BigTime vs TimeWatch
A detailed comparison of BigTime and TimeWatch covering features, pricing, integrations, strengths, and weaknesses to help you choose the right tool.
Quick Overview
BigTime
Professional Services Automation
BigTime is a professional services automation platform offering unified time and expense tracking, flexible billing and invoicing, AI-driven resource management, and real-time dashboards. It is purpose-built for professional services firms including accounting, engineering, architecture, IT services, and consulting.
TimeWatch
Calendar-Based Time Tracking
TimeWatch is a calendar-first time tracking platform that reduces timesheet entry by converting Outlook, Teams, and Google Calendar appointments into timesheets automatically. With 30+ years in the market, it offers products spanning time tracking, billing, PSA, and resource scheduling with strong Microsoft ecosystem integration.
Feature Comparison
BigTime Features
Unified time and expense tracking
Flexible billing supporting time and materials, fixed fee, retainer, and blended rates
AI-driven Smart Staffing for resource management
Real-time dashboards and financial forecasting
Customizable standard and advanced reporting
Data Hub for BI integration with Power BI and Tableau
BigTime Wallet built-in payment processing
Project budgeting at company, project, or task level
TimeWatch Features
Calendar-to-timesheet conversion from Outlook, Teams, and Google Calendar
AI-powered automatic time tracking from calendar activity
OutlookTime turning Outlook into a full timesheet system
Outlook Optics for team activity views and capacity planning
Configurable charge rate management and multi-currency support
PSA suite combining scheduling, time recording, expenses, and billing
Resource scheduling for teams, projects, and equipment
Flexible deployment: public cloud, private cloud, or on-premises
Pricing Breakdown
BigTime
$20/user/month
Essentials: $20/user/month. Advanced: $35/user/month. Premier: $45/user/month. Projector: $60/user/month. All billed annually. 14-day free trial.
TimeWatch
$10/user/month
Essentials: $10/user/month. Pro: $15/user/month. Corporate and Enterprise: custom quotes. No free version. Free trial available.
Strengths & Weaknesses
BigTime
Strengths
Intuitive interface with high ease-of-use ratings
Excellent customer support rated 4.7/5 on Capterra
Strong QuickBooks integration
Comprehensive flexible billing supporting multiple project types
Robust reporting capabilities
SOC 2 Type 2 certified with bank-level encryption
Weaknesses
Mobile app is less polished and reliable than desktop
Steep learning curve for complex approval workflows
Occasional syncing issues between modules
Limited invoice formatting customization
Confusing terminology can cause implementation errors
Issue resolution for invoicing problems can be slow
TimeWatch
Strengths
Deep native integration with Outlook, Teams, and Google Calendar
Highly configurable while maintaining upgrade compatibility
Saves employees 1-3 hours per week on timesheet entry
Strong security: ISO 9001, ISO 27001, SOC2 certified
30+ years of market presence and maturity
No training required due to intuitive design
Weaknesses
Reported bugginess by some users
Very small market share of 0.01-0.02% in tracking categories
Limited number of independent third-party reviews
Some users raised security and access control concerns
Calendar-dependent approach may not capture non-calendar work
Integrations
BigTime (10 integrations)
TimeWatch (8 integrations)
Target Market
BigTime
Professional services firms: accounting, engineering, architecture, IT services, consulting, government contractors. 5 to 500+ employees.
TimeWatch
Professional services firms (law, consulting, accounting, engineering). Organizations using Microsoft Outlook, Teams, or Google Calendar.
The Verdict
Both BigTime and TimeWatch are solid time tracking tools, but they serve different needs.
BigTime (Professional Services Automation) is best suited for professional services firms: accounting, engineering, architecture, it services, consulting, government contractors. 5 to 500+ employees.. It starts at $20/user/month and offers 8 key features.
TimeWatch (Calendar-Based Time Tracking) is best suited for professional services firms (law, consulting, accounting, engineering). organizations using microsoft outlook, teams, or google calendar.. It starts at $10/user/month and offers 8 key features.
If neither tool quite fits your needs, consider comparing BigTime with TimeSentry or comparing TimeWatch with TimeSentry. TimeSentry offers AI-powered time capture from 20+ integrations, built-in invoicing, multi-company workflows, and dedicated onboarding support.
The TimeSentry Guarantee
Free 7-day trial with full access to every feature. No credit card required.
White-glove onboarding so your team is set up correctly from day one.
AI that learns your patterns and gets more accurate the longer you use it.
Cancel anytime with no contracts, no lock-in, and no hidden fees.
Dedicated support from real humans who respond within hours, not days.
Need something better than both?
TimeSentry combines the best of AI-powered time tracking with built-in invoicing, multi-company workflows, and 20+ integrations. Try it free and see for yourself.