A free Clockify alternative that does not count seats
Clockify capped its free plan at 5 users in April 2026 and moved rates, exports, and the approval workflow to paid plans. Sandtime.io is free for unlimited users with reminders, approvals, and locking included.
Clockify is a widely used time tracker from CAKE.com with a large integration catalog, native invoicing, and expense tracking on paid plans. Its free plan supported unlimited users until April 2026 and now supports up to 5. Visit Clockify website
Best for teams that bill against time and need trust
Sandtime.io fits agencies, freelancers, consultants, and other service teams that need client-ready reports, project visibility, and cleaner invoicing without the seat tax or surveillance that often comes with legacy trackers.
Sandtime.io vs Clockify
| Feature | Sandtime.io | Clockify |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan size | Free for unlimited users | Free for up to 5 users; paid plans are charged per seat |
| Timesheet approvals | Included free | Paid plan feature |
| Reminders and timesheet locking | Included free | Paid plan feature |
| Billable rates | Included free, with historical rates | Paid plan feature |
| Excel and CSV export | Included free | Basic exports free, scheduled and advanced exports paid |
| Multi-currency reporting | Included free | Workspace currencies free; per-client currency on Pro |
| Employee surveillance | None, and none planned | Screenshots and GPS on higher plans |
| Automatic tracking | Self-reported hours only | Automatic app and window tracking |
| Invoicing and expenses | Invoice-ready reports and exports | Native invoicing and expenses on paid plans |
| Integrations | Slack, Chrome extension, public API, and MCP server | 80+ integrations |
| Hosting | European Union, on OVHcloud | Global by default; EU, UK or Australia region on Pro and above |
| Best fit | Free timesheet completion for a whole team | A broad toolkit for teams willing to pay per seat |
Why teams switch from Clockify to Sandtime.io
The sixth teammate is still free
Clockify capped its free plan at 5 users in April 2026. Sandtime.io is free for unlimited users, so a sixth teammate does not turn a free tool into a per-seat subscription.
The completion workflow is not a paid add-on
Reminders, one-click approvals from email, and automatic locking of past periods are the workflow that actually gets timesheets in. On Sandtime.io they cost nothing.
Billing data without the upgrade
Rate changes preserve history, reports settle in multiple currencies, and Excel or CSV export is free, so month-end billing does not depend on a plan upgrade.
Nothing to switch off
No screenshots, no keystroke logging, no activity scoring, and no location tracking. Sandtime.io does not sell surveillance features on any plan, because it does not have any.
What changed, and what it means for your team
Clockify’s free plan was the reason many teams chose it. CAKE.com capped it at 5 users in April 2026, citing the cost of running infrastructure for unlimited free users. Teams that outgrew five seats now face a per-seat bill for a workflow they had for nothing.
Choose Sandtime.io when
The team is larger than five people, or will be, and needs timers, timesheets, reminders, approvals, locking, historical rates, and exports without the bill growing per head.
Keep Clockify when
The integration catalog, native invoicing, expenses, automatic app tracking, scheduling, or kiosk mode are essential. Sandtime.io exports billing data but does not replace that toolkit.
Migrate the active present
There is no one-click Clockify importer. Keep Clockify as the historical archive, recreate active clients, projects, and rates, then reconcile one complete reporting cycle before switching.
Pricing and plan details checked August 19, 2026
Clockify’s help center documents the April 2026 free plan change, and its pricing page lists the current per-seat tiers and which plan unlocks approvals, reminders, and locking. Plan limits move, so check both before deciding.
Read Clockify’s free plan update Check Clockify’s current pricing Read the full breakdown of the change See Sandtime.io pricing
Clockify alternative FAQs
Short answers about pricing, migration, and product fit.
Is Clockify still free for unlimited users?
Clockify changed its free plan in April 2026. It previously supported unlimited users and now supports up to 5. Billable rates, invoicing, scheduled reports, and some exports moved to paid plans at the same time.
Is Sandtime.io free for unlimited users?
Yes. Sandtime.io is free for unlimited users with no seat charge, no feature gate, and no credit card. Approvals, reminders, locking, reports, exports, multi-currency, and historical rates are all included.
Can Sandtime.io import Clockify data?
Not automatically. Keep Clockify as the historical archive, then recreate active clients, projects, people, and rates in Sandtime.io and reconcile one full reporting cycle before cutting over.
Does Sandtime.io replace Clockify invoicing and expenses?
No. Sandtime.io produces invoice-ready reports and Excel or CSV exports, but it has no invoicing engine and no expense tracking. If those matter, Clockify’s paid plans keep them in one place.
Does Sandtime.io track applications automatically like Clockify’s auto tracker?
No. Sandtime.io has no automatic app or window tracking by design. Hours are self-reported declarations, which is what makes the records something a team will stand behind.
Is Clockify still the better choice for some teams?
Yes. Keep Clockify when the integration catalog, native invoicing, expenses, automatic tracking, or its scheduling and kiosk features are essential, and the per-seat cost is acceptable.
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