DoneThat vs Microsoft Recall
Windows feature that takes screen snapshots for recall.
AI Memory: side-by-side
Tools to archive your digital life and make it available for later use by eg AIs.
| Tool | Input data | Platform support | Data location | API |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Privacy-first work tracker and AI coach Best for: Calendar-like timeline of your work. | Screen, audio, apps | macOS, Windows, Linux | Cloud | Yes |
Windows feature that takes screen snapshots for recall. Best for: Windows users wanting built-in screen memory. | Screen snapshots | Windows (Copilot+) | Local | -No |
Microsoft Recall is best for
Windows users wanting built-in screen memory.
DoneThat is best for
Calendar-like timeline of your work.
See the full ai memory comparison or visit Microsoft Recall.
AI-generated comparison
Prompt
Compare https://donethat.ai/ and https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/retrace-your-steps-with-recall-aa03f8a0-a78b-4b3e-b0a1-2eb8ac48701c honestly. Check both websites yourself, then summarize where DoneThat is stronger and where Microsoft Recall is stronger. Do not rank them globally.
Result
DoneThat and Microsoft Recall both observe what happens on your PC, but they aim at different jobs: DoneThat turns activity into readable work summaries, timesheets, and AI coaching across Windows, Mac, and Linux, while Recall builds a searchable visual timeline of past screens that you can scrub through and jump back into, limited to Copilot+ Windows 11 PCs with strong local-device security guarantees.
DoneThat stronger
- Runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux with no special NPU or hardware tier required, so it fits teams on mixed or older machines.
- Targets a work-output use case directly with automated timesheets, readable summaries, and an AI coach rather than just retrieval of past screens.
- Publishes clear paid plans ($4/$8/$16 per month) so a buyer can size cost up front instead of inferring it from a hardware purchase.
- Exposes API, MCP, Zapier, and n8n integrations, which makes it easier to push tracked activity into other tools and workflows.
- Lets the user choose the LLM and control what is recorded, which matters for buyers who want their own model or vendor in the loop.
Microsoft Recall stronger
- Ships as a built-in Windows 11 feature on Copilot+ PCs, so eligible users get it without installing a third-party desktop app.
- Documents concrete security guarantees: local encryption, Windows Hello authentication, just-in-time decryption, and default filtering of passwords and credit cards.
- Offers a visual timeline plus semantic and voice search over snapshots, which is a stronger fit for buyers who mainly want to re-find something they saw earlier.
- Integrates with Click to Do so users can act on content inside a snapshot, tying recall directly into native Windows workflows.
- Backed by Microsoft with admin-facing policies for disk space, retention, and filtered apps, which is reassuring for IT-governed environments.
Explore related pages
Productivity Coaching
Meet Don, the AI coach inside DoneThat that turns your work patterns into practical coaching, goals, and next steps.
ExploreFeature Overview
Explore DoneThat features for AI time tracking, automatic summaries, productivity coaching, privacy controls, and team visibility.
ExplorePrivacy
Learn how DoneThat protects your data with privacy controls, secure architecture, local capture options, and AI data handling.
ExploreReady to try DoneThat?
Fully automated AI time tracking and coaching. 14-day free trial.