Timely

ALMOST

A weekend of work, and real gaps remain.

Automatic time tracking: a background app records which applications and documents you used, then proposes timesheet entries from that history.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Record activity locally, then propose entries from it.

STACK
- ActivityWatch for the recording, SQLite for the timesheet, one page for review

WHY NOT WRITE THE RECORDER
- ActivityWatch already tracks window titles and idle time on every platform, and keeps the data local

PROPOSING ENTRIES
- Group activity into blocks with gaps under five minutes
- Map window titles to projects with ordered rules; first match wins
- Anything unmatched goes to a review queue rather than being guessed

APPROVAL, WHICH IS THE PRIVACY LINE
- Nothing becomes a timesheet entry until a person approves it
- The raw activity never leaves the machine

ROUNDING
- Round on the invoice, never in the record. Keep the true minutes

Include the rules format, the block grouping and the review page.

What you lose

A background recorder across every device that captures what you worked on without you starting a timer
Suggestions that turn that raw activity into billable entries
A privacy model where the raw record stays yours until you approve an entry

If you would rather not build

Toggl Track, for manual timers
A text file with start and stop times, which many people prefer

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

ActivityWatch

Cross-platform automatic activity tracking that keeps data on your machine.

ActivityWatch/activitywatchfree · open source

Kimai

Self-hosted time tracking with projects, rates and invoicing.

kimai/kimaifree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

56/100

Verdict kinda at 56. ActivityWatch removes the hardest part; mapping window titles to projects well is what takes the weekend.

History

tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 days

Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.

Questions about Timely

answered from the record above

Is Timely free?

No — the plan we track is $11 a month. Starter at around $11 per user per month billed monthly, cheaper annually.

Can you replace Timely by building your own?

ALMOST. A weekend of work, and real gaps remain. Replacement score 56 out of 100, build time a weekend. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does Timely cost?

$11 a month on Starter — $132 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing Timely?

A background recorder across every device that captures what you worked on without you starting a timer; Suggestions that turn that raw activity into billable entries; A privacy model where the raw record stays yours until you approve an entry. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Timely?

Yes: ActivityWatch, Kimai. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

Related entries

same category first, most replaced first

All 12 in Time tracking & invoicing

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