Full feature matrix · June 2026
Mac focus & time trackers, compared feature by feature
Focus Meter is a $19 one-time, fully on-device focus tracker for Mac that tracks individual websites — not just apps — with zero setup and no account. Here is exactly how it lines up against every serious alternative.
First, the category: focus tracking vs time tracking
Time trackinglogs hours against projects so you can bill or fill a timesheet — usually by hand (Toggl, Timing, Clockify). Focus trackingruns automatically and shows where your attention actually went, so you can improve it. Focus Meter is focus tracking. If you need to invoice clients, a time tracker like Timing is the right tool — and we’ll say so below.
Feature matrix
| Feature | Focus Meter | Apple Screen Time | RescueTime | Timing | Rize | ActivityWatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 one-time | Free | $78–144 / yr | $84–168 / yr | $120–204 / yr | Free (OSS) |
| Pricing model | One-time | Built-in | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription | Open source |
| Primary use case | Personal focus analytics | Parental controls | Time tracking (teams) | Client billing | Focus + AI coaching | DIY tracking |
| Data location | On-device | On-device | Cloud | Local + opt. cloud | Cloud (req. for AI) | On-device |
| Account required | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Native Mac app | Yes (Swift) | Built-in | No (Electron) | Yes | Yes | No (web UI) |
| Website-level tracking | Yes (no extension) | No (Safari only) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Via extension |
| Chrome / Arc / Firefox | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Via extension |
| Focus score (0–100) | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Weekly digest | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Setup | Zero-config | Zero-config | Account + install | Projects & rules | Account + install | Manual + extensions |
| Export (CSV / JSON) | Always | No | CSV (Premium) | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Works fully offline | Always | Yes | Limited | Yes | No | Yes |
| Team / invoicing | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Platforms | Mac only | Apple devices | Mac / Win / Linux | Mac | Mac / Win | Mac / Win / Linux |
Competitor pricing and features verified June 2026. Plans change often — check each vendor for the latest.
Cost over three years
The one number that doesn’t move. Focus Meter is $19, once.
| Focus Meter | Apple Screen Time | RescueTime | Timing | Rize | ActivityWatch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $19 | $0 | $78–144 | $84–168 | $120–204 | $0 |
| Year 2 (cumulative) | $19 | $0 | $156–288 | $168–336 | $240–408 | $0 |
| Year 3 (cumulative) | $19 | $0 | $234–432 | $252–504 | $360–612 | $0 |
You pass break-even versus any subscription competitor in under two months.
Also considered
Apps people cross-shop that sit in a different category — project/billing time tracking, not automatic focus analytics.
Toggl Track
Free tier + ~$9+/user/mo
Project and team time tracking for billing — a different category from automatic focus analytics.
Clockify
Free tier + paid plans
Free team time tracker with an auto-tracking layer; built around timesheets and billing, not focus.
Common questions
What is the difference between focus tracking and time tracking?
Time tracking logs hours against projects or clients, usually by hand, so you can bill or fill a timesheet (Toggl, Timing, Clockify). Focus tracking runs automatically and tells you where your attention actually went — which apps and websites, how much was deep work — so you can understand and improve your focus. Focus Meter is focus tracking: no projects, no timers, no invoices.
What is the best no-subscription Mac time tracker?
Among automatic trackers, Focus Meter is the only one that is fully on-device and a one-time $19 purchase. ActivityWatch is free and open-source but needs manual setup and browser extensions. Every other major option — RescueTime, Timing, Rize — is a yearly subscription.
Is Focus Meter cheaper than RescueTime, Timing, and Rize?
Yes — permanently. Focus Meter is $19 once. RescueTime runs $78–144/year, Timing $84–168/year, and Rize $120–204/year. You pass break-even versus any of them in under two months, and the gap only widens after that.
Which Mac time trackers keep your data on-device?
Focus Meter (zero network requests), Apple Screen Time, and ActivityWatch keep data local. RescueTime and Rize upload activity to their cloud. Timing is local but can optionally sync to the cloud for teams.
Does Focus Meter track individual websites, not just apps?
Yes. It reads the active URL from Chrome, Arc, Safari, and Brave via macOS Automation — no browser extension — so “Safari: 4 hours” becomes docs.google.com 2h, reddit.com 45m, github.com 1h. Apple Screen Time only sees Safari and does not break it down by site.
Focus Meter, in verifiable facts
- Price: $19.99 one-time on the Mac App Store. No in-app purchases, no subscription. Family Sharing included.
- Privacy: zero network requests; all data in a local SQLite database on your Mac. App Store privacy label: “Data Not Collected.”
- Tech: native Swift/SwiftUI menu-bar app. Browser URLs read via macOS Automation permission (opt-in, no extension). Idle detection via HIDIdleTime. macOS 13 Ventura or later.
- Export: CSV or JSON with date-range filtering — no lock-in.
The $19, on-device, no-subscription Mac focus tracker.
$19 one-time · No subscription · 100% on-device