Project management and time tracking tools have become essential for organizations looking to streamline workflows, reduce costs, and improve delivery outcomes. However, while these tools have advanced significantly, their pricing models often lag. AI and automation are driving down development costs. Customers are demanding more value and more innovative pricing models. Many tools still rely on subscription-based systems, trapping companies in ongoing cycles of monthly fees just to access the basic features they need.
That’s where a new model is changing the game: Pay Once, Use Forever. This article explores how a one-time payment model transforms how project managers approach cloud-based time tracking and project management tools.
The Subscription Trap in Time Tracking
Using time tracking in project management tools today is like managing your projects but paying for monthly permission to do so. Despite relying on the platform daily, you’re continuously paying for access to something that never truly belongs to you.
This model creates several problems:
- Costs scale with every new user.
- Budget predictability is lost due to recurring charges.
- If payments stop, access to your data can vanish overnight.
For project managers, especially in small to medium-sized organizations, this is more than inconvenient, it’s unsustainable.
A Smarter Solution for Project Managers
The Pay Once, Use Forever model fundamentally redefines the value proposition of software ownership. With platforms like PPM Express Once, you make a single payment and get long-term access to the software. No recurring bills. No per-user fees. No surprises.
This shift is especially relevant for project management with time tracking, where long-term use and stability matter more than ever.

PPM Express Once: Time Tracking Made Simple and Sustainable
PPM Express Once is a project, portfolio, and work management solution for small- and medium-sized organizations. It also provides a powerful yet intuitive solution for project management time tracking without the ongoing costs and complexity of subscription-based tools.
It offers a comprehensive suite of time tracking and project oversight features, enabling project managers to track work accurately, report confidently, and gain real-time visibility across their portfolios. Key capabilities include:
- Flexible time tracking for tasks and projects. Users can log time manually, select from automatically suggested activities, or import time entries from integrated systems.
- My Time page is a personalized view where users can easily track, submit, and review their time entries across different projects.
- Time-tracking suggestions. Automatically generated based on connected sources like Microsoft 365 calendar events, emails, and task activities, reducing manual data entry.
- Executive-level project status reporting. Generate automated reports on actual vs. planned work, helping managers stay informed without micromanaging.
- Portfolio-wide visibility. Track time, progress, and workload across all projects in one centralized view.
- Seamless cloud-based access. No installation or IT overhead; users can work from anywhere.
- Data import from external systems. Consolidate all time-tracking data in one place for streamlined reporting and analysis.
- Time Tracking API enables integration with other project management, HR, and accounting systems, allowing automated time capture and syncing between tools.
- Real-time dashboards and performance analytics. Visualize utilization, productivity, and project progress in an intuitive interface.
PPM Express Once is especially powerful because it delivers these capabilities, typically found in premium enterprise tools, as part of a one-time purchase. No user limits. No monthly fees. Just robust, scalable project management with time tracking that you own for life.
Why Time Tracking in Project Management is Important?
Let’s be honest: time tracking can feel tedious. However, the importance of time tracking in project management is hard to overstate. It provides the foundation for informed decision-making, efficient resource allocation, and successful project delivery.
Time tracking clarifies how time is spent, helping project managers spot delays, reallocate resources, and improve team accountability. Without it, managing progress becomes a guessing game.
It also enables accurate budgeting and forecasting by revealing labor costs and highlighting inefficiencies. Time tracking improves productivity by helping teams streamline their workflows and prioritize them better.
Client-facing work builds trust through transparent billing and clear reporting. Internally, it supports performance reviews, better planning, and compliance with audits or regulatory standards.
Ultimately, time tracking helps project managers lead more effectively, avoid overruns, and ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
PPM Express Once Benefits for Project Managers
Let’s break down the top advantages of using a project management tool with time tracking like PPM Express Once:
- Unlimited users, one flat cost. Whether you have 10 or 100 users, the cost remains the same.
- No manual time tracking. Suggested time entries are automatically generated based on activities, reducing manual entry fatigue.
- Boosted productivity by 10% by minimizing manual admin work.
- Saved over 50 hours annually per PM by automating time reports.
- Unified toolsets with integrated time management tracking tools.
- Enhanced visibility into time spent on projects across teams.
- The easy-to-use platform is intuitive and ready to go out of the box. No IT support or training is needed.
In short, it’s one of the most affordable and powerful time management tools available today, designed specifically for small and mid-sized teams.
Conclusion
The shift to the Pay Once, Use Forever model marks a significant step in how project managers approach cloud-based time tracking and project management tools. PPM Express Once empowers small and mid-sized organizations to regain control of their software, budgets, and time by removing subscription barriers and delivering full-feature access without recurring costs.
With PPM Express Once powerful features, project managers can reduce manual work, improve forecasting, streamline operations, and lead confidently, all while eliminating the unpredictability of monthly fees.
In a market increasingly demanding affordability, transparency, and long-term ROI, PPM Express Once is the best project management software with time tracking that’s built to last and owned outright. For teams seeking simplicity, sustainability, and more innovative time management, the future isn’t rented, it’s owned.
