Costlocker vs FunctionFox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Costlocker grades higher than FunctionFox: 2.0 against 1.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Costlocker grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Costlocker
Time and cost tracking that shows profit per project for agencies
FunctionFox
Time tracking and project management for creative agencies
Which one is for you
Pick Costlocker if
- Fits if you run an agency and want project profit next to the hours
- Makes sense if you only pay for the people who actually log time
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $20 against $12 on a yearly plan
- Skip it if you are a freelancer, as one plan means no cheaper tier for light use
- Not for you if you need ready-made integrations, as only the API and Make.com are listed
- Watch out: it is aimed at agencies and may carry more than a small team needs
Pick FunctionFox if
- Fits if you run a small agency tracking budgets and hours together
- Makes sense if you want one tool for estimates and timesheets
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you work alone, as every plan needs at least 3 users
- Skip it if you want to try before buying, as no free plan or trial is listed
- Pricey if you need Gantt charts or availability reports, which need Premier at $16 a user
- Watch out: custom intake forms and the request portal only arrive on In-House at $36.75 a user
- Not for you if you need phone apps or integrations, as none are listed
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACostlockerFair | 1.4GPAFunctionFoxWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$12 per active user a month billed yearly, or $20 monthly. The dearest tenth of time tracking starts at $12. | D$10.50 per user a month billed yearly with a 3-user minimum, so at least $31.50 a month, and Gantt charts and to-dos need Premier at $16. |
| Free plan and trial | C30-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. | FThe pricing page mentions no free plan or free trial, only a demo booking. |
| Features | CTime, costs, expenses and budgets in one plan, but integrations are limited to the API and Make.com, per the listing. | CTimesheets, estimates, budgets and schedules, but Gantt charts, to-dos and availability reports need Premier and request forms need In-House. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Projects, clients and budgets have to be built before the profit view is any use. | CNo store rating on record. Clients, projects and budgets have to be set up before it is useful. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Mac, Windows and iPhone apps with an API; no Android app on record and only the API and Make.com for integrations. | CWeb only, with no integrations or mobile apps on record. |
| Best for | agency profitability with time tracking | timesheets and project budgets for agencies |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Costlocker and FunctionFox. How we grade
Price against what you get
Costlocker starts at $12 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. FunctionFox starts at $10.50 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
Costlocker scores higher, and starts $1.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 31 score higher than Costlocker for less, and 45 score higher than FunctionFox for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- FunctionFox also covers tasks, Gantt & timelines, forms and invoicing.
At a glance
| Costlocker | FunctionFox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $12 per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly) | $10.50 per user / month, billed annually ($12.75 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Costlocker | FunctionFox System Inc. |
| Price read from | costlocker.com | functionfox.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Costlocker
- There is a single plan, so no free tier and no cheaper tier for light users.
- The $12 price needs yearly billing; monthly billing is $20 per active user.
- Integrations are limited to the API and Make.com; no native apps by name are listed.
- Aimed at agencies, so it may carry more than a freelancer needs.
FunctionFox
- Every plan requires at least 3 users.
- The pricing page does not mention a free plan or a free trial; it offers a demo booking.
- Gantt charts, to-dos and availability reports need Premier; custom job intake forms need In-House.
Key features
Costlocker
- Profitability insights
- Compares projects, clients and teams on revenue against cost, so unprofitable work shows up and high-value clients stand out.
- Time tracking
- Logs billable and non-billable hours per project, with apps for Mac, Windows and iOS alongside the web app.
- Cost and expense tracking
- Records labor costs, subcontractors, overhead and other expenses next to the hours, not only time.
- Budget control
- Sets a budget per project and compares it with actual cost as work is logged, to catch overruns early.
- Active-user billing
- Only active users are billed. A deactivated user keeps their data, and unused prepaid time becomes credit on the next invoice.
- API and Make.com
- Connects to other tools through its developer API and through Make.com.
FunctionFox
- Timesheets with a timer
- Enter time on a timesheet or with a stopwatch, with approvals, reminders, batch timesheets and locking of projects and timesheets.
- Estimates, budgets and retainers
- Build fixed-fee or hourly estimates, apply billable rates and markups, track job costs and manage retainers on every plan.
- Schedules and Gantt charts
- Premier and In-House add project schedules, Gantt charts, milestones, calendar and board views and recurring to-dos.
- Resource availability
- Availability and traffic reports show who has capacity; resource forecasting is listed on the higher plans.
- Request forms
- In-House includes a request portal with custom job intake forms and email alerts when new requests arrive.
Plans
Costlocker
All-Inclusive Plan$12
per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)
One plan with unlimited projects and clients, desktop apps, API access and chat and email support.
FunctionFox
Classic$10.50
per user / month, billed annually ($12.75 billed monthly)
Timesheets with a stopwatch timer, unlimited clients and projects, estimate and budget tracking, retainers and reports. 3-user minimum.
Premier$16
per user / month, billed annually ($19.25 billed monthly)
Adds a to-do list, Gantt charts and schedules, availability and traffic reports and an internal blog. 3-user minimum.
In-House$36.75
per user / month, billed annually ($44 billed monthly)
Adds custom job intake forms, a request portal, an advanced report builder and unlimited custom job fields. 3-user minimum.
Ways to pay less
Costlocker
- Annual discount
40% off with yearly billing
The pricing page states a 40% discount on the yearly plan compared with monthly billing.
FunctionFox
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Costlocker or FunctionFox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FunctionFox is cheaper to start with: $10.50 a month for each person, against $12 a month for each person for Costlocker. Costlocker starts at $12 per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly), and FunctionFox starts at $10.50 per user / month, billed annually ($12.75 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Costlocker or FunctionFox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Costlocker nor FunctionFox has a free plan. Costlocker has a free trial.
Which platforms do Costlocker and FunctionFox run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Costlocker lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.