Hackatime
Free and open-source alternative to WakaTime that tracks coding habits, project breakdowns, and language stats while keeping your data private and under your control.
Hackatime is an open-source alternative to:
The open-source coding time tracker
Hackatime is a free, open-source replacement for WakaTime. Your coding habits, project breakdowns and language stats belong to you - not a proprietary database!
Key Features
- Automatic time tracking – Starts when you type and stops during breaks
- Language & tech stack insights – See time spent on React, Svelte, Python, etc.
- File-level analytics – Identify files consuming the most time
- Zero lock-in – Export your entire history as JSON
- Privacy-first – Never sees your code, only metadata (file names, project names, timestamps)
- Indefinite data storage – Unlike competitors, your history is never deleted
- Community-built – Open-source project by Hack Club with contributor-friendly codebase
- Leaderboards (coming soon) – Create private leaderboards for teams or hackathons
Tech / Self-Hosting
Hackatime uses the open-source WakaTime plugin ecosystem, supporting 70+ editors including VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Neovim, Sublime, Cursor, Zed, Terminal, Figma, and Godot. The entire platform is open-source (MIT licensed) and can be self-hosted for complete data sovereignty.
Quick Setup (30 seconds)
- Register – Create a free account to get your API key
- Install Plugin – Use any WakaTime-compatible editor plugin
- Configure – Set your API key and point to Hackatime's API URL
Migration from WakaTime
- Point your existing WakaTime plugin at Hackatime's API URL
- Import your WakaTime data into Hackatime
- Full compatibility with WakaTime's plugin ecosystem
Self-Hosting
- Deploy your own instance using the open-source codebase
- Complete control over data storage and access
- Ideal for teams requiring full data privacy
Why Choose Hackatime?
- Free forever – No artificial limits or paywalls
- Open-source – MIT licensed, community-driven development
- Developer-first – Built by Hack Club for teenage developers
- Privacy-focused – Your code stays private; only metadata is tracked
- No vendor lock-in – Export your data anytime in JSON format