ManicTime vs Qbserve (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ManicTime grades higher than Qbserve: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ManicTime grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ManicTime
Automatic time tracker, in the cloud or on your own server
Which one is for you
Pick ManicTime if
- Fits if you want a record of your day without running a timer
- Works for companies that must keep tracking data on their own servers
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, because the free version is Windows only with no timesheets, auto-tagging or server sync
- Not for you if you expect a license to cover every future version, as it comes with one year of upgrades
- Pricey if you want screenshots stored in the cloud, which takes Ultimate at $9 a month, or $13 a user for teams
- Watch out: cloud plans cap devices at 3 a user on Standard and 5 on Ultimate, and stop working when they lapse
- Skip it if you want a web app, or the Azure DevOps and Basecamp links outside Windows, as neither is offered
Pick Qbserve if
- Fits if you are a freelancer on a Mac who wants hours filled in without a timer
- Makes sense if you want tracked data to stay on your own computer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it runs on macOS only
- Not for you if you want a team dashboard, because it tracks one person's own Mac
- Watch out: no price is shown before checkout, and a business needs one licence per seat
- Too light for client billing across a team, with invoice items made one person at a time
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAManicTimeFair | 1.8GPAQbserveWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCloud Standard is $7 a month billed yearly for one person, $9 monthly, and teams pay $10 a user, all of which is middle of the road here. The $87 license looks like the way out, but it only carries a year of upgrades, so it isn't buying the future. | CNo price on the product page: it shows only at checkout, so we can't place it against the $4.50 to $10 monthly range. It says there's no subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere is a free version, and it's Windows only and stripped down with it: no auto-tagging, no timesheets, no stopwatch, no advanced search, no server sync. You'll hit that wall quickly. Every paid version has a 30-day trial. | CA 15-day trial. The listing doesn't say whether a card is needed, and there's no free plan. |
| Features | BIt records apps, websites and documents in the background with no internet needed, and rules tag the repeat stuff for you. Then optional screenshots, away-time prompts, timesheets, reports and PDF invoices from approved timesheets, on the cloud or your own server. The job is covered. | CRules that match files and sites to projects, productivity scoring, timesheets and invoice items. It's one person's tool, with no team dashboard. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Tracking looks after itself once installed, but the work comes after: you tag a timeline to clients and projects day by day until you've built rules that do it for you. | CNo store rating on record. You write rules to match projects, and leftover time is assigned by hand at day's end. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, with a REST API and links to Jira, GitHub, Asana, Harvest, FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online. No web app is listed, and cloud plans cap devices at 3 a user on Standard and 5 on Ultimate. | DmacOS only. It exports to JSON and CSV and links to Zapier, IFTTT and AppleScript, but there's no Windows, web or phone version. |
| Best for | automatic tracking kept on your own hardware | automatic time tracking on one 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: ManicTime and Qbserve. How we grade
Where they differ
- ManicTime is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Qbserve also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| ManicTime | Qbserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $7 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly) | Not published |
| Free plan | Free version of ManicTime for Windows, usable in any setting. It lacks auto-tagging, timesheets, away-time tagging, the stopwatch and pomodoro timer, advanced search, tag plugins and ManicTime Server. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial on all paid versions | 15-day free trial |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ManicTime | QotoQot |
| Price read from | manictime.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ManicTime
- The free version is for Windows only and leaves out auto-tagging, timesheets, advanced search and server sync.
- Cloud plans cap devices at 3 per user on Standard and 5 on Ultimate; cloud screenshots need Ultimate.
- A license covers one year of upgrades; newer versions need a renewal, and a cloud subscription stops working when it lapses.
- The Azure DevOps and Basecamp integrations are listed for the Windows client only.
Qbserve
- The price is not shown on the product page; it appears only in the checkout, which could not be read.
- It runs on macOS only, and a business needs one license per seat.
- Personal licenses can be shared across five machines belonging to the owner or family.
- It tracks one person's own Mac; it is not a team dashboard.
Key features
ManicTime
- Automatic tracking
- Runs in the background and records apps, websites and documents on parallel timelines. Tracking needs no internet connection and syncs to the cloud or a server later.
- Tags and auto-tagging rules
- Recorded activity is assigned to clients, projects or tasks with tags. With a license or subscription, rules tag recurring activity automatically.
- Screenshots and away time
- Optional screenshots are anchored to the timeline as proof of work. When you return to the computer, ManicTime asks how to classify the time away.
- Timesheets, reports and invoices
- The same data produces timesheets, billable summaries, attendance, overtime and productivity reports. Invoices are generated from approved timesheets as PDFs.
- Cloud or self-hosted server
- ManicTime Cloud needs no server setup. ManicTime Server runs on your own infrastructure, including Docker and Azure, with direct SQL access to the database.
- Integrations, REST API and MCP
- Tasks come in from tools such as Jira, GitHub and Asana, and time can sync back. A REST API covers custom integrations, and an MCP server runs locally for AI tools.
Qbserve
- Automatic project tracking
- Rules match strings in document paths or browser addresses to a project, and undetected time can be assigned in the timesheet at day's end.
- Productivity scoring
- Sites, apps and games are scored against a built-in list of over 8,100, with a productivity score in the menu bar and alerts at goals.
- Timesheets and invoices
- Timesheets show an activity summary, timeline and notes per hour, and invoice items are created from recorded time in 18 languages.
- Local data storage
- The vendor says all tracked data is stored on the Mac and never sent anywhere, with options to ignore private browser tabs or pause.
- Exports and automation
- Timesheets export to JSON and CSV on a schedule, and alerts connect to AppleScript, IFTTT and Zapier.
Plans
ManicTime
Free version (Windows)$0
ManicTime for Windows without the licensed features such as auto-tagging, timesheets, advanced search, tag plugins and ManicTime Server.
Cloud Standard, individuals$7
per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly)
One person on 3 devices. All ManicTime Pro features on Windows, plus the Mac, Linux, iOS and Android apps, cloud backup and multi-device reports.
Cloud Ultimate, individuals$9
per month, billed yearly ($11 billed monthly)
Everything in Standard, plus 2 more devices (5 in total) and screenshots stored in the cloud.
Cloud Standard, teams$10
per user / month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly)
The Standard plan for teams, with 3 devices per user and multi-device reports on the cloud server.
Cloud Ultimate, teams$13
per user / month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)
The Ultimate plan for teams, with 5 devices per user and screenshots stored in the cloud.
License (ManicTime Pro)$87
one-time per user, with a year of upgrades
Local install or your own ManicTime Server. Team licenses cost $80 each from 2 users, falling in steps to $20 each at 1,000.
Qbserve
Pricing could not be confirmed. See qotoqot.com.
Ways to pay less
ManicTime
- Annual discount
Lower cloud price with yearly billing
Billed yearly, Cloud Standard is $7 a month for individuals against $9 monthly, and $10 per user for teams against $12. Ultimate is $9 against $11, and $13 against $15.
- Lifetime license
One-time license from $87 per user
A license is a one-time payment with a year of support and upgrades. After that year the last version released within it keeps working indefinitely.
- Education
80% off the license for students and retirees
Students aged 27 or under and retirees get 80% off a license for non-commercial use, and faculty get 50% off, by emailing support with proof. Cloud plans have no discounts.
- Other savings
50% off early license renewal
The documentation says a license renewed before its year of upgrades is up gets a 50% discount on the renewal.
Qbserve
- Education
Student discount on request
The support page says a student discount exists and tells students to contact the vendor. No amount is stated.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ManicTime or Qbserve?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ManicTime starts at $7 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly), and Qbserve has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, ManicTime or Qbserve?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ManicTime has a free plan. Qbserve does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do ManicTime and Qbserve run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ManicTime lists Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. 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.