ActivityWatch vs DeskTime: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for ActivityWatch and DeskTime side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
ActivityWatch
Automatically track your time on devices with this open-source, privacy-first application.
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (DeskTime requires payment)
DeskTime
Automatic time tracking for productivity
Best for you if:
- • You want automatic time tracking eliminates manual input and starts/stops with device usage, reducing human error and ensuring accuracy
| At a Glance | ActivityWatch | DeskTime |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free 100% free | Free plan, paid from $7/user/mo, billed monthly Pro plan |
Category | Time Tracking Productivity | Time Tracking Productivity |
Rating | n/a | 4.5/5 SourceForge 4.5 · Capterra 4.5 · G2 4.5 1,881 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose ActivityWatch or DeskTime?
Choose ActivityWatch if
- You want a fully free tool (DeskTime requires payment)
- You want automatically tracks time without manual input
- You want open-source, allowing for transparency and community contributions
Choose DeskTime if
- You want automatic time tracking eliminates manual input and starts/stops with device usage, reducing human error and ensuring accuracy
- You want provides real-time insights into app, website, and document usage for smart employee monitoring without interrupting workflow
In-Depth Analysis
ActivityWatch
Automatically track your time on devices with this open-source, privacy-first application.
Strengths
- Pro: Automatically tracks time without manual input
- Pro: Open-source, allowing for transparency and community contributions
- Pro: Privacy-focused, keeping data local to your device
- Pro: Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Pro: Helps identify and improve screen habits
Key features
DeskTime
Automatic time tracking for productivity
DeskTime's pricing is quite fair, offering a generous free Lite tier for single users.
Strengths
- Pro: Automatic time tracking eliminates manual input and starts/stops with device usage, reducing human error and ensuring accuracy.
- Pro: Provides real-time insights into app, website, and document usage for smart employee monitoring without interrupting workflow.
- Pro: Integrates with project management tools like Jira and GitLab for seamless project and task time tracking and accurate billing.
- Pro: Offers robust privacy and security features, including ISO 27001/27701 and GDPR compliance, data encryption, and two-factor authentication.
- Pro: Includes features for performance evaluation, workload distribution, absence management, and shift scheduling to optimize team management.
Weaknesses
- Con: The desktop application is required to access all features, which might limit functionality for users who prefer web-only access.
- Con: Automatic idle time detection stops tracking after 3 minutes, which might not be ideal for tasks involving extended periods of non-keyboard/mouse activity.
- Con: While it tracks app and website usage, the level of detail regarding specific activities within those applications is not explicitly detailed, which could be a privacy concern for some employees.
Key features
Plans and prices: ActivityWatch vs DeskTime
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ActivityWatch | No plan prices on file | activitywatch.net |
| DeskTime |
| desktime.com/pricing read Oct 25, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on ActivityWatch pricing and DeskTime pricing.
Key Takeaways
ActivityWatch
- Choose if you want automatically track your time on devices with this open-source, privacy-first application
DeskTime
- Choose if you want automatic time tracking for productivity
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only DeskTime has a published user rating (4.5/5 from 1,881 reviews); ActivityWatch has none we can show.
- DeskTime starts at $7/user/mo, billed monthly; ActivityWatch has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do ActivityWatch and DeskTime compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only DeskTime has a published user rating (4.5/5 from 1,881 reviews); ActivityWatch has none we can show. DeskTime starts at $7/user/mo, billed monthly; ActivityWatch has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are ActivityWatch and DeskTime used for?
ActivityWatch: Automatically track your time on devices with this open-source, privacy-first application. DeskTime: Automatic time tracking for productivity.
What does ActivityWatch cost vs DeskTime?
ActivityWatch is free. DeskTime's cheapest paid plan is Pro at $7/user/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 25, 2026.
What's the main difference between ActivityWatch and DeskTime?
ActivityWatch's main strength: automatically tracks time without manual input. DeskTime's main strength: automatic time tracking eliminates manual input and starts/stops with device usage, reducing human error and ensuring accuracy.