In today’s fast paced digital world where our attention span is shorter than a Goldfish, everyone is looking for ‘hacks’ to achieve a monk like focus.
And why shouldn’t they.
After all, a higher focus means high productivity, more work, less error and most importantly, more money.
But tell me honestly:
How happy you’d be if I tell you there our specific apps out there designed to help people like you and me increase focus and become more productive.
These tools are called ‘Time Management Apps.’
A time management app is basically a tool that tracks all your digital activities and gives a comprehensive picture of which task, website or app is taking the most amount of your time.
Now, there are dozens of tools out there that calls itself the best in the business. But which one should you go with?
I’ve done the heavy lifting for you and analyzed the 5 most popular time management softwares and the results were quite interesting.
And I’m sure, by the time you’ll finish this article, you’ll have a clear picture in your mind regarding which tool you want to go with.
So, let’s get straight into it.
THE TOP 3 |
1. FOCUSME |
2. RESCUETIME |
3. TOGGL |
OVERALL |
★★★★★ |
★★★★ |
★★★★ |
BEST FOR |
All-Around |
Auto-Tracking |
Freelancers |
TIME TRACKING |
Group & Individual |
Individual Only |
Group & Individual |
AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL |
Both |
Both |
Both |
SCHEDULING? |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
POMODORO SUPPORT |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
DEVICE COMPATIBILITY |
Mac, Windows, Android |
Mac, Windows, Android and Linux |
Mac, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS |
USABILITY |
Very easy to use |
Only the web app is easy to use |
Very easy to use |
RESPONSE TIME |
24 to 30 Hours |
Within 5 Hours |
Around 36 Hours |
BLOCK WEBSITES? |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
PRICE |
Starts from $2.50 per month |
Starts from $9 per month or $72 per year |
Starts from $9 per month |
Best Time Management Apps
The main goal of this review was to find a complete time management Software that not only tracks time and is easy to use but also gives you detailed reports about how much time you’re spending on each task, and lets you block distracting websites too. Or as an alternative, you can always use an outsourcing software development company to receive your custom solution specifically for your needs. Some softwares combine accounting, project management, and time management for quick invoicing of your billable hours.
One that you can use individually will save you from having to manage projects for yourself and track task completion manually, etc.
According to my test results and first-hand experience, I’ve ranked these apps in best to worst order.
So let’s see which one won the race and which one came last.
1. FocusMe
FocusMe is the most complete time management app out there. It provides time tracking, website blocking, scheduling, and POMODORO support all in one package
At a cost of only a few dollars a month, it is also great value for money.
FocusMe Pros:
#1 Time Tracking with Detailed Report
FocusMe excels at core purpose of any productivity tool: tracking the total time spent on each website or app.
As soon as you log in to the app, it will automatically begin tracking how much time you’re spending on each website and app in your computer.
The reports break down by both websites and apps used, which gives you a clear picture.
#2 Website and App Blocking
FocusMe is one of the few tools that allows users to block distracting websites (social media, porn sites, news sites, games, etc.)
On top of this is the ability to block incoming emails on Gmail, while still being able to send them.
#3 POMODORO support
If you’ve done any reading about productivity, you’ve probably come across the POMODORO technique. The FocusMe app is one of a few tools that lets its users take full advantage of POMODORO via a customizable timer.
#4 Scheduling Tasks
With FocusMe you can schedule different tasks in your time management tool and track how much time is spent on each one. For extra efficiency, you can even decide the starting and ending time of each task.
#5 Lowest Price
At just $2.50/mo (billed $xx annually), you get access to all FocusMe’s premium features. Students can get 30% discount on all its plans, and if you like their Facebook or Twitter page, you can receive a 15% discount.
FocusMe Cons:
#1 Works with only a few devices
The only disadvantage of FocusMe is the lack of compatibility with many devices.
FocusMe only offers a free Android app, with quite limited features. No iPhone option is currently available. On desktop, it works with Mac and Windows devices, but not Linux.
FocusMe Plans
FocusMe doesn’t have any free plans to offer, but the premium plan is free for the first 15 days, with no credit card required.
Paid plans start from as low as $2.50/month (paid annually). Students can get a 30% discount. There is also a 15% discount for liking and following them on social media.
Businesses must contact the company for a custom price.
Do I recommend FocusMe?
Definitely! The low price point and reporting/tracking features make it one of the best time management software tools available.
2. RescueTime
RescueTime helps you track your time and gain a clear picture of how you spend your time online.
However, while RescueTime does an exceptional job in tracking time and sending reports, it lacks a few key features.
RescueTime Pros:
#1 Brilliant time tracking and reporting
Accurate time tracking is one of the most notable features of RescueTime. The dashboard refreshes every five to fifteen minutes, to give you real-time reporting for time spent on your phone or computer.
#2 Set Goals
RescueTime lets you set goals (e.g. restrict social media to one hour day) that can help increase your productivity at work.
This feature helps users know how they’re progressing towards their desired productivity goal. And this is a unique feature that ai couldn’t find in any other time tracking tool I tested.
#3 Website Blocking
RescueTime is great if you tend to get distracted by social media or news sites while working. The ability to block sites this requires the Premium service, but can be well worth it.
#4 Fast customer support
When I had a question, the support team got back to me within 5 hours and gave a detailed explanation about their product’s feature.
RescueTime Cons
#1 Not so User-friendly interface (Android app)
The app interface shows a lot of things at once, such as total logged time, productivity pulse, a small timer icon in the bottom right corner, etc. This confusing as there are no clear instructions.
#2 No POMODORO support
Unlike FocusMe and Toggl, there is no POMODORO support in the RescueTime app.
#3 No scheduling
There also does not seem to be any option to schedule a task for a certain time period.
RescueTime Plans
RescueTime is one of the few time tracking tools with a free account option.
The RescueTime Lite plan comes with zero cost and limited features. RescueTime premium plan starts from $9/month or $72 when paid annually.
Do I recommend RescueTime?
As a free app, it enables you to track your time and also shows you how much time you’re spending on each website . If you need to block websites, then you can consider the premium plan. However, all things considered, it isn’t as great a deal as FocusMe.
Read the full RescueTime review.
3. Toggl
Toggl is by far the easiest time tracking and productivity app. It offers a clean, easy-to-navigate user interface. It is great for solo freelancers or someone with a small team.
It has many features like POMODORO and scheduling, but there are also a few features missing.
Toggl Pros
#1 Easy-to-use interface
Toggl has a very clean home page with lots of white space. It clearly shows you how you can get started tracking your activities. It also does not require a download and can be used directly through a web browser on their website.
#2 Easy Scheduling
Scheduling a task in Toggl is just a matter of few clicks, which is a great for a time-saving app. You can also schedule a particular task for a specific time day or time.
#3 Great for Freelancers
Toggl is great for freelancers and for a small team. You can track client and add their name, project and other details in your dashboard. This is great for billing and remote workers.
#4 Project Tracking
Toggl makes it easy to track different projects. By selecting the “Projects” option or going to “Reports” it makes it easy to know how much time has been spent.
#5 POMODORO support
The POMODORO technique is supported by Toggl and is available even if you’re using the basic free plan.
Toggl Cons
#1 No website blocking
Unfortunately, the ability to block websites is not supported by Toggl, which can lead to distraction and a drop in productivity. There are a couple of toggl alternatives in the market which resolves this problem.
#2 Slow Customer Support
Toggl does seem to have slow customer support, with their team taking days to respond.
#3 No website or app tracking report
Despite an exceptional job tracking projects Toggl doesn’t show you which websites you’ve visited or apps you used.
Toggl Plans
Toggl offers 4 different plans to its users. The basic plan is free with some decent functionality. The premium plans start from $9/month (billed annually) with a 30 day free trial.
Do I recommend Toggl?
For freelancers and teams looking for a free tool that can track client work and shows you how much time each project Toggl is a great tool.
4. My Hours
My Hours helps you and your team maximize your time to produce the best results. It is a free time tracking app that promotes on-the-go collaboration, such that every person can work and synchronize from any device.
It has many awesome features like POMODORO support, tracking work hours, coordinating and managing projects, and creating accurate reports for your clients.
My Hours Pros
#1. Easy Time Tracking
My Hours makes time tracking easy, as it provides details of every time spent on projects and tasks. It begins to track your time immediately after you log in. It also allows you to manage and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.
#2. POMODORO Support
You’ve probably come across the POMODORO technique if you are big on productivity. The good thing about My Hours is that the app allows you to implement the POMODORO technique into your daily schedule.
#3. Affordable
My Hours’ premium feature starts from $6 per user per month. It has a free feature that allows unlimited membership, projects, and tasks. You can also track time on tasks and projects, set billable rates, and create comprehensive reports on its free plan.
#3. Create Good Looking Reports
My Hours is one of the few time-tracking tools that allows you to create awesome reports for you and your clients. This makes billing and payroll easier to compute.
Cons
#1 Excessive Upgrades
There are always upgrades on My Hours. These upgrades can create confusion about some features.
#2. Slow Loading Time
Sometimes, pages on My Hours take time to load, even with strong internet connections.
My Hours Plan
My Hours has a free and premium plan. The free plan has features like reports creation and project time tracking. The premium plan starts from $6 monthly per user (billed annually) and $7 monthly per user (billed monthly). It also comes with a 14-day free trial.
Do I Recommend Hours?
My Hours is efficient for individuals, freelancers, and teams who want to maximize their time and stay productive.
5. Timely
Timely is an AI powered time tracking app that incorporates planning tools It has a great interface, yet lacks some key features like website blocking, POMODORO, etc.
Timely Pros
#1 Clean user interface
Timely features a clean interface that makes it clear how to get started with this app.
#2 Add team member
Timely is great for group projects and to see how much time other members are spending on the project.
#3 Compatible with all popular devices
Timely app works smoothly on Mac and Windows computers and on Android or iPhone.
#4 Task Scheduling
Timely also works as a planner, by allowing you to schedule activities ahead daily, weekly and even monthly.
Timely Cons
#1 No website blocking
There does not seem to be the ability to block websites or apps inside the Timely app.
#2 No POMODORO support
For POMODORO fans there is unfortunately no support here.
#3 Slow customer support
While Timely is great to use tool, their live chat took over 36 hours to receive an answer.
Timely app plans
Timely does not offer free plans, but offers three different paid plans: Solo, Essential, and Company, which start from $7/month.
Do I recommend Timely app?
If you’re a freelancer who wants to track different projects as well as add multiple users it can be useful. If you want to hire a freelancer now this app would be useful too.
6. Everhour
Everhour helps you not only to track your time impeccably but also to work on projects and tasks much more efficiently, adding lots of nuances in timekeeping and time management.
Everhour Pros:
#1 Accurate time tracking and reporting
With Everhour, users can track time spent on tasks, projects, and clients easily and quickly by integrating it into their favorite tools. It can also be used as a standalone tool and time can be added both manually and automatically.
#2 Optimized task management
By being integrated with the leading project and task management tools, Everhour can optimize your work significantly with the help of various tools, visualization features (e.g. dashboards), and many more.
#3 Seamless integrations
Everhour provides 40+ integrations with other tools: from project management (Asana, Notion, Basecamp, Monday, etc.) to accounting (Quickbooks, Freshbooks) and helpdesk software (Intercom, Help Scout, Zendesk) and so many others. They’re easily synced up so that you can track every minute inside them without any tab switching.
#4 Improved collaboration
Collaboration features Everhour offers are wide: you can allow team members to share project updates, comments, and feedback in real-time, as well as edit logs to ensure timekeeping is accurate.
Everhour Cons:
#1 No Android app
As of now, Everhour isn’t available for Android users. As it’s a cloud-based solution, it’s easier to access on the web or as an iPhone app.
#2 Steep learning curve
Everhour offers lots of useful features that can seem too complex if your team doesn’t have experience with time-tracking apps. However, you can take advantage of Everhour’s Help Docs platform and support to get insight into how the tool works.
Everhour Plans
- Free: $0
- Lite: The Lite plan costs $6 per month per user or $5 per month per user for the yearly subscription.
- Team: With this plan, you will pay $10 per month per user or $8.50 per user/month for the annual payment.
Do I recommend Everhour?
As you can see, Everhour offers flexible and affordable pricing plans, powerful features, and various integrations with other useful tools. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Everhour can get you covered easily. If you want to optimize your workflow and make sure that everything works perfectly, the Everhour time tracker is worth considering.
Read the full Everhour review.
Conclusion
In today’s digital world where our attention span is less than a Goldfish and everyone is crazy about being ‘productive’, a time management tool is a must in your arsenal. Once you know how you’re spending your time you can work on learning to make better use of your time either on your own or on a formal training course.
And if you’re looking for a tool that offers you all the required features in the lowest possible amount, go with FocusMe. It’s the best tool out there at the moment.
However, if you don’t want to spend a single penny but still want to track your time and stay productive, RescueTime or Toggl could be the best choice for you.
And finally, if you’re a freelancer who just wants to track your total time spent on each project, you can go with Time Doctor or Timely.
So that’s all from us. Now go out there and make the most out of every second of your day. I’m looking forward to read your blog post about ‘productivity hacks’ on BuzzFeed. 😜