ConsultancyOS vs BigTime
BigTime is a PSA with deep roots in time tracking, billing and invoicing for professional services. ConsultancyOS covers that operate layer too, then adds the systematisation and AI delivery layers a billing-first tool was never designed for.
BigTime (which acquired Projector PSA) is popular with accounting, consulting and creative firms for time tracking, expense, billing and invoicing, with project and resource features layered on. Its centre of gravity is time-and-money operations rather than encoded delivery.
| Capability | Consulting OSConsultancyOS | PSA (acquired Projector)BigTime |
|---|---|---|
| Time, expenses, billing, invoicing | Yes | Yes, its core strength |
| Projects, resourcing, capacity | Yes, with forecasting & bench | Yes |
| AI agent layer (encoded delivery) | Core to the platform | No |
| IP Encoding System (method into agents) | Yes, proprietary | No |
| Profit First module | Yes, native | No |
| Executive cockpits & forecasting | Yes (CEO Profit, Client Cockpit) | Reporting only |
| Pricing model | Flat fee per firm | Per seat |
| Built for | IT services & consulting, 5-100 staff | Small to mid-market services |
Reflects publicly available capability at time of writing. We update these quarterly.
Where ConsultancyOS is different.
Built to deliver, not just to bill.
BigTime is excellent at capturing time and getting invoices out. It does not encode your method or do the deliverable. ConsultancyOS adds agents that produce the first draft of the work itself.
Forward-looking, not just historical.
BigTime reports the past. ConsultancyOS forecasts margin, utilisation and cashflow into the next quarter and runs Profit First on the firm's real numbers.
One flat fee.
BigTime is per seat. ConsultancyOS is a flat platform fee by firm size, so the economics line up with systematising rather than punishing it.
ConsultancyOS vs BigTime, answered.
Is BigTime or ConsultancyOS better for a small consulting firm?
If you only need time tracking and billing, BigTime does that well. If you want to encode your delivery method into AI agents and run the whole firm on one system, ConsultancyOS is built for that.
Kantata vs BigTime vs ConsultancyOS?
Kantata and BigTime are both PSAs (manage the work). ConsultancyOS is a consulting operating system: it does the operate layer and adds the AI delivery layer neither PSA has.
Does BigTime have an AI delivery layer?
No. BigTime focuses on time, billing and project operations. ConsultancyOS adds encoded agents that produce client deliverables grounded in your IP.
How does pricing compare?
BigTime is priced per seat. ConsultancyOS is a flat platform fee by firm size with unlimited users and engagements.