arbtt vs ActivityWatch
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
arbtt
Automatic rule-based time tracker for desktops
VS
ActivityWatch
Automatic, privacy-first time tracking for your devices
| Feature | arbtt | ActivityWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Haskell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 354 | ★ 18,527 |
| First released | 2009 | 2016 |
| Replaces | RescueTime, ManicTime | RescueTime, ManicTime |
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 ActivityWatch if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 18.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is arbtt or ActivityWatch 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 arbtt and ActivityWatch free and open-source?
Yes. arbtt is licensed under GPL-2.0 and ActivityWatch under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run arbtt and ActivityWatch with Docker?
arbtt: check the project docs for container support. ActivityWatch: check the project docs for container support.