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Productivity · head to head

HEY vs Memtime

HEY logo

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Memtime logo

Memtime

Productivity

Automatic time tracking that never leaves your machine

From
€10/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.; Memtime no free tier. There is a 14 day trial and after that the cheapest route is €10 a user a month on a two-year commitment, or €15 quarterly.
  • They diverge on capability: HEY covers The Screener, Memtime covers Automatic activity timeline.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 24 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HEY and Memtime actually diverge.

Attributes where HEY and Memtime differ
AttributeHEYMemtime
Starting price$99/year€10/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
PlatformsMac, Windows, Web, iOS, AndroidWindows, macOS, Linux
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HEY

  • The Screener
  • Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
  • Reply Later stack
  • Focus and Reply mode
  • Screen sharing style clips
  • No tracking pixels

Only in Memtime

  • Automatic activity timeline
  • Local-only storage
  • Timesheet automation
  • Offline tracking
  • 100+ project software integrations
  • Calendar integration
  • Phone call tracking
  • Billability reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HEY

  • Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot Memtime
  • A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Memtime
  • A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Memtime
  • A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot Memtime

Memtime

  • Reconstructing a day nobody remembered to timenot HEY
  • Billing clients accurately without running a stopwatchnot HEY
  • Tracking time where activity data must not leave the machinenot HEY
  • Filling timesheets in Jira or Asana from a recorded timelinenot HEY
  • Separating billable from non-billable work after the factnot HEY

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HEY

  • There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
  • Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
  • The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
  • Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
  • It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

Memtime

  • No free tier. There is a 14 day trial and after that the cheapest route is €10 a user a month on a two-year commitment, or €15 quarterly.
  • The integrations most buyers arrive for are on Connect, not Basic, so the entry tier is a local tracker with no link to the project software you already run.
  • Desktop only. There is no mobile app, so work done away from the computer has to be entered by hand.
  • Local-only storage is the product's point and also its limit: there is no central view for a manager, and a lost or wiped machine takes its timeline with it.
  • Tracking is at five or six minute granularity rather than to the second, which is right for reconstructing a day and wrong for anyone billing in one-minute units.

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

$99/year
  • HEY for You$99/year
    • One hey.com email address
    • Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
    • Billed annually only, no monthly option
  • HEY for Families$179/year
    • Covers up to five family members
    • Same features as HEY for You per member
  • HEY for Work$12/month
    • Per user, for organisations on a company domain
    • Admin controls for a team

Memtime

€10/month
  • Basic$15/month
    • Per user, quarterly billing
    • €12 annual, €10 on two years
    • Automatic desktop tracking
  • Connect$22/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • €18 annual, €15 on two years
    • 100+ software integrations
  • Premium$30/month
    • Everything in Connect
    • €25 annual, €20 on two years
    • Call system integrations
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing from 50 seats
    • From €10 a month on a two-year term
    • Team trial and onboarding

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

  • You need the screener.
  • You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.
HEY review

Choose Memtime if

  • You need automatic activity timeline.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want local-only storage.
Memtime review

Questions people ask

Is HEY or Memtime better?
Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and Memtime at €10/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HEY or Memtime?
HEY starts at $99/year and Memtime at €10/month.
Does HEY or Memtime run on more platforms?
HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Memtime runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
What is HEY best used for?
HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what Memtime is typically brought in for.
What can HEY do that Memtime cannot?
HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. Memtime covers Automatic activity timeline, Local-only storage, Timesheet automation, Offline tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

Memtime: Does Memtime send my activity data to a server?

No. Activity is stored locally on the device that recorded it and never reaches a server, which is the basis of the product's "built for privacy" positioning and why no manager console exists.

Source
HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

Memtime: What does Memtime cost?

Per user per month, falling with commitment: Basic is €15 quarterly, €12 annual or €10 on two years. Connect is €22, €18 or €15. Premium is €30, €25 or €20. Enterprise is custom from 50 seats. Every tier has a 14 day trial with no card required.

Source
HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

Memtime: Which plan includes the integrations?

Connect and above. Basic covers automatic tracking, timesheets, calendars and reporting, but the 100+ project software integrations and the sync with them start at Connect.

Source
Memtime: How does the automatic tracking work?

It records the program and document in your foreground window at five or six minute granularity and builds a timeline from that. There is no timer to start, so nothing is lost to forgetting.

Source
Memtime: Which platforms does it run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktops. There is no mobile application.

Source
Memtime: Who makes Memtime?

Memtime GmbH, a German company founded in 2016.

Source
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