ActivityWatch vs Roots
ActivityWatch
activitywatch.netRoots
getroots.appSide by side
| Figure | ActivityWatch | Roots |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.17/mo | $5/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 3 |
| Spec score · Screen Time Management Apps | 8.6 (#3) | 7.7 (#20) |
| Purpose | ActivityWatch automatically tracks how users spend time on their devices, including applications and websites. | Roots describes itself as a screen-time app that helps people set phone boundaries and make more time for offline activities. |
| Support | The project offers community discussion through its forum and Discord server, and says development is volunteer-built and may slow at times. | Roots links to an Intercom Help Center with articles covering usage, troubleshooting, and billing and subscriptions. |
Plans
ActivityWatch
- Personal$5 a month
- Business$20 a month
- Personal yearly$50 a year
- Believer$450, paid once
Roots
- Roots Plus (Monthly)$9.99 a month
- Roots Plus (Yearly)$59.99 a year
- Roots FreePrice not published
In their own words
ActivityWatch
ActivityWatch has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Roots
Roots is an iPhone screen-time app for setting phone boundaries and making more time for offline activities. It assigns a daily Balance Score based on phone use and visualizes progress over time. Users can block apps and websites with limits, scheduled downtime, or the stricter Monk Mode. Weekly reports and Digital Dopamine comparisons provide additional screen-time insights. Users can set goals for screen time and phone pickups, build streaks, and earn rewards. The Free plan includes a Balance Score, Scroll Replacements, Screen Time Insights, and two blockings. Roots Plus adds unlimited blockings and features including Monk Mode, Digital Dopamine, Block now, Locked Editing, uninstall protection, App Groups, Streak Rewards, and Pauses. Plus costs $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year. A 7-day free trial is offered, and customers can request a full refund within 30 days of their first payment. Roots says it uses Apple's iOS Screen Time API, keeping app usage and browsing data on the device and out of the maker's view. The app is for iOS; the maker labels its Android app as coming soon.