These three tools solve related but distinct time-tracking problems. ActivityWatch is a free, open-source, local-only tracker for individuals who want…
Freemium · From Free (unlimited users); Paid plan from $39/month
Best for: Small businesses, schools, and nonprofits that need an employee time clock with GPS or facial-recognition verification and unlimited free users.
freemium · From Free (paid plans from $2.99/user/month)
Best for: Agencies and teams that want automatic time tracking combined with invoicing, budgeting, and resource planning under one free-to-start platform.
At a Glance
ActivityWatch
OpenTimeClock
TimeCamp
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 (unlimited users); Paid plan from $39/month
Free (paid plans from $2.99/user/month)
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Yes
Platforms
Web, Android, Mac, Windows
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Web, Mac, Windows
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Yes
Public API
Yes
Not documented
Yes
Standout Differences
Completely Local, Privacy-First Tracking
ActivityWatch stores all tracked data on the user's own device and never sends it to a server, with no premium tiers, usage limits, or ads.
ActivityWatch
Unlimited Free Users for Businesses
Both OpenTimeClock and TimeCamp offer free plans that support unlimited employees, unusually generous for the time-tracking category where most competitors charge per seat.
OpenTimeClock, TimeCamp
Built-In Invoicing and Budgeting
TimeCamp layers invoicing, project budgets, and a resource planner on top of automatic time tracking, letting agencies bill clients directly from tracked hours.
TimeCamp
GPS and Biometric Clock-In
OpenTimeClock supports GPS geofencing and facial recognition at clock-in, helping field and multi-site teams verify attendance and reduce time theft.
OpenTimeClock
No Team or Business Features
ActivityWatch is a personal, single-device tracker with no multi-employee accounts, attendance tracking, or billing tools, unlike OpenTimeClock and TimeCamp.
ActivityWatch
Feature-by-Feature
Tracking Method
Feature
ActivityWatch
OpenTimeClock
TimeCamp
Automatic background tracking
Available
Unavailable
Available
Manual clock-in and attendance logging
Unavailable
Available
Available
Team and Business Features
Feature
ActivityWatch
OpenTimeClock
TimeCamp
Multi-employee or team accounts
Unavailable
Available
Available
Invoicing
Unavailable
Not documented
Available
PTO or attendance tracking
Unavailable
Available
Available
Privacy and Platform Support
Feature
ActivityWatch
OpenTimeClock
TimeCamp
Local-only data storage
Available
Unavailable
Unavailable
Cross-platform apps
Available
Available
Available
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.
OpenTimeClock
Free Plan — Free N/A
Paid Plan (Monthly) — $39/month Monthly
Paid Plan (Yearly) — $399/year (~$33.25/month) Annual
Sponsor Link — Free (in exchange for a homepage link) N/A
TimeCamp
Free — $0 forever
Starter — $3.99/user/month (annual) or $5.49/user/month (monthly) monthly or annual
Premium — $6.99/user/month (annual) or $9.99/user/month (monthly) monthly or annual
Ultimate — $9.99/user/month (annual) or $13.99/user/month (monthly) monthly or annual
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
OpenTimeClock
Pros
Free plan supports unlimited employees, which is rare among time-tracking competitors that charge per seat.
Paid plan is inexpensive relative to per-user competitors, especially for larger teams.
Supports multiple clock-in methods, including GPS, facial recognition, and offline mode.
Includes job costing and PTO accrual tracking typically reserved for pricier platforms.
Nonprofit-friendly pricing and a free 'Sponsor Link' option for cost-conscious organizations.
Cons
Free plan loses PDF/Excel report export after the initial 30-day trial period.
Company does not publicly disclose a physical headquarters or leadership team, which may concern due-diligence-conscious buyers.
Interface and design feel dated compared to newer, VC-backed time-tracking competitors.
Smaller integration ecosystem with payroll and HR platforms than larger competitors like TSheets/QuickBooks Time or Deputy.
Customer support is phone/email based with limited hours rather than 24/7 live chat.
TimeCamp
Pros
Free plan supports unlimited users, unusually generous for the time tracking category
Paid tiers are significantly cheaper than many direct competitors
Combines time tracking with invoicing, budgeting, and attendance in one platform
Automatic, AI-assisted time tracking reduces manual timer management
Enterprise tier offers self-hosted deployment for data-sensitive organizations
Cons
Interface and reporting can feel less polished than higher-priced competitors like Toggl Track
Some advanced features (screenshots, SSO, custom roles) are locked behind the top Ultimate tier
Integration depth on lower tiers is limited compared to Premium and Ultimate plans
Automatic tracking accuracy depends on desktop app usage and can require manual correction
Company size and brand recognition are smaller than category leaders
Use Cases
Choose ActivityWatch: Individuals and developers who want completely free, local-only automatic time tracking without sending any data to a server.
Choose OpenTimeClock: Small businesses, schools, and nonprofits that need an employee time clock with GPS or facial-recognition verification and unlimited free users.
Choose TimeCamp: Agencies and teams that want automatic time tracking combined with invoicing, budgeting, and resource planning under one free-to-start platform.
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.
OpenTimeClock
Small business payroll-ready time tracking — Small businesses use the free or paid plan to track hourly employee attendance and export data for payroll processing.
Multi-site and field-service workforce tracking — Companies with mobile or multi-location employees use GPS geofencing and offline clock-in to verify attendance away from a central office.
Nonprofit and school attendance tracking — Nonprofits and schools with large or fluctuating headcounts use the unlimited-user free tier to track staff or volunteer hours without per-seat costs.
TimeCamp
Freelancer and small team time tracking — Freelancers and small teams use TimeCamp's free plan to track billable hours without per-seat cost.
Agency invoicing and budgeting — Agencies use TimeCamp to convert tracked billable hours directly into client invoices while monitoring project budgets.
Enterprise workforce attendance — Larger organizations use TimeCamp's attendance, time-off, and self-hosted Enterprise tier to manage distributed workforce compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ActivityWatch really free with no limits?
Yes. ActivityWatch has no premium tiers, no usage limits, and no ads, and it is licensed under MPL-2.0 as fully open-source software.
Does ActivityWatch support teams or multiple employees?
No. ActivityWatch is a personal, local-only tool with no multi-employee accounts, attendance tracking, or admin dashboard, unlike OpenTimeClock or TimeCamp.
Which has the most generous free plan for a business?
Both OpenTimeClock and TimeCamp offer free plans that support unlimited users, which is unusually generous for the time-tracking category. OpenTimeClock's free plan loses PDF and Excel export after an initial 30-day period, while TimeCamp's free plan keeps core timesheet functionality indefinitely.
Which tool includes invoicing?
TimeCamp includes invoicing generated directly from billable tracked hours starting on its Starter tier. Invoicing is not documented as a feature of OpenTimeClock or ActivityWatch.
Does OpenTimeClock track time automatically like ActivityWatch?
No. OpenTimeClock relies on manual, GPS-verified, or facial-recognition clock-in rather than the automatic, passive background tracking that defines ActivityWatch.
Which is best for privacy-conscious individuals?
ActivityWatch, since all tracked data stays on the user's own device and is never sent to a server, unlike the cloud-hosted OpenTimeClock and TimeCamp.