Paymo vs Teamwork pricing breakdown
Both tools use per-user pricing, which means your monthly cost grows with your team and shrinks when contractors leave. Getting the full feature set from either tool requires a paid plan, and Teamwork's minimum user counts raise the entry cost for small teams.
Paymo Pricing (2026)
- Free: $0/month. One user, up to 5 clients, 10 projects, 1GB storage. Good for solo testing, but the client and project limits make it impractical for active freelancers.
- Starter: $9.9/user/month. Unlimited clients and projects, time tracking, invoicing, Gantt charts. Most freelancers land here.
- Small Office: $15.9/user/month. Adds resource scheduling, time tracking reports by user, and project budgets.
- Business: $23.9/user/month. Adds advanced reporting, portfolio overview, priority support, and custom fields.
Teamwork Pricing (2026)
- Free: $0/month. Up to 5 users, 2 projects, 100MB storage. Too limited for real client work but useful for evaluation.
- Starter: $5.99/user/month (minimum 3 users, $17.97/month minimum). Task management, time tracking, basic reporting. No client portal at this tier.
- Deliver: $9.99/user/month. Adds client access, project templates, and more reporting. Teams that need a client portal typically land on this tier.
- Grow: $19.99/user/month. Adds resource management, workload planning, white-labeling, and advanced budgeting.
The real cost: what users actually pay
The sticker price only covers project management. Since neither tool handles the complete client workflow, most users add supplementary apps:
- Paymo users adding client portal: Copilot or Notion for client visibility ($0-25/month)
- Teamwork users adding invoicing: FreshBooks, Wave, or QuickBooks ($0-30/month)
- Both tools adding proposals and contracts: PandaDoc or Bonsai ($0-25/month)
A typical supplemented stack runs $60-110 per month. All-in-one platforms like Plutio start at $19/month with proposals, contracts, project management, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals included.
The verdict: Paymo has a lower entry cost for solo freelancers since there is no minimum user count. Teamwork's per-user rate is lower on Starter, but the 3-user minimum and the need for a separate invoicing tool raise the real cost for small teams.
Which tool is better for your business type?
The Paymo vs Teamwork choice comes down to what part of the client workflow matters most to you: Paymo goes deeper on billing, while Teamwork goes deeper on client-facing project visibility.
Freelancers billing hourly
Paymo fits hourly freelancers better. Time logs connect to invoices automatically, different billing rates work per project, and the Starter plan at $9.9/month covers the full time-to-invoice workflow. Teamwork tracks time but cannot invoice, so hourly freelancers using Teamwork still need a separate billing tool. If billing is the bottleneck, Paymo reduces friction.
Agencies managing multiple client projects
Teamwork fits agencies better. The portfolio view shows all client project statuses at once. Resource management on Grow plan shows who is over-allocated before deadlines slip. The client portal lets clients check progress without emailing the account manager. Paymo lacks a portfolio view and has no client portal, which creates gaps for agencies juggling 10 or 20 concurrent client accounts.
Retainer-based teams
Both tools handle retainers differently. Paymo includes recurring invoices that generate automatically on a schedule, which covers monthly retainer billing without manual work each cycle. Teamwork has no invoicing, so retainer billing requires a connected accounting tool. Neither tool has automatic charge capabilities, so clients need to pay each invoice rather than being charged automatically.
Small teams with mixed hourly and project work
Small teams that mix hourly consulting with fixed-price projects need both time tracking and invoicing in one place. Paymo handles this combination through its billing rate flexibility. Teamwork handles time tracking but sends hours to a spreadsheet or external tool at invoice time. Teams that split billing types often find Paymo's connected workflow reduces the manual steps per invoice cycle.
Brand-conscious agencies
Client-facing branding favors Teamwork on Grow plan, which includes white-label configuration. Paymo has no client portal to white-label. Teamwork's Grow plan lets clients access a portal on a custom domain rather than teamwork.com URLs. However, the white-label configuration is limited compared to platforms like Plutio where clients access a fully branded space at your own domain with custom colors, logo, and domain.
What both tools are missing
Paymo and Teamwork both cover the project execution phase. But once a project is scoped and the team is working, most users find three to five other apps open to handle the phases before and after project delivery.
No proposals or contracts
Neither tool has any pre-project client-agreement phase. Proposals need to be written and sent in a separate tool. Contracts need electronic signature through DocuSign, PandaDoc, or Bonsai. Signed agreements do not automatically create projects in either platform. The manual steps add up: every new client requires opening a separate tool to send the proposal, another to sign the contract, and then manually creating the project after the deal closes.
Client visibility gaps
Paymo has no client portal at all. Teamwork has a client portal on higher plans, but it shows project tasks and milestones rather than the full client relationship. Neither tool gives clients a place to access their proposal history, signed contracts, invoices, and project updates from one login. Platforms with full client portal coverage let clients find everything in one branded space.
Invoicing disconnects
Teamwork tracks time but cannot invoice. Paymo invoices but the invoice experience is basic. Neither tool connects the full sequence: proposal accepted, project started, hours tracked, invoice generated, payment collected, receipt issued. Each handoff between steps is either manual or requires a separate integration. The missing connection point costs roughly 20-40 minutes per invoice cycle for most freelancers.
No subscription billing
Neither Paymo nor Teamwork has automatic subscription charges. Retainer clients need to pay each invoice individually, which creates a monthly collection loop: send invoice, wait for payment, chase if late. Platforms with built-in subscription billing automate the charge and handle payment recovery, removing the monthly follow-up cycle entirely.
White-labeling is limited or absent
Paymo has no white-label capability since it has no client-facing portal. Teamwork's white-label option on Grow plan adjusts the portal appearance but requires the highest paid tier. Neither gives clients a space that shows only your brand with your domain. For agencies where the client experience is part of the service, relying on a software vendor's URL and interface undercuts the brand positioning.
What users do when neither tool is enough
When Paymo or Teamwork cannot handle the full workflow alone, users take one of two paths: assemble a multi-tool stack and absorb the overhead, or switch to a platform that covers the full client lifecycle in one place.
The typical workaround stack
- Paymo or Teamwork for project management and time tracking ($9.9-19.99/user/month)
- PandaDoc or Bonsai for proposals and contracts ($0-25/month)
- FreshBooks, Wave, or QuickBooks for invoicing and accounting ($0-30/month, Teamwork users only)
- Copilot or a client portal tool for client-facing updates ($0-25/month, Paymo users only)
- Slack or email for client communication (variable)
The result: three to five subscriptions totaling $50-130 per month, multiple logins, and data that has to move between tools at each project milestone.
The hidden cost: time spent on handoffs
The visible cost is the subscriptions. The hidden cost is the handoff time. When a contract signs in PandaDoc, someone has to manually create the project in Paymo or Teamwork. When the project closes in Teamwork, someone has to export time logs and create an invoice in FreshBooks. When the invoice pays, someone has to mark it settled in the accounting tool. Each handoff takes 10-20 minutes. Across 15 clients per year, that is 30-60 hours of manual work that software should handle automatically.
The one-platform alternative
All-in-one platforms handle the intake, project, and billing phases in one connected system. The trade-off is learning a new interface and migrating existing project data. For users already comfortable in Paymo or Teamwork, the switching cost is real. But for users spending several hours per week on manual handoffs between tools, the time savings from a unified platform typically recover that investment within the first month.
What one platform looks like in practice
If you are curious: Plutio is one platform that covers the complete workflow. Client inquiries flow into proposals and contracts. Signed contracts auto-create projects with Kanban boards and task templates. Time tracking happens at the task level and feeds directly into invoices. Clients access a branded portal at your domain, not the software vendor's. The comparison table below shows exactly where Plutio fills the gaps that Paymo and Teamwork leave open. The goal is not to push you toward Plutio specifically, but to show what a unified workflow can look like versus the multi-tool approach.
Final verdict: Paymo vs Teamwork
Paymo and Teamwork both handle project execution. The differences emerge in billing, client visibility, and team size fit.
Paymo trade-offs:
- Time tracking connects directly to invoicing, but Paymo has no client portal so client status checks happen through email
- Solo freelancers can use a free plan with no minimum user count, but per-user pricing on paid plans scales steeply as the team grows
- Invoicing and recurring billing are built in, but Paymo has no proposals or contracts, so pre-project agreements require a separate tool for every new client
- Gantt charts and task dependencies work on paid plans, but there is no portfolio view to see all client projects at once
The cost: Paymo has no client portal and no proposals or contracts. Every new client requires a separate tool for agreements before the project can start in Paymo.
Teamwork trade-offs:
- A client portal on Deliver and Grow plans lets clients check progress without emailing the account manager, but the portal requires a higher plan and runs on teamwork.com URLs by default
- Portfolio views and resource management cover multi-account agencies, but the minimum of 3 users on paid plans raises the floor cost for solo freelancers and tiny teams
- Time tracking categorizes billable hours, but Teamwork has no invoicing, so every billing cycle requires exporting hours to a separate tool
- White-labeling requires the Grow plan, at $19.99/user/month with a 3-user minimum, making it $59.97/month before invoicing tools are added
The cost: Teamwork has no invoicing at any plan level. Every billing cycle requires exporting time logs to a separate tool, which adds a manual step and an extra subscription.
Consider switching to one platform if:
- You currently open three or more tools to manage a single client from proposal to final invoice
- Manual data entry between project, time tracking, and invoicing tools is consuming several hours per week
- Your clients ask for status updates by email because there is no place for them to check on their own
- Your brand requires clients to see your domain, not your software vendor's URL
- You need proposals and contracts to automatically create projects when signed, with no manual setup in between
But know that: Switching means learning a new system and migrating existing client data. For most users, this takes a focused weekend. The ongoing time savings from connected workflows typically recover that effort within the first month.
The bottom line: Paymo connects time tracking to invoicing but has no client portal or proposals. Teamwork has a client portal and stronger multi-project management but has no invoicing. Both handle project execution, but both leave gaps at the pre-project and post-project phases. If your workflow spans multiple tools and the handoffs are costing you hours each week, the comparison table below shows how all-in-one platforms like Plutio stack up against both.
Research & Sources
This comparison is based on direct hands-on testing, official documentation review, and analysis of user feedback across major review platforms. All data was verified in March 2026.
Research methodology
Each tool was evaluated through active trial accounts, official feature documentation, and analysis of 400+ user reviews across G2, Capterra, and GetApp. The focus was on common pain points from 1-3 star reviews, where users share honest limitations rather than promotional feedback.
Platform ratings (March 2026)
- Paymo: 4.6/5 on G2 (600+ reviews), praised for time tracking and invoicing integration, criticized for limited client-facing features and steep per-user cost at scale
- Teamwork: 4.4/5 on G2 (1,000+ reviews), praised for client portal and project structure, criticized for minimum user counts, no invoicing, and complexity on lower plans
- Plutio: 4.6/5 on G2 (200+ reviews), praised for all-in-one coverage and white-labeling
Common user complaints (from 1-3 star reviews)
Paymo users frequently mention: "No client portal," "Per-user cost adds up with contractors," "Invoice templates are limited," "No way to send proposals through the platform"
Teamwork users frequently mention: "No invoicing built in," "Minimum user count is frustrating for small teams," "Client portal requires a higher plan," "Interface takes time to learn"
Pricing sources (verified March 2026)
- Paymo: Official pricing page
- Teamwork: Official pricing page
- Plutio: Official pricing page
Feature verification
If you find any inaccuracies or outdated information, please let us know so we can investigate and update.
