Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ActivityWatch VS FocusStack

Compare ActivityWatch VS FocusStack and see what are their differences

ActivityWatch logo ActivityWatch

Log what you do on your computer. Simple (yet powerful), extensible, no third parties.

FocusStack logo FocusStack

Know where your focus goes and take it back. FocusStack helps you stay on task with focus sessions, distraction blocking, smart nudges, and automatic time tracking.
  • ActivityWatch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-03
  • FocusStack One click. You whole workspace
    One click. You whole workspace //
    2026-06-29
  • FocusStack See where your day went. Share it.
    See where your day went. Share it. //
    2026-06-29
  • FocusStack Tracked hours become invoice
    Tracked hours become invoice //
    2026-06-29

FocusStack

Most productivity tools tell you where your time went after you get distracted.

FocusStack helps you stay focused while the work is happening.

Start a focus session, name the task youโ€™re working on, and pick a project. FocusStack automatically tracks the apps and websites you use, blocks distractions youโ€™ve chosen to avoid, and nudges you when your attention starts drifting.

At the end of the day, you get a complete picture of where your focus actually went, how much time each project received, and whether your actions matched your intentions.

Features

  • Focus sessions
  • Automatic app and website tracking
  • Distraction blocking
  • Smart focus nudges
  • Project-based productivity reports
  • Timeline and calendar views
  • One-click Workspace Stacks
  • Privacy-first local storage
  • Lifetime access

Built for

  • Founders
  • Developers
  • Freelancers
  • Students
  • Remote workers
  • Anyone who spends their day on a computer

The goal isnโ€™t to help you work more.

Itโ€™s to help you spend more time on the things that matter.

ActivityWatch

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Platforms
-
Release Date
-

FocusStack

$ Details
paid Free Trial $29.0 / One-off
Platforms
MacOS Windows
Release Date
2026 May
Startup details
Country
India
State
Karnataka
City
Bengaluru
Founder(s)
Nishlesh Goel, Vivek Wadate
Employees
1 - 9

ActivityWatch features and specs

  • Open Source
    ActivityWatch is an open-source project, which means its code is publicly available for review and contributions. This promotes transparency and security.
  • Cross-Platform
    ActivityWatch works on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it versatile and accessible for users on different platforms.
  • Privacy-Focused
    Being an open-source project, ActivityWatch places a strong emphasis on user privacy, ensuring data is stored locally rather than in the cloud unless the user chooses otherwise.
  • Customizable
    The tool provides various frameworks and APIs for customization, allowing users to create custom trackers and reports to better fit their needs.
  • Detailed Analytics
    ActivityWatch provides comprehensive data and visualizations on how users spend their time on their devices, aiding in productivity analysis and improvement.

Possible disadvantages of ActivityWatch

  • Complex Setup
    For non-technical users, the initial setup and configuration may be complex and challenging compared to more polished, commercial solutions.
  • Resource Usage
    ActivityWatch can consume a notable amount of system resources, particularly on lower-end hardware, which might impact device performance.
  • Feature Limitations
    Compared to some commercial alternatives, ActivityWatch may lack certain advanced features like automated focus time recommendations or built-in integrations with other productivity tools.
  • UI/UX
    The user interface and user experience may not be as polished or intuitive as some of its proprietary competitors, potentially affecting user friendliness.
  • Maintenance
    Since itโ€™s an open-source project, ongoing maintenance and updates depend on community contributions, which might result in slower development cycles for new features and bug fixes.

FocusStack features and specs

  • Focus Sessions
    Stay locked in on one task with distraction-free focus sessions.
  • Smart Nudges
    Get gentle reminders when your attention starts drifting.
  • Automatic Time Tracking
    Track apps and websites automatically without manual timers.
  • Project Tracking
    See exactly how much time each project actually receives.
  • Privacy First
    Your activity stays on your machine, not someone elseโ€™s server.

Analysis of ActivityWatch

Overall verdict

  • ActivityWatch is a good choice if you are looking for a privacy-respecting, customizable, and open-source solution for tracking your digital activities. Its detailed reports and ability to track various aspects of productivity make it a valuable tool for individuals interested in optimizing their time management.

Why this product is good

  • ActivityWatch is an open-source time-tracking tool that helps you understand how you spend your time across different activities and applications. It is designed to provide detailed insights and reports on your computer usage patterns, making it a good choice for productivity analysis. The tool is privacy-focused, as it stores data locally by default, ensuring that personal information is not shared without permission. Additionally, its extensible nature allows for customization and integration with other tools.

Recommended for

    ActivityWatch is recommended for remote workers, freelancers, productivity enthusiasts, and anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of their computer usage patterns without compromising on privacy. It is also suitable for developers and tech-savvy users who want to customize or extend its functionality.

ActivityWatch videos

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FocusStack videos

How I Track My Deep Work Automatically

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ActivityWatch and FocusStack)
Time Tracking
97 97%
3% 3
Task Management
0 0%
100% 100
Invoicing
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing ActivityWatch and FocusStack.

What makes your product unique?

FocusStack's answer:

Most productivity tools are passive. They tell you where your time went after the day is over.

FocusStack is designed to help while the work is happening.

  • Focus sessions keep you locked on a specific task
  • Distraction blocking prevents attention leaks
  • Smart nudges help you catch yourself when you drift
  • Automatic tracking shows where your focus actually went
  • Workspace Stacks launch your entire work setup with one click

FocusStack combines focus, time tracking, and productivity insights into a single workflow.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

FocusStack's answer:

FocusStack is built for people who spend most of their day on a computer creating, building, studying, or solving problems.

Typical users include:

  • Founders
  • Developers
  • Freelancers
  • Designers
  • Students
  • Researchers
  • Remote workers
  • Knowledge workers

Anyone who wants to reduce distractions and spend more time doing meaningful work can benefit from FocusStack.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

FocusStack's answer:

Most competitors focus on measuring productivity.

FocusStack focuses on improving it.

Tools like Toggl, Clockify, and many time trackers are great at recording hours. FocusStack goes a step further by helping users stay attentive while theyโ€™re working through focus sessions, distraction blocking, and real-time nudges.

Users donโ€™t just learn where their time went. They actively protect where it goes next.

What's the story behind your product?

FocusStack's answer:

FocusStack started with a simple frustration.

I would sit at my computer for hours, feel busy all day, and still wonder where my time had gone.

I tried existing productivity and time-tracking tools. They were useful for understanding what happened after the fact, but they didnโ€™t help me stay focused in the moment.

So I started building a tool for myself.

The idea was simple: create something that could help me stay attentive while working, automatically track my activity, block distractions, and show me how I actually spent my day.

What started as a personal tool quickly became FocusStack.

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ActivityWatch and FocusStack

ActivityWatch Reviews

49 Best Timesheet Alternatives - Features, pros & cons, pricing | Remote Tools
ActivityWatch tracks how you spend time on your devices. It can help you keep track of time spent on different projects, kick bad screen habits, or just understand how you spend your time.

FocusStack Reviews

We have no reviews of FocusStack yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ActivityWatch seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 59 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ActivityWatch mentions (59)

  • RewindOS โ€“ Searchable screen history for Linux local
    Hi HN. RewindOS captures your screen every few seconds, OCRs it, and makes everything you've ever seen instantly searchable โ€” all 100% local. No cloud, no account, no telemetry. MIT-licensed, and built specifically for Linux/Wayland. I started out using [ActivityWatch](https://activitywatch.net/), which is great at what it does โ€” but it tracks how much time you spend in each app, not what you actually... - Source: Hacker News / 16 days ago
  • EFF Launches Age Verification Hub as Resource Against Misguided Laws
    Ah okay. I think this would probably be pretty tricky, security-wise, no? One of my first thoughts that might help would be writing a simple tool that parses history from your browsers to categorize it. Other than that, there are things like https://activitywatch.net/ (which seems to have a desktop and Android version). - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Recall for Linux
    It's an actual useful feature, it's just the tracking by microsoft that makes it meh. I also track my activities with ActivityWatch (Open Source, https://activitywatch.net/) to remember missing time entries for billing clients. It's all local, so perfectly fine. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Show HN: Timelinize โ€“ Privately organize your own data from everywhere, locally
    Https://activitywatch.net/ gets you part of the way there. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Everyone knows all the apps on your phone
    > How hard would it be for an app to monitor all of your web traffic based on the title alone? Although not terribly accurate (because of the high variability of page titles), tools like ManicTime and ActivityWatch use windows titles to track your browser history if you don't install the browser plugin. https://www.manictime.com/ https://activitywatch.net/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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FocusStack mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of FocusStack yet. Tracking of FocusStack recommendations started around Jun 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ActivityWatch and FocusStack, you can also consider the following products

RescueTime - Time management software that shows you how you spend your time & provides tools to help you be more productive.

Toggl - Toggl is an online time tracking tool. It features 1-click time tracking and helps you see where your time goes. Free and paid versions are available.

Rize - Rize is a time tracker that makes you more productive.

ManicTime - Track your computer usage and use collected data to accurately tag time.

Clockify - Simple and free time tracker. Perfect for small and mid-sized businesses as well as freelancers. Unlimited projects and users, unlimited productivity. Get all the premium functionalities, completely free.

Everhour - Everhour is one of the best time tracking tools for teams. See whoโ€™s tracking time, whoโ€™s overworked and who can handle more. Keep track of all your project budgets, schedule threshold alerts, use forward resource planning.