1v1 Pricing Showdown
RescueTime vs Timely
Side-by-side pricing breakdown for Time Tracking decision-makers
Prices in USD, verified from the United States. Regional pricing may vary.
When choosing between RescueTime and Timely for your time tracking stack, the right answer depends on three things: your budget, the specific features you actually use day-to-day, and your tolerance for renewal-price increases. Below we lay out the prices each vendor advertises today (verified against their live pricing pages), the plan limits that decide whether they'll fit your team, and the features that differ between them.
RescueTime starts at $9/mo; Timely starts at $11/mo. The cheaper headline price isn't always the cheaper total cost — renewal pricing, per-user fees, and overage charges can shift the math. Use the plan-by-plan tables below to model your actual spend.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| automatic tracking | Yes | — |
| distraction blocking | Yes | — |
| focus sessions | Yes | — |
| goals alerts | Yes | — |
| timesheets | Solo+ and Team+ tiers | — |
| billable rates | Solo+ and Team+ tiers | — |
| 2fa | Yes | — |
| sso | Yes | — |
| api access | Yes | — |
| automatic time tracking | — | Yes |
| ai timesheets | — | Yes |
| idle detection | — | Yes |
| location tracking | — | Yes |
| manual timer | — | Yes |
| pm integrations | — | Premium+ |
| quickbooks | — | Premium+ |
| team management | — | Premium+ |
| budget management | — | Premium+ |
| capacity management | — | Unlimited+ |
| multi currency | — | Unlimited+ (50+) |
Affiliate links — you pay the same price
Dive Deeper
About the time tracking category
Time tracking pricing in 2026 ranges from completely free (Clockify unlimited users) to $28/user/mo (Timely Unlimited). The category split is clear: manual timer tools (Toggl, Harvest, Clockify) vs automatic tracking with AI (RescueTime, Timely). Clockify broke the market by making unlimited-user tracking free forever — Toggl Free has caps, Harvest Free is single-seat only. For multi-person teams that just need timesheets, Clockify Free is the correct answer. For automated tracking that fills timesheets for you, Timely at $9/user/mo annual or RescueTime Solo+ at $12/mo are the picks.
How to choose between time tracking options
Decide first: manual (you start/stop timers) vs automatic (software tracks what apps you use). Manual is cheaper and simpler but requires discipline. Automatic is expensive but captures time you'd otherwise miss. Second: team size. Clockify Free handles unlimited users — ideal for teams 5+ where Toggl costs $9/user. Toggl Starter at $9/user annual is the sweet spot for small teams wanting billable rates and project alerts. Harvest Teams at $9/seat annual is similar but with better invoicing. Third: billing and invoicing needs. Harvest wins for freelancer invoicing. Toggl Premium at $18/user annual adds profitability analysis and timesheet approvals. For pure productivity tracking without invoicing, RescueTime Focus at $7/mo annual is the cheapest serious option.
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is RescueTime cheaper than Timely?
- RescueTime is cheaper starting at $9/mo. RescueTime starts at $9/mo and Timely at $11/mo.
- Which is better, RescueTime or Timely?
- Timely scores 8.4/10 compared to RescueTime's 8.2/10 in our analysis. Timely ranks higher on features and value, but RescueTime may suit specific use cases — see the feature comparison above.
- Is RescueTime cheaper than Timely for a team of 5?
- For a team of 5, RescueTime costs $9/mo (flat rate) and Timely costs $11/mo (flat rate). RescueTime is the cheaper option at this team size.
- Are there other time tracking alternatives besides RescueTime and Timely?
- Yes. Our [Time Tracking pricing comparison](/pricing/time-tracking/) page covers all major providers with daily-verified prices. You can also see the [cheapest time tracking](/pricing/time-tracking/cheapest/) for budget-focused options.