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Beam vs Toggl Track

Beam and Toggl Track are both personal productivity tools. Beam is aimed at developers and creators, while Toggl Track is aimed at freelancers and agencies. Both have a free plan.

Beam

Open individual windows from one Mac as native windows on another

Toggl Track

Simple time tracking and reporting

PricingFreemium · $12Freemium · $12
Starting price$12/mo$12/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial—30 days
Built forDevelopers, Creators, Freelancers, Small businessesFreelancers, Agencies
Platformsmacosweb, macos, windows, ios, android
Country—EE · 2006
Rating——

Choose Beam if

Developers and creators with two Apple silicon Macs who want a remote app to behave like a local window instead of a full screen share.

  • Uses one remote app without taking over the whole desktop
  • Window traffic goes directly between your Macs, not through Beam's servers
  • Free plan has no card requirement and no limit on host Macs

Look elsewhere if: People who need to reach Windows or Intel machines or control a whole remote desktop across platforms (Jump Desktop, Parsec).

Choose Toggl Track if

Freelancers and agencies tracking billable time.

  • Very easy to use
  • Free for small teams
  • Great integrations

Look elsewhere if: Employee monitoring (not its purpose).

Beam vs Toggl Track pricing

Beam

  • Free$0Host unlimited Macs, join share links, 20 minutes a day of use
  • Monthly$12/moUnlimited use on every Mac you own, send share links
  • Yearly$84/yrSame as Monthly; works out to $7/mo billed annually
  • Lifetime$199One-time payment, all future updates, direct connections
  • Team$12/seat/moOr $84/seat/yr; 20% off from 10 seats, one invoice

Toggl Track

  • Free$0Free for a limited number of users
  • Starter$12/user/mo$9/user/mo billed annually; billable rates
  • Premium$24/user/mo$16/user/mo billed annually; approvals, forecasts
  • EnterpriseCustomSSO, custom roles, dedicated support

Beam · Key features

  • Single windows from another Mac open as native windows with Dock and Command-Tab entries
  • Beam several windows at once or share an entire display
  • Direct typing, shortcuts, two-way resizing, app audio and clipboard sync
  • Works with headless Mac minis and Mac Studios that have no display
  • Encrypted Mac-to-Mac connection on local Wi-Fi or over Tailscale
  • Guest share links open one window in any browser, view-only by default

Cons

  • macOS only, with Apple silicon and Sonoma or later required on both Macs
  • Free use is capped at 20 minutes a day
  • Devices without the Mac app, such as phones, only get browser links

Toggl Track · Key features

  • One-click timers and manual entries
  • Browser extension in 100+ tools
  • Projects, clients, tags
  • Billable rates and budgets
  • Reports and timesheet approvals
  • Cross-platform apps

Cons

  • Advanced features on Premium
  • No invoicing built in
  • Per-user pricing

Beam vs Toggl Track: FAQ

Do Beam and Toggl Track have a free plan?

Yes, both Beam and Toggl Track have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

Which is better for small businesses, Beam or Toggl Track?

Beam lists small businesses as a core audience, while Toggl Track is aimed more at freelancers and agencies.

Not sure yet?