TimeUno vs Timing: two automatic trackers, one Mac only

Timing is the closest rival TimeUno has. Both run in the background, record the apps and sites you use, and build your day without a timer. If you want an automatic time tracker and you work on a Mac, you have probably looked at both.

The differences are in where they run, where your data lives, and what they do with AI. Timing is Mac only and keeps your tracked time on the Mac by default. TimeUno runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, stores data in the cloud in Germany, and tracks the time your AI coding agents spend working. Here is how the two compare, with prices as of October 2026 from each company's own pricing page.

The short answer

Pick Timing if you work only on a Mac and want your activity to stay on that Mac. It is local-first, takes no screenshots, has mature rules and exports, a 30-day trial, and its Professional edition costs less than TimeUno.

Pick TimeUno if you also work on Windows or Linux, if your projects live in editor folders, or if AI agents now do part of your work and you want that time counted, with tokens and cost. TimeUno sees the agents working in the background, on your machine or on a remote server.

How tracking works

On this point the two are close. Neither asks you to start anything.

Timing records every app, document and website you use, including the full file path or URL, and window titles down to individual Mail threads. Private and incognito tabs are discarded. It notices when you stop using the Mac and lets you exclude that idle time. It also detects video and audio calls and asks you to record the time afterwards, and you can assign calendar events to projects. Manual timers are there when you need them, including in the web app. iPhone and iPad usage can be imported through Screen Time.

TimeUno records the app or site in front of you, the window title, idle time and the project you are in. It never records what you type. Every stretch of time is sorted into a project and a category, and marked as productive or unproductive. When it gets one wrong, you correct it once and TimeUno remembers the correction.

So both see the same day. The real difference is how that day becomes project time.

Projects and timesheets

In Timing you teach it with rules. You option-drag an activity onto a project to create a rule, and from then on matching activity lands there. AI summaries group your activities and feed time-entry suggestions. Expert adds task import from ClickUp and Linear, and Connect adds two-way sync with both. Timing also connects to Clio, Zapier, its Web API and AppleScript, tracks billing status, and exports reports as PDF, XLSX, CSV or HTML. It has no built-in invoicing: invoices go through the GrandTotal plug-in.

In TimeUno the project is detected from what you were working in: the folder open in your editor, or keywords you set for a client or project. If you are a developer, opening a repository is enough to file the time. Timesheets are built from tracked time per project for this week, last week or this month, with a client name. You edit any line, then export as CSV. TimeUno has no billable rates and no invoicing, so if you bill from your tracker, Timing does more here.

Pricing in October 2026

For one person on one Mac, Timing Professional is the cheaper of the two. Expert, which adds a second Mac, the full web app and customizable reports, lands close to TimeUno's yearly price. For teams, TimeUno is cheaper per seat than Connect, which is also the only Timing edition with team features and the MCP server.

One thing to check before you buy: Timing's pricing page lists AI activity summaries on Professional, while its help page says they need Expert.

Privacy: what each one sees

This is where Timing has a real advantage, and it is worth saying plainly.

Timing is local-first. In its own words, tracked times "are stored locally and never leave your Mac (unless you opt into sync)". It takes no screenshots and is not built for employee monitoring. On Connect, team admins only see aggregate times on team projects, with no personal times or private details shared. AI summaries are opt-in and are processed by OpenAI.

TimeUno is a cloud service. Your data is stored in Germany and never sold, but it does leave your computer. Screenshots and on-screen text are on by default, and you can turn them off for each computer. From AI tools it reads metadata only, never your prompts, answers or code. In a team, admins see worked time and scores, never your apps or sites, and the team dashboard shows weekly totals, never anyone's screens.

If your rule is "my activity never leaves my machine", Timing meets it and TimeUno does not. If you are fine with EU cloud storage in exchange for tracking across several computers and a shared team view, TimeUno works.

AI: an MCP server vs tracking your agents

Both talk about AI coding tools, but they do different jobs.

Timing added a local MCP server on the Mac in September 2026 (version 2026.5, in beta). It lets Claude Code, Codex and Claude Desktop review your activities, file unassigned activity into projects, manage projects and rules, and log time. It requires the Connect edition. In short, your AI assistant can do your timekeeping for you.

TimeUno tracks the AI tools themselves. Claude, Cursor and other coding agents often keep working while you do something else. TimeUno gives that work its own timeline, with tokens and cost. The desktop app picks up sessions on your computer, and the server agent (timeuno-agent) picks them up on a remote server. For a team, admin connectors for Anthropic and Cursor add this with nothing to install.

Timing lets your agent keep your books. TimeUno keeps the books on your agent.

When Timing is the better choice

• You work only on a Mac and want tracked time to stay on it.
• You want a tracker that never takes screenshots.
• You need PDF or XLSX reports, invoicing through GrandTotal, or Clio, ClickUp and Linear integrations.
• You want Claude Code or Codex to file and log your time through MCP.
• You want the lowest price for one Mac, or a 30-day trial.
• You want iPhone and iPad usage in your reports through Screen Time.

When TimeUno is the better choice

• You use Windows or Linux, alone or alongside a Mac.
• Your projects are folders in your editor and you want them filed with no rules to write.
• AI agents run in the background for you and you want their time, tokens and cost counted.
• Your agents also run on remote servers.
• You want a team view of worked time at a lower price per seat.
• You use Firefox and want its tabs tracked through an extension.

Can you use both?

Yes. On a Mac, both can run in the background at the same time. Keep Timing for its local record and client exports, and run TimeUno to see your AI agents' time and the work you do on other machines. If you use a Windows or Linux computer next to your Mac, TimeUno can cover the machine Timing does not support.

Questions people ask

Is there a Windows or Linux version of Timing?

No. Timing tracks on macOS only, and since version 2026.5 it needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Its web app handles timers and team management, but it does not track a Windows or Linux computer. TimeUno has Windows and Linux apps in beta.

Does TimeUno store data on my computer like Timing?

No. TimeUno stores your data in the cloud, in Germany, and never sells it. Screenshots and on-screen text can be turned off for each computer, but the tracked time itself lives in the cloud.

Can I import my Timing history into TimeUno?

Not today. TimeUno starts tracking from the day you install it. Most people keep their Timing exports and compare a week of each.

Which one tracks Claude Code?

TimeUno tracks Claude Code and other coding agents as AI tool time, with tokens and cost, on your computer or a remote server. Timing's MCP server lets Claude Code read and edit your Timing data, which is a different job.