ChronoTrace is a privacy-first, cross-platform app usage tracker. A headless background daemon writes silently to your local SQLite database with ~0% CPU and < 15MB RAM.
This dashboard runs locally on your machine via Wails v2 without continuous memory footprint.
Aggregated window active time • 127.0.0.1:42069
Built for developers, professionals, and students who care about their device performance and privacy.
Compiled into pure native Go binaries with no CGO dependencies. Consumes under 15MB RAM and 0% CPU at idle.
No cloud accounts, no tracking scripts, and no telemetry. Your logs remain on your disk in a local SQLite file.
Query your data anytime on http://127.0.0.1:42069 with curl, Python, or automated scripts.
The daemon runs quietly in the background. The desktop dashboard is only opened when you want to view reports.
┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Headless Background Daemon │ ───► │ Local SQLite DB │
│ (Under 15MB RAM, 0% CPU) │ │ (~/.local/share, %APPDATA%) │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘ └──────────────────┬───────────────────┘
▲ │
│ (Auto-Spawns / OS Start) ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ChronoTrace GUI (Wails) │ ◄─── │ Local REST API │
│ (Optional Desktop Window) │ │ (127.0.0.1:42069) │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────────────────────┘| Feature | ChronoTrace | ActivityWatch | RescueTime |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAM Usage | < 15 MB | 100–250 MB | 80–180 MB |
| Telemetry & Privacy | 0% Telemetry (100% Local) | Local first | Cloud dependent |
| Headless Tracking | Yes (Daemon only) | Multiple processes | No |
| Local REST API | Yes (127.0.0.1:42069) | Yes | No |
Unlike bloated Electron or Python alternatives, ChronoTrace's background daemon is compiled into a lightweight native Go binary with pure Go SQLite (zero CGO). It uses jittered 2–3 second OS foreground window hooks and in-memory batching that flushes to disk only every 45 seconds.
Never. ChronoTrace has zero telemetry, zero analytics scripts, and zero cloud accounts. All recorded data stays strictly on your machine in a local SQLite file stored in your operating system's user directory.
Download the package for Windows, Linux, or macOS. Extract the zip file and run the installer script (`install-windows.bat`, `install-linux.sh`, or `install-macos.sh`). It copies the files, registers the background daemon in your OS autostart on boot, and opens the GUI.
Yes! The daemon exposes a local JSON REST API on http://127.0.0.1:42069. You can query your hourly timelines, daily summaries, and per-app usage directly using curl or Python.
Free and open-source forever. Download 1-click packages with full autostart support for your platform.
1-Click Setup • HKCU Autostart Registry • Zero popup
Apple Silicon & Intel • Native launchd LaunchAgent
X11 & Wayland • Systemd user service installer