SHSelfHostIndex

ActivityWatch vs Virtual TimeClock

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?
AC ActivityWatch Automatic, privacy-first time tracking for your devices VS VI Virtual TimeClock Powerful, easy-to-use time tracking software
FeatureActivityWatchVirtual TimeClock
CategoryTime TrackingTime Tracking
LicenseMPL-2.0⊘ Proprietary
LanguagePythonUnknown
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcebare-metal
GitHub stars★ 18,527—
First released20162020
ReplacesRescueTime, ManicTime—

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
ActivityWatch details

Choose Virtual TimeClock if…

  • Released under the ⊘ Proprietary license
  • Written in Unknown
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Virtual TimeClock details

Frequently asked questions

Is ActivityWatch or Virtual TimeClock better?

ActivityWatch is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Virtual TimeClock if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are ActivityWatch and Virtual TimeClock free and open-source?

Yes. ActivityWatch is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Virtual TimeClock under ⊘ Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run ActivityWatch and Virtual TimeClock with Docker?

ActivityWatch: check the project docs for container support. Virtual TimeClock: check the project docs for container support.

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