Dial tracks time across projects from the menu bar with a focus on minimal friction for starting, stopping, and switching timers. It targets professionals who need accurate time records for billing, reporting, or personal productivity analysis.
The primary interaction is a one-click start or project switch from the menu bar. Keyboard shortcuts ⌘1 through ⌘9 activate the first nine projects without touching the mouse. This low-friction design suits frequent context switching across multiple clients or project categories.
Automatic detection identifies idle periods when the Mac is inactive, scheduled meetings from connected calendar events, and active call sessions. Rather than auto-logging these periods, Dial presents them for review, allowing the user to decide whether each block counts as billable time, personal time, or should be discarded.
Calendar integration displays scheduled events alongside tracked time in the Dial interface, making it easier to align tracked work with calendar context and review whether meeting time was logged accurately.
Focus session mode provides timed work blocks with audio notifications at session end, complementing the general time tracking with structured interval-based work periods.
Reports generate PDF and CSV exports formatted for invoicing, with filtering by project, client, and date range.
System requirements: macOS 12 or later. 11 MB download. License verified locally; no account or internet connection required for use.
Pricing: 7-day free trial (full features). $3.99/month subscription, or $49 one-time lifetime purchase including all future versions.
Limitations: The $49 lifetime price may be high for casual users; the subscription at $3.99/month is more accessible but accumulates over time. Local-only storage means no cross-device sync to iPhone or other Macs. The auto-detection feature requires user review, adding a manual step compared to fully automatic time capture tools.
Alternatives: Timing provides fully automatic time tracking through app and URL monitoring. Toggl Track offers free cross-platform time tracking with cloud sync. Harvest includes invoicing alongside time tracking with team features. Klokki is another menu bar time tracker with similar manual entry.
Suitable for freelancers and consultants who bill by the hour, track time for client reporting, or want a locally-stored time tracking record without cloud dependency.
