6 Best Free Management Systems for Consultants

Let’s kick things off with Jibble — the time and attendance software trusted by thousands of consultants.

Billing your clients accurately relies heavily on the ability to track your time with precision, and that’s where Jibble steps in. From project initiation to client meetings and beyond, Jibble’s intuitive interface allows you to easily track time that you spend on client tasks. All your time entries are synced straight to your Jibble account, providing you with a comprehensive overview of your billable hours at a glance.

Jibble doesn’t just help you track time, consider it your all-in-one consultant management system. You can use Jibble for scheduling, project tracking, leave management, and GPS tracking, which are especially helpful if you’re managing a consulting firm. It can also integrate with several project management and billing apps you already have in your tech stack so you can sync your data across platforms seamlessly.

Need insights on team activities? Just head straight to the Jibble Dashboard where you can get a real-time view of who’s in, who’s out, and what everybody’s working on.

Attendance and time reports can be generated as XLS, CSV, or straight to your payroll and invoicing tool of choice, making the invoicing process seamless and efficient. You can also set custom billable rates for each client to ensure accurate invoicing and transparency in your billing process.

Whether you’re working solo or managing a team of consultants, Jibble offers the flexibility and functionality you need to stay organized and productive.

Trello is more than just a project management tool; it’s a productivity powerhouse for consultants. With its simple, flexible, and powerful interface, Trello makes it easy to keep track of tasks, collaborate with team members, and stay organized.

At the heart of Trello are boards, lists, and cards, which provide a clear view of who’s doing what and what needs to get done. Boards help to keep tasks organized, while lists represent different stages of a task, from “To Do” to “Done.” Cards, on the other hand, represent tasks and ideas and hold all the necessary information to complete the job.

And the best part? It’s as simple as drag and drop. Tasks, deadlines, attachments – they all find their place on the cards. All in all, Trello brings order to your consulting struggles, making sure no detail goes unnoticed or unattended.

Asana is your partner in collaborative success. Being a consultant means teamwork, and Asana’s got the memo. Imagine seamlessly working with a client team, delegating tasks, and keeping everyone on the same page. That’s what it’s like to have Asana. It’s like having a digital office designed to bring us all closer.

Asana’s project layout allows you to delegate tasks, set priorities, and engage in real-time discussions. Notifications keep everyone in the loop, ensuring deadlines are met with finesse. With Asana, you can say goodbye to scattered emails and welcome streamlined collaboration.

Clockify is a versatile time tracking tool designed to help you and your team track billable time easily. With Clockify, you can easily track time using an online timer or manually enter worked hours. Additionally, Clockify allows you to monitor budgets by setting time estimates or fixed monetary budgets on client projects, enabling you to compare them against your hourly rates and tracked time.

You can also calculate costs by setting billable rates and labor cost rates, allowing you to compare what you pay your team versus what you charge your clients. Furthermore, Clockify enables you to invoice work by creating and sending invoices to clients based on tracked billable time and expenses, streamlining your invoicing process and ensuring accurate billing.

HubSpot CRM is your digital companion for client relationship management. Consultants thrive on connections, and HubSpot’s user-friendly interface empowers you to nurture leads, track interactions, and cultivate lasting relationships.

With HubSpot CRM, you can input details effortlessly, and as emails and calls flow, interactions are tracked like magic. It’s not just about data; it’s also about building tailor-made consulting experiences. HubSpot CRM is the key to turning connections into thriving partnerships.

Consultants understand that time is a valuable resource, and Toggl ensures it’s invested wisely. Toggl Track simplifies time tracking for consultants, offering seamless billing, precise project budgeting, and resource management.

You can easily capture billable minutes across your team, ensuring accurate client invoices with down-to-the-minute accountability. Monitor project budgets and performance in real-time, adjusting resources as needed to meet revenue goals and prevent burnout.

With Toggl Track, you can also streamline budgeting, project scoping, and resource allocation based on data-driven insights, enabling sustainable growth. Set project time estimates and receive automated alerts to stay on track, while conducting time audits to ensure accurate tracking.