ManicTime vs RescueTime

ManicTime

• People who want a record of the day without running timers
• Organizations that must keep tracking data on their own servers
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

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

ManicTime

• The free version is for Windows only and leaves out auto-tagging, timesheets, advanced search and server sync.
• Cloud plans cap devices at 3 per user on Standard and 5 on Ultimate; cloud screenshots need Ultimate.
• A license covers one year of upgrades; newer versions need a renewal, and a cloud subscription stops working when it lapses.
• The Azure DevOps and Basecamp integrations are listed for the Windows client only.

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.

ManicTime

Automatic tracking

Runs in the background and records apps, websites and documents on parallel timelines. Tracking needs no internet connection and syncs to the cloud or a server later.

Tags and auto-tagging rules

Recorded activity is assigned to clients, projects or tasks with tags. With a license or subscription, rules tag recurring activity automatically.

Screenshots and away time

Optional screenshots are anchored to the timeline as proof of work. When you return to the computer, ManicTime asks how to classify the time away.

Timesheets, reports and invoices

The same data produces timesheets, billable summaries, attendance, overtime and productivity reports. Invoices are generated from approved timesheets as PDFs.

Cloud or self-hosted server

ManicTime Cloud needs no server setup. ManicTime Server runs on your own infrastructure, including Docker and Azure, with direct SQL access to the database.

Integrations, REST API and MCP

Tasks come in from tools such as Jira, GitHub and Asana, and time can sync back. A REST API covers custom integrations, and an MCP server runs locally for AI tools.

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.

ManicTime

• Free version (Windows)$0

  ManicTime for Windows without the licensed features such as auto-tagging, timesheets, advanced search, tag plugins and ManicTime Server.

• Cloud Standard, individuals$7

  per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly)

  One person on 3 devices. All ManicTime Pro features on Windows, plus the Mac, Linux, iOS and Android apps, cloud backup and multi-device reports.

• Cloud Ultimate, individuals$9

  per month, billed yearly ($11 billed monthly)

  Everything in Standard, plus 2 more devices (5 in total) and screenshots stored in the cloud.

• Cloud Standard, teams$10

  per user / month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly)

  The Standard plan for teams, with 3 devices per user and multi-device reports on the cloud server.

• Cloud Ultimate, teams$13

  per user / month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)

  The Ultimate plan for teams, with 5 devices per user and screenshots stored in the cloud.

• License (ManicTime Pro)$87

  one-time per user, with a year of upgrades

  Local install or your own ManicTime Server. Team licenses cost $80 each from 2 users, falling in steps to $20 each at 1,000.

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.

ManicTime

• Annual discount

  Lower cloud price with yearly billing

  Billed yearly, Cloud Standard is $7 a month for individuals against $9 monthly, and $10 per user for teams against $12. Ultimate is $9 against $11, and $13 against $15.

• Lifetime license

  One-time license from $87 per user

  A license is a one-time payment with a year of support and upgrades. After that year the last version released within it keeps working indefinitely.

• Education

  80% off the license for students and retirees

  Students aged 27 or under and retirees get 80% off a license for non-commercial use, and faculty get 50% off, by emailing support with proof. Cloud plans have no discounts.

• Other savings

  50% off early license renewal

  The documentation says a license renewed before its year of upgrades is up gets a 50% discount on the renewal.

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.