Comparison
The best Timely alternatives in 2026
Timely's "Memory" pioneered AI-assisted automatic tracking - but it is subscription-only, cloud-based, and increasingly team-oriented. Here are the honest alternatives, including where Timely still wins.
Timely records what you work on into a private "Memory" timeline, then uses AI to help you turn it into time entries - a genuinely good idea. People go looking for an alternative for three usual reasons: price (no free tier; individual plans from roughly $9-11/month annual, rising steeply for teams), the cloud (your activity memory is processed and stored on Timely's servers), and the drift toward teams (budgets, approval flows, and per-seat pricing matter more to Timely's roadmap than personal reflection does).
If what drew you to Timely was the automatic memory of your day, Dayflow is that idea taken to its logical end: fully automatic, AI-written, 100% local, and free - the only Mac tracker with all four at once.
Quick comparison
| App | Price | Automatic | AI summaries | Data stays local | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayflow | $0 (Pro optional, $16/mo annual) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (MIT) | Mac |
| Timely | From ~$9-11/mo annual, no free tier | Yes (Memory) | Entry drafting | No (cloud) | No | Mac, Windows, web |
| Timing | From ~$10/mo | Yes | No | Cloud sync | No | Mac |
| Memtime | From ~€10/mo (2-year rate) | Yes | No | Yes | No | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| ActivityWatch | $0 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Mac, Windows, Linux |
1. Dayflow - the Memory idea, local and free
Dayflow
$0, MIT license · optional Pro $16/mo annualBest for personal awarenessDayflow records your screen at one frame every 10 seconds and has AI write a readable timeline and daily summary of where your time actually went - which is Timely's Memory concept, except the record is in sentences ("Implementing OAuth token refresh, 9:04-9:48"), it never leaves your Mac, and it costs nothing. It is a native app using ~100MB of RAM and under 1% CPU, open source with 6,600+ GitHub stars. The honest cons: Mac-only, no invoicing or team features, and no distraction blocking.
2. Timing - if what you liked was the reporting
Timing
From ~$10/mo, 30-day trialBest Mac-native reportsTiming automatically records apps, documents, and websites on the Mac and lets you assemble them into projects with billing rates - the strongest pick if Timely's appeal was detailed client reporting rather than the AI memory. No narrative layer; sync uses Timing's cloud on current plans.
3. Memtime - billable reconstruction, stored locally
Memtime
From ~€10/mo on the 2-year rateBest for agency billingMemtime captures your activity minute-by-minute, stores it offline on your device, and syncs finished time entries into Jira, ClickUp, and similar tools. It is the closest to Timely's billing workflow while keeping the raw activity data local.
4. ActivityWatch - free raw data, any platform
ActivityWatch
$0, open sourceBest raw data loggerActivityWatch logs apps and window titles locally across Mac, Windows, and Linux. No AI, no billing, no cloud - just honest data. If you want a readable story on top of that kind of privacy, that is the gap Dayflow fills.
The verdict
Leaving Timely over price or the cloud? Dayflow keeps the automatic-memory idea, free and fully on your Mac. Leaving because you need deeper Mac reporting, look at Timing; agency-style billable reconstruction, Memtime. If you run a team with budgets and approvals, Timely is still the right tool - none of these replace it for that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Timely alternative?
Dayflow is the strongest free option if you want what Timely's Memory promises - an automatic record of your day - without the subscription. It is open source, records your screen at one frame every 10 seconds, and has AI write a readable timeline. Everything stays on your Mac. ActivityWatch is the free pick if you want raw app data across platforms.
Does Timely have a free plan?
No. Timely offers a free trial, but every plan is a paid subscription (individual plans start around $9-11/month billed annually, per timely.com's pricing page as of mid-2026). Dayflow and ActivityWatch are free.
Is there a Timely alternative that does not use the cloud?
Yes. Timely's Memory timeline is processed and stored in its cloud. Dayflow keeps recordings and the timeline database on your Mac - with a local AI model via Ollama or LM Studio, nothing leaves your machine at all. Memtime also stores captured activity locally.
What does Timely do better than Dayflow?
Team features and billing: shared project dashboards, budgets and rates, timesheet approval flows, and integrations with invoicing tools. Dayflow is a personal journal - if you manage a billing team, Timely remains the better fit.
Try the free, private alternative
Dayflow is $0, open source, and everything stays on your Mac.
Download for MacOS macOS 14+ · MIT licensed · no account required