hours redesign

Automatic Time Tracking

Is Timely’s AI Time Tracking Right for Your Team?

When it comes to managing a team, not every business wants — or needs — a fully automated system watching every move. If you value flexibility, customization, and control over how your team tracks time, you might want to consider an alternative.

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TIME TRACKING SOFTWARE

Timely Automates Everything… But at What Cost?

AI-powered time tracking sounds effortless — but for many teams, it creates more questions than clarity. Here’s where Timely falls short when you need structure and control.

1

No Manual Control

Timely’s AI tracks time automatically — but that also means your team can’t always control or correct what’s being logged. You’re trusting a system that might mislabel work, miss activity, or log irrelevant time without context.

2

No Real Task Ownership

Because time tracking is passive, team members don’t actively engage with their tasks. There’s no built-in way to assign work, plan deliverables, or tie time entries to actual outcomes. Teams lose accountability — and managers lose visibility.

3

No Approval or Oversight

In Timely, there’s no native system for reviewing or approving time entries. That means hours go straight to reports or billing without checks, risking inaccuracies and making it harder to maintain control over your team’s time.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

Is Timely's Automation Too Rigid for Teams?

Timely’s AI sounds smart, but it limits how your team works. Here’s how it compares to TrackingTime — a flexible solution built for teams who need more control.

Timely

  • Manual time tracking
  • Task assignment
  • Time entry approval
  • Attendance & PTO tracking
  • AI tracking may mislabel work
  • Reports lack project context

TrackingTime

  • Manual + real-time tracking
  • Built-in task & project tracking
  • Approve and manage timesheets
  • Integrated time off & attendance
  • Team-controlled, accurate logging
  • Detailed reports with task insights

TIME TRACKER

Why Timely Falls Short for Teams

AI time tracking isn’t always the solution. Here’s what teams miss when using Timely to manage real collaboration.

No Task Assignments

Timely logs activity — but it doesn’t let you assign or manage tasks. You’ll need to rely on external tools to actually plan and coordinate your team’s work.

No Real-Time Visibility

With Timely, you can’t see what teammates are working on live. That lack of real-time insight makes it harder to support your team and adjust workloads as priorities shift.

No Approval Workflows

There’s no built-in way to review or approve time entries before they hit reports. Without proper oversight, errors slip through and accountability drops.

Overreliance on Automation

Timely’s AI guesses what’s billable — but it’s not always accurate. You lose context, miss project-specific details, and end up cleaning up after the software.

COMPREHENSIVE TIME TRACKING

What Makes TrackingTime the Better Choice for Teams

Unlike AI-first tools like Timely, TrackingTime gives teams full control over how they track, manage, and organize their work — with clarity, not guesswork.

Track Time Your Way

With TrackingTime, your team can track time manually, in real-time, or on tasks — whatever works best for your workflow. You’re not locked into an AI system that guesses what’s happening. Every time entry has context and intention.

Manage Work With Clarity

Assign tasks, set deadlines, and connect time entries to real work — all in one place. TrackingTime keeps your team aligned and accountable without needing extra tools or integrations just to stay organized.

Built for Oversight and Accuracy

Review time entries, approve hours, and manage PTO in a single platform. TrackingTime helps you keep reports accurate, ensure payroll readiness, and maintain team accountability — no automation cleanups required.

All-In-One Solution for Efficient Teams

TrackingTime’s Pricing Plans: Flexible and Affordable

TrackingTime’s pricing is structured to fit a variety of team needs. From startups to enterprises, our plans are designed to offer flexibility, functionality, and affordability.

free time cards icon

Ideal for individuals or small teams, this plan includes essential time-tracking and reporting features, plus access to integrations with popular tools like Asana and Slack at no additional cost.

pro crown icon

This plan unlocks advanced features such as custom reports, time rounding, budgeting tools, and project management capabilities, providing greater insights and control over team productivity and workflow.

most popular

business dashboard icon

Tailored for larger organizations, the Business plan includes all PRO features along with dedicated support, custom onboarding, and additional security options, ensuring robust time management for complex team structures.

ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION

A Comprehensive Solution to Replace Timely

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to all your questions about our service and plans.

What is Timely used for?

Timely is a time tracking app that uses AI to automatically record how users spend their time across different apps and tasks, aiming to reduce manual input and improve productivity.

Is Timely good for teams?

Timely is useful for individual users, but many teams find it lacks features like task assignments, manual control, real-time dashboards, and approval workflows, which are essential for managing collaborative work.

Is Timely completely automatic?

Timely uses automatic time tracking powered by AI, but it still requires manual review and adjustments to ensure accuracy — especially for project-based or client-facing teams.

Does Timely support task management?

No, Timely does not offer built-in task management. Teams need to use additional tools to assign, manage, and track tasks alongside time tracking.

Can you approve time entries in Timely?

Timely does not offer a time approval feature. Teams that need to review and validate time entries for payroll or billing may need to rely on external processes.

Does Timely offer attendance and PTO tracking?

No, Timely does not provide built-in features for attendance or time-off management. For these functions, additional HR tools are usually required.

What is the best alternative to Timely?

TrackingTime is a top-rated alternative to Timely, offering manual and real-time tracking, task management, approvals, team visibility, and built-in reporting — all in one platform.

Is there a free alternative to Timely?

Yes. TrackingTime offers a free plan that includes core features for teams, such as time tracking, project management, and reporting, making it a great alternative for budget-conscious teams.

Timely vs TrackingTime: What’s the difference?

Timely focuses on AI automation for individual time tracking, while TrackingTime gives teams full control, task assignments, approval workflows, and collaboration tools designed for project-based work.