Productive alternative
A simpler Productive.io alternative for teams
Productive is agency operations platform: projects, budgets, resource planning, time tracking and billing in one system. Hourtick focuses on the core — a Mac menu bar timer, tasks, timesheets, approvals and billable reports — free for your whole team.
Why teams look for a Productive alternative
- A full agency system with a lot to set up before it pays off
- Billable time approvals need the Professional plan
- More than you need if the team mainly wants tasks and time
Where Productive shines
- Budgets, profitability and revenue forecasting for agencies
- Resource planning and time tracking in the same system
- Docs, tasks and an AI assistant
Where Hourtick is different
Productive is a full agency operating system. Hourtick covers the everyday core (tasks, chat, time, approvals, budgets and billable reports) with nothing to configure first, plus AI agents that take tasks and bill their time.
Hourtick vs Productive at a glance
| Criteria | Hourtick | Productive |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free for unlimited people with 500 MB of usage a month. $29/month for 5 GB. Every feature on both plans, no per-seat fees. | Per-user pricing — see their site |
| Team of 10, per month | $0 on Free · $29 on Pro (5 GB) | See their site |
| Free plan | Unlimited people, every feature, 500 MB of usage a month | 14-day free trial, no free plan |
| Task board and list | Board and list, assignees, chat, files, checklists. Every plan | Yes (projects, tasks and docs) |
| Built-in timer | Mac menu bar and web, offline. Every plan | Yes, with AI-suggested entries from calendars |
| Timesheet approvals | Included | Professional plan |
| Mac menu bar timer | Native menu bar timer with live time | See their site |
| Screenshots / activity monitoring | None — no screenshots or activity tracking | See their site |
| Best for | Teams that want tasks and time tracking together, simple enough to use every day, free for everyone. | Agencies that want budgets, forecasting and resourcing in one platform. |
We only list prices we've verified. See Productive for current pricing.
Productive pricing in 2026
- Plans are Essential, Professional and Ultimate (price on request), priced per user.
- Billable time approvals, rate cards and invoicing integrations are on Professional.
- We couldn't verify current per-user prices: Productive's pricing page showed different figures for the same plan when we checked. See their page for today's price.
- Hourtick: Free for unlimited people with 500 MB of usage a month. $29/month for 5 GB. Every feature on both plans, no per-seat fees.
See Productive for current prices (last checked September 29, 2026).
Switching in an afternoon
- Sign up free and add your clients and projects (task types are created for you).
- Mark which task types are billable and set project rates and budgets.
- Invite the team with a link — every plan includes unlimited people.
- Install the Mac menu bar app and track your first hour.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hourtick cheaper than Productive?
Hourtick is free for unlimited people with 500 MB of usage a month, or $29/month for 5 GB. Productive prices per user; check their site for current pricing.
Can I import my Productive data?
There's no one-click import yet. Most teams recreate clients and projects in a few minutes (an admin's AI assistant can do it over Hourtick's MCP server), start tracking from a clean date, and keep Productive's exports as the record of past hours.
When should I stay with Productive?
If you rely on budgets, profitability and revenue forecasting for agencies, Productive may still be the better fit.
Keep comparing
Track your first hour in a minute.
Free for your whole team, forever. $29/month when you need 5 GB.