Tyme vs Toggl: Which Is Better for a Solo Freelancer in 2026?

Toggl is the safer pick for most solo freelancers if you use Windows or Android, want a free plan to start, or need billable rates and reports. Tyme wins if you work only on Apple devices and want invoicing through plugins like GrandTotal for $59.99 a year. Dayflow, our app, is a free automatic record of your day, not a billing tool.

Tyme is a paid, Apple-only timer with plugins for invoicing, expenses and mileage. Toggl (formerly Toggl Track) runs on every major platform, has a free plan, and puts billable rates and client reports behind its paid tiers. Our Toggl for Mac comparison covers it in more depth.

Dayflow, the third option in this article, is our product. It is a free, open-source Mac app that records your screen and has AI write your day into a timeline. It is not a billing tool, and this article says so where that matters. The method is a comparison of vendor documentation: competitor details come from each vendor’s own pages as read on October 4, 2026, and Dayflow details come from version 2.2.0.

Quick comparison

Tool	Best for	How it tracks	Price	Platforms
Tyme	Freelancers who work only on Apple devices and want invoicing plugins, expenses and mileage	Manual start and stop timers from the app, shortcuts or Apple Watch, plus geofence clock in and out with automatic break recording	$4.99 / month per user ($59.99 annual payment) or $6.99 / month per user billed monthly. No free tier, 14-day trial	Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Web (beta)
Toggl (formerly Toggl Track)	Freelancers on mixed devices who need billable rates and client reports	Manual and real-time timers, timesheets, calendar integrations, plus automated background tracking and a timeline in the desktop app	Free for up to 3 users. Starter $9 per user per month billed annually or $12 billed monthly. Premium $16 billed annually or $24 billed monthly	Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, browser extensions
Dayflow (ours)	Remembering what you actually worked on, without starting timers	Records the screen and has AI write a timeline of the day	$0, MIT licensed. Optional Pro plan at $20 a month	Mac only, macOS 14 or later

Key takeaways

• Cheapest paid option: Tyme’s annual plan at $59.99 a year costs less than Toggl Starter billed annually ($108 a year).
• Cheapest overall: Toggl’s Free plan costs nothing, but billable rates require a paid plan. Tyme has no free tier at all.
• Platforms decide a lot: Tyme is Apple only, with its web version in beta. Toggl covers Windows, Android and browsers too.
• Invoicing: Tyme names invoicing plugins (GrandTotal, Lexware, sevdesk). Toggl’s strength is billable rates and profitability reporting.
• Neither is a full automatic record. Both are built around timers. Dayflow fills that gap but has no invoicing, billable rates or team reports.

What Tyme does better

It stays inside the Apple world. Tyme runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. If you start a timer from your wrist when you sit down with a client, or flip one on from a shortcut, Tyme is designed for exactly that. The web version is still marked beta, so treat the Apple apps as the real product.

It clocks you in by location. Tyme lists geofence-based clock in and out, with automatic break recording. For a freelancer who works on-site at a client’s office some days, this removes the “I forgot to start the timer when I walked in” problem for that specific case. It does not watch what you do at your desk.

It handles the money side around the hours. Tyme lists expense tracking and mileage tracking, plus invoicing plugins such as GrandTotal, Lexware and sevdesk. If you already invoice through one of those, Tyme slots in as the hour source.

It costs less once you pay. At $59.99 a year, Tyme’s annual plan is the cheapest paid plan in this comparison. Monthly billing is $6.99 a month.

It connects to AI assistants, lightly. Tyme lists an MCP Server for connecting AI assistants. The pages read describe no built-in AI features.

What Toggl does better

It runs everywhere. Toggl lists Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and browser extensions. If you own a Windows laptop, an Android phone, or work on a client’s machine through a browser, Toggl follows you. Tyme cannot.

It has a real free plan. Toggl’s Free plan is described as free forever for up to 3 users, with timers, focus mode, calendar integrations, tasks and boards. A freelancer who just wants to see hours by project can start here and pay nothing.

It is built around billable work. Toggl lists billable rates and team reports as core strengths, with timesheet approvals and profitability reports on Premium. For a solo freelancer, profitability reports answer “which client actually pays well per hour”, which is the question most timers never get to. Our real hourly rate calculator does a rough version of that math if you want to check before paying.

It has more automation built in. Toggl lists automated background tracking and a timeline in the desktop app, plus calendar integrations. It states it does not take screenshots or record keystrokes. This is still a timer-first product, but it gives you more to work with when you forget to press start.

It has built-in AI. Toggl AI answers natural-language questions about your workspace data and helps with admin tasks. Toggl also lists an MCP server and an AI Task Creator.

It plans as well as tracks. Toggl now presents itself as one product combining time tracking with planning: timelines, tasks and capacity management. The older Toggl Track and Toggl Plan are described as legacy products still available to existing users. If you juggle several client projects, the planning side is a real addition.

It connects to project tools. Jira and Asana integrations are listed on Premium. That is useful if a client runs work through either one.

Head-to-head table

Capability	Tyme	Toggl	Dayflow (ours)
Automatic capture	No automatic app or window capture listed. Geofence clock in and out	Automated background tracking and a desktop timeline listed. No screenshots or keystrokes	Yes. Records the screen and builds a timeline with AI
Timers	Yes, from app, shortcuts or Apple Watch	Yes, manual and real-time, plus timesheets	No timers
Invoicing	Through plugins (GrandTotal, Lexware, sevdesk)	Billable rates on paid plans. For invoicing, see the vendor’s pricing page	No
Expenses and mileage	Yes	Not listed. See the vendor’s pricing page	No
Team reports	Team mode with admin and member roles	Team reports. Timesheet approvals and profitability reports on Premium	No
Website blocking	Not listed	Not listed. Free plan includes focus mode	No
AI	MCP Server for AI assistants. No built-in AI described	Toggl AI, MCP server, AI Task Creator	AI writes the daily timeline
Data location	Cloud sync across devices. Backend not described	Cloud web service synced across apps	Recordings and timeline stored on your Mac. Analysis local or cloud by mode
Free tier	None. 14-day trial	Free forever for up to 3 users. 30-day trial on paid plans	$0. Optional Pro at $20 a month
Platforms	Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Web (beta)	Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, browser extensions	Mac only, macOS 14+
Open source	No	No	Yes, MIT

On data location for Dayflow: the full recordings and timeline stay on your Mac. With Local AI, screenshot analysis also stays on-device through Ollama or LM Studio. If you choose your own cloud provider or Dayflow Pro, selected screenshots are processed off-device. Under the privacy policy, Pro deletes screenshots after processing and may keep Activity Data for sync. The details are on our local and cloud processing page.

Pricing compared: what does a solo freelancer pay per year?

Plan	Billing	Listed price	Cost for one person per year
Tyme Annual	Annual	$4.99 / month per user ($59.99 annual payment)	$59.99
Tyme Monthly	Monthly	$6.99 / month per user	$83.88
Toggl Free	None	$0, free for up to 3 users	$0
Toggl Starter	Annual	$9 per user per month	$108
Toggl Starter	Monthly	$12 per user per month	$144
Toggl Premium	Annual	$16 per user per month	$192
Toggl Premium	Monthly	$24 per user per month	$288
Toggl Enterprise	Contact vendor	See the vendor’s pricing page	Not listed
Dayflow	None	$0	$0
Dayflow Pro	Monthly	$20 a month	$240

The job here is tracking client hours you will bill, so the cheapest plan that fits needs some way to attach money to time.

On Tyme, that is the annual plan at $59.99 a year, since every Tyme plan is paid. Invoicing runs through a plugin such as GrandTotal, which is a separate product, so check its price on its own site before you add it up.

On Toggl, billable rates require a paid plan, which makes Starter billed annually the cheapest fit at $108 a year. That is $48.01 more per year than Tyme’s annual plan. If you want profitability reports, Premium billed annually costs $192 a year. If you only need to see hours by project and do your own rate math in a spreadsheet, Toggl Free costs nothing.

Dayflow costs $0 for the app. If you use your own cloud AI provider, that provider bills you separately. Pro is $20 a month, or $240 over a year, and it does not add billing features. Our pricing page has the details.

When to choose Tyme over Toggl?

• Every device you work on is a Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch, and that will not change.
• You already invoice through GrandTotal, Lexware or sevdesk and want hours to flow into it.
• You log expenses and mileage for clients and want them next to your hours.
• You work on-site some days and want geofence clock in and out.
• You want the cheapest paid plan here and can commit to a year at $59.99.

When to choose Toggl over Tyme?

• You use Windows, Android or a browser on someone else’s machine, even occasionally.
• You want to start free and only pay once billable rates matter.
• You want reports that show which clients and projects earn the most per hour, which is Premium territory.
• You plan work across several clients and want tasks, timelines and capacity in the same app.
• A client uses Jira or Asana and you want time tied to their tickets (Premium).
• You want an AI that answers questions about your tracked data inside the app.

For a broader look at Toggl against its closest free rival, see Toggl vs Clockify. If you want more freelancer-focused options before deciding, our freelancer roundup covers them.

Where both fall short: what happens when you forget the timer?

Both tools assume you remember to track. Tyme lists no automatic app or window capture. Toggl lists automated background tracking and a desktop timeline, but its own positioning is still timers, timesheets and manual entry. Neither gives you a full record of what was actually on screen at 3:40 on Tuesday.

For a freelancer, that gap has a cost. The hour you forgot to log is an hour you do not bill. The morning you spent switching between three clients’ Slack channels ends up as one vague entry, or none.

This is the job Dayflow covers. It records your screen and has AI write the day into a timeline, so you can look back at what you worked on without having started anything. You can export a date range as Markdown from Settings, then copy the hours into Tyme or Toggl. We walk through that in building a Mac timesheet without manual entry and exporting your work history.

Two caveats. Dayflow does not bill, so it does not replace either tool here. And AI summaries can miss or misread work, so check the timeline before you put hours on an invoice.

If what you want is an automatic tracker that also handles billing, look beyond these two. Our roundup of Mac time trackers covers tools built around automatic capture.

Where Dayflow is the wrong pick

Dayflow is the wrong choice whenever the job is billing, and for a solo freelancer that is often the main job.

• You need invoices. Dayflow does not create invoices. Tyme, with a plugin such as GrandTotal, is the better pick.
• You need billable rates or profitability reports. Dayflow has neither. Toggl wins here, with billable rates on paid plans and profitability reports on Premium.
• You need to share reports with a client or teammate. Dayflow has no team reports. Toggl is built for that.
• You track expenses or mileage. Tyme lists both. Dayflow has neither.
• You work on Windows or Android. Dayflow is Mac only and needs macOS 14 or later. Toggl covers those platforms.
• You want to start a timer from your wrist or phone. Tyme on Apple Watch and iPhone does this. Dayflow has no timers.
• You want website blocking to stay focused. Dayflow does not block websites, and neither tool here lists it.
• You do not want anything recording your screen. That is a reasonable line to draw. Toggl states it takes no screenshots and records no keystrokes, and Tyme is a timer. If you are weighing the privacy side, our post on whether Dayflow is safe explains what is stored where.

The bottom line: is Tyme or Toggl better for a solo freelancer?

For most solo freelancers, Toggl is the safer default. It runs on every platform, you can start on the Free plan, and once billing matters, Starter at $108 a year adds billable rates. Move to Premium if you want profitability reports.

Choose Tyme if your whole working life is on Apple devices and you invoice through GrandTotal, Lexware or sevdesk. It is the cheapest paid plan here at $59.99 a year, and its expense, mileage and geofence features suit freelancers who move between locations.

Neither tool remembers your day for you. If forgotten timers are costing you billable hours, Dayflow, our free Mac app, can sit alongside either one as the automatic record you check before you fill in your hours. It will not send an invoice, so keep Tyme or Toggl for that.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tyme better than Toggl for freelancers?

It depends on your devices and how you bill. Tyme suits a freelancer who works only on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch and wants invoicing through plugins such as GrandTotal, Lexware or sevdesk. Toggl suits a freelancer who also uses Windows, Android or a browser, wants a free plan to start, or needs billable rates and profitability reports on a paid plan.

Does Tyme have a free plan?

No. Tyme has no free tier. It offers a 14-day trial, then costs $4.99 a month per user billed as a $59.99 annual payment, or $6.99 a month per user billed monthly. Prices were read on Tyme's pricing page on October 4, 2026, with a US locale for one user, so check the vendor's page for your region before you subscribe.

Is Toggl free for one person?

Yes. Toggl has a Free plan described as free forever for up to 3 users, with timers, focus mode, calendar integrations, tasks and boards. The catch for freelancers is that billable rates require a paid plan. The cheapest paid tier, Starter, is $9 per user per month billed annually or $12 billed monthly, and paid plans come with a 30-day trial.

Can Tyme or Toggl create invoices?

Tyme connects to invoicing through plugins, with GrandTotal, Lexware and sevdesk named on its site. Toggl's pages we read focus on billable rates, team reports and profitability reports rather than built-in invoices, so see Toggl's pricing page for current invoicing details. Dayflow does not create invoices at all, so pair it with a billing tool if you need one.

Does Tyme work on Windows?

No. Tyme runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with a web version listed as beta. If you or a client need a Windows or Android app, Toggl is the better choice, since it lists Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and browser extensions. Dayflow is Mac only and requires macOS 14 or later, so it does not help there either.

Does Toggl track time automatically?

Partly. Toggl lists automated background tracking and a timeline in its desktop app, alongside manual timers, timesheets and calendar integrations. It states that it does not take screenshots or record keystrokes. Its core workflow is still timer and manual entry, so it is not a full automatic record of your day. Tyme lists no automatic app or window capture, only timers and geofence clock in and out.

Is Dayflow better than Toggl for billing clients?

No. For billing clients, Toggl beats Dayflow. Toggl offers billable rates on paid plans, reports you can organize by client and project, and apps on every major platform. Dayflow has no invoicing, no billable rates and no team reports. It records your screen and has AI write a timeline of your day, which helps you remember work, not bill it.

Is Dayflow really free?

The app is $0 and MIT licensed. You can run AI analysis locally through Ollama or LM Studio on your own Mac, or send selected screenshots to a cloud provider you configure, which bills you under its own terms. An optional Dayflow Pro plan at $20 a month manages cloud analysis for you. Dayflow requires macOS 14 or later.

Where is my data stored in Tyme and Toggl?

Both are cloud services. Tyme says its plans include access across all your devices, always in sync, but the pages we read do not say whether that runs on iCloud or Tyme's own servers. Toggl is a web service whose data syncs across web, desktop and mobile apps. Dayflow stores its recordings and timeline on your Mac, with analysis local or in the cloud depending on the mode you pick.

Can I use Dayflow alongside Tyme or Toggl?

They do different jobs, so they can sit side by side. Tyme or Toggl hold your timers, rates and client records. Dayflow keeps an automatic timeline of what was on your screen, which helps when you forgot to start a timer. You can export a date range from Dayflow as Markdown in Settings, then copy the hours you need into your tracker.