ActivityWatch vs Rize
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
Rize
Automatic time tracker with focus tools and AI reports
Where they differ
- ActivityWatch is free. Rize starts at $9.99 / month, billed annually.
- ActivityWatch has a free plan. Rize does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only ActivityWatch lists Linux and Android apps.
- ActivityWatch is open source, according to its own site.
- Rize also covers site & app blocker and focus music.
At a glance
| ActivityWatch | Rize | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $9.99 / month, billed annually |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial with full feature access, no credit card required |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Superuser Labs | Rize Inc. |
| Price read from | activitywatch.net | rize.io |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 4, 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
Rize
- Freelancers and agencies that bill by the hour and dislike manual timers
- Individuals who want to see where their time at the computer goes
- Teams that want client and project visibility without screenshots
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.
Rize
- There is no free plan; after the 7-day trial, plans start at $9.99 a month billed annually.
- The tracker is available for macOS 10.14.6 or later and Windows 10 or later; the pricing page says Linux support is coming soon.
- Team plans carry a 2-seat minimum at $29.99 per seat a month billed annually.
- API, webhook, Zapier and MCP access start on Pro, and a mobile app is listed only under Enterprise.
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.
Rize
- Automatic time tracking
- Captures time across apps and websites in the background, with no timers or manual entry, and uses AI to categorize and tag it.
- Client and project time
- Sorts tracked time by client and project for billable hours, timesheets and invoices. Client and scheduled reports in PDF or CSV start on Pro.
- Focus tools
- Focus detection, distraction blocking, focus music and break reminders sit alongside the tracker, with AI insights on productivity and focus.
- Rize Agent and AI reports
- Ask questions about your time, projects and clients in chat, and run reports on demand or on a schedule. Each plan includes a monthly AI credit allowance.
- Team visibility and profitability
- Team plans give managers dashboards by client and project. Profitability views show revenue, cost and margin by client, project and member.
- API, webhooks and MCP
- From Pro, time data can be reached through the Rize API, webhooks, Zapier and an MCP server for AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT.
Plans
ActivityWatch
Free$0
Every feature on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, including the browser extensions and editor watchers.
Rize
Basic$9.99
per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly)
Automatic app and website tracking, AI categorization, AI chat, focus music and smart breaks, personal reports, exports and 500 AI credits a month.
Pro$23.99
per month, billed annually ($28.99 billed monthly)
Adds client and scheduled reports, AI automations and agents, MCP server access, API, webhooks and Zapier, and 1,000 AI credits a month.
Max$39.99
per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro with 3,000 AI credits a month and priority support.
Team$29.99
per seat / month, billed annually ($39.99 monthly)
Manager dashboards with per-client and per-project time breakdowns. 2-seat minimum.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Max plus a mobile app, SOC 2 compliance, SSO and SCIM provisioning, custom contracts and a dedicated account manager.
Ways to pay less
ActivityWatch
No public discounts listed.
Rize
- Annual discount
Save up to 25% with annual billing
Rize's pricing FAQ says annual billing saves up to 25% on Team plans and up to 23% on individual plans. The Basic card shows a saving of $36 a year.
