How Actimefy compares to ManicTime, RescueTime, and ActivityWatch — privacy, pricing, and features at a glance.
All four tools track how you spend time on your computer, but they take different approaches to privacy, pricing, and depth of features. Here's an honest breakdown to help you pick the right one.
| Feature | Actimefy | ManicTime | RescueTime | ActivityWatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free version + one-time $39 Pro unlock — pay once, no subscription, ever | Free tier + paid Pro (license or subscription) | Subscription only (monthly/annual) — keeps charging for as long as you use it | Free and open source |
| Free tier limits | Limited history retention and export range; Pro removes both limits for a one-time fee | Limited history/feature set on free tier | No free tier — subscription required from day one | No limits — fully free, open source |
| Where your data lives | Local only, by default — nothing leaves your device | Local by default, optional cloud sync on paid plans | Cloud-based — activity data is sent to RescueTime's servers | Local only, open source |
| Automatic activity tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geolocation / map-based reports | Yes (Pro) | No | No | No |
| Regex-based auto-categorization | Yes (Pro) | Rule-based tagging | Rule-based categorization | No built-in UI for this |
| Custom Excel report templates | Yes (Pro) | No | No | No |
| Resource usage | Lightweight background tracker | Lightweight | Lightweight client, relies on cloud processing | Lightweight, runs as local web server |
| Platform | Windows | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile, browser | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Open source | No | No | No | Yes |
Competitor details reflect publicly available information about each product at the time of writing and may change — always check the vendor's own site for current pricing and features.
Actimefy vs ManicTime
ManicTime is a solid, longstanding local-first time tracker. Actimefy's free version already covers core tracking and reporting, limited to a shorter history and export range — unlocking Pro removes those limits with a single one-time payment rather than a recurring license, and adds geolocation-based reporting and custom Excel template exports that ManicTime doesn't offer.
Actimefy vs RescueTime
RescueTime is cloud-based: your activity data is uploaded to its servers, and there's no way to use it without paying a recurring subscription. Actimefy's free version works fully offline with your data staying on your device, and going Pro is a single $39 payment — never a monthly charge — to lift the history and export limits and unlock the rest of the features.
Actimefy vs ActivityWatch
ActivityWatch is free, open source, and local-first — a great choice if you want full transparency and don't mind a more developer-oriented setup. Actimefy trades open-source code for a polished native Windows app with built-in maps, Excel exports, and analytics out of the box.
Want to see these features in action? Check out the Analytics, Map, and Report Export docs, or head back to the Downloads section to try Actimefy for free.