Freedom251 › Time Tracking Software
Project Hamster
What Project Hamster is
Project Hamster is a free Linux desktop time tracker for individuals. It records time against activities that users choose: when switching tasks, you change the current activity and later review the time assigned to each one. Reports can cover a day, week, month, or selected interval, and entries can be edited or exported. Search filters results by name, category, tag, and other fields. Categories and tags can organize activities and reports but are optional. An HTML report helps prepare time data for reporting, and a statistics tab shows activity over time. Hamster is written in PyGTK and stores data in SQLite. The database file is ~/.local/share/hamster-applet/hamster.db; copying it is the documented way to back up or synchronize data. Automatic open-window tracking was not implemented. Installation guidance points to Ubuntu nightly builds, other distributions’ repositories, or source instructions. The project directs bug reports and feature requests to GitHub and says its blog is defunct.
Who it suits
Project Hamster suits Linux users who want manual, individual activity tracking with editable reports. It fits people comfortable managing a local SQLite database and installing through distribution or source guidance.
What it does well
- Free Linux desktop application
- Reports by day, week, month, or interval
- Editable and exportable entries
- Optional categories and tags
- SQLite storage with copyable database
What to know first
- Manual activity switching required
- No automatic open-window tracking
- Installation guidance includes nightly builds or source
- Project blog is defunct
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Project Hamster | Individual time tracking · SQLite data storage | Free |
As projecthamster.wordpress.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Project Hamster provides focused manual time tracking with flexible reports and local SQLite storage. Its discontinued blog and lack of automatic window tracking are important considerations.
Facts from Project Hamster's own pages
- Activity tracking
- Users change their current activity when they switch tasks, then review how much time they spent on each activity. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Backup and sync
- The troubleshooting FAQ says to synchronize or back up by copying the database file. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Data location
- The troubleshooting page gives the database location as ~/.local/share/hamster-applet/hamster.db. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Desktop app
- Yes · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Filtering
- The overview search can filter results by name, category, tag, and other fields. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 20 Sept 2026
- HTML export
- The site describes an HTML report for preparing time data for reporting. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The installation page points to Ubuntu nightly builds and recommends checking other distributions' repositories or following the source installation instructions. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Organization
- Categories and tags can help organize activities and reporting, though they are not required for reporting. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Project status
- The maker says the blog is defunct and that the original author has stepped away from development; it points enquiries to the project's GitHub AUTHORS file. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Project Hamster is time tracking for individuals, letting users track time spent on activities they choose. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Reports
- Users can review activities by day, week, month, or interval, and edit and export entries. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Statistics
- A statistics tab can provide insight into a user's activity over time. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Storage
- The About page says Hamster is written in PyGTK and uses SQLite for data storage. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The troubleshooting page directs users to check existing GitHub bugs and file a new issue for feature requests or bugs. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Tracking approach
- The project says it favors users choosing what to track and explains that automatic open-window tracking was not implemented because of its implications and complexity. · projecthamster.wordpress.com, 12 Oct 2026
Where Project Hamster stands on Freedom251
- Time Tracking Software#41 of 77
- Time tracking apps#47 of 78