head to head · open source
ActivityWatch vs TimeScribe
ActivityWatch has 19,481 GitHub stars, 1,068 forks, 186 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. TimeScribe has 928 stars, 91 forks, 30 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. ActivityWatch leads on adoption by 1,999% (19,481 vs 928 stars). ActivityWatch is written in Python under MPL-2.0; TimeScribe is written in PHP under GPL-3.0. ActivityWatch has attracted 5% as many forks as stars, TimeScribe 10%. ActivityWatch was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (productivity), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| ActivityWatch | TimeScribe | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 19K | ★ 928 |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-09-21 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.1K | ⑂ 91 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ActivityWatch if
- You weight community size — 19K stars and counting
- You want the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick TimeScribe if
- You want the TimeScribe feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and TimeScribe fits your workflow better
About ActivityWatch
Records what you do so that you can know how you've spent your time . All in a secure way where you control the data . Website — Forum — Documentation — Releases Contributor stats — CI overview Do you want to receive email updates on major announcements? Signup for the newsletter! Table of Contents About Screenshots Is this yet another time tracker? Feature comparison Installation & Usage About this repository Server Watchers Libraries Contributing About The goal of ActivityWatch is simple: Enable the collection of as much valuable lifedata as possible without compromising user privacy. We've worked towards this…
read the full ActivityWatch overview →
About TimeScribe
Smart & Private Time Tracking for macOS & Windows Track, analyze, and own your work hours No cloud. No registration. No paywall. Just productivity. Download Now 🚀 About TimeScribe is the easiest way to track your work hours — without the hassle. It is designed for everyone who needs to keep track of their time but doesn't want to pay for a subscription, create an account, or upload their private data to the cloud. Whether you are a freelancer billing clients, a remote worker logging hours, or just want to improve your personal productivity, TimeScribe gives you full control. Why use TimeScribe? Completely Free…
read the full TimeScribe overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ActivityWatch or TimeScribe more popular?
ActivityWatch has 19,481 GitHub stars and TimeScribe has 928. ActivityWatch has the larger community by that measure.
Are ActivityWatch and TimeScribe free?
Both are open source. ActivityWatch is licensed under MPL-2.0 and TimeScribe under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ActivityWatch and TimeScribe?
ActivityWatch is written in Python and TimeScribe in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, ActivityWatch or TimeScribe?
Choose ActivityWatch if you want the larger community (19,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose TimeScribe if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.