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Clockify's free plan supports unlimited users. Harvest charges $14 USD per seat per month. Toggl Track sits at $9 USD per user. For a five-person NZ business, that gap works out to $0 versus $1,155 NZD per year. That's the decision you're actually making.
Time tracking software tends to get sold as a productivity play, but the real value for NZ small businesses is simpler: accurate client billing and clean data for IRD. If you're billing by the hour, you need a record that holds up. If you've got staff, you need timesheets that don't require a reminder every Friday.
Here's what's worth your time in 2026.
Clockify: The Free Option That's Actually Good
Clockify's free plan gives you unlimited users, unlimited projects, and unlimited time tracking. No credit card. No user cap. For a small NZ team that just needs to log hours and run basic reports, this covers most of what you need. (Source: actitime.com/software-collections/clockify-pricing)
The paid tiers add things like invoicing, time rounding, approval workflows, and team scheduling. The Basic plan is $3.99 USD per user per month (billed annually), which comes to roughly $6.60 NZD. Standard runs $5.49 USD per user monthly, Pro is $7.99 USD, and Enterprise is $11.99 USD.
For most NZ businesses under ten people, the free plan is enough to start. Upgrade when you hit a specific wall, not before.
Good for: Trades businesses, freelancers, small agencies, anyone who wants to try before paying anything.
Watch out for: Reporting on the free plan is basic. If you need detailed client-level billing reports, you'll want at least Standard.
Harvest: The Invoicing-First Option
Harvest combines time tracking with invoicing and client billing in one place. You can track time, generate an invoice from those hours, and accept payment via Stripe or PayPal without leaving the app. For service businesses that bill clients directly, that's a real workflow shortcut.
Pricing is $14 USD per seat per month billed monthly, or 9USDperseatonanannualplan(108 USD per seat per year). For five seats on annual billing, that's $45 USD per month, or about $74 NZD. (Source: checkthat.ai/brands/harvest/pricing)
The billing mechanics are worth understanding: Harvest charges per seat for everyone who logs time, including contractors. If you've got casual staff who occasionally track, they still count as seats.
Good for: Consultants, agencies, and tradespeople who bill hourly and want time tracking and invoicing in one tool.
Not right for: Teams who don't bill clients directly. The invoicing features are baked into the price whether you use them or not.
Toggl Track: Mid-Range With Good UX
Toggl Track is the easiest of the three to use. The timer interface is clean, the reports are clear, and the mobile apps work well. It integrates with most project management tools, including Asana, Trello, and Jira.
Pricing starts at $10 USD per user per month for the Starter plan, and $18 USD per user for Premium. The free plan covers up to five users with basic features. (Source: tekpon.com/software/toggl-track/pricing, capterra.com)
For five users on Starter, that's $50 USD per month, or about $82 NZD. Compared to Harvest at $45 USD per month for five users, Toggl Track is slightly more expensive without the built-in invoicing.
Where it earns its price: the time tracking is genuinely pleasant to use, which matters if you're trying to build a habit across a team. A tool people don't use is worth nothing.
Good for: Teams who want clean UX and already have a separate invoicing tool (like Xero).
Worth knowing: Toggl Track integrates directly with Xero, which most NZ businesses already use for accounting.
Xero's Built-In Time Tracking
If you're already on Xero, it's worth checking what's included. Xero offers basic project and time tracking through its Projects feature, which lets you log time against projects, set budgets, and invoice from tracked time. It's available on the Established plan ($85 NZD per month) and as an add-on on lower plans.
It's not as feature-rich as dedicated time tracking tools. You don't get the team scheduling or approval workflows that Clockify Pro offers. But if your main goal is billing clients for time and you're already in Xero, it removes one more login. (Source: xero.com/nz/small-businesses/freelancers/time-tracking-software)
Good for: Xero users who need basic time-to-invoice without adding another subscription.
Skip it if: You have more than five people tracking time or need detailed reporting by employee.
QuickBooks Time (Formerly TSheets)
QuickBooks Time is the right pick if your main concern is employee timesheets for payroll, not client billing. It's built around tracking staff hours for IRD-compliant payroll, with GPS tracking, shift scheduling, and overtime alerts.
Pricing in 2026: $20 USD base per month plus $8 USD per user per month. For five users, that's $60 USD per month, or about $99 NZD. More expensive than the others for a small team. (Source: shiftflow.app/blog/flat-rate-time-tracking-software)
Good for: NZ businesses with hourly staff in trades, hospitality, or retail, where IRD-compliant timesheets matter most.
Skip it if: You're billing clients by the hour. Harvest or Clockify are better fits.
The Direct Comparison
| Tool | Free plan | Monthly cost (5 users, annual) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clockify | Yes, unlimited users | 0to 33 NZD (paid) | Most NZ businesses starting out |
| Harvest | No | ~$74 NZD | Service businesses billing clients |
| Toggl Track | Yes, up to 5 users | ~$82 NZD | Teams who want clean UX |
| Xero Projects | Partial (with subscription) | Included in Established | Xero-first businesses |
| QuickBooks Time | No | ~$99 NZD | Staff timesheets and payroll |
Which One to Pick
If you're a freelancer or sole trader: start with Clockify's free plan. It handles everything you need. If you hit a wall with the reporting, upgrade to Standard ($5.49 USD per user monthly) before looking elsewhere.
If you bill clients by the hour with a small team: Harvest at $9 USD per seat per year is solid. The invoicing integration saves real time.
If you're already on Xero and want minimal friction: check Xero Projects first. It's not the best dedicated time tracker, but it's already in your stack.
If you have hourly staff and need IRD-ready timesheets: QuickBooks Time is purpose-built for this. The GPS and scheduling features are worth the extra cost for trades and hospitality.
Tip
All of these tools charge in USD. Budget for the NZD exchange rate. At roughly USD × 1.65, Harvest's $9 USD per seat becomes about $14.85 NZD per seat per month on annual billing. Not huge, but worth knowing before you sign up.
For most NZ small businesses, Clockify's free plan is the honest first step. It's genuinely useful, not a crippled trial. If you're billing clients hourly and want invoicing in the same tool, Harvest is the practical upgrade.