Comparison

AlphaI⁺ vs BigTime

Complete PS platform from $19/mo vs time-and-billing focused tool.

BigTime is a solid time tracking and billing platform used by accounting firms, architects, and consultants. At $20-45/user/month with a 5-user minimum it's affordable for mid-size firms — but lacks client-facing features, retainer tracking, and AI. AlphaI+ Solo at $19/mo gets every product feature for solo practitioners, and Starter at $49/mo undercuts BigTime's 5-user minimum entirely.

Monthly cost · Solo · 3 active clients

AlphaI⁺

$19

From $19/mo (Solo) — per active client, every paid tier unlocks every feature

BigTime

$100+

$20-45/user/month, ~5-user minimum, billed annually

You save $81+/month with AlphaI⁺

Feature-by-feature comparison

Feature	AlphaI⁺	BigTime
Pricing Model	Per active client	Per user/month
Cost · solo (3 clients)	$19	$100+ (5-user min)
Cost · small (10 clients · 3 admins)	$49	$100-$225
Cost · mid (30 clients · 8 admins)	$129	$160-$360
Minimum Seats	None — 1 admin on Solo	~5 users
Unlimited Client Users
Client Self-Service Portal		Limited
Retainer Hours Tracking		Budget-based
Invoicing + Branded PDF
Custom Branding		Limited
Multi-Tenant Architecture
Built-in Messaging
Calendar & Scheduling
AI-Powered Features (17)	Every paid tier
UK/HMRC Invoice Compliance
Invoice Dispute Assistant	Every paid tier
AI Agent (Mobile)	Add-on
WhatsApp Integration	Add-on
QuickBooks Integration
Expense Tracking
Self-Serve Setup	10 minutes	Days

Why firms switch to AlphaI⁺

Start at $19/mo Solo — BigTime's 5-user minimum prices out solo practitioners entirely

14-day free trial, no credit card. BigTime requires committing to 5 seats from day one

Per-active-client pricing means hiring more admins doesn't bump your bill

Client self-service portal — BigTime has limited client-facing features. AlphaI+ gives clients their own dashboard to submit requests, track hours, and communicate

Purpose-built retainer tracking — automatic hour deduction, balance tracking, and transaction history vs basic project budgets

Built-in messaging on every request — no more email chains about project status

AI mobile agent and WhatsApp integration — BigTime offers no AI or conversational features

Where BigTime may be better

•QuickBooks and Sage deep integration — strong for firms with established accounting workflows

•Expense tracking and receipt capture built in

•Lower cost at small team sizes (5-10 users at basic tier)

•Established in accounting and architecture verticals

•Utilization reporting and resource planning dashboards

The bottom line

BigTime is a reliable time-and-billing tool — especially if you're deeply integrated with QuickBooks. But it's a billing tool, not a PS platform, and the 5-user minimum locks out the freelancer market. AlphaI+ Solo at $19/mo gives a freelancer everything BigTime does for billing, plus retainer tracking, client portal, messaging, calendar, and all 17 AI features. At small-firm scale (10 clients), Starter at $49/mo also undercuts BigTime's 5-seat baseline. If your primary need is QuickBooks-integrated time entry and you already have 5+ seats committed, BigTime may be the simpler choice. For everyone else, AlphaI+ is the more complete platform at lower cost.

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AlphaI+ vs BigTime