 12.5% | Claim |
| 16 | scoro.com Best for: AI recommends Scoro most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (33.3% of those answers) | 16.7% 95% CI 9.8–26.9% 12 mentions · avg pos 11 first pick 8.3% | — | GROK 37.5%GEMINI 31.3%CHATGPT 6.3%CLAUDE 18.8% | Claim |
| 17 | xero.com Best for: AI recommends Xero most when buyers ask “what time tracking tool should an agency use to tie hours directly to client invoices” (44.4% of those answers) | 13.9% 95% CI 7.7–23.7% 10 mentions · avg pos 7.6 first pick 10% | — | GROK 62.5%GEMINI 18.8%CHATGPT 6.3%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 18 | TimeCamp Best for: AI recommends TimeCamp most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (55.6% of those answers) | 12.5% 95% CI 6.7–22.1% 9 mentions · avg pos 6.4 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 25%CHATGPT 6.3%CLAUDE 12.5%PERPLEXITY 12.5% | Claim |
| 19 | hubstaff.com Best for: AI recommends Hubstaff most when buyers ask “how do I track billable vs non-billable hours across multiple client projects in an agency” (55.6% of those answers) | 11.1% 95% CI 5.7–20.4% 8 mentions · avg pos 5.9 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5%GEMINI 12.5%CHATGPT 6.3%CLAUDE 18.8%PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 20 | rize.io Best for: AI recommends Rize most when buyers ask “best billable hours tracking tool for client-services agencies” (44.4% of those answers) | 9.7% 95% CI 4.8–18.7% 7 mentions · avg pos 7.5 first pick 0% | — | GROK 25%GEMINI 18.8%CLAUDE 6.3%PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 21 | agiled.app Best for: AI recommends Agiled most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (66.7% of those answers) | 8.3% 95% CI 3.9–17% 6 mentions · avg pos 3.2 first pick 0% | — | GROK 25%CHATGPT 6.3%PERPLEXITY 18.8% | Claim |
| 22 | workamajig.com Best for: AI recommends Workamajig most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (55.6% of those answers) | 8.3% 95% CI 3.9–17% 6 mentions · avg pos 7.8 first pick 16.7% | — | GROK 37.5%GEMINI 6.3%CLAUDE 12.5% | Claim |
| 23 | manyrequests.com Best for: AI recommends ManyRequests most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (55.6% of those answers) | 8.3% 95% CI 3.9–17% 6 mentions · avg pos 10.4 first pick 16.7% | — | GEMINI 31.3%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 24 | stripe.com Best for: AI recommends Stripe most when buyers ask “what time tracking tool should an agency use to tie hours directly to client invoices” (33.3% of those answers) | 6.9% 95% CI 3–15.2% 5 mentions · avg pos 2.8 first pick 20% | — | GROK 37.5%GEMINI 6.3%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 25 | memtime.com Best for: AI recommends MemTime most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (66.7% of those answers) | 6.9% 95% CI 3–15.2% 5 mentions · avg pos 5 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5%GEMINI 12.5%CHATGPT 6.3%PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 26 | activecollab.com Best for: AI recommends ActiveCollab most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (33.3% of those answers) | 6.9% 95% CI 3–15.2% 5 mentions · avg pos 5.6 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 31.3% | Claim |
| 27 | wrike.com Best for: AI recommends Wrike most when buyers ask “best time tracking software for marketing or creative agencies” (33.3% of those answers) | 6.9% 95% CI 3–15.2% 5 mentions · avg pos 7.5 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 25%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 28 | paypal.com Best for: AI recommends PayPal most when buyers ask “what time tracking tool should an agency use to tie hours directly to client invoices” (33.3% of those answers) | 5.6% 95% CI 2.2–13.4% 4 mentions · avg pos 1.7 first pick 25% | — | GROK 25%GEMINI 6.3%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 29 | trackingtime.co Best for: AI recommends TrackingTime most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (44.4% of those answers) | 5.6% 95% CI 2.2–13.4% 4 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5%CHATGPT 12.5%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 30 | freshbooks.com Best for: AI recommends FreshBooks most when buyers ask “what time tracking tool should an agency use to tie hours directly to client invoices” (33.3% of those answers) | 5.6% 95% CI 2.2–13.4% 4 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GROK 25%GEMINI 6.3%PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 31 | rocketlane.com Best for: AI recommends Rocketlane most when buyers ask “best billable hours tracking tool for client-services agencies” (44.4% of those answers) | 5.6% 95% CI 2.2–13.4% 4 mentions · avg pos 10.8 first pick 25% | — | GROK 25%CHATGPT 12.5% | Claim |
| 32 | Kantata | 5.6% 95% CI 2.2–13.4% 4 mentions · avg pos 14 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5%CHATGPT 12.5%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 33 | bigtime.net | 5.6% 95% CI 2.2–13.4% 4 mentions · avg pos 18.7 first pick 0% | — | GROK 25%CLAUDE 12.5% | Claim |
| 34 | monday.com | 4.2% 95% CI 1.4–11.5% 3 mentions · avg pos 3 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 18.8% | Claim |
| 35 | nifty.com | 4.2% 95% CI 1.4–11.5% 3 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 18.8% | Claim |
| 36 | agencypro.app | 4.2% 95% CI 1.4–11.5% 3 mentions · avg pos 11.7 first pick 0% | — | GROK 37.5% | Claim |
| 37 | EARLY | 4.2% 95% CI 1.4–11.5% 3 mentions · avg pos 12.7 first pick 0% | — | GROK 25%GEMINI 6.3% | Claim |
| 38 | hivedesk.com | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 1 first pick 50% | — | GROK 12.5%PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 39 | plutio.com Best for: AI recommends Plutio most when buyers ask “what time tracking tool should an agency use to tie hours directly to client invoices” (44.4% of those answers) | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 2.5 first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 12.5% | Claim |
| 40 | gettimen.com | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 3.5 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 41 | Timenotes | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 5 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 12.5% | Claim |
| 42 | apploye.com Best for: AI recommends Apploye most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (33.3% of those answers) | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 6 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 6.3%CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 43 | worklenz.com | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 6 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 12.5% | Claim |
| 44 | desklog.io Best for: AI recommends Desklog most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (44.4% of those answers) | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 8 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 12.5% | Claim |
| 45 | rescuetime.com | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 8 first pick 0% | — | GROK 25% | Claim |
| 46 | slack.com | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 13 first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 6.3%PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 47 | atlassian.com | 2.8% 95% CI 0.8–9.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 21.5 first pick 0% | — | GROK 25% | Claim |
| 48 | useworktivity.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 1 first pick 100% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 49 | swydo.com Best for: AI recommends Swydo most when buyers ask “what time tracking tool should an agency use to tie hours directly to client invoices” (66.7% of those answers) | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 50 | techradar.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 6.3% | Claim |
| 51 | float.com Best for: AI recommends Float most when buyers ask “agency-focused time tracking tools vs general time trackers — what extra features matter” (33.3% of those answers) | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 5 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 6.3% | Claim |
| 52 | agencyhandy.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 7 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 6.3% | Claim |
| 53 | clientary.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 8 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 54 | jobbers.io | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 55 | accelo.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 10 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 56 | timedoctor.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 10 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 57 | buddypunch.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 11 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 6.3% | Claim |
| 58 | clicktime.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 11 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 59 | kimai.org | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 11 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 60 | Monday.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 11 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 61 | openalternative.co | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 12 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 62 | tickspot.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 15 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 6.3% | Claim |
| 63 | actitime.com Best for: AI recommends actiTIME Self-Hosted most when buyers ask “best billable hours tracking tool for client-services agencies” (33.3% of those answers) | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 19 first pick 0% | — | GROK 12.5% | Claim |
| 64 | mavenlink.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions · avg pos 27 first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 65 | Clients & Profits | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 66 | Simple Timesheet | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 6.3% | Claim |
| 67 | tsheets.com | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 68 | timesheet.io | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
| 69 | zapier.com Best for: AI recommends Zapier AI most when buyers ask “alternatives to the dominant agency time tracking tools that are cheaper or simpler” (33.3% of those answers) | 1.4% 95% CI 0.2–7.5% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 6.3% | Claim |
Reading the numbers: Share is a point estimate on 72 sampled answers, so each row also shows its 95% CI — the Wilson score interval around that share. When two products' intervals overlap, the gap between them isn't statistically meaningful at this sample size. First pick is the share of a product's recommending answers where it was named first, which separates “always mentioned” from “usually the top recommendation”. Full methodology.
Independence: Orbator customers are badged for disclosure. Customer status does not affect prompts, sampling, extraction, or ranking — see the methodology. Your product on this list? Claim it to see the prompts behind your rank and track it weekly.
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Head-to-head pages for products ranked in Time tracking for agencies. Each one sets out sourced facts side by side, plus which product AI assistants recommend more, engine by engine.
Every number on this page is measured from sampled answers, and those answers are kept. The archive holds dated excerpts of what each engine answered, never full answers. Read the answer archive for time tracking for agencies to see the excerpts by date and engine, or view the ranking history to see what entered and left this ranking and when.
Across 72 sampled AI answers from 5 engines (Aug 20, 2026 to Sep 17, 2026), Harvest is recommended most often for time tracking for agencies, appearing in 69.4% of recommendations, followed by Toggl (68.1%). This is a measurement of what AI assistants recommend, not an editorial verdict.
ChatGPT recommends Harvest most often for time tracking for agencies. It appears as a recommendation in 75% of ChatGPT's sampled answers in this window (Aug 20, 2026 to Sep 17, 2026). Other engines answer differently. The per-engine breakdown in the ranking shows each one.
Orbator samples AI answers to buyer questions across 5 engines and counts how often each product is recommended. No product pays for placement. The time tracking for agencies ranking is based on 72 answers in the current 4-week window (Aug 20, 2026 to Sep 17, 2026). Full methodology is published at https://www.orbator.io/ai-index/methodology.
Verified facts for the most-recommended products — each sourced and dated. No editorial scoring, just the data side by side.
| Harvestgetharvest.com | Teamworkteamwork.com | QuickBooksquickbooks.intuit.com | Trellotrello.com | Xeroxero.com | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Teams: $9 a month, $108 a year (free tier available) ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Free ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Simple Start: $19 a month ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Standard: $5 a month (free tier available) ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Established: $9 a month ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
| Features | Time tracking ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Automations ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Automated bookkeeping ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Custom Fields ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Send invoices and quotes ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
| Platforms | Web ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | API ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Mobile app ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Web ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | — |
| Integrations | Deel ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Xero ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Mailchimp ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Microsoft Teams ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Gusto ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
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