BigTime and CMap are both professional services automation (PSA) platforms designed for project-based services firms, but they have different strengths and geographic footprints. BigTime is a US-focused PSA with strong QuickBooks/Xero integration, time tracking, T&M billing, and project management — it targets consulting, IT services, accounting, and engineering firms with 10–150 employees. Pricing starts at approximately $20–$35/user/month. CMap originated in the UK and has stronger market share in architecture, engineering, and design agencies, particularly in international markets. It emphasizes project management and real-time fee tracking, with pricing typically ranging from £25–£45/user/month (~$30–$55/user/month). Both require approximately 4–10 weeks to implement. The primary difference: BigTime is stronger for US-based consulting and billing workflows; CMap is stronger for A&E firms and international operations.
At a Glance
Quick Comparison
| BigTime | CMap | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Market | US consulting, IT, accounting, engineering | UK/international A&E, design agencies, consulting |
| Ideal Firm Size | 10–150 employees | 15–250 employees |
| Pricing | ~$20–$35/user/mo | ~£25–£45/user/mo (~$30–$55) |
| Implementation Time | 4–10 weeks | 6–12 weeks |
| QuickBooks Integration | Core feature | Available (not core) |
| Project Management | Good | Strong — visual Gantt, fee tracking |
| Resource Scheduling | ✅ Team scheduling | ✅ Visual capacity planning |
| Xero Integration | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Multi-Currency | Limited | Strong |
| US Customer Base | Dominant | Growing (primarily UK/EU) |
Feature Breakdown
Six Dimensions Compared
Capability
BigTime
CMap
Project Management
✓ Project dashboards, task management, budget vs actual. Good operational visibility.
✓ Visual Gantt charts, fee tracking by stage, real-time project financial health dashboards.
Time Tracking
✓ Clean weekly timesheets. Mobile app. Approval workflows. T&M and fixed-fee allocation.
✓ Timesheet tracking with project/phase allocation. Good for fee-based project billing.
Billing
✓ T&M, fixed-fee, retainers. Invoice sync to QBO/Xero. Good for US billing practices.
✓ Fee-stage billing, T&M, retainers. Strong for RIBA fee structures and phased A&E billing.
Resource Scheduling
◐ Team capacity view. Useful but less visual than CMap's interface.
✓ Visual capacity planning with color-coded availability. Strong for resourcing A&E projects.
Reporting
✓ Project margin, utilization, billing performance. Good US-market reporting templates.
✓ Real-time fee earned reporting, project profitability dashboards, pipeline reports.
Integrations
✓ Strong QBO/Xero sync. Zapier. Salesforce. Good US ecosystem.
◐ QBO and Xero available. Fewer native integrations. Stronger API for custom builds.
Recommendations
Which Firms Should Use Which
Choose BigTime if…
- You're a US-based consulting, IT, or professional services firm
- QuickBooks Online is your accounting system and you want tight sync
- Your billing is primarily T&M or fixed-fee without complex stage structures
- You want a larger US-based support and partner ecosystem
- Your team is 10–100 people and doesn't need international currency support
Choose CMap if…
- You're an architecture, engineering, or design agency — especially UK-based
- You bill on project stages and need visual fee-tracking by phase
- You manage projects across multiple currencies or international offices
- You want stronger visual project management (Gantt + resource views)
- You're a 20–200 person professional services firm in the UK or EU market
The Visibility Gap
What Neither Platform Solves
Both tools require migrating your time and billing workflow — before seeing the margin data you actually want.
- Both BigTime and CMap require consistent timesheet adoption to produce meaningful project margin reports. If your team isn't logging time weekly, the dashboard shows nothing useful. That behavioral change is the hardest part of any PSA implementation — and neither tool automates it.
- Neither platform provides real-time margin visibility without replacing your current billing workflows. You'll need to reconfigure how invoices are generated, how time gets approved, and how project codes map to your chart of accounts — before the system shows you anything meaningful.
- Neither tool answers "which clients are we losing money on right now?" without 4–8 weeks of setup. If that's the urgent question — particularly if you're trying to make a pitch decision or renegotiate a client contract — there may be a faster path to that answer before committing to a full PSA implementation.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between BigTime and CMap?
BigTime is a US-focused PSA with strengths in time tracking, billing, and QuickBooks integration — popular with consulting, IT, and accounting firms. CMap originated in the UK and is stronger in architecture, engineering, and design agencies with better project management depth and international currency support.
Is CMap better than BigTime for architecture firms?
CMap generally serves architecture and engineering firms better due to its project management depth, fee stage tracking, and strong adoption in the A&E community in the UK and internationally. BigTime works for A&E but is more commonly used in management consulting and IT services.
How much does CMap cost vs BigTime?
CMap pricing typically ranges from £25–£45/user/month (approximately $30–$55 USD). BigTime starts at $20–$35/user/month. Both have similar pricing structures, though CMap's implementation may require more detailed setup time.
Which PSA software is better for US-based consulting firms?
For US-based consulting, IT services, and management consulting firms, BigTime typically has stronger market fit — better QuickBooks integration, more US-based support, and workflows designed around common US billing practices. CMap is a strong contender but is more common in European and international firms.