Costlocker vs TMetric (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, TMetric grades higher than Costlocker: 2.8 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
TMetric grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Costlocker
Time and cost tracking that shows profit per project for agencies
TMetric
Time tracking with billing, invoicing and team monitoring
Which one is for you
Pick Costlocker if
- Fits if you run an agency and want project profit next to the hours
- Makes sense if you only pay for the people who actually log time
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $20 against $12 on a yearly plan
- Skip it if you are a freelancer, as one plan means no cheaper tier for light use
- Not for you if you need ready-made integrations, as only the API and Make.com are listed
- Watch out: it is aimed at agencies and may carry more than a small team needs
Pick TMetric if
- Fits if you're a freelancer or a pair who fit inside the free 2-seat plan
- Works for service teams and agencies that invoice clients from tracked time
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if there are three or more of you hoping to stay free, as the free plan stops at 2 seats
- Skip it if you need invoicing, rates or budgets without paying, because they start on Professional at $5.83 a seat
- Not for you if you want QuickBooks, Jira, Redmine or ClickUp sync on Professional, since those need Business
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $7 a seat on Professional and $9 on Business instead of $5.83 and $7.50
- Watch out: monthly plans get only 7 days for a refund, against 30 days on annual ones
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACostlockerFair | 2.8GPATMetricGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$12 per active user a month billed yearly, or $20 monthly. The dearest tenth of time tracking starts at $12. | CProfessional is $5.83 a seat a month billed annually, or $7 monthly, and that includes billable rates, budgets and invoicing. Business, with time off, team timesheets and screenshots, is $7.50. Both land in the middle of this category rather than under it. |
| Free plan and trial | C30-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. | BFree for up to 2 seats, with unlimited time tracking, clients and projects, exportable reports, the timer button in 50+ web apps, all the apps and API access. A freelancer could live there. A third person, or an invoice, means paying. |
| Features | CTime, costs, expenses and budgets in one plan, but integrations are limited to the API and Make.com, per the listing. | BTimer or manual entry, tags, a timeline, idle detection and an offline mode. Professional adds rates, expenses, project budgets with alerts and client invoices; Business adds team timesheets, time off and optional screenshots and app monitoring. The job is covered. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Projects, clients and budgets have to be built before the profit view is any use. | CNo store rating on record. The browser extension puts a timer button inside Jira, Asana and GitHub, so you start the clock where the work already is. Somebody still sets up the clients, projects and rates behind it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Mac, Windows and iPhone apps with an API; no Android app on record and only the API and Make.com for integrations. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, plus extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and Opera, and an API even on the free plan. The QuickBooks, Jira, Redmine and ClickUp integrations need Business. |
| Best for | agency profitability with time tracking | tracking, billing and invoicing in one |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Costlocker and TMetric. How we grade
Price against what you get
Costlocker starts at $12 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TMetric starts at $5.83 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
TMetric scores higher and starts $6.17 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 31 score higher than Costlocker for less, and 3 score higher than TMetric for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- TMetric also covers tasks and invoicing.
At a glance
| Costlocker | TMetric | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12 per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly) | $5.83 per seat / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Free for up to 2 seats: unlimited time tracking, clients and projects, exportable project reports, a timer button in 50+ web apps, all apps and API access. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial with all features, extendable by 7 days |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Costlocker | Devart |
| Price read from | costlocker.com | tmetric.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Costlocker
- There is a single plan, so no free tier and no cheaper tier for light users.
- The $12 price needs yearly billing; monthly billing is $20 per active user.
- Integrations are limited to the API and Make.com; no native apps by name are listed.
- Aimed at agencies, so it may carry more than a freelancer needs.
TMetric
- The free plan is limited to 2 seats.
- Invoicing, billable rates, budgets, calendar sync and task management start on Professional.
- Time off, team timesheets, screenshots and the QuickBooks, Jira, Redmine and ClickUp integrations need Business.
- Refunds are offered within 30 days for annual subscriptions and within 7 days for monthly ones.
Key features
Costlocker
- Profitability insights
- Compares projects, clients and teams on revenue against cost, so unprofitable work shows up and high-value clients stand out.
- Time tracking
- Logs billable and non-billable hours per project, with apps for Mac, Windows and iOS alongside the web app.
- Cost and expense tracking
- Records labor costs, subcontractors, overhead and other expenses next to the hours, not only time.
- Budget control
- Sets a budget per project and compares it with actual cost as work is logged, to catch overruns early.
- Active-user billing
- Only active users are billed. A deactivated user keeps their data, and unused prepaid time becomes credit on the next invoice.
- API and Make.com
- Connects to other tools through its developer API and through Make.com.
TMetric
- Timer and timeline
- Track time with a timer or add it by hand, organize entries with tags, and review the day on a timeline. Idle detection and an offline mode are part of the feature list.
- Timer button in web apps
- Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and Opera add a TMetric timer button inside more than 50 web apps, such as Jira, Asana and GitHub.
- Billing and invoicing
- Professional adds billable rates, expenses, project budgets with alerts, time rounding and invoices for clients built from tracked time.
- Team timesheets and time off
- Business adds team timesheets alongside a Time Off module for requesting and tracking leave. Professional includes a personal timesheet view.
- Activity monitoring
- On Business, managers can turn on app and site monitoring, screenshot capturing and activity tracking for the team, with notifications as events happen.
- Reports
- Reports summarize time by project, task, team member and app usage. Exportable project reports are part of the free plan.
Plans
Costlocker
All-Inclusive Plan$12
per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)
One plan with unlimited projects and clients, desktop apps, API access and chat and email support.
TMetric
Free$0
Up to 2 seats. Unlimited time tracking, clients and projects, exportable project reports, web, mobile and desktop apps, and API access.
Professional$5.83
per seat / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)
Adds billable rates and expenses, project budgets and alerts, time rounding, client invoicing, calendar sync and task management.
Business$7.50
per seat / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly)
Adds the Time Off module, team timesheets, app and site monitoring, screenshots, and QuickBooks, Jira, Redmine and ClickUp integrations.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Business plus customizable features and integrations, priority support, tailored deployment and volume discounts.
Ways to pay less
Costlocker
- Annual discount
40% off with yearly billing
The pricing page states a 40% discount on the yearly plan compared with monthly billing.
TMetric
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with annual billing
The pricing page labels annual billing "Save up to 20%". Professional is $70 per seat a year ($5.83 a month) against $7 billed monthly, and Business is $90 against $9.
- Nonprofit
Discounts for non-profits on request
TMetric's pricing FAQ says discounts may apply to workspaces run by non-profit or government institutions. No percentage is published; the vendor asks you to get in touch.
- Education
Discounts for educational institutions
The same pricing FAQ says discounts may apply to educational institutions. No percentage is published.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Costlocker or TMetric?
As of Nov 12, 2026, TMetric is cheaper to start with: $5.83 a month for each person, against $12 a month for each person for Costlocker. Costlocker starts at $12 per active user / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly), and TMetric starts at $5.83 per seat / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Costlocker or TMetric?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only TMetric has a free plan. Costlocker does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Costlocker and TMetric run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only TMetric lists Linux and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows and iOS apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.