The present invention provides: a rubber composition for a tire having favorable productivity, excellent heat aging resistance and abrasion resistance, and excellent fuel economy; and a pneumatic tire using the rubber composition. The rubber composition contains neither soluble sulfur nor insoluble sulfur, and contains diene rubber, 1-15 parts by mass of compound 1 represented by formula (1) and 0.1-5 parts by mass of compound 2 represented by formula (2), per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber, and the amount ratio of compound 1 to compound 2 (compound 1/compound 2) is 1-8.
wherein R1-R4 are the same or different, and represent C1-20 alkyl, C6-20 aryl, or C7-20 aralkyl, and n represents an integer of 1-12;
wherein R5-R7 are the same or different, and represent C5-12 alkyl, x and y are the same or different, and represent an integer of 2-4, and m represents an integer of 0-10.