Replace / RescueTime
Best free RescueTime alternatives (open source, self-hosted) 2026
The best open-source alternative to RescueTime is ActivityWatch (or Solidtime) with Kimai, self-hosted on Railway. Automatic time you keep. ActivityWatch is MPL-2.0 — RescueTime without the productivity-score seat.
Estimated save $1,200 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How RescueTime compares
| RescueTime | ActivityWatch | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- ActivityWatch
MPL-2.0 automatic time tracker — the published RescueTime path
- Solidtime
AGPL-3.0 timesheet if the job is a timer you start
- Kimai
AGPL-3.0 timesheets plus invoicing if Solidtime is not the shape
FAQ
- What is the best free open-source RescueTime alternative?
- The best open-source alternative to RescueTime is ActivityWatch (or Solidtime) with Kimai, self-hosted on Railway. Automatic time you keep. ActivityWatch is MPL-2.0 — RescueTime without the productivity-score seat.
- Is it free?
- The ActivityWatch licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no RescueTime seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from RescueTime?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The ActivityWatch stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old RescueTime links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the ActivityWatch stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). ActivityWatch is a local watcher plus a small server, not a one-click Railway timesheet. Run it on the laptop (or a box the team shares). Persist the ActivityWatch data directory. A Toggl-shaped timer stays on /stacks/solidtime-time. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway.
- What does this replace?
- RescueTime. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $1,200 a year.
Related pages
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