Automatic foreground tracking
The desktop app logs foreground activity so you can see what apps and supported browser domains were active during the day without starting and stopping a timer manually.
FocusStack
FocusStack is a focus and time tracking product for solo knowledge work. It combines automatic desktop logging with web-based dashboards, timelines, calendars, and reports, and includes one-click stacks and focus sessions for distraction-free work.
Overview
FocusStack is a focus and time tracking product for solo knowledge work. It combines automatic foreground tracking in a desktop app with browser-based dashboards, timelines, calendars, and reports so you can see how your workday is actually spent.
The product is built for people who want clarity without relying on a manual timer. It also includes one-click stacks for launching app and website sets, focus sessions for distraction-free work, project time estimates, and productivity insights, with desktop apps for macOS and Windows and a browser app for review.
Features
Review views for daily and longer-term analysis
The web app turns tracked activity into dashboards, timelines, calendars, and reports so you can review patterns instead of raw logs.
One-click workspaces
Stacks let you launch one-click app and website sets, which is useful for starting a work session with the tools you need already grouped together.
Focus sessions
Focus sessions are available for working without distraction, giving the product a separate mode for focused blocks rather than only passive tracking.
Estimates and productivity insights
Project time estimates and productivity insights are included in the product description, giving you planning and reflection tools alongside tracking.
Privacy-conscious design
The product emphasizes privacy-first local storage in its positioning, while the about page says data stays tied to your account and the app avoids screen recording and keystroke logging.
Use cases
Daily work logging
Track the apps and sites you actually use during the day, then review the resulting timeline or report to understand where your time went.
Session startup
Open a saved stack before starting work so your common apps and websites launch together in one step.
Deep work blocks
Use focus sessions when you want to work without distraction and keep your attention on a single task block.
Workday review
Review calendar, dashboard, and report views to spot patterns, compare days, and identify where distractions or time drift show up.
Team planning
Use the waitlist if you are evaluating the product for an organization, since team management is listed as coming soon.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Automatically logs foreground apps and supported browser domains instead of depending on manual timers.
- Provides multiple ways to review time, including dashboards, timelines, calendars, and reports.
- Includes one-click stacks and focus sessions, which support both setup and distraction-free work.
- Offers desktop builds for macOS Apple Silicon, macOS Intel, and Windows 64-bit, plus browser-based review.
Cons
- Teams support is not available yet; the pricing page says team plans are coming soon and directs organizations to a waitlist.
- The desktop app is required for automatic foreground logging, so review-only use in the browser does not capture activity on its own.
- The available evidence does not show integrations with third-party tools.
FAQ
How does FocusStack track time?
FocusStack uses automatic foreground tracking on the desktop app. It logs the apps and supported browser domains that are active while you work, then the web app turns that data into timelines, dashboards, calendars, and reports.
Who is FocusStack for?
The source describes FocusStack as a focus and time tracker for solo knowledge work. It is built for people who want clarity, distraction awareness, and a way to understand where their day goes without using a manual timer all day.
What platforms does FocusStack support?
The download page lists desktop apps for macOS Apple Silicon, macOS Intel, and Windows 64-bit. It also notes that the web app works in the browser for reviewing data.
Does FocusStack record the screen or keystrokes?
The about page says FocusStack does not use screen recording or keystroke logging. It also says the data stays tied to your account and points to the Privacy Policy for more detail.
Can teams use FocusStack yet?
The pricing page says teams are coming soon and offers a waitlist for organizations. Current purchase flow is centered on the lifetime plan for individual use.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Productivity
- Primary use
- Focus and time tracking
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows, and web review
- Desktop logging
- Foreground apps and supported browser domains
- Company
- Hightide Software Technologies
- Pricing
- Lifetime purchase for individuals; teams coming soon
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