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Technology · head to head

RescueTime vs Sunsama

RescueTime logo

RescueTime

Technology

Take back control of your time

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sunsama logo

Sunsama

Project Management

The daily planner for busy professionals

From
$17/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: RescueTime no free tier since 2023, making it costly for individual experimentation; Sunsama pricing is higher than some competitor daily planners at $17+ per month
  • They diverge on capability: RescueTime covers Automatic time tracking, Sunsama covers Daily planning ritual.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RescueTime and Sunsama actually diverge.

Attributes where RescueTime and Sunsama differ
AttributeRescueTimeSunsama
Starting price$12/month$17/month
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryTechnologyProject Management
Founded20062016

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

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 Sunsama

  • Daily planning ritual
  • Task timeboxing
  • Workload management
  • Shutdown routine
  • Focus mode
  • Outlook
  • Todoist
  • Asana

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Slack
  • Windows support
  • Macos support

What people use each for

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

RescueTime

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

Sunsama

  • 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

Sunsama

  • Pricing is higher than some competitor daily planners at $17+ per month
  • Requires consistent daily engagement with the planning ritual to be effective
  • Limited customization of the daily planning framework compared to more flexible task managers

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

Sunsama

$17/month
  • Pro Plan (Annual)$17/month
    • Unlimited usage
    • Unlimited integrations
    • AI + MCP + Zapier support
  • Pro Plan (Monthly)$22/month
    • Unlimited usage
    • Unlimited integrations
    • AI + MCP + Zapier support

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 Sunsama if

  • You need daily planning ritual.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want task timeboxing.
Sunsama review

Questions people ask

Is RescueTime or Sunsama better?
Neither clearly leads. RescueTime starts at $12/month and Sunsama at $17/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RescueTime or Sunsama?
RescueTime starts at $12/month and Sunsama at $17/month.
Does RescueTime or Sunsama run on more platforms?
RescueTime runs on Windows, macOS, Android, Web. Sunsama runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Sunsama is typically brought in for.
What can RescueTime do that Sunsama cannot?
RescueTime covers Automatic time tracking, Productivity scoring, Detailed categorization, FocusTime blocking. Sunsama covers Daily planning ritual, Task timeboxing, Workload management, Shutdown routine. Both handle Google Calendar, Slack, Windows support, Macos support.

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
Sunsama: What is the pricing for Sunsama and is there a free trial?

Sunsama costs $17 per month when billed yearly or $22 per month when billed monthly. A 14-day free trial is available without requiring a credit card.

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
Sunsama: What task management tools does Sunsama integrate with?

Sunsama integrates with Asana, Todoist, Trello, Jira, Linear, Monday.com, Notion, ClickUp, GitHub, and Google Tasks, allowing you to pull tasks from these services into your daily plan.

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
Sunsama: Can Sunsama sync with my calendar?

Yes, Sunsama is bidirectionally synced with Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, and iCloud Calendar, creating a unified view of your schedule and daily commitments.

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
Sunsama: Does Sunsama have a mobile app?

Yes, Sunsama is available as a mobile app on both iOS and Android through the Google Play Store and Apple App Store for managing your daily plan on the go.

Source
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