DeskTime
Hours
| Feature | DeskTime | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $7/mo | Free / from $7.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | managers, remote-teams, freelancers, agencies | freelancers, solopreneurs, ios-users, simple-tracking |
| Founded | 2011 | 2013 |
| Automatic Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Productivity Calculation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screenshots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Url Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Absence Calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Visual Timeline | ✗ | ✓ |
| Running Timers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reports | ✗ | ✓ |
| Export | ✗ | ✓ |
| Apple Watch | ✗ | ✓ |
| Widgets | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ DeskTime Pros
- Automatic productivity tracking
- Good free plan for individuals
- Screenshot monitoring option
- Detailed reports
✗ DeskTime Cons
- Can feel invasive to employees
- Limited project management features
- Desktop app required
✓ Hours Pros
- Beautiful design
- Visual timeline
- Simple to use
- Quick entry
✗ Hours Cons
- iOS only
- Limited features
- No team features
The Verdict
DeskTime is built for managers and remote teams, with a focus on automatic-tracking and productivity-calculation. Hours targets freelancers and solopreneurs and leads with visual-timeline and running-timers.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($7/mo for DeskTime, $7.99/mo for Hours), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for freelancers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.