ActivityWatch vs Traggo
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?
ActivityWatch
Automatic, privacy-first time tracking for your devices
VS
Traggo
Tag-based time tracking without rigid project hierarchies
| Feature | ActivityWatch | Traggo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Time Tracking | Time Tracking |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,527 | ★ 1,616 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | RescueTime, ManicTime | Toggl, Clockify |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Traggo if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is ActivityWatch or Traggo 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 Traggo free and open-source?
Yes. ActivityWatch is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Traggo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ActivityWatch and Traggo with Docker?
ActivityWatch: check the project docs for container support. Traggo: yes.