Honest comparison
Focus Meter vs Timing
Timing is a great app built for a different job: billing clients. Focus Meter is built for understanding your own focus.
Timing is the gold standard for Mac freelancers who need to turn tracked hours into client invoices. If that’s you, use Timing — it’s excellent. If you just want to know where your focus went today, Timing’s projects, rules, and billing integrations are weight you don’t need.
At a glance
| Feature | Timing | Focus Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7–$14 / mo ($84–$168 / yr) | $19 one-time |
| Primary use case | Client billing & invoicing | Personal focus analytics |
| Setup | Projects, rules, categories | Zero-config — automatic |
| Focus score | No | Yes (0–100) |
| Weekly digest | No | Yes |
| Invoicing / team features | Yes | No |
| Website tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Data storage | Local + optional cloud sync | Local only |
| Export (CSV / JSON) | Yes | Yes |
Where Timing shines
- Best-in-class project and rule-based auto-categorization.
- Excellent for billable hours, invoicing, and team timesheets.
- Deep integrations (Zapier, Apple Calendar, etc.) and a mature feature set.
Where Focus Meter is different
Zero setup, not project setup
Timing asks you to define projects and rules. Focus Meter installs, grants automation permission, and immediately shows you where your focus went — no configuration.
A focus score, not a timesheet
Timing gives you a detailed timeline to bill from. Focus Meter gives you a single 0–100 focus score, a weekly digest, and trends — built for improvement, not invoicing.
$19 once vs $84–$168 every year
Timing’s cheapest plan is ~$84/year. Focus Meter is a one-time $19, no renewal, no “Expert” tier to unlock the features you actually want.
Private by default
Timing can sync to the cloud for teams. Focus Meter has no cloud, no account, no sync — your data stays on one Mac.
Cost over three years
| Timing | Focus Meter | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $84–$168 | $19 |
| Year 2 | $168–$336 total | $19 total |
| Year 3 | $252–$504 total | $19 total |
Use Timing if…
Freelancers and consultants who bill hours, need rule-based project auto-categorization, and want invoicing-friendly timesheets.
Use Focus Meter if…
Professionals on a salary who want to understand and improve their focus — no projects, no invoices, no monthly renewal.
FAQ
Is Timing or Focus Meter better for freelancers?
Timing. It’s purpose-built for billable hours and timesheets, with project rules and invoicing integrations that Focus Meter intentionally doesn’t have.
Can Focus Meter track billable hours?
Indirectly — you can export CSV/JSON and slice the data yourself — but there’s no project or client concept inside the app. For billing, Timing is the right tool.
Why is Focus Meter so much cheaper than Timing?
Focus Meter has a narrower scope (personal focus, not invoicing) and no cloud backend. That lets it be a one-time $19 purchase instead of a $84–$168/year subscription.
Can I use both Timing and Focus Meter at the same time?
Yes. They don’t conflict. Some users run Timing for client work and Focus Meter for a clean view of their own focus trends.
If you bill clients, use Timing. If you want to understand your focus, try Focus Meter.
$19 one-time · No subscription · 100% on-device