ActivityPulse vs Timely
Timely is the closest thing here to the same idea as ActivityPulse: capture automatically so nobody has to remember, then turn that into a timesheet. Its Memory tracker keeps captured activity private to the person until they draft entries from it, which is a genuinely good answer to the consent problem. The differences are commercial rather than philosophical — Timely has no free tier and starts at $9 per user, and ActivityPulse gives each organisation its own database.
At a glance
Timely facts come from their own public pages, last checked 2026-09-17.
| Dimension | ActivityPulse | Timely |
|---|---|---|
| How time gets recorded | Automatically, from the foreground window. Nobody starts or stops a timer, so nothing is lost to forgetting. | Automatically, via the Memory tracker, with AI drafting timesheet entries from the captured record. |
| What is captured by default | Foreground app and window metadata only. Nothing more without an explicit admin change. | Applications, documents and websites used, held privately to that individual until they log time from it. |
| Screenshots | Off by default. Available on higher plans and only after a compliance review. | None published. Timely does not market screenshot capture. |
| Keystroke capture | Never records keystroke content, on any plan. | None published. Timely does not market keystroke capture. |
| Productivity scoring | None. Hours are attributed to projects; the product does not grade the person. | No monitoring score. Reporting is built on logged hours and project budgets. |
| Tenant data isolation | A separate database per organisation, so isolation is structural. | Shared multi-tenant SaaS; per-customer database isolation is not something they document. |
| Offline capture | Queues locally and syncs idempotently — no hour lost, none counted twice. | The tracker records locally and syncs when reconnected. |
| Desktop platforms | Windows and macOS. | Desktop trackers plus iOS and Android; GPS on mobile only. |
| Entry price (per user / month) | Free up to 3 users, then $4 billed annually ($5 monthly). | No free plan — a 14-day trial, then $9 per user per month on Starter billed annually ($11 monthly), capped at 5 users. |
Source: Timely public pricing and documentation, checked 2026-09-17. Products change — if something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
When Timely is the better choice
Timely is the better choice if you want the individual to stay the gatekeeper: captured activity is private to them and nothing reaches a manager until they draft and submit it. Its AI drafting is more mature than anything ActivityPulse offers, and it tracks documents and mobile work that a desktop-only agent does not see.
When ActivityPulse is the better choice
ActivityPulse is the better choice on cost and on data isolation: there is a genuinely free tier for up to three people, the paid plan is $4 against Timely's $9 with no user cap at that price, and each organisation's captured data lives in its own database rather than a shared one.
Timely alternatives — questions
Is ActivityPulse an alternative to Timely?
Yes, and the closest one in approach — both capture automatically so that a timesheet exists without anyone starting a timer. The differences are price, the free tier, desktop platform coverage and per-organisation database isolation.
Does ActivityPulse use AI to write timesheets like Timely?
No. Time is attributed to the project selected in the agent, and adjustments are made by a person and audited. There is no AI drafting step.
Is captured activity private to the employee in ActivityPulse?
No, and this is a real difference. In Timely the Memory record is the individual's until they log from it; in ActivityPulse captured segments are visible to administrators of the organisation. What protects the person is what is never captured and a full audit trail of who enabled what.
See where the hours actually went
Free for up to three people. Windows and macOS. No keystroke content on any plan, and screenshots off unless an administrator turns them on.