arbtt 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 | arbtt | Hamster |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 49 · Fair |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Haskell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 361 | ★ 1,126 |
| First released | 2009 | 2008 |
| Replaces | RescueTime, ManicTime | Toggl, RescueTime |
What are arbtt and Hamster?
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
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
arbtt vs Hamster: key differences
Arbtt is written in Haskell, while Hamster is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for arbtt versus GPL-3.0 for Hamster. Hamster has the considerably larger community, at 1,126 GitHub stars versus 361.
Why pick each one
Choose arbtt if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Haskell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
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 arbtt or Hamster better?
Hamster 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 arbtt and Hamster free and open-source?
Yes. arbtt is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Hamster under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run arbtt and Hamster with Docker?
arbtt: check the project docs for container support. Hamster: check the project docs for container support.