ActivityWatch

Productivity

Free open sourceEditorial overview
A CLOSER LOOK

What is ActivityWatch?

ActivityWatch records application and website activity locally to help users understand how they spend computer time. Its open-source approach suits personal reflection without sending a mandatory activity feed to a vendor cloud.

Application activity tracking

Browser watchers

Local dashboard

Idle detection

Is it a good fit?

Best suited to

People reviewing their own computer-use patterns locally.

Before you choose

Local tracking needs supported watchers; it is not a managed employee-monitoring service.

Editorial assessment based on the provider’s published information. Our method

Know what you're signing up for.

ActivityWatch offers MPL-2.0 application at no license charge. Local tracking needs supported watchers; it is not a managed employee-monitoring service.

Local tracking needs supported watchers; it is not a managed employee-monitoring service.

Check current official pricing

The useful parts. The trade-offs.

Why consider it

Activity records stay under local control

Passive tracking reduces manual timer entry

What to keep in mind

Categories may need tuning to become useful

Detailed histories require thoughtful local data handling

How to use it well

ActivityWatch provides observations about computer activity, not an automatic explanation of productive work. Review a few days of records, tune categories and compare the results with your own context before changing routines based on dashboard totals.

Install only the watchers you need and inspect a few days of data before creating categories. Separate active work from idle time so totals remain meaningful. Use the dashboard to notice patterns, and review retention and backups because detailed activity histories can contain sensitive information.

A few things you might be wondering.

Is ActivityWatch free?

ActivityWatch offers MPL-2.0 application at no license charge. Local tracking needs supported watchers; it is not a managed employee-monitoring service.

Does ActivityWatch upload activity to a vendor dashboard?

Its standard design collects and stores activity locally.

Can it distinguish idle time?

Yes. Idle detection is part of the normal watcher-based workflow.

Where can I check the latest prices?

Use the provider link on this page. Billing period, location, team size, promotions, taxes, and optional extras may affect the amount you pay.

How should I compare this tool with alternatives?

Choose tools for the same task, then compare their feature limits, platform support, and total cost for your team. The Compare button helps you keep a shortlist.

Are the user reviews moderated?

Yes. New reviews are submitted for moderation. We show published user reviews separately from the editorial overview and never assign a default user rating.

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