time cockpit

Time cockpit is a combined project-time, work-time and billing system for consultancies, IT service providers and other project-led teams. It suits organizations that need budgets, billable services and staff attendance in one record; teams requiring formal timesheet approval should look elsewhere. Its strongest case is connecting operational time data directly to project control and invoicing.

Overview

Time cockpit links hours recorded against projects and tasks with planned effort, budgets and actual performance. Billable services can become invoice items, and invoices can be created from tracked work. That makes it more than an attendance clock: it is aimed at service businesses whose time entries must support both delivery management and client billing.

The same system records working hours, overtime, vacation and sick leave. However, timesheet approvals are not supported, so it is unsuitable where supervisors must formally sign off entries before billing or payroll.

Key features

Project control and billing

Teams can compare planned and actual effort, watch project budgets and assign time to detailed tasks. Billable hours flow into invoice items, keeping project monitoring and invoicing based on the same records. This is valuable for client-service organizations; companies wanting only a basic clock-in tool may find the project and billing scope unnecessary.

Work-time and activity tracking

Overtime, leave and sickness sit alongside project time. The optional Activity Tracker records applications used, files edited and breaks, but it requires installation of the Full Client. That can provide a fuller activity picture for organizations willing to deploy desktop software, while teams seeking approval workflows or lightweight monitoring should note the constraint.

Integrations, API and AI access

Listed integrations cover Jira, Azure DevOps, MS Project and SAP, with custom interfaces available. REST and OData endpoints support the Web API, and Power BI and Excel can connect directly to OData for reporting. An MCP server allows Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot and Cursor to use time cockpit functions within each user's permissions, extending the product into AI-assisted workflows without broadening those permissions.

Hosting and access controls

Data runs in Microsoft Azure data centers in Amsterdam and Dublin, with production databases using three-node clusters. The database service includes 35-day point-in-time recovery. Single sign-on works with Azure Active Directory or Okta, giving larger organizations established identity controls.

Pricing

A 30-day trial and a free plan are offered. The pricing page shows the following paid plans, all at the stated monthly amount:

All three plans include unlimited customers, projects, tasks and invoices. The meaningful differences are user capacity and service level: Freelancer is strictly single-user, Starter stops at 10 users, while Business charges per user but removes that ceiling.

Platforms

Time cockpit is available across web, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and API environments. It also supports payroll integrations. GPS tracking and screenshot capture are not provided, and mobile apps are not offered as a separate product capability.

Who it's for

Choose it for an IT service provider, consultancy or similar project business that bills by time and wants budget variance, attendance records and invoices connected. Its integrations and reporting endpoints suit teams already using Jira, Azure DevOps, MS Project, SAP, Power BI or Excel. Avoid it when manager approvals, GPS, screenshots or a simple attendance-only workflow are mandatory.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Project budgets, planned-versus-actual tracking and invoice creation share one time record.
• Pros: Work hours, overtime, leave and sickness cover broader workforce administration.
• Pros: OData, REST, named integrations, SSO and Azure hosting support established business systems.
• Cons: No timesheet approvals, limiting control-heavy billing processes.
• Cons: Activity logging requires the Full Client, adding deployment overhead.
• Cons: Freelancer and Starter impose one- and 10-user ceilings respectively.

Alternatives

Pick Jibble instead if you want a freemium service with a forever-free plan for unlimited users, two geofences and one work schedule, plus broad platform coverage.

TimeCamp is the better starting point when an unlimited-users, unlimited-projects free plan is the priority.

Choose Clockify for a free plan capped at five users and a low-cost Basic tier billed annually.

Harvest fits an individual freelancer wanting a forever-free account with one seat and two projects.

Consider Paymo when a free plan with one user, one client, two projects and 1 GB of storage matches your scale.

solidtime is an alternative with a self-hosted option and a Professional plan priced at €8 a month when billed annually, excluding VAT.

Pick TMetric for a free allowance of up to two seats and plans mentioning billable rates, expenses and project budgets.

todo.vu is another freemium option, with a Solo Free plan for one staff user, 1 GB storage and unlimited tasks, clients and projects.

See the Time Tracking Software and Employee Time Tracking Software directories for broader category choices.

Verdict

Time cockpit is a strong choice for project-based service companies that want time capture, budget control and invoicing joined to attendance records and business integrations. Choose it for that connected workflow and its reporting, identity and recovery capabilities. Look elsewhere if approval-driven timesheets, GPS or screenshots are central requirements, or if a very small team needs a genuinely free multi-user plan.