Project management software for small business: clients, hours and invoices compared

What an owner-run business needs that a team tool may not have

Project management software for a small business has to do three things a plain task board does not: let clients see their project without a paid seat, record the hours you will bill, and ideally turn those hours into an invoice. Six tools cover some or all of that at small-business prices: Nifty, Teamwork.com, Freedcamp, ClickUp, Basecamp and Asana.

If your question is simply which tool is cheapest for an internal team, read project management software for small teams instead. This page looks only at client-facing work. Prices are the annual-billing US dollar rates on each vendor's pricing page, as read on 3 October 2026. Basecamp's flat prices are quoted as listed.

Client access, time tracking and invoicing in six tools

Two tools stand out for billing. Freedcamp puts invoicing, estimates and a CRM app on its Business plan. Teamwork.com lists client invoices from logged time and a QuickBooks connection on Accelerate. The other four track work and, in some cases, hours, but you would invoice from your accounting software.

Worked example: an owner, two staff and eight clients

Take a three-person business with eight active clients, each with one project, where the owner wants clients to see progress and wants hours logged.

• Nifty Pro: 3 members at $10 is $30 a month on annual billing, or $48 on monthly billing at $16. The guest allowance is 15, which covers eight clients. The plan allows 100 active projects.
• Teamwork.com Basics: 3 users at $9.99 is $29.97 a month, with billable time. Adding invoices means Accelerate at $74.97.
• Freedcamp Business: 3 users at $7.49 is $22.47 a month, with invoicing included and client collaborators free.
• ClickUp Unlimited: 3 users at $7 is $21 a month. Guest seats come to 9, enough for eight clients with one to spare.
• Basecamp: Freelancer at $25 fits 11 people but allows only 3 active projects, so eight client projects need Studio at $59, and neither tracks time.

Run the same sums for your own numbers with the plan cost worksheet.

Where Nifty fits an owner-run business, and where it falls short

Nifty suits a business that wants one place for client projects, milestones, discussions, documents and logged time. Its client page describes hiding internal tasks, conversations and milestones from clients, assigning tasks to clients, and exporting recorded time. Pro also includes file proofing and budget tracking. Full plan details are in our Nifty pricing page.

It falls short in two places. First, its pricing page lists no invoicing feature, so a business that wants quotes and invoices inside the project tool should pick Freedcamp Business or Teamwork.com Accelerate. Second, the free plan allows only 2 active projects and lists no guest allowance, so a client-facing business will need Pro from the start.

Choosing by how your business bills

• You bill by the hour and invoice elsewhere: Nifty Pro, Teamwork.com Basics or ClickUp Unlimited.
• You want invoices built from the project tool: Freedcamp Business for the lowest price, Teamwork.com Accelerate for accounting connections.
• You bill fixed fees and have many occasional client contacts: Basecamp Studio or Asana Starter, since neither charges for extra client users.
• You have fewer than three client projects at once: stay on what you have. Our guide to keeping your current tools covers when a new system is not worth it.