Tick vs Timestamp (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Tick and Timestamp share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan, and Timestamp starts cheaper, at about $6.70 a month against $19 a month.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Tick grades higher on platforms. Timestamp grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Tick
Time tracking against project budgets, priced by project count
Timestamp
Timesheets, expenses and invoices charged per active user
Which one is for you
Pick Tick if
- Fits if you're an agency with fixed hour budgets and want to see them shrink as you log
- Works for teams whose projects live in Basecamp, as Tick imports them and turns to-dos into tasks
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want invoices from the same tool, because Tick sends time to QuickBooks Online for that
- Pricey if you're one freelancer with a few clients, at $19 a month once you pass a single open project
- Not for you if you budget in money or track expenses, as Tick only works in hours
- Watch out: these prices come from Tick's comparison pages, which give no plan names or exact project limits; its pricing page couldn't be read
- Not for you if you work on Windows or Linux, as the only desktop app listed is for the Mac menu bar
Pick Timestamp if
- Fits if you are a freelancer who needs hours and invoices in one place
- Works for a small team paying a flat price per 10 or 30 users
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have more than 4 projects, as the free plan stops there
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as none is named
- Watch out: prices are in pounds and teams over 30 have to get in touch
- Watch out: other integrations are marked as coming soon
How we grade them
| 2.4GPATickFair | 2.4GPATimestampFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$19 a month covers a team running 10 projects with unlimited users, which is $1.90 a head split ten ways and dear for one freelancer. It climbs to $49 for 30 projects and $149 for 100. These figures come from Tick's comparison pages, because its pricing page couldn't be read. | CSolo is £5 a month for one user, close to the middle of time tracking at $6.67, with a free plan for one user alongside. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree if you're tracking toward a single open project, with unlimited people on it. One project is a limit you'll hit on day one unless you really do have one client. Past that there's a 30-day trial with no credit card. | BFree plan for 1 user with 4 projects, invoices and expenses, which one freelancer could live on. |
| Features | CThree-step entry, several timers to switch between, and a time budget on every project and task with the hours left shown as you save. The gaps are its own: no invoicing, no expenses, and the help center says it doesn't work in dollar amounts at all. | CTime, expenses, invoices and profitability, but integrations are limited to five add-ons with others marked as coming soon. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Logging is three steps, pick a project, pick a task, type the hours, and the budget updates without a report. Somebody still builds out the clients, projects, tasks and budgets first. | CNo store rating on record. Clients, projects and rates have to be set up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, iOS, Android, a Mac menu bar app and a browser extension, with timers on a watch too. There's an API, plus Basecamp, Trello, Asana, QuickBooks Online and Zapier. No Windows or Linux desktop app is listed. | BWeb only on every device, with 5 integrations on record and no phone app named. |
| Best for | tracking hours against project budgets | a free timesheet and invoice tool for one person |
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: Tick and Timestamp. How we grade
Price against what you get
Tick starts at $19 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Timestamp starts at about $6.70 a month and scores 2.3.
Tick scores higher, and starts $12.30 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 16 score higher than Tick for less, and 18 score higher than Timestamp 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
- Tick also covers menu bar app.
- Timestamp also covers tasks, invoicing and expense tracking.
At a glance
| Tick | Timestamp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19 per month for a team running 10 projects, unlimited users | £5 per month for 1 user |
| Free plan | Free when tracking time toward a single project, with unlimited people. An account downgraded to the Free plan must first close its other open projects. | Free plan for 1 user: 4 projects, with invoices and expenses. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Higher Pixels | Red Sequence |
| Price read from | tickspot.com | timestamp.io |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Tick
- Tick's pricing page is behind a bot check and was not read; prices here come from its comparison pages, which give no plan names or exact project limits.
- Tick tracks time budgets only: the help center says it does not track expenses or work with dollar amounts.
- There is no built-in invoicing; time and billable rates are pushed to QuickBooks Online to create invoices there.
- A Mac menu bar app is listed, but no Windows or Linux desktop app.
Timestamp
- The free plan covers 1 user and 4 projects.
- Prices are in pounds sterling and the page names no mobile app; it describes a web app that works on all devices.
- Integrations are limited to the five add-ons listed; others are marked as coming soon.
Key features
Tick
- Timecard
- Entering time takes three steps: pick a project, organized by client, pick a task, and enter the hours. Notes can be added to each entry.
- Running timers
- Start one timer or switch between several as you move between tasks, then save the time from the timer. Timers run on phone, watch, desktop and browser.
- Budget feedback on every entry
- Projects and individual tasks each carry a time budget. After an entry is saved, Tick shows how many hours remain in both, without running a report.
- Recurring projects
- A monthly project such as a retainer can be set to recur: it closes at the end of the month and a new one opens. The help center marks this as available on select plans.
- Reports and exports
- Reports show hours by client or by person for a week, month or custom period, expand to individual entries, and export as CSV or to QuickBooks.
- Basecamp integration
- Imports projects from a Basecamp account, creates tasks from Basecamp to-dos automatically, and lets people track time inside Basecamp 2 or 3.
Timestamp
- Time and expense tracking
- Simple timesheets and expense entries for staff, including contractors and temporary workers, against clients, projects and tasks.
- Project profitability
- Track cost, revenue and profitability in real time for each project, and review what the team has logged.
- Invoices
- Create invoices from tracked time and expenses; the Xero add-on imports contacts and users and lets you create invoices in Timestamp.
- Single sign-on
- Import users and sign in with existing Office 365 or Google Apps credentials through the add-ons.
- Active-user billing
- Only users who log time or expenses in a billing cycle are charged, with a 10% discount for a fixed user count paid yearly.
Plans
Tick
Free plan$0
Tracking time toward a single open project, with unlimited people.
10 open projects$19
per month, unlimited users
The price Tick's comparison pages quote for a team running 10 projects, whether it has 10 people or 30.
30 open projects$49
per month, unlimited users
The price Tick's comparison pages quote for a team running 30 projects.
50 open projects$79
per month, unlimited users
The price Tick's comparison pages quote for a team of 50 people running 50 projects.
100 open projects$149
per month, unlimited users
The price Tick's comparison pages quote for a team of 100 people running 100 projects.
Timestamp
Free£0
per month for 1 user
1 user, 4 projects, invoices and expenses.
Solo£5
per month for 1 user
Unlimited clients, projects, tasks, time entries, expenses and invoices, plus external users and add-on importing.
Startup£50
per month for 10 active users
Same features as Solo for 10 users; the page says plans are representative and a slider works out the exact monthly cost.
Business£150
per month for 30 active users
Same features for 30 users. Teams of more than 30 are asked to get in touch.
Ways to pay less
Tick
No public discounts listed.
Timestamp
- Annual discount
10% off for yearly payment
Timestamp offers a 10% discount if you choose a fixed user count and pay yearly.
- Nonprofit
25% off for charities and non-profits
Timestamp says it gives charities and non-profit organizations a 25% discount.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Tick or Timestamp?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Timestamp is cheaper to start with: about $6.70 a month, against $19 a month for Tick. Tick starts at $19 per month for a team running 10 projects, unlimited users, and Timestamp starts at £5 per month for 1 user.
Which has a free plan, Tick or Timestamp?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Tick and Timestamp have a free plan.
Which platforms do Tick and Timestamp run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Tick lists macOS, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web 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.