What counts as a seat
An open invite is access, so it holds a seat from the moment you send it. And nobody is counted twice – when someone appears as both a roster row and an invite, that is one person and one seat.
Client portal contacts use a seat
This surprises people, so it is worth stating on its own. See portal overview.Where you see your seat count
On the roster header, at Settings → Team Members, next to the Invite teammate and Add member buttons. It reads in the shape:
8 of 8 seats – 3 members, 4 client contacts, 1 pending invite
The breakdown tells you where your seats went, which is usually the fastest way to find a seat you forgot about.
Your plan and payment method live at Settings → Plan & billing, described as Your plan, seats and payment method. You're billed per person with access to this workspace.
The Free plan limit
When you are at or above the cap, three actions are blocked:
The refusal names your actual numbers so you know what to fix:
the Free plan includes 3 people, and this workspace already has 3 (2 people plus 1 pending invite). Upgrade to Pro to add more.
Before you even click, the buttons open an upgrade prompt instead of the usual dialog. It is titled The Free plan includes 3 people and explains: This workspace is using 3 of 3 (including 1 client contacts) seats, so there is no room for another person. Upgrade to Pro to add as many as you need – everyone already here keeps working either way.
Being over the cap is allowed
If a Pro subscription lapses, a 5-person workspace does not lose two people.Everyone already in the workspace keeps working. The cap only bounds the next add. It is checked against your current count each time, never against a high-water mark.
Free a seat – deactivate someone, remove someone, or revoke an unaccepted invitation – and you can add again.
Pro is billed per person
Pro is charged per seat, and the quantity follows your workspace automatically. Add a person and the quantity goes up. Remove one and it goes down. Pro comes on two cadences, monthly and yearly. Prices are shown live on the billing page in your own currency, with tax added on top where it applies. See plans and pricing and seats.Freeing a seat
Deactivate someone
Reversible. They keep their roster row and everything they logged, but cannot sign in – and the seat is freed.
Remove someone
Permanent. Their tracked time is kept. Their outstanding invitations are revoked at the same time.
Revoke an invitation
Frees the seat immediately. Useful when an invite went to the wrong address.
Remove a portal contact
Portal contacts count, so removing one frees a seat like anyone else.
Example
Northwind Studio is on Free and wants to stay there for now.
The meter reads
3 of 3 seats – 2 members, 1 pending invite. Maya tries to invite Daniel Okafor and is stopped.
She has three options:
1
Wait for Jonas
Jonas accepting does not change the count. He was already counted as an invite, and becomes a member in the same seat.
2
Free a seat
Revoke the invitation to Jonas, or deactivate Sarah. Either frees one.
3
Upgrade to Pro
The 12 people Northwind actually needs, plus Ruth Castillo’s portal seat at Bluebird Coffee, all fit.
The other reason to upgrade
The seat cap is only half the Free plan. The other half is the dividing line between recording work and resolving it.
The Client portal is a Pro feature, which is why inviting a portal contact needs Pro before the seat cap is even reached.
See free versus Pro.
Permissions
billing.manage is held by Owner and Admin only. Finance does not hold it – Finance owns invoices and payments to your clients, not your own subscription.Common questions
Do client portal contacts count toward my seats?
Do client portal contacts count toward my seats?
Yes. A portal contact is a login with access, so it uses a seat exactly like a staff member.
Do pending invitations count?
Do pending invitations count?
Yes. An open invite is access, so it holds a seat until it is accepted, revoked or expires.
Does someone appear as both an invite and a member?
Does someone appear as both an invite and a member?
They may appear as both states over time, but they are never counted twice. When you add someone directly with an email, the invite is folded into their roster row.
Do deactivated people count?
Do deactivated people count?
No. Deactivating frees the seat straight away, and reactivating takes it back.
Do people with no login count?
Do people with no login count?
Yes. Someone added without an email is still an active member, still appears in reports, and still uses a seat.
What happens if my subscription lapses while I have 8 people?
What happens if my subscription lapses while I have 8 people?
All 8 keep working. You just cannot add a ninth until you are back on Pro or drop below 3.
Can someone still accept an invite when I am at the cap?
Can someone still accept an invite when I am at the cap?
Yes. Accepting is never blocked by the seat cap.
How is Pro billed?
How is Pro billed?
Per person with access, on a monthly or yearly cadence. The quantity follows your workspace automatically.
Troubleshooting
Related guides
Seats
Seats from the billing side.
Free vs Pro
What each plan includes.
Pending invitations
Why an open invite costs a seat.
Remove a member
Freeing a seat.
Client portal overview
Portal contacts count too.
Plans and features
The plan model.