ActivityWatch vs Simple Time Tracker
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
Free
Where they differ
- ActivityWatch is free. Simple Time Tracker is free.
- Only ActivityWatch lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only ActivityWatch lists a browser extension.
- Simple Time Tracker also covers Pomodoro timer and goals.
In commonFree planAndroidOpen sourceLocal-firstTime tracking
At a glance
| ActivityWatch | Simple Time Tracker | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| 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. | Entirely free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license. The store listing says there are no advertisements and no in-app purchases. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Superuser Labs | Anton Razinkov |
| Price read from | activitywatch.net | play.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
ActivityWatch
- People who want automatic tracking with all data kept on their own device
- Linux users, alongside Windows, macOS and Android
- Developers who want to query their own activity data through an API
- Personal screen-time and quantified-self tracking at no cost
Simple Time Tracker
- Android users who want a free tracker with no ads and no account
- Logging how a whole day is spent across personal activities
- People who want their time data to stay on their own phone
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.
Simple Time Tracker
- It is an Android app with a Wear OS companion; the project lists no iPhone, desktop or web version.
- Data stays on the phone with no account, so carrying it to another device relies on backup and restore.
- The F-Droid build has no Wear OS support; the watch app needs the Google Play version.
- It is a personal tracker by a single developer, and the listing describes no team, client or invoicing features.
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.
Simple Time Tracker
- One-tap activity timers
- A new activity starts with a single tap from a minimal interface, and earlier records can be reviewed afterwards. The app has screens for categories and tags.
- Statistics
- Statistics show how time was spent over a period, drawn as pie and bar charts, and a detailed statistics screen can be filtered by date.
- Home-screen widgets and notifications
- Widgets track activities straight from the home screen, and the listing also names notifications and a dark mode among the features.
- Goals, reminders and Pomodoro
- Goals have their own screen, and reminders run on custom schedules, including ones for inactivity and untracked time. The app also has a Pomodoro mode.
- Wear OS app
- The Google Play version supports Wear OS watches and provides a watch face complication. The F-Droid build leaves out Google Play services and Wear OS support.
- Backups and CSV export
- The database can be backed up and restored, backups can run automatically, and records export to CSV.
Plans
ActivityWatch
Free$0
Every feature on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, including the browser extensions and editor watchers.
Simple Time Tracker
Free$0
The full app from Google Play or F-Droid, with no ads, in-app purchases or account.
