TLDR (Summary)
The best time tracking software for PR professionals is Plutio ($19/month).
PR professionals need time tracking that captures hours on campaigns, media outreach, and client retainers with activity categorization. Plutio integrates time tracking with project management, invoicing, and client portals.
PR professionals using time tracking understand true and price retainers to actually make money rather than guessing at time investment.
For additional strategies, read our freelance time tracking guide.
What is time tracking software for PR professionals?
Time tracking software for PR professionals captures hours spent on campaigns, media relations, and client communication with categorization by activity type and client account.
The distinction matters: basic timers record hours without context, while PR-focused time tracking connects hours to campaigns, categorizes by activity type, and links directly to invoicing for accurate billing.
What PR time tracking software actually does
Core functions include starting and stopping timers for active work, logging hours manually for past activities, categorizing time by activity type (media outreach, content creation, client calls), associating hours with specific clients and campaigns, converting tracked time to invoice line items, and generating reports showing time investment per client and activity. Advanced platforms connect time tracking to project budgets and retainer limits.
Standalone timers vs integrated platforms
Standalone tools like Toggl, Clockify, and Harvest record hours in isolation. You track time separately, then manually enter data into invoices and project management. Integrated platforms like Plutio connect time tracking to projects, clients, and invoicing. Tracked hours convert directly to billable items without retyping.
What makes PR time tracking different
PR work spans multiple activity types that need separate categorization: media outreach, content creation, client communication, strategy development, and reporting. Generic time trackers record hours but don't differentiate between these activities. PR-specific tracking reveals where time actually goes within each client relationship.
PR professionals also manage retainer relationships where understanding time investment matters for pricing. A retainer that consumes 60 hours monthly when priced for 40 loses money. Time tracking makes this visible before the relationship becomes unprofitable.
When time tracking connects to projects and invoicing, the data flows automatically. Tracked hours become billable items without manual copying, and campaign budgets update in real-time based on logged work.
Why PR professionals need time tracking software
PR professionals who price by retainer or project face a visibility problem: without tracking actual hours, they can't know whether accounts are profitable until it's too late to adjust.
The assumption that experience equals accurate estimates doesn't hold. Research shows professionals consistently underestimate time investment, especially on complex work with variable scope like PR campaigns.
The underestimation problem
According to research, professionals underestimate time spent on tasks by 30-40%. For PR professionals, that means a retainer priced for 30 hours monthly actually consumes 40+ hours. Multiply across multiple accounts, and the gap between expected and actual time investment grows significant.
The underestimation compounds because PR work includes many small activities that feel fast: quick client calls, email responses, brief content reviews. Each takes 10-15 minutes, but dozens accumulate into hours that never get captured or accounted for in pricing.
The retainer pricing problem
PR retainers typically specify scope but not hours. Clients expect responsive service, but that responsiveness has real time costs. Without tracking, you can't know whether a $5,000/month retainer requires 30 hours (effective rate $167/hour) or 50 hours (effective rate $100/hour).
Time tracking reveals which retainers make money and which need renegotiation. Some clients require minimal time for high fees; others consume disproportionate hours for what they pay. Data makes these patterns visible so you can address them proactively.
The activity mix problem
PR work includes high-value activities (strategy, media pitching) and lower-value activities (administrative tasks, scheduling). Without categorized tracking, you can't see how time splits between these. Discovering that 40% of hours go to admin rather than client-facing work changes how you structure retainers and set boundaries.
The scaling visibility problem
Managing 3 retainers, intuition works. Managing 8-12, patterns become invisible. Which clients are efficiently served versus which consume disproportionate time? Where does time go during busy periods? What activities take longer than expected? Time tracking data answers these questions objectively.
Time tracking transforms retainer management from guessing to knowing. Understand actual time investment per client, identify unprofitable accounts early, and price future retainers based on real data rather than optimistic estimates.
Time tracking features PR professionals need
Essential time tracking features for PR professionals combine easy capture, activity categorization, client association, and invoicing integration to make tracking easy and data useful.
Core time tracking features
- One-click timer: Start tracking instantly with a single click or keyboard shortcut. Running timers show in the interface so you don't forget to stop them.
- Manual entry: Log hours for work you forgot to track or activities where timers are impractical. Add past time entries with descriptions and categorization.
- Activity categories: Categorize time by activity type: media outreach, content creation, client communication, strategy, reporting, admin. See where hours actually go.
- Client/project association: Associate time entries with specific clients and campaigns. Track hours per account for retainer analysis.
- Time rounding: Round entries to standard increments (6 minutes, 15 minutes) for consistent billing. Apply rounding automatically or review before invoicing.
- Notes and descriptions: Add context to time entries describing what you worked on. Reference notes when creating invoices or discussing with clients.
PR-specific time tracking features
- Retainer tracking: Set monthly hour budgets per client. See current hours against limit. Get alerts before exceeding allocated time.
- Activity reports: Generate reports showing time by activity type across clients or within single accounts. Understand where hours actually go.
- Rate visibility: Calculate effective hourly rate per client (revenue divided by hours). Identify which accounts make money versus which underperform.
- Team tracking: Track time across team members per client. See total account investment beyond individual hours.
Platform features that multiply value
- Invoice integration: Convert tracked time to invoice line items directly. Select entries, click create invoice, and billing generates with descriptions and totals pre-populated.
- Project budgets: Set time budgets for campaigns. See actual hours against budget during work, not after.
- Mobile tracking: Log hours from phone for work away from desk. Capture time during client meetings, events, and travel.
- Calendar integration: Sync with calendar to suggest time entries based on scheduled meetings and events.
- Reporting exports: Export time data for client reports, internal analysis, or accounting. Custom date ranges and filtering.
- Automation: Set rules for automatic categorization or client association based on project context.
The deciding factor is integration depth. Time tracking that connects to invoicing and project management eliminates manual data transfer and makes tracked hours immediately specific for billing and analysis.
Time tracking software pricing for PR professionals
Time tracking software for PR professionals typically costs $5-20 per user monthly for standalone tools, with integrated platforms providing complete functionality including invoicing and project management at flat rates.
What PR professionals typically pay for time tracking
- Toggl Track: Free-$18/user/month. Popular time tracking with good interface but no invoicing or project management connection.
- Clockify: Free-$12/user/month. Generous free tier but limited reporting and no billing integration.
- Harvest: Free-$12/user/month. Time tracking with basic invoicing but no client portals or full project management.
- Hubstaff: $7-20/user/month. Time tracking with screenshots and activity monitoring, more suited to employee tracking than professional services.
Standalone time trackers record hours but require separate tools for invoicing, project management, and client communication. The tracked data doesn't flow to billing without manual transfer.
Plutio pricing (February 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Unlimited time tracking plus invoicing, proposals, contracts, projects, and client portals. Track hours and bill clients from one platform.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, team time tracking, advanced reporting for agency-level analysis.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, white-label with custom domain, enterprise features for larger agencies.
The ROI calculation for PR professionals
- Pricing accuracy: Understanding true time investment lets you price retainers that actually make money. One properly priced retainer justifies years of subscription.
- Account visibility: Identifying unprofitable accounts early lets you renegotiate or exit before significant losses accumulate.
- Billing accuracy: For hourly components, tracked time keeps you bill for all work performed rather than forgetting entries.
- Efficiency visibility: Seeing time by activity reveals where optimization is possible and where boundaries need setting.
Time tracking ROI comes through pricing accuracy and account visibility. Knowing actual time investment per client lets you make informed decisions about pricing, boundaries, and which relationships to prioritize.
Why Plutio is the best time tracking for PR professionals
Plutio handles time tracking as part of a connected platform where logged hours link to clients, campaigns, and invoicing rather than existing as isolated data in a separate tool.
Time-to-invoice conversion
Select tracked time entries and convert directly to invoice line items. Descriptions, hours, rates, and totals populate automatically. No retyping what you did or calculating totals manually. Billing reflects actual work performed with accurate descriptions from time entry notes.
Campaign-based tracking
Time entries associate with specific campaigns and clients. See total hours per account, per campaign, per activity type. Understand where time goes at whatever level of detail you need for pricing decisions and client conversations.
Retainer visibility
Set monthly hour allocations per client. See current hours against allocation in real-time. Get alerts before exceeding budgeted time. Understand which retainers run efficiently versus which consistently require more hours than pricing supports.
Activity categorization
Categorize time by activity type: media relations, content creation, client communication, strategy, reporting, admin. Generate reports showing time split across activities. Discover where hours actually go versus where you assume they go.
Team time tracking
Track time across team members per client account. See total team investment, not just individual hours. Understand full resource allocation for retainer pricing and capacity planning. Individual and combined views for different analysis needs.
Mobile tracking
iOS and Android apps for tracking time away from desk. Start timers during client meetings, log travel time, capture hours at events. Full functionality matches desktop so no work gets lost.
Client portal time visibility
Choose whether clients see tracked time in their portal. Some clients want transparency; others don't need to see internal hours. Configure visibility per client based on relationship and retainer structure.
Reporting and exports
Generate time reports by client, campaign, activity, team member, or date range. Export data for client reporting, internal analysis, or accounting sync. Filter and customize to get exactly the analysis you need.
Everything connects in one platform. Time tracking links to projects, flows to invoicing, and informs retainer analysis. No manual data transfer between separate tools, no forgetting to update one system when another changes.
How to set up time tracking in Plutio
Setting up time tracking in Plutio takes 30-60 minutes for initial configuration, then tracking happens with a single click as you work.
Step 1: Configure activity categories (15 mins)
Set up categories that match how you think about PR work:
- Media relations: Pitching, follow-up, journalist communication
- Content creation: Press releases, articles, social content
- Client communication: Calls, meetings, email correspondence
- Strategy: Planning, research, campaign development
- Reporting: Creating reports, analytics review
- Admin: Scheduling, invoicing, internal coordination
Step 2: Set up client retainer budgets (15 mins)
For each active retainer client, configure monthly hour allocation based on current pricing assumptions. Start with your estimate, and actual tracking will reveal whether estimates are accurate.
Step 3: Configure default rates (10 mins)
Set your standard hourly rate for time-to-invoice conversion. Configure different rates per client or project if you have varied pricing across accounts.
Step 4: Install mobile app (5 mins)
Download iOS or Android app for tracking time away from desk. Log in and test timer functionality. Mobile tracking captures hours during client meetings and travel.
Step 5: Build the habit (ongoing)
Start timers when beginning tasks. Stop when switching activities. Log manually for work you forgot to track. The first 2 weeks require conscious effort; after that, tracking becomes automatic.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Too many categories: Start with 5-7 activity types. Add more only if reporting needs require finer detail.
- Forgetting mobile: Install the app during setup. Mobile tracking captures significant hours that would otherwise go unlogged.
- Not tracking everything: Log all client work, including quick tasks and email. Small activities add up to significant hours.
Start simple with basic categories and client association. Refine configuration based on what reports you actually need after a month of real tracking data.
Time Tracking organization for pr-professionals
Organizing your time-tracking creates clarity and enables efficient client management.
Organization for pr-professionals
- Active clients: Currently engaged with ongoing work.
- Prospects: Initial conversations but not yet signed.
- Alumni: Completed work, candidates for re-engagement.
Proven methods
- Update records immediately after client interactions
- Use consistent naming conventions
- Tag by project type for pattern recognition
Organized time-tracking enables pattern recognition across your entire client base.
Client portals for pr-professionals: time-tracking connection
Client portals connect time-tracking data to client-facing access, creating smooth self-service.
Portal as client hub
Clients access their complete relationship through branded portals. Time Tracking data powers what clients see.
Self-service access
Clients find their own information without emailing you. Time Tracking organization enables client self-service without administrative burden.
Two-way visibility
Portal interactions feed back into time-tracking. Client activity adds to your understanding.
Portals make time-tracking client-facing. Internal organization translates to external experience.
How to migrate time tracking to Plutio
Migration from another time tracking tool typically takes 1-2 hours of setup, with the best timing at the start of a month for clean reporting periods.
Step 1: Export historical data
Export time records from your current tool for reference:
- Toggl: Export detailed reports as CSV from Reports section
- Clockify: Download time entries from Reports with custom date range
- Harvest: Export time data from Reports or use data export feature
Historical data serves as reference for pricing analysis. You don't need to import every past entry into Plutio.
Step 2: Configure Plutio time tracking (30 mins)
Set up activity categories, client accounts, and hour budgets. Use historical data to inform retainer budget estimates. Configure default rates for time-to-invoice conversion.
Step 3: Start fresh tracking
Begin tracking in Plutio at the start of a new period (month, quarter). Clean starting point makes reporting straightforward without partial-period data.
Step 4: Run parallel briefly (optional)
If historical continuity matters, run both systems for 2-4 weeks while building Plutio habits. Compare totals to make sure you're capturing time consistently.
Step 5: Retire old tool
Once comfortable with Plutio tracking, cancel previous subscription. Export final archives from old system for records.
What to migrate vs. leave behind
- Migrate: Client list, standard rates, activity categories concept
- Leave: Individual historical time entries, old report archives
Focus on building correct habits in the new system rather than perfectly recreating historical data. Going forward matters more than looking back.
