Honest comparison
Focus Meter vs Clockify
Clockify is a generous, free team time tracker built for timesheets and billing. Focus Meter is private, automatic focus analytics for one Mac.
Quick answer
Clockify is a free, cloud-based team time tracker for timesheets and billing. Focus Meter is an on-device, automatic focus tracker for personal productivity at $19 once.
Clockify is one of the most generous time trackers there is — free for unlimited users, with timesheets, invoicing, and team admin baked in. That generosity is aimed at teams who need to log and bill hours. Focus Meter isn’t a team tool: it’s a private, automatic focus tracker for one person’s Mac, with a focus score instead of a timesheet and no account or cloud anywhere.
At a glance
| Feature | Clockify | Focus Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free or $4–15 / user / mo | $19 one-time |
| Primary use case | Team timesheets & billing | Personal focus analytics |
| Tracking method | Manual timers + auto-tracker | Fully automatic |
| Organized around | Projects, clients, timesheets | Apps, websites, categories |
| Focus score (0–100) | No | Yes |
| Invoicing / team admin | Yes | No (individual focus) |
| Data storage | Cloud (their servers) | Local only (your Mac) |
| Account required | Yes | No |
| Native Mac app | Cross-platform | Yes (Swift/SwiftUI) |
| Works fully offline | Limited | Always |
Where Clockify shines
- Exceptionally generous free tier — unlimited users and unlimited tracking.
- Full team toolkit: timesheets, invoicing, scheduling, approvals, and admin.
- Cross-platform, with apps and a browser extension on every device.
Where Focus Meter is different
A focus score, not a timesheet
Clockify is built to produce timesheets you can bill and approve. Focus Meter produces a single 0–100 focus score, a weekly digest, and trends — there are no projects, clients, or approvals anywhere in it.
Automatic, not manual logging
Clockify centers on timers and timesheets (with an optional auto-tracker you review). Focus Meter is fully automatic from the moment you install it, with productive/neutral/distracting categories applied by default.
Private by design
Clockify is a cloud service built for teams — your data syncs to their servers behind an account, and admins can see it. Focus Meter makes zero network requests, has no account, and keeps everything in a local SQLite file only you can read.
Native Mac, built for one person
Clockify is a broad cross-platform team product. Focus Meter is a focused, native Swift menu-bar app for a single Mac — $19 once, no per-seat pricing, no admin console.
Cost over three years
| Clockify | Focus Meter | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Free or $48–180 | $19 |
| Year 2 | Free or $96–360 total | $19 total |
| Year 3 | Free or $144–540 total | $19 total |
Use Clockify if…
Teams and freelancers who need free, unlimited time tracking with timesheets, invoicing, approvals, and admin oversight across platforms.
Use Focus Meter if…
Individuals who want private, automatic focus analytics on their Mac — a focus score and trends, not a timesheet to fill in or share.
FAQ
Is Clockify or Focus Meter better for teams?
Clockify. It’s built for teams — free for unlimited users, with timesheets, approvals, invoicing, and admin oversight. Focus Meter is deliberately single-user and on-device, with no team or admin features at all.
Clockify is free — why pay $19 for Focus Meter?
They do different jobs. Clockify is free team time tracking that lives in the cloud behind an account. Focus Meter is automatic, on-device focus analytics with a focus score and weekly trends, and it never sends your data anywhere. If you want private, zero-setup focus tracking on a Mac, that’s what the $19 buys.
Can Focus Meter produce timesheets like Clockify?
No. There are no projects, timesheets, or approvals in Focus Meter. You can export raw CSV/JSON, but if you need timesheets or invoicing, Clockify is the right tool.
Does Clockify keep data on-device like Focus Meter?
No. Clockify is a cloud service — your tracked time syncs to their servers and is visible to workspace admins. Focus Meter makes zero network requests and stores everything locally on your Mac, with no account.
Clockify bills your team’s hours. Focus Meter shows you your focus. $19 once, on-device.
$19 one-time · No subscription · 100% on-device