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Productivity · head to head

DeskTime vs Focus@Will

DeskTime logo

DeskTime

Productivity

Automatic computer activity tracking and productivity analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Focus@Will logo

Focus@Will

Productivity

Subscription streaming of instrumental music channels intended to be worked to rather than listened to

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DeskTime screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium; Focus@Will the central claim, that this music aids concentration more than other instrumental music, rests largely on work the vendor commissioned or published itself, and a buyer has no independent way to test it before paying.
  • They diverge on capability: DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Focus@Will covers Channels by style.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DeskTime and Focus@Will actually diverge.

Attributes where DeskTime and Focus@Will differ
AttributeDeskTimeFocus@Will
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, LinuxWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
Founded20132011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in DeskTime

  • Automatic activity tracking
  • Application and website tracking
  • Daily reports
  • Weekly summaries
  • Privacy-first design
  • Detailed analytics
  • Goal setting
  • Mobile apps

Only in Focus@Will

  • Channels by style
  • Session timer
  • Vocal-free catalogue
  • Browser and mobile
  • Single-purpose subscription

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DeskTime

  • Automatic time tracking of desktop app and website usagenot Focus@Will
  • Measuring team productivity and idle timenot Focus@Will
  • Scheduling shifts and tracking absencesnot Focus@Will

Focus@Will

  • An open-plan office where you want to mask conversation without lyrics competing for your attention.not DeskTime
  • Timed work blocks where the audio also acts as the clock for the session.not DeskTime
  • People who find their own music library distracting precisely because they know every track too well.not DeskTime
  • Study and revision sessions where silence turns out to be worse than background sound.not DeskTime

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DeskTime

  • Screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium
  • Integrations and API access require the Premium plan
  • Shift scheduling requires the Premium plan
  • Enterprise is aimed at 200+ users and is priced by quote with no published rate
  • The advertised $6.42 and $9.17 per user rates require annual billing; monthly billing costs more
  • The trial lasts 14 days

Focus@Will

  • The central claim, that this music aids concentration more than other instrumental music, rests largely on work the vendor commissioned or published itself, and a buyer has no independent way to test it before paying.
  • Everything it does has a free substitute, since instrumental playlists on any streaming service cost nothing, so the subscription is defended only by curation, which is the hardest kind of value to demonstrate.
  • It is a single-product subscription from a small vendor with no larger business underwriting it, so a service like this can change hands, change terms or stop with little notice and no obvious successor.
  • Delivery is by streaming, so weak connectivity, aeroplanes and commutes are simultaneously where you most want it and where it is least dependable.
  • Nothing accumulates in the account, which means there is no export problem but also nothing that makes renewal feel necessary, so it is among the first subscriptions cancelled whenever costs are reviewed.

Pricing, plan by plan

DeskTime

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Activity tracking
    • Basic reports
    • Weekly emails
  • Pro$9/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced reports
    • Detailed analytics

Focus@Will

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited access to music
    • Basic 25-min timer
    • Ads
  • Basic$4.95/month
    • Unlimited music access
    • Custom timers
    • No ads
  • Pro$9.95/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Advanced analytics
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose DeskTime if

  • You need automatic activity tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want application and website tracking.
DeskTime review

Choose Focus@Will if

  • You need channels by style.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want session timer.
Focus@Will review

Questions people ask

Is DeskTime or Focus@Will better?
Neither clearly leads. DeskTime starts at Free and Focus@Will at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DeskTime or Focus@Will?
DeskTime starts at Free and Focus@Will at Free.
Does DeskTime or Focus@Will run on more platforms?
DeskTime runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux. Focus@Will runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use DeskTime for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DeskTime best used for?
DeskTime is most often used for automatic time tracking of desktop app and website usage, measuring team productivity and idle time, scheduling shifts and tracking absences. Of those, automatic time tracking of desktop app and website usage and measuring team productivity and idle time are not what Focus@Will is typically brought in for.
What can DeskTime do that Focus@Will cannot?
DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Application and website tracking, Daily reports, Weekly summaries. Focus@Will covers Channels by style, Session timer, Vocal-free catalogue, Browser and mobile.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DeskTime: What are DeskTime's subscription tiers?

DeskTime offers Pro at $6.42/user/month (annual billing) for small teams and startups, Premium at $9.17/user/month (marked Most Popular) for hybrid and growing teams, and Enterprise with custom pricing for 200+ users.

Source
Focus@Will: How is this different from a focus playlist?

The vendor's position is that the selection and sequencing are designed against attention research rather than assembled by taste. Whether that difference is audible to you is the whole question, and it is subjective.

DeskTime: What features differentiate the Premium tier from Pro?

Premium adds screenshots, integrations & API, and shift scheduling compared to Pro's document title tracking and calendar integrations.

Source
Focus@Will: Does it work offline?

Treat it as a streaming service that needs a connection. If you work on aeroplanes or in poor coverage, check the current apps before subscribing rather than after.

DeskTime: How long is the DeskTime free trial?

DeskTime offers a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required to start.

Source
Focus@Will: Can a team use it?

It is sold to individuals. There is no admin console or central billing of the kind an organisation would need, so a team means several personal subscriptions.

DeskTime: What billing options does DeskTime offer?

DeskTime offers monthly or annual billing. Annual subscriptions include one complimentary month compared to monthly plan pricing. You can pay by credit card or PayPal.

Source
Focus@Will: Can I use the music in videos or streams?

No. A personal listening subscription does not grant synchronisation or broadcast rights, so it must not sit behind published content.

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