ActivityWatch vs arbtt
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ActivityWatch | arbtt |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 77 · Good | 73 · Good |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,968 | ★ 361 |
| First released | 2016 | 2009 |
| Replaces | RescueTime, ManicTime | RescueTime, ManicTime |
What are ActivityWatch and arbtt?
ActivityWatch
ActivityWatch automatically tracks how you spend time on your computer by recording active applications and windows. All data stays on your own machine and can be explored through a built-in web dashboard.
- Automatic app tracking
- Local-only data
- Cross-platform watchers
- Extensible via API
arbtt
arbtt is an automatic, rule-based time tracker that samples active windows and lets users categorize activity afterward with flexible rules. All data stays local and is queried through command-line statistics tools.
- Automatic window sampling
- Retroactive rule categorization
- Fully local data
- Command-line statistics
ActivityWatch vs arbtt: key differences
ActivityWatch is written in Python, while arbtt is built with Haskell. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for ActivityWatch versus GPL-2.0 for arbtt. Arbtt is the more established project (first released 2009), while ActivityWatch arrived in 2016. ActivityWatch has the considerably larger community, at 18,968 GitHub stars versus 361.
Why pick each one
Choose ActivityWatch if…
- Fully automatic tracking
- Data stays local
- Built-in web dashboard
Watch out for
- Manual categorization setup
- Limited mobile support
Choose arbtt if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Haskell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ActivityWatch or arbtt better?
ActivityWatch is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider arbtt if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ActivityWatch and arbtt free and open-source?
Yes. ActivityWatch is licensed under MPL-2.0 and arbtt under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ActivityWatch and arbtt with Docker?
ActivityWatch: check the project docs for container support. arbtt: check the project docs for container support.