Chronoid vs Timing

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

Timing

• Mac users who want time recorded without starting timers
• Freelancers who bill clients from a record of apps and documents used
• People who want tracked data kept on their own Mac by default

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.

Timing

• The tracker runs only on macOS; phones and other computers are limited to the web app.
• There is no free plan: a subscription is needed after the 30-day trial.
• Each seat covers a set number of personal Macs: 1 on Professional, 2 on Expert and 3 on Connect.
• Team features, the Web API, Zapier and MCP integration are limited to the Connect plan.

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.

Timing

Automatic tracking

Records the apps, documents and websites used on the Mac without timers. Private and incognito browser tabs are discarded, and an exclusion list keeps chosen items out.

Timeline and rules

An interactive timeline shows the day's activity and lets you add offline time. Option-dragging an activity onto a project creates a rule that assigns similar work from then on.

Calls, meetings and Screen Time

Tracks time spent on phone calls, meetings and calendar events, prompts you when a video or voice call ends, and can import mobile app usage from Screen Time.

AI summaries and MCP

AI summaries group related activities and highlight the main topics of a day. The Connect plan adds MCP integration so an AI agent can work with your time data.

Reports for billing

Timesheets export as PDF, XLSX, CSV or HTML, with rounding and billing status tracking. A GrandTotal integration passes tracked time to that invoicing app.

Web app and teams

A web app syncs with the Mac app and can be installed on a phone to start and stop timers. On Connect, teams share projects and admins review members' times.

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.

Timing

• Professional$9

  per month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly)

  1 Mac for one person. Automatic tracking, timers, basic reports for clients and limited web app access.

• Expert$11

  per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly)

  2 Macs for one person. Adds filters, customizable reports and full web app access.

• Connect$16

  per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)

  3 Macs per user. Adds teams with shared projects, AI integration via MCP, the Web API, Zapier and two-way ClickUp, Linear and Clio sync.

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.

Timing

• Annual discount

  Save 18% or more with annual billing

  The pricing page labels annual billing "Save 18%": Professional is $9 a month billed annually against $11 monthly, and Expert is $11 against $14.

• Other savings

  Referral program: a free month each

  Subscribers get a personal referral link. When a new customer signs up through it, both receive an extra free month, up to six months of credit per calendar year.