Softwr

Software · head to head

RescueTime vs Resource Guru

RescueTime logo

RescueTime

Software

Take back control of your time

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Resource Guru logo

Resource Guru

Software

The fast, simple way to schedule people and resources

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: RescueTime no free tier since 2023, making it costly for individual experimentation; Resource Guru limited advanced reporting and analytics compared to enterprise-level solutions
  • They diverge on capability: RescueTime covers Automatic time tracking, Resource Guru covers Resource scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RescueTime and Resource Guru actually diverge.

Attributes where RescueTime and Resource Guru differ
AttributeRescueTimeResource Guru
Starting price$12/month$5/month
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Android, WebWeb
Founded20062012

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 RescueTime

  • Automatic time tracking
  • Productivity scoring
  • Detailed categorization
  • FocusTime blocking
  • Goal setting
  • Alerts & notifications
  • Offline time entry
  • API access

Only in Resource Guru

  • Resource scheduling
  • Availability management
  • Clash management
  • Forecasting
  • Leave management
  • Outlook
  • Web support
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Slack
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

RescueTime

  • Personal productivity trackingnot Resource Guru
  • Time auditnot Resource Guru
  • Focus improvementnot Resource Guru
  • Work-life balancenot Resource Guru
  • Team productivity analysisnot Resource Guru

Resource Guru

  • Schedulingnot RescueTime
  • Appointment bookingnot RescueTime
  • Time trackingnot RescueTime
  • Resource managementnot RescueTime
  • Team coordinationnot RescueTime

Where each one falls short

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

RescueTime

  • No free tier since 2023, making it costly for individual experimentation
  • Limited iOS support compared to competitors that offer full mobile app access
  • Requires integration via categories and rules rather than direct app detection on some platforms

Resource Guru

  • Limited advanced reporting and analytics compared to enterprise-level solutions
  • Lacks scalability for large organizations or complex project management scenarios
  • No offline mode requires constant internet connectivity
  • Limited integrations compared to competitors with broader ecosystem support
  • No native invoicing or billing features for financial management

Pricing, plan by plan

RescueTime

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • Automatic time tracking
    • Focus Time
    • Idle time monitoring
  • Team$6/month
    • All Standard features
    • Team analytics
    • Cross-device tracking

Resource Guru

$5/month
  • Grasshopper$5/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Unlimited clients
    • Personalized dashboards
  • Blackbelt$8/month
    • All Grasshopper features
    • Timesheets
    • Time tracking
  • Master$12/month
    • All Blackbelt features
    • Booking approval workflow
    • SSO single sign-on

Which should you pick?

Choose RescueTime if

  • You need automatic time tracking.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want productivity scoring.
RescueTime review

Choose Resource Guru if

  • You need resource scheduling.
  • You also want availability management.
Resource Guru review

Questions people ask

Is RescueTime or Resource Guru better?
Neither clearly leads. RescueTime starts at $12/month and Resource Guru at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RescueTime or Resource Guru?
RescueTime starts at $12/month and Resource Guru at $5/month.
Does RescueTime or Resource Guru run on more platforms?
RescueTime runs on Windows, macOS, Android, Web. Resource Guru runs on Web.
What is RescueTime best used for?
RescueTime is most often used for personal productivity tracking, time audit, focus improvement, work-life balance. Of those, personal productivity tracking and time audit are not what Resource Guru is typically brought in for.
What can RescueTime do that Resource Guru cannot?
RescueTime covers Automatic time tracking, Productivity scoring, Detailed categorization, FocusTime blocking. Resource Guru covers Resource scheduling, Availability management, Clash management, Forecasting. Both handle Google Calendar, Slack, Zapier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

RescueTime: Does RescueTime still have a free tier?

No. RescueTime discontinued its free tier in 2023. The service now requires a paid subscription starting at $12 per month or $78 per year.

Source
Resource Guru: How is Resource Guru priced?

Resource Guru offers three per-user tiers: Grasshopper ($5/month), Blackbelt ($8/month), and Master ($12/month). Annual billing gives 2 months free. Non-human resources like meeting rooms cost $2.08-5.00 per item depending on tier. A free 30-day trial is available.

Source
RescueTime: What platforms does RescueTime support?

RescueTime supports Windows, macOS, Android, and web. iOS support is limited to passive features like calendar sync and mobile summary emails.

Source
Resource Guru: What integrations does Resource Guru offer?

Resource Guru integrates with Jira, Asana, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Zapier, Make, Salesforce, and Gmail for seamless workflow automation.

Source
RescueTime: What are the key productivity features in RescueTime?

RescueTime offers automatic time tracking, Focus Time for blocking distractions, idle time monitoring, goal-setting with reminders, and in 2026 adds AI-Based Focus Sessions with real-time alerts to detect poor focus patterns.

Source
Resource Guru: Does Resource Guru have time tracking?

Time tracking is included in Blackbelt and Master plans, allowing teams to monitor billable and non-billable hours. The Grasshopper plan does not include this feature.

Source
RescueTime: Is there a team plan for RescueTime?

Yes. The team plan costs $6 per user per month when billed annually, with a minimum of 3 users required.

Source
Resource Guru: Can Resource Guru be used offline?

No, Resource Guru is a cloud-based platform that requires internet connectivity to access. There is no offline mode available.

Source
Resource Guru: Is Resource Guru suitable for large enterprises?

Resource Guru works well for small to mid-sized teams and agencies but may face scalability limitations for large enterprises requiring advanced reporting, project financial visibility, or complex multi-team workflows.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on RescueTime

More on Resource Guru

Keep looking

Other head to heads