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Hackatime

Open source · OSI-approvedStatus: unknownNew

Free open-source dashboard that turns editor heartbeats into coding stats.

Official site Repository

Hackatime is a free open-source coding time tracker run by nonprofit Hack Club that turns editor activity into dashboards for its community of teenage hackers. It is built for young people learning and shipping code together, and anyone can use the hosted service, with a self-hosted Docker option for those who prefer their own server.[1][2]

Quick verdict

Teen hackers and coding clubs who want free, automatic proof of time spent programming will get the most from Hackatime. Its WakaTime-compatible heartbeat intake covers more than 70 editors, and the hosted service turns that stream into language, project, and trend dashboards with ship streaks, JSON export, and a documented REST API. The constraint is its Hack Club account model and heartbeat-only scope: sign-in runs through Hack Club, records cover coding activity rather than whole-device time, and stand-alone leaderboards are still listed as coming soon. If you want hosted coding dashboards with zero tracking cost, choose Hackatime; if you need fully local whole-device records with no account, choose ActivityWatch.[1][2][3][4]

Key features

  • WakaTime-compatible heartbeat intake WakaTime-compatible heartbeat intake: Hackatime accepts standard coding-activity heartbeats, so existing WakaTime plugins report to it and migration means repointing configuration rather than reinstalling editors.[1][2]

  • Seventy-plus editor plugins Seventy-plus editor plugins: installation docs cover more than 70 editors, with Windows and macOS/Linux configuration paths, so one workflow spans VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Vim, and other setups.[1]

  • One-line API key configuration One-line API key configuration: setup is a Hackatime API key plus a single configuration line in the existing plugin, which keeps onboarding to minutes for each machine.[1]

  • Language, project, and trend dashboards Language, project, and trend dashboards: the hosted service summarizes coding time by language and project with trend views, answering what you worked on without manual timers.[1][2]

  • Ship streaks that attest real work Ship streaks that attest real work: daily coding streaks with ship attestations reward sustained output, matching the program's learn-and-ship culture for young hackers.[1]

  • JSON export and documented REST API JSON export and documented REST API: coding records export as JSON, and officially generated Python, Go, Swift, JS/TS, and Dart clients let custom integrations read stats, heartbeats, and projects.[1]

  • Docker Compose self-hosting Docker Compose self-hosting: the Rails and Svelte codebase ships a Dockerfile with docker-compose.yml and Postgres configuration, so teams can run the full stack on their own infrastructure.[1][2]

  • Heartbeat-only collection scope Heartbeat-only collection scope: Hackatime records coding time, projects, languages, and editors from heartbeats and states plainly that it never collects source code.[1]

Who will love it

  • Teen hackers learning in public: the product, community support in Slack, and ship-streak culture are designed around young Hack Club members building together.[1][2]

  • Developers replacing WakaTime with a free backend: WakaTime-compatible intake plus a 100 percent free hosted service removes the subscription while keeping existing editor plugins.[1][2]

  • Clubs and classrooms running coding challenges: shared dashboards, ship streaks, and API-backed integrations fit group motivation, with stand-alone leaderboards still listed as coming soon.[1][2]

Who should avoid it

  • People who cannot use a Hack Club account: sign-in runs through Hack Club, and even self-hosting needs a Hack Club account OAuth app, so environments that forbid third-party identity have no documented path.[1][2]

  • Teams needing whole-device time proof: heartbeats cover coding activity only, with no documented whole-device tracking or AFK semantics, so anyone billing non-coding computer time should choose a whole-day tracker instead.[1][2]

  • Buyers wanting a mature enterprise record: the project was created in 2025, leaderboards are still coming soon, and support runs through a community Slack channel with no support SLA documented.[1][2]

Alternatives and compatibility

ActivityWatch is the proposed canonical alternative: it tracks coding time through local editor watchers and names WakaTime as an alternative service, so a coder choosing between hosted coding dashboards and fully local whole-device records has a genuine substitution.[1][2]

Migration from WakaTime is a documented path: the docs include a WakaTime migration guide, and repointing existing plugins with a Hackatime API key preserves editor setups.[1][2]

Hosted and self-hosted modes share the same codebase: records live on the hosted service by default or in your own Postgres when you run the Docker Compose stack, so the data-location choice follows the deployment choice.[1][2]

Questions worth asking

What is the best Hackatime alternative for non-technical users?

A hosted automatic tracker with ready-made shared reports is the safer pick when nobody on the team wants to configure anything. Hackatime itself needs only a plugin install and one pasted API key for daily use, but its Hack Club account model and heartbeat-only scope assume a coding workflow, so a non-technical team that needs whole-device time proof should prefer a managed whole-day tracker.[1][2]

Is Hackatime really no-code?

Yes for daily tracking: installing a WakaTime plugin in your editor and pasting one API key needs no programming. Writing custom integrations against the REST API or self-hosting the Rails codebase with Docker Compose are the exceptions, and they need developer skill.[1][2]

How much does Hackatime cost per month?

The hosted service costs 0 dollars and the codebase is MIT-licensed with no paid plan documented. A free licence does not pay for your own server or its upkeep if you self-host. Prices checked October 2026.[1][2]

Can you self-host Hackatime?

Yes. The repository ships a Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml, and DEVELOPMENT.md documents a full Docker Compose setup with Postgres, Vite builds, and a Hack Club account OAuth app for sign-in. The hosted dashboard at hackatime.hackclub.com remains the default.[1][2]

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 11, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

  1. Hackatime homepage

    official · Observed October 11, 2026

    Official homepage; identity, free stance, heartbeat privacy scope, dashboards, ship streaks, leaderboards coming soon

  2. Hackatime documentation index

    official · Observed October 11, 2026

    Docs index; installation, configuration, WakaTime migration, API reference, FAQ, help routes

  3. Hackatime installation docs

    official · Observed October 11, 2026

    Installation docs; API key plus one-line plugin config across 70-plus editors

  4. hackclub/hackatime repository

    official · Observed October 11, 2026

    Official repository; MIT license, Rails plus Svelte topics, Dockerfile and compose, About link to official site

  5. Hackatime help docs

    official · Observed October 11, 2026

    Help docs; Slack community channel as primary support route

  6. Hackatime API reference

    official · Observed October 11, 2026

    API reference; REST routes with generated Python, Go, Swift, JS/TS, Dart clients plus JSON export

  7. Hackatime DEVELOPMENT.md

    official · Observed October 11, 2026

    DEVELOPMENT.md; Docker Compose full-stack setup with Postgres, Vite, and Hack Club OAuth app

  8. Hackatime LICENSE

    official · Observed October 11, 2026

    LICENSE file; MIT License with copyright to Hack Club

  9. ActivityWatch homepage

    official · Observed October 10, 2026

    ActivityWatch homepage; free open-source automated tracker with editor watchers naming WakaTime as alternative

Developer ToolsWeb Analyticscoding-time-trackingwakatime-compatibledashboardseditor-pluginsanalyticsself-hosteddockerapileaderboards

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No explicit proprietary baseline is recorded.

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