RescueTime
RescueTime - Automatic time tracking to understand and improve your productivity
Quick Overview
Type: Desktop App (Mac, Windows, Linux) / Mobile App (Android) / Browser Extension
Pricing: Freemium (Free plan available, Premium from $12/month or $6.5/month ($78 billed anually)
Best For: Knowledge workers and professionals who want to understand how they spend their time and identify productivity patterns
Website: https://www.rescuetime.com
What is RescueTime?
RescueTime is an automatic time tracking and productivity analytics tool that runs quietly in the background, recording how you spend every minute on your devices. Unlike manual time trackers where you start and stop timers, RescueTime works passively - just install it and forget it. At the end of each day, week, or month, you get detailed reports showing exactly where your time went.
The magic of RescueTime is in its intelligence. It doesn't just track raw data - it categorizes your activities as productive or distracting, shows you patterns in your work habits, and helps you identify where you're losing time. You might discover you spend three hours daily in email, waste 90 minutes on social media, or are most productive between 10am and noon.
For anyone who's ever wondered "where did my day go?" or wants to improve their focus and productivity, RescueTime provides objective data instead of guesswork. It's like having a personal productivity analyst running 24/7, giving you insights that help you make better decisions about how to spend your limited time and attention.
Key Features
Automatic Time Tracking - Runs silently in the background tracking apps, websites, and documents without any manual input required
Productivity Scoring - Generates a daily productivity score based on how much time you spent on productive vs. distracting activities
Detailed Reports & Dashboards - Visualize your time with charts, graphs, and breakdowns by category, application, or website
Goals & Alerts - Set daily goals for productive time or limits for distracting sites, get alerts when you exceed them
FocusTime - Block distracting websites for scheduled focus sessions to help you stay on task
Weekly Email Reports - Receive automatic summaries of your productivity trends and highlights
Categories & Custom Rules - Customize how activities are categorized (productive, neutral, or distracting) to match your work
Offline Time Tracking - Tracks desktop activities even without internet, syncs when you're back online
Integrations - Connect with Google Calendar to see how meetings affect your productivity
👍 Pros
Completely automatic - no timers to start or stop, just install and it works
Eye-opening insights into actual time usage vs. perceived time usage
Helps identify time-wasting habits and productivity patterns you didn't know existed
FocusTime feature effectively blocks distractions during deep work sessions
Lightweight app that doesn't slow down your computer
Privacy-focused - data stays on your device, not sold to third parties
Free plan is genuinely useful for basic time awareness
Works across multiple devices to give complete picture of your time
👎 Cons
Can feel like surveillance if you're sensitive about being tracked
Android app only - no iOS mobile tracking available
Doesn't track everything (offline activities, paper-based work, meetings away from computer)
Free plan limitations make premium almost necessary for serious use
Some users find the productivity scoring overly simplistic or judgmental
Website blocking can be circumvented easily if you're determined
Initial setup requires categorizing applications correctly for accurate insights
No team collaboration features on personal plans
Pricing
Free Plan (Lite):
Basic time tracking and reports
Historical data stored for 12 months
Basic productivity scores
Access to web dashboard
Perfect for trying it out
Premium Plan - $6.5/month ($78 billed annually - save 46%) or $12/month (monthly):
Unlimited data history
Detailed reports and analytics
FocusTime (website blocking)
Goals and alerts
Category customization
Premium support
Best for individuals serious about productivity
Premium for Teams - $6 per user per month ($72 billed annually - save 33%) or $9 per user per month (billed monthly):
All Premium features
Minimum of 2 seats per team
Team project tracking
Shared goals and reporting
Admin controls
Team productivity insights
For businesses and teams
Integrations
Connects with: Google Calendar (shows meetings in timeline), Zapier (automation), API available for custom integrations
Learning Curve
Beginner Friendly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
RescueTime is incredibly easy to use. Simply install the app and it starts working immediately. The dashboard is intuitive, and you'll get useful insights from day one. Advanced features like custom categories and FocusTime require a bit more setup, but the core functionality requires zero learning.
Best Use Cases
Understanding Time Usage - Discover where your time actually goes versus where you think it goes
Identifying Distractions - Pinpoint which websites and apps are your biggest productivity killers
Measuring Deep Work - Track how much focused, productive time you achieve daily and find your peak hours
Building Better Habits - Use data to set realistic goals and gradually improve your productivity patterns
Freelancer Time Audits - Understand how much time you actually spend on client work vs. administrative tasks
Alternative Apps
If RescueTime isn't right for you, consider:
Toggl Track - Better for manual time tracking with projects and clients, requires starting/stopping timers
Clockify - Free alternative to Toggl with team features, but less automatic than RescueTime
Time Doctor - More suited for team management and monitoring, includes screenshots feature
Freedom - Focuses purely on blocking distractions without time tracking analytics
Qbserve - Mac-only alternative with similar automatic tracking and beautiful interface
Bottom Line
RescueTime is the best tool for gaining objective awareness of how you spend your time on devices. The automatic tracking removes all friction - you literally install it and forget it exists until you check your reports. For anyone who suspects they're wasting time but doesn't know where, RescueTime provides concrete data that can be genuinely shocking and motivating. The free plan is worth trying just to see your first weekly report. While the $12/month premium price might seem steep, the insights and focus tools often pay for themselves through improved productivity. However, if you already have strong time awareness and just need to track billable hours, a manual tracker like Toggl might be more appropriate. RescueTime is for understanding and improving, not just recording.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is RescueTime free?
Yes, RescueTime offers a free Lite plan that includes basic automatic time tracking and productivity reports. However, the free version limits you to 12 months of data history and lacks advanced features like FocusTime (website blocking), detailed goals, and unlimited historical data. The Premium plan costs $12/month (billed annually) and is recommended for serious productivity improvement.
Does RescueTime track everything I do?
RescueTime tracks time spent in applications and websites on devices where it's installed, but it doesn't capture keystrokes, screenshots, or the actual content you're viewing. It only records which app or website you're using and for how long. Activities away from your computer (meetings, phone calls, offline work) aren't tracked unless you manually log them. You maintain full control over what gets tracked and can pause tracking anytime.
Is RescueTime safe and private?
Yes, RescueTime takes privacy seriously. They don't sell your data, don't capture screenshots or keystrokes, and don't track the specific content of what you're doing - only which applications and websites you use. Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest. RescueTime has been in business since 2008 with millions of users and maintains strong privacy practices. However, as with any tracking software, review their privacy policy to ensure you're comfortable with how your data is handled.
Can my employer see my RescueTime data?
If you're using RescueTime's personal account (Free or Premium), only you can see your data - your employer has no access unless you explicitly share reports with them. However, if your company uses RescueTime for Teams, your employer will have access to team-level productivity data and potentially individual reports, depending on how they've configured it. Always check which version you're using and what access your organization has.
Does RescueTime work on mobile?
RescueTime has an Android app that tracks mobile phone usage, but there is no iOS app due to Apple's restrictions on background tracking. If you use an iPhone, you'll only get tracking data from your desktop/laptop activities. The Android app tracks which apps you use and for how long, giving you a complete picture of your digital time across devices.
How does RescueTime compare to Toggl?
RescueTime and Toggl serve different purposes. RescueTime is automatic and passive - it tracks everything in the background without you doing anything, making it ideal for understanding overall time patterns and identifying distractions. Toggl is manual - you actively start and stop timers for specific tasks and projects, making it better for tracking billable client work or specific project time. RescueTime answers "where did my time go?" while Toggl answers "how long did I spend on this project?"
Can RescueTime block distracting websites?
Yes, but only on the Premium plan ($12/month). The FocusTime feature lets you block distracting websites and applications for scheduled periods to help you stay focused during deep work sessions. You can create custom blocklists, schedule automatic FocusTime sessions, or trigger them manually when you need to concentrate. The free plan doesn't include website blocking functionality.
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Last Updated: October 2025
Category: Time Tracking
