TimeScribe is a free, open-source time tracker for macOS and Windows built by WINBIGFOX. It records work hours entirely on your own device with no account, no cloud, and no paywall: download it, open it, and start a timer. The repository is licensed GPL-3.0 and ships native desktop builds powered by Laravel, NativePHP, Vue.js, and a local SQLite database.[1][2][3]
Quick verdict
TimeScribe fits freelancers and remote workers who want free, private, offline time tracking on macOS or Windows with project billing and PDF or spreadsheet exports. Its one-click timers, day/week views, absence planning, idle auto-pause, and deep-link control cover the solo timesheet well at zero cost. The material constraints are Windows-and-macOS-only coverage, strictly single-user scope with no sync or teams, and no inspected community track record. If you track hours alone and value privacy over collaboration, download it and start timing; if a team shares timesheets and invoices, look at Kimai first.[1][2][3]
What TimeScribe covers
Time entry works through one-click start, pause, and stop timers, with day and week views that visualize work patterns over time.[1]
App-usage tracking shows where time goes and lets you categorize applications as work or distractions.[1]
Absence planning covers vacation, sick leave, and holidays alongside regular tracked hours.[1]
Project tracking attaches descriptions and hourly rates to time entries so tracked hours feed directly into billing calculations.[1]
Automatic start and pause reacts to screen time and idle status, so forgotten timers do not inflate the timesheet.[1]
Records export to PDF, Excel, and CSV for reporting, client handovers, and further analysis.[1]
A deep-link API (timescribe://start/work, timescribe://start/break, timescribe://stop) lets Shortcuts, Alfred, Raycast, AutoHotkey, and custom scripts control the timer on both platforms.[1]
The interface ships in ten languages including Arabic and Hebrew with right-to-left layouts, and the app updates itself automatically.[1]
Who it fits
Freelancers who bill clients by the hour fit first: project rates, billing calculations, and PDF or Excel exports map directly onto invoicing evidence.[1]
Remote workers logging personal work hours fit well, since absence planning and day/week visualization cover the standard timesheet routine without any server setup.[1]
Privacy-minded individuals who refuse cloud trackers fit best of all: no registration, no telemetry target, and a local database mean there is no account to leak.[1]
Solo users who want a zero-admin install fit practically: a DMG drag, a Windows setup wizard, or a single Homebrew or WinGet command is the whole deployment.[1]
Where it falls short
Platform coverage stops at macOS and Windows. There is no Linux build, no mobile app, and no web client, so mixed-device users cannot take their timer everywhere.[1]
It is strictly single-user: no teams, roles, approvals, shared projects, or SSO exist, and by design there are no accounts at all.[1]
Local-only storage cuts both ways. Nothing syncs between machines, so a device failure without your own backup loses history, and the README notes PDF exports still render right-to-left text poorly.[1]
Switching and integration
Switching in is manual: download a build or run one package-manager command, with no documented importer from Toggl, Clockify, or CSV, so existing history does not carry over automatically.[1]
Kimai is the closest published catalogue neighbour for teams outgrowing solo tracking: it adds multi-user timesheets, approvals, expenses, and VAT-aware invoices in a web app, while TimeScribe keeps the offline single-user desktop scope.[1][2]
Questions worth asking
How much does TimeScribe cost per month?
TimeScribe costs nothing. The README states it is completely free with no hidden costs, premium plans, or paywalls. Development is funded voluntarily through GitHub Sponsors and Buy Me a Coffee donations.[1]
Which platforms does TimeScribe support?
TimeScribe runs on macOS and Windows only. Install it from a DMG or setup EXE, with one command via Homebrew on macOS or WinGet on Windows, or build it from source. There is no Linux, mobile, or web version.[1]
Does TimeScribe work offline and keep my data private?
Yes. TimeScribe is 100 percent offline: every entry is stored in a local SQLite database on your own machine, no account or registration is required, and nothing is uploaded to a cloud. The tradeoff is that your history lives on that one device unless you back it up yourself.[1]
How does TimeScribe compare with Kimai?
Both are open-source time trackers for billable work, but they differ in shape. TimeScribe is a single-user offline desktop app for macOS and Windows with no accounts or teams. Kimai is a web-based tracker for project-driven teams with multi-user timesheets, approvals, and invoice generation, available self-hosted or as a managed cloud. Pick TimeScribe for private solo tracking; pick Kimai when a team shares timesheets and invoices.[1][2]
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 13, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
- TimeScribe official site
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Official site (fetched 200 OK October 13, 2026): title 'TimeScribe - Private time tracking for macOS and Windows'; JS-rendered marketing and download shell for Windows and macOS builds.
- TimeScribe README
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Repository README (read in full October 13, 2026): free offline private tracking with no registration or paywall; timers, day/week views, app-usage categorization, absence planning, project billing rates, idle auto start/pause, PDF/Excel/CSV export, deep-link API, ten languages, auto updates; DMG/EXE/Homebrew/WinGet/source installs; Laravel plus NativePHP/Electron, Vue.js plus Tailwind, local SQLite; sponsor links; GPL-3.0 license section.
- WINBIGFOX/TimeScribe repository
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Canonical repo WINBIGFOX/TimeScribe via GitHub API and page fetch (October 13, 2026): homepage https://timescribe.app, GPL-3.0, PHP dominant with Vue, created January 2025, 916 stars, 90 forks; ctrln and jammerinbc copies are forks of it.
- TimeScribe releases
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Release history (October 13, 2026): v1.17.1 and v1.17.0 published September 21, 2026; v1.16.0 September 15, 2026; active maintenance cadence.
- TimeScribe composer.json
official · Observed October 13, 2026
composer.json (October 13, 2026): PHP 8.4, laravel/framework 13, nativephp/desktop, inertia, spatie PDF and Excel packages; license GPL-3.0-or-later.
- Kimai official site
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Kimai official site (fetched 200 OK October 13, 2026): open-source time tracker for project-driven teams; timers, timesheets, reporting, invoicing; cloud or self-hosted.
Compared with these products
No explicit proprietary baseline is recorded.