Best automatic time tracker for Mac.

Best Automatic Time Tracker for Mac: 6 Apps Compared

Drifty is our pick for personal focus reviews on a compatible Mac. Timing suits detailed project records. The other options serve different needs: Rize for AI reports, RescueTime for distraction blocking, Timely for team timesheets and ActivityWatch for a free, open source activity log.

The useful question is what you need to do with the record. A software engineer trying to understand interruptions needs something different from an accountant assigning hours to clients.

Automatic time tracking records app or website activity without asking you to start a timer for each task. That history still needs checking before it becomes a client timesheet.

Automatic Mac time trackers at a glance

Prices shown are in USD and were checked in September 2026. An annual monthly rate requires annual billing. A free trial ends; an ongoing free plan remains available with its stated limits.

How we compared these apps

Drifty publishes this guide. The recommendations are based on official product documentation and pricing, without a controlled hands on performance test of all six apps.

We used four checks:

• Recording: What does the app capture automatically, and what still needs your input?

• Output: Does it produce a personal activity history or usable project records?

• Privacy: Where is activity stored, and who can see it?

• Cost: What stays free, and which features require payment?

The trial checklist below lets you check the features that matter on your own Mac.

Drifty: for personal focus and activity reviews

Drifty records Mac activity in the background and presents it as a timeline. With the required permissions, window titles and supported browser context can add detail to the record. Its automatic Mac tracking page explains what is captured.

Imagine you are fixing a bug and open a video tutorial. That can be useful work. The next video might have nothing to do with the task. Drifty uses activity context to help classify those sessions, and you can correct labels that do not fit.

The free plan includes the timeline and daily review, along with local rules and on device AI. Local AI needs model setup. Hosted Cloud AI is optional. Using your own external API provider can also bring separate usage charges. Drifty pricing

Activity history and AI processing are separate choices. Keeping a local history does not make an external AI request local. Review Drifty's privacy options before choosing a mode.

Drifty suits people asking where their attention went during the day. Its current download requires Apple Silicon and macOS 13 or later. For formal client billing, compare the project workflows in Timing and Timely; Drifty's freelancer page describes it as an activity review tool.

Rize: for automatic reports and AI analysis

Rize tracks the active window on your Mac and uses website URLs to help categorize browser activity. Its individual plans include personal reports and AI analysis. It also offers focus music and break reminders. Separate team plans add shared reporting. Rize features and plans

For a consultant, the reports can help compare time spent delivering client work with time spent in meetings.

Rize uses a hosted service for its data. Its optional Screen Text feature can read screen content after you enable it and grant permission. If keeping activity history entirely on your Mac is a requirement, compare that storage model with Drifty's local setup or ActivityWatch.

The main cost to understand is the subscription. Rize has a 7 day trial, but no permanent free tracking tier. Its plans also include AI credit allowances, so check the allowance for the plan you intend to use. Rize pricing and data storage FAQ

Timing: for detailed client and project records

Timing is a native Mac app that records activity across apps and documents. You can assign recorded activity to projects and create rules for repeated work. It also supports manual entries for time spent away from the keyboard. Timing's Mac app

That makes it worth trying if your main question is, "How long did this job take?"

An accountant might spend the morning in the same spreadsheet app while working for several clients. A useful record needs to separate those clients. Timing's project assignments and rules help build that record, although you still need to review it.

Its tracking history is stored locally, with optional cloud sync. Check the data handling of any additional AI features you enable as well. Timing sync

Timing offers a 30 day trial. Before subscribing, check the reporting options in the plan you need: Professional lists basic reports, while Expert and Connect list customizable reports. Export a sample during the trial and confirm that the selected paid plan includes that workflow. Timing plan comparison

RescueTime: for reports and distraction blocking

RescueTime records activity automatically and groups it into reports. Its paid focus features can block distracting apps and websites during a focus session. You can change the productivity labels assigned to activities. RescueTime Solo Focus

This is a useful option for a writer who keeps checking the same websites while drafting. The report shows the pattern, and blocking gives you a way to act on it during the next session.

Those labels still need judgment. A site that distracts you on one day might be needed for research on another. Check the blocking list before beginning a session.

RescueTime processes activity through its cloud service. Its security page explains what the desktop app collects and the controls for excluding activity. RescueTime data handling

The free Lite option has limited reporting history. Paid Solo focuses on productivity features, while Solo+ bundles focus tools with timesheets. For an agency needing shared client records, compare the team plans rather than assuming a personal focus subscription includes them. RescueTime plans

Timely: for turning captured activity into team timesheets

Timely uses its Memory app to collect a record of work in the background. You can then use that history to create project time entries. The workflow suits teams that need people to submit usable timesheets without reconstructing the whole week from memory. Timely Memory

For example, an agency designer may switch between client revisions and internal work throughout the afternoon. The captured history provides a reference when assigning that time to projects.

Timely makes a useful distinction between your private Memory timeline and the entries you share. Colleagues and managers can see the time you log to shared timesheets, while your raw Memory timeline remains private from them. The data is stored in Timely's hosted service. Timely privacy

Starter costs $11 per user per month on monthly billing and includes up to 20 projects. Larger project lists and additional features may require another plan. Timely pricing

Choose Timely when shared project records are the main goal. Review the assignments before submitting them: captured activity does not decide what a client has agreed to pay for.

ActivityWatch: for a free, open source activity log

ActivityWatch records the active application and window title, then lets you review activity by category. The core desktop tracker is free and stores its data locally. Browser extensions add active tab detail for Chrome and Firefox. ActivityWatch features

It suits a developer who wants to understand where the day went and is comfortable adjusting the setup. Editor integrations can add coding detail, depending on the tools used.

The dashboard opens in a browser on your Mac. That browser interface displays the local record. On macOS, the getting started guide also explains how to add ActivityWatch to Login Items so it starts when you sign in. ActivityWatch setup

The tradeoff is the work needed to configure useful categories and browser detail. Check support for your browser and Mac build before relying on it. If you need shared client timesheets, compare that workflow with Timing or Timely before settling on an activity log alone.

A short test before you commit

Pick the app that matches your main need and use it during a normal workday. Keep a brief reference note of when a few tasks began and ended. Then check the record against those notes.

Notice how long corrections take. If a tracker captures plenty of activity but leaves you with a long cleanup job, factor that into your choice.

Also check the current macOS and processor requirements before installing. Our guide to choosing a time tracking app for Mac covers the wider selection checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Which automatic Mac time trackers are free?

Drifty and ActivityWatch offer ongoing free tracking. RescueTime has a free Lite option with limited reporting history. Rize offers a trial followed by paid tracking, and Timing and Timely require subscriptions after their trials. For options that also include manual timers, see our free Mac time tracker comparison.

Does automatic time tracking require AI?

No. Recording the active app and time does not require AI. AI can help interpret or group the resulting activity, while rules can also handle repeated assignments. ActivityWatch is an example of automatic tracking that does not require an AI service.

Which automatic time tracker suits software engineers?

For reviewing interruptions and focus, start with Drifty or Rize. For a local activity log with editor integrations, look at ActivityWatch. If you bill clients by project, try Timing and check how well its assignments fit your workflow. Time spent in an editor alone does not measure the value of the work.

Can an automatic Mac time tracker work offline?

Drifty can capture activity without an internet connection. Its hosted AI options need a connection, while local AI can classify activity after a local model is set up. ActivityWatch stores its activity locally. Test offline behavior in the app you choose, including what happens when you reconnect. Drifty offline tracking