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
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BigTime vs CMap for consulting firms: which PSA platform is the better fit?
For US-based consulting, IT services, and management consulting firms in the 10–150 person range: BigTime is the better fit — better QuickBooks/Xero integration, US-based support, and a workflow designed around common US billing practices (T&M, fixed-fee, milestone). CMap originated in the UK and is stronger in A&E firms — it emphasizes project management depth and resource scheduling over billing integration.
BigTime vs CMap for architecture firms: which is better?
CMap generally serves A&E firms better — deeper project management, fee management features, and stronger adoption in the UK and European A&E community. BigTime works for A&E firms but is more commonly used in management consulting and IT services in the US. For architecture firms with 20–100 employees that want US-based support and QuickBooks integration, BigTime is a solid choice. For firms with UK/European or multi-geography operations, CMap has the edge.
How much does BigTime vs CMap cost for a 50-person firm?
BigTime at a 50-person firm: $20–$35/user/month (~$10,000–$17,500/year) plus $5,000–$20,000 implementation = $15,000–$37,500 year one. CMap at a 50-person firm: £25–£45/user/month (~$30–$55/user/month USD) plus £15,000–£40,000 implementation = $35,000–$70,000 year one. BigTime is typically 50–60% less expensive in year one.
BigTime vs CMap: which is better for US vs UK/European firms?
BigTime is US-dominant with strong US-based support and QuickBooks integration as a core feature. CMap has a stronger UK and European footprint with multi-currency and multi-region capabilities. For US-based professional services firms, BigTime has the stronger ecosystem. For UK/European firms or firms with multi-geography operations, CMap's international support and currency handling may be an advantage.