What is the key difference between Time tracker and Tempo?

Time tracker belongs to the Workplace & Productivity category with local stdio execution, while Tempo belongs to the Workplace & Productivity category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Time tracker or Tempo in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Time tracker and Tempo free or paid?

Time tracker operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Tempo operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Time tracker lists 14 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Tempo lists 11 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Time tracker and Tempo together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Time tracker vs Tempo

In-depth architectural comparison of the Time tracker and Tempo MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Time tracker

Workplace & Productivity · Local stdio

Quality: 48/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Tempo

Workplace & Productivity · Local stdio

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Time tracker if you need specialized Workplace & Productivity tools running via a local process. Choose Tempo if your workspace requires Workplace & Productivity integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Time tracker when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: timer_start, timer_stop, timer_status.

Explore Time tracker Details

Choose Tempo when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: log_checkin, ingest_revenue_event, ingest_calendar_event.

Explore Tempo Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	T Time tracker Workplace & Productivity	Tempo Workplace & Productivity
Summary	Track billable hours locally.	Founder-vitals connector joining human capacity to business load for solo operators.
Category & Scope	Workplace & Productivity	Workplace & Productivity
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Time tracker Tools (14)

timer_start

Start a timer on a project (optional task, tags, rate, currency). Starting a new one stops and logs the old one. A partial project name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project.

timer_stop

Stop the running timer, write the entry, return the duration.

timer_status

What is running, for how long, and today's total.

entry_add

Log time you already worked (start plus end or minutes), with an optional rate and currency: rate "90 euros an hour" bills as EUR 225.00 for 2.5 h. Partial project names resolve like `timer_start`.

entry_list

Compact table of entries, filtered by date range and project.

entry_edit

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Time tracker Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "time-tracker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@theluckystrike/mcp-time-tracker"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tempo Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tempo": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "tempo-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Time tracker is categorized under Workplace & Productivity and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Tempo belongs to Workplace & Productivity using local stdio subprocess. Select Time tracker when you need capabilities focused on workplace & productivity and Tempo when you require tools for workplace & productivity.