ActivityWatch vs Dayflow (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick ActivityWatch: it is third in our ranking of time tracking apps, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ActivityWatch grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ActivityWatch
Free, open-source automatic time tracker that keeps data local
Dayflow
Open-source Mac app that logs your workday automatically
Which one is for you
Pick ActivityWatch if
- Fits if you want tracking that runs by itself and keeps your data on your own device
- Works for developers who want to query their own activity through a REST API
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have an iPhone and want your phone time in there, as no iOS app is listed
- Not for you if you need one record across several devices, since sync isn't finished
- Tight if you're on a newer Mac, as the stable download is for Intel and Apple Silicon builds are pre-release
- Too light for billing clients, as there are no projects, timesheets or integrations
- Watch out: the maintainers don't work on it full-time, so development may slow at times
Pick Dayflow if
- Fits if you want an automatic log of your own day on a Mac
- Makes sense if you want screen data kept on your own computer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as only macOS 14 or later runs it
- Not for you if you bill clients or run timesheets, since it's for self-tracking
- Watch out: with your own API key or Pro, selected screenshots go to a cloud AI provider
- Tight if you want an annual price, because the page says to check inside the app
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAActivityWatchVery good | 2.6GPADayflowGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under MPL-2.0, with no feature gates, no usage limits and no ads, against the $6.67 a month time tracking typically charges. The optional support subscriptions from $5 a month are donations: they unlock nothing. | AFree and open source, so anyone can download and run it. The managed AI plan is $20 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright. Every feature on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, the browser extensions and the editor watchers included, with no cap to walk into and nothing held back for people who pay. | AThe app, capture and AI summaries are free with a local model or your own key. No cap is stated. |
| Features | CFor automatic tracking it records the active app and window title, idle time, categories, browser tabs through extensions and code editors through watchers, with a REST API and a Python client. But that is all of it. No projects, billing or timesheets, and the homepage says device sync is still unfinished. | CAutomatic capture and an AI timeline. It's for self-tracking, with no timesheets, billing or team view. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. It starts recording the moment you install it. The work comes after: the categories need setting up before the numbers say anything useful, and on a newer Mac the stable build is Intel-only with Apple Silicon in pre-release. | CNo store rating on record. You pick a local model or paste an API key, and need macOS 14. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, macOS, Linux and Android, with Chrome and Firefox extensions and a local interface at localhost:5600. No iPhone app is listed, there are no integrations on record, and a documented REST API is how you get the data out. | DMac only, on macOS 14 or later. A Windows version is only a waitlist. |
| Best for | automatic tracking that stays on your own machine | a free self-tracking log on a Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ActivityWatch and Dayflow. How we grade
Price against what you get
ActivityWatch has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Dayflow starts at $20 a month and scores 1.7.
ActivityWatch scores higher and starts $20 a month lower. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, none scores higher than ActivityWatch for less, and 78 score higher than Dayflow for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Dayflow also covers screen recording and menu bar app.
At a glance
| ActivityWatch | Dayflow | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $20 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Entirely free and open source under the MPL-2.0 license, with no feature gates, usage limits or ads. Optional support subscriptions from $5 a month unlock nothing extra. | Free: automatic activity capture, AI summaries with a local model or your own Gemini, OpenAI or Anthropic key, and the open-source app. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Superuser Labs | Teleport Labs Inc. |
| Price read from | activitywatch.net | dayflow.so |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ActivityWatch
- No iOS app is listed; platforms are Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
- The homepage describes syncing activity between devices as still being worked on.
- The stable macOS download (v0.13.2) is listed for Intel; Apple Silicon builds are in the v0.14 pre-release.
- Maintainers say they do not work on the project full-time, so development may slow at times.
Dayflow
- It runs on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later only; a Windows version is on a waitlist.
- It works from screen recordings, so it fits individual self-tracking more than client billing or team timesheets.
- With your own API key or Pro, selected screenshots are sent to a cloud AI provider for analysis.
- The pricing page says to check the current annual offer inside the app; no annual price is shown on the page.
Key features
ActivityWatch
- Automatic window tracking
- Tracks the active application and window title out of the box. A separate watcher notes when the keyboard and mouse are idle, without storing what the input was.
- Categories
- Activity is broken down into categories, which gives an overview of usage by type of work instead of a raw list of apps and window titles.
- Browser extensions
- Extensions for Chrome and Firefox track the active tab, adding website-level detail to the time recorded on the computer.
- Editor watchers
- Optional watchers for code editors track how much time goes into writing code, and other watchers can be added to track more.
- Local data and API
- Data stays on your own device and can be exported, deleted or backed up at any time. A documented REST API and Python client give access to buckets, events and queries.
- Local web interface
- The app runs from the system tray and its interface opens in the browser at localhost:5600, with activity and timeline views of the tracked data.
Dayflow
- Automatic activity capture
- Records what is on screen in the background and builds a timeline without starting or stopping a timer.
- AI-written timeline
- Summarizes each block of work and sorts it into categories such as coding, research, planning, communication or distraction.
- Choice of AI provider
- Run a supported local model on the Mac, use your own Gemini, OpenAI or Anthropic key, or pay for managed analysis.
- Local recordings
- Recordings and the database are stored on the computer. Cloud options process selected screenshots, not the full recording.
- Open-source app
- The code is public on GitHub, so the app can be inspected and run yourself on the free plan.
- Enterprise controls
- Enterprise adds SSO or SAML, data-retention policies and rollout support for teams.
Plans
ActivityWatch
Free$0
Every feature on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, including the browser extensions and editor watchers.
Dayflow
Free$0
per month
Local recordings and database, automatic capture, AI summaries via a local model or your own API keys.
Pro$20
per month, billed monthly
Managed AI analysis with no provider setup, and no draw on your Claude or ChatGPT usage.
EnterpriseCustom
Pro plus SSO or SAML, data-retention controls and internal AI gateway support; sold through sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ActivityWatch or Dayflow?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ActivityWatch is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20 a month for Dayflow. ActivityWatch is free, and Dayflow starts at $20 per month, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, ActivityWatch or Dayflow?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ActivityWatch and Dayflow have a free plan.
Which platforms do ActivityWatch and Dayflow run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ActivityWatch lists Windows, Linux and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.