Dayflow vs Timing (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dayflow grades higher than Timing: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Dayflow grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Timing grades higher on 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.
Dayflow
Open-source Mac app that logs your workday automatically
Timing
Automatic time tracking for Mac with no timers to start
Which one is for you
Pick Dayflow if
- Fits if you want an automatic log of your own day on a Mac
- Makes sense if you want screen data kept on your own computer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as only macOS 14 or later runs it
- Not for you if you bill clients or run timesheets, since it's for self-tracking
- Watch out: with your own API key or Pro, selected screenshots go to a cloud AI provider
- Tight if you want an annual price, because the page says to check inside the app
Pick Timing if
- Fits if you work on a Mac and want time recorded without starting timers
- Works for freelancers who bill clients from a record of the apps and documents they used
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you work on Windows or Linux, because the tracker runs only on macOS
- Pricey if you just want a timer, at $9 a month billed annually, $11 monthly, with no free plan
- Tight if you use more than one Mac, since Professional covers 1 and Expert 2
- Watch out: teams, the Web API, Zapier and MCP need Connect at $16 a user, and Professional has limited web app access
- Not for you if you want invoices from the tracker, as those go through GrandTotal
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADayflowGood | 2.4GPATimingFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, so anyone can download and run it. The managed AI plan is $20 a month. | CProfessional is $9 a month billed annually, $11 monthly, for one person on 1 Mac, which is the dear end of the middle for a tracker that runs on one kind of computer. Expert is $11 for 2 Macs, and teams, the Web API and Zapier need Connect at $16 a user. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe app, capture and AI summaries are free with a local model or your own key. No cap is stated. | CNo free plan. There's a 30-day trial and it asks for no credit card. After that you need a subscription. |
| Features | CAutomatic capture and an AI timeline. It's for self-tracking, with no timesheets, billing or team view. | BAutomatic tracking of apps, documents and websites, a timeline you can add offline time to, rules that file recurring work, call and meeting tracking, Screen Time import and AI summaries. Timesheets export as PDF, XLSX, CSV or HTML with rounding and billing status; invoices go through GrandTotal. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You pick a local model or paste an API key, and need macOS 14. | CNo store rating on record. Nothing needs starting or stopping, but the day's activity doesn't file itself: you go back over the timeline and assign it, option-dragging onto projects to build rules that take over later. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 14 or later. A Windows version is only a waitlist. | BA Mac app plus a web app you can install on a phone to start and stop timers, so the tracker itself is macOS only. ClickUp, Linear and Clio sync, and Zapier and the Web API are all limited to the Connect plan. |
| Best for | a free self-tracking log on a Mac | automatic time tracking on a Mac |
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: Dayflow and Timing. How we grade
Price against what you get
Dayflow starts at $20 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Timing starts at $9 a month and scores 2.7.
Timing scores higher and starts $11 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 78 score higher than Dayflow for less, and 15 score higher than Timing 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
- Dayflow is open source, according to its own site.
- Dayflow also covers screen recording and menu bar app.
- Timing also covers reports.
At a glance
| Dayflow | Timing | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $20 per month, billed monthly | $9 per month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free: automatic activity capture, AI summaries with a local model or your own Gemini, OpenAI or Anthropic key, and the open-source app. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Teleport Labs Inc. | Timing Software GmbH |
| Price read from | dayflow.so | timingapp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Dayflow
- It runs on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later only; a Windows version is on a waitlist.
- It works from screen recordings, so it fits individual self-tracking more than client billing or team timesheets.
- With your own API key or Pro, selected screenshots are sent to a cloud AI provider for analysis.
- The pricing page says to check the current annual offer inside the app; no annual price is shown on the page.
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.
Key features
Dayflow
- Automatic activity capture
- Records what is on screen in the background and builds a timeline without starting or stopping a timer.
- AI-written timeline
- Summarizes each block of work and sorts it into categories such as coding, research, planning, communication or distraction.
- Choice of AI provider
- Run a supported local model on the Mac, use your own Gemini, OpenAI or Anthropic key, or pay for managed analysis.
- Local recordings
- Recordings and the database are stored on the computer. Cloud options process selected screenshots, not the full recording.
- Open-source app
- The code is public on GitHub, so the app can be inspected and run yourself on the free plan.
- Enterprise controls
- Enterprise adds SSO or SAML, data-retention policies and rollout support for teams.
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.
Plans
Dayflow
Free$0
per month
Local recordings and database, automatic capture, AI summaries via a local model or your own API keys.
Pro$20
per month, billed monthly
Managed AI analysis with no provider setup, and no draw on your Claude or ChatGPT usage.
EnterpriseCustom
Pro plus SSO or SAML, data-retention controls and internal AI gateway support; sold through sales.
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.
Ways to pay less
Dayflow
No public discounts listed.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dayflow or Timing?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Timing is cheaper to start with: $9 a month, against $20 a month for Dayflow. Dayflow starts at $20 per month, billed monthly, and Timing starts at $9 per month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Dayflow or Timing?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Dayflow has a free plan. Timing does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Dayflow and Timing run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Timing lists a web app. Both list a macOS app. 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.