ActivityWatch vs RescueTime
We give ActivityWatch and RescueTime the same GPA: 3.4 out of 4.0. ActivityWatch grades higher on value for money and the free plan. RescueTime grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ActivityWatch
Free, open-source automatic time tracker that keeps data local
RescueTime
Automatic time tracking with distraction blocking and timesheets
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAActivityWatchVery good | 3.4GPARescueTimeVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing. ActivityWatch is free and open source under the MPL-2.0 license. There are optional support subscriptions from $5 a month, but they unlock nothing extra. They just fund the project. | BSolo is $7 a month billed annually ($84), or $9 monthly, which is about the going rate. That buys the focus side. For timesheets with clients, projects and billable rates you need Solo+ at $12, and teams pay $16 a user for the same. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, browser extensions and editor watchers included. No feature gates, no usage limits and no ads. | BLite is free and keeps tracking in the background, with reports and weekly summaries. But you see just 2 weeks of history and get 1 goal, with no Focus Sessions, no alerts and no iOS app. Paid plans have a 14-day trial. |
| Features | BIt tracks the active app and window title by itself, notes when you're idle, and sorts it all into categories. Extensions add browser tabs and code editors. Solid. But syncing activity between devices is still being worked on, so each machine keeps its own record. | AIt logs apps and websites with no timers, asks about offline work, scores your productivity and blocks distracting sites during Focus Sessions. Add goals, alerts and team reports. Timesheets that suggest a client or project for each activity come with Solo+ and Team+. That's automatic tracking done with depth. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. Install it and it tracks from the tray with nothing to start or stop. You read the results in your browser at localhost:5600. Mac users take note: the stable download is listed for Intel. | BWe have no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. There's nothing to start or stop. Install it and it tracks, and you can pause it or keep it to your work schedule. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, macOS, Linux and Android, with Chrome and Firefox extensions and a documented REST API. No iOS app is listed, and there are no ready-made integrations with other tools. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and a browser extension, plus an API and hooks into Slack, Asana, GitHub, Gmail, Outlook and Spotify. Linux isn't on the supported list, and the iOS app isn't available on Lite. |
| Best for | automatic tracking that stays on your own machine | seeing where your computer time goes |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ActivityWatch and RescueTime. How we grade
Where they differ
- ActivityWatch is free. RescueTime starts at $7 per month, billed annually ($84).
- Only ActivityWatch lists a Linux app.
- Only RescueTime lists a web app.
- Only RescueTime lists an iOS app.
- ActivityWatch is open source, according to its own site.
- RescueTime also covers site & app blocker, goals and reports.
At a glance
| ActivityWatch | RescueTime | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7 per month, billed annually ($84) |
| Free plan | Entirely free and open source under the MPL-2.0 license, with no feature gates, usage limits or ads. Optional support subscriptions from $5 a month unlock nothing extra. | Lite plan: automatic app and website tracking, activity reports, weekly summaries and 1 goal, with 2 weeks of report history. No Focus Sessions, alerts, offline time or iOS app. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial on all paid plans; no payment is charged until the trial ends |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Superuser Labs | RescueTime |
| Price read from | activitywatch.net | rescuetime.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
ActivityWatch
- People who want automatic tracking with all data kept on their own device
- Linux users, alongside Windows, macOS and Android
- Developers who want to query their own activity data through an API
- Personal screen-time and quantified-self tracking at no cost
RescueTime
- People who want to see where computer time goes without running timers
- Blocking distracting sites and apps during set focus periods
- Freelancers who want timesheets filled in from tracked activity
- Teams that want aggregated reports on tools and focus trends
Worth knowing
ActivityWatch
- No iOS app is listed; platforms are Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
- The homepage describes syncing activity between devices as still being worked on.
- The stable macOS download (v0.13.2) is listed for Intel; Apple Silicon builds are in the v0.14 pre-release.
- Maintainers say they do not work on the project full-time, so development may slow at times.
RescueTime
- The free Lite plan keeps 2 weeks of history and 1 goal, with no Focus Sessions, alerts or offline time.
- The iOS app is not available on the Lite plan.
- Timesheets, clients, projects and billable rates need Solo+ or Team+.
- The supported systems list covers Windows, macOS, iOS and Android; Linux is not on it.
Key features
ActivityWatch
- Automatic window tracking
- Tracks the active application and window title out of the box. A separate watcher notes when the keyboard and mouse are idle, without storing what the input was.
- Categories
- Activity is broken down into categories, which gives an overview of usage by type of work instead of a raw list of apps and window titles.
- Browser extensions
- Extensions for Chrome and Firefox track the active tab, adding website-level detail to the time recorded on the computer.
- Editor watchers
- Optional watchers for code editors track how much time goes into writing code, and other watchers can be added to track more.
- Local data and API
- Data stays on your own device and can be exported, deleted or backed up at any time. A documented REST API and Python client give access to buckets, events and queries.
- Local web interface
- The app runs from the system tray and its interface opens in the browser at localhost:5600, with activity and timeline views of the tracked data.
RescueTime
- Automatic activity tracking
- Logs time in apps and websites without timers. Idle detection prompts you to record offline work, and tracking can be paused or limited to a work schedule.
- Focus Sessions
- Blocks distracting sites and apps for a set period on paid plans. Connecting Slack mutes notifications during a session, and Spotify can start a focus playlist.
- Goals and alerts
- Set goals for how time is spent, a daily target for focused time, and alerts that fire as you work. Lite allows 1 goal and has no alerts.
- Reports and productivity scores
- Breaks time down by app, website and category with daily, weekly or monthly productivity scores. Paid plans keep unlimited history; Lite shows 2 weeks.
- Timesheets
- Solo+ and Team+ add a timeline with suggestions for which client, project or task each activity belongs to, plus billable rates, time rounding and CSV or Excel export.
- Team reporting
- Team plans add aggregated reports on chosen key tools, categories and daily patterns, with owner, admin, manager and member roles controlling who sees what.
Plans
ActivityWatch
Free$0
Every feature on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, including the browser extensions and editor watchers.
RescueTime
Lite$0
Automatic tracking, activity reports, weekly summaries and 1 goal, limited to 2 weeks of report history.
Solo$7
per month, billed annually ($84); $9 billed monthly
Focus features for individuals: Focus Sessions, unlimited goals and alerts, offline time, detailed reports and unlimited history.
Team$10
per user / month, billed annually ($120); $12 billed monthly
Focus features for teams, with team and individual reports, key tools, shared categories and role-based access.
Solo+$12
per month, billed annually ($144); $15 billed monthly
Solo plus Timesheets for individuals: timeline, clients, projects and tasks, billable rates, project goals and exports.
Team+$16
per user / month, billed annually ($192); $18 billed monthly
Team plus Timesheets: shared clients, projects and tasks, a team weekly calendar view and billable rates.
Ways to pay less
ActivityWatch
No public discounts listed.
RescueTime
- Annual discount
Lower monthly rate on annual plans
Annual plans cost less per month than monthly ones: Solo is $84 a year ($7 a month) against $9 month to month, about 22% less, and Team+ is $16 against $18 per user.
