Free trial
A 7 day free trial is offered as part of the Pro plan, and the macOS app can be downloaded and tried for free.
Learn moreHootz
Automatic time tracking and mindful nudges for Mac users
Beginner
What is Hootz?
Hootz is a Mac-only productivity companion that tracks app and website usage automatically, nudges you away from distractions during focus sessions, and turns the resulting data into goals, Pomodoro sprints and visual reports, all stored locally on your machine.
Hootz is a macOS productivity app built around one idea: attention is easier to protect when you can see where it goes. It records which apps and websites you use, second by second, without asking you to start a timer. That raw activity is sorted into categories such as coding, design, email or social media, and the result is a timeline of your real working day rather than a guess. The app also asks you to declare intentions up front, so planned calendar events sit next to tracked activity and the gap between the two becomes visible. Distraction handling is the part that separates Hootz from a passive tracker. When a known time-waster opens during a focus block, the app issues a gentle reminder to return to the task. Focus sessions can be started manually and include optional guided breathing and offline productivity music, and a Pomodoro mode ties each sprint to a specific task so progress accumulates against something concrete. Daily and weekly goals cover total work hours, deep focus time or project specific targets, and visual reports break down focus ratios, top distractions and work patterns over time. The design philosophy leans toward calm rather than surveillance. All tracking data is stored locally on the Mac, with no cloud uploads or external servers, which matters for people whose activity logs would otherwise reveal confidential projects. Hootz competes with manual time trackers like clock-in apps and with plain Pomodoro timers, positioning itself between the two: more automatic than a timer, more interventionist than a tracker. The application requires Apple silicon and macOS 11 or later, so Intel Macs and every other operating system are out of scope. Pricing is a single lifetime purchase with an advertised early bird discount and a seven day trial.
How do you use Hootz?
1Install Hootz on your Mac
Download the app from the official page and confirm your machine meets the Apple silicon and macOS 11 requirement before installing.2Let tracking run in the background
Once installed, Hootz records app and website activity automatically. Leave it running for a normal workday so the categories have enough data to be meaningful.3Connect your calendar and set goals
Sync macOS Calendar so planned meetings appear next to tracked activity, then set daily or weekly targets for work hours or deep focus time.4Start a focus session
Begin a deep work block with optional breathing exercises and focus music, and link a Pomodoro sprint to the task you are working on.5Review your reports and trial Pro
Open the daily or weekly summary to see focus ratios and top distractions, then decide whether the Pro features justify the lifetime purchase.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Automatic second-by-second tracking removes the need to start and stop timers manuallyAI
- Distraction nudges arrive during focus sessions rather than after the fact in a reportAI
- Local-only data storage keeps detailed activity logs off external serversAI
- Combines time tracking, Pomodoro sprints, goal setting and calendar context in a single appAI
- Lifetime pricing with a seven day trial instead of an open-ended subscriptionAI
Cons
- Requires Apple silicon and macOS 11 or later, so there is no Windows, Linux or mobile versionAI
- Tracking works at the app and website level, not per project, so billable time needs manual interpretationAI
- Distraction blocking is a Pro feature, which limits how useful the free trial is for testing the core promiseAI
- Calendar sync is limited to macOS Calendar, leaving Google Calendar and Outlook users without the planned versus actual viewAI
- Productivity scores and nudges depend on the app correctly recognising what counts as a distraction for your roleAI
How much does Hootz cost?
Pricing
A single Pro plan at $29 lifetime, advertised as an early bird discount of 80 percent, with a 7 day free trial. Pro unlocks advanced app blocking, unlimited recurring focus goals, unlimited focus sessions and focus music, guided AI nudges, the AI Productivity Score and unlimited data retention.
Learn moreIntegrations
The homepage names only macOS Calendar sync as a native integration, used to overlay planned events on your tracked activity timeline.
Features
Automatic second-by-second tracking of apps and websites with intelligent categorisation; real-time distraction nudges during focus sessions; mindful focus blocks with guided breathing and offline music; a Pomodoro mode linked to tasks and goals; macOS Calendar integration for planned versus actual time; daily, weekly and monthly reports; custom goals for work hours and deep focus; local-only data storage.
Frequently asked questions about Hootz
How much does Hootz cost?
A single Pro plan at $29 lifetime, advertised as an early bird discount of 80 percent, with a 7 day free trial. Pro unlocks advanced app blocking, unlimited recurring focus goals, unlimited focus sessions and focus music, guided AI nudges, the AI Productivity Score and unlimited data retention.Does Hootz offer a free trial?
A 7 day free trial is offered as part of the Pro plan, and the macOS app can be downloaded and tried for free.How do you use Hootz?
The walkthrough on this page covers 5 steps: 1. Install Hootz on your Mac 2. Let tracking run in the background 3. Connect your calendar and set goals 4. Start a focus session 5. Review your reports and trial Pro.What platforms does Hootz support?
Hootz is available on MacOS.What does Hootz integrate with?
The homepage names only macOS Calendar sync as a native integration, used to overlay planned events on your tracked activity timeline.What are the limitations of Hootz?
Requires Apple silicon and macOS 11 or later, so there is no Windows, Linux or mobile version. Tracking works at the app and website level, not per project, so billable time needs manual interpretation. Distraction blocking is a Pro feature, which limits how useful the free trial is for testing the core promise.
Status
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Added10/21/2026
Platforms
MacOS
Pricing
Free TrialPaid
