TimeScribe

TimeScribe is an offline desktop time tracker for macOS and Windows built with NativePHP and local SQLite storage. It logs work intervals, client rates, and app usage directly on the workstation without user accounts or cloud connections. This gives contractors and agencies complete custody of their billing records.

Why TimeScribe instead of Clockify

Commercial trackers like Clockify and Toggl Track store projects, client names, billing rates, and work timestamps on managed cloud databases. For agencies handling confidential contracts or proprietary engineering, routing active window names, idle gaps, and work hours through third-party servers creates unnecessary compliance risks. Cloud platforms also lock exports, reminders, and historical reporting behind per-seat subscriptions that multiply as team size grows.

TimeScribe keeps all data custody on the workstation. It tracks billable hours, computes revenue against custom hourly rates, and logs idle intervals using local storage rather than remote APIs. Managers lose the central web dashboard for live employee monitoring, meaning distributed teams coordinate by submitting exported PDF, Excel, or CSV timesheets at billing milestones. In return, teams eliminate recurring SaaS fees, avoid cloud data exposure, and retain full access to work history offline.

What it does well

• Local SQLite persistence: stores sessions, project tags, and billing rates in a local file without sending telemetry to external servers.
• Automated idle detection: pauses active timers when operators step away and prompts to record or discard break time upon return.
• Application categorization: monitors active desktop windows to distinguish productive work from distractions without exporting activity logs.
• Deep-link URI scheme: exposes timescribe:// endpoints to start, pause, and stop timers from Raycast, Alfred, or custom hotkeys.
• Multi-format exports: outputs timesheets to PDF, Excel, and CSV with calculated earnings for direct client billing.
• Absence planning: tracks scheduled vacation, holidays, and sick days alongside project hours for accurate utilization metrics.

Limitations

• No centralized server sync: lacks multi-tenant synchronization or a shared admin dashboard, requiring leads to collect exported timesheets manually.