#32 in Project & Work ManagementUpdated 2026-08

ActivityWatch

by ActivityWatch · Open-source automated time tracker that keeps data on your device

39.3 — BenchRank score out of 100

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Overview

ActivityWatch is an automated time tracker that records the active application and window title on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. It runs locally on the device and you open its UI in a browser at localhost:5600. Additional watchers extend it, including Chrome and Firefox extensions for the active tab and editor plugins for coding time.

Best for: Individuals who want automatic app and website time tracking with data kept on their own device.
Pricing: The application is free and open source under MPL-2.0; the same page also mentions ActivityWatch Pro subscriptions starting at $5/month, with no plan details given.
Runs on: AndroidmacOSWindowsLinuxBrowser extension

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

Data stays on your device; nothing is uploaded to the cloud
Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android
Free and open source under MPL-2.0, no usage limits or ads
Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, plus editor watchers

Trade-offs

Sync between devices is described as still being worked on
Built by volunteers who don't work on it full-time, so progress can slow
Web tracking needs the Chrome or Firefox extension; no other browsers listed
macOS version and architecture support varies by release

How this score is made up

Each dimension is scored out of 100 and combined into the headline score using fixed weights.

MCP support: 0 out of 100
API quality: 10 out of 100
Documentation: 80 out of 100
Agent friendliness: 80 out of 100
Changelog: 100 out of 100
Marketing site structure: 20 out of 100
Operational trust: 0 out of 100

Measured, but not part of the score

Useful to know, but not a mark for or against the product — so these do not affect the ranking.

Openness: 60 out of 100
Maintenance: 100 out of 100

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