The 7 Best Screen Time Apps for Mac in 2026

Start with Apple Screen Time if you want limits and downtime. It is free and built into macOS. Pick Dayflow ($0, open source) for a written timeline of what you did. ActivityWatch is the free local option that also runs on Windows, Linux and Android. Timing wins for billable hours on a Mac, and RescueTime for blocking distractions across devices.

This ranking is for Mac users who have looked at Apple Screen Time and wanted more than a bar chart of app totals. Some want firm limits. Others want to know where a workday actually went. Some bill clients and need hours that hold up. The job is the same in each case: see your screen time honestly, with as little manual logging as possible. We also have a broader roundup of Mac time trackers and a head-to-head Screen Time vs Dayflow comparison.

Dayflow is our product, so weigh this ranking with that in mind. It ranks first because it captures what was on screen, not just app names and window titles, and has AI write that into a timeline you can read. It also costs $0 and keeps recordings on your Mac. It does not win two of our criteria. The first is limits and blocking: Dayflow cannot stop you from opening anything. The second is platform coverage: Dayflow runs only on macOS 14 or later.

Quick comparison

Tool	Best for	How it tracks	Price
Dayflow	Remembering what you actually did	Screen frame every 10 seconds, AI-written timeline	$0 (optional Pro $20/month)
Apple Screen Time	Limits, downtime and family controls	App and website totals once App & Website Activity is on	Free, built in
Timing (vs Dayflow)	Billable hours on a Mac	Apps, websites, documents, URLs and Mail threads	From $9/month billed annually
ActivityWatch (vs Dayflow)	Free, local, cross-platform data	Active app, window title, away-from-keyboard; extensions add tabs	Free

Quick picks by use case

Best for limits: Apple Screen Time, free. It is already on your Mac. It is also the only tool here with downtime schedules, time allowances for app categories and parental controls through Family Sharing.

Best for remembering your day: Dayflow, $0. The free app is MIT licensed. Pro is $20 a month if you want Dayflow to handle cloud analysis.

Best free open-source tracker beyond the Mac: ActivityWatch, free. It is MPL-2.0 licensed, stores everything locally, and runs on Windows, Linux and Android too.

Best for billing: Timing, from $9/month billed annually. It records apps, documents and URLs on the Mac, tracks billing status and connects to invoicing tools on higher plans.

Best for blocking across devices: RescueTime (vs Dayflow), $7/month billed annually. The Focus plan adds distraction blocking, focus sessions and alerts on desktop and mobile.

Best one-time purchase: Qbserve, $29.00 once. It gives you local tracking, a live productivity score and invoices, with no subscription.

Best for AI categorization on Mac and Windows: Rize (vs Dayflow), from $9.99/mo billed annually. AI tags your activity automatically, and you can chat with your data.

How we compared them

The weights reflect what someone replacing or supplementing Screen Time usually cares about.

• Detail of the record (25%). High scores tell you what you were doing. Low scores stop at “this app, this long.”
• Where data lives (20%). High scores keep data on your Mac by default. Low scores require sending activity to a vendor’s cloud.
• Price (20%). High scores are free or one-time. Low scores need a recurring subscription to do the basics.
• Limits and blocking (15%). High scores can enforce downtime, app allowances or site blocking. Low scores only report.
• Readable output (10%). High scores give you summaries or reports you can act on. Low scores leave you to interpret raw charts.
• Platform coverage (10%). High scores cover your phone and other computers. Low scores are Mac only.

We compared the tools from each vendor’s own pricing and product pages on October 4, 2026. Dayflow facts come from version 2.2.0, reviewed September 6, 2026. No benchmark was run, and the scores are judgments.

The 7 best screen time apps for Mac, ranked

1. Dayflow

Dayflow is a free, open-source Mac app that records the screen at one frame every 10 seconds and has AI write the day into a readable timeline. Screen Time tells you which app was open. Dayflow describes the work in blocks you can scroll back through.

The full recordings and the timeline are stored on your Mac. You choose how the analysis happens:

• Local AI: a supported model runs through Ollama or LM Studio, so screenshot analysis stays on-device.
• Your own provider: selected screenshots go to the cloud provider you configure, under its terms.
• Dayflow Pro: Dayflow handles cloud analysis. Under the privacy policy, it deletes screenshots after processing and may retain Activity Data for sync.

The trade-offs are covered in local and cloud processing. You can export any date range as Markdown from Settings → Export.

Price: $0 under the MIT license. Pro is $20 a month.

Limits: Dayflow has no website blocking, invoices, payroll approvals or team reports. It runs only on macOS 14 or later. AI summaries can miss or misread work, so check them before sharing.

Pick it if you finish the day unsure what happened and want a record you can read rather than totals you have to decode.

2. Apple Screen Time

Screen Time is the usage tracker built into macOS. Once you turn on App & Website Activity, it reports:

• which apps and websites you used, and for how long
• how many notifications you received
• how often you used your devices

You can view it by day or by week. With Share across devices on, it combines time from other devices signed in to the same Apple Account: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro.

Its real strength is control. Screen Time offers downtime schedules, time allowances for app categories, blocking of content and features, and parental controls through Family Sharing. None of the third-party trackers here match that set of controls.

Price: free, built in.

Limits: the reports stay at the app and website level. Apple’s guide describes no projects, billing or exports. It records nothing until you switch it on, and it only sees Apple devices.

Pick it if you want to cap your own usage or a child’s, and app-level totals are enough.

3. Timing

Timing is a Mac-only automatic tracker built around billable-hour records. It records time across apps, websites and documents, down to specific URLs and Mail threads. It also supports manual entries, importing iOS activity and call tracking.

All plans include AI activity summaries, AI integration through MCP, and AI-powered suggestions for time entries. The vendor says tracked times stay on your Mac unless you opt into sync. Sync and cloud backup are listed on every plan.

Plans:

• Professional: $9 a month billed annually, or $11 billed monthly
• Expert: $11 a month billed annually, or $14 billed monthly
• Connect: $16 per user per month billed annually, or $20 billed monthly, with shared projects for teams

There is a 30-day trial with no credit card. Depending on the plan, you also get billing status tracking, report rounding, two-way ClickUp, Linear and Clio sync, GrandTotal invoicing, scripting, a Web API and Zapier.

Limits: Timing is Mac only and subscription only. Professional covers one Mac and has limited web app access. Blocking and limits are not among its listed features.

Pick it if your screen time needs to become billable hours with project and client structure.

4. ActivityWatch

ActivityWatch is a free, open-source tracker licensed under MPL-2.0. It records the active application, the window title and whether you are away from the keyboard. Browser extensions add the active tab’s title and URL, and editor plugins add coding activity.

The vendor says all data is stored on your device and never sent to any server. It describes the app as completely free, with no feature gates, usage limits or ads. ActivityWatch runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. You can extend it with custom watchers and query it through a local API, which suits people who want to build their own dashboards.

Price: free.

Limits:

• Sync between devices is still a work in progress.
• There is no iOS support.
• No AI summaries are listed, so you read the charts and categories yourself.
• No limits or blocking are listed.

Pick it if you want the most private free option, or you also need tracking on a Windows or Linux machine.

5. RescueTime

RescueTime runs in the background and automatically tracks time on apps and websites. The vendor states it does not collect keystrokes, form input, screenshots or webpage content.

Of the third-party apps here, it has the strongest focus tools: distraction blocking, focus sessions, goals and alerts. “The Assistant” is listed as a Focus feature, and Timesheets offers autocompletion hints that learn from your history. Apps are available for desktop, iOS, Android and the web. The vendor’s pages do not confirm which desktop operating systems are supported.

Plans:

• Focus (Solo): $7 a month billed annually ($84 USD), or $9 billed monthly
• Solo+ (Focus + Timesheets): $12 a month billed annually ($144 USD), or $15 billed monthly. Adds projects, clients and billable rates.
• Team Focus: $10/month/user billed annually, or $12 billed monthly
• Team+: $16/month/user billed annually, or $18 billed monthly

Paid plans have a 14-day trial. A free Lite plan exists, but its limits are not described. See the vendor’s pricing page for details.

Limits: activity data is processed in RescueTime’s cloud, and timesheets need the higher-priced plan. Our RescueTime vs Rize comparison covers the overlap.

Pick it if you want blocking and focus sessions that follow you from the Mac to your phone.

6. Qbserve

Qbserve is a Mac tracker sold as a one-time purchase. It automatically records applications, websites and window titles. It scores your productivity, rating over 8,100 sites, apps and games out of the box, and shows a live score in the menu bar. Rules assign time to projects. It can generate invoices in 18 languages and export to JSON and CSV.

The vendor says all tracked data is stored locally on your Mac and never sent anywhere.

Price: $29.00 one-time, no subscription. That figure came from the vendor’s US checkout on October 4, 2026, and may differ by country. There is a 15-day trial.

Limits: Qbserve is Mac only. No AI features are listed, and no team or sync features either. Its productivity score is feedback rather than enforcement, since no blocking is listed.

Pick it if you want local tracking, a nudge in the menu bar and simple invoicing without another monthly bill.

7. Rize

Rize is an AI-first tracker for Mac and Windows. It tracks apps and websites automatically and uses AI to categorize and tag your time. Connecting Google Calendar captures meeting time.

It also offers AI chat and AI productivity and focus insights. All plans are metered in monthly AI credits, and MCP server access starts at Pro. Pro and above add client and scheduled reports in PDF and CSV, plus an API, webhooks and Zapier. It supports macOS Mojave 10.14.6 or later and Windows 10 or later.

Plans:

• Basic: $9.99/mo billed annually, or $12.99 billed monthly (500 AI credits)
• Pro: $23.99/mo billed annually (1,000 credits)
• Max: $39.99/mo billed annually (3,000 credits)
• Team: $29.99/seat/month with annual billing, or $39.99 billed monthly
• Enterprise: custom

For monthly billing on Pro and Max, see the vendor’s pricing page. A 7-day trial needs no credit card.

Limits: there is no permanently free tier. Data is hosted on Amazon Web Services, with encryption at rest and in transit. Linux is not available yet.

Pick it if you want AI to categorize everything with no setup, and you are comfortable with cloud storage and a subscription.

Full comparison table

Tool	Price	Automatic capture	AI summaries	Where data lives	Open source	Platforms
Dayflow	$0, Pro $20/month	Yes, a screen frame every 10 seconds	Yes, AI-written timeline	Recordings on your Mac; analysis local, your provider or Pro cloud	Yes, MIT	Mac (macOS 14+)
Apple Screen Time	Free, built in	Yes, once App & Website Activity is on	None listed	Local, optional sync across Apple devices	No	Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro
Timing	From $9/month billed annually	Yes, apps, websites, documents	AI activity summaries on all plans	Local, optional sync	No	Mac
ActivityWatch	Free	Yes, app, window title, AFK; tabs via extension	None listed	Local	Yes, MPL-2.0	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
RescueTime	From $7/month billed annually; free Lite plan	Yes, apps and websites	”The Assistant” listed; summaries not described	Cloud	No	Desktop apps, iOS, Android, web
Qbserve	$29.00 one-time	Yes, apps, websites, window titles	None listed	Local	No	Mac
Rize	From $9.99/mo billed annually	Yes, apps and websites	AI categorization, chat and insights	Cloud (AWS)	No	Mac, Windows

What does Screen Time on a Mac track, and what does it miss?

Screen Time answers “how long” very well. It does not answer “on what.” It records app and website usage, notification counts and how often you use your devices, then shows them as daily or weekly views. If you spent three hours in a browser, it can show which sites. It cannot tell you whether that time went to a client proposal, a tax form or a rabbit hole.

That gap is what third-party trackers fill, in three ways:

• Window titles and documents. ActivityWatch, Qbserve and Timing capture which file or page was open. Timing goes down to URLs and Mail threads.
• Structure for work. Timing, Qbserve, RescueTime Solo+ and Rize’s reports turn raw usage into projects, clients and exports. Screen Time has none of these in Apple’s documentation.
• Interpretation. Dayflow writes a timeline from what was on screen. Timing writes AI activity summaries. Rize categorizes and tags with AI.

Screen Time also only records after you turn it on. Many people discover this when they open it hoping to review last month. If you want a rough picture before installing anything, the where does my week go calculator gives you a starting estimate. Our guide to doing a time audit on a Mac walks through a fuller review.

Can you set screen time limits on a Mac without Apple Screen Time?

Mostly, no. Of the seven tools here, Screen Time is the only one with downtime schedules and time allowances for app categories. RescueTime comes closest among third-party apps, with distraction blocking, focus sessions, goals and alerts on its Focus plan. Qbserve’s live productivity score gives feedback, but no blocking is listed.

Timing, ActivityWatch, Rize and Dayflow are trackers, not enforcers. Dayflow specifically has no website blocking.

In practice, the two jobs separate cleanly. Keep Screen Time on for limits, since it costs nothing and already runs on your Mac. Then add one tracker for the detail Screen Time lacks. Running Screen Time alongside Dayflow, ActivityWatch or Timing is a common setup, and none of them replace its controls. If what you want is awareness without anyone watching over your shoulder, time tracking without surveillance covers that approach.

Where Dayflow is the wrong pick

Dayflow is built to show you what you did. It does not enforce, bill or report to a manager, and it does not cover devices other than a Mac. In these cases, another tool wins:

• You want hard limits or blocking. Use Apple Screen Time for downtime and app allowances, or RescueTime for distraction blocking and focus sessions across desktop and mobile.
• You bill by the hour. Timing gives you billing status, report rounding and invoicing integrations. Qbserve generates invoices for a one-time $29.00. Dayflow has no invoices or payroll approvals.
• You need team reports. RescueTime Team plans, Rize Team and Timing Connect all have team features. Dayflow has none.
• You work on Windows, Linux or Android too. ActivityWatch covers all of them for free. Rize covers Windows.
• Your Mac is older than macOS 14. Dayflow will not run. Rize lists support back to macOS Mojave 10.14.6.
• You do not want screen frames recorded at all. ActivityWatch and Qbserve log app and window data, and RescueTime states it collects no screenshots. Before deciding, the is Dayflow safe page explains exactly what Dayflow stores and where.

How much do they cost?

Tool	Plan	Price
Apple Screen Time	Included with macOS	Free, built in
ActivityWatch	ActivityWatch	Free
Dayflow	Free app	$0
Dayflow	Pro	$20 a month
Qbserve	Qbserve license	$29.00 one-time
Timing	Professional	$9/month billed annually, or $11 billed monthly
Timing	Expert	$11/month billed annually, or $14 billed monthly
Timing	Connect	$16/user/month billed annually, or $20 billed monthly
RescueTime	Lite	Free; limits not listed, see the vendor’s pricing page
RescueTime	Focus (Solo)	$7/month billed annually ($84 USD), or $9 billed monthly
RescueTime	Solo+	$12/month billed annually ($144 USD), or $15 billed monthly
RescueTime	Team Focus	$10/month/user billed annually ($120 USD), or $12 billed monthly
RescueTime	Team+	$16/month/user billed annually ($192 USD), or $18 billed monthly
Rize	Basic	$9.99/mo billed annually, or $12.99 billed monthly
Rize	Pro	$23.99/mo billed annually; monthly price on the vendor’s pricing page
Rize	Max	$39.99/mo billed annually; monthly price on the vendor’s pricing page
Rize	Team	$29.99/seat/month billed annually, or $39.99 billed monthly
Rize	Enterprise	Custom

The cheapest sensible setup costs nothing: keep Apple Screen Time on for limits, and add Dayflow with Local AI or ActivityWatch for the detail. Pay only when a specific need appears. That might be Timing for billing, Qbserve for a one-time license, or RescueTime for blocking on your phone. Dayflow’s plans are on the pricing page.

The bottom line

If you want limits, Apple Screen Time is free, already installed and has no real rival here. If you want to know what you actually did with your screen time, Dayflow is the pick at $0. ActivityWatch is the free, private choice if you also use Windows, Linux or Android. Timing is the best of the Mac time trackers for turning screen time into billable hours, and RescueTime is the one to choose for blocking distractions on both your Mac and your phone.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Screen Time show no data on my Mac?

Apple Screen Time only records after App & Website Activity is turned on. It does not look back at time before you enabled it. Turn it on in System Settings under Screen Time, then use the Mac normally for a day. If you also want time from your iPhone or iPad, turn on Share across devices on each device signed in to the same Apple Account.

What is the best free screen time app for Mac?

Three good options cost nothing. Apple Screen Time is built in and is the only one of the three with downtime and app limits. ActivityWatch is free and open source under MPL-2.0, and it keeps data on your device. Dayflow is $0 and MIT licensed, and it writes an AI timeline of your day. Which one fits depends on whether you want limits, raw data or a readable record.

Is Dayflow or RescueTime better for blocking distractions?

RescueTime is better for this job. Its paid Focus plan lists distraction blocking, focus sessions, goals and alerts, and it runs on desktop, iOS, Android and the web. Dayflow has no website blocking. It shows where the time went after the fact but cannot stop you from opening a site. RescueTime Focus costs $7 a month billed annually, or $9 billed monthly, with a 14-day trial.

Does Mac Screen Time combine my iPhone and Mac usage?

Yes, if you turn on Share across devices. Apple says this includes time spent on other devices signed in to the same Apple Account, such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Apple Vision Pro. It only covers Apple hardware. If you also use a Windows PC or an Android phone, Screen Time cannot see that time.

Which Mac screen time apps keep my data on my computer?

ActivityWatch and Qbserve both state that tracked data stays on your device and is never sent to a server. Timing stores data locally unless you opt into sync. Apple Screen Time is local, with optional sync across your Apple devices. Dayflow stores recordings and its timeline on your Mac, and analysis can run locally. RescueTime and Rize process your data in the cloud.

Is there a screen time tracker for Mac without a subscription?

Qbserve is sold as a $29.00 one-time purchase with a 15-day trial. That was the US checkout price on October 4, 2026, and it may differ by country. ActivityWatch, Apple Screen Time and the free Dayflow app have no subscription at all. Timing, Rize and RescueTime's paid plans are subscriptions billed monthly or annually.

Can a screen time app make timesheets or invoices?

Some can. Qbserve generates invoices in 18 languages and exports to JSON and CSV. Timing tracks billing status, builds customizable reports and integrates with GrandTotal for invoicing, depending on the plan. RescueTime includes timesheets with projects, clients and billable rates on its Solo+ plan. Dayflow does not produce invoices or payroll approvals. It exports a date range as Markdown.

Does Rize have a free plan?

No. Rize lists no permanently free tier. It offers a 7-day trial with full feature access and no credit card required. After the trial, Basic costs $9.99 a month billed annually or $12.99 billed monthly. Pro is $23.99 a month billed annually and Max is $39.99 a month billed annually. For Pro and Max monthly billing, see the vendor's pricing page.

Does Dayflow send my screenshots to the cloud?

Only if you choose a cloud mode. With Local AI, a supported model runs on your Mac through Ollama or LM Studio, and screenshot analysis stays on-device. With your own provider, selected screenshots go to that provider under its terms. With Dayflow Pro, the privacy policy says screenshots are deleted after processing, and Activity Data may be retained for sync.