Fortis Time Management vs Paymo
Approvals and profitability without needing Paymo's top plan
Paymo scales from a single freelancer up to a small team, but timesheet approvals only appear on its top Pro plan, and Xero isn't a native integration — only reachable through Paymo's Zapier connector. Fortis Time Management includes approvals, live profitability and Xero draft invoices.
No signup. No sales call.
Why teams look beyond Paymo
Timesheet approvals are Pro-only
Paymo's pricing page lists Timesheet Approvals on the Pro plan; Plus, Solo and Free don't have them.
No native Xero integration
Paymo's integrations page connects natively to QuickBooks Online; Xero is only reachable through Paymo's Zapier connector, one of 1,000+ apps.
Profitability starts on Plus
Paymo's pricing page lists profitability reporting from the Plus plan upwards; Free and Solo don't include it.
Fortis Time Management vs Paymo, side by side
| Feature | Fortis Time Management | Paymo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From £9/user/mo billed annually (£11 monthly), ex VAT — no usage fees, ever | From $5.9/user/mo billed annually ($9.9 monthly) on Solo; timesheet approvals need Pro at $16.9/user/mo annually ($23.9 monthly) |
| Timers and weekly timesheets | Included | Included, unlimited on every plan |
| Timesheet approvals and locking | Team plan and above | Pro plan only |
| Profitability by client, project and person | Live, on Team plan and above | Plus plan and above |
| Cost rates hidden from team members | Owners and admins only | — |
| Retainer, fixed-fee and time & materials billing | Included | Flat rate & retainer projects, Solo plan and above |
| Push invoices to Xero | Team plan and above, as drafts matched to the contact | Not native — Zapier only |
| QuickBooks | Coming soon | Native integration, exports invoices with tax |
| Employee scheduling / capacity planning | Weekly schedule | Employee scheduling & workload, Pro plan |
| Free plan | No — 14-day free trial and a no-signup demo | Free for 1 user, 2 projects |
Paymo details from Paymo pricing page, Paymo integrations page, checked September 2026. Plans change — check their site for the latest.
Where Paymo is stronger
We'd rather you pick the right tool. Paymo is the better fit if you need:
- Native QuickBooks Online integration
- Gantt charts and task dependencies (Pro plan)
- Employee scheduling and workload view
- A free plan for solo freelancers
Switching from Paymo
Import method: Generic CSV import (map your columns)
- 1Export your time entries from Paymo as CSV.
- 2Upload to Fortis Time Management and map the columns — clients, projects, people and time.
- 3Check the preview, then import. One click undoes it.
Questions about switching
Do I need Paymo's Pro plan for approvals?
With Paymo, yes — timesheet approvals are Pro-only. Fortis Time Management includes weekly approvals and locking.
Can I import my Paymo time?
Yes. Export your time entries from Paymo as CSV and upload them to Fortis Time Management, mapping the columns. You'll see a preview before anything is saved.
Does Fortis Time Management push invoices to Xero natively, like Paymo does for QuickBooks?
Yes. Approved time becomes an invoice with UK VAT in Fortis Time Management, pushed to Xero as a draft matched to the right contact — no Zapier step required.
Can I try it first?
Yes. Open the live demo — a fully loaded agency workspace with no signup.
Compare plans on the pricing page, or read about time tracking for agencies.
See it with real-looking data
Open a fully loaded agency workspace. No signup, no sales call.