Comparison

Timelines Time Tracking vs DateSmith PRO

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Timelines Time Tracking

Easily track your personal and work hours with this intuitive time tracking app. Visualize your time usage with interactive timelines and charts, set goals, and gain insights to improve efficiency and productivity. Sync across devices and export your data.

Highlights
  • Quick data entry with timers
  • Interactive timeline visualizations
  • Statistics and trend charts
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Daily, weekly, monthly goals
  • Siri Shortcuts integration
  • Detailed PDF and CSV exports
Features
Read full description

Timelines is an easy-to-use yet powerful time tracking app that helps you understand how you spend your day, improve your productivity, and build better habits. Track work, personal activities, health routines, and daily habits in one place, then visualize your time with an interactive timeline and charts to uncover patterns and make the most out of your time. I personally wasn't happy with the way I was spending my time, so I decided to build a tool to help myself and others figure out a way to become more efficient. Timelines has been enabling me and other users to understand where our time is actually going, helping us improve our routines, build better habits, increase productivity, and achieve more in our personal and professional lives. I sincerely believe it can do the same for you. – Lukas Petr, founder of Timelines Timelines has been featured by Apple (New Apps We Love, App of the Day), and reviewed on 9To5Mac, MacStories, Tech Crunch, The Verge, Wired, and more. ▶ WHAT CAN YOU TRACK? Timelines can help you track and understand how you spend time across all areas of your life: - Work tasks and projects - Personal activities and daily routines - Habits and self-improvement goals - Workouts, sleep, and health data - Study sessions and learning - Hobbies, side projects, and free time - Family and social activities - Anything you can imagine ▶ QUICK TIME TRACKING - track time spent on work, habits, health, or any activity you want - control tracking with just 1 tap - grid mode of timers - track from Home Screen with powerful widgets - see your current activity on Lock Screen as a Live Activity - easily edit and add past events ▶ POWERFUL VISUALIZATIONS - see how you spend your time on an interactive timeline - playful statistics mode with pie chart - see trends over time using bar chart - subcategories - breakdown of your events - quickly filter categories ▶ SYNC BETWEEN DEVICES - have an always up-to-date backup of your data with Timelines Cloud - sync between your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, in real-time - sign in using your email address or your Apple ID ▶ TIME-BASED GOALS - define daily, weekly, and monthly time-based goals - see your progress and stay on track - periodic reports with rich notifications - get rewarded for reaching a goal with confetti ▶ AUTOMATIONS - build workflows with Siri Shortcuts - use Siri to start and stop timers - import workouts, sleep, and meditation from Apple Health ▶ AND MORE - detailed PDF and CSV exports - timely and customizable reminders - archive unused categories - lots of possible customizations ▶ APPLE WATCH APP - watch face complication for quick access - haptic feedback on start and stop of timers - set event names using dictation or choose from recent - adjust start and end times using the digital crown - see active timer’s duration and category on watch face - real-time sync with iPhone and iPad using Timelines Cloud - see list of past past entries and edit them easily - daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly statistics ▶ WHAT IS FREE? - track up to 3 categories - basic exporting - pie chart - see events on a timeline - events log - reminders ▶ TIMELINES PRO - sync between devices - unlimited categories - bar chart - goals - detailed exports - import from Apple Health - subcategories - support development Timelines has been in active development for over 9 years now. Lots of effort, attention and care went into every detail of the app. Start taking control of your time today. In just a few days, you'll begin to understand your habits, improve your productivity, and make better decisions about how you spend your time. I love working on Timelines, and a big part of my vision is to listen closely to users and incorporate their feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to me at lukas@timelines.app. – Lukas Petr, founder of Timelines * Privacy policy: https://timelines.app/privacy/ * Terms of Use: https://timelines.app/terms/

About

DateSmith PRO

Enhance your lock screen with a customizable date display designed for the premium space above your clock. Features reliable midnight updates, multiple format styles, and a countdown mode for important events. Focuses on privacy and a minimalist design.

Highlights
  • Custom date widget for above lock screen clock
  • Multiple widget formats
  • Personalized date formats
  • Countdown mode for events
  • Automatic midnight updates
  • Privacy-focused design
  • One-time purchase
Features
Read full description

DateSmith PRO: YOUR LOCK SCREEN DATE PERFECTED DateSmith PRO delivers what other widget apps don't - a beautifully formatted date display specifically designed for the premium space above your lock screen clock. With reliable midnight updates and customization options, DateSmith PRO enhances your iPhone with information you need at a glance. ABOVE-CLOCK PERFECTION Unlike generic widget apps, DateSmith PRO specializes in the coveted space above your lock screen clock. Our elegant date formats complement your iPhone's design language while delivering essential information at a glance. RELIABLE MIDNIGHT UPDATES DateSmith PRO employs sophisticated background processing technology that ensures your date always updates precisely at midnight - even if your phone is asleep. Say goodbye to yesterday's date lingering on your lock screen! PERSONALIZATION OPTIONS Choose from multiple date format styles or switch to countdown mode to track days until an important event. Make your lock screen truly yours with the perfect date display that fits your needs. MINIMALIST DESIGN We focus on doing one thing perfectly - showing today's date in a clean, elegant format that enhances your lock screen. No clutter, no distractions, just the information you need. KEY FEATURES - Custom date widget designed specifically for the space above your lock screen clock - Multiple widget formats available for home screen and other widget areas - Personalized display with customizable date formats - Countdown mode to track days until important events - Automatic midnight updates with advanced background technology - Simple configuration - set it up once and forget it - One-time purchase - no subscriptions, no recurring fees - Extremely battery efficient design - 100% privacy focused - no data collection, no analytics - No internet connection required - Minimal storage footprint PRIVACY FIRST DateSmith PRO is designed with your privacy in mind. We don't collect any data, require unnecessary permissions, or need an internet connection to function. Your date is your business. SIMPLE SETUP 1. Long press on your lock screen 2. Tap 'Customize' 3. Tap the widget area above the time 4. Find and select the DateSmith PRO widget 5. Tap 'Done' DateSmith PRO - The date widget that works your way.

Screenshots

Timelines Time Tracking4 screens
DateSmith PRO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Timelines Time Tracking at Free against DateSmith PRO's $0.99. Timelines Time Tracking also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). DateSmith PRO's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Timelines Time Tracking is free to download; DateSmith PRO costs $0.99 up front. Timelines Time Tracking sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. DateSmith PRO asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DateSmith PRO holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Timelines Time Tracking has 1.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Timelines Time Tracking's written reviews are positive against 100% of DateSmith PRO's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Timelines Time Tracking versus DateSmith PRO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimelines Time TrackingDateSmith PRO
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.8 (1.6K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.6K — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#198 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLukas PetrBenjamin Staab

Customer experience

Timelines Time Tracking

All ratings1,552 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews716 reviews
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.6%

DateSmith PRO

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Timelines Time Tracking

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional sync issues between devices
  • Rare crashes or data loss after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to create and reuse time tracking templates
  • Option to group timelines into folders or categories
  • Improved iPad and Mac support
  • Reminders and alerts for time limits or goals

DateSmith PRO

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Timelines Time Tracking

Subscriptions8
  • Timelines PRO Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Timelines PRO Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Timelines PRO Monthly2 variants$7.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Timelines PRO Yearly$19.991 Year
  • Timelines PRO Legacy Yearly$19.991 Year
  • Timelines PRO Yearly$29.991 Year
  • Timelines PRO Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Timelines PRO Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Timelines PRO Lifetime$159.99
None

DateSmith PRO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Timelines Time Tracking free?
Timelines Time Tracking is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DateSmith PRO free?
DateSmith PRO costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Timelines Time Tracking or DateSmith PRO?
DateSmith PRO is rated higher. Timelines Time Tracking averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while DateSmith PRO averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Timelines Time Tracking or DateSmith PRO have ads?
Neither Timelines Time Tracking nor DateSmith PRO shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Timelines Time Tracking or DateSmith PRO?
Timelines Time Tracking ships an update monthly, and DateSmith PRO monthly. Most recently, Timelines Time Tracking was updated on September 22, 2026 and DateSmith PRO on September 8, 2026.

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