RescueTime

Overview

RescueTime records time without timers. An app running in the background on Windows, macOS and Linux, with companions for iOS and Android and extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Arc and Brave, logs which applications, websites and documents were in use; the vendor states it never records keystrokes, text entered into fields or website content. The product then splits in two. Focus turns that record into behaviour change: Focus Sessions block chosen sites and apps and silence notifications, optionally with music from Spotify or YouTube, goals raise real-time alerts when attention drifts, and the Assistant gathers the day's meetings, sessions and figures onto one screen. Timesheets maps the same tracked activity onto projects and clients with billable rates, timeline and calendar views, smart fill hints and, on the team plans, shared projects and role-based access control. A free Lite plan sits underneath paid Solo and Team plans, which run from 7 to 16 US dollars per month billed annually, with a 14-day trial.

Best for individuals and small teams who want automatic time tracking and focus tools rather than client billing.

RescueTime bets that people are bad at recalling what they did and worse at remembering to start a timer, and the bet pays off: the record is complete without anyone maintaining it, which is the one thing a manual tracker can never promise. The cost of that completeness is that the raw output is personal insight rather than billing evidence, and it only becomes the latter on the plans that add timesheets, so anyone invoicing by the hour should price the upper tier and check that automatic categorisation lines up with how they bill. The design is pointedly not built for watching other people work, which will please some buyers and rule it out for others. It suits individuals and small teams who want to understand and defend their own attention.

Key Facts

Features

Time tracking

Yes, automatic tracking of apps, websites and documents in the background

Invoicing

No native invoicing; billable rates and client/project timesheets on Solo+ and Team+

Reporting and controlling

Yes, productivity reports, daily patterns and team reports

Integrations and API

Yes, an API plus integrations (Google Calendar, Slack, Asana, GitHub)

Integrations

• Google Calendar
• Slack
• Asana
• GitHub

Deployment and Support

Deployment

• Cloud (SaaS)
• Browser-based

Support

• Email helpdesk
• Community forum

Onboarding

• Documentation and knowledge base

Company size

• Freelancers
• Small and mid-sized

Suitability

The table combines the industries the vendor addresses with the company sizes the tool is aimed at. An empty cell means the combination is not stated, not that it is ruled out.

Pros and Cons

Pricing

• Lite

  $0

  Free, with up to two weeks of history.

• Solo Focus

  $7

  Per month, billed annually ($84 / year); $9 monthly.

• Solo+

  $12

  Per month, billed annually ($144 / year); $15 monthly. Adds timesheets and billable rates.

• Team Focus

  $10

  Per user and month, billed annually ($120 / year); $12 monthly.

• Team+

  $16

  Per user and month, billed annually ($192 / year); $18 monthly. Adds timesheets with shared projects and role-based access control.

Best For

• Agencies
• Consulting
• Technology

Alternatives and Comparisons

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