Dev Code Tracker — free coding time tracker for VS CodeTrack the hours you actually code.

A quiet, local-first timer that sits in your status bar and logs every coding session — automatically, per project. No accounts. No cloud. No timers to start. Just open a folder and ship.

Install for VS Code See how it works

0 runtime deps1 s resolutionMIT licencefree · open source

checkout.tsx — payments-service

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// auto-tracked since 09:12 IST
import { useState } from 'react';

export function Checkout({ cart }: Props) {
  const [step, setStep] = useState(0);
  const total = cart.reduce((a, b) => a + b.price, 0);

  return (
    <Layout title="Checkout">
      <Steps current={step} />
      <Cart items={cart} total={total} />
    </Layout>
  );
}

tracking

⏱ payments-service: 2h 12m 28s⎇ main✓ 0 errorsTypeScriptUTF-8

Live status-bar timer100% local-firstStreak trackingDaily goalsSmart idle detectionBuilt-in offline dashboardOptional self-hosted syncPlain JSON storageWorks with Cursor & Claude CodeZero runtime dependencies

Features

Quiet by default, powerful when you look.

Everything you need to understand where your time goes — without spreadsheets, sign-ups, or remembering to press Start.

live session · status bar

The timer ticks while you work — and steps aside when you don't.

A second-resolution counter lives in your status bar, attached to the project you're in. Click it to open the full report. Go idle and the session saves itself.

payments-service / checkout.tsx

TrackingPayments API Live session

02:14:08IST

Today4h 32m

Streak12 days

Last 14 days

Today by project

Payments API2h 14m
infra-monorepo1h 28m
docs-site50m

● devCodeTracker · 2h 14m⎇ main● API connected

streaks

Don't break the chain.

Current and longest coding streak, calculated automatically.

12d

14 days agotoday

daily goal

Aim, then watch it fill.

Set a daily target. The progress ring updates live.

today: 4h 32m / 6h
left: 1h 28m

idle detection

Knows when you've stepped away.

Sessions end automatically when focus is lost.

threshold: 5 min
range: 1 – 60
min saved: 60 s

local-first

Your data, in your repo, as plain JSON.

Saved to .devCodeTracker/sessions.json. Readable by any tool, portable forever, gitignore-friendly.

{ "project": "payments-service", "display_name": "Payments API", "start_time": "2026-05-24T09:12:04Z", "duration_seconds": 8048, "date": "2026-05-24", "synced_online": true }

history

14 days at a glance.

Offline webview — no browser needed.

ai-assistant friendly

Counts even when an agent is typing for you.

The timer follows window focus, not keystrokes — so pair-programming with Cursor, Claude Code or Windsurf keeps the session alive. Works in every VS Code-compatible editor.

VS CodeCursorClaude CodeWindsurfVSCodium

0cfgsetup before tracking

1stimer resolution

60sminimum saved session

0depsruntime npm packages

How it works

Five steps, then it disappears.

Setup is one install. After that, the extension does its job in the background and only shows up when you ask.

Install once
Grab it from the Marketplace or install a .vsix manually. Works in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf and any VS Code-compatible editor.
Open any project
The status bar shows ⏱ project: 0s the instant a workspace opens. No prompts, no permission dialogs.
Code (or pair with an AI) normally
The timer follows window focus, so AI assistants like Cursor and Claude Code keep the session alive even when you're not typing.
Idle ends the session
Step away for your idle window (default 5 min) and the session writes itself to sessions.json. Midnight is split correctly for your timezone.
Sync (optional)
Self-host the PHP + MySQL backend on any cheap hosting for a web dashboard with streaks, goals and 30-day history. Otherwise nothing leaves your machine.

~/payments-service

$ code --install-extension KuldipsinhParmar.dev-code-tracker

→ Installed Dev Code Tracker

$ code ~/payments-service

⏱ payments-service: 0s — tracking

… idle 5 min → session saved (2h 12m)

✓ .devCodeTracker/sessions.json updated

Command palette

Seven commands, nothing more to memorize.

Open the palette with ⌘⇧P (or Ctrl⇧P) and type Dev Code Tracker.

Dev Code Tracker: Open Dashboard (Online / Local)Open Dashboard

Opens your full report — the local webview when offline, the online dashboard when sync is set up. Also opens from a status-bar click.

Dev Code Tracker: Show Local DashboardShow Local Dashboard

Forces the local charts even when sync is on, including the live session in real time.

Dev Code Tracker: Show Today's SummaryShow Today's Summary

Opens a Markdown file with today's sessions, totals and per-session times for the current project.

Dev Code Tracker: Configure Online APIConfigure Online API

Guided prompts for your API URL, secret key and idle timeout. Takes under a minute.

Dev Code Tracker: Sync to Server NowSync to Server Now

Pushes pending sessions to your server — handy after working offline.

Dev Code Tracker: Set Display NameSet Display Name for Project

Gives a folder a friendly name, shown in the status bar, both dashboards and every report.

Dev Code Tracker: Clear Project DataClear Project Data

Deletes the local session data for the current project, after asking you to confirm.

Install

Up and tracking in thirty seconds.

Two ways in. The Marketplace is the fastest; the VSIX is for air-gapped setups or pre-release builds.

recommended

From the Marketplace

Search for Dev Code Tracker in the Extensions panel and click Install. Or run it from your shell:

$ code --install-extension KuldipsinhParmar.dev-code-tracker

Works in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium
Auto-updates with your editor
Free forever · no account required

Open Marketplace page

manual install

From source or VSIX

For pre-release builds or fully air-gapped setups. Clone the repo, build, then install the generated .vsix.

# 1. clone & build git clone https://github.com/KuldipsinhParmar/dev-code-tracker cd dev-code-tracker/extension npm install && npm run compile # 2. install the built vsix code --install-extension dev-code-tracker-*.vsix

View on GitHub

Optional · self-hosted

A real dashboard, on your own server.

Upload two files, run one SQL script, drop in an API key. You get streaks, daily goals, a 30-day history and dark mode — all from a single-file PHP backend.

🔒 https://your-server.dev/devcodetracker

Today4h 32m76% of 6h goal

This week28h 12m14 sessions · 5 projects

Current streak12 daysbest: 24 days

All time347hacross 8 projects

30 days agotoday

Same job, opposite philosophy

Dev Code Tracker vs WakaTime: a free, local-first alternative.

Both track the hours you code. The difference is where your data lives and what it costs you. Where WakaTime is the better pick, we say so.

What matters	Dev Code Trackerlocal-first	WakaTimecloud service
Price	Free foreverMIT, open source	Free tier + Premiumpaid plans for full history
Account required	Nonenothing to sign up for	Requiredto see your stats
Where your data lives	Your machineJSON in your repo	WakaTime cloudhosted on their servers
Works fully offline	Always	Needs the cloudto sync and report
Open source	Client + backendMIT licensed	Plugins onlyserver is proprietary
Self-hosting	OfficialPHP + MySQL, any host	Third-party onlye.g. Wakapi
Setup before you're tracking	Install, that's itzero config	Install + accountpaste an API key
AI pair-programming friendly	Focus-basedcounts agent sessions	Tracks AI-written lines
Per-language / file / branch metrics	Project-level only	600+ languagesfile and branch breakdowns
Team dashboards & leaderboards	Solo-focused	Teams & orgsgoals, leaderboards
Editor support	VS Code familyCursor, Windsurf, VSCodium	50+ editorsJetBrains, Vim, Emacs

Choose Dev Code Tracker

If owning your data and zero friction matter more than granular analytics.

You want your activity to never leave your machine.
You'd rather not create an account or pay a subscription.
You're a solo developer or freelancer who wants honest hours per project.
You pair with Cursor or Claude Code and want those sessions counted.

Choose WakaTime

If you need depth and team features, and the cloud is fine.

You want per-language, per-file and branch breakdowns.
You run a team and want shared dashboards and leaderboards.
You code in JetBrains, Vim, Emacs or other IDEs.
You're happy to sync to the cloud and pay for full history.

FAQ

Dev Code Tracker questions.

Still have questions? Open an issue on GitHub or email hello@bitlence.com. Comparing tools? Read how to track coding time without WakaTime.

Does it phone home, share data, or require an account?

No. The extension is 100% local-first. Session data lives in .devCodeTracker/sessions.json inside your project, and nothing leaves your machine unless you configure the self-hosted sync to your own server.

How does it handle idle time?

The timer follows window focus. Step away for longer than your idle threshold — 5 minutes by default, adjustable from 1 to 60 — and the session ends and saves itself. Sessions shorter than 60 seconds are discarded.

Will it work with Cursor, Claude Code and other AI tools?

Yes. It runs in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and any VS Code-compatible editor. Because it tracks focus rather than keystrokes, pair-programming with an AI agent keeps the session alive.

What does the self-hosted backend require?

PHP and MySQL on any shared host. Upload api.php and dashboard.html, run setup.sql, set your database credentials and an API key, then run Configure Online API in the editor.

Is the data format portable?

Yes. Plain JSON, one record per session, ISO-8601 timestamps — read it with jq, a spreadsheet or your own scripts, and add the folder to .gitignore if you don't want it committed.

How much does it cost?

Nothing. Dev Code Tracker is free and open source under the MIT licence. The optional backend only costs whatever your own hosting costs.

free · open source · MIT

Start tracking the hours you actually code.

Thirty seconds to install. Zero ongoing thought.

Install from Marketplace View on GitHub

VS CodeCursorWindsurfVSCodiumClaude Code

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