RescueTime Review, Pricing & Features

See how RescueTime's automatic time tracking, focus tools, and 2026 pricing plans compare for individuals and teams trying to improve productivity.

Category
Scheduling
Pricing
freemium subscription (Solo and Team tiers), from Free (Lite); paid Solo Focus plan from $7/month billed annually ($84/year)
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2006
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington, United States
Free PlanWindowsFree TrialFreemiumMac

Overview

RescueTime was founded in 2006 by Tony Wright and Brian Fioca and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company built one of the earliest automatic time-tracking tools, designed to passively log how users spend time across applications and websites without requiring manual timers.

As of 2026, RescueTime remains an independently operated, privately held company rather than part of a larger parent company, running as a small, distributed team backed historically by Y Combinator, True Ventures, and Lowercase Capital.

Key Features

RescueTime's core function is automatic, passive tracking of time spent in desktop and mobile applications and websites, which it categorizes by productivity level to generate a daily Productivity Pulse score and detailed usage reports. Its FocusTime feature can actively block distracting sites and apps during scheduled focus sessions.

Additional capabilities include customizable goals and alerts, idle-time detection, and cross-device tracking. The Timesheets add-on, available on Solo+ and Team+ tiers, layers in client, project, and task-level time tracking with billable rates and time rounding for consultants and agencies.

Pricing

RescueTime offers a free Lite tier alongside four paid plans split across Solo and Team tiers and Focus versus Focus-plus-Timesheets feature sets. Solo Focus is $7/month billed annually ($84/year) or $9/month billed monthly; Solo+ (adding Timesheets) is $12/month billed annually ($144/year) or $15/month billed monthly.

Team Focus is $10/month per user billed annually ($120/year per user) or $12/month billed monthly; Team+ is $16/month per user billed annually ($192/year per user) or $18/month billed monthly. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial, and invoice billing is available for teams of 100 or more users.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Fully automatic tracking requires no manual timers or check-ins
  • FocusTime distraction blocking helps enforce deep-work sessions
  • Free Lite tier available for basic automatic tracking and reporting
  • Timesheets add-on supports billable client work for freelancers and agencies
  • Remains independently operated with a long operating history since 2006

Cons

  • Premium features (Focus and Timesheets) require a paid subscription
  • Team pricing is per-user, which can add up for larger teams
  • Small company size (roughly 10-15 employees) may limit support and feature velocity
  • Passive tracking requires installing and running background software on all devices
  • Some advanced project/billing features are gated behind the higher Solo+ or Team+ tiers

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

What does RescueTime do?

RescueTime automatically tracks how much time you spend in different applications and websites across your devices, then categorizes that activity to help you understand and improve your productivity habits.

How much does RescueTime cost?

RescueTime offers a free Lite tier, with paid plans starting at $7/month billed annually for Solo Focus, up to $18/month per user billed monthly for Team+ (Focus plus Timesheets).

Who founded RescueTime?

RescueTime was founded in 2006 by Tony Wright and Brian Fioca and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Is RescueTime still an independent company?

Yes, as of 2026 RescueTime continues to operate as an independent, privately held company and has not been acquired by a larger parent company.

What is FocusTime in RescueTime?

FocusTime is a feature that blocks distracting websites and applications during scheduled focus sessions to support uninterrupted work.

Does RescueTime track time automatically or manually?

RescueTime tracks time automatically in the background across desktop and mobile devices, without requiring users to start or stop manual timers.

What is the Timesheets feature in RescueTime?

Timesheets is an add-on available on the Solo+ and Team+ tiers that adds client, project, and task-level time tracking with billable rates and time rounding.

Does RescueTime offer a free trial?

Yes, all paid RescueTime plans include a 14-day free trial.

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