Timely vs Toggl

This is a key comparison between AI automation and financial reporting power. Timely uses privacy-first AI for zero-effort time capture and billing. Toggl offers a generous free plan and deep, customizable profitability reports. We help you choose between automatic accuracy and detailed financial intelligence.

Timely
Timely

Advanced Automation Met by Operational Growing Pains

Ciroapp review
3.8
#6 in Time tracking

Timely offers powerful, privacy-focused automatic time tracking that ensures high data accuracy for billing and project management. However, based on widespread user complaints, operational reliability and consistent support are ongoing concerns for many users. Overall, we recommend Timely for firms prioritizing advanced automation and design, provided they can tolerate potentially inconsistent customer service response times and isolated platform glitches.

Pros

  • AI-powered automatic time tracking and quick timesheet generation.
  • Privacy-first design (memories remain private until shared).
  • Generally reported as easy to manage and set up.
  • Integrates with project management and accounting tools (e.g., Jira, QuickBooks).

Cons

  • Customer support is inconsistent and sometimes slow or unresponsive.
  • Reports of recurring system glitches and reliability issues (e.g., server outages, UI bugs).
  • Pricing perceived as expensive compared to the level of service provided.
  • Lack of key automation features (e.g., manual refunds required, manual invoice sending).
Pricing
$11/mo
Free trial14 days
Money-back
Best for
Agencies requiring 100% accurate client job billing, Organizations prioritizing privacy and employee trust, Businesses needing capacity planning insight and resource allocation reports
Toggl
Toggl

Generous Free Tier, Unstable Service Reliability.

Ciroapp review
2.6
#7 in Time tracking

Toggl offers a feature-rich, cross-platform tracking tool emphasizing custom reports and enterprise integration for teams up to five users under the Free plan. We appreciate the clear pricing and the potential for deep profitability analysis in higher tiers. Overall, reliability concerns and extremely poor customer support repeatedly expressed by recent users indicate caution is necessary before large-scale deployment.

Pros

  • Generous and permanent Free plan, supporting up to five users.
  • Effective cross-platform sync across web, desktop, and mobile devices.
  • Offers advanced enterprise features like SSO and integrations with Jira/Salesforce.
  • Simple user interface makes basic time tracking easy to adopt.

Cons

  • Extremely poor customer service, often non-responsive to urgent inquiries.
  • Users report significant product deterioration, including laggy UI and data loss/bugs.
  • Lacks core features needed by freelancers (e.g., tracking billed vs. unbilled time).
  • Sales team has been accused of harassing users on the Free plan.
Pricing
$0/mo
Free trial30 days
Money-back
Best for
Micro-teams (under 5 users) on a strict zero-cost budget, Companies focused on deep, custom financial and profitability reports, Large enterprises requiring SSO and formal timesheet approval workflows
Quick verdict
Choose Timely if you need 100% accurate time data for client billing using privacy-first, zero-effort AI tracking
Choose Toggl if you are a small team (under 5 users) needing basic tracking for free, or need deep custom financial reports and timesheet approval workflows

AboutTimely

Timely is an automatic time tracking solution designed for businesses seeking to maximize their margins and drive profitability. It uses AI to capture work activity seamlessly in the background.

This approach eliminates manual input, ensuring you receive accurate, real-time data without interrupting current workflows. It is trusted by over 5,000 businesses and helps managers gain a complete, real-time view of resource allocation and project progress easily.

💡 Notably, Timely takes user privacy seriously; it operates with a strict anti-surveillance policy. Your tracked memories remain yours, and no manager can see them until you explicitly share them.

AboutToggl

Toggl is time tracking software designed specifically for organizational teams. It is built around the idea that raw data must translate into actionable business insights. ✅ Toggl specializes in building custom, detailed reports directly from your team's tracking data.

This tool is especially suited for managing larger and enterprise teams. It provides the flexible reporting required for employees and projects across departments. By ensuring easy time tracking adoption, Toggl gives you the accurate data needed to make strong, confident decisions.

Highlights

Quick winners by category at a glance.
Ease of Use
Both Timely and Toggl are designed for high adoption and simple tracking mechanics. Users generally find both interfaces intuitive.
Tie
Feature Set
Toggl provides more advanced governance features like Timesheet Approvals and SSO in its paid plans. Timely lacks these workflow controls.
Value for Money
Toggl wins due to its generous, permanent Free plan that supports up to five users. Timely forces users onto a paid plan quickly.
Customer Support
Timely's support can be inconsistent, but Toggl faces severe, widespread reports of non-responsive support. Timely is the safer choice here.
Integration Options
Toggl integrates with over 100 tools via extensions, including core enterprise tools like Salesforce. Timely has strong syncs but fewer general integrations listed.
Reliability/Stability
Timely users report occasional glitches, but Toggl has significant, widespread user reports of UI lag and critical data deterioration.

Feature Comparison

Compare key features side by side
Permanent Free Plan
Timely:
Toggl:Up to 5 users
Toggl
Free Trial Length
Timely:14 days
Toggl:30 days (Paid plans)
Toggl
AI-Powered Automatic Tracking
Timely:
Toggl:
Tie
Privacy-First / Anti-Surveillance
Timely:
Toggl:Focus not prioritized
Timely
AI Timesheet Generation
Timely:
Toggl:
Timely
Timesheet Approval Workflow
Timely:
Toggl:
Toggl
Customizable Financial Reports
Timely:
Toggl:
Toggl
Billable Rates Management
Timely:
Toggl:
Tie
Capacity Planning / Management
Timely:Advanced (Unlimited plan)
Toggl:Workload Reports
Timely
Max Users (Starter Plan)
Timely:5 users
Toggl:Unlimited users
Toggl
Max Users (Top Tier Defined Plan)
Timely:Unlimited users
Toggl:Unlimited users
Tie
Jira Integration Sync
Timely:
Toggl:
Tie
Accounting Tool Sync (QuickBooks)
Timely:
Toggl:
Timely
Salesforce Integration
Timely:
Toggl:
Toggl
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Timely:
Toggl:
Toggl
50+ Currency Support
Timely:
Toggl:
Timely
Feature Comparison Summary
5
Timely
4
Ties
7
Toggl

Features Overview

We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.

Automation & Privacy

Timely uses AI for mandatory, privacy-first automatic tracking. Toggl offers flexible automated tracking methods.

Timely

Timely's Memory Tracker records activity automatically with 100% accuracy. This seamless logging eliminates manual input and constant task switching. Timely operates on a strict anti-surveillance, privacy-first policy. Memories remain private; managers cannot view activity until the user explicitly shares it. Toggl promotes high adoption by offering flexible automated tracking across devices. However, Toggl does not explicitly emphasize Timely's strict privacy guarantees. Timely is the clear choice if maintaining employee trust with private data capture is your top priority.

Reporting Power

Toggl provides deep, flexible custom reports for financial profitability. Timely focuses more on team capacity planning.

Toggl

Timely provides real-time dashboards to monitor project health and resource allocation. Capacity Planning helps managers proactively spot resource availability. Toggl excels in turning time data into custom business intelligence reports. You can track profitability across specific clients, projects, or teams instantly. The key difference lies in financial depth: Toggl offers fully customizable reporting for deeper profit analysis. Timely reports are more centered on resource usage and budgeting. Choose Toggl if maximizing revenue through detailed financial diagnostics is necessary for your firm.

Free Plan Value

Toggl has a permanent Free plan for teams up to five users. Timely only offers a short 14-day trial.

Toggl

Timely requires a commitment quickly, offering only a 14-day free trial that covers all plan features. There is no perpetual free option available from Timely. Toggl provides a generous, permanent Free plan that supports teams up to five users. This includes basic tracking across all platforms. For solo users, freelancers, or micro-teams, Toggl provides incredible financial value. Timely's $9/user starting price is significantly higher. If budget is paramount for your tiny team, Toggl is the undisputed starting winner.

Data Integrity & Approvals

Toggl offers manager approval workflows for compliance. Timely relies on AI for initial 100% accuracy.

Tie

Timely's accuracy is guaranteed by the Memory Tracker recording every activity automatically. This method eliminates reliance on error-prone manual input. Toggl uses Timesheet Approvals in its Premium plan for administrative control. This ensures compliance, requiring managers to verify logs before finalizing billing. Both solutions emphasize data quality but approach it differently. Timely ensures the 'capture' is correct; Toggl ensures the 'process' is correct. Teams needing audited compliance workflows should lean toward Toggl's built-in approval features.

Enterprise Features

Toggl provides SSO and specialized enterprise tool integrations. Timely focuses on powerful capacity management tools.

Toggl

Timely's Unlimited plan includes features like Capacity Management and Azure User Management. Setup and training are included in the custom Enterprise plan. Toggl includes Single Sign-On (SSO) and direct integration with Salesforce in its Premium tier. They offer tailored setup and priority support for large clients. For large-scale corporate environments, Toggl offers more critical security features like SSO directly. Timely's scaling features are strong but less security-focused initially. If you need deep integration into corporate security structures, Toggl is better equipped for enterprise deployment.

User Reliability

Timely has higher user ratings, despite occasional glitches. Toggl receives many reports of UI bugs and data deterioration.

Timely

Timely users generally praise the ease of use and helpful customer support for setting up the system. Complaints usually involve inconsistent support response times. Toggl users frequently report significant product deterioration, including a laggy UI and data loss issues. The system reliability appears unstable lately. The difference is critical: Timely is stable but support is inconsistent. Toggl has major, widely reported functional bugs impacting data entry. For dependable operational stability, Timely offers a safer bet against recent service deterioration reported for Toggl.

Our Verdict

Objective guidance based on features, pricing, and user fit.

The choice between Timely and Toggl comes down to governance versus guaranteed accuracy. Timely is built around effortless, privacy-first automation. Toggl focuses heavily on financial visibility and budget control. Timely’s superpower is its Memory Tracker, which ensures 100% accurate data for client billing. It eliminates human error, allowing your team to focus entirely on high-value tasks. Plus, Timely's strict anti-surveillance policy builds crucial internal trust. Toggl excels in financial intelligence and affordability for small teams. It offers a permanent, generous Free plan for up to five users, saving you money fast. Toggl Premium provides powerful managerial tools like timesheet approvals and custom revenue reports. However, reliability is the deciding factor in this comparison. Timely maintains a far higher user rating (3.8). Toggl users report severe issues recently, including lagging UI and non-existent customer support. Choose Timely if operational reliability, privacy, and accurate automation are your priority. Pick Toggl only if you require the permanent free plan or if deep custom profitability planning is worth the risk of buggy service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Timely offer a permanent free plan like Toggl?

No, Timely does not offer a free tier beyond its 14-day trial period. Toggl provides a permanent Free plan that supports teams of up to five users. If you have a micro-team on a zero budget, Toggl is the only viable option upfront.

Which software is better for deep financial reporting?

Toggl is superior for generating deep, custom financial reports focused on profitability. It allows you to track revenue across specific clients and set billable rates. Timely reports focus more on resource allocation and capacity management.

How does Timely's privacy policy differ from Toggl’s approach?

Timely operates with a strict anti-surveillance policy by design. Tracked activity, called 'memories,' remains completely private until the user shares it. Toggl does not offer this same explicit privacy guarantee or anti-surveillance structure.

Which tool has better user support and system reliability?

Timely has significantly better recent user reviews regarding overall reliability. Toggl users report widespread issues with system deterioration and non-responsive customer support. Timely offers a more functionally stable experience.

Is Toggl cheaper than Timely for a growing team?

For paid plans, Toggl's $18/user Premium plan is slightly cheaper per month than Timely's $22/user Unlimited plan. However, Timely offers a better annual discount (22% vs. 10%).

Which software is better for integration with project management tools?

Both integrate with tools like Jira, but Toggl excels for enterprise integration, offering access to Salesforce and Single Sign-On (SSO). Timely offers syncs with Asana, ClickUp, and QuickBooks Online.

Ready to Choose?

Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.