FocusUp

ActivTrak vs Timely

Reviewed July 2026

ActivTrak and Timely both track how your team works, but they are built for different jobs: ActivTrak is best for analytics-heavy orgs that want workforce bi dashboards, while Timely suits billing-focused teams that want ai-drafted timesheets. Here is an honest side-by-side — plus a third option, FocusUp, if you want the tracking to turn into daily improvement instead of dashboards.

FeatureActivTrakTimelyFocusUp
Price from (per seat/mo)$10$9$4.90
Free planLimitedNoYes (3 seats)
ScreenshotsOptional / blurrableNoOptional / blurrable
Daily AI coaching reportsNoNoYes
No stealth mode (transparent only)NoYesYes
Members see their own dataPartialYesYes
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, WebmacOS, Windows, mobile, WebmacOS, Windows, Web

Pick ActivTrak if

  • Strong analytics & benchmarks
  • Conversational BI assistant
  • Good for large orgs

Pick Timely if

  • AI-drafted timesheets
  • Anti-surveillance stance (no screenshots)
  • Strong PM-tool integrations

Consider FocusUp if

  • You want tracking data turned into a daily AI coaching report per member
  • You value transparency over surveillance (no stealth mode, member data parity)
  • You want to start free (3 seats free, 14-day AI Coach trial)
Try FocusUp free

Free for 3 seats · 14-day AI Coach trial · No credit card

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, ActivTrak or Timely?

On list prices, Timely starts lower ($9/seat/mo) than ActivTrak (from $10). For reference, FocusUp is free for up to 3 seats and starts at $4.90/seat/mo after that.

What is the main difference between ActivTrak and Timely?

ActivTrak is built for analytics-heavy orgs that want workforce bi dashboards, while Timely targets billing-focused teams that want ai-drafted timesheets. ActivTrak leads on workforce analytics: dashboards, benchmarks and a conversational BI assistant. It is pull-based — you query dashboards — and can run without the employee seeing it. Timely's AI observes apps and documents, then drafts timesheet entries you review — excellent for billable accuracy. It stays a timesheet: no daily coaching, no manager digest, and the Starter tier caps at 5 users.

Is there an alternative to ActivTrak and Timely with daily AI coaching?

Neither ActivTrak nor Timely writes daily AI reports. FocusUp generates a private daily coaching report for each member and a team digest for managers from the same tracking data — free for up to 3 seats.

Deeper dives