Dayflow vs RescueTime (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick RescueTime: it is second in our ranking of time tracking apps, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Dayflow grades higher on value for money and the free plan. RescueTime grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Dayflow
Open-source Mac app that logs your workday automatically
RescueTime
Automatic time tracking with distraction blocking and timesheets
Which one is for you
Pick Dayflow if
- Fits if you want an automatic log of your own day on a Mac
- Makes sense if you want screen data kept on your own computer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as only macOS 14 or later runs it
- Not for you if you bill clients or run timesheets, since it's for self-tracking
- Watch out: with your own API key or Pro, selected screenshots go to a cloud AI provider
- Tight if you want an annual price, because the page says to check inside the app
Pick RescueTime if
- Fits if you want to see where your computer time goes without running timers
- Works for people who want the same few distracting sites blocked for a set period
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Lite, with 2 weeks of history, 1 goal, no blocking, no alerts and no iOS app
- Pricey if all you want is client timesheets, which need Solo+ at $12 a month or Team+ at $16 a user
- Skip it if you work on Linux, because it isn't on the supported systems list
- Watch out: Solo at $7 covers the focus features only, so billing work means paying for a plus plan
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADayflowGood | 2.8GPARescueTimeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, so anyone can download and run it. The managed AI plan is $20 a month. | CSolo is $7 a month billed annually ($84), or $9 monthly, which is the middle of this category, and it buys the focus side only. Timesheets with clients, projects and billable rates mean Solo+ at $12, and teams pay $16 a user for the same thing. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe app, capture and AI summaries are free with a local model or your own key. No cap is stated. | CLite is free and keeps tracking in the background, with reports and weekly summaries. The caps bite quickly though: 2 weeks of history, 1 goal, no Focus Sessions, no alerts and no iOS app. Paid plans have a 14-day trial. |
| Features | CAutomatic capture and an AI timeline. It's for self-tracking, with no timesheets, billing or team view. | BIt logs apps and websites with no timers, asks about offline work, scores the day and blocks distracting sites during Focus Sessions, with goals, alerts and team reports. Timesheets that suggest a client for each activity are there too, on Solo+ and Team+. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You pick a local model or paste an API key, and need macOS 14. | BNo store rating on record, but there is nothing to set up: install it and it tracks and categorizes by itself. You can pause it or keep it to your work schedule, and that's about the extent of the fiddling. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 14 or later. A Windows version is only a waitlist. | 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 | a free self-tracking log on a Mac | 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: Dayflow and RescueTime. How we grade
Price against what you get
Dayflow starts at $20 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. RescueTime starts at $7 a month and scores 3.3.
RescueTime scores higher and starts $13 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, 78 score higher than Dayflow for less, and none scores higher than RescueTime for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Dayflow is open source, according to its own site.
- Dayflow also covers screen recording and menu bar app.
- RescueTime also covers site & app blocker, goals and reports.
At a glance
| Dayflow | RescueTime | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $20 per month, billed monthly | $7 per month, billed annually ($84) |
| Free plan | Free: automatic activity capture, AI summaries with a local model or your own Gemini, OpenAI or Anthropic key, and the open-source app. | 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 | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Teleport Labs Inc. | RescueTime |
| Price read from | dayflow.so | rescuetime.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Dayflow
- It runs on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later only; a Windows version is on a waitlist.
- It works from screen recordings, so it fits individual self-tracking more than client billing or team timesheets.
- With your own API key or Pro, selected screenshots are sent to a cloud AI provider for analysis.
- The pricing page says to check the current annual offer inside the app; no annual price is shown on the page.
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
Dayflow
- Automatic activity capture
- Records what is on screen in the background and builds a timeline without starting or stopping a timer.
- AI-written timeline
- Summarizes each block of work and sorts it into categories such as coding, research, planning, communication or distraction.
- Choice of AI provider
- Run a supported local model on the Mac, use your own Gemini, OpenAI or Anthropic key, or pay for managed analysis.
- Local recordings
- Recordings and the database are stored on the computer. Cloud options process selected screenshots, not the full recording.
- Open-source app
- The code is public on GitHub, so the app can be inspected and run yourself on the free plan.
- Enterprise controls
- Enterprise adds SSO or SAML, data-retention policies and rollout support for teams.
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
Dayflow
Free$0
per month
Local recordings and database, automatic capture, AI summaries via a local model or your own API keys.
Pro$20
per month, billed monthly
Managed AI analysis with no provider setup, and no draw on your Claude or ChatGPT usage.
EnterpriseCustom
Pro plus SSO or SAML, data-retention controls and internal AI gateway support; sold through sales.
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
Dayflow
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dayflow or RescueTime?
As of Nov 13, 2026, RescueTime is cheaper to start with: $7 a month, against $20 a month for Dayflow. Dayflow starts at $20 per month, billed monthly, and RescueTime starts at $7 per month, billed annually ($84).
Which has a free plan, Dayflow or RescueTime?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Dayflow and RescueTime have a free plan.
Which platforms do Dayflow and RescueTime run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only RescueTime lists a web app, Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.