ActivityWatch
Automatic activity tracker with local-only data storage and no cloud uploads
- Also known as
- activitywatch
Available worldwide · Popular in: US
What is ActivityWatch?
An application that records which programs and websites you use on your computer throughout the day, keeping all information stored locally on your device. Designed for users who want to understand their digital habits while maintaining complete privacy with no cloud synchronization.
ActivityWatch pricing
Plans, per-tier features and add-ons, dated and linked to live pricing. Pricing changes often; always verify at source before you rely on it.
Free with optional Pro subscription from $5/month
Free
FreeComplete access with no feature gates or usage limits
- Automated activity tracking
- Local storage
- Browser extensions
- REST API
- Dashboard
- Activity browser
- JSON export
Pro
Optional subscription to support ongoing development
What ActivityWatch does
The capabilities that matter for time tracking, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Manual timesheet entry
- -
- Browser extension stopwatch
- ✓
- Automated background activity tracking
- ✓
- Project and task hierarchy
- -
- Billable hourly rates invoicing
- -
- Employee screenshot surveillance
- -
- Idle timeout detection
- ✓
- Geofencing gps tracking mobile
- -
- Jira asana trello native extensions
- -
- SOC2 type ii
- -
- ISO 27001
- -
- Pricing model
- Open source
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- macOS
- Linux
- Android
- Windows
- Self-hosted
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 0 (0 in the last 12 months) sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
ActivityWatch FAQ
Common questions about ActivityWatch, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is ActivityWatch?
An open-source time tracking application that monitors applications and websites you use on your device. It prioritizes privacy by storing all activity data locally rather than uploading to cloud servers, giving you complete control over your information. It is indexed under Time Tracking.
Source: https://activitywatch.net
Is ActivityWatch free to use?
ActivityWatch is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MPL-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.
Source: https://activitywatch.net
What platforms does ActivityWatch support?
ActivityWatch supports the web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.
Source: https://activitywatch.net
Can ActivityWatch be self-hosted?
Yes. ActivityWatch can be deployed on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.
Source: https://activitywatch.net
Is ActivityWatch open source?
Yes. ActivityWatch is published under the MPL-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.
ActivityWatch alternatives
Other time tracking we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- HubstaffEmployee time tracking and workforce management software for distributed teamsmedium · 53%
- ClockifyTime tracking software for teams to log work hours across projectsmedium · 54%
- EverhourTime tracking and billing software for teams managing projects and client invoicingmedium · 74%
- TimeCampWork hour tracking solution for documenting project time and analyzing profitabilitymedium · 52%
- RescueTimeTime tracking software that automatically monitors computer activity and application usagelow · 37%
- Toggl TrackUnified time tracking and team capacity management platformmedium · 73%
Compare ActivityWatch
Side by side against other time tracking, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for ActivityWatch, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 100 | 0.08 | 8.4 | ✓ |
| Development activity | 54 | 0.09 | 5.1 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 96 | 0.05 | 5.0 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 58 | 0.08 | 4.9 | ✓ |
| Price level | 80 | 0.05 | 4.2 | ✓ |
| Stars | 81 | 0.03 | 2.1 | ✓ |
| Reliability | 0 | 0.07 | 0.0 | - |
| Integrations | 0 | 0.09 | 0.0 | - |
| Dependent projects | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | ✓ |
| Security posture | 0 | 0.07 | 0.0 | - |
| Package downloads | 0 | 0.14 | 0.0 | - |
| Security score | 0 | 0.04 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 51 | mediumsource · 2026-10-15 · 65% |
Adoption
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 5 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 67% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Pricing model: open_source · Idle timeout detection: Yes · Browser extension stopwatch: Yes · Automated background activity tracking: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-10-15 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Python | highsource · 2026-10-15 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | MPL-2.0 | highsource · 2026-10-15 · 95% |
Market
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | PrimaryMarkets: … · AvailabilityScope: global · AvailableCountries: … · NotAvailableCountries: … | mediumsource · 2026-10-15 · 50% |
Pricing
Release
Security
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Vulnerabilities | Count: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2FActivityWatch%2Factivitywatch&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 | highsource · 2026-10-15 · 90% |
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