Hamster vs Wakapi
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted time tracking options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Wakapi
Self-hosted coding activity and time tracking server
| Feature | Hamster | Wakapi |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 49 · Fair | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,126 | ★ 4,434 |
| First released | 2008 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Toggl, RescueTime | WakaTime, RescueTime |
What are Hamster and Wakapi?
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
Wakapi
Wakapi is a self-hosted tool to track and analyze your coding time. It is compatible with WakaTime editor plugins and provides detailed dashboards of programming activity.
- WakaTime plugin compatible
- Coding activity dashboards
- Multiple database backends
- Single lightweight binary
Hamster vs Wakapi: key differences
Hamster is written in Python, while Wakapi is built with Go. Hamster is the more established project (first released 2008), while Wakapi arrived in 2019. Wakapi has the considerably larger community, at 4,434 GitHub stars versus 1,126. Wakapi lists first-class Docker deployment; Hamster does not.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Wakapi if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.4k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Hamster or Wakapi better?
Neither is universally better. Wakapi has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hamster and Wakapi free and open-source?
Yes. Hamster is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Wakapi under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hamster and Wakapi with Docker?
Hamster: check the project docs for container support. Wakapi: yes.