Free Project Cost Tracking Software
Track project costs, budgets and billing in one place with Catalystk's free project cost tracking software. Create a project cost estimate and link it to the project, compare it with the contract value to see your margin, set the project budget, use milestone tracking as work is completed and apply milestone billing for one or several payments. See what's invoiced and still to bill on the dashboard, with a free download of cost and milestone reports in Excel and PDF.
- 100% free
- Cost estimate & margin
- Milestone billing
- Excel & PDF download
From cost estimate to final invoice
Every number in a project connects, so you always know whether it is making money.
Step 1
Cost estimate
Estimate materials, labour and other costs.
Step 2
Contract value
The agreed project amount.
Step 3
Margin
Contract value minus estimated cost.
Step 4
Milestones
Split the value into payments.
Step 5
Invoiced & to bill
Bill each milestone and track the balance.
Project costing: estimate the cost of every project
Before you commit to a price, you need to know what the project will cost. Catalystk lets you create a project cost estimate with a costing number, date, name and validity period, and link the costing to the project so the cost is calculated against the work you are delivering. The costing adds up the cost components and shows the total cost.
Having the estimate inside the project means everyone works from the same figures. Sales can see the cost before quoting, managers can see it before approving, and accounts can compare it with what is billed. For the detailed costing steps, see how product and project costing works.
Project budgeting software: contract value, estimated cost and margin
A project budget is only useful if you can compare it with the money coming in. As project budgeting software, Catalystk puts the contract value on the project dashboard and the total cost and margin on the linked costing. The difference tells you, before work begins, whether the project is worth taking on at that price.
If the margin is too thin, you can revise the estimate or renegotiate the value before the project starts, rather than finding out at the end. Multi-currency projects are supported, so export work can be budgeted in the client's currency.
Free milestone tracking software
Milestones are the checkpoints that show real progress. Catalystk is free milestone tracking software: each milestone has a name, due date, percentage, amount and status, and the project dashboard turns them into a work done percentage, for example 2 of 4 milestones complete. Overdue milestones are counted and the next due date is shown, so nothing slips past unnoticed.
Tracking milestones rather than hours keeps the focus on outcomes your client recognises: the basement poured, the design approved, the software released. It also gives you a natural point to raise the next invoice.
Milestone billing: one payment or several
Catalystk follows a simple rule: one milestone means a single payment, several milestones mean milestone billing. Enter a percentage and the amount is filled in from the project value, or enter an amount and the percentage is worked out for you. The milestone table always shows the total, so the payments add up to exactly 100% of the contract.
Once the project is approved, each milestone gets an + Invoice button. Click it and confirm Create Invoice: a tax invoice (GST, VAT or sales tax) is created with the milestone amount and opens for review, and the milestone's status changes to Invoiced, with the invoice number linked in the billing column. This is the milestone billing software approach used by contractors, engineering firms, agencies and IT companies to keep cash flowing throughout a long project instead of waiting until the end. Step by step: how to create an invoice from a project.
- Enter % or amount, the other fills in
- Totals always match the project value
- Billing status for every milestone
- Tax invoices (GST, VAT or sales tax) from the same system
Invoiced vs still to bill on the project dashboard
The project dashboard answers the question every owner asks: how much have we billed and how much is left? It shows the contract value, the amount invoiced and the amount still to bill, next to work done and the timeline. If work done is ahead of invoicing, you know there are milestones waiting to be billed.
Seeing cost, billing and progress together turns project cost tracking from a month-end exercise into a daily habit. For the full picture across all projects, use the project list on the free project management software.
From cost estimate to quotation and invoice
Because Catalystk is one system, your figures move forward without retyping. A costing can be converted into a quotation for the client, a won quotation can lead to a sales order and the project, and each completed milestone becomes a tax invoice. Payments recorded against invoices complete the picture.
Explore the connected modules: free quotation software, free billing software for GST, VAT and sales tax and free procurement software for buying the materials a project needs. Looking for cost estimating before a project is won? See cost estimating software.
Free download: project cost and milestone reports in Excel and PDF
Download cost estimates, milestones and project details in Excel and PDF at no cost. Use Excel when your accountant wants the numbers, and PDF when your client wants a clean summary of what has been billed and what is due next.
You can also preview, print or email the project from its screen, and use the free project status report template to report budget, billing and milestones in a fixed format.
Project Cost Tracking Software: frequently asked questions
Is Catalystk project cost tracking software free?
Yes. Cost estimates, budgets, milestone tracking, milestone billing and the project dashboard are all part of the free-forever plan, with no credit card.
Can I link a cost estimate to a project?
Yes. Create a costing with its cost components and link it to the project, so the estimated cost and margin are calculated against the work you are delivering.
How is the project margin calculated?
Margin is the difference between the price (contract value) and the total estimated cost on the costing. Catalystk shows the total cost and margin on each costing.
Can I use it as project budgeting software?
Yes. The contract value on the dashboard, the estimated cost and margin on the costing, and invoiced versus to bill together give you a practical project budget.
What is milestone tracking?
Milestone tracking means following progress by checkpoints rather than hours. Catalystk shows each milestone's due date, amount and status, and turns them into a work done %.
How does milestone billing work?
One milestone means a single payment; several milestones mean milestone billing. Enter % or amount for each milestone. After the project is approved, click + Invoice on a milestone and confirm; a tax invoice is created with the milestone amount and its status changes to Invoiced.
Does it support multi-currency projects?
Yes. Each project has its own currency and amount, so export and overseas projects can be costed and billed in the client's currency.
Can I download cost reports in Excel or PDF?
Yes. Cost estimates, milestones and project details can be downloaded free in Excel and PDF, or printed and emailed from the project screen.
Related free software
Ready to run your business on one platform?
Join thousands of growing businesses using Catalystk. Set up in minutes — free forever, no credit card required.