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ActivityWatch VS Toggl

Compare ActivityWatch VS Toggl and see what are their differences

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ActivityWatch logo ActivityWatch

Log what you do on your computer. Simple (yet powerful), extensible, no third parties.

Toggl logo Toggl

Toggl is an online time tracking tool. It features 1-click time tracking and helps you see where your time goes. Free and paid versions are available.
  • ActivityWatch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-03
  • Toggl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-05

ActivityWatch features and specs

  • Open Source
    ActivityWatch is an open-source project, which means its code is publicly available for review and contributions. This promotes transparency and security.
  • Cross-Platform
    ActivityWatch works on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it versatile and accessible for users on different platforms.
  • Privacy-Focused
    Being an open-source project, ActivityWatch places a strong emphasis on user privacy, ensuring data is stored locally rather than in the cloud unless the user chooses otherwise.
  • Customizable
    The tool provides various frameworks and APIs for customization, allowing users to create custom trackers and reports to better fit their needs.
  • Detailed Analytics
    ActivityWatch provides comprehensive data and visualizations on how users spend their time on their devices, aiding in productivity analysis and improvement.

Possible disadvantages of ActivityWatch

  • Complex Setup
    For non-technical users, the initial setup and configuration may be complex and challenging compared to more polished, commercial solutions.
  • Resource Usage
    ActivityWatch can consume a notable amount of system resources, particularly on lower-end hardware, which might impact device performance.
  • Feature Limitations
    Compared to some commercial alternatives, ActivityWatch may lack certain advanced features like automated focus time recommendations or built-in integrations with other productivity tools.
  • UI/UX
    The user interface and user experience may not be as polished or intuitive as some of its proprietary competitors, potentially affecting user friendliness.
  • Maintenance
    Since it’s an open-source project, ongoing maintenance and updates depend on community contributions, which might result in slower development cycles for new features and bug fixes.

Toggl features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Toggl offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that allows users to track time with minimal effort and complexity, making it accessible for all skill levels.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Toggl is available on multiple platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile devices, ensuring seamless time tracking regardless of the device being used.
  • Detailed Reporting
    Toggl provides comprehensive reporting features that allow users to generate detailed reports on their time usage, helping in analyzing productivity and project management.
  • Integrations
    Toggl integrates with a wide range of popular productivity tools such as Asana, Trello, Jira, Slack, and more, ensuring smooth workflow integration.
  • Free Tier
    Toggl offers a free version that includes basic time tracking and reporting features, which can be sufficient for individual users and small teams.

Possible disadvantages of Toggl

  • Limited Features in Free Version
    While the free version is useful, it lacks some advanced features like project budgeting, in-depth reporting, and billable hours tracking, which are available in the paid plans.
  • Pricey Premium Plans
    The premium versions of Toggl can be relatively expensive, especially for small businesses or freelancers on a tight budget.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although the basic functions are user-friendly, some users may find a learning curve when trying to utilize more advanced features and settings.
  • Occasional Sync Issues
    There have been reports from users about occasional synchronization issues between different devices or platforms, which can lead to discrepancies in time tracking.
  • Limited Offline Functionality
    Toggl's offline functionality is somewhat limited, meaning that users need internet access to fully utilize and synchronize their time tracking data.

Analysis of ActivityWatch

Overall verdict

  • ActivityWatch is a good choice if you are looking for a privacy-respecting, customizable, and open-source solution for tracking your digital activities. Its detailed reports and ability to track various aspects of productivity make it a valuable tool for individuals interested in optimizing their time management.

Why this product is good

  • ActivityWatch is an open-source time-tracking tool that helps you understand how you spend your time across different activities and applications. It is designed to provide detailed insights and reports on your computer usage patterns, making it a good choice for productivity analysis. The tool is privacy-focused, as it stores data locally by default, ensuring that personal information is not shared without permission. Additionally, its extensible nature allows for customization and integration with other tools.

Recommended for

    ActivityWatch is recommended for remote workers, freelancers, productivity enthusiasts, and anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of their computer usage patterns without compromising on privacy. It is also suitable for developers and tech-savvy users who want to customize or extend its functionality.

ActivityWatch videos

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Toggl videos

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Toggl Review: Time Tracker

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Time Tracking: How To Use Toggl Track (2021 Tutorial)
  • Review - TIME TRACKING: Why You Need to Use Toggl

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ActivityWatch and Toggl)

ActivityWatch

Toggl

Time Tracking
8 8%
Time Tracking
92% 92
Invoicing
10 10%
Invoicing
90% 90
Project Management
9 9%
Project Management
91% 91
Time Management
6 6%
Time Management
94% 94

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ActivityWatch and Toggl

ActivityWatch Reviews

49 Best Timesheet Alternatives - Features, pros & cons, pricing | Remote Tools
ActivityWatch tracks how you spend time on your devices. It can help you keep track of time spent on different projects, kick bad screen habits, or just understand how you spend your time.
Source: www.remote.tools

Toggl Reviews

25 Best Asana Alternatives & Competitors for Project Management in 2024
Toggl is a project management software comprised of three solutions: Toggl Track, Toggl Plan, and Toggl Hire. Toggl Plan’s visual roadmaps complement change management when managing multiple projects in spreadsheets introduces more work than support.
Source: clickup.com
10 Top RescueTime Alternatives for 2024 [Detailed Overview]
Mobile time tracking: Toggl Track’s mobile app is available for Android and iOS devices. It’s easy to use and syncs with the web and desktop versions for seamless time tracking.
Source: toggl.com
Discovering rescuetime alternatives for high productivity (2024)
Want to something else instead? Toggl can be the answer. It is significantly used by multiple businesses and is undeniably a good platform.
Source: www.timetackle.com
Toggl Track vs Clockk: 2023 comparison
Toggl Track and Clockk are both popular time tracking apps used by freelancers and businesses to keep track of time spent on projects. Toggl and Clockk both have a browser extension available. Read on to...
Source: clockk.com
21 Time Tracking Tools To Manage Your Workday
Thanks to web, desktop, and mobile applications which all sync in real time, Toggl takes the hassle out of time management. Their calendar integration improves the scheduling aspect of managing a team, and starting a timer takes only a single click. Toggl also offers the option to enable notifications which remind users to start tracking (or to stop tracking when the program...
Source: hive.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Toggl might be a bit more popular than ActivityWatch. We know about 78 links to it since March 2021 and only 55 links to ActivityWatch. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ActivityWatch mentions (55)

  • Everyone knows all the apps on your phone
    > How hard would it be for an app to monitor all of your web traffic based on the title alone? Although not terribly accurate (because of the high variability of page titles), tools like ManicTime and ActivityWatch use windows titles to track your browser history if you don't install the browser plugin. https://www.manictime.com/ https://activitywatch.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • RemotePulse – Boost your remote work productivity with effortless tracking
    Try https://activitywatch.net/ Plus extensions for Chrome and VSCode: https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/watchers.html It will give track how much time you spend per file, URL, window. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Ask HN: Windows Recall / Rewind.ai Alternatives?
    Are there any good alternatives? I know about OpenRecall and ActivityWatch but what are some other options? https://github.com/openrecall/openrecall https://activitywatch.net/ I remember there was an older Windows desktop app too (proprietary paid) which was linked here but I forgot to save the link... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Basic computer logon tracking/monitoring tools?
    But have a look at https://activitywatch.net/. Source: over 1 year ago
  • I am looking for an Ubuntu tool to keep track of time spent actively using the computer
    I have used a tool called Activity Watch, an open source project. But this is kind of too much for me. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

Toggl mentions (78)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing ActivityWatch and Toggl, you can also consider the following products

RescueTime - Time management software that shows you how you spend your time & provides tools to help you be more productive.

Harvest - Simple time tracking, fast online invoicing, and powerful reporting software. Simplify employee timesheets and billing. Get started for free.

ManicTime - Track your computer usage and use collected data to accurately tag time.

Clockify - Simple and free time tracker. Perfect for small and mid-sized businesses as well as freelancers. Unlimited projects and users, unlimited productivity. Get all the premium functionalities, completely free.

Time Doctor - Time Tracking and Time Management Software that is accurate and helps you to get a lot more done each day.

WakaTime - Analytics for programmers using open-source text editor plugins.

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