Want a complete ActivTrak vs RescueTime comparison?
In the age of distant work, overseeing worker exercise has turn out to be obligatory. Tracking time spent on duties and tasks is without doubt one of the greatest methods to gauge and monitor productiveness.
ActivTrak and RescueTime are nice instruments for worker monitoring, however they’ve some important purposeful variations.
ActivTrak is great for monitoring worker exercise, whereas RescueTime helps enhance your staff’ time administration abilities.
So which one is good for what you are promoting?
In this text, we’ll spotlight the variations between ActivTrak vs RescueTime and evaluate their greatest options. We’ll additionally recommend a robust different for the 2.
Let’s start!
ActivTrak vs RescueTime: Summary desk
Before we get began, right here’s a fast abstract of the options Activtrak and RescueTime have to supply.
| Feature | ActivTrak | RescueTime |
| Time monitoring | Automatic time monitoring | Automatic time monitoring |
| Productivity administration | Offers productiveness experiences and display seize options for productiveness administration. | The objective setting and work hours options allow productiveness administration. |
| Distraction administration | The web site blocking and customized alarm options can handle distractions. | The focus session and alert options are perfect for minimizing distractions. |
| GPS monitoring | No | No |
| Task and mission administration | Assists in complete mission administration | Doesn’t have mission administration options |
| Integrations | Less than 25 integrations | Over 25+ integrations |
| Mobile app performance | Doesn’t help cellular units | Supports cellular units |
| Platform compatibility | Mac OS, Windows, and Linux | Mac OS, Windows, and Linux, iOS and Android |
| Pricing | Free trial is accessible. Paid plans begin at $10/person per thirty days. | Free trial is accessible. Paid plans start at $12/per person per thirty days. |
Now, let’s get an actual sense of what every productiveness monitoring software program does.
ActivTrak vs RescueTime: Detailed comparison
The pandemic accelerated a change in the office, with virtually each on-premise staff remodeled right into a distant staff in a single day. Today, that development continues with the rising recognition of worker monitoring instruments like ActivTrak and RescueTime.
While every worker monitoring instrument does share similarities, their capabilities are fairly totally different.
ActivTrak is extra of a pc monitoring software program, whereas RescueTime is a productiveness administration instrument.
Let’s have a look at how ActivTrak and RescueTime evaluate towards one another:
1. Tool overview
Here’s a short overview of ActivTrak and RescueTime earlier than we cowl the options in element.
A. What is ActivTrak?
ActivTrak is an worker monitoring and productiveness monitoring app utilized by massive and small companies to document worker work hours and achieve worthwhile insights into worker efficiency.
ActivTrak focuses on:
- Remote worker monitoring: Discover what an worker does and the way.
- Productivity monitoring: Learn worker efficiency patterns and optimize workflow.
- Reporting and analytics monitoring software program: Ensure operational effectivity, compliance, and productiveness.
ActivTrak is appropriate with Mac OS, Windows, and Linux techniques. However, ActivTrak doesn’t have a cellular app to trace time on the go.
B. What is RescueTime?
RescueTime is a SaaS (Software as a Service) instrument specializing in monitoring time. Its distraction-blocking options additionally make it a superb possibility for freelancers and solopreneurs.
You can even use it to enhance your productiveness.
RescueTime allows you to:
- Automatically monitor time.
- Set productiveness objectives.
- Stay centered on a process or mission by blocking distracting web sites.
RescueTime is appropriate with Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms.
Like different well-liked time monitoring instruments like Toggl Track, you possibly can monitor time from iOS and Android apps. It additionally affords web-based extensions, reminiscent of Firefox and Chrome.
Now that we’ve coated the fundamentals, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the important thing options of every instrument.
2. Time monitoring
Whether you’re monitoring worker exercise or a freelancer’s billable hours – time monitoring is an important enterprise course of.
That’s why you should select the right monitoring instrument that can assist you monitor time.
Here’s how the 2 worker monitoring software program enable you do exactly that:
A. ActivTrak
ActivTrak is an automated time monitoring instrument that runs quietly in the background as you’re employed. It senses keyboard and mouse exercise and information information accordingly.
Employers can preserve monitor of:
- Idle time.
- Attendance.
- Paid day without work.
- Late shifts, and many others.
You can entry all the knowledge referring to time monitoring from the Dashboard or Activity Log.
1) Dashboard
This dashboard is the very first thing you’ll see whenever you signal in.
The Dashboard exhibits a fast overview of all of your staff’s actions.
Here you possibly can:
- View and evaluate how an worker spends their time filtering by productive and unproductive classes.
- Discover how a lot time an worker spends utilizing instruments related to work (in different phrases – how a lot time they spend working).
- See how a lot time in-house and distant employees spend on their most visited web sites and functions.
2) Activity log
You can view all time monitoring info right here.
It supplies a breakdown of your staff’s working hours, so employers can use it for productiveness monitoring and viewing what an worker was doing at a specific time.
B. RescueTime
Because RescueTime makes use of an automated time tracker, you don’t have to begin or cease the timer to start recording.
RescueTime will monitor all of your actions even in the event you neglect to begin monitoring time. You can flip off this function if you wish to defend your privateness.
RescueTime premium plan customers may even document offline actions in their exercise log.
Quick recap
Both apps are automated time trackers; nevertheless, ActivTrak supplies extra detailed time monitoring info than RescueTime.
3. Productivity administration
One of the principle causes for adopting worker monitoring software program is to enhance productiveness.
Let’s see how these two exercise monitoring instruments enable you handle staff productiveness:
A. ActivTrak
With ActivTrak, it’s straightforward to watch and examine worker efficiency.
You can gauge which duties are fruitful with the intention to do extra of them. You can even establish unproductive processes you can section out.
1) Productivity experiences
There are two options accessible underneath this class:
- Bar chart: Visualizes your staff’s idle time, productive and unproductive actions, and many others.
- Single day report: View an combination of the day’s actions.
2) The Daily Team Pulse
Here’s what you are able to do with this function:
- View staff productiveness.
- See every person’s availability standing.
- View which process or exercise your staff do in actual time.
3) Screen seize
ActivTrak’s Screen Capture function offers you a transparent concept of what an in-house or distant worker does throughout working hours.
You can allow the screenshots function by creating alarms. When the alarm situations are met, the workforce productiveness software program robotically captures the display of the in-house or distant staff member.
You can even regulate the period of the display seize in keeping with your wants and targets.
B. RescueTime
Here’s how RescueTime approaches productiveness administration:
1) Categorize frequent actions
RescueTime enables you to categorize your frequent actions based mostly on how productive they’re for what you are promoting.
You can categorize actions as:
- Very productive.
- Productive.
- Neutral.
- Distracting.
- Very distracting.
This function is simply accessible on the RescueTime Premium plan.
2) Goal setting
With RescueTime, you possibly can set objectives on your time on a process.
For instance: ‘Spend 5 hours on writing.’
You can even obtain notifications or updates informing you ways shut you might be to a objective.
Note: This function is simply accessible in the RescueTime Premium model.
3) Work Hours
The Work Hours function permits an in-house or distant worker to customise their work hours to go well with their particular schedule. This function is designed to higher worker work-life stability, stopping burnout.
With this perform, an worker can:
- Generate a detailed report about any work-related exercise.
- Set particular objectives throughout work hours.
- View which hours of the workday they’re best.
Quick recap
ActivTrak’s options allow managers to measure staff productiveness. RescueTime permits particular person staff to handle their productiveness by customizing their work hours and setting work-related objectives.
Looking for RescueTime options? Check out this detailed information to one of the best RescueTime options, together with Time Doctor, Toggl Track, and ProofHub.
4. Distraction administration
Whether working from house or the workplace, you’ll should cope with distractions whereas sustaining efficient time administration.
As extra firms undertake distant work methods, distant worker monitoring software program may also help handle distractions.
Here’s how ActivTrak and RescueTime fare relating to distraction administration:
A) ActivTrak
1) Website blocking
The web site blocking function permits you to stop each in-house and distant employees from visiting sure web sites deemed unproductive by administration.
For instance, you possibly can block social media websites throughout work hours.
2) Custom alarms
The ActivTrak monitoring software program has a Custom Alarms function that stops distractions. The software program triggers an alarm when an worker performs actions that may be deemed unproductive, like visiting social media web sites, engaged on private tasks throughout work hours, and many others.
When the alarm is triggered, the productiveness monitoring software program can take numerous steps to keep up workforce productiveness.
It can take a screenshot of the worker’s display, ship an e-mail notification to a supervisor, or immediate a pop-up productiveness reminder message.
B) RescueTime
This is how RescueTime handles distractions:
1) Focus Session
RescueTime has a distraction administration function known as Focus Session.
With this function, you possibly can:
- Block distracting web sites like social media websites or information with the intention to focus higher.
- Set each day limits on apps and websites.
- Use the Calendar to schedule whenever you wish to block all web sites.
2) Alerts
The Alerts function offers you on-screen notifications for numerous productiveness requirements you establish.
For instance, you possibly can set a pop-up message to look after spending greater than half-hour on unproductive web sites.
Note: Alerts are solely accessible in the RescueTime Premium package deal.
Quick recap
Both ActivTrak and RescueTime may also help you block distracting web sites. However, RescueTime affords a ‘Focus Session’ mode the place you possibly can block particular software program and apps for a specified interval.
5. Reports
A detailed report may also help you measure worker productiveness and enhance efficiency.
Let’s have a look at ActivTrak and RescueTime’s experiences:
A. ActivTrak
The ActivTrak monitoring software program affords quite a few experiences, reminiscent of:
1) Time experiences
ActivTrak affords two major time experiences:
- Single-day productiveness: Shows what your staff does in a single day.
- Idle time/passive time: Indicates time when the app recorded no keyboard or mouse exercise.
2) Web and app utilization experiences
ActivTrak affords three experiences to point out time tracked on totally different web sites and apps:
- Activity log: Displays all accessed web sites and apps opened. It additionally exhibits login and logout occasions.
- Application utilization: This exhibits you which ones apps your staff makes use of in actual time.
- Top web sites: Lists probably the most generally visited web sites and the time spent on them.
3) Security experiences
Here are the safety experiences provided by ActivTrak:
- Alarm log: Alerts admins if staff members set off alarms. Alarms are predefined situations or guidelines set by the employer. If it’s damaged, the managers obtain a notification.
- Security audit log: Tracks logins and adjustments made on any account. It additionally exhibits deletions, alarm creations, and many others.
B. RescueTime experiences
These are the three major classes of experiences you possibly can generate with RescueTime:
1) Productivity report
This detailed report displays a staff member’s productiveness rating from 0-100, referred to as the Productivity Pulse. It additionally exhibits a breakdown of time utilization for every productiveness score.
2) Daily highlights report
This report exhibits the logged hours and occasions of the day.
3) Team experiences
This report permits the whole staff to view their efficiency collectively.
Within this detailed report, you possibly can view:
- Summary experiences: Shows how every staff member spends their time.
- Category experiences: Reflects how a lot time every worker spends throughout classes.
- Key instruments experiences: Shows a breakdown of time spent on essential work instruments (e.g., Slack)
Quick recap
Managers and directors can use ActivTrak’s experiences to optimize staff efficiency. And an worker can use RescueTime’s experiences to spice up their productiveness.
6. Integrations
Software integrations can enhance worker productiveness and streamline workflow.
How?
Integration with a mission administration instrument may also help you monitor the time required to finish duties and tasks. While accounting software program integration may also help monitor time spent on accounting duties reminiscent of expense monitoring, and many others.
You can combine these software program instruments with ActivTrak and RescueTime:
A. ActivTrak
ActivTrak integrates with about 20 instruments, together with:
B. RescueTime
The RescueTime Premium plan additionally affords a couple of integrations:
- Communication administration software program: Slack
- Scheduling software program: Google Calendar and Outlook/Office 365 Calendar
- Project Management Tools Zapier and IFTTT.
- Data Analysis Software: Zenobase.
- Software improvement: Github.
- Health and Wellness software program: Gyroscope and Exist.io.
Quick recap
Both ActivTrak and RescueTime have a restricted variety of integrations.
Looking for ActivTrak options? Check out this complete information to one of the best ActivTrak options, together with Time Doctor, Hubstaff, and Teramind.
7. Pricing
Let’s check out how a lot every time monitoring software program prices:
A. ActivTrak
ActivTrak has a freemium plan for as much as three customers, with no bank card required. Paid plans begin at $10/person per thirty days (billed yearly).
B. RescueTime
RescueTime affords a free 14-day time monitoring software program trial, however your bank card is required. Paid plans start at $12/per person per thirty days.
Quick recap
RescueTime’s paid plans are cheaper. ActivTrak affords a free plan for small groups, whereas RescueTime doesn’t.
While the worker monitoring capabilities of ActivTrak and RescueTime are noteworthy, they may not embody all of the options you want.
Let’s check out a few of ActivTrak and Rescuetime’s limitations.
Limitations of ActivTrak and RescueTime
Here are some drawbacks of ActivTrak and RescueTime
Limitations of Activtrak
- No cellular machine app: ActivTrak doesn’t supply cellular machine time monitoring software program, in contrast to most rivals. In case of pc failure, staff can’t use different units to maintain up with their work.
- App invisibility: ActivTrak is invisible on computer systems that it screens. You can’t even see it whenever you pull up the duty supervisor. Employees can’t monitor their work progress or regulate their time administration for improved productiveness.
- Limited integrations: The software program has lower than 25 integration apps, a lot fewer than its counterparts.
Limitations of RescueTime
- Limited customization: With RescueTime, you possibly can’t create a particular mission and assign actions to an worker. This downside makes mission administration a lot more durable, as managers want detailed information to maintain monitor of mission completion.
- Limited cellular performance: The cellular app tracks complete display time, not the person apps an worker makes use of. The lack of oversight makes it simpler for workers to make use of unproductive apps reminiscent of YouTube, which hinders productiveness.
- No display seize: The time monitoring software program doesn’t present screenshots of labor carried out whereas monitoring time. It solely information internet exercise information to confirm time use. Without visible information, it’s arduous to pinpoint points reminiscent of worker burnout and misplaced productiveness.
Choosing the suitable worker monitoring instrument is difficult, and it’s possible you’ll wish to have a look at options that may suit your firm’s targets.
A highly effective different to each ActivTrak and RescueTime
We’ve in contrast each ActivTrak and RescueTime on time monitoring, productiveness administration, distraction administration, experiences, platform compatibility, integrations, and pricing.
But, there’s one other instrument that you simply must also be contemplating, known as Time Doctor!
Time Doctor is considered among the best worker monitoring software program instruments. And it does lots extra than simply fundamental time monitoring.
What is Time Doctor?
Time Doctor is an worker time monitoring and productiveness administration instrument utilized by massive firms like Ericsson and small companies like Thrive Market.
Here’s what you are able to do with Time Doctor:
- Precisely monitor worker time, manually or robotically.
- Create a number of detailed experiences to realize insights into your staff’s pc utilization.
- Use the Payroll integrations to make paying staff a breeze.
- View screenshots of customers’ screens with the Screenshot function (non-compulsory).
Let’s have a look at some extra distinctive options of the time monitoring software program in element:
- Attendance experiences: The attendance function helps generate experiences that give insights into an worker’s punctuality.
- Work schedules: The scheduling function assists you in creating correct work schedules to enhance firm time administration.
- Projects and duties: This wonderful mission administration function enables you to create a major mission and break it down into easy duties. The productiveness monitoring software program allows you to assign these duties to your staff members.
Unlike ActivTrak, Time Doctor is an worker pleasant answer for growing productiveness.
And like RescueTime, it empowers your staff to handle their productiveness with options like Manual Time Tracking and Productivity Ratings.
Time Doctor has a desktop app for Microsoft, Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, and a cellular app for Android. Its highly effective Chrome browser extension enables you to simply monitor time throughout a number of apps.
While ActivTrak and RescueTime have a restricted vary of software program integrations, Time Doctor affords 60+ highly effective third-party integrations by way of its Chrome extension. This extension enables you to monitor time utilizing a number of apps, together with Asana, Jira, Trello, and Basecamp.
That’s greater than double ActivTrak and RescueTime’s integrations mixed! This means, Time Doctor is nearly certain to hyperlink together with your present work instruments.
The remaining verdict
ActivTrak and RescueTime are centered on time monitoring to maximise productiveness, however they differ in their approaches.
ActivTrak is a superb worker monitoring instrument for organizations. But in the event you’re a freelancer or if worker monitoring isn’t a precedence, RescueTime would be the better option.
But if you would like a extra easy answer, Time Doctor is a wonderful ActivTrak and RescueTime different.
Time Doctor has all of the options that employers worth to handle staff productiveness. And it additionally empowers people to enhance their private time administration and productiveness.
Why not join your 14-day free trial of Time Doctor and expertise it
