Tim vs Tyme

Tim

• Mac users who want a timer that lives in the menu bar
• Freelancers who invoice clients from their tracked hours
• People who want time data kept on their own Mac with no account

Tyme

• Freelancers who work on a Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch
• Small teams that all use Apple devices
• German-speaking businesses that invoice with Lexware Office or sevdesk

Tim

• Tim is for Mac only, and the Mac App Store listing says the current version requires macOS 15 or later.
• The free version stops at 3 tasks and 6 tags and shows upgrade prompts.
• Data stays on the device it was recorded on; moving it to another Mac means importing a backup, which needs Pro.
• The website does not state the price of the direct-download Pro version; the listed prices are from the US Mac App Store.

Tyme

• Tyme runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch only; a web login is labelled beta and no Windows or Android app is listed.
• There is no free plan: after the 14-day trial or a canceled subscription the app becomes read-only.
• The website shows prices in the visitor's local currency; the dollar figures here are in-app purchase prices from the US App Store.
• Invoices are not made in Tyme itself but through plugins for tools such as GrandTotal, Lexware Office and FreshBooks.

Tim

Menu bar timer

The running time shows in the menu bar and the timer is controlled with keyboard shortcuts. Idle detection asks what to do with the time when you return.

Tasks, groups and tags

Tasks and their time records can be created and edited freely, grouped or tagged, and archived when they should stay on file but out of the main list and menu bar.

Charts and filters

Charts give a visual breakdown of hours, averages and revenue, and any view can be filtered by date range, by tag or by both.

Invoicing

Invoices are created from tracked time. Tim calculates totals from hourly rates, applies tax and payment terms, and exports a PDF to send to the client.

Exports and backups

Data exports to CSV, JSON, PDF or iCal, and a full export doubles as a backup. Pro adds automatic backups at a set interval and importing data on another Mac.

Automation

AppleScript, Shortcuts actions, Spotlight, deep links and x-callback-url can start and stop the timer and create tasks or records. A command-line export is possible through osascript.

Tyme

Timers and tracking modes

Timers start and stop from any app with global shortcuts, and several can run at once. Entries are kept either with start and end times or as one duration per task and day.

Location-based tracking

Up to 20 work locations can be set as geofences. A timer starts when you arrive and stops when you leave, with a minimum stay and a reverse mode.

Projects, budgets and costs

Projects and tasks carry hourly rates, planned time, budgets, due dates and a billable flag. Expenses, fixed costs, flat rates and mileage are tracked alongside time.

Timesheets and statistics

Customizable PDF timesheets and CSV or JSON exports cover working hours and breaks. Statistics show hours per day, workload, overtime and non-billable time.

Teams

Team admins create users, assign projects and tasks to each member, plan budgets and rates, and see the team's booked hours and remaining budget live.

Automation and API

More than 20 Apple Shortcuts actions, AppleScript, a developer API with webhooks, Zapier and n8n automate Tyme. Plugins send hours to invoicing tools.

Tim

• Free$0

  Most of Tim's features with up to 3 tasks and 6 tags, without automatic backups or data import.

• Pro: Monthly$4.99

  per month, US Mac App Store in-app purchase

  Unlimited tasks and tags, automatic backups, importing and transferring data, and no ads or upgrade prompts.

• Pro: Yearly$12.99

  per year, US Mac App Store in-app purchase

  The same Pro features paid once a year.

• Pro: Lifetime$24.99

  one-time, US Mac App Store in-app purchase

  Pro as a single purchase. Pro is also sold as a direct download from the website, where the price appears at checkout.

Tyme

• Monthly Plan (1 User)$6.99

  per month, US App Store in-app purchase

  One person on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, on up to 5 devices. Renews monthly and can be canceled at any time.

• Monthly Plan (teams)From $13.99

  per month for 2 users, US App Store in-app purchase

  Team plans on the US App Store listing: $13.99 for 2 users, $19.99 for 3, $24.99 for 4 and $39.99 for 6, each per month.

• Annual Plan (1 User)$59.99

  per year, US App Store in-app purchase

  The same single-user subscription paid once a year, which the website labels a 28% saving.

Tim

• Lifetime license

  Pro: Lifetime one-time purchase

  The US Mac App Store lists Pro: Lifetime at $24.99, a one-time alternative to the monthly and yearly subscriptions.

• Annual discount

  Yearly Pro costs far less than monthly

  The US Mac App Store lists Pro at $12.99 a year against $4.99 a month. Twelve monthly payments come to $59.88, so the yearly plan costs about 78% less.

• Education

  Student discount through Student App Centre

  Tim's help page says students can get a discount code from Student App Centre, which verifies student status. The amount is not stated.

Tyme

• Annual discount

  Save 28% with the annual plan

  Tyme's pricing page labels the annual plan "Save 28%". On the US App Store the single-user plan is $59.99 a year against $6.99 a month.