Chronoid vs Tim

Chronoid

• Mac freelancers and consultants who bill by the hour
• People who want tracked data to stay on their own Mac
• Buyers who prefer a lifetime license to a subscription

Tim

• Mac users who want a timer that lives in the menu bar
• Freelancers who invoice clients from their tracked hours
• People who want time data kept on their own Mac with no account

Chronoid

• Chronoid runs only on macOS 14 or later; iPhone and iPad activity comes in through Screen Time import, not an app.
• There is no free plan: a license is needed after the 7-day trial.
• Each license covers one person on up to 3 Macs; team and company pricing is by contacting the vendor.
• Fees for hosted AI providers are separate from the license; the assistant can also run on local models.

Tim

• Tim is for Mac only, and the Mac App Store listing says the current version requires macOS 15 or later.
• The free version stops at 3 tasks and 6 tags and shows upgrade prompts.
• Data stays on the device it was recorded on; moving it to another Mac means importing a backup, which needs Pro.
• The website does not state the price of the direct-download Pro version; the listed prices are from the US Mac App Store.

Chronoid

Automatic tracking

Runs in the background and captures foreground apps, window titles, browser URLs and documents, with idle detection so time away is not counted. No timers to start.

Smart rules and projects

Rules assign activity to client projects by app or keyword. Clients and projects are organized in a hierarchy, with time targets and scheduled tracking hours.

Invoices and reports

Projects carry hourly rates and a billable status. Unbilled hours load into an invoice editor with tax, currency and payment terms, and export as a PDF.

AI insights and MCP server

A chat answers questions about your hours, using local models through Ollama, LM Studio or Apple Intelligence, or a cloud provider. A local MCP server serves AI agents.

Pomodoro timer and website blocker

Focus sessions run on a Pomodoro timer and can be scheduled, and distracting websites can be blocked on demand while you work.

Meetings, calendar and Screen Time

Detects meetings and logs their time, reads Apple Calendar for titles and project suggestions, and imports iPhone and iPad sessions from Screen Time.

Tim

Menu bar timer

The running time shows in the menu bar and the timer is controlled with keyboard shortcuts. Idle detection asks what to do with the time when you return.

Tasks, groups and tags

Tasks and their time records can be created and edited freely, grouped or tagged, and archived when they should stay on file but out of the main list and menu bar.

Charts and filters

Charts give a visual breakdown of hours, averages and revenue, and any view can be filtered by date range, by tag or by both.

Invoicing

Invoices are created from tracked time. Tim calculates totals from hourly rates, applies tax and payment terms, and exports a PDF to send to the client.

Exports and backups

Data exports to CSV, JSON, PDF or iCal, and a full export doubles as a backup. Pro adds automatic backups at a set interval and importing data on another Mac.

Automation

AppleScript, Shortcuts actions, Spotlight, deep links and x-callback-url can start and stop the timer and create tasks or records. A command-line export is possible through osascript.

Chronoid

• Annual$8

  per month, billed yearly at $96

  All features for one person on up to 3 Macs, with premium support and updates while subscribed.

• Monthly$15

  per month

  The same subscription billed month to month: all features for one person on up to 3 Macs. Cancel anytime.

• Lifetime$149

  one-time payment

  All features for one person on up to 3 Macs, with lifetime access and updates.

Tim

• Free$0

  Most of Tim's features with up to 3 tasks and 6 tags, without automatic backups or data import.

• Pro: Monthly$4.99

  per month, US Mac App Store in-app purchase

  Unlimited tasks and tags, automatic backups, importing and transferring data, and no ads or upgrade prompts.

• Pro: Yearly$12.99

  per year, US Mac App Store in-app purchase

  The same Pro features paid once a year.

• Pro: Lifetime$24.99

  one-time, US Mac App Store in-app purchase

  Pro as a single purchase. Pro is also sold as a direct download from the website, where the price appears at checkout.

Chronoid

• Annual discount

  $96 a year instead of $15 a month

  The pricing page shows the subscription at $8 a month billed yearly at $96, against $15 a month billed monthly, which would be $180 over a year.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime license for $149

  A single payment of $149 gives one person lifetime access and updates on up to 3 Macs.

• Education

  50% off education licenses

  The pricing page tells students to email Chronoid support for 50% off education licenses.

• Other savings

  50% off bulk lifetime licenses

  Orders of at least 5 lifetime licenses are listed at $75 per license instead of $149, from $375 for 5, arranged by contacting the vendor.

Tim

• Lifetime license

  Pro: Lifetime one-time purchase

  The US Mac App Store lists Pro: Lifetime at $24.99, a one-time alternative to the monthly and yearly subscriptions.

• Annual discount

  Yearly Pro costs far less than monthly

  The US Mac App Store lists Pro at $12.99 a year against $4.99 a month. Twelve monthly payments come to $59.88, so the yearly plan costs about 78% less.

• Education

  Student discount through Student App Centre

  Tim's help page says students can get a discount code from Student App Centre, which verifies student status. The amount is not stated.