# 6 Best Open Source Alternatives for WakaTime

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/wakatime
Last updated: 2026-11-07

Looking for the best open source alternative for WakaTime? Compare 6 verified free and open source alternatives to WakaTime (ActivityWatch, SolidTime, Wakapi) with license details, self-hosting requirements, and practical trade-offs.

## WakaTime Overview & Subscription Cost
- **Product**: WakaTime
- **Category**: [analytics](https://caniforkit.com/category/analytics)
- **Paid Subscription Price**: $35/month per seat
- **1-Seat Annualized Cost**: $420/year
- **5-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $2,100/year
- **10-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $4,200/year
- **Can I Vibe-Code / Rebuild It Myself?**: NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens)
- **Rebuild Verdict**: Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for WakaTime or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 6 battle-tested open-source alternatives like ActivityWatch.

## Verified Free & Open Source Alternatives

| Alternative | Type | License | Runs On | GitHub Stars | Head-to-Head |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [ActivityWatch](https://caniforkit.com/fork/activitywatch) | Open Source | Open Source | Local | ★ 19.5k | [Compare vs WakaTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-activitywatch) |
| [SolidTime](https://caniforkit.com/fork/solidtime) | Open Source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 9.1k | [Compare vs WakaTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-solidtime) |
| [Wakapi](https://caniforkit.com/fork/wakapi) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 4.5k | [Compare vs WakaTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-wakapi) |
| [TimeScribe](https://caniforkit.com/fork/timescribe) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 933 | [Compare vs WakaTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-timescribe) |
| [Hackatime](https://caniforkit.com/fork/hackatime) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 216 | [Compare vs WakaTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-hackatime) |
| [Ziit](https://caniforkit.com/fork/ziit) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 258 | [Compare vs WakaTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-ziit) |

## In-Depth Alternative Profiles

### ActivityWatch
- **Fork Page**: [ActivityWatch Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/activitywatch)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [WakaTime vs ActivityWatch](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-activitywatch)
- **Official Website**: https://activitywatch.net
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/activitywatch/activitywatch
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Local
- **GitHub Stars**: 19.5k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: desktop, cross-platform, one-click install
- **Summary**: Free open-source time tracker that automatically monitors your device usage. Cross-platform support with local data storage for complete privacy.
- **The Catch vs WakaTime**: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/activitywatch/activitywatch or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- **Data Storage**: All application data lives locally on your own machine.

### SolidTime
- **Fork Page**: [SolidTime Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/solidtime)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [WakaTime vs SolidTime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-solidtime)
- **Official Website**: https://www.solidtime.io
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/solidtime-io/solidtime
- **License**: AGPL-3.0
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 9.1k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: desktop, web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Seamlessly track time across multiple projects, generate insightful reports, and optimize your open source contributions.
- **The Catch vs WakaTime**: solidtime’s desktop clients remain less mature and its approvals, scheduling, payroll, and management reporting are much thinner than Hubstaff’s.
- **Installation**: Create a managed account or deploy the official Docker Compose self-hosting stack
- **Setup**: Self-hosting needs Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, environment and application keys, mail configuration, persistent storage, migrations, and a reverse proxy with TLS
- **Data Storage**: Users, organizations, projects, clients, and time entries live in PostgreSQL, with application state in persistent Docker volumes, on solidtime's service or the user's host

### Wakapi
- **Fork Page**: [Wakapi Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/wakapi)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [WakaTime vs Wakapi](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-wakapi)
- **Official Website**: https://wakapi.dev/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/muety/wakapi
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 4.5k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Open-source, self-hosted time tracking solution for developers. Analyze coding habits, improve productivity, and visualize progress.
- **The Catch vs WakaTime**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed WakaTime.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/muety/wakapi or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### TimeScribe
- **Fork Page**: [TimeScribe Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/timescribe)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [WakaTime vs TimeScribe](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-timescribe)
- **Official Website**: https://timescribe.app
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/winbigfox/timescribe
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 933
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Advanced time tracking and productivity analytics tool that captures detailed work patterns, generates comprehensive reports, and helps optimize workflow efficiency.
- **The Catch vs WakaTime**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed WakaTime.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/winbigfox/timescribe or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Hackatime
- **Fork Page**: [Hackatime Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/hackatime)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [WakaTime vs Hackatime](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-hackatime)
- **Official Website**: https://hackatime.hackclub.com/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/hackclub/hackatime
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 216
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Free, open-source coding time tracker compatible with VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, vim, emacs and more. No limits, no paywalls - your data stays yours forever.
- **The Catch vs WakaTime**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed WakaTime.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/hackclub/hackatime or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Ziit
- **Fork Page**: [Ziit Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/ziit)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [WakaTime vs Ziit](https://caniforkit.com/vs/wakatime-vs-ziit)
- **Official Website**: https://ziit.app
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/0pandadev/ziit
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 258
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Monitor your coding sessions, analyze productivity patterns, and gain insights into your development workflow with comprehensive time tracking statistics.
- **The Catch vs WakaTime**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed WakaTime.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/0pandadev/ziit or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the best free alternative to WakaTime?
The top free alternative to WakaTime is ActivityWatch (open source, Open Source). Free open-source time tracker that automatically monitors your device usage. Cross-platform support with local data storage for complete privacy. Other popular WakaTime replacements include SolidTime, Wakapi, TimeScribe.

### How much does switching from WakaTime to a free alternative save?
WakaTime starts at $35/month per seat ($420/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like ActivityWatch saves $2,100 per year in software subscription fees.

### What is the catch when switching away from WakaTime?
While ActivityWatch replaces core WakaTime features without subscription fees, the real-world trade-off is: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.

## Related

- [analytics Software Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/analytics)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Self-Hosted Software Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)