Compare StayFocusd, Web Activity Tracker, and Tracking Time: Which Extension is the Best?

StayFocusd helps you block distracting websites with customizable time limits, nuclear mode, and smart scheduling. We tested this 600K+ user extension to see if it really boosts productivity.
Web Activity Time Tracker is an open-source extension that tracks time on websites, providing insights and customizable alerts to help manage online activities.
Tracking Time is a tool for managing tasks and projects with ease. It offers strong integrations and reporting with few functions and many bugs, which lowers the rating.
Key Features

Website Time Limits: Set daily time limits for specific websites to control your usage

Nuclear Option: Block all websites except those on your allowed list for a set period

Customizable Blocking: Block entire sites, specific pages, or even in-page content like videos and images

Active Days/Hours: Define specific days and times when restrictions apply

Require Challenge: Enable a typing challenge to prevent easy changes to settings

YouTube Shorts Blocker: Block distracting components on YouTube, including shorts, comments, and recommendations

Usage Analytics: Get detailed statistics about your daily website usage

Cross-Device Sync: Connect Android devices and other browsers to sync usage limits

  • Activity Monitoring: Tracks time spent on different websites.
  • Detailed Reports: Provides insights into daily, weekly, and monthly activity.
  • Limit and Block Distracting Websites: Set daily time limits for specific websites
  • Custom Alerts: Set alerts for excessive time on specific sites.
  • Pomodoro Mode: Use the Pomodoro technique for focus work
  • Export: Export your Data to CSV.
  • Time Tracking: Easily track time spent on tasks with a simple interface.
  • Project Management: Organize tasks and projects efficiently.
  • Reporting: Generate detailed reports to analyze productivity.
  • Integrations: Connect with popular tools like Google Calendar and Slack.
Our Rating
8.5
9.2
7.6
Total users
618,057
37,405
32,196
Total ratings
8,486
853
158
Average rating
4.7 ⭐
4.7 ⭐
3.4 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.5
4.68
8.5K+ ratings
600.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.8
4.68
826 ratings
30.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.4
4.23
147 ratings
30.0K+Users
Edge
Microsoft Edge Store logo
5.0
5.0
24 ratings
18.1K+Users
Microsoft Edge Store logo
4.6
4.44
27 ratings
7.4K+Users
Microsoft Edge Store logo
3.0
3.67
3 ratings
1.8K+Users
Firefox
-
-
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
2.8
3.36
8 ratings
444Users
Safari
-
-
-
Features
8.2

StayFocusd packs a solid set of productivity features. You can flexibly set website time limits, block domains, pages, or just distracting content (like videos or images). The “nuclear option” blocks everything except your allowed sites, which is a great focus booster. YouTube blocking targets shorts and recommendations, and usage analytics help you spot your browsing patterns. Cross-device sync is handy, though some advanced controls could be improved.

8.7

The tool offers the option of independently tracking your time on different websites. Compared to its competitors, it stands out because it has thought about which functions are important for effective tracking.

featured

This can be seen, for example, in the function that automatically stops tracking if there is no activity on the website within a certain period. This avoids the problem faced by competitors: if several tabs are open, they all continue to be tracked simultaneously.

settings

The reports are also very clearly presented, but there is still some room for improvement in the evaluation, for example by classifying the websites directly into categories such as social media or similar, so that they can be evaluated later.

5.5

Tracking Time offers numerous functions aimed at both individual users and teams. Projects can be created for which time tracking can then be started. Detailed reports can then be output. In our tests, all these functions also worked in the Tracking Time tool.

Tracking Time


However, the web extension considered here was disappointing. This only has the function of starting and stopping time recording. Even when beginning time tracking, the extension requires that the corresponding project has been created. It is impossible to spontaneously start time tracking for a new project; the new project must first be made on the external Tracking Time website, where the reports can also be found.

The Tracking Time extension therefore has great potential to integrate many useful Tracking Time functions. However, the functions are currently very limited in comparison to competitors.

Performance
8.4

The extension is lightweight and responsive, without slowing your browser. Features work reliably, and time limits activate quickly. Minor lags occur in the analytics dashboard and cross-device sync, but overall, performance is smooth and stable for day-to-day use.

9.7

The tool works reliably, there were no crashes or errors during testing. It tracks and reports data efficiently without you noticing any performance issues during use. A few users wrote in reviews that there were inaccuracies in the tracked time, which we could not reproduce in the test.

8.0

In general, Tracking Time works reliably, but in reviews some users have reported occasional slowdowns, especially when processing large data sets. Regular updates and optimizations could help improve performance consistency.

Design
8.3

The interface is simple and minimalist, sticking to productivity basics. Settings are well-organized and easy to navigate, with clear controls and indicators. While functional and easy to use, the look is a little dated and the analytics dashboard could be more engaging. It’s practical but not stylish.

9.0

The Design is clear and intuitive. Some design changes such as the dark mode can also be adjusted in the settings. In our opinion, the dashboard is the only area where there is still room for improvement in terms of presenting the evaluations.

Dashboard
8.0

The design of Tracking Time is clean and modern and makes it easy to navigate. The dashboard on the website is well organized and you get an instant overview of your times. There are still improvements to be made in terms of customization options such as layouts.

Value for Money
9.5

All features are free—no ads, paywalls, or premium tiers. The feature set rivals paid competitors and includes regular updates. There’s great value for anyone seeking basic to moderate website blocking, though free tools like this sometimes lack advanced paid support.

9.3

As a free tool, it offers good value for money for users looking for basic tracking features at no cost. In comparison with competitors, many functions are already offered, but other competitors still have useful functions, particularly in the evaluation of data, and there is still room for improvement here.

8.0

The web extension is free of charge. However, it should be noted that it offers only a few functions. Other competitors offer considerably more functions for their free extensions. If you only use the extension in addition to Tracking Time and consider all functions in the price-performance ratio, it is competitive. In particular, the free plan already offers sufficient features for most people.
The paid plans offer advanced features and integrations with excellent value for money, making it a particularly worthwhile investment for teams looking to increase their productivity.

Ease of Use
8.5

Set up is fast and all main functions are accessible with just a few clicks. Adding sites or setting limits is straightforward, and tooltips help if you need them. The nuclear option and challenge features are easy to use but offer enough resistance to accidental changes. Mobile integration is available, though setup there could be smoother. It’s user-friendly with almost no learning curve.

9.0

Setting up the Web Activity Time Tracker is simple and does not require a great deal of technical skill. The tool is designed to be very user-friendly, including the setup with short instructions. The only thing that is a little confusing is that not all evaluations can be displayed in the dashboard via the icon. Only the evaluation for the current day is displayed here.

7.0

Although the tool is generally easy to use on the website, there are problems with the basic functions of the extension. In the test, we started a time recording on the website and stopped it later via the extension. When we wanted to start a new task, it took us a while to understand the principle that only tasks that had already been created could be restarted. This is not an intuitive function, which is why users might be annoyed right from the start.
One positive point, however, is the tutorials and support documentation, which can help new users.

Security & Privacy
7.9

StayFocusd runs mostly on your device and collects very little personal data. The privacy policy is transparent, and data for analytics is anonymized. The extension only requests required permissions, though some users may still worry about the broad “read and change all your data” permission. No tracking cookies or web beacons are used.

9.7

Web Activity Time Tracker performs almost perfectly here, as it does not collect or transmit any data. This data is only stored on the local computer. The entire code can be read open source on GitHub.
However, it is also pointed out in the very short privacy policy that this can change; a somewhat more detailed policy would be desirable in this case, in which it is also specified which data is stored locally and where.

9.0

Tracking Time uses basic security measures to protect user data. Encryption and regular updates ensure the integrity of the data. In our research, most of this could be read in the privacy policies, but a little more transparency in the handling of user data would still be an advantage, as this is stored online.

Conclusion

StayFocusd delivers on its promise to help you stay focused, but it's not a magic solution. We found it most effective when combined with genuine motivation to be more productive. The extension works best for people who want to reduce mindless browsing but still need occasional access to social media or entertainment sites.

The free price tag makes StayFocusd an easy recommendation for anyone struggling with online distractions. While it won't solve deep productivity issues, it creates enough friction to make you more conscious of your browsing habits. The nuclear option is particularly useful for intense work sessions, and the customizable blocking options give you fine-grained control over your digital environment.

If you're serious about improving your focus and don't mind the occasional frustration when you hit a time limit, StayFocusd is worth trying. Just remember that the most important part of any productivity tool is actually wanting to be more productive.

Web Activity Time Tracker is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to know how much time is spent on which websites. The user-friendly design and comprehensive reports make it an easy tool to increase productivity. The customizability of various features also stood out. Overall, it offers good added value, especially when you consider that it's free.

Tracking Time is a tool for anyone who wants to improve their time management. The design is very intuitive, but unfortunately, the extension has hardly any functions. The extension is useful for anyone who uses Tracking Time, but anyone looking for a good extension for time tracking will not find it here.
However, the price-performance ratio of the functions of the entire tool is good.

Our Recommendation

In our comparison between StayFocusd, Web Activity Tracker, and Tracking Time, Web Activity Tracker came out on top, scoring 9.2.

StayFocusd is the most widely used, with over 618k users and 8k+ reviews, but Web Activity Tracker outperformed it in our review. User reviews reflect our findings.

Notably, StayFocusd has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.73, which supports its strong performance in our review.

There are big differences between these extensions, so it's important to look at the details below to find the best fit for your needs.


  • Looking for the richest feature set? Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 8.7. On the other hand, Tracking Time lags behind in this area with a rating of 5.5.
  • Need top performance? Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9.7. On the other hand, Tracking Time lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • Design lovers, take note: Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, Tracking Time lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • Want to get the most for your money? StayFocusd stands out with a rating of 9.5. On the other hand, Tracking Time lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • If you hate complicated tools, Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, Tracking Time lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9.7. On the other hand, StayFocusd lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.9.

If you want a quick recommendation, Web Activity Tracker is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you.