Reviewed July 2026
DeskTime and Timely both track how your team works, but they are built for different jobs: DeskTime is best for teams that want automatic tracking with app-category scoring, 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.
| Feature | DeskTime | Timely | FocusUp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from (per seat/mo) | $7 | $9 | $4.90 |
| Free plan | Limited | No | Yes (3 seats) |
| Screenshots | Yes | No | Optional / blurrable |
| Daily AI coaching reports | No | No | Yes |
| No stealth mode (transparent only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Members see their own data | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, mobile, Web | macOS, Windows, mobile, Web | macOS, Windows, Web |
Free for 3 seats · 14-day AI Coach trial · No credit card
On list prices, DeskTime starts lower ($7/seat/mo) than Timely (from $9). For reference, FocusUp is free for up to 3 seats and starts at $4.90/seat/mo after that.
DeskTime is built for teams that want automatic tracking with app-category scoring, while Timely targets billing-focused teams that want ai-drafted timesheets. DeskTime tracks automatically and scores productivity by categorizing apps as productive or unproductive. Static categories miss context — the same app can be work or distraction. 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.
Neither DeskTime 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.