DeskTime
Timely
| Feature | DeskTime | Timely |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $7/mo | From $11/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | managers, remote-teams, freelancers, agencies | consultants, agencies, freelancers, remote-teams |
| Founded | 2011 | 2014 |
| Automatic Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Productivity Calculation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screenshots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Url Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Absence Calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Memory Timeline | ✗ | ✓ |
| Project Budgets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team Dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Billable Hours | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Timely Pros
- Fully automatic time capture
- Beautiful interface
- Memory timeline feature
- Privacy-focused
✗ Timely Cons
- No free plan
- AI capture needs training period
- Mobile tracking less reliable
The Verdict
DeskTime is built for managers and remote teams, with a focus on automatic-tracking and productivity-calculation. Timely targets consultants and agencies and leads with automatic-tracking and memory-timeline.
Pricing is close: DeskTime starts at $7/mo versus $11/mo for Timely — not a deciding factor on its own.
DeskTime has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Timely requires a paid subscription from day one.
Both tools are a solid fit for remote teams, freelancers, agencies — 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.