TLDR (Summary)
The best time tracking software for virtual assistants is Plutio ($19/month).
VAs juggle multiple clients with different billing arrangements: hourly rates, retainer packages, and project-based work. You need time tracking that captures hours by client and task, connects directly to invoicing, and shows clients exactly what they're paying for.
Plutio gives you one-click timers, task-based tracking, retainer hour management, and client-visible time reports. When you finish working, tracked hours convert to invoice line items without copying numbers between apps.
VAs who track time accurately bill 10-15% than those who estimate from memory. The quick emails, small requests, and context switches add up to hours that estimation misses.
For additional strategies, read our freelance time tracking guide.
What is time tracking software for virtual assistants?
Time tracking software for virtual assistants records the hours Spending on client work, organizes that time by client and task type, and connects tracked hours to your billing workflow.
The distinction matters: basic timers record hours, but VA-focused time tracking connects those hours to clients, projects, and invoices. When you track time in isolation, you still need to manually copy hours to invoices and remember which client to bill for what.
What VA time tracking actually does
Core functions include starting and stopping timers with one click, logging time manually when you forget to start a timer, categorizing entries by client and task type, generating reports that show how you spent your time, and connecting tracked hours to invoicing. Advanced platforms add retainer tracking where hours deduct from purchased blocks automatically.
Standalone timers vs integrated time tracking
Tools like Toggl Track and Clockify handle time tracking as an isolated function. You start a timer, add a description, and export hours later. The time data lives separate from your invoices, contracts, and client records. Integrated platforms like Plutio connect time tracking to your broader workflow. Tracked hours attach to specific clients and projects, retainer balances update automatically, and logged time flows directly to invoices without manual transfer.
What makes VA time tracking different
Virtual assistants face unique tracking challenges: you work across multiple clients daily, switch between task types constantly, and bill different clients different ways. One client pays hourly, another has a monthly retainer, a third hired you for a specific project. Without tracking that handles these variations, as much time goes to organizing your time records as you save by having them.
VAs also handle many small tasks that add up. Responding to a Slack message takes 3 minutes, checking an email takes 2 minutes, uploading a file takes 1 minute. These micro-tasks feel too small to track individually, but across a day they total 1-2 hours. Without easy tracking, this time goes unbilled.
When time tracking connects to client records and invoicing, the admin work of billing shrinks to almost nothing. You track time while working, and invoices generate from that tracked time automatically.
Why virtual assistants need time tracking software
VAs who work across multiple clients without time tracking lose money every month to hours they work but don't bill.
The problem compounds because VA work involves constant context switching. You check Client A's email, respond to Client B's Slack, update Client C's spreadsheet, then follow up to Client A. Without tracking, reconstructing who you worked for and how long becomes guesswork.
The unbilled hours problem
Research shows 10-15% of billable time goes untracked when VAs estimate from memory. For a VA billing 30 hours per week at $40/hour, that's $180-270 weekly in lost revenue. Over a year, the unbilled time adds up to $9,000-14,000 that you worked for but never collected.
The hours slip through in small increments. A 15-minute request here, a quick revision there. Each feels too minor to note, but they accumulate. By month-end, you've done significantly more work than your invoices reflect.
The retainer management problem
Many VAs work on retainer arrangements: clients purchase blocks of hours monthly. Without accurate tracking, you either under-deliver (client gets more hours than they paid for) or over-deliver (you work free hours). Both damage the relationship. Clients who unknowingly get extra work expect that level going forward. Clients who don't get their full hours feel shortchanged.
The client dispute problem
When clients question an invoice, you need documentation. "What did Spending 4 hours on last Tuesday?" Without time records, you're reconstructing from memory and calendar events. With tracked time, you pull up the entries: "Email management 1.5 hours, social media scheduling 1.5 hours, inbox organization 1 hour." Detailed records end disputes before they escalate.
The pricing blind spot
VAs who don't track time can't accurately price future work. You quote a project based on feeling, then discover it took twice as long as expected. Without historical data, every quote is a guess. With time records, It's easy to see exactly how long similar tasks took and can price accordingly.
Time tracking isn't just about billing accurately. The data helps you understand your work patterns, identify unprofitable clients, and make better pricing decisions. The hours Spending tracking pay back many times over.
Time tracking features virtual assistants need
The essential time tracking features for VAs handle the unique challenges of working across multiple clients with different billing arrangements while making tracking easy enough that you actually do it.
Core time tracking features
- One-click timer: Start tracking with a single click. The less friction, the more likely you'll track consistently. Desktop and mobile access both matter.
- Manual time entry: Add time after the fact when you forget to start a timer. Specify start time, end time, or just duration.
- Client assignment: Every time entry tags to a specific client. No more scrolling through undifferentiated hours trying to remember who that was for.
- Task categorization: Label entries by task type (email management, social media, research, admin). See where your time actually goes.
- Notes and descriptions: Add context to entries. "Formatted quarterly report" tells you (and the client) more than "admin work."
- Running timer visibility: See current timer status without switching apps. Helps prevent the "did I start the timer?" anxiety.
VA-specific features
- Retainer tracking: Set monthly hour allocations per client. Track remaining balance in real-time. Alert when approaching limits.
- Multiple billing rates: Different clients pay different rates. Different task types may have different rates. The tool should handle this without manual calculation.
- Time-to-invoice conversion: Select tracked entries and generate invoice line items directly. No copying hours between apps.
- Client-visible reports: Share time reports with clients showing exactly what you worked on. Builds trust and preempts questions.
Platform features that multiply value
- Project connection: Link time entries to specific projects. See time spent on individual client projects, not just total client hours.
- Invoice integration: Tracked time becomes invoice line items without export/import. The billing connection is the whole point.
- Reporting: Filter by client, date range, task type, project. Export for client reports or your own analysis.
- Mobile tracking: Track time from your phone. Essential for VAs who work from different locations.
The deciding factor is how tracked time becomes billed time. If generating invoices from time records takes 20 minutes of copying and formatting, you've negated the efficiency gains. Look for direct time-to-invoice flow.
Time tracking software pricing for virtual assistants
Time tracking software for VAs typically costs $0-20 per month, with the real cost depending on whether you need separate tools for invoicing and client management.
What VAs typically pay for time tracking tools
- Toggl Track: Free for basic tracking. Paid plans $10-20/user/month add team features, project tracking, and better reporting.
- Harvest: $12/user/month. Includes time tracking plus basic invoicing. No client portals or proposal features.
- Clockify: Free for unlimited tracking. Paid plans $4.99-12/user/month add invoicing, time off tracking, and GPS tracking.
- Hubstaff: $7-20/user/month. Focuses on employee monitoring with screenshots and activity tracking. Overkill for solo VAs.
Standalone time trackers are cheap or free, but you'll need additional tools for invoicing ($15-50/month), proposals ($20-40/month), and client communication (free to $30/month). The stack adds up.
Plutio pricing (February 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Unlimited time tracking plus proposals, contracts, invoicing, projects, and client portals. Everything a VA needs in one subscription.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, 30 contributors, advanced permissions, priority support.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, full white-label, single sign-on. For VA agencies with multiple team members.
The ROI calculation for VAs
- Captured hours: Accurate tracking captures 10-15% more billable time. At $40/hour and 30 weekly hours, that's $180-270/week recovered.
- Tool consolidation: Replacing time tracking + invoicing + proposals with one platform saves $30-80/month in subscriptions.
- Admin time: Direct time-to-invoice flow saves 2-4 hours monthly on billing admin.
Time tracking software ROI comes primarily from captured hours. If you're currently estimating, accurate tracking almost certainly adds more billable time per month than the software costs.
Why Plutio is the best time tracking for virtual assistants
Plutio handles time tracking as part of a complete platform where projects, invoicing, and client communication work together rather than as separate tools that need manual connection.
One-click timer from anywhere
Start tracking from your dashboard, from inside a project, from a specific task, or from the mobile app. The timer follows you across the platform. When you open a task, the timer context is already set. No navigating to a separate time tracking screen and re-entering client and project details.
Time entries attached to context
Every tracked hour knows which client it belongs to, which project it's part of, and optionally which specific task you were working on. When you review your time or generate reports, the context is already there. No retroactive sorting through hours trying to remember what you did for whom.
Retainer tracking with real-time balance
Set up retainer clients with their monthly hour allocation. As you track time, their balance updates automatically. Both you and the client can see remaining hours at any time. When hours run low, It's easy to decide whether to discuss renewal or stop work. No surprises on either side.
Direct time-to-invoice conversion
Select tracked entries, click to create an invoice, and the hours become line items with descriptions, durations, and rates already filled in. Make adjustments if needed, then send. The entire billing process takes minutes instead of the usual end-of-month scramble.
Client-visible time reports
Share time reports through client portals. Clients see what you worked on, how long it took, and the resulting charges. Transparency builds trust and reduces invoice questions. When clients can see the work behind the numbers, they're less likely to dispute charges.
Project budget tracking
For fixed-price projects, track time to monitor your margin. See how actual hours compare to your estimate. Identify projects that took longer than expected and adjust future pricing. The data turns guessing into informed decisions.
Task-level tracking
Track time against specific tasks within projects. See exactly where hours go, not just the total. Useful for understanding which activities take longer than expected and for detailed client reporting.
Mobile app for on-the-go tracking
Start and stop timers from your phone. Add manual entries when away from your computer. Check retainer balances and review recent time from anywhere. Full functionality, not a stripped-down mobile version.
Everything connects. Tracked time flows to invoices, invoices show in client portals, clients can see their retainer balance. Instead of managing time in one app and billing in another, you operate from a single platform where every piece knows about every other piece.
How to set up time tracking in Plutio
Setting up time tracking in Plutio takes 30-60 minutes, and you can start tracking immediately after basic configuration.
Step 1: Set your default rate (5 minutes)
Configure your default hourly rate. Your default rate applies to time entries unless you specify a different rate for specific clients or projects. You can set different rates later for different client types.
Step 2: Set up client-specific rates (15 minutes)
For clients who pay different rates, configure their specific hourly rate in their client record. Time tracked against that client uses their rate automatically. Common VA rate variations: regular clients vs rush work, basic admin vs specialized tasks.
Step 3: Configure retainer clients (10-20 minutes)
For clients on monthly retainers, set up their hour allocation. Plutio tracks remaining balance as you log time. Configure what happens when hours run out: stop tracking, notify you, or continue tracking for overage billing.
Step 4: Create task categories (10 minutes)
Set up the task types you commonly track: email management, calendar scheduling, social media, research, data entry, administrative. Categories let you see where your time goes and generate meaningful reports.
Step 5: Install mobile app and browser extension
Download the mobile app for tracking on the go. Install any browser extensions for quick timer access. Test starting and stopping timers from each platform to make sure everything syncs properly.
Step 6: Test the time-to-invoice flow
Track a few hours, then create an invoice from that time. Verify that entries convert correctly, rates apply properly, and descriptions carry over. Better to find issues with test data than with a real client invoice.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Not setting client rates upfront: Easier to configure rates during setup than to fix invoices later.
- Over-complicating categories: Start with 5-8 task types. Add more if you actually need finer detail.
- Forgetting mobile: Most VAs work from multiple locations. Mobile tracking matters.
Start simple and refine based on actual use. Track time for a week before improving your category structure. Real patterns reveal what organization you actually need.
Time tracking organization for virtual assistants
Organizing time tracking creates clarity for billing and helps you understand where your hours actually go.
Tracking by client
The most essential organization: every time entry tags to a client. Client tagging is non-negotiable for billing. When you pull time for invoicing, you filter by client to see only their hours. Most VAs track at least at this level.
- Active clients: Set up as projects or tagged entries. Track all work against their name.
- Internal time: Create a placeholder for non-billable work like admin, marketing, professional development.
- Prospect time: Track time spent on proposals and pitches. Useful data for understanding your sales time investment.
Tracking by project
Within each client, you may have multiple projects or engagement types. A social media client might have separate tracking for content creation, community management, and reporting. Project-level tracking shows where time goes within a client relationship.
- Ongoing projects: Monthly retainer work, regular recurring tasks
- One-time projects: Specific tasks with start and end dates
- Ad-hoc requests: Small tasks outside regular scope
Tracking by task type
Categories that match common VA work:
- Communication: Email management, Slack responses, client calls
- Administrative: Data entry, document organization, research
- Social media: Content scheduling, community management, analytics
- Scheduling: Calendar management, travel booking, meeting coordination
- Creative: Graphics, writing, presentation creation
- Technical: Website updates, tool management, troubleshooting
Proven methods for VA time tracking
- Track in real-time: Start the timer when you begin, stop when you finish. Reconstructing later loses accuracy.
- Add descriptions: Brief notes help you and the client understand what happened. "Email management" tells less than "Processed 47 inbox emails, flagged 3 for follow-up."
- Review weekly: Check your time log weekly for gaps or entries that need better descriptions.
- Share reports monthly: Even if clients don't ask, proactive reporting builds trust.
Consistent organization turns time data into business intelligence. You'll see which clients take more time than they pay for, which task types dominate your day, and where efficiency improvements would have the biggest impact.
Client portals for virtual assistants: time visibility
Client portals give your VA clients direct access to see how their hours are being spent, reducing "what are you working on" questions and building trust through transparency.
What clients see in their time portal
Configure exactly what time information clients can access: tracked entries with descriptions, time totals by period, remaining retainer balance, or time reports attached to invoices. Some VAs share everything; others share only totals and let invoices tell the story.
Why time visibility matters for VA relationships
The VA-client relationship often has a visibility gap. Clients hire you to handle work they don't want to think about, but they still want to know their money is well spent. Without visibility, questions build up: "What exactly did you do this week?" "Where did 15 hours go?" "Is this worth what I'm paying?"
Portal access answers these questions before they're asked. Clients check their portal, see time entries like "Processed 89 emails, scheduled 12 appointments, updated CRM with 23 new contacts," and understand the value. The work becomes visible even though they're not watching you do it.
Retainer balance visibility
For retainer clients, portal access to their hour balance prevents misunderstandings. They see "14 hours remaining out of 20" and know where they stand. When hours run low, the conversation about renewal or adjustment happens naturally. No surprise invoices for overage. No accusations of padding hours.
Time reports with invoices
Attach time reports to invoices so clients see the work behind the numbers. The invoice says "$2,400" and the attached report shows the 60 hours of tasks that earned it. Context reduces invoice questions and speeds up payment.
Configuring portal visibility
Control what clients see at the client level or globally:
- Full transparency: All time entries with descriptions visible in real-time
- Summary only: Total hours per period, no individual entry detail
- Invoice-attached: Time reports only when attached to invoices
- Retainer balance only: Just the remaining hours, not the detail
Different clients may warrant different settings. A micromanager might need full visibility to feel comfortable. A hands-off client might only want invoice summaries.
Time visibility transforms the VA relationship from "trust me, I worked" to "here's exactly what I did." Transparency builds the trust that long-term retainer relationships require.
How to migrate time tracking to Plutio
Migrating from another time tracker typically takes 1-2 hours of setup, with the best time to switch being at a natural billing cycle break like the start of a new month.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
Most time trackers provide CSV export for historical data. Here's what to export from common tools:
- Toggl Track: Detailed Report → Export as CSV. Includes dates, durations, descriptions, and project tags.
- Harvest: Reports → Export. Captures time entries with client and project associations.
- Clockify: Reports → Export → Detailed. Gets full entry history with all metadata.
Historical time data is mainly useful for reference. You don't need to import it into Plutio unless you want unified reporting across your transition period.
Step 2: Set up Plutio time tracking (30-45 minutes)
Configure your rates, set up client records, define task categories, and configure retainer balances for applicable clients. Use your old tool's data as reference for client rates and typical task categories.
Step 3: Decide on historical data
Three options for historical time records:
- Clean break: Start fresh in Plutio. Keep old tool data as archive for reference.
- Import recent: Import last 1-3 months for continuity. Older data stays in archive.
- Full import: Import all historical data if unified reporting matters to you.
Most VAs choose the clean break. Time tracking value comes from future data, and old entries rarely get referenced.
Step 4: Run parallel for one billing cycle
Track time in both systems for 1-2 weeks. Parallel tracking catches any configuration issues before you depend entirely on Plutio. Compare totals to verify tracking works as expected.
Step 5: Update client communication
If you share time reports with clients, notify them of the new format. If they have portal access, update their login instructions. The reports may look different, which is fine, but set expectations.
Step 6: Cancel old subscription
Once you've verified Plutio time tracking works correctly and completed at least one full billing cycle, cancel your previous tool. Keep exported data as archive if needed for historical reference.
Common migration pitfalls
- Migrating mid-invoice: Finish the current billing period in the old tool, start fresh in Plutio.
- Forgetting rate setup: Verify all client rates before tracking billable time.
- Skipping the parallel period: A week of double-tracking catches issues before they affect invoicing.
Time tracking migration is simpler than most tool switches because the valuable data is forward-looking. Set up properly, verify with parallel tracking, then move fully to the new tool.
