What does a time tracker actually cost?
Cloud time trackers price in dollars per user per month, so the headline number always looks small. Multiply by seats, then by years, and the picture changes. Pick what you're paying for now and compare subscription vs one-time purchase.
What are you paying for now?
Your scenario
You'd be paying about 93% more to keep paying the subscription. Break-even with Timex: 3 months.
Apples-to-apples feature check
Subscriptions usually price toward team features (dashboards, approvals, invoicing). Timex doesn't have those — it's a single-person, local tracker. If you're paying for team features, say weighing Toggl vs Harvest, this comparison shows where each tool actually earns its keep.
| Timex one-time | Toggl $20/mo | |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-tracks (no timer to start) | ||
| Data stays on your Mac | ||
| One-time purchase | ||
| Per-window detail | ||
| Break timer + stretches | ||
| Keeps Mac awake (clamshell) | ||
| Mac-native | ||
| Open SQLite file (own your data) | ||
| Team dashboard / approvals |
Prices reflect single-seat published rates as of the build date. Verify on each vendor's site before purchase. Source links: Toggl, Rize, RescueTime, Timing, Clockify, Harvest.