Consultant Time & Billing

Part of the worlds-biggest-software-project initiative.

An AI-native, open-source time tracking and billing platform that helps independent consultants and small consulting firms capture every billable hour, manage complex rate structures, and get paid faster.

Consultant Time & Billing replaces the fragmented stack of proprietary SaaS tools that consultants currently cobble together for time tracking, expense reporting, and invoicing. It is built for independent consultants, boutique firms, and small agencies who need accurate time capture across clients and projects, flexible rate management, and professional invoices that convert tracked work into revenue with minimal friction.

Why Consultant Time & Billing?

Every incumbent is proprietary SaaS with no open-source alternative. Harvest, FreshBooks, Toggl Track, and Ruddr are all closed-source commercial platforms. Consultants have zero visibility into how their billing data is handled, no self-hosting option, and no way to extend the software to fit their workflow.
Pricing escalates quickly for small teams. FreshBooks multi-user pricing ramps steeply beyond sole traders; Harvest charges per seat with no volume discount for small firms. An open-source solution eliminates per-seat licensing costs entirely.
No single tool covers the full workflow. Toggl Track has no invoicing or expense tracking. Harvest lacks timesheet approval workflows. Ruddr has no expense management. FreshBooks has weak utilisation reporting. Consultants are forced to stitch multiple tools together.
Under-billing is a systemic problem. Most tools rely on manual time entry, and consultants routinely forget to log work performed in meetings, email, code reviews, and on-site visits. AI-assisted time capture from calendar events, commits, and application activity can close this revenue leak.
Accounting integration is a constant pain point. Getting time and invoice data into QuickBooks or Xero without manual re-entry is a top buying criterion, yet most tools offer shallow, one-directional syncs that still require manual reconciliation.

Key Features

Time Tracking

Timer-based and manual time entry across web, desktop, mobile (iOS and Android), and browser extension
Offline-capable mobile apps for on-site work with unreliable connectivity
Calendar synchronisation and location-based capture for field work
Passive time detection from active applications and calendar events

Rate Management

Per-client, per-project, and per-task billing rates
Role-based rates for firms billing different seniority levels within a single project
Support for both hourly and fixed-fee engagements
Multi-currency invoicing with configurable exchange rate management

Expense Reporting

Receipt capture via mobile photo with OCR extraction
Mileage tracking, expense categories, and per-diem support
Billable vs. non-billable flagging per expense entry

Invoicing & Payments

One-click conversion of approved time entries and expenses into branded invoices
Customisable invoice templates with configurable payment terms
Online payment acceptance via Stripe (credit card and ACH)
Recurring invoice schedules for retainer-based engagements
Automated payment reminders on configurable schedules

Analytics & Reporting

Utilisation dashboard: billable vs. non-billable hours by consultant and team
Project budget tracking with visual progress indicators for hours and spend
Per-client profitability summaries and effective bill rate analysis
Realisable utilisation, write-up/write-down, and margin reporting
Exportable data for accountants via QuickBooks and Xero integration

Workflow & Approvals

Manager timesheet approval workflow gating invoice generation
Client portal for self-service invoice viewing, payment, and project status
Integrated proposal builder converting to active project on client acceptance

AI-Native Advantage

This project goes beyond what incumbents offer by using AI to address the consultants' most costly problem: under-billing. Automatic time entry suggestions derived from calendar events, Jira tickets, and GitHub commits reduce the manual effort of logging hours and catch work that would otherwise go unbilled. Anomaly detection flags implausible entries (such as 14 hours logged to a single task) before they reach the client. Invoice risk prediction identifies clients whose payment history suggests likely late payment, enabling consultants to adjust terms or follow up proactively. Weekly AI-generated utilisation coaching recommends concrete actions for improving billable hour capture.

Tech Stack & Deployment

The platform is designed for self-hosted deployment, giving consultants and firms full control over their billing data. Receipt OCR can be implemented using open-source libraries (Tesseract under Apache 2.0) or pluggable commercial APIs. Payment processing uses standard Stripe and PayPal APIs. Accounting integration targets QuickBooks Online and Xero with two-way invoice and expense sync. A REST API enables custom integrations with CRM, project management, and other workflow tools.

Market Context

The consultant time tracking and billing market is well established with high demand, served entirely by proprietary SaaS vendors. Incumbents range from free-tier tools (Toggl Track, Harvest single-user) through to platforms charging $15-50+ per user per month that scale quickly for small teams. Primary buyers are independent consultants, boutique consulting firms under 50 staff, and small agencies seeking to consolidate time capture, expense reporting, and invoicing without enterprise PSA complexity.

Project Status

This project is in the research and specification phase.
Contributions, feedback, and domain expertise are welcome.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from developers, domain experts, and potential users. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Important: All contributions must be your own original work or clearly attributed open-source material with a compatible licence. Copyright infringement and licence violations will not be tolerated and will result in immediate removal of the offending contribution. If you are unsure whether a piece of code, text, or other material is safe to contribute, open an issue and ask before submitting.

Licence

Licence to be determined. See discussion for context.