Jira tracker · Side-by-side review

Planim Time vs Tempo Timesheets

Planim Time is a native desktop app with offline tracking, a keychain-backed token and a free tier; Tempo Timesheets is a Jira-embedded plugin optimized for approval workflows, capacity planning and enterprise billing.

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Updated 2026-04-19 Written by the Planim team
Best for Jira-first teams
Tracker pricing Free forever tier
Privacy Token in OS keychain
Offline tracking Local SQLite, sync later
The verdict

Two tools, two centres of gravity

Planim Time is a native desktop time tracker that lives in your macOS, Windows, or Linux menu bar, stores your Jira API token in the OS keychain, works fully offline, and pushes worklogs to Jira through your own API token — no third-party server in between. Tempo Timesheets is an Atlassian Marketplace plugin that runs inside Jira Cloud, Server and Data Center and focuses on manager approval workflows, resource planning, budgets and invoice-ready timesheets. The products aim at different problems: Planim Time is built for an individual developer or a small squad who want to log hours without friction, keep Jira authoritative, and never think about time tracking again. Tempo is built for a finance or PMO organisation who need signed-off timesheets, billable-hours reports and capacity forecasts sitting next to Jira issues. Pick Planim Time if you want speed, privacy, offline support and a genuinely free tier. Pick Tempo if your organisation has already standardised on the Atlassian Marketplace and needs approval chains, capacity planning or client invoicing.
Feature scorecard

How they stack up, line by line

Same Jira worklog. Two different ways of getting it there.

Feature Planim Time Tempo Timesheets
01Platform Native desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) in the menu bar / system tray Atlassian Marketplace plugin — runs inside Jira in the browser
02Works offline Yes — local SQLite, two-way reconciliation when online No — requires an active Jira session
03Install effort Download a DMG / EXE / AppImage and sign in with a Jira API token Requires a Jira admin to install the app and grant project permissions
04Free tier Full tracking, manual Push All, two-way sync — free forever Free tier is limited and tied to very small Jira Cloud plans; paid otherwise
05Trial 14-day Pro and Team trials on first launch — no credit card 30-day Atlassian Marketplace trial — card-free on Cloud, vendor-handled on DC
06Entry price $0 Free · $10/mo Pro · $15/seat/mo Team (min 3, one flat price) Starts ~$1–5/user/mo on top of Jira for tiny teams; climbs to $10–15/user for typical ones
07API token storage OS keychain (macOS Keychain / Windows Credential Manager / Secret Service) Stored by Atlassian Cloud / Data Center
08Data location Local SQLite on your machine; worklogs also live in your Jira instance Inside your Atlassian tenant or Data Center cluster
09Menu-bar / tray timer Yes — dynamic tray icon reflects running, paused, idle No — you switch to the Jira tab to see it
10JQL-based issue list Yes — bring any JQL; reorder statuses; pin favourites Yes — uses Jira's issue navigator filters
11Calendar view of your week Yes — drag-edit blocks, edit description or issue inline Yes — Tempo timesheet grid, heavier UI, slower for edits
12Team worklog visibility Yes (Team plan) — stats roll up every member who logs to the workspace's Jira issues, not only paid seats Yes — core feature, tied to Tempo permissions
13Approval workflows No — intentionally simple Yes — core Tempo feature
14Invoicing and budgets No Yes (Tempo Budgets, Cost Tracker, Financial Manager)
15Platforms supported per price macOS, Windows and Linux — one price Cloud, Server and Data Center — pricing differs by Jira edition
16Daily report export One-click copy grouped by issue, with descriptions; CSV export Tempo Reports (fuller, heavier) + CSV / XLSX export
17Themes Dark, light, or follow system Matches Jira UI theme
18Auto-update In-app updater with release notes Handled by Atlassian Marketplace
Platform
Planim Native desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) in the menu bar / system tray
Tempo Timesheets Atlassian Marketplace plugin — runs inside Jira in the browser
Works offline
Planim Yes — local SQLite, two-way reconciliation when online
Tempo Timesheets No — requires an active Jira session
Install effort
Planim Download a DMG / EXE / AppImage and sign in with a Jira API token
Tempo Timesheets Requires a Jira admin to install the app and grant project permissions
Free tier
Planim Full tracking, manual Push All, two-way sync — free forever
Tempo Timesheets Free tier is limited and tied to very small Jira Cloud plans; paid otherwise
Trial
Planim 14-day Pro and Team trials on first launch — no credit card
Tempo Timesheets 30-day Atlassian Marketplace trial — card-free on Cloud, vendor-handled on DC
Entry price
Planim $0 Free · $10/mo Pro · $15/seat/mo Team (min 3, one flat price)
Tempo Timesheets Starts ~$1–5/user/mo on top of Jira for tiny teams; climbs to $10–15/user for typical ones
API token storage
Planim OS keychain (macOS Keychain / Windows Credential Manager / Secret Service)
Tempo Timesheets Stored by Atlassian Cloud / Data Center
Data location
Planim Local SQLite on your machine; worklogs also live in your Jira instance
Tempo Timesheets Inside your Atlassian tenant or Data Center cluster
Menu-bar / tray timer
Planim Yes — dynamic tray icon reflects running, paused, idle
Tempo Timesheets No — you switch to the Jira tab to see it
JQL-based issue list
Planim Yes — bring any JQL; reorder statuses; pin favourites
Tempo Timesheets Yes — uses Jira's issue navigator filters
Calendar view of your week
Planim Yes — drag-edit blocks, edit description or issue inline
Tempo Timesheets Yes — Tempo timesheet grid, heavier UI, slower for edits
Team worklog visibility
Planim Yes (Team plan) — stats roll up every member who logs to the workspace's Jira issues, not only paid seats
Tempo Timesheets Yes — core feature, tied to Tempo permissions
Approval workflows
Planim No — intentionally simple
Tempo Timesheets Yes — core Tempo feature
Invoicing and budgets
Planim No
Tempo Timesheets Yes (Tempo Budgets, Cost Tracker, Financial Manager)
Platforms supported per price
Planim macOS, Windows and Linux — one price
Tempo Timesheets Cloud, Server and Data Center — pricing differs by Jira edition
Daily report export
Planim One-click copy grouped by issue, with descriptions; CSV export
Tempo Timesheets Tempo Reports (fuller, heavier) + CSV / XLSX export
Themes
Planim Dark, light, or follow system
Tempo Timesheets Matches Jira UI theme
Auto-update
Planim In-app updater with release notes
Tempo Timesheets Handled by Atlassian Marketplace
Decision guide

Which one is right for you?

No false equivalence — both tools are good at what they aim to do. Pick by the shape of your work.

Pick Planim Time if

Jira is your home, and you want a tracker that respects that.

  • You want to track time offline — on a plane, in a café, during a VPN hiccup — and sync to Jira later
  • You prefer a native desktop app with a menu-bar timer over a browser tab buried inside Jira
  • You care about API-token privacy — Planim Time stores it in the OS keychain, never on a server
  • You need a free tier with full tracking forever, not a 30-day trial
  • You work across macOS, Windows, and Linux on the same account
  • You want the simplest possible UI for logging hours, without approval chains or budget fields
  • You don't want to ask a Jira admin to install a plugin before you can start tracking
  • Your team already has too many Atlassian apps and you need something lightweight
  • You want one flat per-seat price regardless of whether your Jira is Cloud, Server or Data Center
Pick Tempo Timesheets if

You need its broader feature set more than a Jira-tight workflow.

  • Your team requires manager approval workflows before timesheets are final
  • You invoice clients directly from tracked time inside the same tool
  • You need resource planning and capacity forecasting tied to Jira issues
  • Your organization has already standardized on the Atlassian Marketplace toolchain
  • You need ready-made, audit-friendly reports for large (100+ user) teams and finance departments
  • Your legal or procurement team requires a vendor already listed on the Atlassian Marketplace
  • You need time-off, holidays and leave requests integrated with your timesheets
Questions answered

Planim Time vs Tempo Timesheets — FAQ

Is Planim Time cheaper than Tempo Timesheets?
For individuals and small teams, yes. Planim Time has a permanent free tier with full time tracking, and Pro starts at a flat $10/month. Tempo Timesheets is priced per Jira user on top of your existing Jira subscription — $1–5/user on very small Cloud tiers, $10–15/user on typical ones — and scales with your Jira edition. Tempo becomes more economical only when you specifically need approvals, budgets or invoicing; otherwise you pay for enterprise features a small team will never touch.
Can I migrate from Tempo Timesheets to Planim Time?
Yes. Because both tools ultimately write Jira worklogs on the underlying issues, Planim Time's two-way Jira sync pulls existing worklogs into the app — including entries you originally logged through Tempo. Your historical time data is preserved. You do lose Tempo-specific features like approvals, budgets, and plan approvals, so plan your switch around whether those workflows are load-bearing for your team. Most individual developers switch the same day; finance-heavy teams usually run both in parallel for one sprint before dropping Tempo.
Do I need Jira admin rights to install Planim Time?
No. Planim Time is a desktop app that talks to Jira through your own personal API token. You download the installer for your OS and sign in — no Jira admin install, no project-level app permissions, no Atlassian Marketplace approval. Tempo Timesheets, by contrast, is a Marketplace plugin: a Jira admin has to install it, enable it for each project, and assign Tempo-specific permissions before anyone can track.
Does Planim Time support Jira Server and Data Center like Tempo does?
Yes. Planim Time works with Jira Cloud, Jira Server 8.x and newer, and Jira Data Center. Authentication is via a Jira API token, not your password. There is a single flat price across all Jira editions — $10/mo Pro, $15/seat/mo Team — unlike Tempo, whose pricing and feature set differ between Cloud and Data Center.
Does Planim Time have approval workflows like Tempo?
No. Planim Time deliberately skips approval workflows to stay simple and fast. If you need manager approval of submitted timesheets, budget tracking, or invoicing, Tempo Timesheets is the better fit. If you just need to log hours accurately and push them to Jira, Planim Time covers that in a fraction of the UI surface. We consider 'ship a worklog, do another Jira issue' a feature, not a missing one.
Can I try the Team plan before paying?
Yes. On first launch, Planim Time offers a 14-day free trial of both Pro and Team — no credit card, no workspace-admin dance. Every seat you invite during the trial gets full access from day one. Tempo offers a 30-day trial, but it has to be started by a Jira admin because it's a Marketplace plugin.
Does Planim Time work offline during long flights or flaky VPN?
Yes, and that's one of the main reasons people switch off Tempo. Tempo is a browser plugin inside Jira: if Jira is unreachable, so is your timer. Planim Time stores your timer state and worklogs in a local SQLite database. You can track on a plane, in a basement, or through a dodgy VPN, and the app reconciles with Jira the moment you're back online.
Is my data safe if I stop paying?
Yes. Worklogs always live in your Jira instance — Planim Time is a writer, not a silo. If you cancel Pro or Team, you drop to the Free tier and keep unlimited tracking, manual Push All, and two-way sync. If you uninstall the app entirely, every worklog you ever pushed is still on the Jira issues where it belongs. Tempo stores additional metadata (approvals, budgets, plan approvals) inside Atlassian's infrastructure that doesn't fully round-trip to Jira worklogs, so the exit story is heavier.
Try it free — keep using Tempo Timesheets if it doesn't click

See how it feels on your own Jira.

Download Planim Time, paste your Jira API token, pick an issue and hit start. The Free tier covers everything you need to evaluate it without a credit card.

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macOS · Windows · Linux No credit card Token stays on your machine