The Tick Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Tick in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Tick
The Insider’s Guide
Time tracking against project budgets, priced by project count
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among time tracking apps, read from Tick’s own pages.
Made by Higher Pixels · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Tick’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Tick’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 8 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade
Tick is a time tracker built around budgets: each time entry is logged to a project and task, and the remaining hours in both budgets are shown as soon as it is saved. Reports break hours down by client or person and export to CSV or QuickBooks. Every plan allows unlimited people, and the price depends on how many open projects an account has, with one project free.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Tick, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Teams that bill from the tracker should look elsewhere.
- 1
Best for tracking hours against project budgets
Tick is time tracking built around budgets: save an entry and it shows how many hours are left on the project and the task.
- 2
Paid plans start at $19 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $19 per month for a team running 10 projects, unlimited users.
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, macOS, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 8 of 42
That is against the other time tracking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Tick you could make: time tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Tick at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $19 per month for a team running 10 projects, unlimited users
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Higher Pixels, since 2006
- Category
- Time Tracking
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for tracking hours against project budgets
Tick is time tracking built around budgets: save an entry and it shows how many hours are left on the project and the task. It's priced by open projects, not people, from $19 a month for 10. But it only counts hours, with no invoicing, no expenses and no dollar amounts, its own pricing page couldn't be read, and there's no Windows or Linux app. Teams that bill from the tracker should look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free 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. |
| Features | C | Three-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. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Tick is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Agencies tracking hours against fixed time budgets
- Growing teams that want pricing by project count, not headcount
- Teams that manage their projects in Basecamp
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$19
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Tick has a free plan. Paid plans start at $19 per month for a team running 10 projects, unlimited users.
These figures come from Tick's comparison pages, because its pricing page couldn't be read.
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.
The 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.
Trying it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from tickspot.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Time tracking against project budgets, priced by project count. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, time tracking, reports, menu bar app.
Three-step entry, several timers to switch between, and a time budget on every project and task with the hours left shown as you save.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Basecamp
- Trello
- Asana
- QuickBooks Online
- Zapier
- Metric.ai
Tick is made by Higher Pixels, and has been around since 2006.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/42
Other time tracking apps it is graded above
Tick's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 8 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 24 of 42) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $19 a month, against a middle price of $6.55 for the category: 34 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 14 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 43 time tracking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Tick’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 8 of 42
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 42
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 42
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 42
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 24 of 42
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 39 time tracking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Tick is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Tick you could make: time tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 24 of the 42 other time tracking apps grade higher. It costs $228 a year.
What you could make
- Time tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- Apps for macOS, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Basecamp, Trello and Asana among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Tick’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Harvest, Toggl, Noko, Everhour and Clockify
The 5 tools Tick is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Harvest
Free plan · from $9/mo
Time tracking that turns logged hours into client invoices.
- Only Harvest lists a Windows app.
- Tick also covers menu bar app.
- Harvest also covers invoicing.
- 3.0GPA
Toggl
Free plan · from $9/mo
Team time tracker with billing reports and capacity planning.
- Only Toggl lists a Windows app.
- Tick also covers reports and menu bar app.
- Toggl also covers tasks, kanban boards, Gantt & timelines and Pomodoro timer.
- 2.0GPA
Noko
Free trial · from $12/mo
Time tracking and invoicing for small agencies and consultants.
- Tick has a free plan. Noko does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tick lists an Android app.
- Only Tick lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
Everhour
Free plan · from $8.50/mo
Time tracking that sits inside Asana, Jira, Linear and Trello.
- Tick also covers menu bar app.
- Everhour also covers tasks and invoicing.
- 3.2GPA
Clockify
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
Team time tracker and timesheets with a free plan for 5 users.
- Only Clockify lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Tick also covers menu bar app.
- Clockify also covers Pomodoro timer and invoicing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Tick free?
Tick has a free plan. Free when tracking time toward a single project, with unlimited people.
How much does Tick cost?
Tick lists 5 plans. Free plan: $0.
What platforms does Tick work on?
Tick is available on Web, macOS, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does Tick have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Tick is listed for Web, macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Tick have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Tick is listed for Web, macOS, iOS and Android.
Is Tick open source?
Tick is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does Tick have an API?
Yes. Tick offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Tick integrate with?
Tick's listing names Basecamp, Trello, Asana, QuickBooks Online, Zapier and Metric.ai.
Does Tick have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
Who makes Tick?
Tick is made by Higher Pixels. It dates from 2006.
What are the alternatives to Tick?
The closest alternatives to Tick in our directory are Harvest, Toggl, Noko, Everhour and Clockify.
How does Tick compare with other time tracking apps?
Tick's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 8 of the 42 other time tracking apps we grade, and level with 10.
Is Tick good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Tick C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $19 a month, against a middle price of $6.55 for the category: 34 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Tick?
The plain part of Tick you could make: time tracking and reports. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Tick’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Tick's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-08.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Higher Pixels. Prices change, so check tickspot.com before you buy.
- tickspot.com/compare-toggl
- tickspot.com/compare-harvest
- tickspot.com
- tickspot.com/time-tracking-app
- tickspot.com/time-management-software
- tickspot.com/project-budget-tracking
- tickspot.com/time-reporting
- tickspot.com/api
- tickspot.com/help/11-charge-per-user
- tickspot.com/help/25-open-vs-closed-projects
- tickspot.com/help/48-cancel-your-tick-subscription
- tickspot.com/help/30-recurring-project
- tickspot.com/help/10-track-expenses
- tickspot.com/help/15-system-requirements
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Tick, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/tick
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Tick: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/tick
Know someone choosing between time tracking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/tick/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded time tracking apps after Tick, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Time Tracking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 43 time tracking apps we grade, compared
- Jibble Insider's GuideFree time clock and attendance tracker with GPS and face recognition3.4 GPA
- Clockify Insider's GuideTeam time tracker and timesheets with a free plan for 5 users3.2 GPA
- TimeCamp Insider's GuideTime tracking with attendance, billing and a free plan for any team3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Tick’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Tick is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Higher Pixels. Prices and plans change: check tickspot.com before you buy.