Memtime vs Qbserve (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Memtime grades higher than Qbserve: 2.0 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
Memtime grades higher on platforms. Qbserve grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Memtime
Automatic desktop time tracker that keeps activity data offline
Which one is for you
Pick Memtime if
- Fits if you bill in short increments, the way lawyers and consultants do
- Works for teams that don't want activity data uploaded to a server
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you only want basic tracking, at $14 a user a month before any integrations
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because after the 14-day trial you need a subscription to log in
- Not for you if you work on two computers and want one timeline, as activity data doesn't sync between devices
- Tight if you need more than 2 integrations, call tracking or SSO, which all mean Premium at $29 a user
- Watch out: prices are listed in dollars, but checkout charges in euros and your card provider converts it
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
| 2.0GPAMemtimeFair | 1.8GPAQbserveWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DBasic is $14 a user a month billed annually, which puts it in the dearest tenth of this category, and it has no project software integrations at all. Those mean Connect at $21, which allows 2, or Premium at $29. A 2-year term brings Basic to $12. | 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 | CNo free plan. The 14-day trial needs no payment details and doesn't turn into a subscription on its own. But once it ends you need a subscription just to log in again. | CA 15-day trial. The listing doesn't say whether a card is needed, and there's no free plan. |
| Features | CBackground tracking, a timeline in intervals from 1 to 60 minutes, calendar sync and a built-in project platform. The gaps are in the listing: activity doesn't sync between your own computers, Basic connects to nothing, call tracking waits for Premium, and nothing here invoices. | 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. It's a desktop app that records by itself, but the actual work is yours: going back over the day as a timeline, a list or a week calendar and deciding what counts, every day. | 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 and Linux for tracking, plus a web project platform you can open on a phone, though there's no phone app as such. There are 100+ integrations, Jira, Asana, ClickUp, Xero and Clio among them, but only on Connect and Premium. | 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 that never leaves your computer | 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: Memtime and Qbserve. How we grade
Where they differ
- Qbserve can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Memtime also covers tasks.
- Qbserve also covers invoicing and menu bar app.
At a glance
| Memtime | Qbserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $14 per user / month, billed annually ($12 on a 2-year term) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no payment details needed; it does not convert into a subscription | 15-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | memtime GmbH | QotoQot |
| Price read from | memtime.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Memtime
- There is no free plan; after the 14-day trial a subscription is needed to log in again.
- Automatic tracking runs only on Windows, macOS and Linux, and activity data does not sync between devices.
- Basic has no project software integrations, Connect allows 2, and SSO and call tracking need Premium.
- Dollar prices are listed, but the vendor says checkout shows the amount in euros and the card provider converts it.
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
Memtime
- Automatic activity timeline
- The app runs in the background and records time spent in programs. A day can be reviewed as a timeline, a list or a week calendar, in intervals from 1 to 60 minutes.
- Activity data stays on the device
- Captured activity is stored only on the user's computer and is not uploaded or synced. Only the time entries a user creates are shared with a team or an integration.
- Calendar sync
- Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, the macOS Calendar app, iCloud and other CalDAV calendars show appointments beside tracked activity, on every plan.
- Memtime Projects
- A built-in web-based project platform for creating projects and tasks, inviting users with roles and reviewing team time entries from any device, including a phone.
- Project software integrations
- Connect and Premium import project structures from tools such as Jira, Asana, ClickUp and QuickBooks and send time entries back in a two-way sync.
- Phone call tracking
- Premium adds iPhone and Mac call history and call system integrations such as RingCentral and Zoom, so calls appear in the timeline.
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
Memtime
Basic$14
per user / month, billed annually ($18 quarterly, $12 two-yearly)
Automatic and away-time tracking, calendar integrations, custom reports and the built-in project platform. No project software integrations.
Connect$21
per user / month, billed annually ($26 quarterly, $18 two-yearly)
Adds two-way sync of projects and time entries with up to 2 of the 100+ software integrations. Custom integrations on request.
Premium$29
per user / month, billed annually ($35 quarterly, $23 two-yearly)
Unlimited integrations, phone call tracking and call system integrations, Google SSO, Entra ID, SAML and priority support.
EnterpriseCustom
For teams of 50 or more seats: custom integrations, SCIM provisioning, SAML and SSO, and a team trial with onboarding.
Qbserve
Pricing could not be confirmed. See qotoqot.com.
Ways to pay less
Memtime
- Annual discount
Lower price on annual and 2-year terms
The pricing page labels annual billing "Save up to 20%" and 2-yearly "Save up to 33%" against quarterly: Basic is $18 quarterly, $14 annually and $12 on a 2-year term.
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, Memtime or Qbserve?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Memtime starts at $14 per user / month, billed annually ($12 on a 2-year term), and Qbserve has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Memtime or Qbserve?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Memtime nor Qbserve has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Memtime and Qbserve run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Memtime lists a web app and Windows and Linux 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.