ActivityWatch vs Hamster
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ActivityWatch | Hamster |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 77 · Good | 49 · Fair |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,968 | ★ 1,126 |
| First released | 2016 | 2008 |
| Replaces | RescueTime, ManicTime | Toggl, RescueTime |
What are ActivityWatch and Hamster?
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
Hamster
Hamster is a free desktop time tracking application that helps individuals record how long they spend on activities. It groups entries by category and produces simple overviews and exports of tracked time.
- Activity categorization
- Daily and weekly overviews
- Local SQLite storage
- Export to common formats
ActivityWatch vs Hamster: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for ActivityWatch versus GPL-3.0 for Hamster. Hamster is the more established project (first released 2008), while ActivityWatch arrived in 2016. ActivityWatch has the considerably larger community, at 18,968 GitHub stars versus 1,126.
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 Hamster if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is ActivityWatch or Hamster better?
Neither is universally better. ActivityWatch has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ActivityWatch and Hamster free and open-source?
Yes. ActivityWatch is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Hamster under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ActivityWatch and Hamster with Docker?
ActivityWatch: check the project docs for container support. Hamster: check the project docs for container support.