ActivityWatchvsHackatime
Two self-hosted WakaTime alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| ActivityWatch | Hackatime | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 52/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 11 in Time Tracking | #69 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 19 405 | 216 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +437 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 13 | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.14.1 · 10 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Ruby |
Which one should you pick?
ActivityWatch scores 80/100 against 52/100 for Hackatime, so it is the safer default.
ActivityWatch ships more often: 13 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Hackatime.
If you want the quickest setup, ActivityWatch is easier to run; Hackatime needs more configuration.
ActivityWatch is growing faster right now (+437 stars in 30 days).
ActivityWatch details →Hackatime details → All WakaTime alternatives →