ActivityWatch, Jibble, and TMetric solve different jobs inside the same category: ActivityWatch is a free, local-first personal tracker with no team or…
Best for: Privacy-conscious individuals and developers who want completely free, automatic personal time tracking with data that never leaves their device
Best for: Small and mid-sized businesses with hourly or field-based teams that need a free, unlimited-user attendance clock with GPS and facial recognition
freemium · From Free (up to 2 seats); paid plans from $7/user/month
Best for: Freelancers and agencies that need budgets, alerts, and client invoicing built on top of billing-grade time tracking
At a Glance
ActivityWatch
Jibble
TMetric
Primary category
Time Tracking
Time Tracking
Time Tracking
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Free (open source)
Freemium
freemium
Starting price
Free
Free
Free (up to 2 seats); paid plans from $7/user/month
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web, Android, Mac, Windows
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Personal privacy versus team oversight
ActivityWatch stores all tracked data locally on the user's own device with no cloud sync, while Jibble and TMetric are cloud-based tools designed for managers to review team time.
ActivityWatch, Jibble, TMetric
Free-forever unlimited users
Jibble's Free plan supports unlimited users with no credit card required, a much higher ceiling than TMetric's two-seat free tier or ActivityWatch's single-device personal use case.
Jibble
Fraud-resistant attendance verification
Jibble bundles GPS geofencing and AI facial recognition into its free plan, features aimed at stopping buddy punching for construction, retail, and field service teams.
Jibble
Billing-grade budgets and invoicing
TMetric turns tracked hours into client invoices and lets teams set project budgets with alerts, plus a timer that embeds inside more than fifty other web apps.
TMetric
Fully automatic capture with zero setup cost
ActivityWatch automatically logs active applications, window titles, and browsing activity in the background with no premium tiers, usage limits, or ads at any point.
ActivityWatch
Feature-by-Feature
Tracking Method
Feature
ActivityWatch
Jibble
TMetric
Automatic app or window tracking
Available
Unavailable
Limited
GPS geofencing and facial recognition clock-in
Unavailable
Available
Not documented
Team and Workforce Management
Feature
ActivityWatch
Jibble
TMetric
Leave and PTO management
Unavailable
Available
Limited
Shared kiosk or terminal clock-in
Unavailable
Available
Not documented
Billing and Reporting
Feature
ActivityWatch
Jibble
TMetric
Client invoicing
Unavailable
Available
Available
Project budgets and alerts
Unavailable
Not documented
Available
Data and Privacy
Feature
ActivityWatch
Jibble
TMetric
Local-only, on-device data storage
Available
Unavailable
Unavailable
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
ActivityWatch
No individual plan breakdown documented yet.
Jibble
Free — Free forever
Premium — $4.49/user/month billed annually
Ultimate — $7.99/user/month billed annually
Enterprise — Custom pricing annual contract
TMetric
Free — $0 N/A (up to 2 seats)
Professional — $7/user/month Monthly or annual (annual saves up to 20%)
Business — $9/user/month Monthly or annual (annual saves up to 20%)
Enterprise — Custom Custom
Pros & Cons
ActivityWatch
Pros
Completely free with no premium tiers, usage limits, or ads
Strong privacy model — data never leaves the user's device
Open source (MPL-2.0) and extensible
Cross-platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
Cons
No official iOS app
Cross-device data synchronization is still in development
As a volunteer-maintained project, support and integrations depend on community contribution rather than a commercial team
Jibble
Pros
Unlimited users on a genuinely free-forever plan with no credit card required
Biometric facial recognition and geofencing help prevent buddy punching even on the free tier
Works across web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and shared kiosk devices
Fast setup and simple interface suited to non-technical hourly workforces
Strong offline support for field, construction and remote teams
Cons
Advanced reporting, screenshots and priority support require paid Premium or Ultimate tiers
Premium and Ultimate prices rose sharply in March 2026, roughly 60 to 80 percent higher than before
Less scheduling and shift-planning depth than dedicated workforce platforms like Deputy or When I Work
Some users report occasional GPS or facial recognition accuracy issues on older mobile devices
Support responsiveness can be slower for customers on the free plan
TMetric
Pros
Generous free plan with unlimited projects and clients for up to two seats
Affordable per-seat pricing compared to many competing time trackers
Timer can be embedded inside dozens of other web apps for frictionless tracking
Strong budgeting and invoicing tools for freelancers and agencies
Backed by Devart, an established developer tools company with decades of experience
Cons
Interface and reporting feel more utilitarian than modern competitors like Toggl Track
Screenshot and activity monitoring are gated behind the higher Business tier
Fewer built-in integrations than larger time tracking platforms
Mobile app functionality is more limited than the desktop and web experience
Enterprise pricing is not published and requires contacting sales
Use Cases
Choose ActivityWatch: Privacy-conscious individuals and developers who want completely free, automatic personal time tracking with data that never leaves their device
Choose Jibble: Small and mid-sized businesses with hourly or field-based teams that need a free, unlimited-user attendance clock with GPS and facial recognition
Choose TMetric: Freelancers and agencies that need budgets, alerts, and client invoicing built on top of billing-grade time tracking
ActivityWatch
Personal productivity tracking — Understand where your time actually goes across apps and websites.
Developer time tracking — Track time spent coding directly from your editor via plugins.
Digital wellbeing awareness — Build awareness of screen time and app usage habits.
Privacy-conscious time tracking — Track time without sending any data to a third-party server.
Jibble
Field service and construction attendance — GPS-verified clock-ins and geofencing confirm crews are on the correct job site before hours are logged, reducing payroll disputes.
Shift-based retail and hospitality teams — Kiosk mode lets multiple hourly staff clock in on one shared device with facial recognition to prevent buddy punching.
Remote and distributed agency billing — Project-level time tracking and automated timesheets let agencies convert tracked hours directly into client invoices.
TMetric
Freelance Time and Billing Tracking — Freelancers track billable hours across multiple clients, set project budgets, and generate invoices directly from logged time.
Agency Team Time Management — Agencies use screenshots, activity monitoring, and team timesheets to track how staff time is spent across client projects.
Embedded Tracking Inside Existing Tools — Teams that already use Jira, ClickUp, or Redmine add TMetric's timer directly inside those apps to log time without switching tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ActivityWatch really free with no paid tiers?
Yes. ActivityWatch is fully open source under MPL-2.0 with no premium tiers, usage limits, or ads, though cross-device sync is still in development.
Which of these tools suits an hourly or field-based workforce?
Jibble, since its free plan supports unlimited users along with GPS geofencing and facial recognition designed to prevent buddy punching.
Which tool is best for freelancers who bill clients?
TMetric, because it converts tracked hours directly into invoices and includes project budgets with alerts, features ActivityWatch and Jibble do not offer.
Do any of these track computer activity automatically without clocking in?
ActivityWatch tracks apps and windows automatically at all times. TMetric offers similar activity monitoring only on its paid Business tier. Jibble is attendance-based and relies on manual clock-in rather than automatic app tracking.
Which option keeps time data completely private?
ActivityWatch, since all tracked data stays on the user's own device and is never sent to a server, unlike the cloud-based Jibble and TMetric.
What is the cheapest way for a small team to get started?
Jibble's free plan covers unlimited users at no cost, while TMetric's free plan is capped at two seats, making Jibble the more scalable free option for teams larger than a pair of freelancers.