Jira tracker · Side-by-side review

Planim Time vs Tempo Timesheets

Planim Time is a native desktop tracker built for engineers; Tempo Timesheets is a Jira-embedded plugin built for approvals and finance-oriented reporting, with separate Tempo products for capacity and financial management. They overlap on 'log time to Jira' and diverge above it.

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Updated 2026-07-22 Written by the Planim team
Best for Jira-first teams
Tracker pricing Free forever tier
Privacy Credentials in OS keychain
Offline tracking Local SQLite, sync later
The verdict

Finance tool, engineer tool

Tempo Timesheets has spent more than fifteen years optimising for the moment a finance director or PMO reads a timesheet. We've spent the last year optimising for the ten seconds before an engineer forgets which Jira issue they were on. Both put time against a Jira issue, but Tempo Cloud keeps the complete worklog in its own database and syncs only basic anonymised worklog information to Jira. Planim Time keeps its local copy on the device and writes ordinary user-authored Jira worklogs. It signs in with Atlassian by default, stores long-lived credentials in the OS keychain, and keeps the timer running offline; an API-token fallback remains available. Tempo Timesheets centres on approvals and finance-oriented reports; separate Tempo products add capacity planning and financial management. If your hours feed that wider stack, Tempo is hard to replace. If the job is accurate Jira worklogs for an engineer or sprint team, the lighter tool is usually a better fit.
Feature scorecard

What Tempo does that we don't, and what we do that Tempo doesn't

Both attach time to Jira issues, but Tempo keeps the complete record in its own Cloud database while Planim writes user-authored Jira worklogs.

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, or AppImage; sign in with Atlassian Requires a Jira admin to install the app and grant project permissions
04Free tier Full tracking, manual Push All, two-way sync. Free forever No permanent free tier; 30-day Atlassian Marketplace trial
05Trial 14-day Pro trial on first launch, no credit card 30-day Atlassian Marketplace trial, started by a Jira admin
06Entry price $0 Free, $10/mo Pro, $8/seat/mo Team (min 2 seats), $150 one-time Lifetime Cloud pricing tied to Jira license size: currently $1/user/month for 1–10 users and $5.21/user/month average for 11–100, with lower average rates in larger bands
07Jira authentication OAuth by default; long-lived credentials in OS keychain; local API-token fallback Managed through the Atlassian Marketplace app
08Data location Local SQLite on your machine; worklogs also live in your Jira instance Complete worklogs in Tempo's separate Cloud database; only basic anonymised records sync to Jira
09Menu-bar / tray timer Yes. Dynamic tray icon reflects running, paused, or 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 for one price Browser-based Jira Cloud Marketplace app
16Daily report export One-click copy grouped by issue with descriptions; CSV export Tempo Reports (fuller, heavier) plus 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, or AppImage; sign in with Atlassian
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 No permanent free tier; 30-day Atlassian Marketplace trial
Trial
Planim 14-day Pro trial on first launch, no credit card
Tempo Timesheets 30-day Atlassian Marketplace trial, started by a Jira admin
Entry price
Planim $0 Free, $10/mo Pro, $8/seat/mo Team (min 2 seats), $150 one-time Lifetime
Tempo Timesheets Cloud pricing tied to Jira license size: currently $1/user/month for 1–10 users and $5.21/user/month average for 11–100, with lower average rates in larger bands
Jira authentication
Planim OAuth by default; long-lived credentials in OS keychain; local API-token fallback
Tempo Timesheets Managed through the Atlassian Marketplace app
Data location
Planim Local SQLite on your machine; worklogs also live in your Jira instance
Tempo Timesheets Complete worklogs in Tempo's separate Cloud database; only basic anonymised records sync to Jira
Menu-bar / tray timer
Planim Yes. Dynamic tray icon reflects running, paused, or 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 for one price
Tempo Timesheets Browser-based Jira Cloud Marketplace app
Daily report export
Planim One-click copy grouped by issue with descriptions; CSV export
Tempo Timesheets Tempo Reports (fuller, heavier) plus 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

Competitor pricing and feature claims last verified 2026-07-22.

Decision guide

Pick by who reads the timesheet at the end of the month

Tempo writes for finance and PMO. Planim Time writes for the engineer logging the hour. Choose by which reader your data actually serves.

Pick Planim Time if

You log hours for yourself or your sprint team, not for finance approval.

  • You want to track time offline (on a plane, in a café, during a VPN hiccup) and sync to Jira when you reconnect
  • You prefer a native desktop app with a menu-bar timer over a browser tab buried inside Jira
  • You want long-lived OAuth credentials in the OS keychain and a device-local API-token fallback
  • 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 needs something lightweight
Pick Tempo Timesheets if

Your timesheets feed an approval chain, a budget, or a client invoice.

  • 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
Where Tempo Timesheets wins

What we don't pretend Planim Time does

If your workflow needs any of these, Tempo Timesheets is the honest pick.

  • Approval workflows. If your finance team needs to approve timesheets before they go live, Tempo has been polishing that flow since 2009 and it shows.
  • Capacity planning. Tempo can put a designer team's capacity next to a project's budget. Planim Time only shows what was tracked, not what was planned.
  • Atlassian Marketplace install. If your Jira admin's policy is 'Marketplace apps only', Planim Time isn't on the menu, and we're not pursuing a listing.
  • Client invoicing inside the tool. Tempo Budgets and Cost Tracker handle 'how much did this project cost the client'; Planim Time leaves invoicing to your accounting stack.
  • Time-off, holidays, leave requests. If your timesheet doubles as your absence record, Tempo bundles that. We don't, and probably never will.
  • 100+ user audit-friendly reporting. Tempo's reporting suite is built for finance teams that have to defend numbers against an audit. Planim Time's reports are built for retros, not auditors.
Questions answered

Planim Time vs Tempo Timesheets: FAQ

Is Planim Time cheaper than Tempo Timesheets?
Planim Time Free is cheaper because it costs $0 and includes Jira sync. Paid Planim is not automatically cheaper for a small site: Tempo's current Cloud table lists $1 per Jira user per month for 1–10 users and $5.21 for 11–100, while its license must match the whole Jira site. Compare the exact site size and required workflow; Planim's main differences are no-admin desktop setup and offline tracking, not a universal price advantage.
Can I migrate from Tempo Timesheets to Planim Time?
Yes, but export first. Tempo Cloud stores the complete worklog in its own database and the Jira copy is a basic anonymised record authored by Timesheets by Tempo. Planim Time cannot automatically identify those Jira rows as your personal history. Export worklogs and approvals from Tempo while access is active, keep that export as the archive, and start fresh unless you have a tested process to recreate user-attributed Jira worklogs.
Do I need Jira admin rights to install Planim Time?
No. Planim Time is a desktop app that signs in with Atlassian OAuth by default, with an API-token fallback. You download the installer and authorise your own account; no Jira admin installs a tenant app. Tempo Timesheets is a Marketplace plugin, so a Jira admin has to install it and configure Tempo-specific permissions before the team can use it.
Does Planim Time have approval workflows like Tempo?
No, and we have no plans to add them. 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 treat 'ship a worklog, do another Jira issue' as the goal, not a missing step.
Can I try the Team plan before paying?
Yes. On first launch, Planim Time offers a 14-day free Pro trial, no credit card and no workspace-admin dance. For workspaces that want everyone on Pro, a separate workspace-wide Team trial unlocks Pro for every seat for 14 days. 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?
Planim Time worklogs remain ordinary user-authored Jira worklogs if you stop paying or uninstall the app. Tempo Cloud is different: the complete records, authors, Accounts, work attributes, and billable details live in Tempo's separate database, while Jira receives only basic anonymised records. Export the Tempo data before cancelling or uninstalling; the Jira copy is not a complete backup.
If Tempo never quite fit, try a tracker for the other side of the timesheet

Run Planim Time on your real Jira for one sprint

Install the desktop app, sign in with Atlassian, and start a timer on a real issue. The Free tier covers a full evaluation with no credit card or Jira admin install. You can leave Tempo running side-by-side until you're sure.

Download for free See pricing
macOS · Windows · Linux No credit card Stored in OS keychain; no long-lived server copy