ActivityWatch vs Timewarrior (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 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ActivityWatch grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
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
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 Timewarrior if
- Fits if you live in the terminal and want a timer you can script
- Works for developers who feed tracked time into their own tools
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a window to click in, as there is no graphical interface
- Skip it if you use Windows, as no Windows package is listed
- Not for you if you need team or sync features, as none are described
- Watch out: distribution packages are made by community maintainers, not the project
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAActivityWatchVery good | 2.6GPATimewarriorGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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, open source and downloadable, with no paid plans, against a time-tracking middle of $6.67 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. | AFree outright with no paid plans and no caps. |
| 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. | CStopwatch, tags, annotations, corrections, reports and extensions; it does that job fully, but a smaller one, with no team or syncing features. |
| 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. | DNo store rating on record, and it is a command-line tool you drive by typing commands. |
| 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. | CLinux and Mac only, with no Windows package, phone apps or integrations on record. |
| Best for | automatic tracking that stays on your own machine | tracking time from the command line |
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 Timewarrior. 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. Timewarrior has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
ActivityWatch scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other time tracking apps on the chart, none scores higher than ActivityWatch for less, and none scores higher than Timewarrior 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
- Timewarrior also covers reports.
In commonFree planmacOSLinuxOpen sourceTime tracking
At a glance
| ActivityWatch | Timewarrior | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Free and open source, with no paid plans. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Superuser Labs | Gothenburg Bit Factory |
| Price read from | activitywatch.net | timewarrior.net |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Timewarrior
- It is a command-line tool with no graphical interface.
- The install page lists packages for Linux distributions and macOS only; no Windows package is listed.
- Distribution packages are made by community maintainers, not the project.
- There is no team or syncing feature described on the site.
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.
Timewarrior
- Simple stopwatch
- Start and stop tracking with single commands, or record backdated and already-closed intervals.
- Tags and annotations
- Label each interval with tags and notes, and change them later with tag, untag and retag commands.
- Corrections
- Commands to move, lengthen, shorten, split, join, fill and delete intervals, with an undo command.
- Reports and export
- Day, week, month and summary reports, plus an export command for use in other tools.
- Extensions
- An extension API lets scripts build custom reports, and a Taskwarrior on-modify hook ties tasks to tracked time.
- Work week and holidays
- Configuration for a work week, holidays and color themes.
Plans
ActivityWatch
Free$0
Every feature on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, including the browser extensions and editor watchers.
Timewarrior
Free$0
Free and open-source software, installed from distribution packages, Homebrew or built from source.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ActivityWatch or Timewarrior?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both ActivityWatch and Timewarrior are free to use.
Which has a free plan, ActivityWatch or Timewarrior?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both ActivityWatch and Timewarrior have a free plan.
Which platforms do ActivityWatch and Timewarrior run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ActivityWatch lists Windows and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list macOS and Linux apps. 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.