The Costlocker Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Costlocker in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Costlocker
The Insider’s Guide
Time and cost tracking that shows profit per project for agencies
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among time tracking apps, read from Costlocker’s own pages.
Made by Costlocker · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Costlocker’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Costlocker’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 4 of the 69 other time tracking apps we grade
Costlocker is a time tracking tool built for agencies that bill for hours. Beyond logging billable and non-billable time, it records project costs and budgets so each project, client and team can be compared on profit. It sells one plan priced per active user.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Costlocker, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Projects, clients and budgets have to be built before the profit view is any use.
- 1
Best for agency profitability with time tracking
Costlocker ties tracked time and costs to project budgets, so an agency can see profit as it goes.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows and iOS.
- 5
Profitability insights
Compares projects, clients and teams on revenue against cost, so unprofitable work shows up and high-value clients stand out.
- 6
Time tracking
Logs billable and non-billable hours per project, with apps for Mac, Windows and iOS alongside the web app.
- 7
Cost and expense tracking
Records labor costs, subcontractors, overhead and other expenses next to the hours, not only time.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 4 of 69
That is against the other time tracking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Costlocker you could make: time tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Costlocker at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $12 per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS
- Made by
- Costlocker
- Category
- Time Tracking
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for agency profitability with time tracking
Costlocker ties tracked time and costs to project budgets, so an agency can see profit as it goes. It is a single plan at $12 per active user a month on yearly billing, $20 on monthly billing, with nothing cheaper for light users.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | $12 per active user a month billed yearly, or $20 monthly. The dearest tenth of time tracking starts at $12. |
| Free plan and trial | C | 30-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. |
| Features | C | Time, costs, expenses and budgets in one plan, but integrations are limited to the API and Make.com, per the listing. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Projects, clients and budgets have to be built before the profit view is any use. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Mac, Windows and iPhone apps with an API; no Android app on record and only the API and Make.com for integrations. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Costlocker is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Agencies that bill clients by the hour and want profit per project
- Creative, software, accounting and architecture teams
- Teams that need costs and budgets next to time entries
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12
A month to start, for each person
Costlocker is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $12 per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly).
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.
Trying it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from costlocker.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
40% off with yearly billing
The pricing page states a 40% discount on the yearly plan compared with monthly billing.
Stated on costlocker.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and iOS
Time and cost tracking that shows profit per project for agencies. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, time tracking, reports.
Time, costs, expenses and budgets in one plan, but integrations are limited to the API and Make.com, per the listing.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
What it works with
- Make.com
Costlocker is made by Costlocker.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/69
Other time tracking apps it is graded above
Costlocker's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 4 of the 69 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 12.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 18 of 69) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.70 for the category: 50 of the 58 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 31 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 time tracking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Costlocker’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 69
- CFree plan and trialAbove 10 of 69
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 69
- CEase of useAbove 2 of 69
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 18 of 69
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 64 time tracking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Costlocker is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Costlocker you could make: time tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 53 of the 69 other time tracking apps grade higher. It costs $144 a year.
What you could make
- Time tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Make.com among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Costlocker’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Harvest, Everhour, TMetric, BigTime and ClickTime
The 5 tools Costlocker is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Harvest
Free plan · from $9/mo
Time tracking that turns logged hours into client invoices.
- Harvest has a free plan. Costlocker does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Harvest lists an Android app.
- Only Harvest lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
Everhour
Free plan · from $8.50/mo
Time tracking that sits inside Asana, Jira, Linear and Trello.
- Everhour has a free plan. Costlocker does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Costlocker lists a Windows app.
- Only Everhour lists an Android app.
- 2.8GPA
TMetric
Free plan · from $5.83/mo
Time tracking with billing, invoicing and team monitoring.
- TMetric has a free plan. Costlocker does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only TMetric lists Linux and Android apps.
- Only TMetric lists a browser extension.
- 1.8GPA
BigTime
From $20/mo
Professional services platform with time, billing and projects.
- Only Costlocker lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- BigTime also covers invoicing, expense tracking and quotes and estimates.
- 1.6GPA
ClickTime
From $12/mo
Timesheets and labor cost tracking for finance and project teams.
- Only Costlocker lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only ClickTime lists an Android app.
- ClickTime also covers expense tracking, time off and dashboards.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Costlocker free?
No, Costlocker is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Costlocker cost?
Costlocker lists one plan. All-Inclusive Plan: $12 per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly).
What platforms does Costlocker work on?
Costlocker is available on Web, macOS, Windows and iOS.
Does Costlocker offer any discounts?
Costlocker publicly lists the following: 40% off with yearly billing.
Does Costlocker have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Costlocker is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and iOS.
Does Costlocker have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Costlocker is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and iOS.
Is Costlocker open source?
Costlocker is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Costlocker have an API?
Yes. Costlocker offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Costlocker integrate with?
Costlocker's listing names Make.com. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Costlocker?
Costlocker is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Costlocker?
The closest alternatives to Costlocker in our directory are Harvest, Everhour, TMetric, BigTime and ClickTime.
How does Costlocker compare with other time tracking apps?
Costlocker's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 4 of the 69 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 12.
Is Costlocker good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Costlocker D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.70 for the category: 50 of the 58 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Costlocker?
The plain part of Costlocker you could make: time tracking and reports.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Costlocker’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Costlocker's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Costlocker. Prices change, so check costlocker.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Costlocker, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/costlocker
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Costlocker: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/costlocker
Know someone choosing between time tracking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/costlocker/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded time tracking apps after Costlocker, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Time Tracking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 time tracking apps we grade, compared
- Jibble Insider's GuideFree time clock and attendance tracker with GPS and face recognition3.4 GPA
- Clockify Insider's GuideTeam time tracker and timesheets with a free plan for 5 users3.2 GPA
- TimeCamp Insider's GuideTime tracking with attendance, billing and a free plan for any team3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Costlocker’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Costlocker is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Costlocker. Prices and plans change: check costlocker.com before you buy.