Timebutler vs timr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, timr grades higher than Timebutler: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
timr grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Timebutler
German time tracking and leave planning with a flat team price
timr
Working time, project time and mileage tracking for companies
Which one is for you
Pick Timebutler if
- Fits if you run a German team and need leave and overtime balances
- Makes sense if you want a flat price for the whole team
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need English prices, since the pricing page is German
- Not for you if you work outside German law, as time rules are built around it
- Tight if you grow past 200 people, which means an individual quote
- Watch out: after a term ends unrenewed the account is frozen, viewable but not editable, and prices exclude VAT
Pick timr if
- Fits if you want to try it as one person on the free plan
- Works for small firms that want time, projects and mileage in one tool
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want more than one function on the free plan
- Pricey if you need overtime accounts, at EUR 21.60 each
- Watch out: admins need a full paid licence even if they don't track time
- Watch out: it doesn't renew automatically, so you pay in advance for a set term, and prices are in euros only
How we grade them
| 2.2GPATimebutlerFair | 2.4GPAtimrFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C€29.95 a month for the whole team of up to 5, about €6 a head, excluding VAT. €59.95 up to 35 people. | CEUR 7.20 per user a month billed annually, against a category middle of $6.99. Overtime accounts cost EUR 21.60 each, and workflows EUR 17.10. |
| Free plan and trial | C6 weeks free for the whole team with no card, then it ends. No free plan. | BA free plan for 1 user with one function of working time, project time or a drive log, with limits. There is also a 14-day trial with no card. |
| Features | CTime clock, leave, overtime, shifts, personnel files and a DATEV file export. Aimed at German rules, and DATEV is a file, not a sync. | CWorking time, absences, projects, a mileage log, an attendance board and an API. But overtime and surcharge accounts, workflows and capping are paid extras. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. The pricing page is in German, and rules and calendars need setting up. | CNo store rating on record. It has several modules to switch on. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android, with an API and DATEV export. No desktop app. | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps and a kiosk, with Personio and Slack and an API. No desktop app. |
| Best for | German-law time tracking and leave planning | freelancers and small firms tracking time and mileage |
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: Timebutler and timr. How we grade
Price against what you get
Timebutler starts at about $33.46 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. timr starts at about $8.04 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and timr starts $25.42 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 41 score higher than Timebutler for less, and 28 score higher than timr 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
- Timebutler also covers shift scheduling and employee records.
At a glance
| Timebutler | timr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | €29.95 per month for the whole team of up to 5 people, excl. VAT | €7.20 per user / month, billed annually (€8 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Free plan for 1 user with one function of your choice: working time, project time or drive log, each with limits. |
| Free trial | 6 weeks free for the whole team, no card needed; ends by itself | 14-day free trial of all features, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Timebutler GmbH | troii Software GmbH |
| Price read from | timebutler.de | timr.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Timebutler
- Pricing is in euros, excludes VAT, and the pricing page is in German; the free period is a 6-week trial, not a free plan.
- Prices cover the whole team by user count, and teams over 200 people get an individual quote.
- Time rules are built around German working-time law, and direct debit is offered only in Germany.
- After the term ends without renewal the account is frozen: data stays viewable and downloadable but cannot be changed.
timr
- Prices are listed in euros only; no dollar prices are shown.
- Overtime and surcharge accounts cost €21.60 per account; workflows and permissions, and automatic capping, €17.10 each.
- Admins need a full paid license even if they do not record time.
- timr does not renew automatically; you pay in advance for a term of 1, 3 or 6 months or longer.
Key features
Timebutler
- Time recording
- Staff clock in with a virtual time clock in the browser, enter hours by hand or punch in at a shared tablet or terminal.
- Vacation and absence planning
- A color-coded team calendar shows who is away, with leave limits, request approval and sick-note handling.
- Overtime accounts
- Tracks each person's overtime balance, with Excel export and an API to sync the data to other systems.
- Shift planning
- A weekly calendar shows who works when and which shifts still have gaps.
- Digital personnel file
- Stores employee records and uploaded documents, with custom fields you define yourself.
- DATEV export
- Exports hours and absences as a DATEV ASCII file for import, for example into DATEV LODAS. It is a file export, not a live sync.
timr
- Working time recording
- Working time types and models, automatic breaks, time accounts, flexitime and monthly closing with export.
- Vacation and absence management
- Absence types with a request function, vacation accounts, substitute management, holiday calendars and an absence calendar.
- Project time tracking
- Project and task structures with task permissions, approval and invoicing of project times, and location-based task suggestions.
- Mileage log
- Manual or automatic drive log for tax purposes, with vehicle management and GPS position detection in the app.
- Apps and kiosk
- iPhone and Android apps with offline use and GPS, plus a kiosk app for Android tablets where a crew clocks in and out.
- Control and reporting
- Recording rights, a change history, geofencing, reports and exports, a live attendance board and an API.
Plans
Timebutler
Up to 5 people€29.95
per month for up to 5 people, excl. VAT
One price for the whole team, with every feature included.
6 to 35 people€59.95
per month for up to 35 people, excl. VAT
One price for the whole team, with every feature included.
36 to 200 people€59.95
per month, plus €1.39 per person above 35, excl. VAT
Base price for 35 people plus €1.39 a month for each additional person; 50 people costs €80.80.
Over 200 peopleCustom
Individual quote for teams larger than 200; sold through sales.
timr
Free Plan€0
1 user, one function: working time (2 working time types), project time (5 active tasks) or drive log (1 vehicle, 2 categories).
Regular€7.20
per user / month, billed annually (€8 billed monthly)
Working time, vacation and absences, project time, mileage log, live attendance board, API and SSO, with phone, email and chat support.
Ways to pay less
Timebutler
No public discounts listed.
timr
- Annual discount
Lower per-user rate with annual payment
The pricing calculator shows €7.20 per user with annual payment against a standard €8 rate; volume discounts apply from 20 users on request.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Timebutler or timr?
As of Nov 13, 2026, timr is cheaper to start with: about $8.04 a month for each person, against about $33.46 a month for each person for Timebutler. Timebutler starts at €29.95 per month for the whole team of up to 5 people, excl. VAT, and timr starts at €7.20 per user / month, billed annually (€8 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Timebutler or timr?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only timr has a free plan. Timebutler does not, though it has a free trial.
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.