TLDR (Summary)
Clockify's free tier covers unlimited time tracking, but once those hours need to reach a payable invoice, a signed proposal, or a client portal, the rest of the workflow requires 3-5 separate subscriptions that don't share data. Plutio connects time tracking to invoicing, proposals, projects, and client portals in one workspace. Tracked hours flow into invoices with Stripe and PayPal collection, proposals include interactive pricing and e-signatures, and signed proposals create projects with Kanban boards and Gantt timelines. Clients check progress and pay from a branded portal at a custom domain. Plans start at $19/month with every feature unlocked.
Project management that goes beyond task lists
Clockify has basic project and task tracking, but it doesn't include task dependencies, Gantt timelines, milestones, or client visibility into project progress. Plutio's project management adds all four and connects them to proposals, invoicing, and client portals.
Clockify lets teams create projects and assign tasks, but there's no hierarchy between them. Tasks can't link in sequence, timelines don't show visually, and there are no milestone markers for client-facing deliverables. For internal time tracking, the basic task list works. But for managing client projects where deadlines shift, phases overlap, and deliverables need approval, the gaps start showing fast.
Plutio's project management starts with Kanban boards, Gantt timelines, task dependencies, and milestone tracking. Templates create entire project structures with one click, and task dependencies unlock work automatically as earlier phases finish. The workflow around each project matters just as much. Proposals define the scope, tracked hours feed the budget, and project status updates appear in the client portal automatically.
For freelancers running 5-15 active client projects, the connection between tasks, tracked time, and billing matters more than the task board itself. Clockify records hours, but Plutio takes those hours and turns them into invoices, budget reports, and client-visible progress.
In Plutio, when a task moves to complete, the hours logged against it are already waiting in the next invoice draft, and the client sees the update in their portal without a separate notification.
Invoicing that accepts payments, not just generates PDFs
Clockify added invoicing on the Standard plan ($5.49/seat/month), but invoices can't accept online payments. Clients receive a PDF and pay through bank transfer or a forwarded PayPal link. Plutio's invoicing collects payment through Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer directly from the invoice.
Clockify's invoicing pulls tracked hours into a document and sends it to the client. But when the invoice arrives, the client can't click a "Pay Now" button because Clockify has no payment processing. The community has requested Stripe integration since 2022, and Clockify hasn't committed to building it. So every invoice requires a follow-up: "Please pay via bank transfer to..." or "Here's my PayPal link." Chasing payments manually adds work to every billing cycle.
In Plutio, a billing period pulls every tracked hour, task description, and client rate into a ready-to-send invoice. Clients click a payment link and pay through Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer directly. Recurring invoices go out on schedule, and late payment reminders follow up automatically. Multi-currency support handles international clients without workarounds.
Clockify's Standard plan at $5.49/seat/month generates invoices that need manual payment collection. Adding FreshBooks for payment processing ($17-55/month) brings the total to $22-60/month across two tools that don't share data. Plutio handles time tracking and payable invoicing together from $19/month.
Plutio's invoicing accepts Stripe, PayPal, and bank transfer payments directly from the invoice, so clients pay with one click instead of following separate payment instructions.
Proposals and contracts that don't exist in Clockify
Clockify has no proposal builder and no contract management at any price tier. Scoping work and collecting signatures require separate tools like PandaDoc or DocuSign, then manual project creation in Clockify after the documents come back signed.
Scoping work typically happens in Google Docs or Canva, contracts go through DocuSign ($15-45/month) or PandaDoc ($19-49/month), and the project gets manually created in Clockify once everything comes back signed. The proposal doesn't link to the project, so the scope agreed in the document and the tasks listed in Clockify often drift apart as work progresses. And because there are no e-signatures in Clockify, every new engagement requires switching to a signing tool, waiting for the notification, and then starting the project setup by hand.
Plutio's proposal builder uses drag-and-drop sections with pricing tables where clients select service packages and optional add-ons. E-signatures are built into the document, so clients review, approve pricing, and sign in one step. When a client signs, Plutio creates the project with tasks, deadlines, and portal access based on the proposal scope. Contracts attach to proposals and projects, and the approved pricing feeds into the first invoice.
For freelancers sending 2-5 proposals a month, replacing PandaDoc + DocuSign + Clockify with one platform eliminates the manual handoff between signing and project kickoff.
Plutio replaces the Google Docs + DocuSign + Clockify workflow with one sequence where proposals, contracts, and project creation flow from one signed document.
Time tracking that feeds directly into invoices
Clockify tracks hours across desktop, mobile, and browser extensions, but tracked hours sit in reports until someone manually copies them into a separate invoicing tool. Plutio's time tracking lives inside every project and turns logged hours into payable invoices without data export.
The timer itself is reliable and works everywhere, and the reports break down hours by project, client, and task. The free plan covers unlimited users and unlimited hours. But tracked time only matters if those hours reach a payable invoice. In Clockify, hours get exported as CSV or manually entered into FreshBooks, QuickBooks, or Wave. The export can introduce rounding errors, missed entries, and extra cleanup at every billing cycle. For freelancers billing hourly across multiple clients, the gap between "time tracked" and "invoice sent" adds steps that shouldn't be there.
Plutio's time tracking lives inside every project with a timer that starts from any task. Billable hours stay separated from internal work, and at billing time, a date range converts tracked hours into invoice line items with task names, durations, and rates already filled in. Budget tracking shows which projects are on track and which have exceeded the estimate.
Both tools record time entries. But for freelancers who bill clients based on tracked hours, the connection between timer and invoice matters more than the timer itself.
Every billable hour tracked in Plutio feeds into an invoice with the task name, duration, and rate pre-filled, so billing cycles shrink from juggling two tools to a few clicks in one.
Client portals that replace status update emails
Clockify has no client-facing features at any tier. Project progress, file sharing, and invoice status all happen through email. Plutio's client portals give every client a branded login where progress, files, and invoices live in one place.
In Clockify, clients never see the workspace. When a client asks "how's my project going?", the freelancer pulls up Clockify's time report, copies relevant data into an email, and sends a summary. Invoices go out as PDF attachments, and files pass through Google Drive or Dropbox links. Every status update, every deliverable review, and every payment confirmation passes through email threads that get buried over time.
Plutio's client portals include a custom logo, color scheme, and domain from the base plan. Clients log in and see active projects, upcoming milestones, shared files, pending invoices, and messages in one view. Deliverable approvals happen inside the project, files upload directly to the relevant task, and invoice payments go through Stripe or PayPal from the portal.
When clients have a place to check progress on their own, the "any updates?" emails stop. The mid-week status calls become optional because the portal answers the questions that would normally trigger a phone call or email chain.
Clients log into a portal at a custom domain to check project status, download files, and pay invoices, so status-check emails stop without anyone having to send fewer.
With Plutio we don't jump between apps anymore! Everything from projects to invoicing is finally connected in one fully-branded app.
How to switch from Clockify to Plutio
Switching from Clockify means bringing 3-5 separate tools into one platform, not just replacing a time tracker.
- Start a free trial: Plutio's 14-day trial includes the payable invoicing, proposals, contracts, and client portals that Clockify doesn't offer at any tier. No credit card required.
- Import client contacts: Export client and project data from Clockify as CSV files. Names, emails, and project details carry over into Plutio during setup.
- Recreate active projects: Build project templates in Plutio that match Clockify's task structures, then add Gantt timelines, dependencies, and milestones that Clockify didn't offer.
- Send the next proposal from Plutio: When a new engagement starts, send the proposal with pricing and a contract attached. The signed proposal creates the project automatically.
- Cancel the extra tools first: PandaDoc, DocuSign, and FreshBooks subscriptions can end immediately since Plutio covers proposals, contracts, and invoicing. Clockify's free plan means the old account stays accessible for reference.
- Transition Clockify last: Since Clockify's free tier has no cost, keep it running for historical data while new time tracking happens in Plutio alongside invoicing and client work.
Clockify's free plan means there's no cancellation urgency. Historical time data stays in Clockify indefinitely while new client work runs through Plutio where tracked hours connect to invoices, proposals, and portals.
New client engagements start on Plutio with proposals, contracts, and branded portals, while old time records stay in Clockify's free tier for reference.
