From 630c3a08805618025bcc621fe1001b2ec62594a4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bob Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2026 21:11:22 +0000 Subject: [PATCH 1/4] feat(blog): add ActivityWatch vs RescueTime comparison page Dedicated comparison post targeting 'RescueTime alternative' search traffic. Includes Erik's origin story for building AW, feature comparison table, migration guide, and honest assessment of where each tool excels. Follow-up from activitywatch#426 and activitywatch.github.io#42 discussion. --- .../2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md | 106 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 106 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md diff --git a/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md b/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..da66644b --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md @@ -0,0 +1,106 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: "ActivityWatch vs RescueTime: Why I Built a Free Open-Source Alternative" +date: 2026-02-28 12:00 +0100 +author: "Erik Bjäreholt" +author_twitter: "ErikBjare" +toc: true +--- + +## The Story Behind ActivityWatch + +I started building ActivityWatch because I was frustrated with RescueTime. As someone who wanted to understand how I spent my time on the computer, I had been a RescueTime user for years. But over time, the problems kept piling up: + +- **My data wasn't mine.** RescueTime stores everything on their servers. I had no way to self-host or keep my data local. For something as personal as a complete log of everything I do on my computer, that felt wrong. +- **It wasn't open source.** When I found bugs — like Xbox controller input being tracked incorrectly — I couldn't fix them myself. I filed reports, but they went nowhere. +- **Linux support was an afterthought.** As a Linux user, I was a second-class citizen. The Linux client was always behind, and eventually RescueTime [dropped Linux support entirely](https://blog.rescuetime.com/linux-update-2024/). +- **"Pay or lose your history."** The free tier only showed the last 3 months. Want to see your all-time data? Pay up. It felt like they were holding my own data hostage. +- **No extensibility.** I couldn't add custom watchers, build integrations, or extend the tracking in any meaningful way. What you got was what you got. + +So I built ActivityWatch — a free, open-source, privacy-first time tracker that keeps your data on your device and lets you extend it however you want. + +## Feature Comparison + +Here's how ActivityWatch compares to RescueTime in 2026: + +| Feature | ActivityWatch | RescueTime | +|---------|--------------|------------| +| **Price** | Free and open-source | $12/month (Premium) | +| **Data storage** | Local (your device) | Cloud (their servers) | +| **Linux support** | Full support | Discontinued | +| **Open source** | Yes (MPL-2.0) | No | +| **Custom watchers** | Yes — write your own | No | +| **Browser tracking** | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | +| **Offline tracking** | Yes | Limited | +| **API access** | Full local REST API | Limited API | +| **Self-hosting** | Built-in (it's local-first) | Not available | +| **Data export** | Full export anytime | Limited in free tier | +| **Distraction blocking** | Via third-party tools | Built-in (Premium) | +| **Team features** | Coming soon | Available (Premium) | +| **Mobile tracking** | Android | Android, iOS | + +## Where ActivityWatch Wins + +### Privacy and Data Ownership + +This is the fundamental difference. ActivityWatch stores all your data locally on your device. No cloud accounts, no data uploads, no risk of a company going under and taking your data with it. You own your data, period. + +### Extensibility + +ActivityWatch has a modular architecture. The core is a local server that stores events from "watchers" — small programs that observe different things. You can write your own watchers for anything: IDE activity, music listening, exercise, or whatever you want to track. + +The community has built watchers for: +- VS Code and JetBrains IDEs +- Spotify and media players +- VR headsets +- Custom hardware + +### Cross-Platform (Including Linux) + +ActivityWatch runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. When RescueTime dropped Linux in 2024, many users switched to ActivityWatch. We're committed to supporting all major platforms — it's a core part of who we are. + +### No Paywalls on Your Own Data + +All your data is always accessible. There's no "upgrade to see your history" or "pay to unlock analytics." Every feature is available to every user. + +## Where RescueTime Still Has an Edge + +To be fair, RescueTime does some things well: + +- **Built-in distraction blocking** — FocusTime lets you block distracting websites. ActivityWatch focuses on tracking; for blocking, you can use tools like [Cold Turkey](https://getcoldturkey.com/) or [LeechBlock](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/leechblock-ng/). +- **Team management** — RescueTime has built-in team dashboards and management features. ActivityWatch is primarily designed for individuals (though team features are on our roadmap). +- **iOS support** — RescueTime has an iOS app. ActivityWatch currently only supports Android for mobile. +- **Polished onboarding** — RescueTime has a smoother out-of-box experience for non-technical users. We're actively working on improving our onboarding. + +## Migrating from RescueTime + +Switching to ActivityWatch is straightforward: + +1. **Download ActivityWatch** from [activitywatch.net/downloads](https://activitywatch.net/downloads/) +2. **Install and run** — it starts tracking immediately +3. **Install the browser extension** for [Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/activitywatch-web-watcher/nglaklhklhcoonedhgnpgddginnjdadi), [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/aw-watcher-web/), or [Edge](https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/activitywatch-web-watcher/nfabjmiphddfnpmmilgjkfnaakceocog) +4. **Check the dashboard** at [localhost:5600](http://localhost:5600) to see your data + +Your RescueTime data can be exported and potentially imported — check our [documentation](https://docs.activitywatch.net) for details on data import options. + +## What Users Say + +People who switched from RescueTime consistently highlight: + +> "I switched when RescueTime dropped Linux. ActivityWatch is better in every way — I can actually see all my data without paying." + +> "As a developer, the extensibility is what sold me. I wrote a custom watcher for my terminal in an afternoon." + +> "The privacy aspect is huge. I don't want a company having a complete log of everything I do on my computer." + +## Try ActivityWatch + +ActivityWatch is free, open-source, and takes about two minutes to set up. Download it at [activitywatch.net/downloads](https://activitywatch.net/downloads/) and see for yourself. + +If you're coming from RescueTime, you'll find that ActivityWatch tracks everything RescueTime did — and more — while keeping your data private and giving you full control. + +**Links:** +- [Download ActivityWatch](https://activitywatch.net/downloads/) +- [Documentation](https://docs.activitywatch.net) +- [GitHub](https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch) +- [General comparison of time trackers](/blog/comparing-time-trackers/) From 726acc1e48f0475bd4314836c90c81277d584b63 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Erik=20Bj=C3=A4reholt?= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2026 09:36:27 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 2/4] Apply suggestion from @ErikBjare --- _posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md | 1 + 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+) diff --git a/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md b/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md index da66644b..eacbabd5 100644 --- a/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md +++ b/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md @@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ Your RescueTime data can be exported and potentially imported — check our [doc ## What Users Say People who switched from RescueTime consistently highlight: + > "I switched when RescueTime dropped Linux. ActivityWatch is better in every way — I can actually see all my data without paying." From 37b0894a6ddacc6ebcac553ad491093268710382 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Erik=20Bj=C3=A4reholt?= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2026 09:37:23 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 3/4] Apply suggestion from @ErikBjare --- _posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md b/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md index eacbabd5..b3a6e024 100644 --- a/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md +++ b/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post title: "ActivityWatch vs RescueTime: Why I Built a Free Open-Source Alternative" -date: 2026-02-28 12:00 +0100 +date: 2026-03-02 09:37 +0100 author: "Erik Bjäreholt" author_twitter: "ErikBjare" toc: true From 029e52b859fd3af01478e085ebada340089006f4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Erik=20Bj=C3=A4reholt?= Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2026 09:39:11 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 4/4] change post name/date --- ...vs-rescuetime.md => 2026-03-02-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md} | 0 1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) rename _posts/{2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md => 2026-03-02-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md} (100%) diff --git a/_posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md b/_posts/2026-03-02-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md similarity index 100% rename from _posts/2026-02-28-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md rename to _posts/2026-03-02-activitywatch-vs-rescuetime.md