RescueTime Alternatives Reviewed: 11 Paid & Free Solutions To Try

Is there anything wrong with RescueTime? I don’t know—you tell me. You’re the one looking for RescueTime alternatives. 🤷

Maybe you’re in the mood to play with a new time tracking app.

Maybe you just want a fresh interface.

Maybe you want to find an app with productivity boosting features that RescueTime doesn’t offer.

Or maybe RescueTime is just not giving you the hyper-specific productivity insights you need to finally stop procrastinating.

Whatever the case, just know there are options, and you’ve come to the right place.

In this guide, we’ll list paid and free RescueTime alternatives to help you find the perfect fit for your productivity needs. No matter if you are after something more robust, more affordable, or just completely different from RescueTime, there’s something here for everyone.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

But first, what is RescueTime?

RescueTime is an automatic time tracking app that allows you to see how you spend your time.

It’s not built as a time tracking tool for freelancers (or for other people who bill by the hour) per se, and it certainly isn’t an employee monitoring software.

It’s a tool that gives you insight into how you use your time across devices without using a start/stop timer.

Here’s how it works:

1. You install RescueTime on your computer and mobile devices.
2. You automatically put RescueTime into work, as it pays attention to the apps, websites, and files you work with.
3. The tool logs how much time you spend working and categorizes your minutes and hours as “productive”, “highly productive”, and so on.
4. You can turn the app on and off and set it to run automatically on particular days and working hours.
5. You can pause tracking for a particular time so the app doesn’t count your breaks.
6. Once you've used RescueTime for a while, the tool can generate reports with productivity insights, showing you how you spent your time.

Here’s a quick video from June this year, when I first started playing with RescueTime:

RescueTime allows you to see only your own time data, even if you have signed up for a Team account.

As mentioned, you can turn off tracking for particular days and hours and even suggest that it shouldn’t track your time in certain apps and websites you don’t want to record. So, privacy is a non-issue.

Overall, RescueTime is not just a time tracking app; it’s a habit tracker.

If you use the app for a while, you’ll be able to see your most and least productive periods. You’ll also be able to spot when your concentration is at its highest and when you need to take breaks (and even for how long). You’ll start noticing patterns that will give you room to work on improving your working habits.

Who are the most common RescueTime users?

Dare I say… everyone?

Let me be a bit more specific: everyone who wants to take control of their time and reclaim focus.

Some of the most common users are:

• Professionals from various industries—think software developers, writers, marketers, and analysts—that need to manage their time effectively across multiple projects and clients.
• Freelancers and remote workers that rely on their own accountability.
• College students, researchers, and academics use it to manage study schedules, stay focused, and identify time-wasting habits.
• Small business owners and entrepreneurs that need to figure out where their time is actually going.

Pros of using RescueTime

RescueTime is a reliable tool that comes with a lot of benefits. Some of them are:

Cons of using RescueTime

However, there are also cons that might push you to consider exploring RescueTime alternatives:

• RescueTime focuses on automatic tracking, meaning it can’t capture offline activities like meetings or phone calls unless you manually input them.
• You can experience some activity categorization issues, and correcting misclassified activities can be time-draining.
• Advanced features are only available with a paid subscription.
• Your team may be uncomfortable with the level of tracking involved, especially if they’re unsure how their time data is stored or used.
• The mobile app is less robust than the desktop version
• It’s not a one-and-done tool; it provides data and insights into your productivity but doesn’t guide you to change habits effectively.
• If you prefer a simpler tool, RescueTime’s presentation of data and settings can be overwhelming.

Why are you looking for RescueTime alternatives?

Is there any specific reason you want to find a new time tracking tool?

Do you wish to use a tool that is more about task management, and scheduling?

Are you looking to track your offline activity, as well?

Does RescueTime not fit your workflow?

Whatever the case, you need to know what you look for in a RescueTime alternative.

To help you with that, we’ve made a list of requirements that your new time tracking app should match. Here’s the list of features we thought you’d find helpful:

1. Time tracking app of your choice should integrate with the most popular project management tools (like Asana, Trello, etc.), so you can see just how much time you spend on each task.
2. It should have offline activity tracking options so it doesn’t leave gaps in your productivity data.
3. Compelling analytics that don’t overwhelm you and that you can download and email to your team lead, manager, or client if they ask for a productivity report.
4. A tool that comes with multiple pricing plans and is not too expensive compared to other tools with similar or better features.
5. A tool that is privacy-focused and transparent about how user and time data is stored and processed.
6. Real-time guidance and feedback on how to improve productivity ASAP.
7. An automatic time tracking app that has a fresh, simple interface.
8. An app that is not slow with updates and doesn't come with glitches (occasional hiccups could be excusable and forgotten).

Let’s get to the options.

11 paid & free software like RescueTime

Now comes the fun part.

Here’s a list of 11 free and paid tools you can use instead of RescueTime.

#1 Memtime

⭐ G2 score: 4.7/5

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Memtime is like RescueTime on steroids; it can even track your phone calls.

💵 Pricing: Multiple plans are available, starting at $12 per user per month for the Basic plan (billedn biannually) and up to $24 per user per month for Premium.

If you thought Memtime wouldn’t land first place, you thought wrong, my friend.

And it’s not because I’m in love with Memtime一it’s because of how effective our app is.

If RescueTime and Memtime were siblings, RescueTime would be the one giving you long lectures about productivity, while Memtime would casually drop, “Don’t worry, I got it.”

Memtime takes RescueTime’s concept of automated tracking and says, “Let’s make it even simpler!”. Honestly, Memtime is the closest you can get to an app that reads your mind.

There are no dashboards cluttered with graphs, no categories to tweak, just raw, straightforward time tracking data. So, if you like your apps like your workflow—organized, efficient, and with no unnecessary distractions—Memtime is the RescueTime alternative you’ve been searching for.

Here’s what it can do for you, your team, and company.

Our tool is an automatic time tracking app for Windows, macOS, and Linux (no mobile app), widely used by software development companies, agencies, creatives, and law firms.

It’s a time tracking software but we like to call it a memory assistant. Like a diary that keeps track of your computer time (while you work unbothered!) and remembers everything you did and for how long.

To start tracking your activity, you need to set up an account and let the app run in the background. From then on, Memtime captures all your activity in programs and browsers一as long as your computer is turned on.

Here’s how powerful Memtime is:

The best thing about Memtime is that it can be used cross-team.

You can try it yourself for two weeks, free of charge, and if you like it, you can book a call and request a team trial

We’ll answer all of your team’s questions and give you a guided tour of the app so you can see just how awesome Memtime is.

#2 Toggl Track

⭐ G2 score: 4.6/5

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Toggl Track offers time tracking with manual and automated options, project management integrations, and detailed productivity reports.

💵 Pricing: Free and paid plans are available. The most popular plan, Premium, costs $18 per user per month.

Toggl Track is a collection of time tracking tools that allows users to track time spent on various projects (and clients). It is marketed toward freelancers, consultants, accountants, teams and agencies, law firms and IT companies and is available on desktop, and as a mobile and web app.

With Toggl Track, you can track time automatically and manually. Automatic time tracking works on desktop, and manual on mobile.

Compared to RescueTime, Toggl Track provides detailed, project-specific insights without invasive tracking (like screen recording), making it a great choice for those seeking more control over their time management.

Here are some Toggl Track features worth noting:

#3 Timely

⭐ G2 score: 4.8/5

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Timely is a RescueTime alternative because it automatically tracks time across apps and activities with a privacy-first approach.

💵 Pricing: Multiple plans are available, starting from $9 per user per month all the way up to $22 per user per month, billed yearly.

Timely is a desktop, mobile, and web time tracking app created for individuals (solopreneurs and freelancers) and teams of any size.

It’s somewhat similar to Memtime, as it comes with a Memory app, which passively keeps track of all working hours (so you can then log time on projects and populate timesheets). Memory works in the background just like Memtime but it doesn’t have an interface to display your recorded activities; all your time data is stored in the cloud so you have to open the web app to see what you worked on.

Timely is one step up from RescueTime due to its modern interface and ability to wrap time data into a sleek design. It is made to help you plan and bill for your time effectively. Timely also tracks time automatically, allowing users to schedule tasks and projects and sync them with tracked activities.

Here are some of Timely’s features:

#4 Clockify

⭐ G2 score: 4.5/5

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Clockify is a RescueTime alternative because it offers time tracking and productivity monitoring features, allowing users to log and analyze their work hours manually or automatically, similar to RescueTime's focus on time management and efficiency.

💵 Pricing: Six plans are available: one free and five premium. The premium plan starts from $3.99/month, billed annually.

Clockify is a Forbes favorite. It’s a semi-automatic desktop, mobile, and web time tracker for freelancers, agencies, lawyers, startups, developers, and construction companies.

When you open the app, it requires you to use a timer.

Here are some of the most notable Clockify features:

Clockify is a RescueTime alternative because it tracks time and productivity with a different focus. Clockify is all about manual, project-based time tracking and has more customizable reports for work, while RescueTime focuses on productivity insights and distraction management.

#5 ManicTime

⭐ G2 score: 4.3/5

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Because ManicTime provides automatic time tracking for offline activities and detailed activity analysis.

💵 Pricing: Two plans are available, Standard and Ultimate. Prices vary depending on how you use the app一individually or as a team.

ManicTime is an automatic time tracking app for desktop and mobile. It is marketed towards individuals and large teams that want to track their computer activity and get detailed productivity reports.

Here are some of ManicTime features:

ManicTime is a RescueTime alternative because it offers automatic time tracking, but it takes activity tracking to a different level thanks to offline tracking. Additionally, ManicTime allows manual editing of time data, giving users more control over how their time is categorized and logged.

#6 Time Doctor

⭐ G2 score: 4.4/5

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Time Doctor offers more team-oriented features like employee monitoring, productivity tracking, and project management, making it more oriented towards businesses and remote teams (compared to RescueTime’s focus on individual productivity insights).

💵 Pricing: Four paid plans are available. The Basic plan costs $6.70 per user per month, billed annually.

Time Doctor is a time tracking and productivity app built for businesses, remote teams, and freelancers. It’s available as a desktop app, mobile app, and a browser extension.

When you open the app, Time Doctor encourages users to start tracking their time manually or through automated triggers for specific tasks.

Here are some of the Time Doctor features:

Time Doctor is a RescueTime alternative because it combines time tracking and productivity analysis with team-focused features. The app is a good choice for businesses and remote teams that want to work on time oversight and accountability.

#7 Rize

⭐ G2 score: NA

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Rize focuses on automated time tracking AND detailed behavioral insights, much like RescueTime, emphasizing personalized analytics and focus-building features.

💵 Pricing: Three plans are available, one free and two premium ones. The premiums start at $9.99 per user per month.

Want to dabble in AI time tracking? Give Rize a go!

Rize is an intelligent, AI time tracking tool designed for individuals who want to build better work habits. It’s available as a desktop app for macOS and Windows.

Once you open the app, Rize automatically tracks your activities in the background (it has a similar interface to Memtime), meaning there’s no need for manual input.

Here are some of the most notable Rize features:

Rize is a RescueTime alternative because it provides similar productivity tracking and insights but enhances the experience with more detailed focus analytics and habit-tracking features.

#8 Connecteam

⭐ G2 score: 4.6/5

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Connecteam offers time tracking with workforce management, including scheduling, communication, and task management, making it a tool for team management.

💵 Pricing: Four plans are available, including a free plan for up to 10 users; premium plans start at $29 per month for the first 30 users, billed annually.

Connecteam is a workforce management tool primarily targeting SMBs. It’s available as a mobile app for Android and iOS, as well as a desktop app and web platform.

When you open the app, Connecteam provides tools for time tracking, scheduling, and team communication, all within one interface and location.

Here are some of the most notable Connecteam features:

Connecteam is a RescueTime alternative for teams that want an all-in-one workforce management platform. It includes time tracking, productivity monitoring and multiple team management tools, making it a great choice for teams that want to improve their task management and collaboration.

#9 Apploye

⭐ G2 score: 4.5/5

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Apploye combines time tracking and productivity monitoring with features like employee scheduling, GPS tracking, and payroll management, making it more team-focused than RescueTime.

💵 Pricing: Two plans are available, starting at $2.5 per user per month, billed annually.

Apploye is a versatile time tracking and employee monitoring tool designed for remote teams, field workers, and businesses of all sizes. It’s available as a desktop app, a mobile app, and a web app.

When you open the app, Apploye provides tools for tracking time, monitoring productivity, and managing work-related activities.

Here are some of the Apploye features:

Apploye is a RescueTime alternative because it combines productivity tracking with team management features like location tracking, scheduling, and payroll integration.

#10 Ever Gauzy

⭐ G2 score: N/A (here’s the GitHub code instead)

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: Ever Gauzy offers time tracking and activity monitoring with a focus on organizing workflows and prioritizing tasks, akin to RescueTime, but with more customization through open-source flexibility.

💵 Pricing: Free (it’s open-source software).

If you want to give open-source time trackers a go, maybe you should start with Ever Gauzy. (An open-source time tracker is a time tracking tool whose source code is publicly available, meaning anyone can access, modify, and distribute it under an open-source license.)

Ever Gauzy is a productivity tool that helps users monitor time spent on tasks while providing insights into work habits and activity patterns. Being an open-source tool, it’s highly customizable, allowing anyone (who wants to play with code) to tailor it to their needs.

Here are some of the Ever Gauzy features:

Ever Gauzy is a RescueTime alternative because it provides similar productivity tracking tools while offering open-source flexibility. Users can control data and adapt the tool to their unique needs and workflows.

#11 Activity Watch

⭐ G2 score: N/A (here’s the Activity Watch organization on GitHub instead)

🤔 Why it’s a RescueTime alternative: ActivityWatch automatically tracks how you spend your time across apps and websites, offering insights into your habits, just like RescueTime, but with open-source transparency and full data ownership.

💵 Pricing: Free (it’s open-source software).

ActivityWatch is a privacy-focused productivity tracker that automatically records activity across devices and provides reports to help users understand and improve their time management. Because it’s open-source, it allows users to customize and host the tool independently.

Here are some of the ActivityWatch features:

ActivityWatch is a RescueTime alternative because it delivers similar automatic activity tracking and productivity analysis but stands out with its open-source aspect, giving users complete control over their data and tool customization.

Wrapping up

I know this has been a lengthy article, so I’ll zip it and cut to the chase: whether you’re switching because RescueTime doesn’t track offline activities, lacks customization, or you just feel like exploring a fresh interface, you have many alternatives to choose from.

From the robust features of Timely, TimeDoctor, and Apploye to the open-source software like ActivityWatch and Ever Gauzy, and yes, even the quirky simplicity of tools like Memtime, the perfect time tracker is waiting for you.

So, go ahead—try something new. You deserve a tool that works as hard as you do.

Happy time tracking! 🍀