ManicTime vs TimeScribe

ManicTime

• People who want a record of the day without running timers
• Organizations that must keep tracking data on their own servers
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

TimeScribe

• Individuals who have to record working hours, breaks and overtime
• Freelancers who want free tracking with exports for invoices
• People who do not want an account or their time data in the cloud

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.

TimeScribe

• It is built for individual users; the vendor's FAQ recommends other tools for teams.
• All data is stored locally on the device, without a cloud or an account.
• There are apps for macOS and Windows only; no Linux, mobile or web version is listed.
• Help and feature requests go through GitHub issues and discussions.

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.

TimeScribe

Timer in the menu bar

Work and break tracking starts, pauses and stops with one click, and the timer can be controlled from the menu bar, including switching between projects.

Time balance and overtime

Day and week views show work patterns and whether you are ahead of or behind your hours, so overtime and missed time are visible at a glance.

Projects and hourly rates

Time is tracked per project with descriptions, and an optional hourly rate produces billing calculations for client work.

Absences and holidays

Vacation and sick days are planned and recorded separately from work, and public holidays can be included in the overview.

App activity and automatic start

Optional app tracking, off by default, shows which apps were used and sorts work from distractions. The timer can start and pause by itself based on screen time and idle status.

Exports, shortcuts and deep links

Times export as PDF, Excel or CSV. Custom keyboard shortcuts and timescribe:// links let tools such as Shortcuts, Alfred, Raycast or AutoHotkey start and stop the timer.

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.

TimeScribe

• Free$0

  Every feature on macOS and Windows, with no account, no premium plan and no paywall.

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.

TimeScribe

No public discounts listed.