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Tidst vs Clockify

Both are time trackers, built around quite different expectations.

Clockify gives you a large toolkit: timers, timesheets, manual entries, automatic desktop activity tracking, reports, invoicing, team controls and a long integration list. Tidst does considerably less on purpose — it starts with work you already finished and asks what belongs on the timesheet.

I make Tidst

So this is not an independent review. Clockify's details were checked against their own pages on 23 August 2026; check them again before deciding, because plans change.

The clearest way to tell them apart

Two facts, both from their pricing pages, that between them explain most of the difference:

Clockify records what your computer did — and can invoice, on a paid plan
Their auto tracker logs the apps and websites you use, and it is on the free tier. Invoicing and labour-cost profitability start on paid tiers.
Tidst prices your finished work — and never records your computer
Client rates, agreements, effective hourly rate, reports and live share links are all free. It does not issue invoices; it gets the billable work ready for whatever does. And automatic activity tracking is not available at any price, because it is not that kind of product.

Neither is better. They are answers to different questions — which is the useful thing to know before picking one.

Side by side

TidstClockify
Main focusIndividual freelancersIndividuals and teams
TimerYesYes
Manual entriesYesYes
Timesheet gridNo — calendar, report and single entriesYes
Automatic desktop activity trackingNo, at any priceYes, from the free plan
Work-first review of finished tasksThe core modelNot its model
TodoistCompleted tasks become review itemsTimer button via browser extension
CalendarGoogle Calendar, OutlookYes
Desktop appsNoWindows, macOS, Linux
MobileInstalls to the home screen as a web appNative apps
Browser extensionNoYes
Team administrationNoYes
InvoicingNo — hands the billable work to your invoicing systemStandard plan and above
ProfitabilityEffective hourly rate per clientLabour cost vs charge, Pro and above
Free planEverything, one userYes, up to five users

Clockify's column was checked against clockify.me on 23 August 2026. Prices are left out on purpose — they change, and a stale figure on a competitor's behalf is worse than none. See their pricing page for current numbers and plan limits.

Where the workflow starts

Clockify expects you to record time — with a timer, a timesheet grid, a manual entry, or by letting the auto tracker watch your desktop and turning that activity into entries afterwards. It gives you several routes and lets you pick.

Tidst has one route and builds everything on it. Completed tasks from the Todoist projects you connect, and relevant calendar meetings, arrive in The Queue. You confirm the duration and decide what belongs on the timesheet. There is a timer, but it is one way in rather than the foundation.

If you like having options, Clockify has more of them. If having options is the part you never get around to, that may not be an advantage.

Todoist works in opposite directions

Clockify puts a start/stop timer inside Todoist through a browser extension — tracking time while you work, in the place where your tasks already are.

Tidst reads completed tasks server-side from the projects you connect, and brings them back for review afterwards. A task you tick off on your phone still reaches The Queue; a browser extension cannot follow you there.

Choosing

Clockify is the better fit if you

  • want a timesheet grid to fill in
  • want automatic desktop activity tracking
  • need native desktop and mobile apps
  • work with a team, or will soon
  • need labour cost against client charge
  • want a long list of integrations

Tidst may fit better if you

  • already use Todoist for client work
  • would rather review finished work than record it as it happens
  • want calendar meetings in the same review flow
  • want client rates and profitability without paying for a plan
  • do not want your apps and browser activity recorded
  • work alone and are not going to use team features

Clockify is the broader product by a wide margin, and its free plan is genuinely generous. Tidst's argument is not that it does more. It is that the recording step does not have to come first.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tidst a replacement for Clockify?
Only if you want a much smaller tool. Clockify is a broad platform with timesheets, desktop apps, automatic tracking, team administration and a long integration list. Tidst does one workflow: review the work you already finished, then log it.
Can I invoice from either of them?
From Clockify, on their Standard plan and above. Not from Tidst at all — it prepares the billable work for a client and period and you issue the invoice in your own accounting system. If having the invoice inside the time tracker matters to you, that is a real reason to pick Clockify, so check their current pricing rather than taking my word for it.
Does Clockify track my computer activity automatically?
It can. Clockify's auto tracker records the apps and websites you use and is available from their free plan. Tidst does not offer this at any price — it reads only the sources you connect.
Does Tidst have a timesheet grid?
No. Tidst has a calendar view of logged time, a filterable report, and entries you create one at a time. If filling in a week-by-project grid is how you prefer to work, Clockify has that and Tidst does not.
Is there a Tidst mobile app?
Not a native one. Tidst installs to your home screen as a web app and runs full-screen, but it needs a connection. Clockify has native mobile and desktop apps.
Which is better for Todoist users?
They connect to Todoist for opposite reasons. Clockify puts a start/stop timer inside Todoist through a browser extension. Tidst reads completed tasks from the projects you connect and brings them back for review — so a task ticked off on a phone still reaches The Queue.
Which one is free?
Both have a free option. Everything currently in Tidst is free, for one person — including client rates and profitability, which Clockify puts on paid tiers. Clockify's free plan covers up to five users and includes the auto tracker, with invoicing, labour-cost profitability and advanced controls on paid tiers.

Record it, or review it.

Choose Clockify if you want a complete toolkit and expect to use its timesheets, apps, automatic tracking or team features.

Choose Tidst if your needs are narrower, and starting from work you already finished sounds more natural than recording it as it happens.

Try Tidst — free

No trial · No credit card

Also: Tidst vs Toggl Track · Tidst vs Memtime · How Tidst works