Alternatives to ActivityWatch
Open source local-first activity tracking
ActivityWatch ranks #8 of 8 in Time tracking tools, with an Alt Score of 46. It is licensed under MPL-2.0, free from Free and available on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Anyone who wants automatic, detailed insight into how they spend time on their computer without sending data to a third-party server — including people switching from commercial trackers like RescueTime or WakaTime, developers, researchers, and quantified-self enthusiasts.
ActivityWatch automatically logs which applications and window titles you use and, with optional browser extensions, which websites you visit — all stored locally on your device. It includes a categorization system to group activity by project or type, editor plugins for tracking coding time, and a local dashboard with timelines and usage breakdowns. It's free, open-source (MPL-2.0), and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android with no account or cloud sync required.
Install the app for your OS and it runs in the background (system tray), automatically watching active windows and, if enabled, browser tabs. You view your logged activity by opening the local web dashboard at localhost:5600, where time is broken down by app, title, and category.
Why people leave ActivityWatch
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
Sign in to add a reason — new reasons go through moderation before appearing.
Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Time tracking tools checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Time tracking tools checklist | ActivityWatch | Clockify | Everhour | Harvest | Toggl Track | Timely |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Automatic tracking | ||||||
| Manual timers | ||||||
| Idle detection | ||||||
| Billable rates & invoicing | ||||||
| Reports & export | ||||||
| Project budgets | ||||||
| Team dashboards | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| Free tier limits | ||||||
| Calendar integration |
Every fact and feature listed for ActivityWatch is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
-
License MPL-2.0 verified 2026-07-10
Mozilla Public License Version 2.0
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/master/LICENSE.txt -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-10
free, open-source, privacy-first time tracker
https://activitywatch.net/blog/activitywatch-vs-rescuetime/ -
Starts at Free verified 2026-07-10
Every feature is available to every user
https://activitywatch.net/blog/activitywatch-vs-rescuetime/ -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, Android verified 2026-07-10
ActivityWatch runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.
https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/faq.html -
Status active verified 2026-07-10
Latest release May 2026.
v0.14.0b1 · 07 May 12:04
https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/releases -
Automatic tracking Yes verified 2026-07-10
The best free and open-source automated time tracker. Cross-platform, extensible, privacy-focused.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/master/README.md -
Manual timers No verified 2026-07-10
Automated only; no manual start/stop timer.
The best free and open-source automated time tracker.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/master/README.md -
Idle detection Yes verified 2026-07-10
we check if more than 3 minutes have passed without any input. If that is the case, we assume that you've been AFK since the last input was received.
https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/faq.html -
Billable rates & invoicing No verified 2026-07-10
No billing/invoicing; local personal tracker.
all your time tracking data is stored on your own device and is never sent to any server
https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/faq.html -
Reports & export Yes verified 2026-07-10
download any of the buckets which contain every collected datapoint
https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/features/exporting-data.html -
Project budgets No verified 2026-07-10
No budgeting; personal activity recording.
Records what you do so that you can know how you've spent your time.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/master/README.md -
Team dashboards No verified 2026-07-10
Local-first; no team dashboards.
all your time tracking data is stored on your own device and is never sent to any server
https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/faq.html -
Open source Yes verified 2026-07-10
The best free and open-source automated time tracker.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/master/README.md -
Free tier limits No verified 2026-07-10
Fully free; no tiers/caps.
no 'upgrade to see your history' or 'pay to unlock analytics'
https://activitywatch.net/blog/activitywatch-vs-rescuetime/
FAQ
Yes. Clockify, Everhour and Harvest have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.