Focusmate
Time Doctor
| Feature | Focusmate | Time Doctor |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $6.99/mo | From $7/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-workers, freelancers, students, adhd-professionals | remote-teams, outsourcing-companies, managers, virtual-assistants |
| Founded | 2016 | 2012 |
| Video Coworking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Session Booking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Accountability Partner | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Session History | ✓ | ✗ |
| Community | ✓ | ✗ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Screenshots | ✗ | ✓ |
| Activity Monitoring | ✗ | ✓ |
| Payroll Integration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Project Budgets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Distraction Alerts | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Focusmate Pros
- Powerful accountability through social presence
- Free plan includes 3 sessions/week
- Global community available 24/7
- Proven to reduce procrastination
✗ Focusmate Cons
- Requires camera on (can feel awkward)
- Limited to 25/50/75 min sessions
- Depends on partner availability
✓ Time Doctor Pros
- Detailed activity monitoring
- Payroll integrations
- Client login portal
- Distraction alerts
✗ Time Doctor Cons
- Invasive monitoring can hurt morale
- Complex setup for larger teams
- Occasional tracking glitches
The Verdict
Focusmate is built for remote workers and freelancers, with a focus on video-coworking and session-booking. Time Doctor targets remote teams and outsourcing companies and leads with time-tracking and screenshots.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($6.99/mo for Focusmate, $7/mo for Time Doctor), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Focusmate has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Time Doctor requires a paid subscription from day one.
Bottom line: Focusmate has a slight overall edge — but if detailed activity monitoring matters most to you, Time Doctor may still be the right call.