Free trial
A free 14 day trial is offered for individuals and for teams, according to the homepage and meta description.
Learn moreRescueTime
Automatic time tracking that shows where your hours actually go
Beginner
What is RescueTime?
RescueTime is a time optimization tool. RescueTime combines automatic app and website tracking (Focus) with project, client and task timesheets, giving individuals and teams reports on where hours go, goal alerts, distraction blocking and billable rate tracking from one background app.
RescueTime is a time tracking suite built around two separate tools that share one account. RescueTime Focus records the apps and websites you use automatically, then turns that raw activity into reports on work categories and productivity patterns. RescueTime Timesheets layers project, client and task tracking on top, so the same background logging produces billable timesheets without manual stopwatch work. Buyers can subscribe to Focus alone or bundle both. In practice the software runs quietly in the background and captures what is open on screen, which means the record is built whether or not you remember to start a timer. Focus adds goals and alerts that flag drift before a distraction takes over, plus Focus Sessions that block distracting sites, apps, email or chat for a set period. Solo users get timeline views, smart fill hints and suggestion review to correct how activity is classified. Teams add shared clients, projects and tasks, role based access control, a weekly team calendar and billable rates, alongside team level reporting on key tools and work categories. The intended audience is broad. Freelancers and solopreneurs use the timesheet side to see which clients and projects pay off and to build invoices from filtered reports. Agencies, law firms, healthcare and telehealth groups, architects, finance teams and remote or hybrid departments use the team reports to spot bottlenecks and rebalance workloads. Individual knowledge workers who simply want to understand their own concentration habits are served by Focus on its own, with the option to upgrade later. Where it fits: RescueTime is a passive, analytics first tracker rather than a timer you drive by hand. Tools built around manual start and stop entries demand discipline and suit people who bill strictly by the hour, while RescueTime trades that precision for coverage, catching the unplanned hours most manual logs miss. It is a complement to project management software rather than a replacement, since scheduling and task boards are not its job. The company reports more than 15 years in operation, over 2 million users and 3 billion hours logged, and holds a PC Mag Editor's Choice recommendation.
How do you use RescueTime?
1Install the tracker and let it run in the background
Create an account, install the desktop app on your work machine and leave it running for a few days. Activity is logged automatically, so resist the urge to adjust anything in the first week.
2Set goals and alerts in Focus
Define how much time you want to spend on productive categories and set alerts that warn you when distraction time climbs. Review the productivity reports to see which sites and apps are pulling you off course.
3Run a Focus Session during deep work
Start a session before a block of concentrated work and choose which sites, apps, email or chat to block for its duration. Sessions can be scheduled around the hours when you do your best work.4Review the timeline and correct categorisation
Open the timeline, check the smart fill hints and accept or reject the suggested classifications. Clean categories are what make the later project and productivity reports trustworthy.
5Set up clients, projects and billable rates
For billing work, create shared clients, projects and tasks, then assign billable rates. Filter the resulting reports when it is time to build a client invoice.
6Compare plans and pick Focus or the bundle
Decide whether solo Focus covers your needs or whether Timesheets and team reporting justify the bundle. A 14 day trial is offered for individuals and teams.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Background tracking captures activity without manual timers, so unplanned hours still show up in reportsAI
- Focus and Timesheets can be bought separately or bundled, which suits both solo productivity and client billingAI
- Focus Sessions block distracting sites, apps, email and chat during scheduled work periodsAI
- Team tier adds shared clients and projects, role based access control, billable rates and a weekly team calendarAI
- Long operating history with a large user base and a PC Mag Editor's Choice recommendationAI
Cons
- Automatic tracking only sees what happens on tracked devices, so phone calls, paper work and meetings away from the screen can be missedAI
- Classifying activity correctly still needs review of suggestions, and mislabeled sites skew category reports until correctedAI
- Team reporting on individual activity can feel like surveillance, which needs clear internal agreement before rolloutAI
- The two product lines overlap in confusing ways, and Timesheets features require the higher bundle rather than the Focus planAI
- No public API details are stated on the homepage, so custom integrations with internal billing systems are unprovenAI
How much does RescueTime cost?
Pricing
Plans are split between RescueTime Focus (personal productivity tracking, goals, alerts and Focus Sessions) and a bundle that adds Timesheets for client, project and task tracking with billable rates. Solo and team variants exist for both, and the homepage directs buyers to the pricing page for current figures.
Learn moreIntegrations
The homepage names integrations only as a Timesheets feature in its healthcare section, without listing which services are supported.
Features
Focus covers automatic activity tracking across apps and websites, the Assistant, Focus Sessions with distraction blocking, goals and alerts, and productivity reports. Timesheets adds a timeline, smart fill hints, suggestion review, flexible reporting, offline work entry, client reports, project targets and billable rates. Team plans add shared clients, projects and tasks, role based access control, a team weekly calendar, team and daily pattern reports, and key tools and category breakdowns.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions about RescueTime
How much does RescueTime cost?
Plans are split between RescueTime Focus (personal productivity tracking, goals, alerts and Focus Sessions) and a bundle that adds Timesheets for client, project and task tracking with billable rates. Solo and team variants exist for both, and the homepage directs buyers to the pricing page for current figures.Does RescueTime offer a free trial?
A free 14 day trial is offered for individuals and for teams, according to the homepage and meta description.How do you use RescueTime?
The walkthrough on this page covers 6 steps: 1. Install the tracker and let it run in the background 2. Set goals and alerts in Focus 3. Run a Focus Session during deep work 4. Review the timeline and correct categorisation 5. Set up clients, projects and billable rates 6. Compare plans and pick Focus or the bundle.What platforms does RescueTime support?
RescueTime is available on Web App, MacOS, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS.What does RescueTime integrate with?
The homepage names integrations only as a Timesheets feature in its healthcare section, without listing which services are supported.What are the limitations of RescueTime?
Automatic tracking only sees what happens on tracked devices, so phone calls, paper work and meetings away from the screen can be missed. Classifying activity correctly still needs review of suggestions, and mislabeled sites skew category reports until corrected. Team reporting on individual activity can feel like surveillance, which needs clear internal agreement before rollout.
Status
StatusActive
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Added10/21/2026
Platforms
Web AppMacOSWindowsLinuxAndroidiOS
Pricing
Free TrialSubscriptionFreemium
