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Comparison · PM

Leantime vs Rize

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Leantime and Rize — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Leantime vs Rize: at a glance

FeatureLeantimeRize
SectorPMPM
Velocity score6.37.5
Sparks · 30d01
Top themesproject-management, self-hosted, api, permissionsagent-toolset, scheduled-automation, mcp, time-tracking
Last editorial update1mo ago7d ago
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What is Leantime?

Leantime is stabilizing its big 3.9 rewrite while extending cross-project planning and a mobile API

Leantime is deep in a modernization cycle. The 3.9.0 release rebuilt the app around a native, fail-closed permission engine, a JSON-RPC API, and a consolidated Blueprints domain; the releases since then mostly stabilize that foundation. Recent point releases fix regressions (repeated Bearer/PAT auth fixes) while adding cross-project program views and a mobile app backend.

Read the full Leantime trajectory →

What is Rize?

Rize stops being a time tracker you query and becomes one that runs on a schedule without you.

The August drop lands as one roll-up plus six component entries published together: an Agent tab for live conversation over your Rize data with follow-up actions, Routines that run scheduled prompts and open follow-ups from context, AI Reports that turn prompts and templates into recurring analysis for client profitability and team overviews, Shared AI Skills as reusable saved prompts scoped personal, team or workspace, Agent Context with custom tagging instructions so the agent learns how a team labels clients and projects, and API/MCP surfaces exposing report runs, routine runs, Skills and agent context. Days earlier, v3.0.45 shipped My Timesheet and Team Timesheets with click-and-drag entry editing.

Read the full Rize trajectory →

Leantime vs Rize: editorial side-by-side

L6.3

Leantime is stabilizing its big 3.9 rewrite while extending cross-project planning and a mobile API

◆ Current state

Leantime is deep in a modernization cycle. The 3.9.0 release rebuilt the app around a native, fail-closed permission engine, a JSON-RPC API, and a consolidated Blueprints domain; the releases since then mostly stabilize that foundation. Recent point releases fix regressions (repeated Bearer/PAT auth fixes) while adding cross-project program views and a mobile app backend.

◆ Where it's heading

The work is consolidation over expansion: hardening the new auth/permission and API layers, closing security IDORs domain by domain, and building the surface a mobile app and program-level planning need. The steady stream of small patch releases reflects shaking out regressions from the 3.9.0 refactor rather than opening new product directions.

◆ Prediction

Expect continued point releases fixing regressions from the permission-engine and JSON-RPC migration, plus buildout of the Leantime Mobile app now that its Bearer-authenticated backend API is landing.

R7.5

Rize stops being a time tracker you query and becomes one that runs on a schedule without you.

◆ Current state

The August drop lands as one roll-up plus six component entries published together: an Agent tab for live conversation over your Rize data with follow-up actions, Routines that run scheduled prompts and open follow-ups from context, AI Reports that turn prompts and templates into recurring analysis for client profitability and team overviews, Shared AI Skills as reusable saved prompts scoped personal, team or workspace, Agent Context with custom tagging instructions so the agent learns how a team labels clients and projects, and API/MCP surfaces exposing report runs, routine runs, Skills and agent context. Days earlier, v3.0.45 shipped My Timesheet and Team Timesheets with click-and-drag entry editing.

◆ Where it's heading

Rize sparked twice this spring on chatting with your time data over MCP; this release is the step from asking to delegating. Routines and scheduled AI Reports mean the analysis happens whether or not anyone opens the app, and Shared Skills plus Agent Context turn one person's prompt into team infrastructure. Exposing routine and report runs through the API and MCP makes the agent layer callable from outside, which is what turns a feature into a platform surface.

◆ Prediction

Expect Routines to gain triggers beyond a schedule — a budget threshold crossed, unlogged time detected — and the timesheet work to be pulled into agent review flows. Invoicing sparked earlier this month, so billing is the obvious destination for a routine that finds unbilled time on its own.

Alternatives to Leantime and Rize

Other PM products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Leantime or Rize.

See all Leantime alternatives → · See all Rize alternatives →

Recent activity from Leantime and Rize

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 8d agoRizeAI Reports
  2. 8d agoRizeNew Chat and Agent
  3. 8d agoRizeAugust Update: Introducing the Rize Agent Toolset
  4. 8d agoRizeAPI/MCP Improvements
  5. 8d agoRizeAgent Context and Custom Tagging Instructions
  6. 8d agoRizeShared AI Skills
  7. 1mo agoLeantimeLeantime 3.9.8: milestone reporting and MCP endpoint fixes
  8. 1mo agoLeantimeLeantime 3.9.7 adds cross-project program views
  9. 1mo agoLeantimeLeantime 3.9.6: security hardening plus content templates
  10. 2mo agoLeantimeLeantime 3.9.5 adds mobile notification and calendar APIs
  11. 2mo agoLeantimeLeantime 3.9.4 fixes cross-project 'My Work' loading
  12. 2mo agoLeantimeLeantime 3.9.3 fixes Bearer-token API authentication

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Leantime and Rize?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Rize is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 6.3), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Leantime better than Rize?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Rize is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 6.3), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other PM products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Leantime?

Top Leantime alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Leantime alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/leantime for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Rize?

Top Rize alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Rize alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/rize for the full list with editorial commentary on each.