A Clockify alternative for consultants and small teams
Last checked: 2026-10-20
This page is written by Portime, so we're not neutral. We've tried to be fair and link our sources. Prices and features change, so check each vendor's own page before you decide. Clockify is a trademark of its owner, named here only to identify the product.
The short version
- Pick Clockify if you want the lowest cost per seat, a free plan, invoicing inside the tracker, or apps on every platform including Linux. It also covers employer needs like kiosks, time off and GPS.
- Pick Portime if you're a freelancer, consultant or small team that bills through intermediaries (client → sub-client → project → task). It also suits you if you want client-ready Markdown/PDF reports, or want to log time from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Grok through MCP.
Comparison table
| Portime | Clockify | |
|---|---|---|
| Paid pricing | Starter $15/month (1 seat). Pro $29/month (up to 5 seats included). Monthly billing in USD. | Per seat, billed annually (monthly in brackets): Basic $3.99 ($4.99), Standard $5.49 ($6.99), Pro $7.99 ($9.99), Enterprise $11.99 ($14.99) |
| Free plan | No | Yes, up to 5 users. Unlimited tracking, timer, timesheet, reports, apps. |
| Trial | 7 days on Starter. Card required. | 7-day trial of Pro features, no credit card required |
| Structure | Client → sub-client → project → task | Client → project → task (no sub-client level shown on the pages we checked) |
| Timer | Timer and manual entry. Several timers at once, with pause and resume. | Timer, timesheet, auto tracker, Pomodoro, idle detection and reminders, calendar, kiosk |
| Reports / PDF | Monthly reports in Markdown and PDF. Pro adds filters, charts and custom PDF reports. | Reports on all plans. CSV, Excel and PDF export. Email reports on Pro. |
| Invoicing | No invoices. Reports support your invoicing. | Yes, from Standard (invoices, recurring invoices). QuickBooks integration. |
| Team seats | Starter: 1. Pro: up to 5. More seats not available yet. | Free up to 5 users. Paid plans per seat, no stated cap. |
| Integrations | MCP server. Google and Microsoft sign-in. | "100+ integrations", browser extension, Zapier, Outlook/Google Calendar, QuickBooks |
| AI assistant / MCP | In-app assistant (100 requests/month on Starter, 500 on Pro). HTTP MCP on paid plans with a personal access token. Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Grok and other MCP clients. | Official MCP server documented in Clockify's help center, marked "Coming soon" on 20 Oct 2026 |
| Mobile / desktop apps | Web app. Portime Recap for macOS (menu bar). No native mobile apps; the web app works in a mobile browser. | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extensions |
| French | Interface and site in English and French | Web app in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese |
| Data region | Hosted on OVHcloud in France (no choice of region) | EU (Germany), UK, USA or Australia on Pro and up |
Where Clockify is better
- It has a real free plan. Up to 5 users get unlimited tracking. Portime has no free plan.
- It's cheaper per seat. Basic starts at $3.99 per seat (billed annually). For a solo user, every Clockify paid plan costs less than Portime Starter.
- It does invoicing. Standard includes invoices, recurring invoices and a QuickBooks integration. Portime doesn't send invoices.
- It covers more platforms. Native apps run on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, and work offline.
- It suits employers. Time off, approvals, kiosk, GPS, scheduling, expenses and SSO are all available.
- You can choose a data region. EU hosting is available on Pro. Portime is hosted on OVHcloud in France, with no other region.
- It's mature. Clockify is widely used and has thousands of public reviews.
Where Portime fits
- You need a sub-client level. If you work for an agency that resells your time to its end clients, Portime keeps client → sub-client → project → task. Reports group entries by client and sub-client.
- You want a report you can forward as is. Monthly summaries export as Markdown or PDF, and entries can be marked billed.
- You're a small team that wants one price. Pro is $29/month for up to 5 seats. Five people on Clockify Standard billed monthly would be 5 × $6.99 = $34.95/month. That includes invoicing, which Portime doesn't have, so compare features, not just price.
- You want an assistant built in. Ask the in-app assistant. Or connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Grok through MCP to start timers and log time. That MCP is available today on paid plans.
- Your meetings turn into tasks. Recap on macOS listens to a meeting. You then confirm the tasks before anything is created.
FAQ
Is Portime cheaper than Clockify? For one person, no. Clockify has a free plan and lower per-seat prices. For a team of up to 5, Portime Pro's flat $29/month can cost less than some Clockify plans. Check which features you need.
Does Portime do invoicing like Clockify? No. Portime makes reports for invoicing. It doesn't create or send invoices.
Can I move from Clockify to Portime? Not with an importer. Portime can't import from Clockify or from a CSV file today, so you'd set up your clients and projects again.
Is there a Clockify-style kiosk or GPS in Portime? No.
Try Portime
Start the 7-day Starter trial on getportime.com. A card is required, and you can cancel during the trial without being charged.