Time Doctor alternatives: 2 open-source picks
Time Doctor costs $8/mo — $96 a year. These 2 alternatives replace it for $0, led by ActivityWatch and Kimai. All 2 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Automatic, privacy-first time tracker that logs app and browser usage locally.
licenseMPL-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Professional time tracking with invoicing, teams, and exports.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: ActivityWatch · Kimai
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
ActivityWatchPrivate activity categories are there, but explicit project work sessions and team timesheets are not.
TimeCamp FreeTimers and personal auto-tracking are free; app and website category analytics are Premium.
how to choose a Time Doctor alternative
Easiest to get running
ActivityWatch — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
ActivityWatch, with 18,883 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 2, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
what you give up by leaving Time Doctor
- workforce analytics, screenshots, payroll integrations, team controls, and support
- cross-device history
- team timesheets and payroll
- behavioral datasets
- blocking across every platform
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Time Doctor alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActivityWatch | MPL-2.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 18,883 | 2026-09 |
| Kimai | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 4,987 | 2026-09 |
why people still pay for Time Doctor
People still pay for Time Doctor because the timer is simple, but people pay for frictionless capture and a history they trust enough to invoice or change habits from. The recurring cost buys idle detection, permissions, app metadata, privacy, notifications, sync, reports, integrations, and backups, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $96 a year.
questions about switching from Time Doctor
Is there an open-source alternative to Time Doctor?
Yes: ActivityWatch, Kimai. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Time Doctor?
Our verdict is YES. ActivityWatch (19k stars), Kimai (5k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Time Doctor — self-host in one command and stop paying $8/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/time-doctor.
What is the easiest open-source Time Doctor alternative to set up?
ActivityWatch — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Time Doctor alternative?
By GitHub stars, ActivityWatch (18,883). Kimai is next with 4,987.
