A rubber composition for a tire, in which a specific tackifier is compounded, and tackiness and various physical properties are improved, compared with compounding a petroleum resin or a terpene resin, is provided. The rubber composition for a tire comprising an alkyd resin and a pneumatic tire using the same. It is preferable that a material derived from a resource other than petroleum, particularly, a material derived from animal and/or vegetable, and more particularly, a material derived from an animal oil and/or a vegetable oil is contained in the alkyd resin, and it is preferable that unsaturated polybasic acid is contained in the alkyd resin.