Tool matchup
Clockify vs Timely for consultants. Compare two Ops & Finance tools on pricing, setup speed, strengths, and Curalo score.
Time tracking and timesheets with a free tier for up to 5 users, billable reporting on paid plans, and solid project tracking for consulting work.
Prices checked June 2, 2026clockify.me pricing page
It centralizes operational and finance tasks that otherwise create delivery drag.
Prices checked November 2, 2026timely.com pricing page
Clockify leads by 12 points (strong advantage).
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Best fit
Best for: Solo consultants and small teams (up to 5) who want free time tracking — or anyone who'll pay from $3.99/user/mo for billable hours and exports.
Why pick it: A free tier for micro-teams and a low $3.99/user/mo entry make it easy to adopt. The interface is simple enough that people who usually resist timesheets actually stick with it.
Watch for: If your team is larger than 5, the free tier no longer covers you, and billable-hour tracking now needs a paid plan. If you want billing baked into your project tool, an integrated tracker may fit better.
Best for: Consultants running delivery, billing, and back-office operations.
Why pick it: It centralizes operational and finance tasks that otherwise create delivery drag.
Watch for: Avoid if you already run an integrated finance and operations stack with no tooling gaps.
Swipe sideways to compare all columns.
Clockify | Timely | |
|---|---|---|
| Quick facts | ||
| Pricing sanity | Free, paid from $3.99/mo | From $9/mo |
| Setup speed | 5 min setup | 30 min setup |
| Intelligence | High | Medium |
| Integrations | 5+ | 3+ |
| Score breakdown | ||
| Outcome fit | 20/25 | 20/25 |
| Setup speed | 18/20 | 13/20 |
| Pricing sanity | 13/15 | 10/15 |
| Integrations | 11/15 | 10/15 |
| UX polish | 13/15 | 11/15 |
| Trust & support | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Summary | ||
| Best for | Solo consultants and small teams (up to 5) who want free time tracking — or anyone who'll pay from $3.99/user/mo for billable hours and exports. | Consultants running delivery, billing, and back-office operations. |
| Key strength | Strong on setup speed | Strong on outcomes |
| Main weakness | Fewer integrations | Slower to set up |
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | Free |
| Basic | $3.99 per seat / month, billed annually$4.99 per seat / month, billed monthly |
Prices checked June 2, 2026clockify.me pricing page
| Plan | Price | Limits (vendor's wording) |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $9 per user / month, billed annually$11 per user / month, billed monthly | 20 projects; up to 5 users; automatic time tracking and AI timesheets; API access |
| Premium | $16 per user / month, billed annually$20 per user / month, billed monthly | Unlimited projects; up to 50 users; sync with project management and accounting tools; budgets, costs and team planning |
| Unlimited | $22 per user / month, billed annually$28 per user / month, billed monthly | Unlimited users; capacity management and reporting; live and branded reports; 50+ currencies |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales; tailored onboarding, team training and priority support |
Prices checked November 2, 2026timely.com pricing page
Cost calculator
$3.99 per month · $47.88 per year
Cheapest plan that fits: Basic, $3.99 per seat or user
$9 per month · $108 per year
Cheapest plan that fits: Starter, $9 per seat or user
Uses list prices from each vendor's pricing page, before tax and discounts. Free plans and custom-quote plans are left out.
Method
Common questions
Clockify scores 84/100 and Timely scores 72/100 on Curalo's consultant rubric. The biggest gap is Setup speed: Clockify 18/20 vs 13/20.
Clockify's cheapest paid plan is Basic at $3.99 per seat / month, billed annually. Timely's cheapest paid plan is Starter at $9 per user / month, billed annually.
Clockify has a free plan. Timely lists no free plan.
Clockify: $3.99 a month on Basic. Timely: $9 a month on Starter. Annual list prices where available, before tax.
If your team is larger than 5, the free tier no longer covers you, and billable-hour tracking now needs a paid plan. If you want billing baked into your project tool, an integrated tracker may fit better.
Avoid if you already run an integrated finance and operations stack with no tooling gaps.
Guides
A complete operations and finance stack for independent consultants — scheduling, invoicing, bookkeeping, and time tracking with budget tiers, setup sprints, and weekly cadences.
The Consultant's Pricing Playbook: From Hourly to Value-BasedA framework to evaluate five pricing models, calculate what to charge, and build tiered packages — with formulas, scripts, and sourced benchmarks for solo consultants.
From Solo to Firm: Scaling Your Consulting PracticeYour tool needs change at every growth stage. A practical guide to the technology, processes, and decisions that take you from solo consultant to small firm — without losing what made you great.
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