Automatic time trackers for Mac and Windows compared

The best automatic time tracker for Mac and Windows depends on what you want at the end of the day. For projects and timesheets, pick TimeUno or Timely. For a focus score, pick RescueTime or Rize. For local data on a Mac, pick Timing. For open source, pick ActivityWatch, and for code only, pick WakaTime.

An automatic time tracker records your work without a timer. It watches which app or site is in front and builds the day from that. I work on TimeUno, so read my entry with that in mind. Everything here is current as of November 2026.

Four ways the tools differ

Tools that look alike on a feature list differ on four things.

• What they record.
• Who files the time into projects.
• What you get at the end, whether a score, a timeline or a timesheet.
• What leaves your computer.

Overview

Tool	Best for	Platforms
RescueTime	Focus score, blocking	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Timing	Local data on a Mac	Mac only
TimeUno	Projects, timesheets, AI tool time	Mac, Windows, Chrome, Edge, Firefox
Rize	Focus tools, AI insights	Mac, Windows
Timely	Agencies billing from drafts	Mac, Windows, web, mobile
ManicTime	Detailed local timeline	Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
ActivityWatch	Open source	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
WakaTime	Coding time	100+ editors, desktop app

Check each vendor's pricing page for current plans and trials.

Notes on each tool

RescueTime gives a Productivity Pulse score from 0 to 100 and has Focus Sessions. The base tier gives a score rather than a timesheet, and projects sit in a higher tier. With AI suggestions on, app and website names may go to OpenAI.

Timing is the most detailed Mac timeline, with file paths and URLs, stored locally unless you sync. AI summaries go to OpenAI if you opt in.

TimeUno records app or site, window title, idle time and project, never what you type. It detects projects from your editor folder or client keywords and remembers corrections. Timesheets for this week, last week or this month export as CSV or PDF. It tracks AI tools like Claude and Cursor on a separate timeline with tokens and cost. Data lives on Hetzner servers in Germany, and it saves no screenshots.

Rize has a Focus Time metric, a Distraction Blocker and AI categorization. Timely's Memory app drafts timesheet entries that you approve.

ManicTime keeps data local. Auto-tagging, timesheets and server sync are licensed, and optional screenshots mean some companies use it as a monitoring tool.

ActivityWatch is local and open source. You write the regex categories yourself, there are no timesheets, and device sync is unfinished. WakaTime knows project, branch and language from the editor and never sends file contents. Non-code work appears as plain app time.

Where TimeUno is weak

TimeUno has no free plan, no invoicing and no focus blocking. It has no mobile app, so it sees only computer work. It reads on-screen text by default, up to 4,000 characters per record, and an owner or admin can switch that off. Individual is $9.99 per month and Team is $12.99 per seat per month as of November 2026, listed on the pricing page. The 14-day trial needs no card.

Toggl Track and Clockify

Both are timers with some automation. Toggl's desktop Timeline records apps and sites, and entries still come from what you confirm. Clockify's auto tracker keeps activity data locally, and you turn it into entries by hand. If the timer itself is your problem, pick from the table above.

How to choose

1. What it captures. Most record the app, window title and URL. Timing adds file paths, ManicTime can add screenshots, and none should record what you type.
2. Who files projects. You write rules, AI suggests and you review, or the tool detects the project and learns.
3. What you get out. A score, a timeline, or a timesheet you can send. If you invoice, check the export formats. TimeUno exports CSV and PDF.
4. What leaves the machine. ActivityWatch and ManicTime stay local. Timing is local unless you sync or use AI summaries.
5. AI tools. A window tracker misses time when coding agents work while you do something else.

FAQ

Which of these works on both Mac and Windows? TimeUno, Rize, Timely, RescueTime, ManicTime and ActivityWatch list both. Timing is Mac only.

Does TimeUno take screenshots? No.

Where do I download it? Use the download page.

The complete comparison is on timeuno.io at https://timeuno.io/comparisons/best-automatic-time-trackers-2026.