Hackatime

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