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Overview

Hackatime is a minimalist, self-hosted time tracking solution for programmers that serves as a privacy-focused alternative to WakaTime. It's compatible with all WakaTime plugins, making it easy to switch while maintaining full ownership of your coding activity data.

Features

Core Capabilities

  • WakaTime Compatible: Works with all existing WakaTime editor plugins
  • Self-Hosted: Complete control over your data and infrastructure
  • Open Source: Fully transparent codebase (MIT license)
  • Lightweight: Minimal resource requirements
  • Privacy-First: Your coding data never leaves your server
  • Multi-User: Support for multiple developers on one instance

Tracking Features

  • Automatic time tracking through IDE plugins
  • Language and project detection
  • File and editor tracking
  • Operating system tracking
  • Branch tracking (for Git repositories)
  • Time zone support

Reporting & Analytics

  • Daily coding activity summaries
  • Language usage statistics
  • Project time breakdowns
  • Weekly and monthly reports
  • Export capabilities
  • API access for custom integrations

Privacy & Security

  • All data stored on your own server
  • No third-party data sharing
  • User authentication and access control
  • Optional HTTPS/TLS encryption
  • Configurable data retention policies

Supported Editors & IDEs

Through WakaTime plugin compatibility:

  • Visual Studio Code
  • JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.)
  • Vim/Neovim
  • Emacs
  • Sublime Text
  • Atom
  • Android Studio
  • Eclipse
  • Xcode
  • And 50+ others

Installation Methods

Docker (Recommended)

docker run -d -p 3000:3000 \
  -v hackatime-data:/data \
  ghcr.io/muety/hackatime:latest

Binary

  • Download pre-compiled binaries for Linux, macOS, or Windows
  • Run standalone executable
  • Configure via environment variables or config file

From Source

  • Clone the repository
  • Build with Go
  • Deploy to your infrastructure

Configuration

Database Options

  • SQLite (default, simple setup)
  • PostgreSQL (recommended for multi-user)
  • MySQL/MariaDB

Authentication

  • Built-in user management
  • API key generation
  • Optional LDAP/OAuth integration

Use Cases

  • Individual Developers: Personal coding time tracking with full privacy
  • Development Teams: Team-wide time tracking on self-hosted infrastructure
  • Companies: Enterprise time tracking meeting data sovereignty requirements
  • Students: Learning time tracking without external services
  • Open Source Projects: Track contributions across distributed teams

Advantages Over WakaTime

  • No Cost: Completely free, no premium tiers
  • Data Ownership: Your data stays on your servers
  • Privacy: No external company access to your code activity
  • Customization: Modify the code to fit your needs
  • No Limits: Unlimited users, projects, and history
  • Air-Gapped: Can run completely offline if needed

Limitations

  • Requires self-hosting infrastructure
  • Less polished UI than commercial alternatives
  • Smaller feature set than WakaTime Premium
  • Self-managed updates and maintenance
  • Community support only (no commercial support)

Integration

  • REST API for custom integrations
  • Prometheus metrics export
  • Webhook support
  • CSV/JSON export
  • Compatible with WakaTime API format

System Requirements

  • Minimal:

    • 512 MB RAM
    • 1 CPU core
    • 1 GB storage
    • Linux, macOS, or Windows

  • Recommended for teams:

    • 2 GB RAM
    • 2 CPU cores
    • 10 GB storage
    • PostgreSQL database

Pricing

Hackatime is completely free and open source. Costs are limited to:

  • Server hosting (can be as low as $5/month)
  • Optional domain and SSL certificate
  • Your time for setup and maintenance

Community & Support

  • GitHub repository for issues and feature requests
  • Community discussions
  • Documentation and setup guides
  • Regular updates and bug fixes