DeskTime
Tally
| Feature | DeskTime | Tally |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $7/mo | Free / from $29/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Best For | managers, remote-teams, freelancers, agencies | startups, freelancers, no-code-builders, researchers |
| Founded | 2011 | 2020 |
| Automatic Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Productivity Calculation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screenshots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Url Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Absence Calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Form Builder | ✗ | ✓ |
| Conditional Logic | ✗ | ✓ |
| Payments | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Uploads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Domains | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calculations | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Tally Pros
- Unlimited forms and responses on free plan
- Document-style editor (no drag-and-drop complexity)
- Built-in payment collection via Stripe
- Conditional logic and calculations included free
✗ Tally Cons
- Less design customization than Typeform
- Pro plan needed for custom domains and file uploads
- Limited reporting and analytics built-in
The Verdict
DeskTime is built for managers and remote teams, with a focus on automatic-tracking and productivity-calculation. Tally targets startups and freelancers and leads with form-builder and conditional-logic.
On pricing, DeskTime is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $7/mo compared to $29/mo for Tally. That $22/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Tally edges out on user ratings (4.7 vs 4.3). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Tally offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while DeskTime takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
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.
Bottom line: Tally has a slight overall edge — but if automatic productivity tracking matters most to you, DeskTime may still be the right call.