Accelo vs BigTime
Both are professional services automation platforms aimed at firms that bill their time. They diverge on which end of the process they were built around: Accelo starts at the client relationship, BigTime starts at the invoice.
Short answer
Accelo (from $24/user/month) is strongest when the whole client lifecycle lives in one system: CRM, projects, tickets, retainers and invoicing. BigTime (quote-based, published plans from around $20/user/month) is strongest on billing mechanics — rates, WIP, resource planning and utilisation reporting. Accelo suits agencies selling retainers; BigTime suits firms billing complex time and materials.
Accelo vs BigTime: side by side
| Feature | Accelo | BigTime | LemTask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | From $24/user/month | Quote-based, around $20/user/month | $0 (free plan) |
| Free tier | None | None | Yes |
| Built-in CRM | Yes | Limited | No |
| Retainer tracking | Yes, with overage billing | Partial | No |
| Resource planning | Yes | Strong | Personal capacity meter |
| Invoicing and rates depth | Good | Strong | Billable time tracking only |
| Time to onboard | Two to four weeks | Weeks, with setup support | Minutes |
Pricing reflects each vendor's published plans at the time of writing. Check their site before buying — plans change.
Which should you pick?
Pick Accelo if
You sell retainers and want usage tracked against budget automatically, with the enquiry, the project and the invoice in one place.
From $24/user/month · None
Pick BigTime if
Your complexity is in rates, multi-level approvals, WIP and utilisation reporting, and you want resource planning to be the centre of the system.
Quote-based, published plans from around $20/user/month · None
Pick LemTask if
Your firm has the billing system it needs and the real problem is individual delivery. LemTask's free plan covers daily planning, time blocking, a focus timer with billable tracking and habits — alongside a PSA, not instead of one.
Free plan · no card
Try the free option before you pay for either
LemTask covers daily planning, time blocking, habits and a focus timer on a free plan — so you can test the workflow before committing to a subscription.
- Free forever plan, no card required
- Time blocking with Google Calendar sync
- Habits, streaks and XP for follow-through
- Import your existing lists in a couple of clicks
Frequently asked questions
- Is Accelo or BigTime better for a 75-person consulting firm?
- At that size the deciding factor is usually billing complexity. If revenue runs on retainers and you want CRM in the same system, Accelo fits. If rates, approvals, WIP and utilisation reporting are the hard part, BigTime fits.
- How much does Accelo cost compared with BigTime?
- Accelo publishes an entry point from $24 per user per month; BigTime is quote-based with published plans starting around $20. Both quote on modules and seat counts, so compare full quotes rather than headline prices.
- Does BigTime include a CRM?
- Its CRM capability is limited compared with Accelo's, which is one of the clearest functional differences between the two.
- Which is easier to implement?
- Neither is quick. Accelo typically needs two to four weeks before a team is productive, and BigTime implementations are usually run with vendor setup support.